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COLTS TURN TO BURROW

Coming off a two win season, first year IFL Coach Charles Evans selected LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the first overall selection in the 2021 IFL draft. Evans hopes Burrow will be a cornerstone of the franchise for years to come. Rounding out the top five, Dallas selected quarterback Justin Herbert second overall. The Steelers selected dynamic wide receiver Justin Jefferson third. In somewhat of a surprise move, the Dolphins, despite having quarterback Jared Goff already on their roster, selected Tua Tagovailoa fourth overall. Defensive end Chase Young went fifth overall to the Bills.

ROUND ONE BY THE NUMBERS

Thought I'd share this, in case anyone was interested. All these numbers refer to this year's R1 selections and positions as designated by DKS.

The most selected position this year was WRs. Seven (7) were taken; the same number as last year, but still two less than 2015 when 9 were taken, the most times any one position has been selected in R1 in IFL Draft history (at least since I've been keeping track...2012). Over those 10 years, 53 WRs have been taken, for an average of 5.3 per year in R1.

The second most selected position was RBs. Six (6) were taken; tied for most ever taken in R1 (also done in 2018). The 10-year average is 4 RBs taken in R1.

Four (4) QBs were taken. Five (5) is the most ever taken in R1. That has been done three times - 2012, 2019 and 2020). Four were also selected in 2013. The 10-year average is 3.5, so the number this year is pretty much on par.

Here's how the rest of the positions fleshed out:
OT - 3
OG-OT - 2
CB, DE, DL, DT, LB, ILB, OC and S* - one each

*I counted Jeremy Chinn as a S, though his LB-S position designation by DKS is a first (at least since I've been keeping track).

Summary: Seems WRs and RBs were in big demand, a little over their 10-year averages. CBs were behind the curve. An average of 2.7 were selected in R1 over the last 10 years, but just 1 was selected this year. DEs were a little behind too - 1.7 on average vs. just 1 selected this year. Every other position was pretty much on target.

Hope you enjoyed this little bit of nothing.

Scott
IFL Ravens

THE GURU SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON THE IFL DRAFT

I want to welcome Mel Kiper Jr back for his 2nd year of doing the mock draft for the IFL league .

Thank You Mr Commissioner it is great to be back. I had a wonderful time last year mocking for the IFL. I look forward to this exercise and maybe shedding some light on what teams might be thinking and why.

Before I start the mock I want to do a quick overview of the stars of the draft and a position that is over drafted based on value every year, the QBs.

This year we have 4 QB that appear can be starters for the foreseeable future . Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow appear to be Franchise type QB that can carry a franchise for years to come.

Herbert seems to have the least amount of questions of any of the quarterbacks. He has the size, arm strength and poise in the pocket to be a generational QB. He has a chance to break most IFL Rookie throwing records. To me a no brainier top pick of this draft

Burrow has some of Herbert's qualities but is a one year wonder in college and is coming off an ACL tear. His arm is good but he is said to be working on his deep ball accuracy this off season. Still Burrow should turn into a fine QB who should earn an extension at the end of his rookie contract and deserves to be one of the top picks in this draft.

The other two QB Tua Tagovailo and Jalen Hurts come with more question marks

Tua is a much celebrated QB coming out of college but hip surgery has some questioning his durability which has led some to question his size and arm strength also his athleticism to escape a collapsing pocket. Tua has talent and I believe if he gets to team and a fan base that has some patience they have a chance be rewarded with a franchise QB.

Jalen Hurts started for 3 years in college and is a proven college commodity. earned a 41-3 mark at Alabama helping them win the national title in 2017 Helping being the key word as Tua came in for him in the national championship game and lead them to an OT win. Alabama never looked back it was Tua time. Hurts landed in Oklahoma and had an outstanding season as he was a Heisman Trophy runner up. Listen this is what I know in college Hurts was accurate and was a superb runner. Will this translate to the IFL game I don't know for sure but I do know he will be given an opportunity to be a franchise QB with whatever team picks him.

Now on to my mock and btw its nice to see McShay take some time to do some work after palling around with his IFL executive buddies at pro days all spring.

1. Indiannapolis: Coming off a miserable 2-14 season Justin Herbert is exactly what this community needed to help get the arrow pointed in the right direction and give them some hope.  Pick QB Justin Herbert

2. Dallas: For the second year in a row the Cowboys will be picking a QB and hope to get it right this time. There is nothing else to say except Minshew is not the long term answer. They have needs all over as they also went 2-14 but until they get the QB right they will not be able to move forward Burrow should prove to be the franchise QB they are looking for. Pick QB Joe Burrow

3. Pittsburgh: Well I know this front office well and they understand they need a QB of the future as Brady has at most a couple years left(insert a smiley face if you have heard this before) But right now he is still a top 10 QB in the league and deserves a weapon after the cupboard being bare the last few years of play makers this young man will inject some excitement in the Steel City. Pick WR Justin Jefferson

4. Miami: So Miami trades picks 1.13 1.27 and 2.12 plus a 5th to move up to this spot and are not coming up for a QB? They have holes at RB WR and a Pass Rusher plus needing help in the CB room. Some are questioning this move up however Coach Cox has proven he knows what he is doing and the Dolphin faithful motto is in Tony we trust after an undefeated IFL Championship in 2018. This could be a surprise QB pick as maybe they are not sold on Goff/Winston but they fill a hole and turn the card in for one of the best players in the draft . Pick DE Chase Young

5. Buffalo: The Bill got their Franchise QB last year now they need to protect him. They can find WR in the 2nd round this is a plug and play Tackle who will be their for a decade. Pick OT Tristian Wirfs

6. San Francisco: They literally have no one in the QB room they hope this young man comes to life and becomes the franchise QB that he is projected to be coming out of college. Its Tua time in the Bay. Pick QB Tua Tagovailoa

7. Denver: TODD TODD TODD TODD TODD...... a guard ? Their QB is Mitch Tribisky! They have 2 solid guards. The Broncos have a solid team but look they need a QB of the future and their is only one left on the board. Obviously I have a higher grade on Hurts then new school or old school but he does have a chance to be a franchise QB. You need to make the pick if he is here at 7. Pick QB Jalen Hurts

8. LA Rams: The Rams made an aggressive move up the draft board last year and they picked Daniel Jones to be their Franchise QB. The jury is still out on this QB as he needs to cut down on his turnovers but he has shown signs of being the answer for years to come. Where does Coach Heaton (Youngest) go from here to get his team back in the playoffs? I believe he opts for a WR here to help Jones. Cee Dee Lamb fits like a glove in this WR Room. Pick WR Cee Dee Lamb

9. Arizona: This is a tough call for coach Heaton (Senior) other than the fact they have the greatest QB on the planet they have needs at RB , WR and the OL. So players available are Jonathan Taylor RB, A Guard shooting up the board in Mike Onwenu or WR with a choice from Chase Claypool , Brandon Aiyuk , Jerry Jeudy , or Tee Higgins. They do have an injury prone Saquon Barkley at RB so I think they will address this later in the draft The OL needs to be improved but what this team is missing is a slot receiver for Mahomes to go along with their outside threats of Mike Williams and Christian Kirk. Pick WR Tee Higgins

10. Tennessee: Do they need a WR to go with Hopkins yes but they have a 31 year old Latavius Murray and nothing else. They have Jonathan Taylor fall to them at 10 and they get a young workhouse that can help setup the play action pass to go with WR Hopkins and last years 1st round pick TE Noah Fant . Pick RB Jonathan Taylor

11. Detroit: Another team that will need a QB soon as Injured Garoppolo has an uncertain future but they can pick a veteran up later in the draft and punt on the position until next year. They have a stout RB in Josh Jacobs and WR and OL are good their defense needs some help especially DB room. Pick CB Jarius Sneed

12. Atlanta: Phillip Rivers announced that this will be his last year and unless they make a massive move up to the top of the draft there will be no QB's here. This is a pretty veteran team with good players throughout the roster. They have needs at RB , WR and CB although they just pulled off a trade to bring in William Jackson to fill 1 CB need they will need more DB's but will this be the spot? I see this coming down between Claypool or Aiyuk or a young corner to pair with Jackson. I think with Larry Fitzgerald Mulling retirement I believe a WR will be the pick(based on an anonymous source with knowledge of the front office thinking) Pick WR Brandon Aiyuk

13 Kansas City: The Chiefs picked Drew Lock with the 3rd pick last year and they must be sold on him to trade out of a chance to pick Tua. Coach Sarcewicz gets a massive haul to move down 9 spots and they get a player at a need position to fall to them as they are in need of Interior Linemen . Pick OG Mike Onwenu

14. Houston: This team could use a RB as Mixon is injury prone they need a true OT as everyone on their line is better suited on the interior , and more DB's are needed . I can see them using this pick on the line and going with a player that projects as a franchise LT . Pick LT Mekhi Becton

15. Washington: What do we get a team that needs OLB help and Safety help . How about a player that can do both at a high level. Pick LB-S Jeremy Chinn

16. Detroit: Listen if I am Detroit I would double up at CB with this pick and bring in either AJ Terrell or Trevon Diggs and lock up a couple of young corners at an important position. Pick CB Trevon Diggs

17. Chicago: Coach Nordberg probable needs to build in the trenches after moving up for Darnold 2 years ago and drafting an edge rusher in the 1st last year in Maxx Crosby. This to me comes down to what does this team feel it needs most OL or DL choices between a talented Derrick Brown as Starter McLendon has reached 35 years old or go wiith OG Damien Lewis to help protect Darnold. I know this is not what McSeay picked but for me I believe Brown has more upside. Pick DT Derrick Brown

18. LA Chargers: Fitzmagic is in town get your tickets now because its usually a short show. Yes they need a QB of the future but they will kick that can down the road what they need is a slot receiver to play in between Julio and Amari Cooper who can run a few Jet sweeps also . Pick WR Laviska Shenault Jr

19. Arizona: They get their Slot Receiver earlier in the 1st round now they get their LT of the future . Pick LT Jedrick Wills Jr

20. NY Giants: So the Giants can grab themselves a workhorse RB and he can catch passes out of the backfield. Sign me up . Pick RB James Robinson

21. Oak...Las Vegas: A position of need is interior line and one of the best in the class falls to the Raiders here at 21 . Pick OG-C Damien Lewis

22. Baltimore: This team is in desperate need of a stud RB luckily for them this draft is full of RB1 types. Antonio Gibson has the chance to put a lot of points in the paint and is my choice for the Ravens.

Pick RB Antonio Gibson

23. Jacksonville: The Jags need some talent in their front 7 . while they could use a RB or a second WR to go with DK Metcalf they also need a potential big time play maker on defense . I believe this player with his speed and coverage ability can turn into that play maker and after having just traded for S Devon McCourty they definitely have a defensive frame of mind . Pick LB Isiah Simmons

24. New Orleans: Coach Rice needs help at CB and another DL and LB . I lean towards a young CB.  Pick CB AJ Terrell

25. Tampa Bay: Another big time need that matches an available player and you can bring him on the blitz also. Pick S Antoine Winfield Jr

26. Cincinnati: Well we got to the commish's team. Listen they just traded for a 35 year old LT so this is a clear need for the future unless they feel Christian and Pipkins will develop into reliable options next year, they also just traded their 3rd CB William Jackson They could use an upgrade at LB and DL is an area of need they have 2 of the next 3 picks But a WR has unexpectedly fell into the Bengals lap who will give them some run after catch ability . This pick will help keep Aaron Rodgers mentally in the fold for the upcoming year. Pick WR Jerry Judy

27. Kansas City: Lane Johnson has had some injury issues and they have their choices of a couple of Tackles here Robert Hunt , Jonah Williams and Andrew Thomas are still all on the board . And although Jonah Williams has had some injury issues himself he is in my opinion the best fit for them at LT and appears to have the best upside of the 3. Pick LT Jonah Williams

28. Cincinnati: The Bengals love their DL and Javon Kinlaw has slid to this spot and cannot be past up.  Pick DL Javon Kinlaw

29. Carolina:Making it to the Super Bowl last year this team is in win now mode. They need a Center who can step in and help facilitate the running game of Derrick Henry while he is in his prime. Pick C David Andrews

30. Denver: The Broncos need RB despite trading for McCaffrey but I believe they will wait until later to address this issue they need a LT to help protect the blind side of their new Rookie QB Jalen Hurts . Pick LT Andrew Thomas

NEW SCHOOL VERSUS OLD SCHOOL

Todd McShay offers a different perspective on how the IFL Draft could turn out....

Can't argue with Musberger's first four picks...

1. Indiannapolis: Burrow might be the better long-term choice, but QB Justin Herbert is here and now. The trick will be filling in the holes of this block of Swiss cheese.

2. Dallas: With Minchew, the Cowboys don't need QB Joe Burrow to produce right away, but he will for 10 games or so and give a glimpse of what will be in Da-Da-Land.

3. Pittsburgh: Just what Coach Alberry (the senior one) wants as QB Tom Brady rides into the sunset...whenever he decides it's time for the the sun to set...all-powerful deity that he is. WR Justin Jefferson heads to the black-and-gold Heinz Stadium at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers.

4. Miami: Yummy, yummy, yummy. DE Chase Young is going to love eating up QBs in South Beach.

OK, here's where Musberger and I differ somewhat. We both agree that the Bills need help on the offensive side of the ball, but rather than give QB Kyler Murray a toy to play with, I see the Bills going the protection route:

5. Buffalo: OT Tristan Wirfs will bookend nicely with Ronnie Stanley for years to come and protect Murray from all those big, mean defenders like Chase Young, who now resides in the AFC East.

6. San Francisco: With the QB room empty, the Niners have got to find somebody to throw the ball to Stefon Diggs and Co. The question is whether to go with who's available or pass on a QB (figuring Alex Smith will surely be around for their second pick) and use this pick to find another foundation stone...maybe along the D-line? Maybe a trade back is in order here. Since I can't trade in the mock, I'll go with Musberger: Tua Tagvailoa, QB.

7. Denver: With Wirfs taken two slots ahead, Denver fills the void with versatile Michael Onwenu, OG-OT.

8. LA Rams: Coach Heaton (one of the younger ones) doesn't want QB Daniel Jones throwing the ball too much, so again, I'll go with Musberger: Jonathan Taylor, RB will team with Miles Sanders for a terrific one-two ground attack.

9. Arizona: Conversely, Coach Heaton (the eldest one) does want his QB to throw the ball. Mahomes gets a new toy and is happy that WR CeeDee Lamb fell into his lap.

10. Tennessee: As Musberger notes, Tennessee has a history of great WRs. Claypool could be that guy, but I think Coach Brunskill will go with WR Brandon Aiyuk instead.

11. Detroit: The Lions actually have a decent O-Line. There's not much depth behind it, but the 11th overall pick is not to be used for depth. Their defense, on the other hand, needs some help. The D-Line is stout, but aging. The LB corps and secondary are thin. Coach Merlenback will probably give Chinn some serious consideration, but I see CB L'Jarius Sneed as a good fit here.

12. Atlanta: Like Musberger, I see new coach Paul Alberry (the younger of the Alberrys) giving the old grizzled Phillip Rivers someone to throw to for his last hurrah. Unlike Musberger's choice of Tee Higgins, I think WR Chase Claypool will be available here.

13 Kansas City: This pick is a question of need vs value. DT Derrick Brown is a tremendous value at this pick, but the Chiefs have six DL and only one LB. I see Coach Sarcewicz taking versatile LB-S Jeremy Chinn and keeping his options open for his second pick later in the round.

14. Houston: The Texans have quietly assembled a solid team - good QB, good RBs, good WRs, a versatile O-Line, good D-Line, good ILB and good DBs (though thin). Could maybe use a little help at OLB, but none stand to help his unit like OT Mekhi Becton.

15. Washington: With Chinn stolen from him two picks before, Coach Heaton (the other young one) gives his Prescott/Bridgewater QB tandem a target - WR Jerry Jeudy.

16. Detroit: The Lions use their second pick of the round to stick with defense and take LB Isaiah Simmons over the WR Musberger said they'd take (Jeudy). Can't have enough D in the black-and-blue division.

17. Chicago: Like the Rams with Daniel Jones, GM/Coach Nordberg, who swapped cities with the Detroit franchise this year, doesn't want QB Sam Darnold putting the ball in the air too much. Though Musberger has da Bears taking RB Antonio Gibson, I see da Bears backfield as already pretty strong with Pollard and Fournette. I see da Bears selecting that road-grader, OG-OT Damien Lewis, to give them highways to run on.

18. LA Chargers: While Coach Banko needs a QB-of-the-future, I don't think he's sold on Hurts. Fitzmagic could buy him some time, but he needs someone to throw to. WR Tee Higgins is a nice solution that let's Coach Banko look for short-term help at QB in the next round.

19. Arizona: I think Musberger is right on this. OT Jedrick Wills Jr should still be available and Coach Heaton will use the pick to protect the franchise jewel, Mahomes.

20. NY Giants: Two in a row! I agree with Musberger. As tempting as it is to take QB Jalen Hurts and put him in competition with residing QB Carson Wentz, RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire would be a great fit on a solid Giants squad.

21. Oak...Las Vegas: Coach Keith Jackson can't believe his fortune! The dice rolled and came up DT Derrick Brown. What a D-Line these guys are going to have!

22. Baltimore: The Ravens nearly had their guy. Historically taking trench guys, they were licking their lips at the thought of a D-Line with Derrick Brown, Aaron Donald, Josh Allen (the DE one, not the QB one) and Folorunso Fatukasi! Alas, they're happy to welcome (real Raven) RB JK Dobbins into their needy backfield, leaving James Robinson and others wondering what the Ravens brass is thinking.

23. Jacksonville: RB James Robinson will wear the teal-and-black, just like real life, and share time with David Johnson in an explosive Jaguar backfield.

24. New Orleans: The skid stops here. Saints feel blessed to take DL Javon Kinlaw this deep in the draft.

25. Tampa Bay: The Bucs need a safety and a good one is available. Coach Chase selects S Antoine Winfield Jr, just like Musberger said.

26. Cincinnati: Despite the mis-information that GM/Coach John Storer provided to Musberger's interns, the Bengals can't follow the lead of the real Packers and not give QB Aaron Rodgers some help...can they?! I see the striped Cats taking WR Gabriel Davis and putting a smile on Rodgers' face.

27. Kansas City: Taking advantage of their first pick's versatility, KC goes with another LB, but it's not the one that Musberger thinks. Coach Sarcewicz takes LB Kenneth Murray, not Patrick Queen.

28. Cincinnati: Bengals double-down and broaden Rodgers' smile. WR Darrell Mooney is their second selection in three picks.

29. Carolina: Musberger and I agree again. OT Andrew Thomas to the Panthers.

30. Denver: After trading to acquire McCaffrey, the Broncos want to ensure he'll have a stout line to run behind once he's healthy. After taking Wirfs at 1.7, they stick with the O-line and take C Lloyd Cushenberry.

All-in-all, Musberger and I agree on a lot of selections (14 of 30!). Musberger thinks highly of RBs Antonio Gibson and Cam Akers, QB Jalen Hurts and ILB Patrick Queen, while I favor RB James Robinson, WR Gabriel Davis, ILB Kenneth Murray and C Lloyd Cushenberry. Let's see whether old school or new skool gets it right.

YOU ARE LOOKING LIVE.....................

at the IFL Indianapolis Colts draft room.

Hello everyone, I'm Brent Musburger and I have been allowed the privilege of mocking the 2021 IFL draft. I am here in Indianapolis where I spoke with first year IFL Coach Charles Evans with regard to the pressure of making the first overall selection. Charles agreed it is a critical selection that could determine the fate of the IFL Colts for years to come. He added the franchise is prepared and excited to make this selection. Now, on to the mock.

1. COLTS - Indianapolis needs a quarterback and there are at least two that merit consideration, Joe Burrow was the first overall selection in the NFL draft but suffered a season ending injury. The other candidate is Justin Herbert, who enjoyed a fine rookie season. As Phyllis points out the reports on Burrow's recovery are positive still I look for the Colts to go the safer route and select Herbert number one overall.

2. COWBOYS - Dallas is another franchise in need of potential franchise quarterback. The Colonel, Steve Hart already shipped Cam Newton out of Big "D" in preparation of the selection. Joe Burrow to the Cowboys.

3. STEELERS - With quarterbacks going with the first two selections, the Steelers have the opportunity to select what they feel is the best player at the other positions. The Greek believes the odds favor Pittsburgh taking LSU receiver Justin Jefferson over the best defensive prospect in the draft Chase Young. Jefferson to the Steelers.

4. DOLPHINS - In a proactive move, Miami traded up to the fourth overall spot. Ohio State defensive end, Chase Young would beef up a suspect Dolphins defense.

5. BILLS - After selecting exciting playmaking quarterback Kyler Murray number one overall last year, the Bills will give him another weapon with the selection of wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.

6. 49ERS - San Francisco will go to the well again after giving up on former first round quarterback Mitchell Trubisky this past offseason. The 49ers will gamble that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will fully recover from a serious hip injury.

7. BRONCOS - Denver is giving said Mr. Trubisky another chance. To help increase his chance of success the Broncos will add building block left tackle Tristan Wirfs.

8. RAMS - Coming off an IFL Super Bowl Championship just two years ago, Los Angeles is still feeling the affects of losing their franchise quarterback Andrew Luck to retirement. Quarterback Daniel Jones, last year's first round selection, shows promise. Selecting the best running back available in Jonathan Taylor could help escalate Jones development.

9. CARDINALS - After trading up, Arizona will take advantage of adding to a thin receiving corps with the selection of Brandon Aiyuk.

10. TITANS - Historically Tennessee is known for having an exciting receiving corps with Beckham and Hopkins. The Titans hope receiver Chase Claypool adds to that legacy.

11. LIONS - Mike Onwenu was one of the better late round success stories in the 2020 NFL draft. He will help upgrade the Lions O-Line.

12. FALCONS - With the great Larry Fitzgerald finally showing signs of slowing down, wide receiver Tee Higgins looks like a nice addition to Atlanta.

13. CHIEFS - Kansas City traded down from four to gain an additional first round pick and additional roster depth. It looks like a solid move so far as they select defensive tackle Derrick Brown.

14. TEXANS - I look for Houston to add mammoth offensive tackle Mekhi Becton.

15. FOOTBALL TEAM - Washington could use help at outside linebacker and safety. Our resident defensive expert Irv Cross, believes the versatile Jeremy Chinn offers a solution at either position.

16. LIONS - With their second of two first round picks, Detroit adds to their wide receiver room with Jerry Jeudy.

17. BEARS - Running Back Antonio Gibson adds another dimension to the Chicago back field.

18. CHARGERS - With the quarterback room needing an injection of youth, Los Angeles selects Jalen Hurts.

19. CARDINALS - Another team making their second selection of the first round, Arizona hopes to improve Mahomes' protection by adding tackle Jedrick Willis Jr.

20. GIANTS - The New York Football Giants could use help in the back field. They have at least a trio of choices in Cam Akers, D'Andre Swift, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. I lean toward Edwards-Helaire.

21. RAIDERS - At this point in the draft I could see Oakland, oops I knew I would do that. I mean Las Vegas of course, beefing up the interior of their offensive line by selecting road grader Damien Lewis.

22. RAVENS - Passing on home town product J.K. Dobbins would be shocking. The running back room is rather thin in Baltimore.

23. JAGUARS - One of the rising franchises in the IFL, look for Jacksonville to add dynamic linebacker Isaiah Simmons to the defense.

24. SAINTS - New Orleans adds depth to the defensive line with the addition of Javon Kinlaw.

25. BUCCANEERS - One of the more successful IFL franchises that seems to fall just short in the postseason. I think they will address a major need with the addition of second generation defensive back Antoine Winfield Jr.

26. BENGALS - Acquired from the Jets, Cincinnati traded cornerback William Jackson for offensive line help. I look for the Bengals to replenish their defensive back field by adding L'Jarius Sneed.

27. CHIEFS - Kansas City continues to add to the defense with the selection of linebacker Patrick Queen.

28. BENGALS - With their second selection of round one, Cincinnati adds to their receiving corps with Darnell Mooney.

29. PANTHERS - Carolina will take a chance on offensive tackle Andrew Thomas, who started slow but begin to justify his top five selection in the NFL.

30. BRONCOS - Denver closes out the first round of the IFL draft with the selection of running back Cam Akers.

IFL SUPER BOWL

Lamar Jackson continued his postseason roll as the Patriots defeat Carolina to complete a perfect season.

In a battle of #1 seeds, Carolina (13-3) and New England (16-0) hooked up in the IFL Super Bowl for all the marbles. Carolina is led by their franchise QB Russell Wilson (3600 yards, 18 TDs only 3 INT), with support from running back Derrick Henry (1646 rushing yards w/17 TDs) and stud receiver Mike Evans (1210 yards 9 TDs). Meanwhile, undefeated New England sports a multi-dimensional offense led by QB Lamar Jackson (3350 passing yards, 27 TDs and 992 rushing yards) with help from RB Christian McCaffrey (1126 rushing yards and 24 TDs) and the receiving duo of Cooper Kupp and Courtland Sutton (17 total TDs).

Patriots win the toss and elect to defer. Carolina opens up with a quick Wilson to Amendola strike for 9 yards and a short run by Kenyan Drake for the first down. The drive stalled from there and the Panthers punt it away.

Jackson hits Sutton on the first play for 11 yards and a first down. A couple McCaffrey runs leaves the Patriots with a 3rd and 3. Jackson rolls out looking for a receiver but the coverage is excellent...........he checks down to McCaffrey but is INTERCEPTED BY MAURICE CANADY who runs it all the way back to the Patriot ONE YARD LINE! A huge early break for the Panthers! A false start penalty backs Carolina up, but Kenyan Drake runs it in from 6 yards out and Carolina is on the board first, 7-0.

Lamar Jackson wastes little time answering, rushing twice for 13 yards and completing 4 of 5 passes on the next drive, the last to Courtland Sutton for a 21 yard TD and the game was tied at 7-7 at the 5:26 mark of the first quarter.

Patriots appeared to enter the game looking to stop Derrick Henry. This didn't work out well on the next drive as Russell Wilson connected three times with Drake out of the backfield for gains of 3, 26 and 24 yards to carry the Panthers deep into Patriot territory. After a 5 yard Drake run, Wilson found him for a FOURTH time on the drive for a 5 yard TD pass, and Carolina leads 14-7 at the end of the first quarter.

Patriots looked to answer but the Panther defense was up to the task, forcing a 3 and out. Russ starts to cook once again, finding Drake for 6 yards and Amendola for 18 yards.......down to the NE 38 yard line. Facing a 4th and 2 from the 30, Carolina calls on Josh Lambo who connects on the long field goal, and Carolina had a 10 point lead early in quarter number two.  17-7 Panthers

New England puts together a nifty nine play 75 yard drive in response, highlighted by completions to Hayden Hurst for 13 and Sutton for 16 out to the Panther 31 yard line. A 9-yard rush by Jackson was followed by a 19-yard TD strike to John Ross.  17-14 Panthers.

On first and ten Carolina looked to unleash their big dog Derrick Henry who cut inside and was hit by Logan Ryan, jarring the ball loose into the arms of rookie LB Devin White................who ran it all the way back for the TD!  Patriots take their first lead of the game at the 6:52 mark of the 2nd quarter, 21-17.

Panthers looked to answer as Wilson hits Drake and Hooper for short completions to start the drive. TWO holding penalties killed the momentum however and Carolina had to punt it away. New England would have it at their own 23 yard line.

Runs by McCaffrey (2 yards) and Jackson (18 yards) preceded the two minute warning. On the next play, Jackson faded back but couldn't find a receiver.........but instead of forcing a throw as he did in the first quarter, Lamar headed into the open field for a 45 yard gain to the Panther 12 yard line! Two plays later, McCaffrey ran it in for the TD. A missed PAT by Tucker left the game at 27-17 Patriots heading to halftime.

The Pats offense started out the 3rd quarter rolling, with completions from Jackson to Sutton and Hurst for 10 and 28 yards respectively, down to the Panther 30 yard line. Three straight rushes left NE with a 4th and 1 at the 21 yard line. New England took the points as Tucker hit the FG, and the Patriots were up 30-17.

Two false start penalties on the next Panther drive dug them into a 1st and 20 hole which they could not escape. A Panther punt was returned by Nyheim Hines 26 yards out near midfield. Four plays later, Jackson hit John Ross once again for a TD, this one from 31 yards out, and NE was up three scores, 37-17.

A sense of urgency was setting in for Russell Wilson and the Panthers. After a Drake run went nowhere, Wilson went it alone and ran for a 12 yard gain and a first down. He then hit Mike Evans, thus far held in check by Richard Sherman, for 14 and another first down, across midfield. Drake was stuffed on the next run and the Patriots forced a 4th and 7 decision. Panthers decided to punt it away, but changed course when NE jumped offside. Wilson looked to hit Amendola on 4th and 2 but the ball was knocked away by Logan Ryan.  Patriots maintain their lead 37-17 heading to the 4th quarter.

Lamar and Co. were on the move once again early in the 4th quarter, as Jackson hit Hurst and Kupp for 14 yards apiece. In between those completions, Lamar scrambled for another 19 yards. On first and goal, CMC ran it in from 7 yards out for his 2nd TD of the day.  44-17 New England.

Wilson drove his squad right down the field on their next drive setting up Henry for a 5 yard TD.  Patriots lead was cut to 44-24 with 7:17 to play.

New England went to the ground game exclusively on the next drive. Carolina appeared a bit worn down as New England, highlighted by a 46 yard run by Lamar, ran it continuously all the way into the endzone as McCaffrey eventually scored his 3rd rushing TD of the game Carolina would add a late field goal but Patriots would prevail in the end. FINAL SCORE: NEW ENGLAND 51 CAROLINA 27

Lamar Jackson was the game MVP, as he shook off the early interception to throw for 237 yards and 3 TDs. Equally as important, Lamar was unstoppable with his legs, rushing for 171 yards on only 12 carries. Courtland Sutton led NE receivers with 6 grabs for 83 yards and a TD. Christian McCaffrey ran for a mere 57 yards on 15 carries, but 3 of those runs were to paydirt.

For Carolina, it was a disappointing end to a terrific season. Kenyan Drake caught 8 passes for 71 yards and a TD to lead the Panther offense. Derrick Henry was held to 65 yards on his 12 carries.

Each team turned the ball over one time resulting in a TD for the opposition. Carolina was stung by 8 penalties for 50 yards while NE was flagged 5 times for 47 yards.

Patriots navigate their way through the postseason by outscoring their three playoff opponents 134-48 to wrap up their perfect 2020-2021 season.

IFL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Bengals 15 Patriots 45

Lamar Jackson threw three touchdowns and rushed for another as New England advances to the Super Bowl.

Cincinnati travels to New England on a high after their remarkable comeback win last week against the Jets. Aaron Rodgers is always dangerous, and he has all of his weapons sharpened for this matchup. Meanwhile, New England dispatched Jacksonville with relative ease last week, and were hoping to run their unbeaten streak to 18.

Patriots would get the ball first. Completions from Lamar to Hurst and Ekeler had NE quickly into Bengal territory. A pair of Jackson runs for 10 yards each set up a Lamar to Kupp 12 yard TD pass. 7-0 Patriots.

Brandon Wilson was back to receive the kick, hoping for some more magic after last weeks dramatic KR TD which sparked the Bengals rally. Wilson fielded at the goal line and was off to the races.......................across the 30 near the 40 yard line.......... before getting blasted and coughing it up! A mad scramble for the ball....and NE would recover!

Starting at the Bengal 40, Lamar to CMC for 9 yards followed by a couple more CMC runs down to the Bengal 22. With the Bengals focused on CMC, Jackson hooked up with a streaking Courtland Sutton for the 22 yard TD. Before Aaron Rodgers could even get on the field, it was 14-0 New England.

Bengals go three and out, and the Patriots are on the move again. Jackson to Ekeler for 19 yards followed by another 19 yard completion to Kupp down to the 8 yard line. Consecutive runs by Lamar are met with force as the Patriots lose 6 yards on the two plays. Ultimately they would settle for a FG and it was 17-0 after one quarter.

The 2nd quarter begins with NE driving once again. Jackson to Kupp for 16 followed by a rushes from CMC and Ekeler have NE at the Bengal 15. On 3rd and 1, CMC rips off an 11 yard run to the Bengal 4 yard line. On the next play, Jackson runs it in and it's 24-0 Patriots.

Things would get no better for Cincinnati on the day. New England would finish the half with another long scoring drive capped by an Ekeler 1 yard TD run, and it was 31-0 at halftime.

Final Score: Patriots 45, Bengals 15

For NE, Lamar Jackson threw for 231 yards and 3 TDs. He also ran for 66 yards and a 4th TD. McCaffrey ran for 84 yards and a TD himself, to go along with 2 grabs for 24 yards.

Aaron Rodgers was not himself on this day. It wasn't until the 4th quarter before he had eclipsed the 100 yard passing mark, as Richard Sherman and the Patriot secondary kept DJ Chark, Alshon Jeffrey and the Bengal passing attack under wraps. A couple 4th quarter TD passes salvaged what had been a rough day for the future hall of famer.

Congrats to John on a great season. This one got out of hand quick after the costly fumble in the first quarter, and the Bengals just couldn't supply enough offense to keep up with the home team on this day.

Eagles 24 Panthers 30

Russell Wilson continues to "cook" with three touchdown passes as Carolina punches their ticket to the IFL Super Bowl.

Philadelphia and Carolina meet with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.

The Panthers jumped out to the early first quarter lead with a Lambo field goal followed by Wilson hitting Drake on a 9 yard swing pass to take the early 10-0 lead.

The Eagles would respond though, at the start of the second, as Tannehill drove them down the field then ran in it himself from the 4 to bring the Eagles within a field goal 10-7. Carolina would roar back and after a 52 yard field goal by Lambo, Wilson would hit Hooper on a 4 yard pass to place the Panthers in great position, up 20-7. The Eagles were able to drive down the field and hit a field goal as time expired in the half to bring the half time score to 20-10.

The Eagles received the kick to start the third and promptly drove down the field and capped the drive with Tannehill connecting with Edelman on a 16 yard pass to draw the Eagles within a field goal 20-17. The Panthers offense then stalled on their next few drives and the quarter ended with the Eagles with striking distance.

The Panthers were able to distance themselves a little as Wilson hit Cobb on a 15 yard TD pass to push the lead back out to 27-17. They then added another field goal to lead 30-17 with 10 minutes left in the game. The Eagles would continue to play hard and Winston came in to QB and threw a 6 yard pass to Brown to draw within a TD 30-24. The Panthers got the ball back with 3 minutes left in the game and were able to convert a couple of first downs to seal the victory.

The difference in the game came down to turnovers. The Eagles had 3 and the Panthers none. Had that been more balanced, the Panthers would have been in trouble. Greg coached a great game and had a very good season.

Russel Wilson was the star for Carolina, throwing for 3 TD passes. For the Eagles, Brown had 116 yard receiving and a TD. Peterson added 103 yards on the game. The Panthers advance to their first Super Bowl.

IFL DIVISONAL ROUND

Jaguars 6 Patriots 38

Patriots Lamar Jackson rushed for two touchdowns and threw for two more as New England remains perfect.

Lamar Jackson threw interceptions to Tre'Davious White and Stephon Gilmore in the span of 3 minutes in the first half, as the Jacksonville Jaguars looked poised to spring another upset after their impressive win at Oakland a week ago. But Lamar snapped out of his funk and proceeded to toss a 66 yard TD to Courtland Sutton and a 31 yard TD to John Ross, as the Patriots exploded heading into halftime with 28-0 lead. It would not get much better from there for the Jaguars, who were held to two field goals on the day as the Patriots would win going away 38-6.

Christian McCaffrey was held to 21 yards on 10 carries, but Lamar Jackson rushed for 97 yards and 2 TDS, to go along with his 2 passing TDs, to pace the Patriot offense. Damien Williams rushed for 83 yards for the Jags, but Josh Allen and DK Metcalf (man, that's going to be a tough tandem to stop starting next year) were completely shut down by Richard Sherman and the New England D.

New England advances to face the Bengals in the AFC Title game next week. Congratulations to Dave on a fine season.

Jets 28 Bengals 31 (O.T.)

Brandon Wilson's 98 yard kickoff return for a touchdown ignites Bengals rally.

The Jets, coming off a convincing 31-6 win over the Ravens in the Wild Card round, travelled to Cincinnati to take on the AFC Central Champion Bengals in the divisional round. New York had little trouble with the Bengals in week 11 also at Cincinnati, 35-10.

After an exchange of punts, the Jets put together an 11-play, 66-yard drive capped off by a Deshaun Watson eight yard run. The Bengals answered with an 8-play, 61-yard drive but had to settle on a 21 yard Ka'imi Fairbairn field goal.

The Jets increased their lead to 14-3 at the 9:25 mark of quarter two as Watson connected with Michael Thomas from 12-yards out. Thomas would go on to a monster day with 13 catches for 200 yards and two touchdowns. Cincinnati would reach the Jets 36 thanks to a Brandon Wilson 46-yard kick return but Fairbairn's 54-yard attempt hooked right.

Cincinnati created the first turnover as Jalen Ramsey intercepted a Watson pass on the Jet's first play from scrimmage. The Bengals drove the ball from their own 45 to the New York two but once again settled on a Fairbairn chip shot to cut the lead to 14-6 with two and a half minutes remaining in the half. And that was the score at the half.

After another nice return by Wilson, the Bengals set up shop at their 41. However after a 12-yard completion to Diontae Johnson, Jamie Collins Sr. intercepted a Rodgers pass and the Jets took over at their 49. However, the Bengals defense stiffened forcing a New York punt. The teams would exchange multiple punts until Rodgers threw his second interception to Bradley Roby as the Jets took over at the Cincinnati 48. New York would march down the field with Marlon Mack taking it in from 12-yards out to increase the Jets lead to 21-6 as the third quarter ended. A key play during the drive was Watson's 15 yard strike to Robert Woods on third and ten. New York would convert 8 of 17 third down attempts.

Cincinnati would get back in the game quickly as Wilson took the kickoff and went 98 yards for touchdown, cutting the Jets lead to 21-13.

The Bengals defense forced another New York punt, thanks to a challenge that revealed a Thomas catch actually hit the ground. Once again Cincinnati struck quickly as Aaron Rodgers hit D.J. Chark in stride for the 52 yard score. The Bengals went for two and the Rodgers' pass to Alshon Jeffery was good to tie the game at 21 with 9:44 remaining in the game.

Watson fumbled during a seven-yard run with Cincinnati recovering but the Bengals could get nothing going and were forced to punt. Thanks to a Jurrell Casey strip-sack New York fumbled again with the Bengals recovering. This time Cincinnati took advantage as Rodgers connected with Jeffery for the 13-yard score and their first lead 28-21 with 3:13 remaining.

New York moved down the field quickly. However, a penalty and a Dante Fowler Jr. sack left them with fourth and 18 at the Cincinnati 24. The Bengals played a deep zone, in retrospect Cincinnati should have played loose man and doubled Thomas. In other words, Thomas would haul in the 24-yard score for the tying touchdown. Heartbreaking for IFL Bengal fans.

The Jets won the toss but were forced to punt. Multiple punts would follow until from their own 42, Rodgers would hit Chark for 16-yards on third and two. On third and 11, a Melvin Gordon III six yard run would set up Fairbairn's 47-yard field goal attempt. Fingers crossed, the kick was good as the Bengals advanced.

Watson finished 29 of 43 for 319 yards, two touchdowns, one rushing touchdown and an INT. Thomas caught 13 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns and Mack rushed 22 times for 111 yards and a score.

For Cincinnati, Rodgers completed 21 of 37 for 240 yards, two touchdowns and two INTs. Chark caught six passes for 101 yards and a touchdown.

To say the better team did not win would be correct. New York had 26 first downs to the Bengals 13. The Jets went 8 of 17 on third down to Cincinnati's 2 of 14. The Bengals did win the turnover battle, three to two and the Jets were charged with 11 penalties for 97 yards to Cincinnati's 4 for 35 yards. Plus the Bengals Special Teams played a big part in the win.

Congratulations to Bob on a great season. He is a very good coach and did a nice job building the Jets.

Cincinnati awaits the winner of the Jacksonville and New England contest.

Saints 19 Panthers 36

Russell Wilson threw for 302 yards and three touchdowns as Panthers advance to the conference championship game.

Division rivals meet in the playoffs in the rubber match to determine who would advance to the next round.

Carolina jumps to the early lead with a field goal on the first drive and then Wilson connects with Evans on a 56 yards toss to take the 10-0 lead. The Saints would get a field goal at the end of the first quarter to get within a touchdown.

The Panthers would then own the second quarter with three field goals aided with a middle linebacker Schobert's interception of Flacco. Carolina goes into the half with a strong 19-3 lead.

New Orleans would strike first in the 3rd with Conner scoring from the one, as a change in quarterbacks to Manning seems to energize the Saints. Carolina would again answer though as Wilson hit tight end Hooper on a slant pass for a 22 yard touchdown to push the lead back up to 26-11 as the 3rd quarter drew to a close.

The Saints still had plenty of fight left in them. Flacco re-entered the game and hit Brown on a 37 yard pass for the TD and then converted the 2 point conversion to pull within 7. Wilson would respond with a strike to Evens with 6 minutes left in the game to push the lead out to 33-19. Saints would fight on but were unable to put any more points on the board as Carolina added a late field goal to walk away with the 36-19 victory.

The key to the game was Carolina winning the turnover battle 4-0. Had this not been the case the Saints may have very well pulled this out in spite of shaky QB play. Saints ended a great season as Jim got every ounce out of his team to advance as far as they did.

Wilson passes for 302 with 3 TD's to lead the Panthers. The Saints pass catchers did a fine job as 8 different players caught a pass led by Beasley and Brown with 65 and 68 yards respectively.

Eagles 24 Buccaneers 18

Ryan Tannehill threw two touchdown passes as the Eagles hold off Tampa Bay to advance to conference finals.

The 3rd seeded Eagles flew into Tampa to take on the 2nd seeded Bucs in a rematch from earlier in the season which Tampa won 37-26 after outscoring the Eagles 34-7 in the 2nd half. Would this be a repeat of that game or would there be a more evenly matched game? Commish John Storer expected an offensive shootout which had both D Coordinators fired up.

Philly would win the toss and defer giving the Bucs the first shot. They would methodically move down the field but could only manage a 52 yard Chris Boswell FG to go up 3-0. The Eagles would go 3 and incomplete on their first drive which was a sign of things to come in the 1st half. The Bucs wouldn't waste any time as they would go 74 yards in 3 plays as Buc QB Derek Carr would hit WR Tyler Lockett on 52 yard out pattern that would put the Bucs up 10-0.

Most of the rest of the 1st half would be a back and forth with both defenses dominating. Tampa would move the ball but penalties (9-90 for the game) would stymie the Bucs. The Eagles had a couple of opportunities in the 2nd quarter but red zone turnovers by RB Adrian Peterson and QB Ryan Tannehill would be their undoing. Fortunately for the Eagles, Tampa could not take advantage and hold on to their 10-0 lead.

With just over 2 minutes remaining in the half, the Eagle offense would get going again. This time, Tannehill would hit WR Julian Edleman on a long slant pattern with :06 left in the half and the Eagles would cut the lead to 10-7 going into halftime.

The 2nd half would start off with the Eagles moving the ball into Buc territory. Staring at a 4th and inches on the Buc 49 yard line, Coach Mason would go jumbo and run the QB sneak with Tannehill. The Bucs would be up to the challenge and stop Tannehill short. Attempting to take advantage of the good field position, the Bucs would, also, go for it on 4th and 2. The Eagle defense was looking for RB Todd Gurley and stacked the line. However, Coach Mike Chase would call for the play-action fake and go deep to Lockett. Eagle CB Bashaud Breeland did not get fooled on the fake and stuck like glue to Lockett making the pass incomplete.

The Eagles would immediately take advantage of the Breeland play, On 1st down, Tannehill would fake it to Peterson and hit WR John Brown on a quick slant. Brown would slice and dice through the Buc defense and take it 57 yards to give the Eagles their 1st lead of the game 14-10.

The Bucs would come right back but as they were crossing midfield WR Darvin Adams would get hammered coming over the middle by Eagle CB JC Jackson (already with an interception on the day) and DB Buster Skrine would recover. The Eagles would take advantage of the turnover and Peterson would score from 4 yards out. 21-10 Eagles going into the final quarter.

The 4th quarter may have been one of the most intense quarters either Coach played all year. The Bucs would score early on a Carr to Adams 7 yard TD. RB Todd Gurley would take in the 2 point conversion and the Eagle lead would be cut to 3 at 21-18. On the ensuing possession, the Eagles would move quickly into Buc territory. On a 4th and inches from the Buc 23 yard line, Coach Mason would remember the stuff from earlier in the game and have K Harrison Butker kick a FG to go up 24-18. With 6 minutes left in the game, the Bucs knew this was their time to win the game and advance to the NFC Championship game.

The Bucs would get to the Eagle 7 yard line with 2 minutes left. They would have 2nd and 1 and it seemed certain they would take the lead. On 2nd down, the Eagles would stuff Gurley for no gain. On 3rd down, the Eagles guessed pass and were right as the pass to Lockett was incomplete. Now, it's 4th and 1 with the game on the line for the Bucs. The Eagles stack the line and play goalline defense. Coach Chase decides to go to Lockett on a fade. Just as in the long pass that Breeland defended to perfection earlier on 4th down, he did so again on the fade and the Eagles would take over with 1:43 left. The Bucs still had 2 timeouts so it wasn't over yet. The Eagles would gamble with a pass on 1st down but it would be incomplete, clock stops. Uh oh. Not wanting to let the Bucs get the ball back, Coach Mason put his trust in Tannehill and threw again on 2nd down. This time, he would connect with Peterson who would barely make the 1st down. The Eagles would, then, run out the clock and take the win 24-18.

What a great game! Coach Chase did all he could to pull the Bucs through but penalties and the inability to get in the end zone at the end of the game was the Bucs undoing. Congrats to Mike on a great season!

The Eagles now fly to Carolina to take on the top seed Panthers. The Eagles will need more magic to take down the favored Panthers.

IFL WILD CARD WEEKEND

Ravens 6 Jets 31

Robert Woods catches two touchdowns as Jets advance past Ravens.

The Baltimore Ravens flew into NYC to play the home town Jets to open up the AFC playoffs.

MetLife Stadium still had their flags at half mast to honor longtime IFL Coaching legend Ken Griffith when the Ravens arrived for the game. As he entered the stadium Coach Master was wondering which version of QB Baker Mayfield his team would have for the game. The answer would be a key for his team.

The Jets received the opening kickoff, and started from their own 10. They moved the ball to their 47 when Watson looked downfield to Woods, Raven CB Trufant made the interception at the Raven 39, but fumbled, and Jet’s center Kelce recovered it. That was a big break for New York because they continued the drive, and finished it with a Watson 14 yard pass to Woods for the score. The drive took 7 minutes off the clock, and made it 7-0 Jets.

Coach Master’s question was answered on their first possession when Mayfield hit 4-5 passes to get his team into FG range, and they made it 7-3...Jets.

Watson took his team 75 yards in just over 3 minutes, and capped it off with a 1 yard TD run by Mack. The big play on the drive was a 55 yard catch, and run by RB White...14-3 Jets.

After these 3 long drives the teams combined for 4 three, and outs...2 for each. The Ravens broke that mold on their next possession, and once again drove down the field with Baker going 4-7. They got to the Jets 3 yard line. Bell got to the 1, on first and goal. On 2nd Bell lost 2, bringing up 3rd, and 3...but then the Ravens were called for motion, making it now 3rd, and 8. Baker, and Samuels couldn’t hook up, and they had to settle for 3 making it 14-6 with 2:53 to go in the half.

The Jets once again drove the ball down field with Watson going 5-6, and hitting Woods once again for a TD... Jets 21-6 with 18 seconds to go in the half.

When the second half started the Ravens still looked confident, even though getting stopped at the Jets 3 yard line, and having to settle for a FG, had to be in the back of their minds. What looked like it could have possibly been a 14-13 game going into the half was 21-6. The Ravens had a three, and out to start the second half, but their defense was still confident, after all they had DT Donald, a defensive MVP candidate.

Things changed quickly when the Jets went 68 yards in 4 plays, the last one being a 49 yard pass play from Watson to Thomas...28-6...Jets

Baltimore had to start to look to pass more, and the Jets knew it. New York put pressure on Mayfield, and forced him into 2 interceptions in the 3rd quarter. For the remainder of the game Watson slowed his offense down looking to run clock. The Jets defense played well limiting the Ravens to drives of 2, 3, 4, and 6 plays in the 3rd quarter, which ended 28-6.

The only scoring in the 4th quarter was FG by the Jets which gave the final score of...31-6 Jets.

For the Ravens Mayfield was 19-41 for 166 yards. In his defense he played a good first half, and in the second, once they were down 28-6, he didn’t have much of a chance.

New York had Watson go 18-32 for 270 yards, and 3 TDs.
Mack ran 17 times for 85 yards....

New York will travel to Cincinnati in round 2...

Congratulations to Baltimore, and Coach Master on a fine season going 11-5, and making the playoffs for the first time in a few years.

Jaguars 16 Raiders 14

Randy Bullock blast a game winning 58 yard field goal as Jacksonville upsets the Raiders.

The Jags travelled to Oakland looking for revenge for an early season drubbing at the hands of the always tough Raiders.

The game started with a Jags three and out followed by a promising Raiders drive that ended on a turnover on downs at he Jacksonville 33. While the pushed the ball inside the 10 they had to settle for a Bullock 25 yard FG. Following the ensuing kickoff, Oakland settled down quickly and surgically dissected a confused Jags secondary who left a wide open Travis Kelce for a 45 yards score.
End of the 1rst ,7-3 Oakland.

The second quarter continued to be a defensive struggle with Tre White ending Oakland's only deep foray into Jags territory with a pick deep in his end zone. The Jags only offense in the quarter consisted of an 83 yard TD bomb on 3rd and 3 to rookie DK Metcalf.

At the half, Jacksonville-10 Oakland-7

The third quarter saw both D's take control with very little offense and a lot of work for the punters. The only points of the quarter came in the form of a FG following a Stephon Gilmore interception.

After the 3rd, Jacksonville-13 Oakland-7

The fourth quarter was very, very interesting. Following a Jacksonville punt the Oakland offense finally put together a solid 5 play 71 yard drive that saw Matt Stafford hit DJ Moore for a 28 yard strike giving Oakland a 14-13 lead with 6:44 to go. Following an exchange of punts it looked to be over for the Jags a Joe Haden jumped in front of a Josh Allen to Hurns pass with 2:47 left. Oakland efficiently moved to ball down field to set up at 38 yard FG attempt with 51 seconds left on the clock. The 38 yard attempt was wide giving the Jags one last chance with no TO's and the ball on their 24.
Josh Allen wasted no time and fired at 27 yard out to Demarcus Robinson giving the Jags the ball 1rst and 10 at the Oakland 49. On the next play Josh Allen tried to find DK Metcalfe at the 39 but Slay batted it away.....but wait, defensive holding penalty on Slay. Jags 1rst and 10 on the Oakland 39. Following three hurried runs that saw the Jags loses yardage Randy Bullock lined up for a desperate 58 yard FG into the wind with less than 7 seconds left.....

Miraculously, it was good. The Jags win, 16-13!

Thanks to coach Jackson who coached a great game and frankly lost due to the IFL Gods.

Kelce was dominant for Oakland with 7 catches for 161 yards and 1 TD. The Jags dynamic duo of Stephon Gilmore and Tre White were dominant for Jacksonville with DK Metcalf providing just enough help for the O (5 catches 112 yards 1 TD)

Cardinals 7 Eagles 34

Adrian Peterson rushes for 111 yards and a touchdown as the Eagles power past Arizona.

Division foes would meet for the 3rd time this season in the NFC Wild Card game as the Arizona Cardinals would visit the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles won both regular-season games, but as they say, it's really tough to beat the same team 3 times in a season.

The Cards would win the toss and elect to defer. The Eagles would take the opening kickoff and move into Cards territory quickly. On a 3rd and 1, Eagle QB Ryan Tannehill would try to sneak his way to a 1st down but the Card defense would have none of it. Faced with a 4th and 1 on the Cards 44, Head Coach Greg Mason would decide to go for it early. Fearing that Tannehill would be stopped again, Coach Mason would call a slant to WR Julian Edleman. Arizona Coach Jim Heaton would call an all-out blitz and take Tannehill down on a sack. The Eagle faithful were not happy with the gamble this early in the game and booed heartily as Philly fans are apt to do.

Arizona would go to work quickly and move the ball into Eagle territory at the 28-yard line. However, a holding penalty and the inability to move the ball any further would take the Cards out of FG range. Attempting to pin the Eagles deep, the punt would be blocked by DT Corey Peters and the Eagles would take over on their own 48,

The Eagles would move methodically down the field all the way to the Cards 8 yard line. On 3rd and 1, Eagle RB Adrian Peterson would go straight up the middle for the first down. However, he would forget to hold onto the ball and the Cards would recover.

The 1st quarter would end, after the comedy of errors by both teams, with neither team able to put points on the board.

The 2nd quarter would be a different story as the Eagle offense would get on track early. The first score of the game would be a Tannehill to WR John Brown 44 yard jaunt on an out pattern. 7-0 Eagles. The teams would trade punts and, then, the Eagle offense would get rolling again. This time it would be on a RB Rex Burkhead 2 yard run up the middle to give the Eagles a 14-0 lead and that would be the score at halftime.

The 3rd quarter would see the Cards get the ball first, This is when things began to unravel for the visitors from Arizona. On the first play from scrimmage, Card QB Patrick Mahomes would throw a slant pattern that would be picked up by Eagle DB JC Jackson. It would only take the Eagles 3 plays to hit paydirt as Peterson would score from 4 yards out to go up 21-0.

The Cards would stall on their next possession deep in their own territory and punt it back to the Eagles. The Eagle brass knew that with the way their defense was playing if they could put another score on the board, it would be all but over. The offense went to work mixing in the pass with the run. It would be an 11 play 73-yard drive that would culminate in a Peterson TD. 28-0 Eagles and it was all but over for the Cards.

The Eagles would add a FG at the end of the 3rd to go up 31-0. The Cards would finally get on the board early in the 4th to cut the lead to 31-7 but it was too little too late. The Eagles would add 1 more FG to make the final 34-7.

The Eagles were paced by Tannehill (15-18 176 yards 2 TD's), Peterson (17-111 1 TD), Brown (7-106 1 TD), and a stifling defense that would hold the Cards to 188 yards of offense.

Congrats to the Cards and Jim Heaton for making it into the playoffs! The Eagles will next face the Tampa Bay Bucs in a rematch of a game earlier in the year won by the Bucs.

Giants 10 Saints 24

Veteran Joe Flacco comes off the bench to throw two touchdown passes to lead Saints past the Giants.

The Giants would come into New Orleans in the coaches first father-son playoff matchup. As the Giants took the field, they were met with video of Darth Vader on the big screen screaming "I AM YOUR FATHER!!!!". Coach Rice hoped this scare tactic would work.

The Saints elected to start Eli Manning in his final hurrah season. The Saints would put together an efficient 8 play drive resulting in a 37 yard FG by McManus. Saints 3-0. Bud Dupree would get a sack on the drive in which shockingly was the only sack of the game for the sack monster Giants. The Giants would get the ball and after 3 straight runs to Carson, Wentz would hit Anderson on a slant that he would take to the house for 47 yards. 7-3 Giants. The teams would exchange punts and the Saints would get the ball at the Giants 49 after a 14 yard punt return by Peppers. Conner would run for 1 first down and then after 3 straight run plays the Saints were faced with their first decision. 4th and 2 from the Giants 31 and about a 70% chance for FG. Coach Rice would gamble and go for it. Conner would run the ball and come inches short. Ouch.
After an exchange of punts, the Giants would get the ball at their own 31. The Giants would quickly get the ball to the Saints 42 yard line and we were about to have the play of the game. Wentz would pitch to Chris Carson and he would run for 10 yards and get hit hard and fumble. Devondre Campbell would scoop up the fumble and race 69 yards for the defensive TD. Saints 10-7. The teams would exchange punts the rest of the half as it looked like we were gonna have a defensive battle. 10-7 Saints at the half.

New York would get the ball in the 2nd half and 3 plays into the drive we would get our first turnover as Carson would fumble at his own 28 yard line. The Saints would take the ball down to the 9 and on first down Eli would make a huge mistake, throwing a pick in the end zone to Levi Wallace. The Giants would then have a 3 and out and punt. They would start at their own 35. manning would throw a couple passes and Joe Flacco approached Coach Rice and said "it looks like old Eli is getting tired"(1 pass left before fatigue). he then said "Coach, I won't miss a pass today if you put me in". In entered Flacco. Flacco would come in and complete 5 straight passes with the last one going to James Conner for the 11 yard TD. 17-7 Saints with 4:39 left in the 3rd. Wentz was really struggling at this point and after an exchange of punts the Giants would get the ball at their own 37. the drive would stall at the Saints 33 and Zane Gonzalez would come in for an all-important 50 yard attempt. he would nail it and we would have a one score game, 17-10 Saints with 10:47 remaining in regulation. This all-important drive would start at the 25 and Joe Flacco would orchestrate a 12 play drive covering 6:30 minutes ending in an 11 yard TD strike to Shepard. Flacco went 5 for 5 on the drive. Saints 24-10. The Giants would get the ball back with 4:16 left and Wentz would throw a pick to Ward sealing the Giants fate. Flacco would end the day 13-13 for 113 yards and 2 TD's. Wentz would throw for only throw for 114 yards with 47 coming in one play.

The Saints move on to the next round and the Giants head home after an excellent season and a bright future.

WEEK 16 RECAP

Led by Stephon Gilmore's two interceptions, Jacksonville punches their ticket to the IFL playoffs!

Washington 14 Jacksonville 16               62 0-5
In a must win game for the Jags a tired Washington came to spoil the party in what turned out to be a very close game. Both team's O's struggled through player malaise moving the ball well put garnishing few points. The difference in this one was the Jags D that picked off a tired Dak Prescott four times on route to a 16-14 victory and a trip to the playoffs.

Thanks to coach Heaton for giving it his all in a tough game. Thanks also goes out to Coach Bob Durfee and the Jets for dispatching the LA Rams.

The Jags are going to the show.....I think

A. Jones (Wash) 77 yards rushing 2TD's, 5 catches 106 yards
S. Gilmore (Jags) 2 INTS, White (Jags) 1 INT, Vacarro (Jags) 1 INT

Philadelphia 29 Pittsburgh 13               25 5-15
The Eagles would take on the Steelers to end the IFL regular season for both teams. The Eagles, already having secured the 3rd seed in the NFC playoffs, would look to rest a ton of players and prevent any serious injuries while the Steelers were looking to gain some momentum into next season.

Both teams would struggle early but it would be the Eagles who would get on track and take a 19-7 lead into halftime. It would be a ho-hum 2nd half as the Eagles would cruise to their 12th victory of the season. The two big takeaways from the game for the Eagles would be no major injuries and WR Julian Edleman ending his season with a 200-yard game and over 100 catches for the season. For the Steelers, they have the opportunity to pick in the top 4 of the 2021 draft and continue to build for the future.

Houston 7 Buffalo 10                        32 5-15
A one yard Justice Hill touchdown run with less than 30 seconds remaining secures the come-from-behind win for the Bills.

Green Bay 14 Los Angeles (N) 13             61 Calm
Rams and Packers closed the book on their 2020 seasons in Los Angeles. Neither team had much to play for. Some players were noticeably fatigued during the game and both teams suffered a number of injuries. In spite of all of that the game was an entertaining affair that went back and forth. Rams QB Daniel Jones was sharp early leading the Rams to a 10-7 lead at the half. During halftime the Packers cooked up some unconventional approaches to generate some offense. That paid dividends midway through the third quarter when Packer QB Big Ben threw a bomb out of a heavy formation connecting with star WR Emmanuel Sanders. Pushing GB into the lead 14-10. The Packers though left an opening for the Rams to seize the game, a fumble by the Pack in their own end led to a Rams FG. And then later in the 4th quarter the Rams blocked a field goal attempt putting the Rams in good field position. But the Packers' defensive line really dominated the 4th quarter shutting down any run plays, forcing holding penalties and coming up with big sacks. The Pack end 2020 with a W on the road as their 2 touchdowns were just enough.

Packers Stars
Ben Rothlisberger 206 yards 2 TDs
Emmanuel Sanders 97 yards receiving 2 TDs

Rams Stars
Daniel Jones 236 Passing 1 TD
TY Hilton 71 yards receiving

Both teams finish the year 6-10 and await the IFL Combine to evaluate prospects for next season.

Good Luck to all the playoff teams.

Cincinnati 16 Arizona 7                     77 Calm
Fans watching the Bengals and Cardinals game were in a state of shock and awe. It would be unfair to call film snippets High Lights. It would be more accurate to describe them as Low Lights. How in the hell are these two teams going to the play offs? THAT is the question everyone is askings.

The first Low Light belongs with the Cardinals. How is this for a game? The TEAM, used lightly here, had 2 first downs with 28 yards on the ground and 17 yard through the air! Yeppers, and in addition Zona had 17 total net yards!!!! Arizona's Mahomes threw 2 interceptions before being pulled from the game. Mullens did not do any better and added two more interceptions. In addition to the 4 turn overs, there were also 5 sacks as the offense struggled and only converted one third down play.

The Bengals did not do much better. Consider the score of 16 to 7 when the team having the 7 only had 17 yards of total offense! While Bengals did have 147 yards of offense, they really did not play that much better. Their offense also yielded 5 sacks, had two turnovers, missed a chip shot field goal and converted a total of 2 first downs.

Fans can hardly wait to see what happens in the play offs. Watching this game reminds me of going to the Dentist, except I would prefer the dentist.

In fairness, both teams were hurting and had nothing to gain. So players were being rested. Nevertheless, they could have simply told the fans to not bother coming:)

Kansas City 14 New England 42               29 15-25
KC hung tough in the first half, playing the homestanding Patriots to a 14-14 tie deep into the 4th quarter. Some nifty running by David Montgomery (23 carries for 99 yards) and two clutch TD receptions by George Kittle had the Patriots looking for answers on the defensive side of the ball. Nyheim Hines provided the answer actually, when he returned a punt 77 yards for a TD to give NE a 21-14 lead at halftime.

The Patriots had their way in the 2nd half, en route to a 42-14 win.

Christian McCaffrey added 3 more rushing TDs to bring his season total to 24. Courtland Sutton had five grabs for 116 yards and a TD to lead NE receivers.

Minnesota 14 San Francisco 30               58 10-20
Vikings (6-9) meet the 49ers (4-11) to close the season for both sub-500 clubs.

The Niners had won their last 2 games coming in because their defense finally woke up after sleep walking for the first 13 games in theseason, allowing only 16 points total.

The Niner defense performed well again against Minnesota. The only scores the Vikings made resulted from 2 blocked punts leading to 2 Vikings drives of 23 and 11 yards for TDs. These punts were the only 2 the 49ers attempted in the game.

Jordan Howard and Singletary ran for over 100 yards. Trubiskey was efficient (16-22, 182 yards, 2 TDs). The Niners rolled up 30 first downs to 15 for the Vikings, 440 yards to 180. For the Vikings Brees (17-34, 151 yd) and Zeke Elliot (56 yards) were held in check most of the game.

The final Niners 30, Vikes 14. So the 49ers finish with a 3 game win streak and a 5-11 record and the Vikes finish 6-10.

Season wrapup: The NIners made the playoffs in 2019 and the 2020 squad appeared to be improved -- on paper. On the field though, it was a different story. Of their 11 losses, only 1 game was close. All other losses were by 2 scores or more. We were just not competitive until the final 3 games. C'est le Guerre.

Atlanta 13 Tampa Bay 38                     75 0-5
The 6 – 9 Falcons paid a visit to the 12 -3 Buccaneers hoping to end the season on a high note and Richard Robb Tampa of any shot at the number one seed in the NFC.
In the first quarter and early second, Falcons Quarterback David Rivers grinds out two beautiful long drives of 14 and 13 plays and comes away with 10 points. The drives included 15 running plays behind the Monster Atlanta offensive of line. The downside for Mr. Rivers was throwing an interception on his own side of the field in between those drives. When the dust settles, it’s 10 – 7 Atlanta.
The way the Falcons are controlling the ball, the Bucs feel they have to score on every possession. Unlike the balanced Atlanta offense, on the next drive Tampa throws the ball 8 of 9 plays. (And you’re surprised?) Derick Carr finds Tyler Lockett on a slant across the middle for a TD. 14- 10 Tampa Bay.
Although the final turnover total was 3 for Atlanta and 2 for Tampa, the Falcon turnovers took place on the wrong end of the field for the “Birds.” Pierre Desir picks off Rivers and three plays later it’s 21 – 10 Tampa.
As the half draws down Tampa's Derek Carr drops the ball on the ground at his own 38. The Falcons move the ball down the field and threatened to get the game back to 4 points - but have to settle for a field goal just before the half. 21 – 13 Tampa at half time.
The feathers came off in the third quarter for the Falcons. After Tampa goes up 28 – 13 on the opening drive, once again Pierre Desir makes a big play. He knocks the Ulysses out of Jakeem Grant after grabbing a short pass and recovers the fumble. Soon it is 35 – 13, deep in the third quarter. To top it off, the Falcon players are dropping like pigeons into the blue tent.
The late third quarter and all of the fourth quarter are essentially watching the clock run out. The final was 38 – 13 Tampa.
Thanks to Baltimore Scott Master for subbing. It felt like forces beyond his control would not let the good deed go unpunished.
Carr finished his over-the-top season with a perfect QB rating of 157.1. His season rating finished at 117.6 on 41 touchdowns to just 3 interceptions.
Rivers’ final game of the season rating was a 64.4, which had him in a… Gosh darn it!? Can you believe it!? That shouldn’t happen! - never cusses tirade at the end of the game. The 35 touchdowns were OK. The 13 interceptions and a 6 – 10 record, unacceptable for a passer of his caliber.

Dallas 0 Tennessee 13                       46 Calm
Not to keep anyone in suspense the final score was 13-0 Tennessee. Dallas finished 2-14 and is in line for Burrows or Herbert. Tennessee finishes 6-10 and demands a refund from Coach Conners most recent coaching clinic.

Los Angeles (A) 9 New York (A) 28           37 0-5
The LA Chargers came to NYC to play the NY Jets hoping to keep their playoff hopes alive. On the other hand, the Jets knew they were in the playoffs, and just wanted to stay healthy for the playoffs. Even though they could end up with the IFL’s second best record at 14-2 with a win, they’d still finish second in their division, and not receive a bye. So, staying healthy was the main goal.

New York received the opening kickoff, and went 75 yards in 14 plays capping the drive with a 1 yard TD pass to Thomas. LA responded by going 56 yards in 13 plays over 7 minutes to get a 37 yard FG...7-3 Jets

LA forced a punt, and once again dove into FG range, this time getting a 28 yard FG....
7-6 Jets.

The Jets responded on their next possession going 94 yards in 11 plays, getting a Watson 9 yard TD run...14-6 Jets at the half.

Neither team could get much going in the 3rd quarter with the only points coming on another LA FG...14-9 Jets.

LA QB Fitzpatrick threw a pick in his own territory early in the 4th quarter, and Mathieu returned it to the LA 3 yard line. On the next play Mack took it in to make it 21-9 Jets.

The Chargers drove to the Jet’s 28 yard line hoping to make it 21-16, but Fitz coughed it up, and Mathieu picked it up, and took it 70 yards for a TD...28-9 Jets

That was the final...and the game was much closer than the final score. The Chargers were in it all the way...the two turnovers were the difference...game ball went to Mathieu...

The Jets finish 14-2, second best record in the IFL, second best record in the AFC, and sadly enough, second best record in their division...LOL

LA finished 9-7 which may, or may not be good enough for the playoffs. Either way they’ve had a good season with Fitz at QB.

Hopefully onto the playoffs for both teams.

Denver 0 Indianapolis 3                     69
Have to think Ken had a hand in this one.

3-0 final as Indy wins at home vs Denver.
7 turnovers in the game with Indy 4 and Denver 3 and Denver missed two FG's, one 88% and one 98% chance.

Miami 17 Oakland 20                         65 0-10
Trailing 17-13, Matthew Stafford throws a 37 yard scoring strike to Cody Latimer with a little over a minute remaining in the game.

New York (N) 7 Baltimore 24                 42 5-15
With both teams having secured playoff berths, there wasn't much to play for in this one. As such, the Giants rested their top three WRs and it showed. Giant QB Carson Wentz completed just 13 of 31 pass attempts for a grand total of 88 yards. His two INTs earned him a 22.7 QBR. As a team, they generated just 110 yards of total offense.

Baltimore didn't rest anyone, but it didn't make too much of a difference as everyone was tired and someone had to play.

Neither team did much offensively. Four of the five scores in this game were direct results of turnovers. The fifth came after a failed fourth-down conversion late in the game deep in the Giants own territory. Since Baltimore won the turnover battle 4-to-2, the Ravens also won the game, 24-7.

The win was a costly one as WR Adam Thielen, who had a durability of just 6, but somehow made it through 15 games without getting hurt, was injured and expected to miss the entire postseason, regardless of how far the Ravens go.

The game didn't start well for the visiting Giants. After a motion penalty on the first play from scrimmage, Wendall Smallwood fumbled with the ball being recovered by Raven LB Shaquil Barrett at the Giant 20. After an offsides penalty moved the ball to the 15, Baker Mayfield checked down to Jaylen Samuels, who ran it in for the score. Baltimore, 7-0 after the PAT.

On the Giants first play after the ensuing kickoff, Wentz was picked off by Raven CB Desmond Trufant. The Ravens reached the Giants 8, but had to settle for a 36-yard Michael Badgley FG. Baltimore, 10-0.

After eight punts (four by each team), Baltimore took over at the Giants 40. On the first play, Mayfield was stripped of the ball by Giant ILB Jaylon Smith and returned 40-yards by CB Byron Jones for a TD.  Baltimore, 10-7.

The next six possessions resulted in punts. The Ravens had a chance to move into FG range before the half, but an INT by Jaylon Smith ended that hope.

Mid-way through the 3rd quarter, Baltimore's Baker Mayfield ran it in from 7 yards out after another Desmond Trufant INT gave the Ravens a short field at the Giant 13. Baltimore, 17-7.

Feeling the game slipping away, the Giants gambled on a 4th-and-1 from their own 33 as the 3rd quarter was nearing its end, but Smallwood was stonewalled by a blitzing Benardrick McKinney for a 1 yard loss. Three plays later Mayfield hit TE Logan Thomas for a 16-yard TD. Baltimore, 24-7.

The 4th quarter was filled with more punts, another failed 4th-down attempt and a kneel down.

With the win, Baltimore (11-5) secures the 5th seed in the AFC half of the playoff bracket and is happy(?) to earn a match-up with arguably the 2nd best team in the league - the New York Jets (14-2).

The Giants(9-7) earn the 5th seed in the NFC half and will face the New Orleans Saints (10-5 as of this writing).

Chicago 22 Carolina 30                      69 Calm
Chicago gives the Panthers all they can handle to end the regular season.

The Panthers looked in good shape in the first half as they took a 21 -10 halftime lead as Russell Wilson and Mike Evans connected on two TD passes.

Chicago would claw back in the second half behind Cook's explosive run game. If not for a safety by the Panthers in the third it could have been a loss for the Panthers. Panthers were able to hold on in the end as Wilson threw 4 TD passes to lead Carolina. Gallup went over a 100 in receiving for the Bears and Cook added 100 on the ground to pace the Bears.

Detroit 17 New Orleans 10                   70
The Saints sit a lot of starters and the Lions lose Darnold early. Hope everyone took the under.

Rushing Leaders
Freeman,D(Buf) 26-128
Michel(Ind)     26-117
Chubb,N(LAC)    25-106
Singletary(SF) 16-106 1 TD
Cook,D(Chi)     14-106 1 TD
Howard,J(SF)    19-102
Mack,M(NYJ)     13-100 1 TD
McCaffrey(NE)   11-65 3 TD

Receiving Leaders
Edelman(Phi)    11-200 2 TD
Kamara(Oak)     10- 87
Parker,D(Was)   10- 74
Freeman,D(Buf) 10- 64

Passing Leaders
Stafford(Oak)   49-31-439   2 TD 2 Int
Carr,D(TB)      28-26-342   5 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Wilson,R(Car)   30-23-297   4 TD

Defensive Standouts
Omenihu(Buf)     3 Sk 4 Tk
Ngakoue(Ten)     3 Sk 7 Tk
Gilmore(Jax)     2 Int 12 Tk – IFL Defensive Player of the Week
Trufant(Bal)     2 Int 6 Tk
Wagner,B(Chi)    1 Sk 19 Tk
Campbell,D(NO)   2 Int 8 Tk

Special Teams
Butker(Phi)    5-5 FG – IFL Special Teams Player of the Week

FINAL IFL REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS

FINAL IFL REGULAR SEASON LEAGUE LEADERS

IFL PLAYOFF PICTURE HEADING INTO WEEK 16

AFC OUTLOOK

The #1 and #2 seeds are clinched - NE and CIN.
OAK can secure the #3 with a win over Miami in Week 16, but a loss coupled with a Charger win over the Jets would make things messy. Division (6-2) and common opponents records match, so I think it comes down to records against conference opponents. They both went 1-1 vs AFC Central opponents, but a loss to Miami would make Oakland 0-2 vs AFC East, while a win vs the Jets would give the Chargers a 1-1 record. Thus, if they tie, I think the Chargers would get the #3 seed and Oakland would fall into a WC slot...and likely some tie-breaker scenario with Baltimore.

The Jets have the #4 seed.

Baltimore could secure the #5 seed with a win over the Giants, but a loss would make them (10-6) and they'd fall into a potential tie if the Raiders also lose or if the Chargers win. Baltimore also went 6-2 in division, so they tie with both OAK and LAC in that tie-breaker. The next tie-breaker is common games (opponents?). BAL and OAK had the following opponents in common: JAX, TEN, DEN and HOU. Baltimore went 5-1 vs those teams, so did Oakland. BAL and LAC had the following common opponents: CIN, TEN, DEN and HOU. Baltimore went 4-2 against those opponents, while LAC also went 4-2.

The next tie-breaker is strength of victory and I can't really figure that out based on what the other team's records would be after Week 16.

Suffice it to say that a Charger win over the Jets is unlikely, but who really know if the Jets choose to rest some of their players to insure they're healthy for the playoffs. An Oakland win over 6-9 Miami is likely and would make things simpler.

I'd say Oakland gets the win and the #3 seed. The Jets get the #4 with Baltimore getting the #5 seed - regardless of whether they win or lose against the Giants...as long as the Jets beat the Chargers. If that happens, the Chargers would still make the playoffs as the #6 seed.

NFC OUTLOOK

All playoffs berths in the NFC have been decided. Seedings 1/2 and 5/6 are still up for grabs

x-1) Carolina 12-3:       Has clinched a first round bye (conference record over Philadelphia)
                                   Can clinch 1st seed and home field throughout with a win vs Chicago or a Tampa Bay loss

                                   (conference record over Tampa Bay)

x-2) Tampa Bay 12-3:     Has clinched a first round bye (head to head over Philadelphia).

                                  Can get 1st seed with a win vs. Atlanta AND a Carolina loss vs. Chicago



x- 3) Philadelphia 11-4:    NFC East Champion, #3 seed

y- 4) New Orleans 10-5   Clinched playoff berth and #4 seed (owns tiebreaker over Giants-conference record)

y- 5) N.Y. Giants 9-6       Clinched playoff berth. Will be #5 seed with a win at Baltimore OR Arizona loss vs. Cincinnati.

y- 6) Arizona 8-7    Clinched playoff berth. Owns tie breakers over 7-8 Washington (division record),

                                    7-8 Chicago and Detroit (conference record). Can claim #5 seed with a win vs Cincinnati AND a

                                     New York Giant loss at Baltimore (2-0 head to head vs. NYG).

x= division champion
y= clinched wildcard berth

* in case of a discrepancy between this list and the official IFL list, the latter shall prevail

WEEK 15 RECAP

The Cardinals Patrick Mahomes celebrates a last second TD pass as Arizona edges Washington.

Game Scores
Arizona 31 Washington 28                    47 0-10
Arizona would head to Washington with identical 7-7 records in what was an elimination game. The winner would keep their playoff hopes alive while the loser would likely be sitting at home on January. With a playoff atmosphere in the air the game would not disappoint. After forcing a punt from midfield the Redskin offense would get going quickly with a 48 yard pass to Devante Parker followed up by a Aaron Jones 8 yard TD run. For this drive anyway it would look like the free falling Redskins had finally gotten everything together and were going to get back to their winning ways. But Arizona would say not so fast. They would put together their own impressive drive with a 36 yard completion to Kirk followed by a 3 yard scramble TD by Mahomes to tie it up 7-7 near the end of the first quarter.

Washington then decided enough was enough and decided to push the self destruct button one more time. Washington would punt on the following possession however a piss poor snap by the long snapper would go over Jake Scotts head giving Arizona prime field position. 1 play later it would be 14-7. 4 plays later Prescott would throw an INT to Marlon Humphrey. Mahomes would quickly turn that into another 7 points making it 21-7. Washington would follow that up with another 3 and out and again Mahomes would just march down the field with a FG with 1:33 left in the half. With a little time left in the half Washington would finally wake up and start to move the ball down the field. A couple of dumpoffs to Aaron Jones and they were in business. Prescott would manage to get the ball to the 11 with 13 seconds left and no timeouts. Down 24-7 they would try one more pass into the endzone and dial up the corner fade. However a poor pass by Prescott would be intercepted by Harold Landry to end the half 24-7. It was quickly looking like a blowout snooze fest.

To start the second half the Redskins would get the ball and build on their last drive and dink and dunk the ball down the field for a FG. A quick stop by Washington and they would ge the ball back and score yet again. But in typical Washington fashion this year even in success they find a way to fail as Slye would miss the extra point. Arizona would begin to feel the pressure and another drive would stall out and they would punt yet again. Perscott was now sizzling and would hit Dissly for a 22 yard TD to make it 24-22 with 7 minutes left.   Arizona would begin to feel the game slipping away when Mahomes would throw an INT on the next drive and give Washington 3 points to make the game 24-25 Washington. Barkley would then fumble on the very next play but again Washington would be able to do nothing with it and have to settle for another 3 points to make it 24-28 with 1:50 left. Unfortunately for Washington that was about 10 seconds too much for Mahomes as he would march the offense down the field and on a 4th and 1 from the 11 yard line with 7 seconds left he would find Kirk on the corner fade for the W.

Washington’s hopes of January games go out the window and will finish up with Jacksonville while Arizona heads to Cinci with their playoff hopes still on life support.

Buffalo 3 New England 28                    34 5-15
Lamar Jackson wasn't on his game, but still managed to rush for 82 yards while tossing 2 TD passes as the Patriots handled Buffalo by the score of 28-3.

Bills rookie QB Kyler Murray completed 18 of 24 pass attempts while rushing for 56 yards himself, but the Bills couldn't find their way into the end zone against the Pats D.

Los Angeles (A) 31 Denver 14                42 Calm
Los Angeles ruins the commissioner’s upset special of the week, as they win big, cover the spread and lighten Mr. Storer’s pockets. :=)

With Denver gearing to stop Nick Chubb, LA turned to Fitz’magic’ and the passing game to control the contest, amassing 29 first downs and 472
total yards. With Chubb being keyed most of the game(115 total yards), the Chargers turned to the arm of Ryan Fitzpatrick who threw for a season
high 340 yards and 4 touchdowns. Julio Jones was the recipient of 9 passes for 157 yards and 3 touchdowns. Amari Cooper added 5 catches for
106 yards and a touchdown.

Denver’s main highlight came on a 37 yard fumble return for a touchdown.

Denver returns home to close out the season versus Indianapolis; L.A. travels to New York to try and keep their playoff hopes alive versus the Jets.

Miami 9 San Francisco 16                    52 15-25
In a ho-hum inconsequential league game, MIami and the 49ers played ho-hum ball. Usually someone win these games and in this case, it wasthe Niners. The teams wandered around trading FGs until late in the 4thquarter. Finally, the Niners put a meaningful drive together finishing with a Trubiskey-Boyd 20 yard TD pass. Stars of the game? Only one.
Boyd caught 8 passes for 102 yards.

Kansas City 28 Houston 24                   70
Drew Lock throws four touchdown passes as the Chiefs get by Houston.

New York (N) 12 Dallas 6                    70
Some viewers would label the contest between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys in week 15 a profound defensive contest. Others would call it a matchup of two utterly horrible offenses.

Though having to punt 11 times, the Giants mustered enough offense to prevail against the Cowboys 12-6.    Dallas coach Steve Hart had to pull Gardner Minshew after he completed just four passes in 16 attempts. Cam Newton was only slightly better in relief. To be fair, Cowboy receivers dropped six balls and the QBs were under constant pressure by a Giant defense that managed five sacks (one for a safety) and many more hurries. Cowboy skilled players also managed three fumbles in the (pitiful) contest.

The Cowboys' general manager fired the team trainer following the game that saw five more players exit the game with injuries. For much of the year, the Cowboys have had to put a team on the field with an average of six players nursing injuries.

Pittsburgh 20 Baltimore 26                  54 0-5
A day after the real Ravens and Steelers hooked up for an ugly game that was postponed time and time again, the IFL Ravens and Steelers met a day earlier than previously scheduled. Baltimore was favored by 11 (double-digit spreads are always troublesome) and the visiting Steelers seemed to take notice. Playing with the bravado of an 11-point favorite, the Ravens forced a punt on the Steelers first possession, then marched 78 yards to paydirt in 12 plays. With Raven RB Le'Veon Bell resting an undisclosed injury, Jonathan Williams carried the rock in from 8 yards out. Baltimore, 7-0.

The next three possessions resulted in punts. Pittsburgh's second punt was fielded by DeAndre Carter at his own 13, where he was speared by Derek Watt. Carter's fumble was recovered by Pittsburgh on the Raven 18. A sack by Shaquil Barrett set the Steelers back and they ultimately had to settle for a FG from Eddy Pinero. Baltimore, 7-3.

Baltimore received the ensuing KO and returned it to their own 29, but a holding penalty on second-and-ten set them back to the 19. A short pass for 11 and a Baker Mayfield scramble gained it all back, but a challenge flag was thrown by Steelers coach Sam Alberry and the replay revealed that Mayfield was stopped an inch short of the line to gain. With all the gusto of a team that knew they were going to win, the Raven coaching staff sent Mayfield back out to his own 39 to gain that inch. The Steeler Curtain lived up to their name and stuffed the dive attempt by Williams. Pittsburgh ball! Four plays later Steeler RB Gus Edwards raced into the end zone from 15 yards out on a draw play. Pittsburgh, 10-7.

The Ravens got big plays from WR Will Fuller (38 yard slant) and RB Williams (20 yard jaunt) on their next possession, but couldn't find paydirt from 7 yards out. Michael Badgley booted a tying FG from 25 yards out. Tied, 10-10.

Pittsburgh seemed content to take a tie into the locker room with two minutes left before the half and the ball on their own 35, but after TE Dawson Knox took a short slant from Brady and raced 59 yards to the Raven 6, coach Alberry was seeing blood. Going for the jugular, Brady hit WR Golden Tate on a fade to the back corner. Pittsburgh, 17-10 at the half.

Baltimore took the second half kickoff and again marched half the length of the field (52 yards technically) in 12 plays, but the Steel Curtain raised up again, stopping the Raven drive at the 23. Badgley's FG cut the lead to 4. Pittsburgh, 17-13.

The next six possessions resulted in punts (BOR-ING!) as neither team could gain any traction. The Ravens thought they got a break when Brady hit WR Byron Pringle on a screen and CB Desmond Trufant punched the ball out. Raven S Terrell Edmunds scooped up the loose ball and returned it 10 yards to the Steeler 40, but once again, the Steelers D tightened. A sack on first down and two incomplete passes forced a Raven punt.

Four more punts ensued, making it 10 punts in 11 possessions. Most of the Ravens fans were asleep at this point, but were awakened by the raucous Steeler fans when a medium out pass from Mayfield was batted high (and I mean HIGH) into the air and intercepted by DT Shy Tuttle!

Pittsburgh was mixing up the icing to put on this cake, but couldn't get past the Raven 11. Still, Eddie Pinero's 29-yard FG with 2:25 left seemed like it would be enough. Pittsburgh, 20-13.

Starting on their own 35, Baltimore moved to their 46 after a Mayfield sneak netted a first down. Trying to save their only TO, Mayfield spiked the ball and called for a short out to RB Jaylen Samuels. The Steeler pass rush forced Mayfield out of the pocket, but just as he was about to hit Samuels for a short gain, he saw Fuller streaking down the sideline (figuratively, not without his uniform!). Fuller hauled it in for a 30-yard gain! Baltimore was at the Steeler 24 with 1:20 on the clock. Two quick passes got the Ravens to the 14 with :49 left. Thinking the Ravens might be doubling Fuller and/or TE Mark Andrews, coach Master made the gutsy call to target high risk/high reward WR Scotty Miller. Mayfield hit Miller square on the hitch, TD BALTIMORE! Feeling the momentum, Baltimore opted to kick the PAT and take their chances in OT. Game tied, 20-20.

Pittsburgh won the OT toss and elected to receive. A missed block resulted in a 4-yard loss on first down and a motion penalty set the Steelers back another 5. A dropped pass on a questionable non-call on a potential DPI put the writing on the wall for the Steelers. A short run on 3rd-and-19 was just to give the punter a little more room. A 6-yard return by PR Steven Sims Jr had the Ravens starting on their own 41. Mayfield targeted WR Will Fuller on a first-down short hitch, where the Steeler defender gambled to bat the ball away...and lost. Fuller turned quickly and headed up field. Steeler CB Kendall Sheffield cut Fuller off at the 25, but couldn't bring him down. As Fuller raced on, a tumbling Sheffield took out all the trailing Steeler defenders. 59-yard TD for Fuller. Ravens win, 26-20, in OT!

New Orleans 38 Atlanta 35                   68
In a game that was played after hearing the awful news of one of our great owners Ken Griffith. RIP to Ken and thoughts and prayers are with his family. This game would not disappoint as we think Joe Montana came out of retirement and put on a Duck Hodges jersey. The Duck would throw for 322 yards and 5 TD's in the victory. Phillip Rivers would keep pace all day throwing for 321 yards and 5 TD's himself. In the end it came down to fatigue of the Falcons WR's, so Coach Rice's strategy worked to let them throw all over them for 3 1/2 quarters so they would be fatigued at the end. Saints move to 10-5 and are jockying for playoff position. Atlanta looks to next year as they fall to 6-9.

Tennessee 27 Philadelphia 37                42 0-10
The Titans would visit the Eagles in Week 15 with the Titans playing the spoiler role to the Eagles desire to get a first-round bye in the playoffs. While the Eagles did want to win to remain in competition for that bye, they also wanted to rest a few players in preparation for the playoffs. Thus, the Interception machine, Jameis Winston would start for the Eagles. He would not disappoint.

On the first drive of the game, Titan QB Matt Ryan would throw an interception to Eagle S Rodney McLeod who would return it to the Titan 7 yard line. Instead of attempting to run the ball into the endzone, Coach Mason would show strange confidence in Winston by calling a pass play on 1st down. Shockingly, Winston would throw an interception to Titan LB Nick Vigil. Oy Vey! The Titans would move quickly down the field and Ryan would hit WR Odell Beckham on a long slant pattern to give the Titans the lead 6-0 after the missed extra point. On the ensuing kickoff, Winston would throw a bomb hoping for something other than an INT and he would get it in the form of a pass interference penalty setting up the Eagles deep in Titan territory. Winston would connect with WR John Brown and the Eagles would take the lead 7-6. The Eagles would not give up the lead after that.

The Titans would get close late in the 4th quarter. Behind 34-27, the Titans would take advantage of another Winston INT, and, with 4 minutes left in the game, from their own 34, they would fail on both 3rd and 1 and 4th and 1 to get a 1st down. The Eagles would run some clock and get a Harrison Butker FG to put the game away, 37-27.

Winston would do just enough this day to not lose the game although he tried very hard. Thanks to excellent receiving from Brown and Julian Edleman, he was able to muster 3 TD's on the day in addition to the 2 Ints. Penalties would hurt the Titans as they committed 10-122 including a couple of PI's that would be costly. The duo of Beckham and DeAndre Hopkins would burn the Eagle secondary for over 200 yards and 2 TDs.

The Titans will close out their season against the Cowboys while the Eagles go to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers still hoping to get a 1st round bye in the playoffs.

Chicago 6 Green Bay 17                      38 0-10
Packers last home game of the season was filled with drama surrounding
GM/Head Coach John Conners.

All week long callers to local sports radio shows were calling for his head, as the Packers
endure their worst season in recent memory.

Ben Roethlisberger, who had been nursing a sore elbow, vowed to return for the last
2 games of the season in hopes of salvaging Conners' job.

Earlier in the week Big Ben was quoted as saying "I would take a bullet for that man, no way I won't be out
there to face the Bears"

Sure enough Roethlisberger suited up and went out and had himself a ball game. The veteran QB completed
passes to 8 different receivers as he methodically dissected one of the best defenses in the IFL.

Despite being stopped cold by the Chicago defense on 4th and goal from the 2 yard line late in the 1st quarter,
the Green Bay offense struck twice in the first half on route to a 14-3 halftime lead.

From there the Packers defense shut the door on Jimmy Garoppolo holding him to just 184 passing yards and
sacking the Bears pivot 5 times. The Chicago running game never got going as well. Delvin Cook was held to just
29 yards on 13 carries.

With the score 17-6 Packers and Chicago driving, S Rashad Jones secured the win as he picked off Jimmy G. deep
in Green Bay territory with just 1:53 left.

Final score Green Bay 17 Chicago 6

Big Ben threw for for 323 yards and a TD. Packers defense held Chicago to just 197 yards of net offense.

Barring a tie between Washington and Arizona, the loss eliminates Chicago (7-8) as they finish the regular season
at Carolina next week.

Packers (5-10) will try to ride Roethlisberger to a second straight win to end the season
on a high note at L.A versus the Rams.

Conners sleeps well for at least another week

Detroit 13 Tampa Bay 23                     74 10-20
The Lions came to Tampa and gave the Buccaneers all they could handle. Detroit tied the game up at 13 on a Wil Lutz field goal with ten and a half minutes left in the game. The next possession sees the Bucs manage a six minute 12 play touchdown drive to which the Lions were not able to answer. Big play during the drive was on third and 14 at mid field when Derek Carr dropped a dime to a double teamed Jared Cook for 19 yards.

Next week Detroit pays a visit to The Big Easy while Tampa hosts Atlanta.

Cincinnati 27 Jacksonville 21               69 10-20
The Bengals came to Jacksonville looking to secure a division championship whereas the Jags were looking for a path to the post season. While it was close game throughout a balanced running and passing game the Bengals saw them garner a seven point lead at the half. The second half saw both defenses hunker down with the only TD being a Samson Ebukam fumble recovery late in the 4th giving the Jags one final chance. The Jags forced the punt on the ensuing Bengals drive but with 49 seconds left on the clock the Jag drive died at their 49 ensuring the Cinci victory.

Next week is a week off for the Bengals while the Jags must win and receive some help to make the post season.

Passing
(Ben) Rodgers 25 of 37 262 yards, 3tds 1 int
(Jax) Allen 21 of 36 for 236 yards 1 td

Other
(Ben) A. Jeffery 8 catches for 92 yards 2tds
(Jax) S. Ebukam 15 tackles, 2 stuffs, 1 FF, 1 TD

Carolina 16 Los Angeles (N) 3               53 Calm
The Panthers and Rams met in Los Angeles for what ended up being a fairly straight forward victory for the Panthers. The Rams got big brothered (Where the big brother puts his hand on the little brother's forehead while the little brother swings furiously at air) . The game was played with heavy hearts as the IFL experienced a major unexpected loss in Colts Coach Ken Griffith. Ken was an incredible amount of fun to play the game with, he will be missed without a doubt. I did not know him well, but I did know he enjoyed playing in our league a great deal. You could tell just from writeups he did. They always had bells and whistles, like being the format of an actual article and including quotes (which I have lifted from him from time to time). With that in mind rather than posting about a fairly uneventful game between the Panthers and Rams, and not to take away from the Panthers (Next week they play the Bears) march towards a potential number 1 seed, I thought it would be better to post a write up from Ken. In looking for one I forgot how often Ken volunteered to sub, it looked like some seasons he sent emails weekly offering his time. It was tough to choose from his writeups, one that made me laugh he had a line that he was on the hot seat after a loss. But I decided to go with a win, Ken you will be missed,

From December 2014:

COLTS 30 PATRIOTS 7

Indianapolis, IND (IFL.COM) The fans are partying in the streets following a 30-7 Colts (10-6) win over the visiting Patriots (2-12) which secured its first playoff appearance under Head Coach Ken Griffith. When Griffith was asked about his first entrance into the IFL post-season he couldn’t avoid taking a shot at a certain Bay Area organization that heavily criticized the Colts for moves made during the 2013 and 2014 draft, “well, in 2013 and 2014 they had pieces to move and we had deals structured that we felt could help both clubs, when the deals fell through I was told we will never make the playoffs building a club in the manner in which the Colts had decided. We might be one and done, but it sure feels good right now.”

The game was never in doubt. Indianapolis started the game with a drive that ate up 10:36 of the first quarter with an 18 play, 74 yard drive that ended with a Steven Hauschka 24 yard field goal, Colts 3-0. Indianapolis was ahead 30-0 when the Pats got its first score on a 5 yard TD pass from Sam Bradford (13-33, 203 Yds, 1 TD, 1 INT) with 31 seconds left in game. Peyton Manning finished the game with 3 TDs on 19-26 for 261 Yds, 1 pick and was named game MVP.

Other notables:

Keenan Allen, IND (WR) 6-103 Yds, 2 TDs.
Mike Leshoure, NE (RB) 15-77 Yds, 5.1 per carry.
Akeem Dent, NE (LB) 12 Tackles.

Indianapolis 0 New York (A) 30              40 5-15
The Indianapolis Colts came to New York to play a divisional game against the Jets. Colts players were going to be playing with heavy hearts after the death of their longtime head coach, Ken Griffith.

The flags at MetLife Stadium were at half mast, and players on both teams wore black armbands, and decals on their helmets with the letters KG on them.

Scott Master took over as interim head coach of the Colts, and he and Jets coach, Bob Durfee, together asked the National television audience to “Please, wear the damn mask, if not for yourself, for others.”

As the game started it was clear that players on both teams were just going through the motions. On the combined first 8 possessions of the game 3 points were produced, on a FG by the Jets.

The Jets Chase Daniel was starting at QB for the first time this season, and also playing in meaningful minutes for the first time. He wasn’t happy with the circumstances, but on the Jets 5th possession of the game drove his team 82 yards in 6 plays. It ended with Daniel hitting Mack for an 8 yard TD pass...10-0 Jets.

New York tacked on another FG with 11 seconds to go in the half to make it 13-0...Jets.

The halftime show was in honor of Coach Griffith. Highlights from his years as the Colts head coach were shown on the scoreboard, and on the National TV broadcast on ESPN. Many of Coach Griffith’s famous quotes were shared, as well as video of that big smile that his team, and his opponents were used to seeing.

In the second half Daniel threw 2 more TD passes, both to Thomas. It seemed Daniel was the only player that wanted to play on this day.

The Jets won, but most everyone was left thinking only of their, and the IFL’s lose of one of their finest coaches.

RIP Coach Griffith...

Oakland 38 Minnesota 28                     68
The Oakland Raiders brought their offense and their defense to this game; the Minnesota Vikings brought their offense, but the bus carrying their defense apparently missed the turnoff to the stadium.

Oakland snuffed out two Viking drives with an interception in the end zone and another interception in their own territory, and that was the difference. Otherwise, the two teams took turns driving the length of the field for touchdowns. In one stretch there were 5 straight long touchdowns.

In the end, the Raiders had an unstoppable (at least by the Vikings) offense. Stafford threw for 230 yards and 2 TDs for a 125.2 QBR. Brees amassed 324 yards and 4 TDs, but his two interceptions dropped his league-leading QBR to only 87.3.

Moore and Kelce led Raider receivers with over 100 yards each (Moore 121, Kelce 105). Allen again stood out for the Vikings with 15 catches, 102 yards and 3 TDs.

Hyde carried the ball for 96 yards and Elliott for 90 yards.

Oakland finishes its regular season hosting Miami and Minnesota closes out its season at San Francisco.


Rushing Leaders
Mack,M(NYJ)     17-155
Barkley,S(Ari) 17-122
Sanders,M(LAR) 15-108
Hyde,C(Oak)     22-98 3 TD

Receiving Leaders
Fuller V(Bal)    8-178 1 TD
Jones,J(LAC)     9-147 3 TD
Kittle(KC)      12-122 2 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Ertz(Atl)       12-113 3 TD
Kirk(Ari)       10-108 2 TD
Brown,A(NO)      5-105 3 TD
Allen,K(Min)    10-102 3 TD
Landry(KC)      10- 86 2 TD
Thomas,M(NYJ)   11- 85 2 TD

Passing Leaders
Mayfield(Bal)   50-29-380   2 TD 1 Int
Fitzpatr,R(LAC) 32-23-340   4 TD
Brees(Min)      54-33-324   4 TD 2 Int
Roethlisbe(GB) 39-26-323   1 TD
Hodges(NO)      28-20-322   5 TD 1 Int
Rivers(Atl)     45-34-321   5 TD
Ryan,M(Ten)     45-29-315   3 TD 2 Int
Lock(KC)        37-28-249   4 TD 1 Int

Defensive Standouts
Ebukam(Jax)      15 Tk
Sherman(NE)      5 Tk 1 pick 6 - IFL Defensive Player of the Week

Special Teams
McManus(NO)    8 Pts GW 47 FG – IFL Special Teams Player of the Week

WEEK 15 IFL STANDINGS

WEEK 15 IFL LEAGUE LEADERS

WEEK 14 RECAP

In the IFL upset of the week, one win Dallas surprises the Ravens.

Dallas 21 Baltimore 17                      40 0-10
As with many late-season games, you never know what DKS has in store for either team. In years past, it's been the Ravens who pulled the big (relatively speaking) upset and thus, retarded their draft position. This year, it was the 1-12 Cowboys who pulled the upset, besting the 9-4 Ravens in the only category that mattered - the scoreboard. Dallas led most all game, yet trailed in most every statistical category. But, time and time again, they got big plays when they needed them, enroute to a 31-27 Cowboy win on the road in Baltimore. Kudos to Coach Steve Hart, who called a masterful game.

Dallas received the opening kick-off and Coach Master could tell from the first series that DKS wasn't going to be very giving to his Ravens the day before Turkey Day. On the first play from scrimmage, Gardner Minshew hit Shady McCoy for a relatively modest 8-yard gain on a screen. After the play, Raven rookie DL Folorunso Fatukasi lay on the turf in agony - out for the game and likely the rest of the season. On the second play from scrimmage, Minshew called an audible and threw deep down the sidelines where Raven S Terrell Edmunds tipped the ball away. But wait! The zebras flagged Edmunds for a DPI and a 43-yard penalty! On the third play of the game, Minshew hit WR Kenny Stills on a medium slant and Still took it to the house, 24-yards away. Dallas, 7-0.

After a nice, 41-yard KO return by Steven Sims, Baltimore started from their own 36, but on their first play from scrimmage, Cowboy OLB Markus Golden sacked Baker Mayfield for a 6-yard loss. Two incomplete pass attempts later, Baltimore would punt. Then Dallas would punt and Baltimore would string together a modest drive of 9 plays to go 78-yards and put 7 on the board, courtesy of a 34-yard jet sweep from WR Steven Sims. Game tied, 7-7.

Dallas found themselves faced with a 4th-and-1 on their own 49 in their next series and decided to try to catch the Raven defense off-guard. Minchew's pass attempt to TE Dallas Goedert was unsuccessful and Baltimore took over. Three plays later, the Ravens were faced with a 4th-and-1 on the Dallas 40. After Le'Veon Bell was stopped for no gain on 3rd down, Coach Master called for a read-option, but Cowboy DT Jonathan Hankins didn't bite and threw Bell for a 5-yard loss. Four plays later the Cowboys were faced with another 4th-and-1. This time, at the Raven 46, Minshew handed the ball to McCoy, who gained just enough to get the first down. Five plays later, McCoy toted the rock across the goal line and Dallas took back the lead, 14-7.

Baltimore and Dallas would exchange punts and the Ravens took over just shy of midfield. Mayfield would march the Ravens down the field, but the drive stalled at the 10. Faced with yet another 4th-and-1, Baltimore opted to go for it rather than kick the FG. Mayfield's pass to TE Mark Andrews was tipped away by Cowboy ILB Termaine Edumunds. A sack by Raven OLB Matthew Judon would push the Cowboys back to their own 7, but Minshew managed his way to a Cowboy first down before they had to punt the ball away just before the half. With :51 seconds remaining Baltimore started at their own 35 and matriculated down the field to the Cowboy 25 where Michael Badgley would trot out to attempt a 43-yard FG (86% success rate) with :04 left on the clock. The kick started right and continued that way, despite very little breeze.

Baltimore's KR extraordinaire, Steven Sims, returned the 2nd half kickoff 47 yards to allow the Ravens to start at their own 45. Switching to pass-centric offense, Baltimore received more bad news when Le'Veon Bell came up lame 4 plays into the half. Disappointed, but undeterred, the Ravens moved the ball downfield until the drive stalled at the Cowboy 18 after three straight incomplete passes. No worries. Badgley would surely hit this FG from 36 yards out (92% success rate), right? WRONG. Badgley missed again!

The next four possessions resulted in a field position battle between the punters with Baltimore gaining the edge. With 5:40 left in the 3rd quarter, Baltimore would start at the Cowboy 35 after the Cowboys punted 44-yards from their own 6 and PR DeAndre Carter returned it 15. Soon thereafter, Baltimore would find itself on the Cowboy 6 with 2nd-and-goal. I think the Cowboys tried something sneaky and OT Tyron Smith took offense. Of course, the DKS refs only saw the second punch and Smith was flagged for a 15-yard personal foul that killed the drive. Confused after the ruckus had been cleared from the field, Baltimore trotted out Badgley on third down (though it was 3rd-and-19). Luckily, Badgley converted to cut the Cowboy lead to 14-10.

Baltimore's defense would hold the Cowboys to a 4-and-out (one completion for a 1st down, the 3 incomplete passes), then engineer a 12-play, 64-yard drive that resulted in a Baker Mayfield 3-yard bootleg TD. Baltimore takes their first lead, 17-14.

The lead was short-lived as Dallas responded with an 11-play, 75-yard drive that included a 4th-and-inches dive by Minshew that successfully earned a first down by inches and a fumble recovered by Baltimore that was overturned on replay. Five plays after the overturned fumble, Dallas retook the lead with a 33-yard Minshew-to-Tyrell Williams TD. Dallas, 21-17.

With a little over 6 minutes remaining and Baltimore starting on their own 25, a Za'Darius Smith sack and Tyron Smith holding penalty set the Ravens back such that they couldn't recover. The Ravens D forced a 5-and-out (2 passes for first downs, a run for 0 yards and two sacks netting -13 yards) and Baltimore started their last-gasp attempt to win the game from their own 27 with 2:11 left on the clock. Mayfield worked his team to the Cowboy 14 with 26 ticks left, but passes to Will Fuller and Jaylen Samuels failed. On 4th-and-4 Mayfield's hitch to Fuller was broken up by Markus Golden and intercepted by Edmunds to seal the game for the Cowboys. FINAL: DALLAS, 21-17.

Baltimore outgained Dallas in total yards (371 to 256), first downs (24 to 16) and TOP (34:17 to 25:43). Even though the number of penalties accepted against each team were even at 7, the Ravens' miscues cost them 93 yards (vs 47 for the Cowboys). The 43-yard DPI was huge, but so were the two against OT Tyron Smith. The difference makers were the Cowboys success on 4th down (2 of 3 vs 1 of 4 for the Ravens) and timely sacks early Ravens series (3 came on first down, setting Baltimore in a hole early). In short, Coach Hart called a heckuva game and out-coached his Raven counterpart.

The Cowboy win puts Indianapolis in the driver seat for the #1 overall pick in next June's draft, while creating a gooey mess for the 2-4 picks. Next week, Dallas (2-12) hosts division rival New York Giants (7-6) before finishing up against 4-9 Tennessee.

Baltimore (9-5) clings to playoff hopes. Just two years ago, they went 10-6 and failed to earn a spot and don't want to see a repeat. With 3-10 Pittsburgh next on the docket, followed by the 7-6 Giants, the Ravens are hoping they can secure their first playoff spot since...a LONG time ago.

New Orleans 20 Chicago 17                   35 20-30
Chicago's playoff hopes are fading fast as they lose their final home game of the season, 20-17 in overtime, to New Orleans.

Carolina 30 Green Bay 5                     19 5-15
Reeling Packers managed to stay in it for a while but another poor outing by stat pack QB AJ McCarron sealed the hosts fate.

Derrick Henry and Russell Wilson didn't have to do much as the Panthers defense ruled the day.

Mike Evans seemed to get open whenever he wanted.

Carolina improves to 11-3 and will be a tough out come playoff time, especially if they secure home field

Green Bay's 10th loss assures it will be our worst season under the Conners regime. Legendary G.M./Coaching clinic now facing a serious credibility crisis.

Packers home finale next week versus the Bears, Carolina visits the Rams

Miami 21 Denver 13                          56 Calm
The Dolphins come into Mile High and get just enough offense to beat a depleted and injury riddled Bronco squad 21-13.
Goff throws for 2 TD's and Ingram runs for 100 yards in the Dolphin win.

San Francisco 30 Detroit 7                  70
Seemed like coach Glandville lost his squad when he punted from the SF 20 yard line trailing 3-0. I believe most coaches would have opted for the 37 yard FG, but it is the Lions.

Singletary ran well, Diggs caught well for the victors.

Det travels to TB, thats got ugly written all over it. SF hosts Miami, which looks to be a good one.

Pittsburgh 10 New York (N) 24               51 5-15 Heavy Rain
Not a whole lot to write about in this one as their wasnt much offense after the 1st half as Pittsburgh would score their only touchdown of the game on a fumble recovery that was taken back 26 yards. The Giants would throw a touchdown on 3 drives in the first half and their defense would hold strong all game shutting Tom Brady down. Brady was 13-31 with an interception.

The Giants move to 8-6 and stay alive in the close playoff chase.

Buffalo 3 Kansas City 17                    24 0-5
Rookie quarterback Drew Lock earns the start and throws two touchdown passes as the Chiefs pick up their third win of the season.

New England 24 Los Angeles (A) 20           77 Calm
Chargers hold NE to their lowest point total of the year and score the second most points versus them but the undefeated Patriots hold off the upstart Chargers 24-20.

Philadelphia 31 Cincinnati 28               44 0-5
In an epic battle between two division leaders, nothing was settled after four quarters as the score stood at 28 all. The overtime saw Cincinnati punt, Philly punt, and the Bengals punt once again with a little over two minutes remaining. Finally the Eagles got a couple nice runs by Peterson and a big 23 yard scramble by Tannehill putting the Eagles in field goal position for Butker. To add icing to the cake Peterson added a 10 yard run and Butker hit the chip shot for the 31-28 win.

Tannehill went 17 of 33 for 238 yards with 3 TDs and an Int. He was also sacked four times. However, it was Tannehill's legs that proved to frustrate the Bengal defense all day. He scrambled for 66 yards on eight attempts and many times converting critical third downs.

Peterson rushed for 85 yards on 19 attempts. Edelman caught five passes for 84 yards and all three of the touchdowns.

For the Bengals Rodgers finished 33 of 46 for 291 yards and four touchdowns but with two Int.
Melvin Gordon rushed 19 times for 77 yards. Jeffery caught 10 passes for 90 yards and two scores. Defensively Fowler collected two sacks.

Next week the Eagles host Tennessee while the Bengals travel to Jacksonville.

Arizona 16 Jacksonville 24                  53 0-10
The Jags win a close game at home keeping their playoff hopes alive as Jacksonville edges Arizona 24-16. Both QB's played well but in the end it was the Jags defense that rose to the occasion forcing three Mahomes turnovers while Josh Allen and his O were spotless on the bad sheet.

Thanks to coach Heaton for a well coached, hard fought, fun game.

Passing

Josh Allen - 25 of 31 for 250 yards, 2TDs
Mahomes - 26 of 39 for 352 yards, 2TDs, 2 INTS

Rushing

B. Scott - 18 carries 97 yard, 6 catches for 41 yards, 1 TD
Barlkey - 10 carries 62 yards, 7 catches for 62 yards

Recieving

Metcalf - 5 catches for 91 yards
Kirk - 7 catches for 137 yards 2 TDs

Los Angeles (N) 14 Tampa Bay 23             70 0-10
The 6 and 7 Los Angeles Rams come to Tampa Bay to take on the 10 and 3 Buccaneers. It’s a must win game for LA’s playoff hopes. Tampa has a playoff spot locked up but would like to secure the number one seed. Several stars are listed as out with injuries including Devante Adams and Kyle Van Noy for the Bucs as well as Marshon Lattimore and T.Y. Hilton for the Rams.
Both offenses come out hot and after four possessions it’s a 10 – 7 Tampa Bay lead. However, that would finish the first half scoring. Midway through the second quarter, LA’s young quarterback Daniel Jones threw away a likely game tying 3 points in the form of a Pierre Desir interception in the end zone on a long toss towards Deebo Samuel on 3rd and 14 from the 16-yard line.
The Bucs Cordarrell Patterson takes the second half kickoff at his 2 and rolls 40 yards to the 42. Five plays later Tampa’s Derick Carr finds Tyler Lockett for a 25-yard scoring pass and provides a little room for Tampa, now up 17 – 7.
After the teams exchange punts, Jones leads the Rams on a 69 yard drive that fizzles out when coach Heaton forgoes a 45 yard field goal attempt and sees Tarik Cohen take a Jones check down for a 4 yard gain on 4th and 6. Coach Chase is seen exhaling a huge sigh of relief on the Tampa sideline.
However, this game is far from over. After the Bucs add a field goal to go up 20-7, the well-coached Heaton Rams successfully go to the run; pick up a 4th and 10 to the Tampa 25; draw a 19-yard PI on Janoris Jenkins; and cut the lead to 20 – 14 on a short Jones to Samuel crosser. This is still anybody’s game.
Now up less than a TD, Tampa’s first play is a hold to set up first in 20. The LA secondary is unable to take advantage when Carr hits three passes in a row for a total of 53 yards. The key play was 31 yards to Preston Williams. After Todd Gurley runs for 16 and gets Tampa close enough for short field goal, LA has to use its timeouts. Chris Boswell makes the chip shot putting the Buccaneers up by nine, 23 – 14. That is where the score would end up.
Ryan called a heck of a game and had his guys made 1 or 2 more plays, would have changed everything. Case in point - late in the third quarter a long play action pass was off the mark versus Tampa’s run sniffing play call.
Next week the Rams look to trip up the mighty and powerful Carolina Panthers in LA while the Bucs host their bitter division rivals the Detroit Lions.

Atlanta 28 Minnesota 45                     68
With his Vikings averaging about 10 points a game the previous 5 contests, all but one with a substitute quarterback, Drew Brees unleashed his best game of the year, or possibly the best game of his career with the Vikings, as Minnesota pummeled Atlanta, 45-28.

Brees completed 30 of 36 passes for 364 yards and 5 TDs, en route to a QBR of a near-perfect 148.4. Although Philip Rivers, the Vikings' original QB, played well, he couldn't match Brees' performance, compiling a 105.2 QBR based on 320 passing yards and 3 TDs.

Brees's heroics were aided by Zeke Elliott's 119 yards on 23 carries and Keenan Allen's 112 yards and 4 TDs on 9 catches. Zach Ertz had 120 receiving yards for Atlanta.

In Week 15, Atlanta will host New Orleans and will host Oakland.

Indianapolis 6 Houston 20                   70
Kirk Cousins tosses two more touchdown passes as the Texans down the Colts.

New York (A) 17 Oakland 13                  58 5-15
The New York Jets traveled to Oakland in week 14 of the IFL season. The Jets didn’t have starting CB Dunbar, starting DT Williams, or backup DT Jones with them on the trip.

To make things worse this game could be called a war of attrition...4 minutes into the game starting DE Griffen went down, and he was followed by WR Woods 5 minutes later. Then in the 3rd quarter DE Blair went down for the count too.

The Raiders didn’t feel sorry for their opponents either, on their second possession they went 94 yards in 14 plays, eating up 8 minutes, ending with a Hyde TD run of 1 yard...7-0 Raiders.

New York was not playing very well, their first 3 possessions ended up with punts, and their 4th ended with an interception. In between the punts, and pick, the Raiders tacked on 2 FGs to be up 13-0. On their last possession of the half the Jets drove to the Oakland 25, where they went for a 43 yard FG...it was good, but Conklin was called for a 5 yard penalty...the 48 yarder was wide left... 13–0 Raiders.

Oakland received the 2nd half kickoff, and was held to a 3 and out. The Jets went 77 yards in 11 plays, over 5 minutes, and got a White 9 yard TD catch to make it...13-7 Raiders.

The Raiders were running the slow down offense all game, and on their next possession they only went 32 yards, but managed to take over 5 minutes off the clock. After the punt the Jets got their offense going moving the ball down the field. As the 4th quarter started the Jet’s thought this game could be a tale of two halves...Watson hit White with a pass in the flat that gained 13 yards to the Raiders 14 yard line, BUT wait, the balls on the carpet...Raiders ball!!

Once again the Raiders can only go 29 yards, but eat up over 3 and a half minutes. Their punt puts the Jets on their own 9 yard line. New York moved quickly down the field with a 16 yard pass, and 30 yard pass to TE Higbee, and then topped off the drive with a 20 yard TD run by Mack... 14-13 Jets.

The Jets held Oakland to a 3 and out. Allen, the Raiders QB who looked like a young Tom Brady for the entire 1st half, and was 15-20 early in the 3rd quarter...he ended up 19-37.

New York tacked on a 43 yard FG to make it 17-13...

Allen attempted 7 passes on the Raiders last possession, completing only one.

Jets win 17-13.

Next week the Jets host the Colts, and with the Jet’s MASH unit, the Colts have a good chance at a win. Oakland travels to Minneapolis to play the Vikings.

Tennessee 24 Washington 3                   39 5-15
Matt Ryan throws two touchdown passes and rushes for another as the Titans put a dent in the Redskins playoff hopes.

Rushing Leaders
Chubb,N(LAC)    23-166
Jones,A(Was)    15-126
Elliott,E(Min) 23-119 1 TD
Freeman,D(Buf) 18-102
Ingram II(Mia) 15-100 1 TD

Receiving Leaders
Thomas,M(NYJ)   11-161
Allen,K(Min)     9-112 4 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Chark Jr.(Cin) 10-103 1 TD
Jeffery(Cin)    10- 90 2 TD
Edelman(Phi)     5- 84 3 TD

Passing Leaders
Brees(Min)      36-30-364   5 TD
Mahomes(Ari)    39-26-352   2 TD 2 Int
Mayfield(Bal)   58-30-331   1 Int
Flacco(NO)      43-31-322   2 TD 1 Int
Rivers(Atl)     38-24-320   3 TD 1 Int
Carr,D(TB)      32-22-316   2 TD
Watson,D(NYJ)   45-26-309   1 TD 1 Int
Rodgers,A(Cin) 46-33-291   4 TD 2 Int

Defensive Standouts
Jackson,J(Phi)   2 Int 9 Tk – IFL Defensive Player of the Week
White,T(Jax)     2 Int 6 Tk

Special Teams
Crosby(SF) 3 for 3 FG 12 Pts – IFL Special Teams Player of the Week

WEEK 14 IFL STANDINGS

WEEK 14 IFL LEAGUE LEADERS

WEEK 13 RECAP

The Saints Brandon McManus fourth field goal proves to be the game winner in the final seconds versus Philadelphia.

Game Scores
Philadelphia 31 New Orleans 32              70
The Eagles go into New Orleans hoping to stretch their lead in the NFC East while the Saints hoped to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Eagles would take an early lead and extend it to as much as 24-9 early in the 3rd quarter only to see the Saints fight back. With 2 minutes left in the game, clinging to a 31-29 lead, the Eagles would run a stretch play to RB Adrian Peterson on 3rd and 2 hoping to ice the game. The Saints played pass defense but were still able to drop Peterson for a loss. The Saints would take the punt and drive down the field and kick the game-winning FG with 1 second left in the game.

The Eagles, still up by 2 games in the division, will finish out the season out of the conference. The AFC division-leading Bengals are up first. The Saints, meanwhile, will take on the Chicago Bears in a fight for a playoff spot.

Oakland 24 Detroit 3                        70
Kyle Allen continues to do an admiral job filling in for Stafford with two touchdown passes.

Chicago 30 Houston 34                       70
Houston scores with 12 seconds on the clock to beat Chicago 34-30.

Tennessee 26 Indianapolis 3                 69
Three turnovers deep in their own zone killed the Colts chances as the Titans scored on TD drives of 17 and 9 yards and a pick 6. Remove those from the game and the final score would have been 6-3 Tennessee.

Cincinnati 30 Miami 14                      68 Calm
The Bengals come to Miami with the Dolphins hoping to play a spoiler role down the last stretch of the season having all but given up on the post season.

Both Teams exchange a pair of punts in the 1st quarter, but with 25 seconds left in the 1st the Bengals get the only turnover of the game on a interception and return it 27 yards to the Miami 34. The drive stalls and the Bengals have to settle for the FG and go up 3-0 early in the 2nd quarter. The Dolphins waste little time and get the quick strike on a 45 yard TD strike only using 1:56 and take the lead 7-3 with 12:08 left in the half. On the ensuing KO Cincy's return man breaks it for 54 yards to start the Bengals at the Miami 49 yard line. Miami makes Rodgers work for it, but 10 plays later he gets the 6 yard TD pass to put the Bengals up 10-7 with 6:22 left in the half. Again the Dolphins answer going 80 yards on 10 plays and get the TD to go back on top 14-7 with only 1:01 left in the half. The Bengals down the KO and start from their 25 and on 2nd down Rodgers throws underneath to the RB and he gains 47 yards to the Dolphin 28. After a quick time out and a incomplete pass, Rodgers finds his RB again for a 21 yard gain to the Dolphin 7 yard line with only 24 seconds until half time as Cincinnati uses their last timeout. Rodgers then finds his wide out on a crossing pattern and gets the TD with only 18 seconds left in the half to take the lead 17-14. A deflated Dolphin team takes a knee at their own 24 to end the half with the Bengals leading 17-14.

The Dolphins downturn carried over in the second half as they were unable to muster any scoring while the Bengals add an additional 13 points to make the final 30-14 Cincinnati over Miami.

Next week the Bengals go home to play the Eagles and the Dolphins hit the road to the mile high city to play the Broncos

Baltimore 0 New England 30                  45 5-15
Ravens travel to Foxboro looking to keep pace with the Bengals in the tough AFC Central. And while they hung tough for a little while, Lamar Jackson (305 yards passing, 62 yards rushing and 2 passing TDs) was too hot to handle as the Patriots cruised to a 30-0 victory.

Austin Ekeler caught 9 balls for 92 yards to lead Patriot receivers, while Courtland Sutton's 61 yard TD reception (immediately after a Mayfield interception as the Ravens were looking to cut the Pats lead to 6 points heading to the halftime break) extended the Patriot lead to 20-0 and seemed to take the wind out of the Raven's sails.

Mayfield was 10 for 21 passing for only 68 yards and an interception. Lev Bell did rush for 70 yards on only 14 carries in the losing effort.

Interestingly, the Ravens did not commit a penalty all day, while New England was flagged 7 times. That was among the few positives for the visitors on this day however.

Ravens finish the season with 3 home games, starting with Dallas in Week 14. New England travels to Los Angeles to face Nick Chubb, Julio Jones and the LA Chargers in what looks to be a tough test for the New England D.

Dallas 0 Los Angeles (N) 31                 64 Calm
The Rams hosted the Cowboys on Wednesday night in a game that likely won't impact the IFL playoff hunt as both teams are trying to rebuild. The main draw in this game was to see two rookie QBs match up for the first time in their IFL careers, Daniel Jones for the Rams and Gardner Minshew for Dallas. There's always extra intrigue when QBs from the same draft meet, it's almost a requirement to have the inevitable did they make the right decision discussion. Well after today, questions still linger for the Cowboys, while the Rams fans likely came away with a glass half-full outlook. Neither QB set the world on fire to start, both teams had trouble converting 3rd downs. Turnovers were the undoing of Cowboys, 2 Ints and a fumble would lead to points for the Rams. Had Daniel Jones not gotten that boost from the defense the game could have been a different story. Jones finished 28-40 for 253 yards 3 touchdowns and 1 Int. Minshew was 22-46 for 200 yards 2 Ints. Minshew and the Cowboys really struggled on third down converting 4-15. That rate made the turnovers they committed impossible to overcome. Despite the score the Cowboy defense played tough allowing few big plays, sacking Jones three times and forcing a pick. But they also were on the field a lot and could not fend off Los Angeles forever.

Things look to get tougher for Dallas next week as they head to playoff bound Baltimore, while the Rams will also face a future playoff team in Tampa Bay.

Arizona 34 San Francisco 19                 55 0-10
Arizona's Pat Mahomes threw 4 TDs to Christian Kirk to beat the 49ers 34-19. Kirk was targeted 16 times and caught 15 of them for 198 yards.
Mahomes ended up 30-41 for 391 yards despite having his receiving corps working under usage penalties.

The 49ers had moments as well and kept the game close until the 4th quarter. Singletary ran for 85 yards on 13 tries and the team ran for over 200 yards with a 7.0 average and racked up 24 first downs. The Card had 26 first downs.

In the end. the 49ers couldn't make the big play while the Cardinals (read Mahomes) did.

Jacksonville 22 Buffalo 7                   35 15-25
Jags take a 17-0 lead into the locker room at the half and cruise to the win.

Kansas City 30 Green Bay 10                 29 5-15
Drew Lock throws two touchdown passes and runs for another as Chiefs pick up their second win of the season.

Tampa Bay 27 Denver 15                      50 0-5
Tampa Bay comes to Mile High and takes down the Broncos in convincing manner, 27-15.

Minnesota 14 Los Angeles (A) 31             77 Calm
After a scoreless 1st period, LA finally gets untracked, churning out 462 yards of offense in route to a 31-14 win over the visiting Vikings....

Nick Chubb again paced the Charger offense, rushing for 176 yards on 24 carries and adding 45 yards through the air on 3 receptions, tallying a touchdown both ways.... Fitzpatrick had another good game through the air hitting on 20 of 30 passes for 241 yards, his favorite target being Amari Cooper for 7 receptions and 107 yards....

For the Vikings, Brees hit on 18 of 24 for 167 yards and Ezekiel Elliott rushed for an even 100 yards.... while both teams could move the ball, the Chargers
were able to strike quickly with 11 plays of over 10 yards, while the defense forced the Vikings to grind it out, allowing one play of over 10 yards....

Minnesota heads home to host the Falcons, while the Chargers stay at home and prepare for the arrival of the undefeated Patriots.

Washington 16 Carolina 34                   64 0-10
Redskins found themselves playing a division leader for the second week in a row. The result wound up much similar to the previous week. The Carolina juggernaut offense lead by Russel Wilson was just too much for the skins to handle. On the other side of the ball the Redskins had to settle for too many FGs.

Henry finished the day with 22 carries for 135 yards and 2 TD while Wilson pitched in 174 yards and 2 TDs through the air .

The game was another blood bath with 7 players leaving the game with injuries.

Washington will lick its wounds as they host 3-9 Tennessee next week and Carolina will travel to 4-8 Green Bay.

New York (N) 23 Atlanta 19                  68
Giants score final 16 points for the come-from-behind win.


Pittsburgh 7 New York (A) 35                44 0-10
Jets score 28 first half points and cruise to the win.

Rushing Leaders
Chubb,N(LAC)    24-176 1 TD
Henry,D(Car)    22-135 2 TD
Mostert(Atl)    15-122
Hyde,C(Oak)     25-119
Cook,D(Chi)     19-118 1 TD
Peterson,A(Phi) 20-112
Mixon(Hou)      22-109
Collins(GB)     21-103
Elliott,E(Min) 21-100

Receiving Leaders
Thomas,M(NYJ)   12-200 2 TD
Kirk(Ari)       15-198 3 TD
Godwin(Hou)      9-156 1 TD

Passing Leaders
Mahomes(Ari)    41-30-391   4 TD 1 Int
Cousins(Hou)    40-30-354   5 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Flacco(NO)      50-33-352   2 TD 3 Int
Watson,D(NYJ)   29-22-341   3 TD
Jackson,L(NE)   30-22-305   2 TD

Defensive Standouts
Edmunds,T(Dal)   1 Int 16 Tk
Jackson,J(Phi)   2 Int 12 Tk
Hunter(Oak) 5 Tk 1 Sk 1 Stf 4 Hur – IFL Defensive Player of the Week

Special Teams
Folk(Atl)      4-4 FG
McManus(NO)    4-5 FG – IFL Special Teams Player of the Week

WEEK 13 IFL STANDINGS

WEEK 13 IFL LEAGUE LEADERS

WEEK 12 RECAP

The Bears Jimmy Garoppolo throws 5 TD passes and earns IFL Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Game Scores
Tampa Bay 7 Chicago 35                      29 Calm
Tampa Bay (-5) at Chicago in week 12.  The Bucs with a comfortable division lead, while the Bears are fighting for a wildcard spot.
The Bears open the game with an 80 yard drive, Garoppolo 12 yards to Crowder for a 7-0 lead.  On the second play of the Buccaneers possession, Cox sacks Carr, forces a fumble and Wagner recovers for the Bears.  One play later Garoppolo finds Crowder again from 24 out, 14-0 Bears.
Early in the second, Tampa Bay scores, Carr to Adams.  TB 7  Chi 14.  The Bears answer with a TD drive to go ahead 21-7.  After a Tampa punt, Chicago drives and scores again.  The half ends Tampa Bay 7  Chicago 28.
The offenses bog down in the second half.  Chicago manages to score one more time.

Tamps Bay 7  Chicago 35

Tampa Bay:  Carr 17/30, 245, 1 TD
Chicago:  defense 7 sacks; Garoppolo 23/36, 273, 5 TD; Crowder 8/108, 2 TD

Los Angeles (N) 13 Miami 23                 70 0-5
The Rams come to Miami with both teams looking for a identity and to salvage their season. It didn't really happen for either Team.

Miami opened the scoring after a Ram deferral KO to the 2nd half driving only 24 yards but hitting the 54 yard FG to go up 3-0 early in the 1st. The Rams answer with a 18 play drive that stalls at the Miami 11 yard line but get the FG to tie it up at 3. Miami goes on a 9 play drive that covers 54 yards and kick the go ahead FG to go up 6-3 with 12:30 to go in the half. After an exchange of interceptions, a punt and a fumble recovery by the Rams. The Dolphins get the ball back with 2:02 in the half at their own 45. They make short work going 55 yards and getting the TD with .58 seconds left in the half to go up 13-3. That's the way the 1st half would end with the Rams getting the ball to start the 2nd half.

The opening drive of the 2nd half sees the Rams go 3 and out. The Dolphins make quick work of it and travel 59 yards in 3 plays and get the TD to go up 20-3 in the 3rd quarter with 11:42 to go in the 3rd. The Rams then travel 39 yards, but stall and settle for the FG to make it a 2 score game with 6:47 left in the 3rd 20-6 Dolphins. After a 3 and out by the Dolphins, the Rams travel 64 yards and get the TD to cut the lead to 20-13 Dolphins with 30 seconds left in the 3rd. Miami then goes on a 11 play drive consuming 6 minutes and 58 seconds and get the FG to make the score 23-13 with 8:27 left in the game. After a exchange of punts the Rams get one last shot but fall short and the Game ends 23-13 Dolphins. Both Teams exit the game with identical records of 5-7 and looking forward to next year. Next week the Rams are at home against Dallas and the Dolphins host the powerful Bengals hoping to upset some apple carts down the stretch.

New England 31 Buffalo 3                    26 5-15
After holding the Pats to three first quarter points, New England scores 21 unanswered points in the second quarter.

Detroit 27 Minnesota 10                     68
Sam Darnold throws three touchdown passes as the Lions claw closer to a wildcard berth.

Jacksonville 14 Cincinnati 27               24 20-30
Division rival Jacksonville came into Cincinnati about as banged up as the Bengals. Turnovers on their first two drives resulted in the Jags missing opportunities with a strong wind to their back. The Bengals were able to take advantage of the second turnover as Rodgers found third string tight end Jeff Heuerman from two yards out. A 12 yard run by Ronald Jones on third and seven was a key play on the drive. The Jags tied it up early in the second quarter as a nine yard pass from Josh Allen to D.K. Metcalf capped off a nine play 78 yard drive. The Bengals would take a 13-7 lead into the half as Fairbairn sandwiched two field goals between a Jacksonville punt.

The Bengals started to take control early in the third quarter as a three yard touchdown pass to Eifert finished a 12 play 85 yard drive for a 20-7 lead. Cincinnati extended their lead to 27-7 later in the quarter with another three yard toss from Rodgers to Eifert.

The Jags would finish off the scoring as Allen jogged in from three yards out just before the two minute warning.

Jacksonville was served a dish of home cooking (probably Cincinnati chilli) with 11 penalties for 80 yards while the Bengals were flagged just three times 24 yards.

Allen finished 27 of 42 for 304 yards and a TD with one interception. He rushed for only nine yards though.

Rodgers went 22 of 32 for 172 yards with three TD passes. RoJo rushed for 95 yards on 19 carries with Melvin Gordon out.

Next week the Jags are at Buffalo while the Bengals travel to Miami.

Houston 13 Kansas City 17                   33 10-20
David Montgomery plunges in from two yards out as the Chiefs pick up their first win of the season.

Washington 16 Philadelphia 27               54 5-15 Heavy Rain
In a game of the top 2 teams in the NFC East, Washington "Don't call them" Redskins visited the Philadelphia Eagles. This would be a game that would either put some distance between the teams in the East or make things tighter.

Weather conditions were not conducive for high scoring and the temperature was in the mid 50's with heavy rain. This had all the earmarkings of who would have the best ground game and could execute when it needed to in the passing game.

The Eagles took the opening kickoff and drew first blood as they drove down the field but stalled on the Skins 36. Eagle K Harrison Butker, despite the rainy conditions, nailed a 54 yarder to put the Eagles up 3-0. The Skins would go 3 and out on their first possession which meant the Eagle QB Ryan Tannehill and company would go back to work. This would be another sustained drive aided by a couple of Redskin penalities. Tannehill would hit WR John Brown on a slant pattern to put the Eagles up 10-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The 2nd quarter would see the Redskins get back into the game as Skins QB Dak Prescott connected on a couple of long passes to WR DeVante Parker, the last of which was a 26 yarder to close the gap to 10-7. Not to be denied this day, the Eagles would take the ensuing kickoff and march right back down the field mostly behind the running of Adrian Peterson and Rex Burkhead. However, this day would belong to Tannehill and Brown as Brown would catch his 2nd TD of the day to put the Eagles up 17-7. The Redskins would close the gap at halftime with a nice drive of their own. At halftime, 17-10 Eagles.

The Redskins would go 3 and out to begin the 2nd half which would give the Eagles the opportunity to widen their lead. The Eagle faithful, socially distanced, of course, would not be disappointed and Tannehill and Brown would team up for their 3rd TD of the day to give the Eagles a 24-10 lead.

At this point, both defenses took over. The Eagles would thwart 2 Redskin drives with interceptions while the Redskins would hold the Eagles to just a FG for the remainder of the game. The Skins did close the gap midway through the 4th quarter to 27-16 but it would take them 8 minutes to do so. The Skins did get close enough to attempt a FG with:42 left but the kick was wide left and the Eagles would run out the clock.

With this victory, the Eagles put themselves in a great position to take the division at 9-3 with a 7-1 division record. The biggest loss this day was that TE Evan Engram was injured for the remainder of the season and playoffs. The Skins are still in the WC hunt at 7-5 and look to rebound next week against the NFC West division-leading Carolina Panthers.

Atlanta 20 Carolina 30                      66 Calm
Atlanta faces off with Carolina hoping to close the gap to first place in the division.

The score is knotted at 7 in the first quarter and it then goes pear shaped for the Falcons. Henry burst around the outside for a 57 yards td run to put the Panthers back on top. Carolina then added a field goal and what looked like the nail in the coffin as Pierre-Paul scooped up the fumble and returned it 37 yards for the touchdown. Carolina would add one more field goal before half to take a commanding 27-7 lead into the half.

Atlanta, however, refused to yield. The Falcons scored 13 unanswered points to claw back to within 7. The panthers are able to hold on a 4th down attempt late in the game and add a field goal to secure the victory.

Despite winning, if were not for some big turnovers, the Panthers would have been in trouble. The Falcons almost doubled the Panthers in time of possession and had over 130 more yards.

The Falcons had two receivers (Fitzgerald and Washington) with over 100 yards receiving. They also almost had a 100 yard rusher in Mostert (93). Henry rushed for 102 yards for the Panthers.

New York (A) 38 Indianapolis 0              69
The New York Jets flew to Indianapolis to face the beleaguered Colts, and they were hoping not to have a let down after last weeks big win over Cincinnati.

New York was ready to play, and on their second possession they went 65 yards in 8 plays resulting in a Watson to Thomas 15 yard TD pass...Jets 7-0.

The Colts turned it over two plays later, and five plays later White ran it in from 6 yards out to make it 14-0 Jets. New York would score twice more before halftime to make it 28-0 at the half.

At the half the Jets had 280 yards of total offense, and the Colts had 1, yes one yard. The Colts didn’t complete a pass in the first half.

In the second half both teams took the air out of the ball on offense, not literally like deflate gate, just figuratively.

The Jets ended up worth 485 yards of offense to the Colts 45 yards. The Colts couldn’t catch a break, or a pass.

Next week the Jets host the Steelers, and the Colts are home again hosting.

Baltimore 24 Pittsburgh 9                   32 0-10
Bitter division rivals square off in Pittsburgh today as the Ravens bring their 8-3 record into Heinz field against the struggling Steelers (3-8) team who have lost 3 in a row. Baltimore is installed as a 6 point favored on the road. The defenses get after it in the first quarter as the game saw 4 puts to begin with with neither team able to get more than 1 first down a possession. But on the last drive of the 1st quarter Baltimore was able to get something going after Mayfield connected with Sims on a short out and he turns it into a 39 yard gain . The Ravens start the second quarter setup with a 1st and goal form the 7. On the first play coverage was good so Mayfield took it in himself for the first score of the game 7-0 Ravens. Brady is intercepted on the Steelers next play from scrimmage as Baltimore won a challenge that the int had been secured 6 plays later Bell runs it in from 5 yards out. Suddenly its 14-0 with 11 minutes left in the 2nd. Pittsburgh offense continues to struggle but manages to put a drive together at the end of the quarter they overcome a holding penalty but could not covert from a 2nd and 3 from the Ravens 33 they have 2 incomplete passes and bring on Pinerio for a 51 yard try and he gets it .Still with a minute left in the half Mayfield guide's them down the field into FG range and Badgley connect from 41 yard out .17-3 is the halftime score.

So we start the 3rd with Baltimore in good shape but this is were Mayfield decides to try to change the fortunes for the Ravens . After a Steelers typical drive a 3 and out Mayfield is picked off by Safety Harris who puts Pittsburgh at mid field as the Ravens had gotten a good punt return. 3 plays later the Steelers punt again. Wanting to get this right Mayfield on the Ravens 2nd play of the half is picked again this time the Steelers defense gives the offense the ball in the red zone at the 12. Leave it to the Steelers inept offense to blow this opportunity to get back into the game as Brady is strip sacked on the first play from scrimmage and the Ravens defense bails out Mayfield . After a couple of punts Mayfield still in the 3rd quarter is picked off for the 3rd time this time by Cockrell the Steelers defense for the 2nd time in the 3rd give the offense the ball in the red zone this time at the 14. All Pittsburgh could do was not turn it over and settle for a 29 yard Pinerio FG And after all that the score is 17-6 heading into the 4th.

To start the 4th the Ravens continue to try to give the game away. The Steelers go 3 and out and punt however Barner trying to fight for yards on the punt return has the ball jarred loose and Pittsburgh pounces on the fumble. That is the Ravens 4th turnover with 13:54 to play in the second half. This time the Steelers Special teams set the offense up on the 30. However once again on the 1st play Brady is called for intentional grounding now facing a 2nd and 20 from the 40 Brady gets a screen to Gore who gains 17. The drive stalls though and they are forced to try another FG. Pinerio hits from 41 and its a 1 score game 17-9 but no one in the stadium had any faith the steelers offense would score a TD against the Ravens defense today. Mayfield gets a little drive going and this time hits a big play to their big play receiver as Fuller breaks free for a 29 yard TD catch to open it back up to 24-9. Brady did manage to take the team down the field before he was picked off by Lucas with 5 minutes to go on the Ravens 36 and that was your ball game.

Mayfield has a QB rating of 58 throwing 1TD and 3 picks but fortunately for Baltimore Brady had a worse rating of 44 with 0TD and 2 picks. The Steelers ran the ball 13 times for 15 yards. Ya coach Alberry said after the game we couldn't run or pass but other than that the execution was flawless (tongue in cheek ). Sims Jr had 101 yards in kickoff return runs and Littleton from the Steelers Defense (which played a great game but nothing to show for it) had 10 tackles.

Pittsburgh 3-9 gets more good news as they travel to the 10-2 Jets next week and Baltimore 9-3 gets to try their luck against undefeated New England Patriots on the road.

Denver 7 Los Angeles (A) 38                 85 Calm
LAC jumps out to 28-0 lead, leads 35-7 at the half and then cruises home to a 38-7 division win....

Nick Chubb paced the offense with his 9th 100-yard game of the year, racking up an even 100 yards on only 14 carries while
scoring 3 times, all while only playing the first half. Ryan Fitzpatrick was extremely efficient in a toned-down passing game,
passing for 164 yards on a 13-for-15 performance. Julio Jones led the receiving corps with 5 catches for 92 yards and a td.

The defense benefitted from 2 interceptions(86, 12) and a fumble recovery, plus Denver had 10+ players on IR for the game.

Denver returns home next week to host division leader Tampa Bay, while the Chargers remain at home to host the
visiting Vikings.

New York (N) 23 Tennessee 20                50 10-20
DKS favored the Giants by 4 and it was pretty accurate as New York prevailed 23-20. Somehow 911 yards of total offense between the two teams only put up 43 points. The fact that there were 171 yards in penalties might have had something to do with it. Twenty-five yards in penalties effectively killed the Titans chances of a game winning drive in the last 2 and 1/2 minutes. The Giants play Atlanta next week while Tennessee travels to Indianapolis.

New Orleans 31 San Francisco 26             45 10-20
In one of the better games this season for the 49ers, the lead changed
hand 7 times.

Devlin Hodges started for the Saints at QB and completed 7 passes for
more than 20 yards and 4 TD passes against what seemed to be a socially
distant SF secondary. He finished 16-26 for 272 yards. WR Beasley was
targeted 5 times and caught every one for 122 yards, avg of more than 24
yards a catch. The Saints running game featured 7 runs of more than 10
yards making this an explosive offense throughout the game. Jamal
Williams led a group of rushers with 50 yards on 11 runs.

The 49ers were led by Mitch Trubiskey who completed 22 of 30 for 256 yds
and 2 TDs. When he was injured in the 4th quarter, Barkley came in and
rallied the Niners, completing 4 of 5 with 1 TD pass. Diggs was the
favorite target with 7 catches for 147 yards and a TD. In the end, the
final drive by the 49ers died when Jordan Howard failed on a 4 and 1
rush. He had done the same thing earlier in the game. failing twice on
short FG attempts.

Dallas 14 Arizona 21                        67 Calm
After three consecutive losses, Zona had lost their way. Fortunately, they would be facing off against the Cowboys who also have lost their way. Both teams have be bitten by the injury bug. Seems as when one player return to the field, two move leave banged up. The Dallas Zona match would see their players come and go.

One of Arizona's problems this season has been lack of depth. The team begins the game strong only to whither on the vine as the game progresses. Dallas seemed to be having the same issues. The Cowboys put up a good fight, but they simply do not have someone named Mahomes to throw the ball. Mahomes has the ability to turn a pedestrian into a Pro Wide Receiver.

To be honest, there were few plays to make the highlight films. Arizona would begin the game to with a solid drive only to stall and then miss a chip shot field goal.
Late in the 1st quarter Dallas would score first blood on a long and steady drive. Zona would answer two series later on the arm of Mahomes as he completed back to back long passes to Mike Williams for 50+ yards before tossing for an easy six. Nevertheless, Dallas responded immediately with Minshew imitating Mahomes moving his team down the field quickly. Dallas 14, Zona 7.

Just before the end of the half, Mahomes engineered another scoring drive to tie the game before the half. Then wasting no time in the 3rd quarter Mahomes would find Williams again on a 33 yard touch down. Then both teams went into the sleep mode and the offenses were depleted of starters. Barkley was a huge loss for the Cardinals. On a couple of plays Mullens ran onto the field just to give Duke Johnson a breather. Zona would hold on to win 21-14.

Green Bay 20 Oakland 26                     54 5-15
Backup quarterback Kyle Allen tosses three touchdown passes as Raiders avoid the upset.

Rushing Leaders
Elliott,E(Min) 18-138
Mack,M(NYJ)     17-106 2 TD
Henry,D(Car)    17-102 1 TD
Chubb,N(LAC)    14-100 3 TD

Receiving Leaders
Beckham Jr(Ten) 6-184
Moore,D(Oak)    10-167 3 TD
Landry(KC)      11-160 1 TD
Parker,D(Was)   10-158 1 TD
Thomas,M(NYJ)   11-156 1 TD
Fitzgerald(Atl) 10-110 1 TD
Robinson,A(Det) 4- 93 3 TD
Brown,J(Phi)     4- 37 3 TD

Passing Leaders
Ryan,M(Ten)     45-29-383   1 TD 1 Int
McCarron(GB)    48-22-345   3 TD 4 Int
Rivers(Atl)     53-32-331   2 TD 1 Int
Allen,J(Jax)    42-27-304   1 TD 1 Int
Watson,D(NYJ)   30-22-304   1 TD 1 Int
Garoppolo(Chi) 36-23-273   5 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Hodges(NO)      26-16-272   4 TD

Defensive Standouts
Holcomb(Mia)     1 Sk 16 Tk
Davis,D(TB)      16 Tk
Haden(Oak)       2 Int 5 Tk – IFL Defensive Player of the Week

Special Teams
Lambo(Car) 3FG 12 Pts – IFL Special Teams Player of the Week

WEEK 12 IFL STANDINGS

WEEK 12 IFL LEAGUE LEADERS

WEEK 11 RECAP

Jets DeShaun Watson throws for two touchdowns and rushes for two more as New York has no trouble with the Bengals.

Game Scores
New York (A) 35 Cincinnati 10               34 0-10
In a game that was supposed to be a test for both teams, the Bengals failed miserably. New York took the opening kickoff and marched 85 yards on nine plays with DeShaun Watson scoring on a 16 yard run. The Jets defense forced a three and out but the Bengals had a big break as the Jets Braxton Berrios fumbled the punt from Kevin Huber. However, Cincinnati could not take advantage and were forced to punt again. Even pinned at their own three could not stop the New York offense as they capped off a 10 play-97 yard drive with a 16 yard pass from Watson to Robert Woods for a 14-0 lead with about two and a half minutes remaining in the opening quarter. At the end of the first quarter Aaron Rodgers was 0 for 6 and running for his life.

The Jets made it three possessions and three touchdowns as Watson finished off a 8 play 72 yard drive with a nine yard touchdown run. After a Bungal punt and a New York missed field goal, Cincinnati was able to get a little something going as Diontae Johnson capped off a seven play-61 yard drive with a 11 yard end-around for the score (pride). The Bengals thought if we can make it to half only 14 down perhaps we could regroup. But alas, the Jets drove 75 yards in a little over two minutes to take a 28-7 lead into the half. (New England must be pretty good).

The Jets added a third quarter touchdown and after three straight failed runs from the two, the Bengals thought 35-10 sounded closer than 35-7 and kicked the field goal.

Watson went 22 of 29 for 259 yards and two passing touchdowns. He also rushed for 80 yards and two more touchdowns. Michael Thomas caught ten passes for 122 yards and a score. James White, filling in for the injured Marlon Mack, rushed for 75 yards and a score.

Ronald Jones is the only Bengal worth highlighting. He rushed for 90 yards on 15 attempts.

Next week the Jets travel to Indy while the Bengals try to bounce back hosting the Jags.

Los Angeles (A) 18 Tampa Bay 34             86 10-20
The 6 – 4 Los Angeles Chargers came to the land of real lightning to take on the 8 – 2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a match up of teams with playoff aspirations. LA is riding a four-game winning streak while Tampa has won three in a row of their own.
Things go bad for the Chargers on the opening kickoff when Troymaine Pope puts the ball on the ground and Kyle Van Noy pounces on it at the LA 18. Three plays later Derek Carr checks down to Todd Gurley for a 9 yard TD pass and a quick 7- 0 Tampa lead.
The Chargers come back with a long drive using a nice mix of 6 runs and 8 passes, but it stalls at the Tampa 13. Chase McLaughlin boots it through for a 7 – 3 score.
The teams go on a yardage chewing tear using the next 3 possessions to add 21 points to the score. When the dust settles, it’s 21 – 10 Buccaneers.
Then when you least expect it, a bit of defense showed up.  The Bucs force a Charger punt. LA forces a turnover at mid-field. Then Tampa’s defense digs in. The last score of the first half is a 2 minute drive by Tampa that results in a Chris Boswell field goal to end the half at 24 – 10 Tampa Bay.
The Chargers come out fighting and force a second Tampa turnover when Daniel Sorensen punches the ball out of the grip of Hunter Henry. LA ball at their own 18 ready to get back into the game. 2 plays later it’s 3rd and 2 when Coach Banko makes a perfect play action call versus the run sniffing defense of Tampa. Julio Jones is open deep down the sideline…… Ryan “The Beard” Fitzpatrick underthrows him!  Game changing opportunity missed!
Tampa is able to put the next 10 points in the books to get out to a 24 point lead at 34 – 10 with 12:30 left to play. Without being able to lean on the strong run game, LA chips away down the field adding 8 points on a Beard to Jones 5 yard scoring pass and a 2 point conversion, but most of the game is gone. The final is 34 – 18 Tampa.
Julio Jones was targeted 14 times and caught 8 for 102 yards. Nick Chubb was solid but couldn’t really get it going notching 86 yards on 23 carries. Fitz finished with a QB rating of 65.9.
Carr threw for 325 yards, 2TDs and a 111 rating. Davante Adams grabbed 8 of 12 thrown his way for 103. Jared Cook, Tyler Lockett and Hunter Henry hauled in 6 catches each.

Next week the Chargers are at home versus the Broncos while the Buccaneers travel to play the Bears.

Buffalo 10 Baltimore 19                     52 0-5
Buffalo came to Baltimore as 9-point underdogs and left 9 points short, 19-10. The Ravens controlled the game throughout, but never felt completely comfortable. With Kyler Murray directing the Bills offense a quick score was always one play away.

Baltimore marched down the field on the opening possession, using a mix of runs and passes out of a 2-TE, 2-RB set. The Bills D tightened when the Ravens had 1st and goal from the 4. Le'Veon Bell rushed for 3, then asked to come out to catch his breath. Baker Mayfield looked to TE Mark Andrews, but Darnell Savage tipped the pass away. RB Ryquell Armstead tried to punch it in, but was stonewalled by Leighton Vander Esch. Faced with 4th-and-goal from the 1 and Bell still taking oxygen on the sidelines, Armstead took the ball from Mayfield and followed All-Pro tackle Tyron Smith to paydirt. Baltimore, 7-0.

Buffalo responded by reaching the Ravens 15 in just six plays. The key play was Devonte Freeman's 34-yard carry on a pitch in which three Ravens missed tackles. On 1st down from the 15 however, Raven LB Matt Judon wrangled Murray to the ground for a 7-yard sack. After an incomplete pass and a 5-yard Murray run, Buffalo would set up for a 35-yard FG, but Brett Maher shanked the kick.

The Ravens would move past midfield quickly, but in trying to get a little fancy, WR Will Fuller was taken down by Vic Beasley Jr for a 9-yard loss on a reverse. The loss was compounded by a motion penalty on the next play, setting the Ravens back another 5 yards. Facing a 2nd-and-24, Mayfield would give Fuller a chance at redemption and hit the wideout on a short hitch that Fuller turned into a 31-yard gain. An 8-yard hitch to Steven Sims Jr put the Ravens at the Bills 15, but again the Buffalo D stiffened. Baltimore had to settle for a 33-yard FG from Michael Badgley. Baltimore 10-0.

On the first play after the ensuing kick-off, Buffalo would show how quickly they could move down field when Murray hit Darius Slayton on a short slant and Slayton avoided Ravens like they all had COVID-19. Ravens S Earl Thomas made a TD-saving tackle at the 8 after a 76-yard gain. This series though, it was the Ravens D that tightened, holding Buffalo to a FG from 25-yards out. Baltimore 10-3.

Baltimore continued the scoring, with a 34-yard FG from Badgley with 4:20 left in the half. Baltimore, 13-3.

On 3rd-and-10 from the Bills 15, Raven CB Desmond Trufant picked-off Murray and returned it to the 1. Unfortunately for the home crowd, the Bills D came together again, stopping RB Jaylen Samuels for no gain on 1st down, pushing him back for a 1-yard loss on 2nd down, then whipping down Mayfield for a 5-yard loss on an attempted bootleg. Badgley would salvage the turnover by kicking a 25-yard FG. Baltimore, 16-3 at the half.

Both teams came out of the locker room in a haze and traded punts for five possessions. Bills punter Matt Haack pinned Baltimore at their own 9 and a motion penalty on TE Mark Andrews pushed the Ravens back to the 4. Bell gained back 4 of those yards, but on the next play Bills DT Tyler Lancaster stripped Mayfield of the ball and DE Benson Mayowa recovered at the Ravens 3. Freeman was stopped short of the goal line and Shaquil Barrett sacked Murray for a 4 yard loss, but Murray connected with Slayton from the 10 for a score. Baltimore, 16-10.

A 48-yard return by Kenjon Barner gave the Ravens great field possession as the fourth quarter started, but 7 plays and 4 minutes later the drive stalled and the Ravens settled for another FG by Badgley. This one from 39-yards out. Baltimore, 19-10.

As things turned out, that would be the last of the scoring as the clock became the Bills worst enemy.

Raven RB Le'Veon Bell was named the game's MVP with his first 100-yard game of the year, posting 102 yards on 24 carries. Bell added 3 receptions for 30 yards. Baker Mayfield posted a pedestrian 12-for-22 for 169 yards with neither a TD, nor INT.

Bills QB Kyler Murray struggled to a 12-for-26 game, besting Mayfield by 15 yards (184) and 1 TD, but threw an INT and was sacked 3 times for 13 yards. WR Darious Slayton posted 101 yards on 3 receptions, including a TD.

Next week:
Buffalo (3-8) hosts New England (10-0), where the Ravens hope the Bills can soften up the powerhouse Patriots before their Week 13 match-up.
Baltimore (8-3) travels to division rival Pittsburgh (3-7).
Attachments area

Carolina 19 Dallas 17                       70
After Gardner Minshew started completing just four of his 16 passes, the Dallas Cowboys found themselve quickly down 16-3 after three quarters. Minshew figured things out, completing 9 of his final 13 pass attemplts to pull Dalls to 19-17 with little time on the clock. However the onside kick failed and Carolina ran out the clock.

Russell Wilson was his usual sensational self, going 21/25 for 215 yards, taking full advantage of Dallas having four defensive backs injured. Moreover, he ran the ball five times for 52 yards to break the hearts of the Cowboy faithful.

Tremaine Edmonds, Dallas ILB, made 14 tackles in the contest and is currently soaking in ice after many collissions with Derrick Hardy.

Tennessee 27 Miami 24                       69 0-5
Tennessee visits Miami in a very close game, turnovers likely determine the outcome as Miami falls to visiting Tennessee 27-24 on a turnover ratio of 3-0. Despite no penalties the Dolphins can't overcome the turnovers at their own 10, their own 25, and at the Tennessee 22 with only .33 seconds remaining.

Next week the Dolphins are at home against the Rams and the Titans are at home against the Giants.

Minnesota 20 Kansas City 17                 30 5-15
Viking kicker Greg Zuerlein connects on the 31 yard field goal with six minutes remaining in overtime as Minnesota avoids the upset.

New England 34 Pittsburgh 0                 50 0-10
The undefeated Patriots (10-0) make their way to Heinz Field on a Thursday night football tilt. The locals figured the only way their Steelers (3-7) had a chance was for a November Blizzard to roll through tonight. Well 50 degree Temps and little wind was not exactly terrible weather. Patriots are installed as a 14 point favorite.

Pittsburgh won the toss an elected to receive. The ominous signs for the home town faithful began very early. On the 1st two plays the Steelers had 2 injuries. They lost their starting LG for the game and their best receiver who was playing on the next play (Byrd out 5 games) and on top of that their #1 Receiver Tate who had been injured the past 3 weeks was listed as probable going into the game but he was ruled out also before the game.

New England scores the 1st points a FG mid way through the first quarter but it is what happens at the end of the quarter that seals the fate of the home team. With 1:27 left the Patriots get a 5 yard TD run from McCaffrey (his 15th of the season!) Then Brady is picked off on the next possession by King who returns it 34 yards with seconds left in the 1st to make it 17-0 after1.

A Jackson to Eckler pass of 9 yards pushes the lead to 24-0 at the half.

New England takes the 3rd quarter kickoff and puts the game away as they get a 29 yard TD run by Jackson to make it 31-0. They tact on another FG for the final score of 34-0 as New England continues
their march to an undefeated season.

Jackson threw for 261 yards and a TD and ran for 56 yards and a TD to garner game MVP.

Brady on the other hand was just not good again tonight with limited weapons he was picked off 3 times and passed for just 138 yards on 27 attempts connecting on only 14.

The Steelers also suffered another injury in the game losing starting DE Sheard to a knee injury he will be out 3 weeks. As the Steelers miserable seasons moves on.

Trying to keep their spirits up coach Alberry in the locker room was talking the team up for holding the Patriots under their 35 points per game average.

The Steelers (3-8) are at home once again to take on division rival Ravens (8-3) while the Patriots (11-0) continue their road trip also to a division rival Buffalo Bills (3-8)

Green Bay 3 Houston 28                      70
Houston was dominant from start to finish. Game MVP Kirk Cousins played near flawlessly in the blowout victory

San Francisco 3 Philadelphia 24             45 Calm
The Eagles and 49ers hooked up with the division-leading Eagles looking to maintain their lead in the tough NFC East while the Niners were looking for an upset and momentum for the later part of the IFL season.

The Eagles decided to rest some crucial players with a division game against 2nd place Washington coming up next week. That meant Eagle backup QB Jameis "Int" Winston would get the start. So far this season, Winston hasn't performed well but the Eagles needed to rest regular starter, Ryan Tannehill.

The 1st quarter would see both teams move the ball on their 1st possession but both would stall and punt. On the Eagles 2nd possession, starting from their own 4-yard line would orchestrate a 96-yard drive that included a Winston to WR Julian Edleman bomb of 53 yards. It would culminate with a 10 yard TD pass to WR Mohammed Sanu. Eagles up 7-0.

The 49ers would take the ensuing kickoff and march down the field only to be thwarted by a penalty and an Eagle sack inside Eagle territory which would force a punt. After an exchange of punts, the Eagles would get the ball with 4 minutes left in the half. Winston, channeling his inner Tannehill, would drive the Eagles down the field and again hit Sanu. This time it was a 28 yarder and would put the Eagles up 14-0 at halftime.

The 2nd half would be highlighted by the Eagle defense as the 49ers could only muster a FG early in the 4th quarter. The Eagles in the meantime would put up a FG of their own and would put the game away midway through the 4th on a 7 yard Winston scramble.

Winston ended up being the MVP of the game as he went 17-23 for 285 yards, 2 TDs and, most importantly, no interceptions.

With the win, the Eagles go to 8-3 on the season and have their last division game of the season with the dangerous Washington Redskins. The Niners fall to 2-9 and play division rival, New Orleans, next week.

Arizona 24 Atlanta 28                       68
Injuries have officially taken over the Arizona season. Last week, it was the officials and this week it turn out to be the injury bug.

Zona has struggled the last three games without Christian Kirk and Saquaon Barkley. The games were close, but Arizona seemed to lose momentum as the game progressed. The Atlanta game was no different.

Barkley was held out of practices all week but was willing to try and save the season by playing against Atlanta. Unfortunately, he was forced to leave the game late in the 3rd quarter and his return next week is questionable. While in the line up, Zona was able to jump out to a 14 to 0 lead in the first quarter. The Zona D was motivated controlled the Falcons.

Atlanta would find its way in the 2nd quarter led by veteran Larry Fitzgerald as Rivers connected with him for 57 yards and the Falcons first blood of the game. Nevertheless, Zona would answer with the combination of laser like passing from Mahomes and tough yards on the ground by Barkley. Barkley would get six on a pass from Mahomes. Score 21 to 7 Zona.

With just over 6 minutes left in the half, Atlanta would pick up the pace. Mixing the run and pass the Falcons would burn 5 minutes off the clock and drive the field to score their second TD to close to within 7 points.

Mahomes does his Mahome's thing with the last possession of the half. With 1:13 on the clock Mahomes drives his team to the opponents 20 yard line to secure a last minute FG with 4 seconds on the clock. Score 24-14 Arizona.

However, Zona did not have enough bullets to finish off the Falcons. Barkley would go down and Johnson was also banged up and unavailable for heavy use. Howard would also succumb to injury. So without Howard, Johnson, Kirk and Barkley, Mahomes had to rely on seldom used weapons. It was not enough to get the job done. Atlanta wins it 28 to 24 to basically end the Zona season.

New Orleans 20 Washington 30                56 0-5
In 2019 it was a season to forget for both teams as they would both finish in the division basement. This year they would enter week 11 with a division crown within reach. Before game time the Saints would make the surprising decision to go with young rookie Devlin “Duck” Hodges over the ageless Eli Manning. Eli clearly wasn’t pleased with the decision while others wondered if this was done to quell the discontent from their fanbase over their failure to pull the trigger on a trade for Teddy Bridgewater. If that was the case the Duck would do nothing to silence the skeptics with a 13 of 21 for 120 yards with a TD and INT. He did play well enough to give the Saints at least a chance if the defense could get the ball back… But the That is when the defense crossed over that fine line between “aggressive” and “stupid”. Down 7 on a 3rd and 7 from the Washington 28 Billings would rough the passer for 15 yards, Then 3rd and 2 on the Saints 49 Shelton would jump offsides for 5, finally when they got Washington to on 3rd and 12 from the 46? Yep Facemask! One would think the saints would be done after all that… but no they wanted some more The FG attempt? Unsportsmanlike conduct 15 yards! Washington would seal the game with the FG and win 30-20.

Washington Fans were happy to see that Aaron Jones was able to resolve things with his sports bookie and get back to actually putting effort into the game. He would finish the day with 21 carries for 140 yards. Prescott was an efficient 21-31 for 298 yards with a TD and an INT.

Washington will head to Philly to play the division leading Eagles. Saints will travel to face the 49ers.

Indianapolis 14 Jacksonville 32             66 0-5
The Jags come on strong in the second half to defeat the Colts 32-14. After a close first half it was all Jags in the second who rattled off 19 straight point for the win. Bullock was a kicking machine going 6 for 6 on field goals.

The Jags climb to 7-4 while the Colts fall to 1-10.

Chicago 17 Oakland 16                       67 0-5
Chicago travels to Oakland in week 11.  The Raiders generally outplayed the Bears, but points were hard to come by.  The first half ended Oakland 10  Chicago 7.
Scoring continued to elude both teams through quarter 3, and the Raiders lost Stafford to injury early.  With 5:56 left in the game, Gallup took a short pass from Garoppolo and raced 51 yards to put the bears up 14-10.  Oakland answered with a TD (Hyde 15 yard run), but missed the extra point.  Oakland 16  Chicago 14 with 2:15 left.  A 48 yard strike to Crowder helped the Bears score a go-ahead FG with 1:03 on the clock.  The Raiders were unable to get close enough to try the winning FG with little time on the clock and no timeouts left.
Chicago 17  Oakland 16
Oakland outgained Chicago 463 to 331 in net offense.
Oakland:  Kamara 10 rushes for 94 yards, 14 rec. for 160; Kelce 9/138, 1 TD.
Chicago:  Jacobs 21/94.

Los Angeles (N) 24 New York (N) 22          56 5-15
Rams defensive tackle Poona Ford intercepts a Carson Wentz deflected pass attempt and Los Angeles drives 47 yards in six plays to set up the Ryan Succop 21 yard chip shot for the win with nine seconds remaining in regulation.

Detroit 31 Denver 10                        50 Calm
This game was never close as the Lions came into Denver and manhandles the Broncos 31-10.

Rushing Leaders
Jones,A(Was)    21-140 1 TD
Singletary(SF) 17-117
Elliott,E(Min) 29-117
Montgomery(KC) 23-116 1 TD
Bell,L(Bal)     24-102

Receiving Leaders
Parker,D(Was)    7-183
Kamara(Oak)     14-160
Thomas,M(NYJ)   10-122 1 TD
Hardman(Mia)     4-105 3 TD
Amendola(Car)   10-101

Passing Leaders
Carr,D(TB)      40-28-325   2 TD
Wentz(NYG)      36-25-316   2 TD 1 Int
Goff(Mia)       41-29-309   3 TD 2 Int
Rivers(Atl)     32-24-300   2 TD
Mahomes(Ari)    44-30-295   2 TD
Cousins(Hou)    29-23-256   4 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week

Defensive Standouts
Hicks,J(NO)      21 Tk
Wallace,L(NYG)   2 Int 3 Tk
Ford(LAR) 1 Int 2 Tk – IFL Defensive Player of the Week

Special Teams
Badgley(Bal)   4-4 FG
Lambo(Car)     4-4 FG
Bullock(Jax)   6-6 FG – IFL Special Teams Player of the Week

IFL WEEK 11 STANDINGS

IFL WEEK 11 LEAGUE LEADERS

WEEK 10 RECAP

Nick Chubb rushes for 132 yards and 3 touchdowns as the Chargers climb within a game of first place in the AFC West.

Game Scores
Oakland 17 Los Angeles (A) 24               65 Calm
LA ran their winning streak to four games as they upset the division-leading Raiders, avenging an early-season
blowout loss, to move within a game of first place. LA built a 24-7 lead midway through the third; but the game remained
in doubt till the end as the Chargers stopped the Raiders on the final play of game with Oakland threatening at LA’s
16 yard line.

The Chargers were led by Nick Chubb who ran for 132 yards, added 31 through the air and scored on runs of 4, 5 and 35 yards;
it was his 5th consecutive 100-yard rushing game. Oakland tried to counter LA’s running game by going airborne, as Travis
Kelce had 10 receptions and Alvin Kamara added 9.

Oakland heads home to host the Bears, while the Chargers pack up to go visit division leading Tampa Bay, opening up a
brutal closing schedule featuring two division leaders, a 2nd-place club and a combined 36-18 record for their
final six opponents.

Tennessee 14 Cincinnati 29                  53 15-25
The Bengals hosted division rival Tennessee on a windy Cincinnati Sunday afternoon. After a scoreless first quarter the Bengals got on the board as Aaron Rodgers connected with Paul Richardson from nine yards out. After forcing a Titan punt, the Bengals added a Fairbairn 29 yard field goal for a 10-0 lead with 5:43 remaining in the half. After forcing another Tennessee punt, Rodgers found D.J. Chark in stride for the 40 yard score and a 16-0 lead. The point after was blocked.

Cincinnati opened the second half with another field goal, increasing their lead to 19-0. The Bengals "D" forced another punt. With the wind toward their back, the coaching staff thought one more score should allow enough cushion against the potent Titan offense in the final quarter. But on the Bengals first play of the series, Rodgers found Melvin Gordon on a short curl but Gordon fumbled fighting for the extra yard and Tennessee recovered. The Titans took advantage as Matt Ryan drove them 52 yards in eight plays capped by an eight yard pass to DeAndre Hopkins for the score to cut the lead to 19-7.

After forcing the Bengals to punt, Tennessee put together an eight play-83 yard drive with Ryan finding Kyle Rudolph from six yards out to cut the Cincinnati lead to 19-14 with 14:53 remaining in the final quarter. The momentum was shifting.

Luckily for IFL Bengal fans, Cincinnati was able to answer with a 12 play-75 yard drive with Rodgers dumping it off to Gordon for the six yard score to increase the Bengals lead to 26-14. Cincinnati closed the scoring as Fairbairn connected on his third field goal for the 29-14 final.

Matt Ryan went 22 of 40 for 241 yards and two touchdowns for the Titans. Hopkins caught six passes for 100 yards and a score.

For the Bengals Aaron Rodgers finished 34 of 56 for 414 yards and three touchdowns. Chark finished with seven receptions for 134 yards and a score.

Next week the Titans travel to Miami while the Bengals have a big test versus the Jets.

Chicago 21 Detroit 31                       70
Sam Darnold leads the Lions to a hard fought win over the Bears 31-21. Sam put together a performance worthy of him qualifying to QB next week. He played well under the pressure of knowing that if he comtinued on the path he was on, he was going to be serving a two game suspension by the league office for overall suckage and failing to meet IFL league requirements. His last four games, his QB rating was 49, 31, 49 and 16, disrespectfully. But today saw his first 300+ yard game & a rating of 109. Detroits medical staff was kept busy as multiple coaches and players fainted during the game, as they witnessed Sammy complete three passes in a row a few times during this match, something we hadn't seen in weeks.

Next week Chicago goes to Oakland and Detroit visits Denver.

San Francisco 17 Los Angeles (N) 26         61 Calm
Two teams in rebuild mode faced off in what ended up being an entertaining game for the fans. The start was inauspicious as the first half was filled with punts and only one touchdown by either teams' offense. The 49ers went to into the half with the lead after a sack fumble and scoop and score from their defense and 1 minute drill field goal drive led by Niners QB Mitchell Trubisky, 10-7 niners. The Rams opened the 2nd half with the ball when finally a spark was put into the offense by rookie RB Miles Sanders. A 49 yard run on the first play led to a Rams TD drive to make it 14-10. The Niners had an answer. Trubisky hooked up with Tyler Boyd several times to move the ball into Rams territory. From 28 yards out Trubisky threw a beauty to Stefon Diggs to put the Niners back in the lead, 17-14. It took a couple possessions before the Rams again found some footing. Again a relatively conservative play turned into a big gain, Tarik Cohen on a short pass scampered 36 yards. That eventually led to Rams QB Daniel Jones 3rd TD pass of the game, Rams 20-17. Niners and Trubisky again move the ball to just outside the Rams red zone. A sack put the Niners in 3rd and long. Trubisky tried to convert to go for the win rather then set up a game tying field goal. But he was picked by Marshon Lattimore. The Rams offense now hitting on all cylinders quickly went down the field where Daniel Jones found Tarik Cohen on a check down for the final score of the game, 26-17 Rams.

Niners got a solid game from WR Stefon Diggs 84 yards 1 TD. Niners also managed 146 yards on the ground among several ball carriers.

The Rams rookie offensive players came to play. QB Daniel Jones finished with 4 TD Passes, with Rookie WR Deebo Samuel catching 3 of them. Rookie RB Miles Sanders finished with 120 yards on the ground, his highest total of the season.

Next week the both of these teams take on NFC East playoff contenders. The Niners get the Eagles while the Rams take on the Giants.

Baltimore 13 Arizona 9                      70 Calm
The Arizona organization and fans are livid.

After last years team exceeded expectations, fans were ready to hunt super bowl tickets for 2020. The last two games turned the potential super bowl appearance into no more than a Hail Mary.

In the past three weeks the Cardinals lost Barkley and Kirk which decimated their offense. Their star QB Patrick Mahomes can work miracles with very little, but he does require some depth. Arizona has no depth.

Baltimore came into Arizona in the playoff hunt. Zona needed to win to keep up with toughest division in the IFL. The head coach fired up the defense explaining they simply had to do more to help out Mahomes.

The defense responded with their best game of the season. Defensive backs stuck to wide receivers like super glue. Baker Mayfield completed only 9 passes in the game for 88 yards! The Ravens managed another 90 yards on the ground but barely broke 3 yards per carry. Perhaps more amazing, the Ravens only converted 1 first down on 13 third down attempts. Overall, the Ravens struggled to gain 165 yards of total offense.

On the other hand, the offense was on fire. Mahomes completed 29 of 39 pass attempts for 276 while throwing to wide receivers having little to non game experience. Even without Barkley, Zona outgained the Ravens on the ground with 105 total yards. Coincidentally, Mahomes lead the team in rushing yards with 58 or the 105 yards.

So how did Zona lose? There were 3 turnovers. Mahomes did throw and interception when his wide receiver ran an incorrect route breaking left when Mahomes was throwing to his right. Additionally, four fumbles did not help especially when two of them were recovered by the other team. But still, that was not the real problem.

Unbeknown to the fans, the referee team scheduled for the game came tested positive for COVID. The ONLY OTHER REFS available for the time slot were Baltimore Refs. The yellow flags rained like sleet in the midst of a blizzard. And seemingly only against one of the two teams. You guessed the team, Arizona. The red birds suffered 16 penalties for a total of 195 total yards. Two penalties cost the Cardinals 6 points. The Cards field goal kicker kicked a successful field goal during the first quarter only to have the points taken off the board due to a holding penalty. On another series, Arizona was driving and in field goal range only to be pushed out of range by another penalty. Finally, adding insult to injury on a second down and 20 a pass interference call resulted in a 38 yard gain. If that was not enough, an important 3rd down play was converted on an offside penalty. And just for good measure, another 5 yard penalty moved their field goal kicker close enough for a 47 yard game capping field goal.

The Cardinals have registered an official complaint with Commissioner John Storer requesting an investigation into numerous questionable calls during the game. However, commissioner action will not likely salvage the Red Birds season. Nevertheless, a forfeited draft pick from Baltimore awarded to Arizona would help to ease the pain.

Houston 22 Tampa Bay 34                     72 0-10
It was painfully obvious from the start that Texan's QB Kirk Cousins missed his best WR Chris Godwin, who was declared out for the game due to injury. On the other side of the ball, Derek Carr was without Davonte Adams. Despite Tyler Lockett muffing a punt for a turnover at his own 21, Houston only managed 6 first half points. Tampa put together touchdown drives of 10 plays 80 yards and 16 plays 75 yards and added a field goal to take a 17 - 6 lead into the locker room.

The Bucs start with the ball in the third quarter and get Chris Boswell close enough to add 3. Now a 20 - 6 score is posted. The Texan's Diontae Spencer stumbles on the ensuing kick off return setting his team up at their own 11. A quick 3 and out gives Tampa the ball at their 42. Two 15 yard completions and a 19 yard PI on the first 3 plays leaves only a short distance for Carr to find Lockett to go up 27 - 6 half way into the third.

The Houston offense is already stuck in first gear when they lose Terry McLaurin during the next drive. Early in the fourth Carr finds Lockett for a 53 yard connection and then sneaks it over the line to put his team up 34 - 9. The Texans make a good charge later in the final quarter to make the ending score a respectable 34 - 22.

The QB ratings were 106 for Carr and 68 for Cousins. Tampa's wide out and tight end depth was the difference as Todd Gurley ran for 28 yards on the day. Jared Cook grabbed 6 balls for 94 yards and a TD.

Next week Houston hosts the Packers while Tampa Bay greets the Chargers.

New York (A) 19 Miami 7                     85 Calm Rain
New York visits Miami looking to rebound from a tough loss at the hands of New England, Miami looking to build on it thrashing of Buffalo the week before.

Despite moving the ball with some regularity the Jets only manage 3 first half FG's, but the Dolphins can do nothing offensively and the game goes to the half 9-0 Jets.

Each team opens the 2nd half with a 3 and out, but on Miami's 2nd possession they put together a 6 play 59 yard drive and punch it in for the TD to close the gap to 9-7 Jets with 8:06 left in the 3rd. The Jets take the KO and move from their own 15 down to the Miami 7 but a key fumble thwarts the drive and it's going the other way. Both squads are unable to move the ball and twice exchange punts, the Jets then travel 58 yards using almost 6 minutes but the drive stalls at the Dolphin 8 yard line and the Jets kick the FG to go up 12-7 with only 2:31 remaining in the game. The Dolphins get the kick off at their own 30 with 2:16 left in the game, but the vintage Goff (at least this year) takes over and he throws the pick on 3rd and 10 and it's decided. The Jets get a late TD to make the final 19-7.

Next week the Jets travel to Cincinnati and the Dolphins get another home gave against the Titans

Dallas 16 Washington 13                     52 0-10
Washington came into the game riding high after a big win over the NYG. Dallas came in a lowly 0-8 so on paper this looked like it was in the bag for Washington. As they say that is why they play the game. Early on the game script played out as one would expect. Washington looking like a division leader and Dallas looking like a bumbling 0-8 team.   Dak would look impressive quickly moving Washington down the field to give them a 10-3 lead by midway through the 2nd Quarter. At the start of the second half things begin to turn on Washington. Dallas finally got on the board with a TD to tie the game up 10-10. On offense receivers were no long getting open and Dallas was adamant that star received Devante Parker would not beat them. Unfortunately for Washington this was all made easier by the absolute disappearance of Aaron Jones. One could try to argue that in throwing the ball 42 times Washington abandoned the running game when the reality is it was the opposite. The running game abandoned Washington. Through the first three quarters Washington handed the ball off to Jones 14 times for an earth shattering 13 yards. It wasn’t until midway through the 4th quarter that Jones finally snapped out of his funk and helped Washington get into the redzone with 4:30 left in the game. On first down Dawkins would get whacked with a holding penalty and push them back to 1st and 20. A short gain and an incompletion would lead to controversy that will dog coach Heaton for the rest of the season. On 3rd and 16 Washington would trot Joey Slye out to settle for a 44 yard go ahead FG.

On the ensuing kickoff Dallas would cram the ball down the Redskins throat as they had been doing all game long. Then when they realized the Redskins couldn’t take anymore of the run game Minshew went over the top to Snead for a TD with 1:39 left in the game. However that wouldn’t be the end of it as the Redskins would block the extra point meaning they would only need a FG to tie. Washington would move the ball initially and cross midfield to give them a shot but a sack by Marcus Golden ended any chance of sending the game to overtime.

After the game Coach Heaton refused to answer any questions regarding the 3rd down FG attempt leaving open speculation that with the penalty he lost track of the downs and kicked too early. This loss could be devastating to Washington’s hopes of winning a brutal division.

Washington will lick its wounds and hope to rebound against NFC West division leading saints while Dallas hopes to start a winning streak against Carolina.

Pittsburgh 10 Jacksonville 27               83 Calm
The Steelers came Jacksonville looking to tie the season series but despite a strong first half, the Jags pulled through for a 27-10 victory. Pittsburgh looked tough in the first half holding Josh Allen to less than 100 yards passing but the second half saw numerous Steeler turnovers and an inspired Jags O's led by Damien Williams' 12 carry 104 yard, 1TD, 2 catch 38 yard effort.

Final score

Jags -27
Pitts -10
Suggs was a beast for the Steelers in the loss.

Coach Alberry called a great game but didn't get much help with losing four second half fumbles!

Next Week the Jags host Indy while the Steelers are at home to the tough New England Patriots.

Indianapolis 7 New England 43               58 5-15
Justin Tucker went 5 for 5 on field goal attempts and the Patriots rushed for 4 TDs as New England defeated the visiting Colts by the score of 43-7.

Christian McCaffrey had his first 100 yard rushing day since Week 3 as he amassed 110 yards and 2 TDs. Austin Ekeler led the passing attack for NE with 6 grabs for 63 yards. Colts receiver Kelvin Harmon had 3 receptions for 63 yards to lead the Colts offense.

Colts visit Jax next week and NE travels to Pittsburgh.

Philadelphia 26 New York (N) 21             50 10-20
The Giants lose another close one to a division rival 26-21. The Giants division championship aspirations have all but vanished after this loss but are still looking to get back on the winning side of things after 3 straight losses and chase after the wild card.

Buffalo 3 Atlanta 38                        68
Falcons cruise past Bills with balance attack that included three rushing touchdowns and two via the pass.

Minnesota 7 Green Bay 23                    39 0-10
Battle of the weak QB's was a tough sell to the fans of Green Bay
as David Blough led the reeling Vikings (4-5) into Lambeau to face
A.J. McCarron and his offensively challenged Packers (3-6).

Marketing was able to fill the joint with a clever "buck a piece" chicken promotion
(a loyal fan is pictured below enjoying the deal) but the game was a
hard to watch defensive struggle.

Key play in this one came late in the 3rd with the Viking driving deep into
Packers territory, down 16-7. Blough looked to force the ball into WR Keenan Allen,
who had been double teamed virtually all game long. DB Eric Rowe stepped in front
of the pass and took it 99 yards the other direction for a pick six.

The rattled visitors could not muster anything after that.

Final score 23-7 Green Bay

Blough had a rough day 15/28, 98 yards, 58.3 rating
Zeke Elliott was effective 20-102
Keenan Allen just 5 rec, 39 yards

AJ McCarron played well 16/26, 253, 1TD, 106.7 rating
RB Phillip Lindsay 17/76 on the ground
TE Darren Waller 7 rec. 126 yards, TD, game MVP

Costly win for Green Bay as CB Patrick Peterson was lost for the rest of the season
with a torn ACL.

Next week Minnesota (4-6) will try to halt a 3 game Blough-losing streak
as they travel to Kansas City

Packers (4-6) look to make it three in a row in Houston

Denver 28 Kansas City 13                    50 5-15
The winless Chiefs trailed just 14-13 after three quarters but Denver adds two fourth quarter touchdowns to avoid the upset.

Carolina 26 New Orleans 18                  70
The Panthers rolled into New Orleans to tangle with the Saints to determine the division leader at the halfway mark.

Carolina and New Orleans played stingy defense most of the first quarter, exchanging field goals, until the Panthers broke through with a TD late on a 59 yard fumble return by Canady to take the 13-3 half time lead.

The Panthers extended the lead in the third on a 4 yard run by Drake and looked to be in control 20 to 3. But the Saints proved their mettle by clawing back to be within a TD late in the game as Manning had a couple of TD passes to Beasley. With only a few minutes late in the game the Saint were driving for the tie but fell short on 4th down at the Panthers 49.


Rushing Leaders
Chubb,N(LAC)    26-132 3 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Sanders,M(LAR) 16-120
McCaffrey(NE)   14-110 2 TD
Peterson,A(Phi) 17-106
William,Dm(Jax) 12-104 1 TD
Elliott,E(Min) 20-102

Receiving Leaders
Kelce,T(Oak)    10-135 1 TD
Robinson,A(Det) 10-114 2 TD
Samuel,D(LAR)    6- 93 3 TD

Passing Leaders
Rodgers,A(Cin) 56-34-414   3 TD
Carr,D(TB)      44-26-338   3 TD
Tannehill(Phi) 29-26-334   3 TD
Darnold(Det)    47-32-332   3 TD
Garoppolo(Chi) 43-25-320   2 TD
Jones,D(LAR)    28-21-261   4 TD

Defensive Standouts
Maurice Canady(Car) 7 tkl fum ret TD - IFL Defensive Player of the Week

Special Teams
Hopkins(NYJ)   4-4 FG
Tucker,J(NE)   5-5 FG – IFL Special Team Player of the Week

IFL WEEK 10 STANDINGS

IFL WEEK 10 LEAGUE LEADERS

WEEK 9 RECAP

The Falcons Philip Rivers throws five touchdowns passes to earn Week nine IFL honors.

Game Scores
Atlanta 47 San Francisco 17                 58 10-20
The Atlanta offense went wild under substitute coach Dennis Agosta
piling up over 500 yards of offense. Philip Rivers threw for 5 TDs and
340 yards on only 20 completions while Mostert ran for 124 yards on 19
carries. Atlanta had 10 runs of 10+ yards as it looked like no one was
playing defense for the hapless 49ers.

In the loss, Trubiskey threw for 278 yards and 2 TDs but the Atlanta
offense dominated the game.

Baltimore 34 Tennessee 37                   54 Calm
A bizarre game with tons of offense and big gains. The Titans kicked a field goal late in the 3rd quarter to go ahead 22-20 heading into the last frame. Then DKS did its magic as Mayfield hit Thielen with a 39 yard TD pass, Earl Thomas picked off Matt Ryan on the next possession and Mayfield hit Will Fuller V with a 17 yard TD pass. In the space of a minute and a half Baltimore went from being down 2 to leading 34-22 with 13 minutes left in the game. But DKS tilted the earth in the other direction as Noah Fant took a short pass from Ryan and went 67 yards to the Ravens 4 yard line. Deandre Hopkins scored on the next play. Baltimore was stymied on its next possession and the Titans took over at their 20 yard line with 10 minutes to go. Rashaad Penny broke off a 48 yard run to the Ravens 24 and on the next play Ryan hit Hopkins with the go ahead TD pass. Titans 37- Ravens 34 with 8 minutes to go. Lots of time was left given the dominance of the offenses. However Baltimore couldn't get a first down on their next drive and had to punt. The Titans were able to burn 5 minutes off the clock and force Baltimore to use all its timeouts prior to the two minute warning. Colby Wadman's punt pinned the Ravens at their own 10 yard line. Mayfield moved the Ravens down the field and hit Scotty Miller for 21 yards putting the ball on the Tennessee 41 with 14 seconds left. Coach Master opted for a short out to Mark Andrews that only gained 3 yards and left 1 second on the clock. The Ravens were unable to get their field goal unit out in time and so Tennessee wins 37-34.

Long plays - RAVENS - Fuller 48, Andrews 52, Thielen 39. TITANS - Hopkins 50, Beckham 32, Penny 48, Fant 67.

Next week Baltimore (6-3) visits Arizona (5-3) and Tennessee (2-7) goes to Cincinnati (7-1) for their usual shellacking.

Miami 28 Buffalo 0                          49 Calm
Tony Cox brings his 3-5 Dolphins into New Era Stadium and dominates the 3-5 Bills 28-0 as Bills head coach and GM answers every question in the press conference, "we are on to Atlanta"....Jared Goff threw for 294 yards and 3 TD's as the Bills pass rush took the day off. Kyler Murray was under siege most of the game and was sacked 4 times and the WR's couldn't get separation which led to a dismal day offensively for the home squad.
Buffalo heads to Atlanta next while Miami host the Jets.

Green Bay 21 Detroit 7                      70
Crazy game that saw the home town Lions turn the ball over FIVE times in route to a 21-7 loss.

Three of those first half turnovers led to all the Packer points.

Green Bays touchdown drives were:

2 plays, 29 yards (off a bad snap to the punter deep in Lions territory)
1 play, 15 yards (off an interception)
1 play, 16 yards (off a fumbled punt return)

If you didn't see the turnover column you would think the Packers got blown out:

First downs were 27-10 in favor of Detroit
Lions owned time of possession and total yards (38:31-21:29, 347-211)
Third down: Detroit 9-21, Green Bay 1-12!

AJ McCarron threw for just 105 yards on 9 of 19, but had 3 short TD tosses
off the aforementioned turnovers

Sam Darnold (3) and Matt Moore (1) combined to toss 4 picks.

CB Patrick Peterson was named MVP with 2 int's and 8 tackles

This write up can't really do justice to how many breaks went against the Lions.....

Got to hand it to coach Nordberg for being a good sport about this one.
I did mention to him that dating Dave Koch's daughter might
not have been a good idea in retrospect.

Packers (3-6) will look to make it two in a row against the Brees-less Vikings next week.

Lions (4-5) host Chicago, where you would think his squad would be due for some Action PC karma

Jacksonville 19 Dallas 3                    70
Dallas' anemic offense was on display again in week nine - a 19-3 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Dave Hood's defense held Dallas to 225 yards total offense and just 12 first downs in a dominant defensive effort. Gardner Minshew was a pathetic 13/37 throwing and threw to interceptions.

Jacksonville advances its record to 5-4 with the win.   Dallas falls to 0-9.

Cincinnati 29 Pittsburgh 0                  40 0-5
7500 fans allowed at Heinz Field this week came to see their Steelers (3-5) with a chance to move into a playoff picture with a win hosting the Bengals (7-1) who come in to Pittsburgh red hot having won 7 in a row which included a 30-0 blowout of the Steelers in Cincinnati in week 5. The Bengals are a installed as a 6 point favorite.

Things get started on the Bengals 2 possession as the teams traded punts early. The Bengals start at their 43 go on a 10 play drive that culminates with Rodgers to Chalk from 14 yards out . On their first play after the score Brady is picked off by Williams and the Bengals take over on the 20. 6 plays later Rodgers to Jeffrey from 9 yards out and just like that its 14-0. On the Steelers next possession they are able to move the ball inside Bengals territory ( a rarity this year for the Steelers against the Bengals) and facing a 4th and 3 from the 43 coach Alberry feeling they need to put up some points decides to gamble but once again Brady is picked off this time by Fuller and Cincinnati is back in business.

The Drive carries over to the 2nd quarter and they get to the 12 yard line but the drive stalls and Fairbairn connects from 30 yards out 17-0. Another 3 and out by the Steelers and the game halfway through the 2nd quarter feels like its over. Cincinnati gets a late (38 seconds left ) 39 yard FG to make it 20-0 at the half .

In the 3rd the teams swap punts as Pittsburgh's offense is just anemic against the Bengals D. The Bengals do manage a long drive that stalls on the Steelers 8 so Fairbairn hits another chippie and its 23-0. On the first play of the next possession Brady is picked off for a 3rd time. The Steelers defense doing all they can hold the Bengals to a FG now its 26-0 as we head to the 4th.

Nothing to see here Bengals add on another FG and the pathetic Steelers offense cannot move the ball. Brady was able to muster up another Interception though giving him 4 on the night.

John called a great game and the Steelers did have a few bad breaks (2 basically 50/50 calls a called fumble that the Steelers defense caused in Bengals territory was overturned and called a non fumble and a 50/50 interception by Brady was overturned in favor of the Bengals securing the ball) if we could have got those to calls it would have been a much closer game like 29-6 or something:)

So the Steelers go 8 quarters toe to toe with the mighty Bengals and score zero points and gain 235 yards . Brady ended with a 4.2 QB rating in this game . In 2 games he was picked 5 times and was sacked 7 times.

Rodgers threw for 295 yards and 2TD for the Bengals

Los Angeles (N) 21 New Orleans 31           70
The World Champion Rams would come into New Orleans as slight underdogs. The rams would come out hitting and would go into the locker room with a 14-10 lead. LA's scores were 2 TD passes from Danny Dimes to Deebo Samuel from 48 and 20 yards. The Saints lone score was a bomb from Eli to AJ Brown for 52 yards. The 2nd half the Rams would get the ball first and drive right down the field scoring with an 8 yard TD from Jones to Harry which was Jones 3rd of the day. 21-10 Rams. The Rams were making the 2nd rank defense not look so good. This all with 3 OLineman hurt. At this point the Saints had 1 sack. The Saints would respond quick with a 3 minute drive ending a TD toss from Manning to Conly. 21-17 Rams.That score would remain the same until Eli would hit AJ Brown again from 30 yards out. 24-21 Saints. After a Rams punt the Saints would take over and drive the distance of the field down to the Rams 10 yard line and a 4th and 1. Coach Rice would elect to go for it. Eli would hit Beasley for the score and make the game 31-21 which is how it would end. Great game called by Ryan as usual.Danny Dimes had a solid day throwing for 192 yards and 3 TD's. Eli Manning hit the fountain of youth on his way to the game and threw for 318 yards and 4 TD's. The Saints move to 6-3 and the Rams fall to 3-6.
New England 38 New York (A) 19              58 5-15
The undefeated 8-0 New England Patriots came to New York to play the 7-1 Jets, whose only lose was to these Pats.

As Coach Kolb(NE), and Coach Durfee(Jets) were shaking hands the game got off to a quick start. Before the coaches could blink the Jet’s Ballantine returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for a TD.

Things got worse for the Pats, on their first possession they turned the ball over. The Jets had to settle for a FG, and were up 10-0. After each team punted the Jets kicked another FG to go up 13-0. Another Pats punt, and the Jets took the ball to the NE 7 yard line where on 4th, and 1 Coach Durfee wanted get a TD. No dice... still 13-0.

New England then drove 93 yards and made it 13-7 with 2 minutes to go in the half.

The Jets bounced back, and got the ball to the NE 22 where they had to settle for another FG, 16-7 Jets at the half.

Lamar Jackson took the opening possession of the 2nd half 69 yards in 8 plays, and McCaffrey took it the final 12 yards. Jets 16-14... The drive took 5 minutes off the clock, the bend, but don’t break defense didn’t work too well.

New York takes almost 3 minutes to go nowhere. So, with 7 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter, and 22 in the game, the Jets get a good punt that backs up return man Hines to his 7, he fields it, and goes 93 yards...New England 21-16.

Watson takes over, and drives the Jets 72 yards in 9 plays over 4:30 off the clock...once again settling for a FG...NE 21-19...

The the Jets defense collapsed, and allowed Jackson, and company to score 14 points on their next 2 possessions...35-19. NE tacked on a meaningless FG with 2 minutes to go to get to the final of 38-19...

New York was outscored 24-3 over the final 22 minutes...

Team stats showed the Jets had the ball 35 minutes to the Pats 25. Net offense was 345-332 Pats...first downs 21-18 Jets...

For the Jets Mack 155 yards on 27 carries, but Watson was only 13-32...

Jackson was 14-21 for 154 yards, and ran 7 times for 102 yards...a side note is that the Jets used a “spy” on many plays...so, either Jackson is really good, or DK doesnt like the Jets...LOL

Next week New England continues their sprint to an undefeated season by hosting Indianapolis, and New York visits Miami.

Denver 24 Chicago 22                        40 10-20
The Denver D picks off Jimmy G 3 times and the Broncos come away with a 24-22 road victory in Chicago.

Arizona 17 Philadelphia 24                  54 0-10 Light Rain
The Cards and Eagles met with a tie for first place in the tough NFC East on the line. The Cards were somewhat short-handed without star RB Saquon Barkley. However, they still had Patrick Mahomes who would look to lead the Cards to victory. The Eagles were close to full strength but knew this would be a fight.

In the 1st half, the Cards would dominate the game in yardage and time of possession. Despite being shorthanded, including losing star WR Christian Kirk to injury during the game, Mahomes was able to get the Cards the lead early and hold a 17-10 halftime lead.

The Cards looked to extend their lead early in the 3rd quarter but PK Daniel Carlson would miss a FG. That gave the Eagles some much-needed momentum and they would tie the game on the ensuing possession at 17.

Both teams traded punts early in the 4th quarter. On the Cards 2nd possession of the quarter, Mahomes would lead the team down the field into Eagle territory. ON a 3rd and 5 from the Eagle 34. Mahomes would make his only mistake of the game as he threw an interception to Eagle LB Luke Kuechly. Eagle QB Ryan Tannehill would lead his team down the field and with 4 minutes left in the game, he would hit WR John Brown, despite being double-teamed, on a fly pattern to give the Eagles their 1st lead of the game. Mahomes tried to get the Cards into a position to tie the game but a holding penalty and the lack of impact receivers would spell doom as they would turn the ball over on downs. The Eagles took over and ran out the clock to take a 24-17 win and put them in a tie for the division lead with the winner of the Redskins/Giants game.

Jim did all he could with what he had and almost pulled it out. Next week, Arizona goes out of conference to play Baltimore while the Eagles take on the Giants in what could be for the division lead.

Kansas City 7 Los Angeles (A) 24            69 Calm
Nick Chubb rushes for 171 yards including a 72 yard touchdown run as the Chargers down Kansas City.

Indianapolis 3 Carolina 41                  62 0-10
Five turnovers by the Colts is too much to overcome as the Panthers roll to a victory.

Henry and Drake combined for 201 yards rushing and 4 touchdowns for the Panthers. Joe Schobert picked off two interceptions from the linebacker spot.

Devin Bush played stout defense for the Colts with 12 tackles.

New York (N) 13 Washington 19               56 0-10
Washington takes an early lead and never gives it up. Every time the Giants got within striking distance Koch had an answer.

Washington will host Dallas next week and the G-men get Philly as the NFC East bloodbath continues.

Tampa Bay 35 Minnesota 7                    68
Did you ever beat your dad in a one-on-one basketball game, then get smoked in the rematch? And I mean SMOKED?

Minnesota made the mistake of beating Tampa Bay in their first meeting, then got slapped around big time in the rematch,
falling behind 35-0 in the 2nd Q before Big Daddy finally called off the pirates. The game could easily have been 70-0.

The final score was 35-7 Tampa Bay. The Vikings managed only 10 first downs under the play of backup quarterback David Blough, who obviously needs some more practice to avoid falling all the way down to the level of an A.J. McCarron.

Congratulations to Sir Smog for delivering the lesson in humility. And thanks for being merciful in the 2nd half.

Tampa Bay goes to 7-2 and Minnesota to 4-5. The Bucs host Houston in week 10 while the Vikings visit Lambeau for a rematch with the despised Packers.

Houston 6 Oakland 19                        58 5-15
Backup quarterback Kyle Allen throws two touchdown passes as Oakland downs Houston.

Rushing Leaders
Chubb,N(LAC)    18-171 1 TD
Mack,M(NYJ)     27-155
Mostert(Atl)    18-124
Henry,D(Car)    28-119 3 TD
Hyde,C(Oak)     14-111
Montgomery(KC) 19-110
Jackson,L(NE)   7-102 1 TD

Receiving Leaders
Moore,D(Oak)    10-176

Passing Leaders
Ryan,M(Ten)     46-29-370   3 TD 1 Int
Garoppolo(Chi) 43-31-354   3 TD 3 Int
Mayfield(Bal)   41-23-350   2 TD
Rivers(Atl)     30-20-340   5 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Manning(NO)     29-22-318   4 TD 1 Int
Allen,K(Oak)    33-22-305   2 TD 1 Int
Rodgers,A(Cin) 40-30-295   2 TD

Defensive Standouts
Peterson,P(GB)   2 Int 8 Tk – IFL Defensive Player of the Week
Wagner,B(Chi)    15 Tk
Schobert(Car)    2 Int 5 Tk
Smith,P(NYG)     2 Int 5 Tk

Special Teams
Bullock(Jax)   4-4 FG
Fairbairn(Cin) 5-5 FG
Hines(NE)      1-10 Kick Ret 2-135 Punt Ret 1 TD – IFL Special Teams Player of the Week
Hopkins(NYJ)   4-4 FG

IFL WEEK NINE STANDINGS

IFL WEEK NINE LEAGUE LEADERS

WEEK 8 RECAP

A holding call against Washington allows the Bengals to escape with the win in week eight IFL action.

Game Scores
Washington 21 Cincinnati 23                 47 0-10
The Bengals hosted the Washington Redskins in week 8 IFL action. Washington is to the IFL Bengals like the 49ers are to the NFL Bengals. The Redskins defeated Cincinnati 20-10 in the 2010 IFL Super Bowl and 15-13 in the 2012 big game. Kris is one of the best coaches I have ever had the pleasure of butting heads with. Anyway, a new year and a new game.

Washington won the coin toss and elected to receive. Aided by a Ramsey DPI the Skins jammed it down the Bengals throat putting together a seven play-75 yard drive that just took a little over three minutes as Dak Prescott connected with Tre'Quan Smith on the 28 yard score, 7-0 Washington.

The Bengals drove to the Washington 12 but had to settle on a 30 yard Fairbairn field goal to cut the lead to 7-3. The Cincinnati defense settled down and forced the Redskins to punt. Gordon, Jones, and Rodgers had some big runs for Cincinnati and Rodgers found Chark for 23 giving Cincinnati a first and goal at the Washington one. The Skins stuffed Gordon on his first attempt to get in but Gordon went over the top on his second attempt for the score, 10-7 Bengals.

Once again Washington was forced to punt on their next series. The Bengals put together a nice drive on their next series with a couple third down conversions. But, a couple sacks forced Cincinnati to settle on another field goal to increase their lead to 13-7 which ended the scoring for the half.

The second half began with multiple exchanges of punts. Finally, the Redskins went on another one of those jam it down the Bengals defense throats. Consecutive passes of 5, 18, 17, 19, 12, and finally a 25 yard scoring strike to Parker gave Washington their first lead 14-13.

In the past the Bengals coaches might have rolled up in the fetal position. But not this time and not a home! Rodgers connected on passes of 44 yards to Jeffrey, a 12 yard strike to Chark, and finally a 15 yard scoring pass to Chark as Cincinnati regained the lead 20-14.

Toward the end of the third quarter the Bengals got a break as Aaron Jones fumbled after a 42 yard gain with Cincinnati recovering. The Bengals managed to turn it into another field goal for a 23-14 lead. After forcing another Washington punt Cincinnati hoped to extend their lead. But a Rodgers scamper turned into a fumble that Washington's Mike Hughes ran 58 yards the other way to cut the Bengals lead to 23-21 with a little over eight minutes remaining. "Here we go again" chirped IFL Bengal fans and "I hate Washington" added another.

The Bengals ate up a little time but were forced to punt with about five minutes remaining. The Redskins marched to the Cincinnati 34 with 40 seconds remaining when Prescott got loose for a long gain in what looked like it would set up the game winning chip shot. But WAIT! Laundry on the field. The most beautiful yellow flag I had ever seen; holding on Washington. This made it third and 15 and more importantly moved the Skins out of field goal range. The Bengal defense held and the hometown team celebrated the win!

Prescott finished 19 of 33 for 282 yards and a touchdown. Jones added 103 yards on 19 rushes while Parker caught six passes for 126 yards and a score.

For the Bengals Rodgers went 27 of 42 for 308 yards and a touchdown. RoJo rushed for 87 yards while Chark caught seven passes for 100 yards and a score.

Next week the Redskins host the New York Football Giants while the Bengals travel to Pittsburgh.

Detroit 24 Los Angeles (A) 31               72 Calm
Lions visit the Chargers for a close hard fought game that ended up a win for the LA team. 4 Det turnovers (not including an interception that was called back) didn't help the hapless Lions. Chargers RB Chubb busted loose on a nice 73 yard scamper. Fitz ran the LA offense smoothly, while Darnold was benched early in the 2nd qtr after 3 / nearly 4 interceptions. Enter old man Matt Moore & boy did he look old.

Det & their 3 game losing streak host GB, while LAA hosts KC.

Miami 16 New England 30                     40 5-15 Heavy Rain
Turnovers were the story on a rainy day in New England, as the Dolphins looked to pin a first loss on the Patriots. The two teams traded field goals before New England jumped to a 10-3 lead late in the first quarter on a 1 yard CMC run. Miami looked to answer on their next drive behind Mark Ingram. Runs of 22 and 20 yards on the drive set the Fins up for a 38 yard Prater field goal, cutting the NE lead to 10-6.

Patriots were forced to punt on their next drive, and Goff looked to give Miami their first lead. On the first play however, Goff had his pass tipped right into the arms of Whitney Mercilus who returned it to the Miami 9 yard line. Jackson to Hurst on the next play had NE leading 17-6.

More great work by Ingram on the next drive put Miami in field goal range, and Prater converted from 27 yards out. 17-9 at the half.

New England came out of the break and tacked on a FG to make it 20-9, which is how the third quarter would end. An interception by Richard Sherman early in the 4th quarter gave NE the ball at the Miami 4 yard line. McCaffrey ran it in from there and the game was no longer in question.

Final Score:
New England 30 Miami 16

Miami posted 256 yards of net offense, just one less yard than the Patriots posted. But Miami committed three turnovers, two of which set New England up on short fields which ended in TDs.

Christian McCaffrey ran for 82 yards on 19 carries and 2 TDs. For Miami, Mark Ingram ran for 87 yards on only 14 carries.

Pats move to 8-0, and Miami drops to 3-5.

Denver 17 Houston 16                        70
The Denver Broncos win on the road in Houston in a dramatic finish that saw a huge DPI penalty in the endzone give the Broncos a chance for the win.
Trailing 16-10 with under a minute to play, on a 3rd and 16 from their own 4 yardline, Denver QB Stidhem hit Tyreek Hill for a big gain down the sideline for
a 64 yard gain. Then with 25 seconds left Eli Apple is flagged for PI in the endzone and Stidham hit Hill for a 1 yard TD for the tie and the PAT put Denver up 17-16
with just 2 seconds left. After an incomplete pass the game was over the the shocked fans in Houston left agasp.
Greta game with Pete, as always.

Tampa Bay 27 Green Bay 14                   33 10-20
Embarrassing loss at home for the Packers.

At one point in the second quarter the yards were 258-22 in favor of the Bucs with the score
sitting at 24-0.

Final was 27-14 for the visitors

Derek Carr was MVP 21/28 280 yards 3TD's despite not being asked to do much in the
second half of this blowout. 6 different Tampa Bay players caught 2 or more passes

The A.J. McCarron show continues to be horrific: 18-37 205, 3ints, 40.9 rating

I used to think Mike Chase was a pretty good guy before his recent domination of the
NFC Central. Funny, I still don't mind Nordberg.

Jacksonville 27 Baltimore 28                50 5-15
To paraphrase Charles Dickens, it was a tale of two halves. Jacksonville, a 3-point underdog on the road, raced out to a 20-0 lead with just over 2 minutes left in the half. The dominance was so pervasive that Baltimore's first six possessions resulted in 3-and-outs. No first downs whatsoever. The Jags held the Ravens to 20 total yards on 18 plays. Meanwhile, DK Metcalf caught 8 passes for 226 first half yards and 2 long TDs (83 and 61 yards) as the Jags rolled up 338 total yards.

After Randy Bullock's 47-yard FG gave Jacksonville a 20-0 lead with 2:10 before the half, Mayfield, who was 4-for-13 for 20 yards to this point, started to gain traction. Starting at his own 31, he completed 4-of-9 passes and ran for 17 on a QB draw on a crucial 3rd-and-3 from the Jags 35. From there Mayfield connected with Le'Veon Bell for 13, putting the ball on the Jags 5 with :27 on the clock. Knowing a FG was fruitless, Mayfield pounded the end zone with bullets, trying to find the open man. On his third try, he found Bell on a hitch for six. Jacksonville, 20-7 at the half.

As the third quarter began, Baltimore and Jacksonville exchanged punts and the Ravens took control at their own 17. On the first play from scrimmage, Stephon Gilmore picked off Mayfield and returned it to the 2. From there, David Johnson plunged in for six. Jacksonville, 27-7. Things were looking extremely dark for Ravens fans.

Baltimore's next possession was both helped and hindered by the zebras. An encroachment penalty gave Baltimore a 1st-and-5. Two passes and a run gave the Ravens a 3rd-and-2 on Jacksonville's 36. Bell carried for 6 and a first down, but Adam Thielen was called for holding, nullifying the 1st down and putting Baltimore in a 3rd-and-12 situation from the Jags 46. Mayfield dropped back and lofted a fly to Mark Andrews. The pass was broken up by Samson Ebukam, but wait! Tre'Davious White was flagged for a DPI! First down Ravens at the Jags 31. A Mayfield-to-Bell completion put the ball on the 23. On 2nd-and-2, Mayfield rolled out, trying to hit Will Fuller down the sideline. Gilmore nearly intercepted the pass while Fuller was screaming for a flag. The screaming worked, because Gilmore was hit with a yellow hanky. Two plays later, Mayfield found Andrews in the endzone and Baltimore began to believe. Jacksonville, 27-14 with 6:17 left in the 3rd quarter.

Josh Allen wanted to quell the belief and quickly moved the Jags to the Ravens 30 with a 16-yard connection with Metcalf and a 29-yard scramble. Alllen misfired to Metcalf and then tried to burn some clock and extend their lead with a FG. Fortunately (for Ravens fans), two runs gained little and Bullock missed a 42-yard FG into the wind.

The next four possessions resulted in an exchange of punts. Starting at their own 20, Mayfield realized he needed to strike quickly. Looking deep for Fuller, Gilmore was all over him, so Mayfield checked down to Thielen, who made Nickel Robey-Coleman miss and raced 28 yards to just short of mid-field. From there Mayfield was targeting Fuller again, but the snap sailed over his head! Somehow, he corralled the ball and scrambled to the sidelines. As Fuller snuck behind the defenders, Mayfield launched a prayer and Fuller hauled in. Kenny Vaccaro leveled a shot, but Fuller bounced off and raced to the endzone, completing the unlikely 52-yard TD. Jacksonville, 27-21. Suddenly, it was a one-score game with 7:29 remaining.

A facemask penalty on Raven CB Isaac Yiadom gave the Jags a 1st down at the 40 and with blood in the water, Allen looked to drive home the dagger. With Baltimore expecting Jacksonville to run the ball and burn up the clock, Allen dropped back looking for Metcalf slanting deep in the Ravens secondary. Unfortunately for him, Allen didn't see Folorunso Fatukasi (how do you not see a 318 pound DT?!?) and was sacked for a 7-yard loss! Two clock-burning runs nearly got a first down, but faced with a 4th-and-3 on their own 47, Coach Hood opted to pin Baltimore deep in their own territory and make them go the length of the field, knowing they had to get into the endzone to win the game. Johnny Hekker's punt pinned Baltimore at the 13 with 5:17 on the clock.

Mayfield worked the Ravens out to the 39, where they were faced with a 3rd-and-3. Le'Veon Bell plowed into the line for an apparent first down, but Coach Hood got the call from upstairs to throw the red challenge flag. Replays showed Bell was stopped short. With the game on the line, Mayfield called his own number. Even though Jacksonville was looking for the sneak, Mayfield gained enough ground to be awarded a first down. On the next play, Orlando Brown Jr was flagged for a holding penalty, setting the Ravens back to their own 33. 1st-and-20 with just 3:07 remaining.

A short completion to Thielen and an incomplete pass put Baltimore in a 3rd-and-16 hole. Figuring he couldn't get it all back in one fell swoop, Mayfield hit Jaylen Samuels on a screen as the Jags rushers raced past. Samuels darted between the remaining defenders for a 24-yard gain. First down Ravens on the Jags 39 with the two minute warning called at 1:56.

Completions to Bell (3 yards) and Andrews (16), put the ball on the Jags 20 with 1:12 left. Mayfield hit Bell for 3 yards, but the zebras called Sheldrick Redwine for a 5-yard defensive holding penalty. After Bell could gain no ground on a draw play, Jacksonville was called for another 5 yard penalty. 2nd-and-5 from the 10 with 1:04 remaining. With a timeout in their back-pocket, Baltimore opted to run against the gassed Jacksonville defense. It worked, as Jaylen Samuels raced around the edge for a 10-yard score. The PAT would give Baltimore their first lead of the game with :50 left on the clock. Baltimore, 28-27.

Michael Badgley's squib kick pinned Jacksonville at their own 15. Shaquil Barrett came up big with a sack of Allen for a 3-yard loss. Though Jacksonville would gain a first down on their next play, Baltimore covered Metcalf like a blanket and snuffed out any hopes of a Jags comeback. FINAL SCORE: BALTIMORE 28-27

Baker Mayfield earned his 4th Game MVP award of the season. After that dismal first-half, Mayfield finished with 293 yards passing on 27-for-50 attempts, tossing 3 TDs against 1 INT. Mark Andrews caught 8 of 9 targets for 89 yards and a score. Will Fuller made the most of his 2 catches (on 12 targets!) with 63 yards and a TD. Le'Veon Bell also caught 8 passes, one for a TD.

DK Metcalf outgained them all in the losing effort, catching a Herculean 11 passes for 257 yards and 2 TDs.

It was truly a game the Jags should have won, especially after the 24-23 set back in their first meeting. Somehow, Baltimore won them both.

Next week, Jacksonville (4-4) heads to Dallas to take on the winless Cowboys (0-7).
Baltimore looks to gain ground on division-leading Cincinnati as the Ravens (6-2) head to Tennessee to take on the Titans (1-6).

Tennessee 13 Pittsburgh 30                  46 5-15
1-6 Tennessee comes into Heinz field and looks up and actually for the first time saw a few fans in the stands (5500) to be exact. They were happy to be jeered as they ran onto the field. As for the 2-5 Steelers it wasn't much but it felt more like a home game this week. Both teams come into the game licking their wounds as Tennessee is shocked to be on a 4 game losing streak with Stars such as Hopkins, Beckham and Ryan at QB,their only win came against these Steelers 30-20 back in week 3 at home. In that game Hopkins went off for 123 receiving yards and 2 TD and Beckham had 88 receiving yards while Ryan had a 133 QB rating. The Steelers are riding a 3 game losing Streak after they had an upset win at home against Mahomes and the Cardinals a few weeks back.

The Steelers are installed as a 2 point home favorite.

Taking the ball first did not appear to be a good decision as the drive goes backwards on the home team. Tennessee takes the first possession right down the field Murray runs it in from 4 yards out and its quickly 7-0. Pittsburgh answers quickly 5 play drive highlighted by Brady to Byrd for 47 yards then Foster on an end around scores from 17 out and we are all tied . Pittsburgh adds a 35 yard Pineiro FG and its 10-7 after 1.

Tennessee was on the move again as a carry over drive from the 1st quarter started at the 25 and got to the 15 but Ryan was picked off by LB Littleton to end the threat. After that there was lots of punting. The Titans manage to tie things up with a 26 yard Bailey FG with 4 minutes left in the quarter. Pittsburgh hold the ball the rest of the quarter runs 14 plays and ends with a Pineiro 29 yards FG making it 13-10 at the half.

Tennessee gets the 3rd quarter kickoff and goes on a 13 play drive that covered only 42 yards but they overcame 4 offensive penalties and get a 50 yard Bailey FG to tie us up heading into the 4th as the Steelers steak of not having scored a point in the 3rd quarter this season now extends to 8 games. Tennessee has another drive late in the 3rd that falters as they went for it on 4th and 3 from the Steelers 35 but Ryans pass fell to the turf.

Pittsburgh continuing a drive that started in the 3rd managed to get into FG range for Pineiro he hits again this time from 43 and the home team takes back a 3 point lead. Tennessee offense could not move the ball as they see 2 drives stall pretty quickly. But there still was just under 7 minutes to go and its still just a 3 point game. Brady does get the ball at mid field after a punt by the Titans punter Wadman is tipped and only travels 29 yards. Brady takes advantage of the field position and connects from 16 yards away to Keesean Johnson. with the Titans needing to move the ball they get 2 holding penalties in a row. Put in a tough position with only 3 minutes to go Ryan tries to ft one in a tight window but is picked off by S Anthony Harris who runs it in from 19 yards out for a score and seals the home victory for Pittsburgh.

Steelers 30 Titans 13

Penalties hurt the Titans as they committed 9 for 68 yards along with the 2 turnovers was to much for them to overcome.

injuries the Pittsburgh loss's their starting center Allen and backup DT Ridgeway for 6 weeks While Tennessee loss's Starting OLB Milano for 1 week

Tennessee now 1-7 host Baltimore 6-2 while the Steelers 3-5 play host to the Bengals 6-1

Philadelphia 19 Dallas 3                    70
The Philadelphia defense shutdown the hapless Dallas offense in week 8 with a convincing 19-3 win in Dallas. Dallas only managed 12 first downs in the game and was a woeful 2/17 in third down situations.

The Eagles' offense had some difficulty with the Cowboys' defense, but Julian Edelman came up big time-and-time again for Greg as he caught nine passes.

With the win, the Eagles improve to 5-3. Dallas continues trying to earn its first win of the season at the season's halfway point.

Oakland 27 Kansas City 24                   44 0-10
Chiefs rally from ten down to send it to overtime but Oakland’s Jason Myers kicks game winner with about a minute and a half remaining in the game.

San Francisco 14 Carolina 29                59 Calm
San Fran and Carolina contest in a hard fought battle that saw the Panthers able to pull away at the end.

Trubisky used pinpoint accuracy most of the game to keep San Fran's hope alive, and Boyd finished with 123 yards receiving on 13 catches.

Carolina's Derrick Henry plodded for 150 yards and Drake contributed 42 and a TD. Russell Wilson threw for 304 yards and two Td's. Evans caught 8 for 137 with two td's.

Carolina led at the half 16 to 7. The second half was pretty much even with Crolina kicking a couple of field goals to hold a 6 point edge in the second.

New Orleans 13 New York (A) 17              52 Calm
The IFL’s version of Friday Night Lights had New Orleans visiting the New York Jets. Once again MetLife Stadium was without fans, so the Jets didn’t have any friendly faces, including the referees...I’ll get to that later.

New York received the opening kickoff, and proceeded to move 7 yards in 3 plays, which was a glimpse of things to come for both teams. After the Jet’s punt the Saints managed 5 yards in 3 plays...After 3 possessions the Jets had 5 total yards, after their first 3 possessions the Saints had 10 yards, but their 3rd chance with the ball resulted in a fumble. The Jets actually covered 15 yards in 2 plays to put 7 points on the board.

The Saints put together the first signs of offense on the next drive, and took 9 minutes off the clock to get a 21 yard FG...7-3 Jets.

The teams once again exchanged punts before New York’s Watson was intercepted for the first time this season. The Saints went 29 yards before settling for another FG...7-6 Jets.

That was the score at the half after 3 more punts.

The 2nd half started as the game started 3 more punts before the Jets could move the ball into FG range to make it 10-6 on a 49 yard FG by Hopkins. Once again the Saints got their offense going covering 80 yards in over 5 minutes. On third, and 6 at the Jets 6 yard line Manning went to the end zone, but was picked by Jamie Collins to end the drive...BUT wait, there’s laundry on the field...a very late off side call on the Jets moves the ball to the 3, and gives the Saints another chance. Conner picks up 2 on 3rd down, and then on 4th down he ponds it in giving the Saints their first lead 13-10.

The Jets then took the ball 75 yards in just under 5 minutes culminating in a Watson to Thomas 12 yard TD...Jets back on top 17-13.

New Orleans turned the ball over on downs after going only 54 yards in over 5 minutes...Watson ran out the clock to seal the victory.

The teams combined for 13 punts...it was a defensive battle...

Coach Rice called a great game on both sides of the ball.

Next week New Orleans hosts the LA Rams, and New York hosts New England.

Buffalo 31 Indianapolis 7                   69
Indianapolis, IND (IFL.com) - The Buffalo Bills (3-5) came to Indianapolis and blasted the hometown Colts (1-7) 31-7 in a contest many think will cost Head Coach/General Manager Kenneth Griffith his job. Quarterback Brian Hoyer has been an absolute disaster and the squad is depleted of wide receivers. The fans and the media in Indianapolis have blasted Griffith for his trade in the off-season of Keenan Allen. Many feel he should have the same fate as Bill O’Brien in the competing NFL when he traded away DeAndre Hopkins to. However, owner Kenneth Griffith has refused to fire Head coach/GM Kenneth Griffith. In a statement release Monday ownership has remain solid behind the beleaguered Coach/GM. The owner added “one has to look in the mirror first, before he/or she points the finger at someone else and lay blame.”

Notable Stats

Buffalo Bills
Game MVP Kyler Murray 39-23, 240 yards, 1 TD 1 INT led all rushers with 58 yards on 7 carries, 2 TD.
Bills Offense outgained the Colts 393 yards to 95.
Darius Slayton (WR) 9-119 yards 1 TD
Vic Beasley Jr. (DE-OLB) 2 Sacks
Benson Mayowa (DE) 2 Sack

Indianapolis Colts
Case Keenum 16-10, 65 yards, 0TD 0 INT
Brian Hoyer 13-4, 26 yards, 0TD 0 INT


Minnesota 34 Chicago 37                     54 0-10
Minnesota visits Chicago in week 8, looking to avenge a one point loss to the Bears in week 1.  Vegas had Chicago as a 1 point favorite.  After forcing a 3 and out on the Bears opening drive, Brees wasted no time moving the Vikings down the field, opening the scoring with a 6 yd TD pass to Witten.  The Bears answered on the next drive, Garoppolo to Jones Jr. from 10 out.   7-7 after one.
Minnesota started feeding Elliott, but after moving into Bears territory, Kerrigan strips the ball, recovers and sets up the home team 1st and 10 from the Vikings 14,  Three plays later, Cook runs it in from 7 out.  Two plays into the next drive, Brees goes down with and injury and has to be wheeled off the field.  Blough takes over and moves the ball, resulting in a FG.  Minnesota 10  Chicago 14.  The teams exchange field goals and the half ends Minnesota 13  Chicago 17.
There was no let-down in the Vikings offense to open the second half.  Elliott running and Blough passing led to a 34 yard strike to Allen, and a 17-14 Vikings lead. The Chicago offense stalls and Minnesota drives again.  Allen catches a 3 yd TD pass from Blough and Minnesota leads by 10 – Minnesota 27  Chicago 17 after 3.

Bears wake up and score on a 16 yd TD pass, Garoppolo to Jones Jr., but Allen scoring again from 5 out keeps the Vikings up 10.  Minnesota 34  Chicago 24 with 8:11 left on the clock.  The Bears move the ball, but the drives stalls.  An OH penalty makes it 4th and 20.  The Bears punt, and Minnesota takes over with 5:36 left in the game.  Elliott burns some time off the clock, but the Bears force the 3 and out.  The punt give Chicago 1st and 10 from on their own 42, 3:11 left.  Jimmy G goes to the short passing game, gets to the Vikings 23, Seibert drills the FG, Minnesota 34  Chicago 27, 2:36 to go.  Bears D comes up big again, Vikings punt, Bears 1st and 10 from Chicago 38, 1:54 on the clock.  Chicago moves the ball, offensive holding followed by a sack brings up 3rd and 14, but Garoppolo to Jones converts on a facemask penalty and the drive continues.  4 plays later, Cook runs it in from 7 out and Chicago completes the comeback, 34-34 with 0:32 on the clock.  A sack on Minnesota’s first play kills any last second drive for the win.  Overtime!
Minnesota gets the ball first, but Elliott fumbles again, and Kerrigan recovers again.  The Bears look to be in control, 1st and 10 from the Minnesota 35.  The Bears open the drive with a holding penalty and 3 plays later, Garoppolo is picked off by Joseph.  Now it’s the Vikings setup for the win, 1st and 10 from the Chicago 34.  After three Elliott runs nets 2 yards, Zuerlein is setup for the 48 yard winning field goal.  The kick is up…   No good!!!  Chicago goes three and out, then sack Blough twice to kill the Vikings drive.  Chicago gets the ball with 1:38 left in the game, moves down the field, and Seibert wins it with a 49 yard field goal.
Minnesota 34   Chicago 37 (OT)
Rich called a great game, and his play calling kept his team in it despite losing their superstar QB.  He deserved better.

Minnesota:  Blough 17/26/191 3 TD; Elliott 35/162; Allen 9/145 3 TD
Chicago:  Garoppolo 32/59/297 2 TD 1 INT; Cook 19/79 2 TD; Jones Jr. 10/106 2 TD

Atlanta 34 Los Angeles (N) 21               68 Calm
A beat up Rams team hosted the equally beat up Atlanta Falcons in Los Angeles. The two teams appear to be on different tracks, after a slow start Atlanta has turned it around the past few games while the Rams after pulling some surprising upsets are on a downward slope.

The game was close and back and forth up until the first drive of the third quarter when the first game changing play happened. The Flacons led 21-14 but the Rams were driving. At about midfield Rams QB Daniel Jones went back for a pass but was strip sacked. Falcons recovered. Atlanta QB Phil Rivers drove the ball into field goal range, 24-14, Falcons lead. After a three and out by the Rams the game appeared to be over, but a Rivers interception breathed life into the Rams chances, making the game 24-21 Rams. The Falcons quickly answered with a touchdown drive of their own though, crushing any Rams fan of a season sweep of Atlanta. Atlanta would another field to put the nail in the coffin late in the 4th, 34-21 Falcons. Rivers had a dominant performance, 4 TD passes and looks to be a candidate for offensive player of the week.

Next week the Rams head to the Bayou to face the Saints, while Atlanta is also on the road traveling to San Francisco.

Arizona 27 New York (N) 17                  56 0-10
Trailing 14-10 at the half, Cardinals outscore New York 17-3 in the second half to remain in the hunt for the NFC East title.

Rushing Leaders
Elliott,E(Min) 35-162
Henry,D(Car)    27-150
Chubb,N(LAC)    16-147 1 TD
Hyde,C(Oak)     21-116
Montgomery(KC) 24-115
Jones,A(Was)    19-103

Receiving Leaders
Metcalf(Jax)    11-257 2 TD
Allen,K(Min)     9-145 3 TD
Kirk(Ari)      10-107 1 TD
Jones Jr.(Chi) 10-106 2 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Crowder(Chi)    10- 88
Jones,J(LAC)     5- 65 3 TD
Landry(KC)       5- 43 3 TD

Passing Leaders
Mahomes(Ari)    51-37-360   2 TD
Allen,J(Jax)    32-20-320   2 TD
Rodgers,A(Cin) 42-27-308   1 TD
Wilson,R(Car)   30-21-304   2 TD
Rivers(Atl)     41-25-302   4 TD 1 Int
Garoppolo(Chi) 50-32-297   2 TD 1 Int

Defensive Standouts
Sullivan(LAC)    2 Int – IFL Defensive Player of the Week

Special Teams
Sims Jr.(Bal) 6-160 Kick Ret
Butker(Phi)    4-4 FG – IFL Special Teams Player of the Week
Agnew(SF)      3-164 Kick Ret 1 TD 2-13 Punt Ret

IFL WEEK EIGHT STANDINGS

IFL WEEK EIGHT LEAGUE LEADERS

WEEK 7 RECAP

Cardinals Saquon Barkley rushes for 156 yards and two touchdowns in win over Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay 28 Arizona 37                     86 Calm
Arizona came into the Tampa game with their season on the line. The Cardinals had just lost a close game to the division rival Redskins and were even with a 3 win 3 loss record. Tampa was 5 and 1 and confident they would leave the desert with another win.

Tampa would receive the opening kick and promptly handed the ball off to Barkley who scampered for 12 yards and a first down, making it look easy. It was not easy. Penalties and poor throws by Mahomes stalled the drive.

The Bucs sized up the Zona D and went to work. After a carry up the middle by Hurley, Carr wasted no time hitting Lockett for a 42 yard burst. Zona stiffened and forced a missed 52 yard field goal.

The Zona offense would return to the field and it was Mahomes turn to find OJ Howard for a 40 yard reception. However, Tampa came to play also and the Zona drive stalled but Carlson was able to make the kick and Zona went up by three.

After receiving the kickoff Carr would complete two passes moving his team 20 yards down the field. But on the next play Gurley would be stuffed by Adams forcing him to cough up the ball. Zona would take over. Mahomes found Williams deep for 33 yards. Another 13 yard completion to running back Johnson would set up a 2 yard touchdown by Barkley. Zona 10 to zip.

Tampa was not ready to give up though. Carr returned to the field guns blazing. Throwing the ball crisply he completed pass after pass before finding Lockett deep again for another 31 yard strike. Gurley took the next hand off to the house to get on the board with a touchdown of their own. The score was now 10 to 7 Zona.

On the next series Mahomes would use every weapon to move the ball down the field. After moving to the 5 yard line, Mahomes would toss 3 consecutive incompletions and the team had to settle for 3 points.

Tampa would seize the momentum. After one incompletion on first down, Carr would complete the next 7 passes with the seventh netting him 6 points. Tampa wen ahead by one leading the Red Birds 14 to 14.

Zona would manage one more long drive in the half but could only come up with a field goal to lead at the half 16 to 14.

Tampa's first possession in the second half started where they left off by moving the ball down field. However, Carr threw a wound bird pass which was picked off by Conley. Zona would waste no time taking advantage of the error. Mahomes found Kirk in the end zone immediately to go up 23 to 14.

Carr was not intimidated. He moved the ball down the field completion by completion. Then as he had all night, he found Lockett for a 30 yard TD. Zona 23 and Tampa 21.

Zona was not done yet though. After taking the kickoff, Mahome's handed off to Barkley who took it 51 yards up field running like a wrecking ball through the Bucs. Another 20 yards on two more Barkley carries and Johnson would cap the drive with 5 yard touchdown run. All eight cylinders seemed to be in operation, Zona 30 Tampa 21, The fans breathed easier.

Suddenly, the game shifted to defense. Both teams alternated shutting down the other teams offense. Each team had two drives stall as time ticked off the clock into the 4th quarter.

Then lightning struck. After receiving the punt, Carr found Brown deep and completed a 79 yard TD. With only seconds off the clock, Tampa was right back at Zonas throat only down by two points.

Defense would prevail again as each team struggled to move the ball. Finally, Arizona was able to put a drive together to go up 37 to 28 for the final score in the game. Barkley would finish with 156 yards and the Cardinals finished with 526 yards of total offense. Zona remains in the hunt for a playoff spot, but still has miles to go before they sleep.

Kansas City 6 Cincinnati 17                 59 0-10
Ronald Jones rushed for 114 yards and a score as the Bengals get past Kansas City 17-6. After a scoreless first quarter, Rodgers connected with Chark for the 15 yard score. On the Chiefs next series Scarlett fumbled with Cincinnati safety Jessie Bates recovering at the Kansas City 20 yard line. RoJo then runs for 18 and takes it in from two yards out the next play for a 14-0 Bengals lead. The Chiefs put together an 11 play-75 yard drive capped off by a Dalton to Bourne 21 yard scoring pass. The extra point was no good. Cincinnati added a Fairbairn field goal from 36 yards out just before the half for the 17-6 final.

Next week the Chiefs host Oakland while the Bengals welcome Washington.

Carolina 27 Miami 26                        85 Calm
Carolina came to town for a game against Miami and early on it looked like a Panther route. Panthers score 10 on their 1st 2 possessions before Miami gets on the board early in the second with a Mark Ingram TD to cut the lead to 10-7 with 14:05 remaining in the half. Carolina then goes on a 10 play drive but it stalls at the 33 but Lambo hits a 51 yd FG to make it 13-7 Panthers halfway thru the 2nd quarter. After stalling on a 4th down at the Carolina 41 with 1:05 left the Panthers move 23 yards and get the 55YD FG as time expires in the half to make it 16-7 Carolina at the half.

Miami punts on it's 1st possession in the 2nd half but Peters intercepts Wilson and 3 plays later the Dolphins get the TD to make the score 16-14 with 9:10 left in the 3rd. Carolina drives the ball to the Miami 27 but hit the FG to increase their lead to 19-14 with 4:18 left in the 3rd. Miami would get the ball back and go on a 13 play drive culminating in a 1 yard Ingram TD and take the lead with 10:09 remaining at 20-19 (Dolphins tried for 2 was unsuccessful). With a 5 minute drive Carolina scores the TD and gets the 2 to make the score Panthers 27-20 over the Dolphins. Miami goes on it's own 5 minute drive and with only 25 seconds left in the game get the TD to make the score 27-26. With a totally gassed defense coach Cox decides to go for it and get the win, but the 2 pt conversion is unsuccessful and the Panthers hold on for the 27-26 win. Looking back in hindsight coach Cox says he probably should have kicked the PAT and went to OT and took his chances but hindsight is always 20-20.

Looking ahead next week the Panthers are at home against the 49ers and the Dolphins travel to the Powerhouse Patriots to face NE

Los Angeles (N) 17 Buffalo 20               43 20-30
Bills convert 7 of 12 third down attempts as they upset defending Super Bowl champs.

Washington 38 Detroit 14                    70
Skins jump out to a 24-7 lead at the half and cruise to the win. Aaron Jones rushes for three touchdowns.

Denver 20 Baltimore 33                      68 5-15
Denver (3-3) came to Baltimore as 1 point favorites over the Ravens (4-2) and put 10 points on the board off three Raven turnovers, but this one was never really in question as Baltimore rolled, 33-20.

After Jon Hilliman fumbled and lost the ball on the 2nd play of the game, Baltimore was on the Broncos 7 yard line. Three incomplete passes later, the Ravens would settle for a 25-yard Michael Badgley FG. Baltimore, 3-0.

The Broncos went 3-and-out on their next possession, but pinned the Ravens at their own 1 on a terrific punt by Mitch Wishnowsky. Baker Mayfield threw caution to the wind and dropped back and found Will Fuller flying down the right sideline for 25. One play later, Mayfield hit Fuller on a short slant and Fuller ran it all the way down to the Bronco 26 for a 55 yard gain. Five plays after that, Mayfield hit Mark Andrews on a short cross for a 3-yard TD pass. Baltimore, 10-0.

Punts were exchanged on the next three possessions and Baltimore took over on their own 17. After a short run by Le'Veon Bell, Mayfield was looking for Foster Moreau underneath, but instead found Denver's Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, who returned the gift for six-points. Baltimore, 10-7.

Baltimore would recover, moving down field against the Broncos. The big play was a 26-yard double-reverse run by Steven Sims Jr. Again on the Broncos 7 yard line, Mayfield replayed his three straight incomplete passes, which brought Michael Badgley out for a 35-yard FG after a holding penalty. Baltimore, 13-7.

Denver marched toward mid-field as the two-minute warning sounded. Faced with a 4th-and-2 at the Raven 45, Coach Crandall decided to go for it, but Jarrett Stidham's short slant to Tyreek Hill was batted away by Raven CB Chidobe Awuzie. A short (11-yard) completion to Bell and a long (36-yard) completion to Andrews put the Ravens on the doorstep again with :36 on the clock before the half. Faced with a 4th-and-1 with :05 on the clock, Coach Master decided to go for it rather than kick another FG. A bootleg was called and Mayfield converted easily, though the 2-pt try didn't go as well. Baltimore, 19-7.

The Ravens took the double-dip second half kick-off and marched down field quickly, with Mayfield hitting Fuller in the seam for a 12-yard TD pass. Baltimore, 26-7.

Denver would be held to a 3-and-out, but Kenjon Barner couldn't hang onto Wishnowsky's punt and the Broncos recovered on the Raven 27. Four plays later Stidham found Hill crossing the middle for an 8-yard TD. The 2-pt try did not convert. Baltimore, 26-13.

Denver surprised with an onside kick attempt, but the Ravens special teams recovered (even though they weren't playing for it). On the second play from scrimmage, Jaylen Samuels snuck down the sidelines for a 26-yard fly and Mayfield hit Miles Boykin for 17, putting the ball on the Bronco 3. On their third attempt, Mayfield plunged over the goalline. Baltimore, 33-13.

As the 3rd quarter turned into the 4th, Denver plodded toward the Raven goal, but only managed 33 yards on 15 plays, taking 7:26 off the clock. Their punt pinned the Ravens at their 12. Five of the next six plays were rushes, trying to burn clock. Faced with a 3rd-and-12, Mayfield dropped back for a short slant, but instead found Ronald Darby, who picked off Mayfield's pass and returned it 38 yards to the Raven 5. Stidham found Hill on the next play for a 5-yard TD pass. Baltimore, 33-20.

Not much to write about from that point to the end as both teams saw the writing on the wall and ran out the last few minutes of the game.

Baker Mayfield was named the game's MVP, his third this year, overcoming 2 INTs with 2 TDs via the pass and 2 more via the run. His modest 17-for-33 game did result in 273 yards, while the ground game churned out 116 yards on 33 carries.

Surprisingly, the Ravens D was rather quiet - no sacks, no INTs - but did limit the Broncos to just 163 yards of total offense, while the Ravens compiled 389.

Next week:
Baltimore (5-2) hosts Jacksonville (4-2) in a big AFC Central clash. The Ravens held on for a narrow 24-23 victory in their first meeting when the Jaguars 2-point conversion with :14 left failed.
Denver (3-4) continues their 4-game road trip with a visit to Houston (3-3), whom they defeated 34-24 in their first meeting.

Houston 34 Pittsburgh 17                    58 10-20 Rain
Houston (3-3) comes into the Steel City riding a 3 game win streak while the Steelers (2-4) have dropped 2 in a row. The teams faced rainy windy (10-20 mph) conditions but mild temperatures (58) as Houston is installed by the experts as a 5 point favorite.

1st Quarter- Houston starts with the ball have some success mixing in the pass and run starting at their own 7 caused by a holding penalty on the kick return. They reach the 50 and that's when Safety Anthony Harris steps in front of a Cousins check down for the INT he laterals to Webb who takes it down to Houston's 17 yard line. Pittsburgh's offense is unable to move the ball and they have to settle for a 31 yard FG. this is how the quarter ends as the teams swap a couple of punts the rest of the quarter.

2nd Quarter- Continuing a drive that started in the 1st half Cousins is able to take advantage of good field position( their own 48yrd line) and get the Texans down to Pittsburgh's 7 yard line where the drive stalls and they also settle for a 25 yard FG. Brady and company would take their next possession and go on a 12 play 75 yard drive culminating in a 8 yard Brady to Byrd TD pass. The possession had stalled and the Steelers were punting but a roughing the kicker penalty keep the possession alive. 10-3 Steelers 7 minutes to go in the half. The Texans would answer fast 5 plays Cousins to Goodwin from 20 yards out and we are tied again. Brady gets hurt in the next series and the Steelers go 3 and out. On the Texans ensuing possession another quick strike Cousins to Goodwin this time from 54 yards out and the visitors take the lead 17-10 into the half.

3rd Quarter - Its game 6 of the season and the Steelers have yet to score a point in the 3rd quarter. Trying to reverse this trend Pittsburgh take the opening possession inside Texans territory (43 yd line) but on a 3rd and 4 are called for a hold killing the drive . Houston waste no time taking control of the game 18 yards to Goodwin a short run then a 69 yard strike to rookie Terry Mclaurin and the Texans are now feeling comfortable with a 24-10 lead. Brady is picked off on the next possession in his own territory by ILB David (1st) and Houston is back in business at the 34 yard line. The drive stalls at the 7 but they tack on another FG to make it 27-10 with 5 to play in the 3rd.

4th Quarter - The Steelers took a possession into the 4th after Texans last score and went 12 plays in 5 minutes and tried to make a game of it as Brady connects with Brown from 11 yards out making it 27-17 with 14 minutes left in the game. But the Texans offensive on this day was just to much as Houston closed the door on their next possession by quickly moving down the field as Cousins again connects with Goodwin for a 16 yard score that sealed the game.

Cousins has a big game for Houston going 23-28 389 yards with 4 TD 1 pick Goodwin 8-143-3TD's and Mclaurin 6-133-1TD

Houston did get nicked up though as CB Malcolm Butler will miss 6 weeks and LB Christian Jones will miss 3 weeks.

Houston (4-3) returns home to take on division rival Denver (3-3) while Pittsburgh (2-5) will remain home and host Tennessee (1-5)

Los Angeles (A) 28 Tennessee 13             69 0-5
Nick Chubb shreds the Tennessee defence for 159 yards on only 16 carries. That's 10 yards a carry. It felt like a competitive game until the Titans again gave up two TD's in the last two minutes of the first half. The Chargers (3-4) host Detroit (4-2) while the Titans (1-6) visit the Steelers (2-4) in a battle for the basement of the AFC Central.

New Orleans 16 Indianapolis 10              69
Indianapolis, Indiana (IFL.com) – The NFC West division leading New Orleans Saints (5-2) came into the Lucas Oil Field with the second best defense in the IFL and a 8 point favorite against the struggling Indianapolis Colts (1-6).

First Half

Twenty-three (23) of the twenty-six (26) points were all scored in the first-half, with New Orleans holding a 16-7 lead at the break.

Hodges 12 pass to Beasley (McManus XP) (4-35-2:16)
7-0

FG
McManus 31 (8-55-4:30)
10-0

Hoyer 15 pass to Tate (Hauschka XP) (13-75-7:13)
10-7

FG
McManus 31 (9-62-5:13)
13-7

FG
McManus 24 (9-56-2:09)
16-7

FG
Hauschka 37 (4--6-1:08)
16-10

Second Half

Late in the third quarter (0:30) the Colts would close to within 3 on a Steven Hauschka 37-yard Field Goal, the quarter ends with the Saints clutching a 16-10 lead.

The Final Drive

With 3:13 left in the fourth quarter and the Saints leading 16-10, Eli Manning and the Saints faced a 3rd and 8 at the Colts 9-yardline when Manning faded back to pass and was interceptive by Colts linebacker K.J. Wright at the 4 and returned 11-yards to the 15. Starting from its own 15-yardline Case Keenum who replaced starter Brian Hoyer early in the third quarter took the Colts on a 15 play 58 yard drive that died on a 4th and 4 with 00:12 left on the clock at the Saints 27, turnover on downs. Final 16-10 Saints, the game MVP was Saints De’Vondre Campbell (OLB) with 6 Tackles 2 Pass Defense 1 INT 19-yard return,

Next
New Orleans (5-2) @ New York Jets (5-1)
Buffalo Bills (1-5) @ Indianapolis (1-6)

New York (A) 45 Atlanta 6                   68
Jets completely dominate to win 45-6. Quarterback DeShaun Watson throws two touchdowns and rushes for another.

New York (N) 24 Green Bay 10                59 5-15
Powerhouse Giants come into Green Bay and dominate early.

Visitors score on their first possession and race out to a 17-0 first half lead.

Packers got a brief glimpse of hope just before halftime as RB Philips Lindsay
capped off a long drive with a 5 yard TD.

17-7 Giants at the break.

Any optimism was short lived as New York took the second half kickoff and went 75 yards in
12 plays to open it up to 24-7.

Packers got an early 4th quarter FG to cut it to 14 points and then moved down
to the Giants 6 yard line with just under 4 minutes left but New York's defense forced a turnover
on downs and that was the ball game.

24-10 the final.

Even though first downs and total yards were close to even, this one was never really in doubt.

QB Carson Wentz was named MVP despite passing for just 137 yards and 2TDS
RB's Chris Carson and Matt Breida combined for 127 yards on 26 carries

Packers QB AJ McCarron struggled, going 18 of 38 with 2 ints (38.8 rating)
Lindsay had 87 yards on the ground

Packers (2-5) host divisional foe Tampa Bay next week, Giants (5-2) are at home to Arizona

Dallas 15 Chicago 23                        58 5-15
Dallas (0-6) played at Chicago (3-3) in week 7, the Bears a 4 point favorite. Dallas moved the ball well in the 1st, but their first 3 drives resulted in missed FG, fumble, fumble.  Chicago took advantage of the 2nd turnover and scored on a 50 yard run by Dalvin Cook.  Dallas 0  Chicago 7 after one.

Chicago scored midway in the second to go up 14-0, but Dallas answered with two TD passes by Minshew.  A missed extra point and failed 2-point conversion had the score at the half Dallas 12  Chicago 14.

Dallas took the lead 15-14 late in the 3rd, but Chicago answered with a TD drive.  After 3, Dallas 15  Chicago 20.

The Chicago D stifled the Dallas offense in the 4th, and the Bears held on for the win.

Dallas 15  Chicago 23
Dallas out-gained Chicago 406 to 323, had 21 first downs to the Bears’ 16, and had a 4 minute advantage in time of possession.  2 turnovers and 5 sacks were the difference.

Dallas:  Minshew 24/44, 318, 2 TD; T Williams 8/124 1TD; Stills 6/114 1 TD.

Chicago:  Garoppolo 18/27, 185, 2 TD; Cook 16/92 rushing, 1 TD, 6/50 receiving, 1 TD; Jones Jr. 5/71 1 TD.

Next week Dallas is home to play Philadelphia, Chicago hosts Minnesota.

Oakland 27 Jacksonville 6                   75 5-15
The raiders D shuts down the Jags O for an impressive 27-6 road victory. There wasn't much offense in this one but the S Harrison Smith provided all the points the Raiders need with a 27 yard fumble recovery for a TD and a 40 yard pick six for a TD sealing the Jags fate.

A well coached defensive game by coach Jackson.

The Jags fall to 4-3 while the Raiders climb to 5-2.

Philadelphia 24 Minnesota 26                68
The Philadelphia (Eagles 4-2) visited the Minnesota Vikins (3-3) essentially without their high-powered star Ryan Tannehill, who spent most of the game sitting on the sidelines resting his overworked arm on ice. The Vikings know it will be their turn soon to rest the arm of Drew Brees. We keep waiting to fall behind early before so we can pull him, but we find that his quarterbacking tends to keep us in nearly every game. Would someone please blow us out early??

Philly looked like it might do just that, opening up a 14-3 lead in the 2nd Q of the week 7 game. But suddenly they stopped scoring, as the Vikings ran off 16 straight points to take the lead, 19-14, with 11:25 to go in the 4th Q. With 7:02 left, the Eagles' Harrison Butker hit a field goal from 55 yards out to narrow the deficit to 19-17. Brees, however, kept his composure and drove the length of the field for another touchdown to make the margin 26-17. Tannehill, who had played a couple of plays in key passing situations earlier, re-entered the game and took the Eagles all the way to a touchdown in only 1:19 that made the score 26-24 with 1:05 to go. The Vikngs then ran out the clock to secure the win.

Brees totally dominated Jameis Winston, who subbed for Tannehill. Winston started the game well, engineering the 14-3 early lead, but soon started to be ugly. Brees finished with 297 yards on 29 for 38 passes for a 124.6 QBR. Winston finished with only 137 yards and 67.5 QBR. Tannehill racked up 98 yards on only 10 passes for a 126.3 rating.

Philly's Kerryon Johnson rushed for 119 yards on 20 carries. Minnesota's Keenan Allen had 128 yards receiving on 11 catches.

Both teams are now 4-3. In week 8, Philly goes to Dallas and Minny goes to Chicago.

San Francisco 7 New England 31              47 0-10
Lamar Jackson tossed TD passes to Kupp, Hurst and John Ross while completing 21 of 24 passes, leading NE to a 31-7 win over visiting SF.
Jason McCourty was injured in the first quarter, further hampering an already injury-weakened 49ers secondary. Dontrell Hilliard and Jordan Howard did their best to pick up the slack for Devin Singletary (healthy scratch) but Mitch Trubisky managed only 87 yards passing along with an interception, leaving the SF offense unable to keep up with the Patriots on this day.

Rushing Leaders
Chubb,N(LAC)   16-159 1 TD
Barkley,S(Ari) 24-156 2 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Henry,D(Car)    18-122
Johnson,K(Phi) 20-119 1 TD
Jones II(Cin)   18-114 1 TD
Mack,M(NYJ)     18-111
Jones,A(Was)    19-92 3 TD
Ingram II(Mia) 20-76 3 TD

Receiving Leaders
Godwin(Hou)      8-143 3 TD
Allen,K(Min)    11-128 1 TD

Passing Leaders
Cousins(Hou)    28-23-389   4 TD 1 Int
Carr,D(TB)      40-25-361   3 TD 1 Int
Mahomes(Ari)    44-25-339   1 TD
Minshew II(Dal) 44-24-318   2 TD
Ryan,M(Ten)     45-31-311   2 TD

Defensive Standouts
Jones,C(Chi)     3 Sk 4 Tk – IFL Defensive Player of the Week

Special Teams
Lambo(Car)     4-4 FG – IFL Special Teams Player of the Week
Grant,J(Atl)   7-178 Kick Ret

IFL WEEK SEVEN STANDINGS

IFL WEEK SEVEN LEAGUE LEADERS

WEEK 6 RECAP

The Panthers rally behind Derrick Henry's three rushing touchdowns to defeat the Rams.

Game Scores
Los Angeles (N) 27 Carolina 30              61 0-5   Heavy Rain
Rams come out firing and jump to a commanding lead, but a furious comeback by the Panthers spoils a deserved win.

Behind Daniel Jones' stellar play the Rams dominated early, jumping out to a 21-7 first half lead. Russel Wilson was completing well below 50% of his passes and the rushing game was ineffective for the Panthers.

The Rams would extend their lead to 27-7 late in the third as Jones hit Hilton on a 6 yard pass that looked like it should seal the game, especially with the ineptitude the Panther's offense had shone so far. The Rams missed the PAT which would be big later.

The Panthers offense then hit their stride and scored the next 20 points with two TD's and two field goals, the last score being a field goal that knotted the game at 27 with 27 seconds left in the 4th.

The game heads to overtime and the Rams won the toss but had to put after a four and out. The Panthers took over at their own 33 and swiftly moved down the field to kick the game winning field goal from the 12 to complete the unlikely comeback.

New England 40 Indianapolis 3               69
Indianapolis, IND (IFL.com) – The number one ranked team in the IFL.com Power Rankings came to Lucas Oil Stadium and beat the Colts 40-3. The Patriots have the number one ranked offense, averaging 34.7 points pregame, and the number one ranked defense 12 points pregame, “and were what we thought they were,” another L on the schedule. This game was no contest, a mismatch from the very beginning. New England scored on its first four possessions. Indianapolis punted 6 times, fumbled, and kicked a 48-yard field goal on its first eight possessions. The outcome was never in doubt.

Buffalo 7 San Francisco 23                  77 0-10
Buffalo at the 49ers, both teams 1-4 and they basically played
uninspired. The game was closer than the score, the difference being
Buffalo turnovers leading to 3 short field FGs for the Niners.

Jacksonville 27 Pittsburgh 17               61 0-10
Division rivals clash in the steel city both licking their wounds from a week 5 beat down on the road. Jacksonville 3-2 got taken apart by the Giants 38-14 and the Steelers 2-3 went to Cincinnati in a heavy downpour and got embarrassed 30-0. However Jacksonville comes into Pittsburgh installed as a 7 point favorite .

The Jags won the toss and elected to receive but went 3 and out . The Steelers took their opening possession 8 plays ending in a Pineiro 46 yard field goal 3-0 Pittsburgh. The Jags answered with a 6 play drive back to back 20 plus yard receptions by Rookie DK Metcalf help get Jacksonville in field goal range as the drive stalls after a holding penalty by Martin leads to a 36 yard Bullock FG. The quarter would end 3-3.

2nd Quarter - Brady is picked off at his 49 yard line on a possession that carried over from the 1st quarter as Gilmore gets his 3rd pick of the season and runs it down to the 23 as the first momentum shift of the game happens. after an encroachment penalty on rookie DT Christian Wilkens a short pass for a 5 yard gain ,then a Sack by veteran Suggs brings up a 2 and 14 . Josh Allen finds David Johnson out of the back field and he scampers 17 yards for a TD. 10-3 with 10:37 to go. Pittsburgh would respond with a 13 play 72 yard drive Capped of by a Gus Edwards 10 yard scamper for a TD on a 1st and 10 from the Jags 10. Score is 10-10 with 3:11 to go in the half . The Jags were able to hold the ball the rest of the half slowly moving down the field ending in a 54 yard Bullock FG attempt as Jacksonville called their last time out with 2 seconds to go. Bullocks kick is true and the Jags get to the locker room up 13-10.

3rd Quarter - Pittsburgh's opening drive stalls and Jacksonville takes over on their 27. Coach hood turns over the 1st possession of the second half to his second year QB Josh Allen and he doesn't disappoint. Allen completes passes of 16,12,23,10 then gets an 11 TD pass to Te Jack Doyle as the Jags open up a 10 point lead with 9 minutes left in the 3rd. The Steelers answer with 7 straight runs that takes them from their 25 to Jacksonville's 26 on a 3rd and 3 coach Alberry decides to try a PA Pass but Jacksonville has it covered as Brady tries to dump it off to his FB Watt CB Tre Davious White steps in front with his 3rd INT this year to end the drive . On the very next possession Brady trying to get something going is picked off on the 3rd play again its Gilmore (4th of the season) and this time he takes it to the house putting the Jags up 27-10 going into the 4th.

4th Quarter - Pittsburgh is stopped on a 4th down play on Jacksonville's 45 yard line. Jacksonville has 2 punts and Pittsburgh punts once as the clock is ticking away on the Steeler's chances. With 3:38 to play and starting on their own 10 yard line Pittsburgh is able to put a drive together but Jacksonville is playing loose deep coverage trying not to give up the quick one. Brady connects with WR Brown on a short out but Brown does the rest and takes it in form 19 yards out to cut the score to 10 point deficit but only 50 seconds remain. The onside kick is unsuccessful and the Jags get a division road win and as the Steelers have lost all 3 of their division games so far this year.

On a good note for the home team their were no fans allowed in the stadium so they didn't have to deal with a hostile home crowd:) but as a result TV sales will probable be on the rise this week in the Steel City.

Final Score Jacksonville 27 Pittsburgh 17 - Game MVP is Stephon Gilmore 8 tackles 1 pass defense 2 INT's and 1 TD.

Injuries - Steelers WR Auden Tate 3 games
               Jags       RB Roosevelt Nix 9 games
                             DE Taco Charlton 5 games
                             DL Tyrone Crawford 11 games

Jacksonville (4-2) host Oakland (3-2) while the Steelers (2-4) host Houston (2-3)

Cincinnati 34 Tennessee 27                  69 0-10
Final scores can be deceiving and this game proves it. The Bengals 34-27 victory says this was a competitive game but it was NOT. Cincinnati lead 27-7 halfway through the 4th quarter when DKS finally decided Matt Ryan is not Brock Osweiler and Ryan lead the Titans to 3 TD's down the stretch. Unfortunately sandwiched in there was a failed onside kick immediately followed by a 46 yard TD pass Aaron Rodgers to DJ Chalk. That sealed the Titans fate as they drop to 1-5 while Cincinnati improves to 5-1. Bengals host KC next week while the Titans host the Los Angeles Chargers.

Miami 13 New York (A) 30                    70 0-10
The NY Jets hosted the fish from Miami in their 3rd home game of the season, and once again the seats were empty due to the CDC guidelines for social distancing.

The IFL does not want to be responsible for a “super spreader” event, which is absolutely understandable. New Jersey along with the NY Giants, and Jets are hoping to allow up to 10,000 fans to attend their home games later this month.

Good news for Dolphin, and Jets fans was that this game was anything but exciting. It took over 2 hours to play despite Miami Coach Tony Cox using a slow down offense for much of the game. Both coaches were guessing that there must have been a slow connection from Hamachi. Probably China had something to due with it...With the game being played so slowly fans at home had plenty of time to hit the kitchen for snacks, and beverages, not to mention plenty of time to go to the lavatory, without missing much action.

The Jets received the opening kickoff, but could do nothing with it. After punting to Miami the Jet’s defense let the Dolphins take over 9 minutes off the clock before forcing a 37 yard FG.

New York took only 3 minutes to convert a Watson to Mack pass into 7 points...first quarter ends 7-3 Jets. Time of possession in the quarter was 10:30 for Miami, and 4:30 for NY.

The second quarter saw Miami kick another FG, and Watson throw another TD pass, this one covered 25 yards, and went to TE Higbee. At the half 14-6 Jets.

Miami opened the 2nd half with the ball, and took over 4 minutes off the clock before Goff made the most exciting play of the game by throwing a TD pass to Jamie Collins. Yes that Collins, the one that plays LB for the Jets, he took it 75 yards for a TD. Jets 21-6.

Goff came back on the next drive, and completed another TD pass, this one to his teammate WR Cooks. It covered 50 yards, and made it 21-13 Jets. That drive took 4 minutes off the clock.

New York then responded by going 75 yards in just under 3 minutes to score another TD on a 15 yard run by Mack. The extra point was missed making it 27-13 Jets.

The 4th quarter saw each team punt 3 times, and the only points scored were by the Jets on a 34 yard FG. That made the final score 30-13. Both coaches were dehydrated after the game, and most of the fans at home were either sound asleep, or watching something on Netflix.

Next week Miami hosts Carolina, and New York travels to Atlanta.

Green Bay 15 Chicago 23                     61 5-15
Turnovers were the difference in Chicago's 23-15 victory over visiting Green Bay.

Baltimore 21 Philadelphia 27                66 10-20
Two non-conference opponents looking to keep pace in their respective divisions faced off in Week 6 of the IFL season. It was a great back and forth game with the Eagles getting the win in OT. The win came on the opening drive of OT as Eagle QB Ryan Tannehill drove the team down the field but it was RB Adrian Peterson who would win the game on a 31-yard jaunt.

Washington 31 Arizona 27                    86 Calm
Washington heads into Arizona and starts out hot with a 17 point first quarter. Arizona would battle back scoring 13 points in the last 5 minutes of the 2nd quarter and then finally take the lead with 2:19 left in the 4th. Unfortunately for Arizona that was too much time for Prescott as he would drive them down the field and on a 3rd and 8 with 11 seconds left Prescott would take off and run it in himself.

Washington improves to 4-2 and Arizona falls to 3-3. Washington will travel to Detroit next week and Arizona will host Tampa Bay.

Dallas 10 New York (N) 27                   67 0-10
Carson Wentz throws two touchdown passes to Kenny Gollady as the Giants defeat Dallas.

Los Angeles (A) 10 Oakland 35               59 5-15
Matthew Stafford tosses five touchdown passes as Raiders cruise past Chargers.

Atlanta 17 New Orleans 27                   70
Atlanta would travel to division rival Saints. The Saints had picked up Eli Manning for his farewell tour and be rewarded with a 340 yard and 2 TD performance. Shepherd would catch 6 balls and 2 TD's leading the Saints to a big division win. Philip Rivers would toss for 250 yards and 2 TD's for Atlanta. As usual a great game called by Atlanta.

Kansas City 7 Denver 25                     62 0-5
Denver plays well and keeps the Chiefs windless in a 25-7 victory at Mile High.

Tampa Bay 41 Detroit 21                     70
In a game both teams had circled on their schedules before they started the season, that then was underlined and double circled in red when both teams jumped out to 4 and 1 records, Lions QB Sam Darnold played his first bad game of the year.
Coach Norberg was able to keep the game close in the first half despite Darnold’s first interception on the day and TWO Cordarrelle Patterson kickoff returns for touchdowns, including the opening kickoff.
The Lions were feeling pretty good in the locker room  after a tough first half and only being down 6 points 27 – 21. They could turn things around by taking the second half kickoff, going down the field and going in front for the first time in the game.  Things went according to plan until at first and 10 at the Tampa 33, tackle Alejandro Villanueva is called for holding followed up by center Ben Jones for a false start. Drive killers they were.
On the next possession, Tampa Bay’s Derek Carr finds Tyler Lockett for a 49 yard bomb TD. After a two-point conversion by Todd Gurley on a blast up the middle, now half way through the third quarter it’s a 14 point game, 35 – 21.
With Darnold needing to carry more of the burden, the weight proved to be too much today. The next two Detroit drives end in interceptions by Janoris Jenkins and Pierre Desir.
The next score puts the Bucs up 17 on a Chris Boswell field goal with 8 minutes left in the fourth, essentially ending the game. The Scoreboard now reads 38 – 21. Darnold added his fourth interception and the game went into run out the clock mode. The final was Tampa 41 and Detroit 21.
The game ball obviously goes to Patterson who ran 4 kickoffs back for 2 TDs and a 70.5 yard average. Detroit’s Allen Robinson II grabbed 8 balls for 129 yards. Lockett took in 4 for 113 yards and 2 long TDs.
Next week Detroit hosts Washington while Tampa goes on the road to Arizona.

Houston 34 Minnesota 29                     68
Minnesota and Houston, two evenly matched teams, had a thrilling game that featured Kirk Cousins ultimately outdueling Drew Brees. Cousins was a near flawless 26 for 31 and 291 yards, while Brees suddenly became Dak Prescott, going 37 for 48 for huge yards (441 yards), but throwing two key interceptions - his first of the year - that led to Houston coming out on top, 34-29. Chris Godwin caught 10 passes for 123 yards for the Texans and Keenan Allen caught 12 passes for 147 yards for the Vikings.

Both the Vikings and the Texans are now 3-3. In week 7, Minnesota hosts Philadelphia and Houston visits Pittsburgh.

Rushing Leaders
Mack,M(NYJ)     16-139 1 TD
Chubb,N(LAC)    15-127 1 TD
Carson,C(NYG)   19-126 1 TD
Hilliman(Den)   20-107 1 TD
Montgomery(KC) 19-106 1 TD
Edwards,G(Pit) 17-104 1 TD
Henry,D(Car)    21-103 3 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week

Receiving Leaders
Allen,K(Min)    12-147 1 TD
Kelce,T(Oak)    10-140 2 TD
Godwin(Hou)     10-123 1 TD

Passing Leaders
Brees(Min)     48-37-441   2 TD 2 Int
Stafford(Oak)   45-30-377   5 TD 1 Int
Ryan,M(Ten)     47-30-344   3 TD 1 Int
Manning(NO)     34-22-340   2 TD 2 Int
Wilson,R(Car)   42-23-311

Defensive Standouts
Gilmore(Jax)     2 Int 8 Tk – IFL Defensive Player of the Week
Wagner,B(Chi)    15 Tk

Special Teams
Tucker,J(NE)   4-4 FG
Patterson(TB) 4-282 Kick Ret 2 TD – IFL Special Team Player of the Week
Boswell(TB)    4-4 FG

IFL WEEK SIX STANDINGS

IFL WEEK SIX LEAGUE LEADERS

WEEK 5 RECAP

Nyheim Hines punt return for a touchdown was a key play in Patriots win over Jets in a key AFC East match-up.

New York (A) 24 New England 27              53 0-10
In a battle of undefeated teams, the Jets and Patriots entered this Week 5 tilt as two of the top three highest scoring teams in the IFL. Patriots were favored by 4 points, but it was the visitors from NY who wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. Taking the opening kickoff, the Jets fed former Patriot Marlon Mack early and often. Runs of 7, 17, 13 and 6 yards to start the drive, followed by a 30 yard Watson scamper and finally a 3 yard Mack TD run. Like a knife through butter, the Jets were up 7-0.

New England tried answering, but the Jets had other plans. Shelby Harris sacked Lamar Jackson for a 9 yard loss on New England's first play, and on the next play, Lamar couldn't handle a bad snap and the JETS RECOVERED. First and 10 at the Patriot 15 yard line.

The Patriot's defense forced a 3 and out, but Hopkins nailed a 27 yard field goal and the Jets were up 10-0 halfway through the first quarter.

Jets cornerback Tre Flowers got New England going on the next drive, with a personal foul followed by an illegal contact penalty. Twenty yards in penalties and New England was near midfield. Lamar Jackson then hit John Ross for 19 and Ekeler and McCaffrey on short outs, leading to a 7 yard CMC touchdown run. 10-7 Jets after one quarter.

Jets go three and out on their 2nd drive of the second quarter and punt to Nyheim Hines, who returns it 55 yards for the TD! 14-10 Patriots

Jets turn to Mack once again, who proceeds to carry for 9, 6 and 12 yards to open the next drive. After a misfire to Michael Thomas, Watson finds Mack for 8 yards to bring up 3rd and 2. An incompletion to Robert Woods brings up 4th and 2 from the NE 40 yard line. Jets gamble, and Watson converts himself with a 2 yard run. Jets move into field goal range, but on 3rd and 6 from the 34 Watson was flagged for intentional grounding, killing the scoring chance and forcing a punt back to NE.

Patriots drive to the Jets 38 with under a minute in the first half, but on 4th and 1 McCaffrey was stuffed and Jets had the ball with 31 seconds remaining. Back to back incompletions was followed by a completion to Higbee who then attempted to pitch to Michael Thomas, but Thomas fumbled and NE had the ball at the Jets 48 yard line with 12 seconds in the half. A long slant to John Ross was incomplete - but once again Tre Flowers was flagged - this time for a 20 yard PI infraction, which set up a Justin Tucker field goal. 17-10 at the half.

Patriots took the kick out of the halftime locker room and immediately got the benefit of a 39 yard James Bradberry PI call, and it was first and ten at the Jets 37. Patriots maneuvered into long field goal range, but an offsides penalty on Kupp ended that quickly.

Later in the quarter, Lamar Jackson led NE on an 8 play 61 yard drive which was capped by a Jackson to Hurst 13 yard TD. With 4 minutes in the third period, NE had a 24-10 lead after falling behind 10-0 early.

As the 4th quarter began, the Jets went back to the well. Mack runs for 10 and 17 yards had the Jets into NE territory. Facing third and six from the NE 13 yard line - Watson connected with Higbee for the TD and it was a one score game once again. Patriots 24 Jets 17.

Back to back misfires from Jackson to CMC brought on 3rd and 10, but Jackson kept the drive going with a huge 21 yard completion to John Ross.
The drive stalled just after NE crossed midfield, and on 4th and 1 NE would punt back to the Jets.

PENALTY.

Jets, who thought they'd be receiving the ball back were flagged for offsides, and with 6:47 to play New England's offense was back on the field. Jackson to Kupp for 11 and a CMC 13 yard run had NE deep in Jets territory, Patriots chewed up some clock before Tucker hit a short field goal to extend the lead to 27-17 with 2:55 to play.

Jets choose to run twice , with little success. But on 3rd and 7, Watson connects with James White for the first time all day, and White does the rest...........taking it TO THE HOUSE and cutting the lead to 27-24 with 1:38 to play.

Jets would try the onside kick..................but NE was expecting it and recovered. Facing a crucial 3rd and 4 with 1:11 to play, Lamar Jackson did it with his legs and broke off a 7 yard run for the key first down. Patriots would run out the clock, and hold on for the 27-24 win.

Lamar was 20 for 27 for 207 and a TD, though he was limited to 15 yards rushing on 8 carries by a stout Jets defense. Marlon Mack was the star of the game for NY, rushing for 149 yards on 24 carries and a TD. On the flipside, Michael Thomas was held to only 3 grabs for 16 yards by Richard Sherman and the NE secondary. Deshaun Watson completed a mere 10 of 23 pass attempts, though two went for TDs.

Some great play calling by Bob was ALMOST enough to offset 114 yards in penalties and a momentum-shifting punt return TD. These two teams will meet again in a few weeks.

Next week, NE travels to Indy while NY hosts Miami.

Philadelphia 27 Washington 17               56 0-10
Eagles overcome a 10-3 halftime deficit to defeat Washington. Tannehill’s 16 yard scoring strike to Edelman proved to be the difference.

Los Angeles (A) 30 Kansas City 12           49 5-15
Chargers break open a close game with 13 unanswered fourth quarter points.

Chicago 14 Tampa Bay 31                     81 10-20
Tampa Bay owned the first half whistle to whistle while jumping out to a 24 – 0 lead.
After the Bucs went up by 7, the Bears pushed the ball down to the Tampa 15, but the drive stalled and then Austin Seibert hooked the 33 yard attempt. After falling behind 21 – 0, Chicago went for it on 4th and 4 at the Buc 29, but came up short on a Jimmy Garoppolo toss to Jonnu Smith. Tampa tacked on a field goal for the 24 - 0 halftime score.
The Bears get the zero off the board with their first possession of the second half when Garoppolo finds Jamison Crowder streaking across the middle. The Chicago defense holds, but the offense is not able to take advantage. Tampa goes ahead 31 – 7 with 10 minutes left in the game on a Derek Carr keeper which essentially ended the contest.
Next week Chicago is on the road again versus Green Bay. Tampa Bay heads to take on bitter division rival Detroit.

Indianapolis 7 Los Angeles (N) 31           64 Calm
Injuries, penalties, turnovers, nearly everything went wrong that could go wrong for the visiting Indianapolis Colts in Los Angeles. They lost nearly half of their OL to injuries which subjected starting QB Brian Hoyer to lots of pressure leading to a fumble return for a touchdown and late in the 1st half interception. All the turnovers led to points for the Rams who won going away. The one bright spot for the Colts was Golden Tate showing his run after the catch magic taking a quick pass roughly 56 yards for the colts only score. Tate finished with 110 yards receiving on the day. Both teams are rebuilding and hope for better seasons in the future.

The Colts look to have another tough week ahead facing the 4-0 New England Patriots, while the Rams travel to 2-2 Carolina.

Buffalo 10 Miami 20                         78 0-5
Miami maintains it's hold on 3rd place in the Division by defeating the Bills 20-10 in their Thursday night contest. The Dolphins had a very balanced attack while amassing 374 total yards and dominated time of possession even though Goff had another horrible outing. The Bills lone TD came on a Kyler Murray 9 yard scamper with 6 seconds left in the game. Miami stays in the division next week and travels to NY to play the Jets while the Bills go west to play the 49ers.

Arizona 34 Dallas 20                        70
The winless Dallas Cowboys were pleased with the play of their offense in week five against an impressive Arizona Cardinals defense. Gardner Minshew completed 17 of 26 throws for 205 yards and two scores and the Cowboys' running back by committee rushed for 198 yards. However, that was not enough against the plethora of weapons featured on the Cards' roster. Patrick Mahomes threw for 339 yards and five TDs on just 20 completions to propel the Cardinals to the victory. Arizona's wideouts Christian Kirk (18.3) and Mike Williams (25.4) torched the Cowboys' secondary for big gain after big gain.   Dallas was unable to overplay the pass as the Cardinals featured Saquon Barkley and Duke Johnson as running backs.

Dallas' offense was hurt by losses to two offensive lineman in the game.

The loss extends Dallas' losing streak to five to open the season. The win puts Arizona at 3-2.

Denver 9 Green Bay 10                       41 0-5
The 2019 Conference Champion Packers (best our marketing department could come up with)
welcomed Denver to Lambeau Field.

This game would feature two stat pack QB's, Jarrett Stidham and A.J. McCarron.
Not surprisingly Vegas had the points total set at an incredible 24.5!

Things played out exactly how the pundits had anticipated.

Both offenses didn't do much but it was Denver who moved the ball more effectively
in the first half. Unfortunately for the visitors, three drives stalled out at around the Packer 40
resulting in punts. Another ended in a short FG.

Green Bay looked out of synch for much of the first half but got the only big play when
McCarron found a streaking Josh Gordon for a 49 yard TD early in the 2nd q.

Green Bay 7 Denver 3 at the half.

After an exchange of punts to open the 3rd quarter, the Packers got the ball near midfield and
moved into FG range. Robbie Gould nailed a 44 yarder to increase the lead to a touchdown.

Green Bay 10 Denver 3 with just over 6 minutes left in the 3rd.

Late in the 3rd and early in the 4th, Denver gambled on consecutive 4 and 1's but RB Kareem Hunt
was stopped cold on both occasions.
Pack went three and out after both turnovers however allowing the Broncos to stay right in it.

With 6:32 remaining Jake Elliot split the uprights from 46 yards out
Green Bay 10 Denver 6

After yet another Packers 3 and out, Denver moved right back into Green Bay
territory with a chance to take the lead.

2:28 left in the game and facing a 4th and 4 at the Packers 26, Broncos coach Crandall
decided to trust his defense and take the FG

Green Bay 10 Denver 9

The move looked like a good one as the visitors again forced Green Bay into a 3 and out.

Denver got the ball back at their own 37 with 1:57 left.

On first down DE Calais Campbell ran over backup OT Andre James and got to Stidham for a
huge 9 yard sack. Two plays Later Sean Lee picked off Stidham to seal the victory

Green Bay 10 Denver 9 final score.

An oddly entertaining defensive struggle between two rebuilding teams

Predictably both QB's struggled: Stidham 44.9 rating, McCarron 61.4

DE Campbell was named game MVP

Green Bay (2-3) heads to Chicago next week, Denver (2-3) host Kansas City

Thanks to Doug for a well played game that went right down to the wire

Tennessee 16 Baltimore 35                   63 0-5
Tennessee (1-3) came to Baltimore (3-1) as 5-point underdogs and through 2 1/2 quarters were pretty much that, trailing 21-16 after a failed 2-point conversion. Then DKS stepped in and slammed the scales down on the Ravens side like an elephant sat on the Baltimore side. In the end, Baltimore cruised to a 35-16 win. Here's how it happened:

Baltimore received the opening kick-off and drove the length of the field (75 yards after their kick return) and put six on the board right away when Baker Mayfield hit Will Fuller V from 20 yards out. Baltimore, 7-0.

Tennessee drove down to the Ravens 11, but Matt Ryan failed on three straight passes and the Titans had to settle for a 29-yard Dan Bailey FG. Baltimore, 7-3.

After an exchange of punts, Baltimore moved quickly downfield where Mayfield hit Adam Thielen from 29-yards out. Baltimore, 14-3.

The next five possessions resulted in punts. With 2:44 left on the clock, the Ravens took over on their own 46. Reaching the 22 with :31 seconds on the clock, Baltimore figured to have a couple shots at the end zone and a timeout in their back pocket. Mayfield sprinted outside to avoid the rush, but Da'Ron Payne was not to be denied and pulled him down for an 11-yard loss. But wait, Payne was flagged for EXCESSIVE CELEBRATION after the play and Mayfield was given another chance. In the banter between coaches (IFL coaches have direct lines during the game), Coach Master nearly forgot to send in a play. Mayfield took it upon himself to call a sneak (I guess that's what he called) and gained one yard while avoiding a delay penalty. In the confusion, Coach Master then forgot to call a timeout to set up the last play of the half. Again, Mayfield took it upon himself to call Mark Andrews' number on a fade to the corner. TD Ravens with just :01 left in the half! Baltimore, 21-3.

After a stern half-time talk from Coach Brunskill, the Titans marched downfield with renewed vigor. Eleven plays and 66 yards later, Matt Ryan found Odell Beckham Jr on a crossing route for a 9-yard TD. Baltimore, 21-10.

The next four possessions resulted in punts before Baltimore took over on their own 20 yard line. Thinking that the Titans were thinking the Ravens were thinking about starting to milk the clock, Coach Master called for Mayfield to pass his way down the field. Unfortunately, as Mayfield is want to do, he threw an INT on this second attempt. Three plays later, Tennessee's Rashad Penny romped into the endzone from 8-yards out and suddenly, it was a game again! Though Tennessee failed on the 2-point conversion, it was now just a 5 point game. Baltimore 21-16.

The Titan D forced a 3-and-out and after Baltimore's punt, took over on their own 25. Al-Quadin Muhammed sacked Ryan on the first play, leaving the Titans with a 2nd-and-15. Baltimore's pressure got to Ryan again on the next play when he was forced from the pocket and dragged down by Aaron Donald for just a 2-yard gain. Ryan's 3rd down attempt to DeAndre Hopkins was tipped away by S Terrell Edmunds and Baltimore forced Tennessee to punt. Colby Wadman booted it 52 yards where Baltimore's Kenjon Barner took it in at his own 26. Like a flash, he was gone! Seventy-four yards later, he crossed the goal line for his SECOND punt return TD of the season! Baltimore, 28-16.

Like a gut punch, Tennessee doubled-over, but got up to receive the kick-off. Booting away from Andre Roberts, the angled kick bounced at the 14, then Roberts inexplicably picked it up at the 4! He returned it 29 yards, but like another gut punch, the refs flagged the Titans for an illegal block and placed the ball on the 9 yard line. Trying to (re)catch their breath and get Ryan a little room to operate, Latavius Murray gained 2. Ryan then dropped back to pass. Baltimore's Muhammend blasted him, but Ryan shook him off. On the run, Ryan's pass was deflected by Terrell Edmunds and PICKED OFF by LB Shaquil Barrett who ran it in for a PICK-SIX with just :06 left in the 3rd quarter. In just under 4 minutes, it went from Tennessee closing to within 5 to Baltimore leading 35-16.

After that blow to the jaw, Tennessee could see the writing on the wall, even with the double-vision. The 4th quarter was just two teams exchanging punts while trying to run out the clock. FINAL SCORE: BALTIMORE, 35-16.

Baker Mayfield was named the game's MVP because of his 3 TD passes (one each to Fuller, Thielen and Andrews), but it was an otherwise pedestrian 17-for-31 for 224 yards and a pick. Truthfully, it was the RAVENS DEFENSE that should have been the MVP, but they couldn't give out 21 game balls (the number of guys who made a tackle). The Ravens totaled 7 sacks by 6 players (Aaron Donald had two). No one had more than 5 tackles (3 tied), but 15 players had 2 or more. CB Chidobe Awuzie and S Terrell Edmunds each defended 4 passes. There were 5 stuffs and 5 hurries, and, of course one pick-six.

Matt Ryan was held to just 15 completions on 33 attempts for 179 yards. OBJ caught 5 for 40 yards and Hopkins was restrained to just 3 catches for 35 yards.

Thanks to Coach Brunskill for the easy scheduling and punctuality.

Next week Tennessee (1-4) hosts Cincinnati (currently 3-1). The early line has the Bengals as 4-point favorites.
Baltimore (4-1) travels up I-95 to Philadelphia where they'll face the Eagles (currently 2-2). The odds makers aren't believing in the Ravens and have the Eagles as early 8-point favorites in the Battle of the Birds.

Minnesota 10 Detroit 34                     70
Brees was on fire & Minny had a 10-7 lead mid way through the 2nd. From there on out, the Lions pretty much looked the best they have on both sides of the ball this season, any season for that matter.

Minny hosts Houston. Detroit hosts Tampa Bay for the Black & Blue Division lead. Pretty much everyone knows Nordberg will out coach Mike "Lerch" Chase, but "have the Lions gained enough in the talent area to pull out a win?"

Pittsburgh 0 Cincinnati 30                  56 5-15 Heavy Rain
The Bengals took advantage of three turnovers and some lucky breaks in a downpour to defeat Pittsburgh 30-0 in week 5 IFL action. After forcing a Steelers punt, Cincinnati went on a 9 play-74 yard drive capped off by a Rodgers to Chark Jr. 17 yard scoring strike. After multiple exchanges of punts, the Bengals Jalen Ramsey intercepted a Brady pass that allowed Cincinnati to add a Fairbairn field goal from 37 yards out and a 10-0 lead at around the 10:00 mark of the second quarter. After another Pittsburgh punt, a 58 yard Rodgers to Chark Jr. pass set up a six yard scoring pass to veteran Paul Richardson Jr. for a 17-0 Bengals lead with about eight minutes remaining in the half. On the Steelers first play of the next series, Damiere Byrd fumbled after an eight yard reception, and Cincinnati corner Kyle Fuller recovered. Two plays later Melvin Gordon went in from a yard out, for a 24-0 Bengals lead. Cincinnati would add two Fairbairn field goals for the 30-0 win.

Next week, the Steelers host Jacksonville while the Bengals are at division rival Tennessee.

Jacksonville 14 New York (N) 38             66 0-10
The 3-1 Jaguars came to Metlife to take on the 2-2 New York Football Giants.

The Jaguars would receive the opening kickoff and after moving the ball 19 yards, they would punt away to the Giants. Coach Mays wanted to start the game off with a bang so he called a long fly to Kenny Golladay that would be completed for a 26 yard gain. Then after a 9 yard reception by Hunter Renfrow, Chris Carson would take 2 carries for a total of 38 yards and on the very next play Carson Wentz would throw a strike to Robby Anderson from 17 yards out to get the Giants on the board first with 9:32 left in the 1st quarter. The Jaguars would look to score quick to tie the game up as Josh Allen would complete 5 out of 8 passes to start the drive along with a 15 yard designed run to score the Jags first touchdown of the game with 4:29 left in the 1st quarter. Looking to establish the run, the Giants would hand the ball off 3 times but only gain 6 yards. On the next play, Wentz would hit Darren Fells for a 10 yard gain and the first down. Coach Mays would call a short quick on the next play and Renfrow takes it 51 yards to the house with 1:17 left in the 1 quarter. After kicking off to the Jags, they would suffer a penalty by Doyle and then go 3 and out and punt the ball back to the Giants. The Giants manage to get one pass off before the end of the quarter hitting Fells for a 4 yard gain. 14-7 GIANTS END OF 1 Q

The Giants would only end up getting 21 yards on the drive before being forced to punt back to the Jags. The Jags could get nothing going on the drive and go 3 and out again punting away to the Giants. New York would start the drive on their own 39 yard line. Coach Mays gives the ball to Carson on the first two plays gaining 2 and then 12 yards. On the next play, he would try to get creative calling a flea flicker on 1st down at the Jags 47 yard line. The Jags were caught in run defense and Wentz would hit Golladay for a 47 yard touchdown on the flea flicker! The Jags would start their next drive on the 25 yard line but after a sack by Quinn and a 10 yard penalty the drive would stall and Jacksonville would be forced to punt back to the Giants down 21-7. Wentz is on fire at this point as on this drive he hits 4/5 passes and the running game is working as Breida and Carson run for 36 yards combined including the 8 yard touchdown run by Breida with :55 left in the half. The Jags receive the kickoff and just run out the clock to end the half. 28-7 GIANTS END OF 1st HALF

The Giants got the ball to start the second half after Jacksonville attempted an onside kick but couldnt recover it. Up 28-7 at half and receiving the kickoff, the Giants decided to put in Wendall Smallwood so he can get some carries in this game. After a couple passes and 7 yards on the ground, the Giants would kick a field goal to make it 31-7. The Jags would try to get something going but after a sack by Williams, they would attempt to convert a 4th down attempt but fail turning the ball back over to the Giants. New York would run the ball this whole drive started off with a 21 yard scamper by Wentz himself and end with a 7 yard touchdown run by Chris Carson making it 38-7. Jacksonville would move the ball down the field on the next drive but again come up short on a 4th and 7 and turn the ball back over to the Giants as the 4th quarter starts. 38-7 GIANTS END OF 2nd Q

The Giants would start the final quarter strictly running the ball and end up punting to the Jags. Jacksonville would be led by Josh Allen down the field hitting 8/10 and then end the drive with a qb sneak touchdown to make it 38-14 with 4:20 left. Looking to run out the clock, the Giants would run the ball 4 straight times and come up short on a 4th and 3 when trying to get the first so they could run out the rest of the clock. Jacksonville would complete a couple passes but end up turning the ball over on downs and Wentz would take one knee and the game would be over. 38-14 GIANTS FINAL

Good game by Dave as it seemed like I got all the breaks in this one.

NEXT WEEK:

Giants host Dallas
Jacksonville travels to Pittsburgh

Oakland 30 Houston 35                       70
Kirk Cousins throws for 371 yards and five touchdowns as the Texans win a shootout with Oakland.

San Francisco 20 New Orleans 35             70
Saints hold San Francisco to three second half points to hold off 49ers. Rookie A.J. Brown catches four passes for 148 yards and a score.

Carolina 33 Atlanta 52                      68
Falcons offense was simply unstoppable, making up for 4 games where they couldn't get out of their own way. Phillip Rivers throws 4 TDs and Mostert rushes for 2 as the Falcons win 52 to 33.

In any other game, the Panthers offense would have been more than enough with 257 yards and a TD from Russell Wilson and 19 rushes for 118 yards and 2 TDs from Derrick Henry. Drake was also unstoppable with 4 rushes for 80 yards.

With the win, the Falcons improve to 2-3 while the Panthers fall to 2-3.


Rushing Leaders
Peterson,A(Phi) 19-152 1 TD
Mack,M(NYJ)     24-149 1 TD
Mostert(Atl)    10-128 2 TD
Henry,D(Car)    19-118 2 TD

Receiving Leaders
McLaurin(Hou)    7-168 2 TD
Parker,D(Was)    9-165 1 TD
Ertz(Atl)       10-153
Kelce,T(Oak)    11-131 1 TD
Ogunbowale(Jax) 10- 66

Passing Leaders
Allen,K(Oak)    47-33-381   4 TD
Cousins(Hou)    29-20-371   5 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Rivers(Atl)     38-25-361   4 TD 1 Int
Mahomes(Ari)    31-20-339   5 TD
Carr,D(TB)      40-28-306   2 TD

Defensive Standouts
Niemann(Min)    15 Tk
Smith,J(NYG)     20 Tk – IFL Defensive Player of the Week

Special Teams
Gay(KC)        4-4 FG
Hines(NE)      4-131 Punt Ret 1 TD – IFL Special Teams Player of the Week
Lambo(Car)     4-4 FG

IFL WEEK 5 STANDINGS

IFL WEEK 5 LEAGUE LEADERS

WEEK 4 RECAP

Tom Brady shows he still has something left in the tank as Pittsburgh upends Arizona.

Game Scores
Arizona 21 Pittsburgh 31                    58 0-10
Well we are in week 4 and the Steelers finally have a home game. But they look around the stadium and there are no terrible towels waiving. Still the Steelers started the Season 1-2 on the road and are happy to be home in their own beds and a familiar locker room. However they knew the first game at home presented a challenge as the 2-1 Arizona Cardinals come to town led by Mahomes and Barkley for a rare visit to the stadium and are installed as a 8 point favorite.

Pittsburgh wins the toss and elects to take the ball first. After a 3rd and 9 conversion to avoid a 3 and out Brady finds Rookie TE Dawson Knox for what was a short completion that Knox turns into a 59 yard play setting the home team up with a 1st and goal from the 3. Brady to Byrd on the next play makes it a 7-0 lead after the extra point. The good feeling last on only 2 plays as  Patrick Mahomes on a 3rd and 3 finds Kirk on a short slant who was hammered by CB Webb but not only held onto the ball he broke a tackle and took it to the house for a 68 yard score and an explosive start for both teams as the score is now tied. Things settle down as they trade punts the rest of the quarter . End of the 1st Quarter Steelers 7 Cardinals 7

The Steelers get the ball on their own 36 to start the 2nd overcoming a false start they work their way down to the 16 yard line in 6 plays. Brady finds Noah Brown for a TD strike putting the Steelers back up 14-7 with 10 minutes to play in the half. A couple of traded punts and Mahomes and company start from their 48 as for some reason Pittsburgh's punt returner called for a fair catch on his own 2 yard line which gave the Cardinals good starting field position. It did not take long for them to capitalize as Mohomes connects with Mike Williams for 25 yards then Barkley from 14 yards out for the game tying TD. Brady and company would take over on their 25 with 3:31 to go in the half. The veteran would march the troops down the field using 7 runs and setting up a 28 yard FG for Piniera which gives the home team a slim halftime lead. At the Half Steelers 17 Cardinals 14

Arizona opens with the ball in the 3rd and coach Heatons team has the mindset of grinding out a road win. Mahomes and company does just that on the opening drive.The drive does not start out great as the returner tries to bring it out but is hemmed in at the 8 yard line. The Cardinals from there go on a 14 play drive featuring their 2 stars Mahomes hits Williams for an 18 yard gain that gets them out from inside of their 20 and Barkley gets 7 runs as Arizona finds themselves at the 7 facing a 3rd and goal. That's when off season acquisition S Anthony Harris steps in front of a Mahomes pass in the end zone to get his 1st interception of the season and preserve the slim lead for his team. A couple of punts exchanged and the Steelers start a drive with 4:45 to play in the 3rd at their own 25. They would hold it the rest of the quarter mixing pass and run taking it down to the Cardinals 9 yard line. End of 3 Steelers 17 Cardinals 14

When a 1st and goal from the 9 turns into a 3rd and goal from the 5 that's usually going to end in a FG opportunity. But Brady notices something at the line changes the play to a draw for Frank Gore who walks in uncontested for a huge TD for the home team as they felt for the first time this game they may actually pull of the upset. Not so fast my friends Mahomes takes over at the 25 determined to score on this drive. Mahomes goes 5-6 passing overcomes a false start and connects from 11 yards out to RB Duke Johnson (who had 3 catches this drive for 32 yards). 24-21 9:55 left anyone's game. Ogunjobi sacks Brady on a 3rd and 10 on the next drive and Pittsburgh is forced to punt. But the Steelers Defense stiffens up and forces a 3 and out . Brady gets the ball with 6:58 to on his 22 yard line up 3. Time to show the young gun that he still has it. Brady goes 5-5 connects with Tate from 15 yards out to put the Steelers up 10 with 3:23 left to play and this just deflates the Cardinals. Mahomes is intercepted by Webb on the next play from scrimmage to wrap up an upset home victory for the Steelers.

Brady throws for 3 TD 297 yards and a 118 passer rating. Mahomes had a tougher day with 3 TD but 2 picks and a 87.3 rating.

The Steelers (2-2) pack their bags once again and head to division rival Bengals (3-1) while the Cardinals (2-2) try to re group on the road in a division match up with the Cowboys (0-4) .

Baltimore 13 Cincinnati 27                  54 20-30
It might be early to call a game in week four a must win but that is how it felt to the IFL Bengals when the first place and undefeated Ravens came to town.

Things got off with a bang for Cincinnati as Brandon Wilson took the opening kickoff 100 yards for a quick 7-0 lead. Things were tight after that until Baltimore finally got on the board with a Badgley 47 yard field goal to make it 7-3 early in the second quarter. That's the way it would stand as the 20 to 30 mph winds coming off the Ohio River played havoc for both teams.

The second half also began with a bang but this time it was the Ravens with the explosives as Steven Sims Jr. took the second half kickoff 99 yards to give Baltimore their first lead at 10-7. Things were looking bleak for the IFL Bengals as Gordon was stopped short on a fourth and one at the Raven 41. Baltimore converted that into another Badgley field goal to extend their lead to 13-7 with about four and a half minutes remaining in the third quarter.

However, on the next series, the two old pros Rodgers and Jeffrey converted a quick pass into a 36 yard touchdown as the Bengals regained the lead 14-13 with a little over a minute remaining in the quarter. The Ravens marched down the field on their next drive until Jesse Bates intercepted Mayfield at the Cincinnati 32. Three plays later Rodgers connected with Chark for the 25 yard score giving Cincinnati a 20-13 lead with about ten and a half minutes remaining. To keep it interesting, Fairbairn missed the point after.

On Baltimore's next series, Cincinnati cornerback Kyle Fuller threw a punch at the Ravens Adam Thielen, and was ejected. Still, the Bengals defense forced a turnover on downs. After Cincinnati was forced to punt Baltimore was pinned at their six yard line. With a 25 mph wind in his face Mayfield tossed an ill advised pass that Bengal safety Micah Hyde gathered in to all but clinch the game with 1:39 remaining. Running safe Melvin Gordon added the final score with a dive play for 13 yards for the 27-13 final.

Mayfield finished 21 of 39 for 213 yards and two interceptions. Mark Andrews caught eight passes for 100 yards.

Rodgers finished 19 of 31 for 196 yards and two touchdowns for Cincinnati.

Next week, the Ravens host Tennessee while the Bengals are at home facing another division rival in Pittsburgh.

Washington 35 Dallas 21                     70
Dak Prescott has himself a day against Dallas going 21-27 for 297 and 3 TDs while also running for a TD. He was unstoppable all game long. Jones pitched in for 100 yards on the ground and a TD as the Redskin offense marched up and down the field.

Dallas kept fighting all game long and caught the Redskins snoozing right before the half to claw their way back in. They would follow it up with a couple more scores to bring it within 7 but a failed onside kick gave Dak great field position and he quickly put the game out of reach. It was a rough day for the Dallas kicker as he missed 2 FGs on the day. For the first time in probably over a year the Redskin kicker hit every kick he was asked to make.

Steve coached a good game just too many big plays to overcome.

Washington moves to 3-1 and will host Philly next week while Dallas will host Arizona at home.

Houston 41 Los Angeles (A) 28               73 Calm
Kirk Cousins throws three touchdown passes and Joe Mixon runs for two more as the Texans put on an offensive display while picking up their first win.

Jacksonville 34 Tennessee 6                 63 Calm
The Jags completed a sweep of their season series with the Titans. The 34-6 score in this game virtually duplicated the 38-14 beatdown in the first game. Josh Allen did another Russell Wilson imitation as he passed and ran at will. Jacksonville's 428 yards of offense understates their dominance as the 4th quarter consisted of both teams running the ball and killing the clock. Jacksonville visits the NY Giants next week while Tennessee visits the currently undefeated Baltimore Ravens. Joe Burrow looms in the Titans distance.

Miami 41 Indianapolis 0                     69
Indianapolis, Indiana (IFL.com) – The Miami Dolphins (2-2) traveled north to take on the bewildered Indianapolis Colts (1-3), a rematch from week one. In that first meeting the Dolphins shutout the visiting Colts 24-0, in the second meeting the Dolphins shutout the Colts 41-0.

First Half

The combination of running back Mark Ingram (14-68 Yds, 2 TD, 3 rec 41 Yds, 1 TD) and the play action passes of Jared Goff (26-18, 250 Yds, 4 TD) proved to be no match for the struggling Colts.

Goff threw 4 touchdown passes in the first half, and Ingram ran for two scores in the second half. The Dolphins open the scoring with a 7 yard touchdown pass from Goff to Anthony Firkser (TE) followed by a 10 yard pass to Ingram, a 14 yard pass to wideout Mecole Hardman (kick no good), and a 20 your pass to Brandin Cooks (WR). Halftime score Miami 27 Colts 0.

Second Half

In the second half Ingram ran for his first and second rushing touchdowns of the season. Following an 11 play 75 yard drive Ingram would cap it off with a 7 yard trap for the score. Ingram second score was a fourth quarter 2-yard dive play into the end-zone following an 11-60 yard drive, putting an end to this one-sided contest. Final score Miami 41 Colts 0.

Key stats and notable performances:

Net offense
First downs

Dolphins 370
Dolphins 22

Colts 173
Colts 9

Time of possession
Dropped passes

Dolphins 36:35
Dolphins 0

Colts 23:25
Colts 6

Colts
Brian Hoyer 36-16, 146 Yds, 2 INT, 32.9 QB Rating

Colts 2-10 on third down

Next
Miami host Buffalo Bills (1-2)
Indianapolis travel to LA to take on the Rams (1-2).

Tampa Bay 30 Kansas City 13                 56 5-15
Derek Carr tosses three touchdown passes as Bucs have no trouble in Kansas City.

Los Angeles (N) 17 San Francisco 7          72 5-15
The Rams throttled the 49er offense the entire game. SF could only get 6 first downs and was stopped by the Ram defense. On the other hand, LA's Daniel Jones threw for 2 TD passes (27-36, 240 yard) and Miles Sander ran for 73 yard and caught 5 passes. The only highlight of the game for the 49ers was an 82 yd punt return by Agnew for a TD. The longest
"drive" for SF was 34 yards.

The Rams face Indianapolis next week while the 49ers go to face division
leader New Orleans.

Buffalo 13 New York (A) 34                  67 5-15
Another Jet’s home game, their second, without fans, per Governor Murphy. The piped in fan noise just isn’t the same. Murphy is the Governor of New Jersey which is where the Jets, and Giants play their home games. Both Murphy, and Governor Cuomo of New York, have not allowed fans to attend sporting events in their states...we’ve been told they will consider fans for October games. Here’s hoping.

Onto the game...the Jets scored on the first possession of the game. After receiving the opening kickoff they drove 75 yards in a little over 4 minutes, culminating in an 11 yard TD pass from Watson to Higbee.

Buffalo’s first possession saw rookie quarterback Murray picked off on 3rd down at their own 18 yard line. It only took the Jet’s 3 plays to make it 14-0, on a Watson to Woods 8 yard TD pass. It helped that the Bill’s cornerbacks were following the CDC’s social distancing guidelines.

Another 3, and out, this time by punting, by the Bills gave New York the ball at their 49 yard line. With great field position for the second time in a row, they went 51 yards in 9 plays to make it 20-0(missed extra point). This time it was Watson to Higbee from 14 yards out, good social distancing once again.

The Bills kicked 2 field goals in the second quarter to make it 20-6, Jets at the half.

Buffalo started the second half out with a quick 3, and out giving the Jets the ball at the Jet’s 40 yard line. New York took 8 plays, and over 5 minutes to go 60 yards which ended in a Mack 12 yard TD run...NYJ 27-6.

From this point on both teams took the air out of the ball, no not literally like the Patriots did, but figuratively by running the clock. Each team tacked on a touchdown to make the final 34-13 Jets.

Next week Buffalo visits Miami to try to squish the fish, and New York visits New England.

Green Bay 28 Minnesota 31                   68
The Packers and Vikings always put on a good show. This game did not disappoint.

The Vikings dominated play: 530 total yards gained versus 311. Brees passing for 460 yards versus McCarron for 185. Time of play 44 minutes for the Vikes, versus only 23 for the Pack. Vikings converted 9 third downs, the Packers only 2 the entire game. On the Packer's side, the Pack had only 49 yards in penalties versus 103 for the Vikings. And Brees was sacked 5 times compared to 0 for McCarron.

But the hidden advantage for the Pack was their coach. Conners is known for his coaching skill and, dare I say, for his behind-the-scenes scheming. His team put up lousy stats, but still managed to score four touchdowns to make the score 28-28 with 55 seconds to go. However, 55 seconds is nothing for Brees. Before you knew it, the Vikings were in field goal range, and they tried to call time out to kick the winning field goal. Don't know how he pulled this off, but somehow Conners got the game to stop displaying a timeout option at this crucial moment. I've been playing Action Footbal for about a decade now, I have called hundreds of timeouts without any problems, and have never seen this happen before. But this time, Timeout had disappeared from the screen as an option. The clock kept ticking, and with no timeout anywhere on the screen, I tried to kick the field goal anyway .... but could I do that? No, no, no, of course not. The game (so helpful!) reminded me to go into a hurry-up offense before I could kick a field goal. Then the game automatically put me in a hurry-up offense -- and of course, like a bad TV game show, the horn blew, and I was informed I was too late ("No field goal for you!!", as they would say on Seinfeld). How did you pull that off, Snake??

In OT, after the Pack was forced to put, the Vikings again drove into field goal range, and this time the game allowed them a timeout - thank you , DKS! Zuerlein kicked a 41-yarder and the Vikes won 31-28.

Don't look now, but the overachieving Vikes have now won 9 of their last 11 games.

Atlanta 14 New England 45                   69 0-10
Falcons took the opening kick but Phillip Rivers was quickly picked off by Kyzir White to set up a 4 yard McCaffrey TD run, giving NE a 7-0 lead.
Rivers answers right back with a 35-yard TD strike to James Washington to tie the game at 7 apiece.

Late in the first quarter with Atlanta focused on stopping McCaffrey, Lamar Jackson found Hayden Hurst open for an 18 yard TD. 14-7 Patriots

Atlanta answers once again with a 75 yard, 13 play drive capped by a Tevin Coleman 5 yard TD. 14-14

Jackson finds Courtland Sutton for 42 yards down to the Atlanta 17 yard line, but the drive stalls and NE settles for a field goal.

After Atlanta's next drive fizzles, Jackson proceeds to complete 5 of 5 passes, including a 25 yarder to Sutton and 18 to Hurst, before finding Ekeler for an 11 yard TD and the Pats went into the locker room with a 24-14 halftime lead.

Pats took the kickoff in the 3rd quarter and put up another score. After a McCaffrey 26 yard run, Ekeler broke off his own 18 yard run to the Falcon 31. Three plays later Jackson found Kupp for a 21 yard TD. 31-14 NE

Rivers looked to answer and found Larry Fitzgerald on a short pass play - but Richard Sherman stripped the ball out and NE took over once again at the Atl 33. Jackson connected with Kupp on consecutive plays for 22 yards and then an 11 yard TD to give NE a 38-14 lead. Pats would go on to win 45-14.

Lamar Jackson was 19-23 for 283 yards and 4 TDs. Cooper Kupp caught 7 balls for 116 yards and 2 TDs. Pats put up 462 yards and went 5 of 6 in the red zone. For Atlanta, James Washington caught 3 passes for 72 yards and a TD.

Next week undefeated Patriots host the undefeated Jets while Atlanta hosts Carolina.

Detroit 24 Chicago 13                       54 5-15
The Lions came to Chicago as a 1 point road favorite, with the winner maintaining a shae of the division lead.  The Bears game plan was to concentrate on Fournette and challenge Darnold to beat them.  Penalties and a sluggish offense vs. a very strong Detroit defense did not produce the desired Chicago result.
The Bears opened the scoring and led 7-0 after the 1st quarter, but an interception deep in Chicago territory led to the first Lions TD.  After an exchange of field goals, Detroit took a late 2nd quarter 17-10 lead.  With 0:43 left on the clock, Jimmy G led the Bears on a quick drive that produced a long field goal and a 17-13 halftime lead for the Lions.
The second half was a defensive struggle.  Both offenses had some success moving the ball, but drive after drive failed.  The Lions ran out the clock and scored a touchdown in the closing seconds.

New York (N) 24 Philadelphia 17             59 Calm
The Giants started off the season a disappointing 1-2 and traveled to the 2-1 Eagles looking to turn their season around before it got out of hand.

The Giants received the opening kickoff and started from their 25 yard line. Looking to establish the run early, Coach Mays handed it off to Carson 3 straight times to start the game gaining 9, 4 and 6. Wentz would then hit two passes moving the Giants into Eagles territory and then a couple plays later Matt Breida would take a carry 27 yards getting tackled at the inch line giving Chris Carson an easy TD. This lead would not last long as Tannehill would lead a 4 minute drive completing 4 passes along with a Giants 12 yard penalty and capped off by a 13 yard strike to Edelman to tie this game at 7. The teams would trade a punt to end the first quarter 7-7 END OF 1st

The Giants would again try to establish the run carrying the ball 6 times on the drive but stalling at the Eagles 23 yard line. Gonzalez would kick the 41 yard field goal to give the Giants a 10-7 lead. On the Eagles next drive they would move the ball to the Giants 43 yard line but would turn the ball over on downs after Tannehill misses Edelman on the 4th and 3 try. Unfortunately for Coach Mays, the Giants could not capitalize on the turnover on downs and would punt the ball back to the Eagles a couple plays later. The Eagles would abandon the run on this drive throwing 6 straight passes and getting a pass interference call for 33 yards taking them down to the 26. But after 2 straight incompletions and a sack by Dupree, the Eagles would kick a field goal to again tie the game up at 10. The Giants would both go 3 and out to end the 1st half of play. 10-10 END OF 1st HALF

The Eagles start the 2nd half with the ball and led by Tannehill would go right down the field and score on a strike to John Brown from 22 yards away. Eagles take the lead 17-10. The Giants would drive down the field but would stall at the 31 forcing another field goal to make it 17-13. Eagles are not able to get anything going and punt away to the Giants and they run 2 plays before the 3rd quarter ends. 17-13 Eagles END OF 3rd

Continuing their drive, it would stall again but this time at the opponents 10. On 4th and 1, Coach Mays had a tough decision but after thinking for a few seconds, he decided to kick the field goal making it a 17-16 game with 10:40 left. The Giants and Eagles defenses would hold tough for most of the rest of the quarter causing each team to punt the ball away and the Giants would kick the ball with 2:17 and one final chance to win this game. On their own 34, Wentz would heat up and drive the Giants down the field methodically knowing his team only needs a field goal to win this one so they attempted to also run as much clock as they could. With 43 seconds left, the Giants had moved the ball to the 14 yard line and looking to kill some more clock to kick a last second field goal, would run the ball with Carson but he had other plans as he took the run 14 yards for a TD. The Giants would go for to two and convert making it a 7 point game with 32 seconds left. The Eagles would get the ball at the 25 yard line and hit Brown for a 10 yard gain but that would be all they would get as Bosa sacked Tannehill on the next play and then Tannehill would miss his next 3 passes to end the game.

Giants 24 @ Eagles 17

Great game to Greg - was a fun one.

NEXT WEEK:

Giants host Jacksonville
Eagles visit Washington

New Orleans 14 Carolina 24                  70 0-5
Carolina is fortunate to pull out a win against a strong Saints' defense. Henry, coming off a 200 yard performance, was throttled by the Saints D to 55 yards on 19 carries. Saints jump to a 14-3 halftime lead but a strong second half pulls out a victory for the Panthers.

Oakland 22 Denver 21                        71 0-5
Oakland squeaks out a win as they have 5 turnovers but still get the 22-21 win

Rushing Leaders
Mixon(Hou)      27-131 2 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Lindsay(GB)     19-112
Mack,M(NYJ)     20-107 2 TD
Breida(NYG)     14-106
Chubb,N(LAC)    14-105
Jones,A(Was)    20-101 1 TD

Receiving Leaders
Allen,K(Min)    14-174 1 TD
Parker,D(Was)    7-158 1 TD
Godwin(Hou)      7- 88 3 TD

Passing Leaders
Brees(Min)      54-45-460   4 TD
Stafford(Oak)   51-30-386   2 TD 3 Int
Jackson,L(NE)   23-19-283   4 TD
Garoppolo(Chi) 40-30-280   1 TD 1 Int
Goff(Mia)       26-18-250   4 TD
McCarron(GB)    35-15-185   4 TD

Defensive Standouts
Martinez(Ten)    15 Tk
Mack(LAN) 5 Tk, 1 sk – IFL Defensive Player of the Week

Special Teams
Sims Jr.(Bal) 3-160 Kick Ret 1 TD
Pineiro (Pit) 1 FG, 4 XP – IFL Special Team Player of the Week

IFL WEEK FOUR STANDINGS

IFL WEEK FOUR LEAGUE LEADERS

WEEK 3 RECAP

Tampa Bay had no answers versus the red hot Drew Brees and the Vikings.

Game Scores
Minnesota 34 Tampa Bay 28                   93 Calm
TAMPA BAY, Florida - Drew Brees brought his highly powered Minnesota offense here for a division game. He starts the game with the ball and connects on 3 of his first 4 passes, the last of which was a 34 yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen. 7 – 0 Vikings. The drive also consisted of a 25 yard hook up with JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Derek Carr goes more old-school handing the ball off 8 times and going 3 for 3 passing to bring his team back even. The TD is scored on a 9 yard Todd Gurley scamper off right tackle.
Minnesota answers back while overcoming 4 penalties during the next drive. On 2nd and 19 from the Buccaneers 39, Tampa’s Davon Godchaux is called for personal foul wiping out the previous Viking penalties. Now first in 10 at the 24 is no challenge for Brees. He connects with Ted Ginn Jr. and then JuJu Smith-Schuster for 12 yards each for the go-ahead score. 14 – 7 Vikings.
On the next drive Tampa is moving well when Carr is picked off by Joseph at the Minnesota 16 yard line. (This would be the only such turnover in the game.) Advantage Vikings, but they are not able to turn it into points. Minnesota gives it back on downs and then the Buccaneers punt. Minnesota’s ball with 2 ½ minutes left in the half at their own 10.
Early in the drive Keenan Allen takes a medium slant 53 yards to the Tampa 25. A few plays later Ezekiel Elliott hauls in a check down for a 21 – 7 Vikings lead heading into the half.
Just as Tampa planned in the locker room, they came out and got back into the game on the arm of Carr. Marquise Brown and Preston Williams made catches of 19 and 20 yards respectively during the drive which was capped off by Isaiah Ford tiptoeing in the corner to make the score 21 – 14 Minnesota.
The home crowd gets loud when Minnesota goes 3 and out and then Tampa drives the ball down for first and goal at the 7. They can’t believe it when on 4th and 5, Carr checks down to Gurley who is tackled at the 1 yard line. Vikings still up by 7.
Early in the ensuing possession coach Robb does what very few would do. After 3 plays its 4th and 1 at their own 10 yard line. They line up seemingly in an attempt to draw Tampa offsides - but snap the ball and attempt a short slant to Jason Witten! The pass is batted down by Antoine Bethea… But wait! There’s yellow on the field. Tampa’s Adrian Clayborn is called for offsides. The Bucs pay the ultimate price in the form of a 14 play 99 yard drive that puts Minnesota back up 28 – 14.
After the two teams exchanged punts, Tampa cuts the Viking lead to 7. On the drive Carr goes 5 for 5 in the air that includes two 16 yard completions to Devante Adams. Gurley finishes it off with an 11 yard blast up the middle. Vikings up 28 – 21 with 5:41 left.
The Tampa Bay defense responds by forcing a punt. Carr starts his attempt to tie the game at his own 16 yard line with 3:09 left. He connects on all 6 attempts in the air and with 10 seconds left in the game, Gurley finishes the score tying drive with his third rushing touchdown - this time from 10 yards out. It’s over time for this contest.
Tampa gets the ball to start. After a holding penalty and the only sack of the game throughout what would be 103 passes, the Buccaneers punt it away. Dread fills the air. To the surprise of Buc Nation, Minnesota is forced to go 3 and out.
Tampa begins to move the ball through the air setting up a 3rd and 1 at the Viking 38. In what would turn out to be the difference in the game, the Purple People Eaters stuff Gurley at the line twice for the turn over on downs!
The deflated Tampa defense only lasts 3 plays. On 2nd and 16 from their own 31, Brees hits Smith-Schuster on a long hitch. He shakes off Bethea and Brain Poole on his way to a winning 69 yard touchdown!!!
Summary stats include 1,060 yards of offense in the game. 103 passes with only 1 sack. Big stat players include Brees throwing for 466 yards; Allen catching for 190 yards; Smith-Schuster 144; Adams 130; and Gurley with 117 on the ground and 3 TDs.
Great game called by Coach Robb who has rarely bested Tampa. Next week the Tampa travels to KC while the Vikings host Green Bay.

Detroit 26 Green Bay 27                     69 Calm
Packers come into this contest as a rare underdog to Detroit despite holding a 11-1 record versus the Lions since coach Nordberg took over.

This year's version of the Lions may be his best squad however while the Pack are a shadow of themselves without Big Ben. Early on it was all Detroit as they stymied the Green Bay offense. When Sam Darnold hit Sammy Watkins for a 9-yard score to open the 2nd Q the visitors went up 10-0 but it felt more like 21-0.

On the next series the Packers had another 3 and out and were forced to punt. The Lions put together a 12 play, 75 yard drive that looked like an early dagger in light of the hosts pathetic offense. Detroit had a first and goal from the Green Bay 7 but our defense held tough and forced a FG. 13-0 Lions

That stop seemed to give the Packers new life as the offense woke up and moved the ball smartly downfield. Much maligned QB Alex McCarron found a streaking Josh Gordon from 29 yards out and we had a game, 13-7 Lions, with just 1:48 left in the half.

On the opening play of the next series Darnold found Watkins again but he was hammered by CB Jamel Dean. An opportunistic Patrick Peterson scooped up the fumble and took it 41 yards to the house. Lambeau was in hysteria. 14-13 Green Bay at halftime.

The walls were ringing in the Lions locker room during the break as Coach Nordberg went off on his squad. His outburst seemed to work as Darnold and the offense took the second half kickoff and drove 72 yards for the go ahead TD. Allen Robinson found the end zone from 21 yards out after the defense keyed on Leonard Fournette. 20-14 Lions.

Surprisingly the Packers offense responded in a big way. After a 15 yard penalty was tacked onto an 8 yard Breshard Perriman reception, McCarron went right back to Perrriman deep over the middle for a 52 yard TD 21-20 Green Bay

Not to be outdone, the visitors put together yet another long drive but this time had to settle for 39 yard Will Lutz FG
23-21 Detroit with 3:25 left in the 3rd. From there the defenses dug in as the teams exchanged punts on 5 straight possessions while time ticked away.

Midway through the 4th, Detroit finally put together a nice drive that ate up a ton of clock. They had to settle for a Lutz FG that kept it a one score game but it was 26-21 Lions with just 2:19 remaining.

Packers got the ball on their own 25 with just over 2 minutes left and made 3 short gains to get it out to the 35 with 1:53 left. Staying patient Coach Conners called a short out to Emmanuel Sanders. Sanders was covered so McCarron quickly dumped the ball off to TE Darren Waller on a check-down with a safety blitz in his face. Waller shock off three tackles and rumbled 54 yards to the Detroit 11 with 1:32 remaining.

On first down, Conners dialed up a run out of the 3 wide set to Phillip Lindsay. He gained just 3 but it took the
clock down to 1:01. On 2nd down Emmanuel Sanders was the target flashing across the back of the end zone
but McCarron checked down to Lindsay who would score from 8 yards out. 27-26 Packers. Lambeau was deafening.

Knowing Nordberg's Lions had :51 seconds left, Green Bay went for two but this time Lindsay couldn't hang on in the flat. It remained a 1 point game.

The kickoff went through the end zone so the desperate Lions took over at their own 25 with just under a minute left.

Huge turn of events on the first play of the drive. Darnold hit Taylor Gabriel for a 17 yard gain but a face masking penalty on CB Blessant Austin would tack on 15 more yards. First and 10 Lions from the Green Bay 43 with 49 seconds left. JJ Watt would jump offside and make it 1st and 5 from the 38. Packers imploding late!

Lions ran 3 consecutive draws to Fournette but would only pick up 6 yards down to the 32. Out trotted Lutz for the game winner but this was no gimme from 50. His kick looked good at the start but began bending left. He missed by the narrowest of margins

Packers complete the upset, 27-26 the final score.

AJ McCarron was named MVP (20-32 277, 3TDs, 1Int) but there were several heros in this one for the Packers.

Waller 8/132
Perriman 3/63 1Td
Peterson 5 tackles, fumble return TD

Darnold was solid 25-32 285 2tds
Founette 22-122, 7 rec 55
Robinson 6-110 TD

Steve called a good game and deserved the win. We just got some timely breaks and that was all it took at home.

One of the best games I've been a part of but don't know if I would have felt the same way if Lutz had hit that FG (which Action PC gave an 80% chance to BTW).

Lions (2-1) will look to bounce back next week in Chicago.

Packers (1-2) try to make it 2 in a row as they head to Minnesota to face the
Vikings

Indianapolis 23 Buffalo 28                  55 20-30
Kyler Murray throws for one touchdown and rushes for another as the Bills pick up their first win of the 2020 IFL season.

Houston 24 Denver 34                        86 0-5
Denver holds off the Texans 34-24 in Mile High.

The Texans were their own worst enemy as they marched into Denver looking for their first win of the season.

On the Texans first possession, Cousins moved the team into Denver territory before throwing a pick to end the threat.

Bronco QB Stidham would connect on all five of his throws in the drive with a 15 yard hookup to Miller for the opening TD.
After a 3 and out by Houston the Broncos went on offense again and drove 79 yards on 5 plays with a 48 yard Tyreek Hill TD reception to go up 14-0 early.

Houston offense woke up and the TE Olson caught a TD pass from Cousins to tighten the lead to 14-7.

From here the game was just a you-score-we-score type of game. Houston would get into the redzone on 9 occasions but mainly due to penalties they only converted
two TD's and one FG on those 9 trips into the red zone.
Meanwhile, Denver would only get to the red zone 3 times but all three times came away with a TD.

Penalties were the key in this one as the opening statement said as Houston was flagged 15 times for 117 yards while Denver was flagged just 2 times for 5 yards.

Bronco QB Stidham threw for 340 yards and 4 TD's in the game with Tyreek Hill snatching 8 of those for 134 yards and 2 scores.
Cousins threw for 347 in a losing effort with 3 TD's and the one pick.

Cincinnati 24 Dallas 14                     70
The winless Dallas Cowboys ran their losing steak to three to open the 2020 season and found new ways to lose in the process (if that's possible). Despite the defense holding the Cincinnati Bengals to 195 yards in total offense and Cowboy quaterback Gardner Minshew having his best outing of the year (25/34, 232 yards and 69 rushing yards), 12 penalties, a lost fumble following a sack and two plays in the fourth quarter with Dallas driving when the game inserted Dallas' kicker at QB (without displaying that on the field), Dallas loses another.

Dallas took the opening kickoff and drove to the Cincy 37 before it had to punt the ball over to the Bengals. Cincy then executed a methodical 18-play, 80-yard drive that resulted in an Aaron Rodgers' 9-yard pass to Montgomery for a 7-0 Cincy lead.

Dallas answered with a 75-yard drive that ended with running back LeShaun McCoy scampering the final 19 yards to paydirt to tie the contest.

The lead didn't last long as Cincy went ahead by three on a 45-yard field goal.

Dallas then had to punt. The Bengals' Diante Johnson took the punt 89-yards to the house to build Cincy's lead to 17-7.

Dallas moved the ball 65 yards when Cincy's Jerry Hughes sacked Mineshaw and forced a fumble in the process. Cincy recovered and took a 17-7 lead into the locker room despite on 105 yards of offense.

In the second half, the Cowboys stopped the Bengals on downs. Meneshaw showed some resilience leading Cowboys on a 78-yard drive while completing four of six passes in the drive. Moreover, Mineshaw's runs of 15 and 10 yards were key components of the drive. A Jordan Wilkins rush from the one drew Dallas to a three-point deficit, 17-14.

Both teams punted on their next possessions.

Aaron Rodgers then found his accuracy throwing passes to Chark of 27 and 11 yards, the last one for a score, to push Cincy's lead to 10, 24-14.

But the Cowboys were not done. Driving down the field midway through the fourth quarter two offsides penalties and a sack forced a Dallas punt.

Cincy then also punted the ball away on its possession. Mineshaw then completed six of seven passes before two more penalties put Dallas in a hole. Then the game inserted Dallas kicker at QB (???????) on the next two plays (with the kicker running the ball for one yard each time) to ruin things for Dallas and to infuriate (silently - was not a jerk about it) its coach.

The bug in the game was reported to Dave Koch.

For the game, Dallas amassed 376 yards of offense to Cincy's 195.   But what does matter, John's Cincy club got the W.

Baltimore 24 Jacksonville 23                84 0-10
The Ravens came to Jacksonville to duke it out for the early season division lead and it was a game of two halves.

The first half saw both teams moving the ball at will with 14-7 lead after the 1rst. The second quarter saw teams exchange touchdowns giving the Ravens a 21-14 lead at the half.

After exchanging field goals in the 3rd the Ravens were ahead going in to the 4th still holding a 7 point lead, 24-17 Ravens.

With 5:55 to go with the score still 24-17 the Jags found themselves on their 1 yard line without their star rookie DK Metcalf (knocked out) to help them to the promised land. All was not lost, as Josh Allen found Demarcus Robinson for gains of 17 and 18 yards on a 90 yard drive that brought the Jags to the Ravens 9 yard line. With 29 seconds remaining on a 2nd and goal from the 9 Josh Allen calmly pivoted and bootlegged in for the score. Ravens 24, Jags 23 with the extra point to come.

Rather than risk his porous D to OT coach Hood decided to go for two....It wasn't the right choice as Damien Williams was stopped short of the line. The Ravens burn the clock and the game is over.

Final: Ravens 24 Jaguars 23

Scott coached a very good game. He burned me a couple of times. Mayfield was unstoppable (18 of 24 for 272, 3TDs) and Bell was effective for 135 yards of total offense. Josh Allen (18 of 33 for 265, 2TDs) and DK Metcalf (4 rec for 93, 1TD)

New York (A) 24 Carolina 22                 80 0-5
Hard fought game that had Carolina driving for the win but comes up a little bit short as the Jets improve to 3-0.

Henry rushes 201 yards and two TD's for Carolina, but it was not enough to overcome the duo of Woods 128 yard receiving and Mack's 101 yard rushing.

New Orleans 17 Los Angeles (N) 3            62 Calm
In a game that won't help the IFL TV Ratings the Saints behind an efficient effort from QB Joe Flacco topped the Rams in Los Angeles. Both teams combined for 15 punts. The Saints defense however made nearly all the big plays including scoring a touchdown off a Daniel Jones Interception. That single score would have been enough with Jones' poor performance, but the Saints mustered a couple other scoring drives just to be certain. Saints DE Cameron Jordan tallied 2 sacks and forced fumble to lead the Saints defense.

Next week the Saints take on another division foe in Carolina, while the Rams try to rebound vs the 49ers.

Philadelphia 41 Arizona 21                  87 Calm
Maybe the Cardinals were over confident? Maybe Mahome's is overrated? Maybe Barkley was picked to high? Ask the fans, they all have opinions after the Red Birds got thumped at home by the Eagles 41 to 21.

The game began ominous enough to make everyone aware it was going to be a long day. A short kick to the Cardinal return man resulted in the offense pinned at their 13 yard line. A quick three and out as a Mahomes' pass comes up inches short. Then Tannehill throws a perfect bomb pass on his first play to gain 45 yards. Coach Heaton watched Tannehill play for the Dolphins for years and NEVER saw him complete a long pass! Several plays later, the Eagles go up by 7.

The next series was more badness for the Red Birds. After three short completions by Mahomes the Cardinals expected the Eagles to sell on the run. Mahomes sent Williams on a long cross and got the defense he expected. The Eagles were all over Barkley in the back field and Williams was standing alone in the middle of the field waving both his hands wildly in the air. Mahomes spotted him and threw a perfect strike to Jackson with the Green Jersey. Game interception number 1. Two plays later Tannehill found Brown on a short slant which was turned into a 36 yard touch down. The Eagles lead 14 to zip.

The Cardinal offense continues to struggle on their third possession which results in another punt. The Green Machine goes back into action and are unstoppable. Tannehill stands tall in the backfield like a man of steel completing pass after pass leaving defenders flat footed. Burning 5 minutes off the clock, the Green Machine goes up 21 to zip.

Mahomes thinks enough is enough and goes to work. Mahomes finds Brown for 17 yards. Then he throws a dart to Williams for 22 yards. Next he fires to Barkley for 22 more yards. With the ball on the Eagles 9 yard line, it is time to take control of the game. Except it was not meant to be as Mahomes throws another pick to the Green Team.

The Green Machine takes over on its own 20 and grinds out first down after first down series after series burning time off the clock. It looked like a professional football team against a college team. Eagles score yet again to go up 28 to zip. And that folks was the real end of the game.

We could talk about how the Cardinal put up a TD near the end of the half to close within 21. And then we could talk about the Eagles first mistake as they fumbled away the ball on their first series of the second half to give the Cardinals another score to close the gap to 28-14. But then we would also have to talk about Logan's 67 yard punt return in the 3rd quarter to the Cardinals 2 yard line which resulted in yet another Eagles score. It was simply too much to overcome.

Pittsburgh 20 Tennessee 30                  73 0-10
In the battle for the basement of the AFC Central Tennessee managed to squeak out a 30-20 win over the Steelers. The Titans had a 21-7 lead without a minute to go in the first half but Pittsburghs scored 10 points within 20 seconds as a Pineiro field goal was followed by a Matt Ryan fumble on his 9 yard line courtesy of Cory Littleton. Damiere Byrd caught a 9 yard Brady TD pass on the next play. The second half turned into a field goal contest as neither team could finish their drives. The Titans 3 second half field goals versus one for the Steelers made the final score 30-20 Tennessee. Both teams are now 1-2 and contemplating Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Next week Pittsburgh hosts Arizona while the Titans play Jacksonville for the second time in four weeks.

Los Angeles (A) 21 Chicago 24               77 0-10
After their dismal performance last week in New York, the Bears find themselves a 10 point home dog against the Chargers.  Things looked bleak when on the first play from scrimmage, Jimmy G throws a pick 6 to Gerry.  Garoppolo followed with a drive ending in an 11 yard TD pass to Crowder.  The 1st ended 7-7.

The Chargers scored early in the 2nd quarter, Fitzpatrick to Jones from 23 yards out, and a 14-7 lead.  The Bears answered on the next drive, Garoppolo hitting Gallup from 7 out and a 14-14 tie.  Garoppolo found Crowder in the end zone again with just 27 seconds left in the half.  Two long passes and a Bears penalty have the Chargers a shot at a field goal from the Chicago 32, but the attempt was blocked by Graham.    Los Angeles 14  Chicago 21 at the half.

Los Angeles started to move the ball well to open the 3rd, but Jones forces a Fitzpatrick fumble and Smoot recovers for the turnover.  On the ensuing drive, Jacobs breaks away and drives inside the LA 15, but Davis forces a fumble and recovers for the Chargers ending the threat. LA drives down the field and ties the game on a 10 yd TD toss, Fitzpatrick to Jones.  21-21 at the end of 3.

After stopping the Chargers early in the 4th, the Bears put together a time consuming drive.  With 4th and 1 from the LA 6, the Bears elect to try for the field goal and take a 24-21 lead with 6:25 left in the game.  After an exchange of punts, the Chargers have the ball 1st and 10 from their 20 and 1:45 left to work with.  The drive takes them to the Chicago 14, 2nd and 7 and the clock at 0:17, with the Chargers using their final timeout.  Incomplete pass takes only 3 seconds.  On 3rd and 7, the Chargers try once more to throw it into the end zone, but Onyemata sacks Fitzpatrick and time runs out.  A tough, hard-fought game whose outcome was in doubt all the way through.

Los Angeles 21  Chicago 24

Chargers:  Fitzpatrick 22/31, 268, 2 TD; Chubb 18/70; Julio Jones 6/94 2 TD.

Bears:  29/36, 378, 3 TD, 1 INT; Crowder 8/127 TD; Gallup 7/115 TD

Next week the Chargers host the Texans and the Bears host the Lions.

San Francisco 28 Atlanta 42                 68
The Falcons finally get their first win of the year, 42-28 over the 49ers. Rivers was named MVP as he passed for 189 yards with 3 TD passes, including 2 to Ertz and the game winner to James Washington with 7:08 remaining in the 4th. Mitch Trubisky had a big game for the 49ers with 404 yards passing and 3 TDs. He spread the ball around as Stephon Diggs and Tyler Boyd each had 9 catches for 100+ yards and a TD. Jacob Hollister also added 6 catches for 73 yards and a TD.

With the win, the Falcons go to 1-2 while the 49ers fall to 1-2.

Washington 23 New York (N) 10               77 5-15 Rain
Dak Prescott tosses two touchdown passes and rookie kicker Joey Slye converts three second half field goals as Skins “D” holds Giants in check.

New England 40 Miami 14                     83 Calm Rain
The Pats came to Miami for a Sunday night meeting in week 3. After New England's 1st 2 drives it looked as expected like a blowout, after a FG and TD by the Pats made it 10-0 with only 10 seconds gone in the 2nd quarter. The Dolphins cranked up it's once feared offense and covered 85 yards on just 4 plays that included a 54 yard pass to Cooks and capped by a 20 yard TD to Hardman to close the gap at 10-7 with 12:07 left in the Half. The Pats move the ball but the drive stalls but not before they get into FG range and the kick makes it 13-7 Patriots with 9:48 to go in the 2nd. The KO is taken by Hardman a yard deep and he decides to bring it out, and after a dazzling return of 101 yards for the TD the Dolphins have their 1st lead in more than 5 quarters at 14-13 not quite midway through the 2nd. The hometown crowd starts thinking of past glory but it is short lived, seems we woke up the Patriots as they score another 10 points before the half to go into the locker room up 23-14.

Miami would only threaten one time in the 2nd half while the Patriots move the ball at will and add 17 points to make the final score 40-14 to go to 3-0 while dropping the Dolphins to 1-2. New Englands offense was clicking on all cylinders rolling up 433 yards to the Dolphins 241, Goff again was awful, throwing 3 picks to only 1 touchdown. Next week New England gets the home field game against Atlanta and the Dolphins travel to the Colts with a chance to right the ship and even their record.

Kansas City 7 Oakland 38                    63 0-10
Matthew Stafford throws four touchdown passes as the Raiders have little trouble with Kansas City.

Rushing Leaders
Henry,D(Car)    26-201 2 TD
Hyde,C(Oak)     25-147 1 TD
Gurley II(TB)   22-117 3 TD
Fournette(Det) 22-102
Mack,M(NYJ)     14-101 2 TD
McCaffrey(NE)   16-100 2 TD

Receiving Leaders
Tate(Ind)       12-195 2 TD
Allen,K(Min)     9-190 2 TD
Adams,D(TB)     11-130
Woods,R(NYJ)    10-128

Passing Leaders
Brees(Min)      49-34-466   5 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Trubisky(SF)    41-27-404   3 TD 2 Int
Carr,D(TB)      54-38-398   1 TD 1 Int
Garoppolo(Chi) 36-29-378   3 TD 1 Int
Cousins(Hou)    38-28-347   3 TD 1 Int
Stidham(Den)    35-27-340   4 TD
Ryan,M(Ten)     34-25-328   3 TD
Prescott(Was)   38-23-315   2 TD
Stafford(Oak)   34-22-237   4 TD

Defensive Standouts
Bosa,N (Was) 3 tkl, sk, 2 hur – IFL Defensive Player of the Week

Special Teams
Lutz(Det)      4-5 FG
Johnson,D(Cin) 3-117 Punt Ret 1 TD - IFL Special Teams Player of the Week
Tucker,J(NE)   4-4 FG

IFL WEEK THREE STANDINGS

IFL WEEK 3 LEAGUE LEADERS

WEEK 2 RECAP

The Colts defense holds Atlanta to three second half points as Indy rallies for the win.

Game Scores
Atlanta 16 Indianapolis 17                  69
Indianapolis, Indiana (IFL.com) - Both teams came in to Indianapolis looking for their first win in this young IFL season. The Falcons defense gave up 34 points to divisional rival Los Angeles Rams in the season opener, a 34-24 home lost. The Colts spent their first five draft picks on defense this year and after being shutout 24-0 in week one at Miami the front office was starting to rethink that strategy. However, in week two we saw the struggling Colts offense score 17 points and pull off a stunning upset of the visiting Falcons 17-16.

First Half

The Falcons ended the first quarter with a 10-0 lead and finished the half with a slim 13-7 advantage over the lifeless Colts. Sandwiched between two Nick Folk field goals (24, 26-yard) Atlanta Running Back Raheem Mostert (14-35 yards, 1 TD) would score on a 3rd and goal from the 7-yard line to put the visitors ahead 13-0. The Colts move the ball down to the Falcons 2, with 0:44 left in the half, looking at a 4th and goal, trailing by 13 Case Keenum throws a floater in the end zone, the ball is tipped in the air by cornerback P.J. Williams and caught by Ross Dwelley (FB) for the Colts first score in 2020, 13-7 Falcons at the half.

Game Turning Point

With 5:35 left in the 3rd quarter and Atlanta holding a 13-10 lead, they decided to leave the offense on the field facing a 4th and 1 at their own 34. Indianapolis defense comes out in a 5-2 goal line, strong safety Kam Kelly is in the box. Philip Rivers (22-13, 206 yards, 1 INT) comes to the line, the ball is snapped, fakes the dive, it’s a play action pass, he fades back and SACKED by Ifeadi Odenigbo (DE) loss of 10, Colts take over on downs at the Falcons 24-yard line. Seven plays later Indianapolis would take a 17-13 lead on a Sony Michel (26-92 yards, 1 TD) 1-yard TD run. With 3 seconds left in the third quarter the Falcons would get a 47-yard Kai Forbath FG, to get within one, Colts 17 Falcons 16. And if you’re wondering the answer is YES, Atlanta has two kickers.

Sealing the Deal

With 1:35 left in the fourth quarter the Colts were facing a 3rd and 12 from their own 36 when the Falcons used their second timeout to preserve the clock. With the game on the line Keenum fades back to pass under a heavy rush, it’s a screen to Michel, David Mayo (ILB) missed the tackle, he has an opening across the 50 brought down at the 49, gain of 15,.. 1st down Colts, three kneel downs, game over. Final Colts 17 Falcons 16.

Detroit 30 Dallas 13                        70
Leonard Fournette ran behind a powerful offensive line for 157 yards and caught three balls for 36 yards to lead the Detroit Lions to a convincing 30-13 win over the winless Dallas Cowboys. The Lion defense held Dallas to a meager 219 yards total offense while sacking Minshew four times on the afternoon.

New England 28 Los Angeles (N) 10           70 Calm
Patriots Defense dominates the Rams allowing only 7 first downs. Pats Offense put the game out of reach with a long touchdown pass just before the half. Then they just had to run out the clock. Not a lot of highlights, the Rams never threatened. Next week the 2-0 Pats take on the Dolphins and the 1-1 Rams host the Saints.

Baltimore 16 Houston 7                      70
Pete and I met at NRG Stadium (virtually) this morning to play the Ravens-Texans game. DKS wasn't kind to Pete at the beginning as all the breaks went to the visiting Ravens. There was a 5-yard sack by Matt Judon on 2-and-8 in their first series; a 12-yard sack by Roy Robertson-Harris on 2-and-17 from their own 18 on their second drive; a lost challenge followed by an encroachment penalty on the next possession; a false start penalty on their next possession and two critical defensive penalties on the Ravens next possession as Baltimore built a 13-0 lead. Undaunted, Pete stuck with the plan and drove to the Ravens 4 with under minute left in the half. Trying to surprise Baltimore by running it in, Joe Mixon was stopped cold by Matt Judon. On second down, Kirk Cousins dropped back to pass with both wideouts double-covered. Flummoxed as to what to do, Robertson-Harris stripped the ball out and the Ravens Mark Barron recovered. Baltimore, 13-0 at the half.

After the Texans forced Baltimore to punt on their first possession of the 2nd half, Houston embarked on a 15-play, 80-yard drive that saw Patrick Laird plunge through the line from 3 yards out for the score. The PAT made it 13-7 Ravens. After an exchange of punts, the latter of which pinned the Ravens on their own 4 yard line, Baltimore embarked on their own long drive (19 plays, 77 yards). Though they didn't get into the endzone, they burned 8:52 off the clock and increased their lead to 9 with a Michael Badgley 39-yard FG. Baltimore, 16-7 with just 1:44 left. The Texans would drive to the Ravens 11, but ran out of time.

Baltimore's Le'Veon Bell was named the game's MVP as he churned out 78 ground yards on 24 carries and added another 43 through the air on 3 receptions. Baker Mayfield completed 16 of 28 passes for 195 yards, but didn't throw a TD...nor an INT. Will Fuller V caught 4 passes on 6 targets for 52 yards and 3 first downs. My MVP vote would have gone to Ravens DE Roy Robertson-Harris, who had an outstanding defensive game: 4 tackles, 1 sack for -12 yards and another strip sack that resulted in a recovered fumble just when the Texans were on the brink of scoring, 1 stuff and 2 hurries.

Kirk Cousins led the Texans with 223 yards through the air, completing 21 of 28 passes. He didn't throw a TD or an INT, but was sacked 4 times. RB Joe Mixon ground out 38 yards on 16 carries and WR Calvin Ridley caught all 6 targets for 81 air yards. LB Lavonte David was the workhorse on the Texan D with 8 tackles and 1 stuff.

Houston (0-2) heads to Denver next week, while the Ravens (2-0) take on the Jaguars in Jacksonville.

Jacksonville 38 Denver 20                   73 0-10
The Jags jump out to a quick 21-0 lead and then cruise for a win over Denver in Mile High 38-20.

Miami 0 New Orleans 27                      70
Miami would visit New Orleans coming off an impressive shutout victory over the Colts. this game looked like it was going to be a defensive struggle as in the first 5 possessions only the Saints managed A FG. The score would be 3-0 going into the 2nd quarter. With 12:50 left in the 2nd the Saints would take over at their own 26. Flacco would hit rookie AJ Brown for an 18 and 22 yard strike setting up a Flacco to Akins 22 yard strike. 10-0 Saints. The Saints D had already been playing stingy and on the 3rd play of the Dolphins drive, Marcus Maye would pick it off and return the int to the 18. Flacco would waste no time and hit Sterling Shepherd on a long fly pattern for the TD. 17-0 Saints The Saints would add another FG before the half and head to the locker room 20-0. The second half would be a lot of runing the clock capped with Flacco's 3rd TD of the day with an 18 yard strike to Cole Beasley. The Saints D would hold Miami to just 115 yards of offense. Goff had a rough day going 14 for 36 and 2 picks and only 93 yards. Im sure he will bounce back. Flacco was the MVP of this one going 20 for 30 and 3 TD's. New Orleans will travel to the worl champion Rams next week, both being 1-1. The Dolphins will host the extremely tough Pats.

Carolina 31 Buffalo 13                      57 0-10
Derrick Henry rushes for 127 yards and a touchdown as the Panthers cruise past Buffalo.

Green Bay 17 Arizona 27                     84 Calm
Mahome's finds his MoJo as Zona struggled with Green Bay's tough defense. The outcome may have looked much different if Big Ben had not crashed his motorcycle ending his 2020 season before it began.

Green Bay shut down Barkley for most of the game. Zona did not abandon the run, but it did force Mahomes to spread the ball around to a thin receiving corp. Well positioned passes resulted in 25 completions over 33 attempts. The Red Birds could only manage 10 points in the first half, but it was still 10 more points than McCarron could score.

McCarron struggle throughout the game finishing with a lackluster 18 completions over 31 attempts with two interceptions. He did make the highlight films though completing a long throw to Waller hitting him in stride for a 70 yard touchdown pass. However, it was too little too late as the Cardinals chose to burn time off the clock and then pin the Pack back to their 8 yard line with 38 seconds left to play. McCarron had no magic left in his bag of tricks.

Cincinnati 31 Los Angeles (A) 28            92 Calm
After a week of hard practices and reflection, the IFL Bengals hoped to redeem themselves as they traveled across the country to take on the Chargers.

After the first drive it looked like the Bengals were back! Aaron Rodgers connected with new sensation D.J. Chark for a nine yard score to cap off the 8 play-75 yard opening drive. After forcing a Los Angeles punt the Bengals went right back to work driving 89 yards on 13 plays as Rodgers threw his second touchdown pass of the game, this time to Melvin Gordon from10 yards out for a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter. The Charger offense started to move, driving from their own 25 to the Cincinnati 37. However, on fourth and three Ryan Fitzpatrick was unable to convert as his pass fell incomplete. The Bengals had to settle on a Fairbairn 37 yard field goal on their next drive making the score 17-0 with a little over four minutes remaining in the half.

Despite starting from their own 12, Los Angeles put together a 14 play drive capped off by a Fitzpatrick to Jones four yard touchdown catch to cut the Cincinnati lead to 17-7 at the half.

The Charger offense remained on fire to begin the third quarter as it took them only 4:41 to cover 78 yards with Nick Chubb running it in from three yards out and trail just 17-14. However, it only took Cincinnati 2:25 seconds to answer as Brandon Wilson returned the kickoff 38 yards setting the Bengals up at the Los Angeles 49. For the second time Rodgers connected with Chark on the 13 yard score, extending the Cincinnati lead to 24-14.

After forcing a Charger punt, the Bengals would extend their lead to 31-14 as Rodgers and Chark would hook up again. Although Los Angeles coach Banko was furious that the review of a potential Charger interception earlier during the drive was rebuffed.

There was no quit in the Chargers however. Gritty Ryan Fitzpatrick led Los Angeles on a 7 play-76 yard drive with Fitzpatrick diving in the end zone from a yard out to cut the Cincinnati lead to 31-21. After forcing a Bengals punt, the Chargers would march down the field once more, capped off by another Chubb touchdown cutting the Cincinnati lead to just 31-28 with just under two minutes remaining.

Cincinnati had a close close as they were expecting the onside kick and the Chargers kicked it deep. Bengals returner Wilson bobbled the football in the end zone and instead of downing it, he tried to run it out and was tackled at his own two. But Cincinnati was able to run out the clock and enjoy a nice flight home.

Next week the Chargers visit the Bears while the Bengals travel to Big D for their third straight road game.

Pittsburgh 21 Kansas City 13                70 10-20
Tom Brady tosses three touchdown passes as the Steelers get by the Chiefs.

Minnesota 27 Washington 17                  75 Calm
Vikings waste no time in this one with Drew Brees hitting Juju for a 75 yard TD on the first play of the game. Brees remained on the money all game long as he carved up the Redskin defense and the receivers piled on forcing numerous missed tackles for big gains. Prescott had a decent game but he got no help from the running game as Guice and Jones combined for 70 yards on 22 carries. Redskin kicking woes continued with Slye missing a late FG.

Washington will try to get its act together in a big divisional road game against the Giants while Vikings will head to sunny Tampa Bay to face off against last years Central division champ.


San Francisco 16 New York (A) 37            84 5-15
The New York Jets opened the home portion of their IFL schedule by hosting the San Francisco 49’ers, who had traveled from the left coast on Wednesday to play this Friday afternoon game.

Unfortunately due to the current Covid outbreak in the good ole USA, no fans were allowed in the stadium, but the game was on National TV.

After both teams punted on their first possessions the Jets took their second opportunity with the ball to the end zone on a Watson to Thomas pass play. After another 4, and out by the 49’ers the Jets again scored, this time on a Watson 8 yard run.

The teams were on the rinse, and repeat cycle for a third time, this time the Jets scored on a Watson to Thomas pass from 33 yards out. At the half it was 24-6 Jets.

Most of the second half was uneventful with the Jet’s scoring 13 more points, and the 49’ers tacking on 10 points.

Both teams defensive backs were following CDC guidelines for social distancing allowing the Jet’s Michael Thomas to catch 8 passes for 131 yards, and Robert Woods to catch 6 for 109 yards...for the 49’ers Boyd caught 5 for 65 yards, and Diggs 4 for 51 yards.

The 49’ers linebacker socially distanced from the Jet’s Marlon Mack too, allowing him 129 yards on 19 touches.

The Jet’s defense is expecting some fines from Governor Cuomo because they did not follow the CDC guidelines, and sacked Mitch Trubisky 5 times. After the game Jet’s linebacker Jamie Collins was quoted as saying “I was using my 1st Amendment rights.”

We’ll see how that goes!!

Next week San Francisco visits Atlanta, and the Jet’s will pack their masks to travel to Charlotte, and play the Panthers.

Oakland 31 Tennessee 17                     64 5-15
The Titans were under the delusion that they could win this game as they built a 14-0 lead with 5 minutes left in the first half. DKS played a huge part in this as the Raiders were hit with penalties on almost every possession. Then DKS corrected the situation (reference the Overlook hotel) and Oakland scored 10 points in the last two minutes. Stafford carved up the Titan defense on the opening drive of the 3rd to take a 17-14 lead. Tennessee was able to move 53 yards to tie the game at 17 all with a Dan Bailey field goal. However from that point on Oakland's stellar defense totally shut down the Titans O. Halfway through the 4th quarter Stafford engineered a 99 yard drive topped off with a 42 yard TD pass to DJ Moore. After another 3 and out for Tennessee the Raiders went 80 yards for an insurance TD. Final score Oakland 31 Tennessee 17.

Chicago 21 New York (N) 45                  80 0-5
In week 2 of the IFL season, the New York Giants play host to the visiting Chicago Bears. The Bears were coming off a close win against Minnesota while the Giants took a devastating week 1 loss to in division rival Arizona.

Chicago got the ball first in this one starting at their own 25. After managing a first down and moving the ball to their 40, they would punt to the Giants. The Giants would try to move the ball but any momentum they had was killed after back to back false start penalties forcing a punt back to the Bears. The Bears would start at their own 9 yard line and couldn't get anything going as they went three and out on their drive after a big sack by Robert Quinn. The Giants get the ball back at their own 39 and would drive down the field and score on a 27 yard strike from Wentz to Golladay. The kickoff would be downed by Chicago and 2 straight carries by Dalvin Cook ends the 1st Quarter. NYG 7 - CHI 0 END OF 1st Q

The Giants defense would come up big again stopping Josh Jacobs for a 1 yard gain on 3rd and 2 forcing Chicago to punt for the third straight time pinning the Giants at their own 7 yard line. The Giants would go on an 8 minute drive littered with carries from Matt Breida and 3 penalties by the Bears defense and score again with a 1 yard touchdown pass to Darren Fells. 14 - 0 Giants

The Giants defense would hold strong forcing Chicago to punt again but this time returner Ratley would cough up the ball giving it back to the Bears at the Giants 27 yard line and 3 plays later Jimmy G would throw a 16 yard strike to Crowder. 14 - 7 Giants

The next drive for the Giants would go the same as the last two as Wentz moved the ball down the field with ease and Chris Carson would take a dive for 18 yards for the score leaving 1 minute left in the 1st half. 21 - 7 Giants

After the ensuing kickoff goes out of bounds, the Bears would try to get something going to end the half but get stopped short on 4th and 1 at the Giants 40 yard line. The Giants would take over and they weren't going to let this half just end. They wanted to score again. After two quick incompletions to start the drive, Wentz would hit Robby Anderson for a 12 yard completion leaving 18 seconds left on their own 40. The next play would be a medium out to Renfrow for 9 yards leaving 12 seconds left in the half. Looking to at least get in scoring range, the Giants call a medium slant to Robby Anderson and he had other plans as he took the pass 39 yards into the endzone as time expired in the half. NYG 28 - CHI 7 END OF 1st HALF

Giants received ball to start the second half and both teams would trade punts on their first drives. The Giants would then move down the field led by Wentz. Breida would take a handoff 39 yards for a touchdown on his first carry of the drive. 35 - 7 Giants

The Giants defense would stop the Bears again on a 4th down play at the 39 yard line. They would then punt the ball away and the Bears would move the ball a little before the 3rd quarter ends. NYG 35 - CHI 7 END OF 3rd Q

The Bears would attempt a long out on 4th and 8 and not convert. After a field goal by the Giants, the Bears would move down the field and score a touchdown Jimmy G to Marvin Jones. Giants would get the ball back but would give the ball to Smallwood who would fumble and turn the ball back over. The Bears would not be able to get anything moving and punt it away but it is blocked by Robert Quinn and taken back for a touchdown. 45 - 14 Giants

With the Giants starters pulled, the Bears move down the field and score with 35 seconds left in the game. Wentz takes 1 kneel and the game is over .

Final Score : Bears 21 @ Giants 45

Next Week : Washington @ Giants
                     Chargers @ Bears

Tampa Bay 37 Philadelphia 26                73 0-5
Derek Carr throws for 356 yards and three touchdowns as the Bucs hold off Philadelphia.

Rushing Leaders
Fournette(Det) 21-157 1 TD
Mack,M(NYJ)     19-129 1 TD
Henry,D(Car)    25-117 1 TD
Chubb,N(LAC)    19-111 2 TD
Hilliman(Den)   17-111
Lindsay(GB)     16-106
Hyde,C(Oak)     9-103 1 TD

Receiving Leaders
Moore,D(Oak)     8-174 2 TD
Smith-Schu(Min) 7-136 3 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Chark Jr.(Cin)   7- 95 3 TD

Passing Leaders
Brees(Min)      38-29-379   3 TD
Carr,D(TB)      42-31-356   3 TD
Stafford(Oak)   30-22-345   3 TD
Wentz(NYG)      30-24-303   3 TD
Watson,D(NYJ)   26-19-301   2 TD
Rodgers,A(Cin) 26-22-253   4 TD
Murray,K(Buf)   50-30-234   1 TD 1 Int

Defensive Standouts
Hicks,J (NO) 13 tkl, stf - IFL Defensive Player of the Week

Special Teams
Hopkins(NYJ) 3-3 FGs, 13 PTs - IFL Special Teams Player of the Week

IFL WEEK TWO STANDINGS

IFL WEEK TWO LEAGUE LEADERS

WEEK 1 RECAP

Ravens Baker Mayfield threw two TD passes and rushed for another as Baltimore upended the Bengals.

Game Scores
Cincinnati 20 Baltimore 34                  76 0-10
In a bit of a stunner, Baltimore gets a rare W versus perennial powerhouse Cincinnati, 34-20. Though the DKS sportswriters awarded the game MVP to Raven QB Baker Mayfield, I think it was because they couldn't give a team award to the Raven Defense. Mayfield tossed 2 TDs and ran for another, but completed just 15-of-31 passes for 274 yards He also threw an INT. Conversely, Baltimore's D sacked Aaron Rodgers 4 times for 20 yards (one each by Aaron Donald, Shaquil Barrett, Matt Judon and rookie Josh Allen), forced hurried throws another 4 times, defended 5 passes, forced two fumbles (one recovered by each team) and intercepted one. Baltimore also got a reasonably decent running game (121 yards on 29 carries) which took some pressure off Mayfield. Le'Veon Bell's 73 yards on 17 carries led the way with another 35 yards coming through receptions. Will Fuller V made the most of his 4 targets, catching all of them for 120 yards and all four resetting the yardsticks.

Rodgers fell 5 yards short of a 400-yard game, attempting 52 passes and completing 36, three for TDs - one each to DJ Chark Jr, Diontae Johnsona and Melvin Gordon III. Chark was the main beneficiary of the Bengals pass-heavy offense, hauling in 8 of 10 targets for 163 yards. Johnson also caught 8 passes, but for just 77 yards.

Next week, Cincinnati continues its season starting road trip with a visit to La La Land to take on the Chargers. Baltimore hits the road for the first time to face the Texans in Houston.

Denver 34 Oakland 24                        70 0-10
Denver comes into Oakland and behind rookie QB Jarrett Stidham came away with a 34-24 victory.
Keith didn't catch many breaks in this one

Indianapolis 0 Miami 24                     75 0-5
Indy opens week 1 on the road at Miami, both teams looking for an identity in 2020 but it didn't go well for the visitors, 13 penalties erased any momentum the Colts could swing. Not much offense on the visitors score book with Miami gaining 333 total yards to only 226 for the Colts. The Dolphins get the win in a shutout 24-0. Miami now sits atop the AFC East. Both Teams play outside the Division next week.

Kansas City 10 Detroit 28                   70
Fournette runs for 110 yards and three touchdowns as the Lions open with a win at home.

Dallas 20 Philadelphia 30                   68 0-5
Ryan Tannehill threw for 317 yards on 23 of 28 passing and T.J. Logan, who didn't ruturn a punt for a TD in the NFL, took one 68 yards to the house to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a 30-20 triumph over the Dallas Cowboys.

First round draft pick Gardner Minshaw, drafted to replace an inconsistent Cam Newton, got off to a rocky start this season by completing a woeful 39% of his pass attempts in the game (16/41) to hinder the Cowboys' chances.

New York (N) 17 Arizona 24                  93 Calm
The IFL Scheduling pixies wasted no time throwing two of the top teams in the East onto the gridiron to battle in the first game of the season. The New York Giants spent a good deal of time during the off season preparing for the draft and scouring the trade options to attempt to unseat the reigning Red Birds. And of course after the last game of the 2019 season Wentz guaranteed fans the Giants would win their division this season.

Arizona would accept the opening kick off. Mahome's confidently trotted onto the field to face the vaunted Giants D. Things did not begin well for Zona. An early sack by Bosa brought up a 2nd and 15. Mahomes missed a connection and then came up short with a short completion. Zona would have to punt.

Fortunately, the Giants did not fair any better. Wentz could not find his receivers and Carson gained only 4 yards on the ground during the series. Giants would have to punt.

Zona would end up deep in their own territory after the punt reception. Mahomes would immediately be sacked again on first down. Two series and two sacks for the Giants D. Mahomes work a little magic and got a first down on a nice pass to Kirk. Barkley would carry the next two downs but came up one yard short of a first. Mahomes would try and sneak for the 1st but came up short. Punt back to Giants.

Wentz stepped up and sparked the team. Back to back bullet throws netted 36 yards and two first downs. A short gain on the ground by Carson followed by and 23 yard scamper moved the Giants to the red zone. A penalty set Wentz back but on the next play he found Refrow in the end zone for a 14 yard gain and a touch down. Giants up by 7.

After a deep kick, Arizona began on their 25 yard line. Barkley would run back back to back to pick up a first down. However, Mahomes could not get on same page with his receivers. He would throw 3 straight incomplete passes and before having to punt.

However, Wentz's brilliance faded on the next series. On the second down from scrimmage, Wentz would be picked off by Landry for his first interception of the year. Zona wasted not time in good field position on the Giants 12 yard line. Barkley would carry twice for six yards each to score they tying touchdown.

Losing the momentum, the Giants would scrape to pick up a couple of first downs before having to punt. However, the Cards were in the groove. Mahomes and Barkley would alternate passing and running for first downs. Burning 6 minutes off the clock, the Cards would score they second TD and take a 14 to 7 lead. The Giants would not see the lead again during the game.

The Giants would put together a long drive but failed to push it accross the goal line. They would settle for a field goal.

During much of the third quarter defense for both teams prevailed until Zona took over the ball with 7 minutes left. Mahomes would put on a short aerial show reminding everyone of his prior year. He would throw perfectly for 5 consecutive completions adding another TD to take a 21 to 10 lead with one quarter left to play.

During the 4th quarter, Zona would command most of the quarter. Zona starting at their 8 yard line with 13:18 in the half would march to the Giants 3 yard line while burning 11 minutes off the clock. The Birds would kick a field goal to go ahead 24 to 10 before giving the ball back with less than 2 minutes left in game.

The Giants would score a garbage TD against prevent defense to close the gap to 24 to 17.

As per normal, the East will remain a tough race and may not be decided until the last week of the season.

Los Angeles (A) 28 Houston 24               70
Ryan Fitzpatrick tosses three touchdown passes as the Chargers open the season with division win on the road.

  Green Bay 10 Tampa Bay 34                   81 0-10
Two traditional NFC Central powers put on the pads for the start of their 2020 seasons. The big injury news was Packers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger not being able to suit up. Journeyman AJ McCarron got the start. Unfortunately, his single moment of glory was tying the game up at 7 -7 late in the first quarter when he found Emmanuel Sanders for a 30 yard scoring toss.

After Tampa Bay went up 10 - 7, McCarron was able to move his team down to third and goal at the 1 yard line with six minutes left in the half. From there he missed on two consecutive passes to turn the ball over on downs. Thereafter, the teams exchanged five punts.

The scoring recommenced in the third quarter when Chris Boswell booted a field goal to put Tampa ahead 13 - 7.

During the next few Packer possessions McCarron had a snap soar over his head and fumbled two more snaps to put the brakes on any thoughts of more Packer scoring. Not getting enough breaks, the Packer defense begins to melt in the Florida heat and eventually the Buccaneers find the end zone three times in the fourth quarter the break the game open. The final score was Tampa Bay 34 to Green Bay 10.

Next week both Central teams head to the East. (So to speak.) Green Bay visits Arizona and Tampa Bay will make its way to Philadelphia.

New York (A) 35 Buffalo 21                  67 5-15
The Jets open up the season with a 35-21 victory behind DeShaun Watson passing for 301 yards and 2 TD's while running for 61 yards and a TD. Michael Thomas led the way receiving with 9 catches for 121 yards and a TD,Mack rushed for 75 yards and a TD. On defense Mathieu was raising havoc in the secondary with 3 passes defended and a pick 6! Kyler Murray the first pick in the draft showed promise as he threw 2 TD's but did throw 2 picks, once he gets help he should be a dynamic player for years to come. The Bills will host Carolina week 2 while the Jets will host the 49'ers.

Carolina 13 San Francisco 16                65 5-15
Division rivals square off in the opener in San Francisco. Carolina, driving for the tying or winning score in the 4th quarter with less than 2 minutes left, Russell Wilson threw an INT to Devin McCourty. It was the only turnover of the game.

Tennessee 13 Jacksonville 38                84 0-10
The new look Jacksonville Jaguars unveiled their new offence in front of a packed house and the Jags faithful were not disappointed as the Jags torch the Tennessee Titans 38-13. Titans in spite of some big plays early on were never in the game as the Jags raced out to a 17-0 lead just one minute into the second quarter. The Titans were only able to add two Fg's from drives deep in to Jacksonville territory before the half.

Jacksonville-17 Titans-6 at the half

The second half was much like the first with Josh Allen picking apart a confused Titans secondary while Tre'Davious White, Stephon Gilmore and Nickell Roby-Coleman made life very difficult for Matt Ryan who had truly an awful afternoon.

Coach Brunskill coached a good game but when your guys don't show up for road games you lose.

Stats

Passing
(Jax) Josh Allen 22 of 31 for 302 yards and 3 TD's, 0 Int's, 8 carries 57 yards, 1 TD
(Ten) Matt Ryan 22 of 40 for 221 yards and 1 TD, 3Int's, 2 carries 12 yards

Rushing
(Jax) D. Williams 13 carries 89 yards, 1 TD, 3 rec. for 18 yards
(Ten) L. Murray 6 carries 11 yards

Receiving
(Jax) DK Metcalf 5 rec for 99 yards,
(Jax) D. Johnson 5 rec for 64 yards 2TD's,
(Ten) Beckham Jr 6 for 98 yards

Defense
(Jax) Gilmore 8 tackles, 1 Int
(Jax) White 4 tackles, 1 Int
(Jax) Roby-Coleman 2 tackles, 1 Int
(Ten) Davis 10 tackles.

Next week the Jags head to Denver while the Titans host the always tough Raiders.

New England 28 New Orleans 7                70
Patriots kick off their season with the first of three road games, with Lamar Jackson firmly entrenched as the starting QB after the off-season trade of Ryan Tannehill. The Saints defense was anything but hospitable, holding Jackson to a mere 106 yards passing and ALSO holding Christian McCaffrey to 29 yards rushing on 14 carries.

The first quarter started with the home team driving into Patriot territory thanks in part to strong running by Jamal Williams. Back to back sacks by Nnadi and Carlos Dunlap stopped the Saints momentum, and the Patriots would take over after a NO punt at their own 3 yard line.

The New England offense would go nowhere, actually losing 2 yards on the drive and punting from just outside their own goal line. The Saints would begin their second drive from the New England 44. A 27 yard Flacco to Beasley completion had the Saints at the Pats 12 yard line. A 10-yard completion to Sterling Shepherd left the Saints with a 3rd and inches from the 2 yard line. James Conner was stuffed for a 1 yard loss on the next play, and the Saints were faced with 4th and 1 at the three yard line. Coach Rice eschewed the field goal attempt and handed the ball once again to Conner, who once again was stuffed by the NE defensive line, and the Patriots would once again take over - again, from their 3 yard line.

After a 3 and out for New England and a stalled Saints drive, New England began their 3rd drive with a little more breathing room, at their own 20.

After an incomplete pass to McCaffrey and a 5 yard penalty on Quentin Nelson, Lamar Jackson broke loose on a 72 yard designed run (against a defense already keying on him) all the way down to the Saint 13 yard line. Two plays later, Jackson found Courtland Sutton for a 9 yard TD and the Pats had a 7-0 lead.

The Saints wasted little time responding. Four plays, 75 yards later the game was tied, thanks in large part to two nice Benny Snell runs and a 39 yard AJ Brown TD catch. 7-7 early in the second quarter.

An exchange of punts ensued, the second of which resulted in a 28 yard return by Nyheim Hines, setting NE up at the Saints 35 yard line.

Jackson to Kupp for 15, McCaffrey for 8 and then 4 yards, led to a Jackson to Kupp 18 yard TD catch. 14-7 NE.

After the Saints next drive stalled, they once again were forced to punt to Hines, who returned this one 25 yards to the NO 36 yard line. A huge 35 yard pass interference penalty led to a 1 yard McCaffrey TD, and NE was up 21-7 heading to the halftime break.

Jackson would add a 3rd TD pass in the 4th quarter (2nd one to Kupp) to end the scoring - 28-7 NE.

Limited to 106 yards passing, Lamar Jackson rushed for 129 yards on 9 carries. Derek Nnadi and Carlos Dunlap had 2 sacks apiece (6 total for NE) as Joe Flacco was held to 13 of 29 passing for 159 yards and a TD. The Saints did manage some success running the ball (26 carries for 120 yards among Jamal Williams, James Conner and Bennie Snell), but the Patriot defense was stout enough to shut things down when they needed to. New Orleans held the Pats to 279 total yards offense but were done in by Jackson's legs, Nyheim Hines' return game, and penalties.

Thanks to Jim for a good game.

Patriots visit the Rams next week, while the Saints host Miami.

Pittsburgh 7 Washington 30                  75 0-10
After a disappointing season Washington hoped to put it behind them and get back to their winning ways. If week 1 is any indication they are well on their way. Guice showed why he was a high priority pick by taking his second carry 62 yards for a TD. Washington would never look back quickly piling on another 20 points by midway through the second quarter. With a 27 point lead and a dominant defense the Washington coasted the rest of the way to deliver the 1st victory of the season. Despite it being a new year and new kicker the Washington kicking game was as bad as ever with a missed extra point and missed 25 yard FG to end the half.

Brady tried his best but his receivers let him down with multiple dropped passes and down 27-0 early there wasn’t much he could do.

Prescott finished the game with 3 passing TDs while Devante Parker hauled in 4 receptions for 139 yards and 2 TDs.

Washington will host Minnesota next week while the Steelers continue their road trip in Kansas City.

Los Angeles (N) 34 Atlanta 24               68
In their first game defending their title, the Rams blow out the Falcons 34-24. Rams made all the big plays on offense and defense and were never in any real danger of losing the game.

Well coached game by Ryan

Chicago 32 Minnesota 31                     68
n a match between two evenly matched teams, Minnesota led Chicago 31-29 late in the 4th quarter and was looking to run out the clock. Zeke Elliott got a first down for Minnesota when the challenge flag was thrown. On review, the refs changed their mind and ruled Elliott short of the first down. Rather than risking a 4th and 1 in Bears territory, the Vikings punted. Starting on their own 18 with 4:10 left, the Bears took 3 minutes to work their way into field goal range and nailed it with 1 minute going up 32-31. That was enough time for Drew Brees to get the Vikes into field goal range, and two completions later he already got the ball to the Bears 38. But wait it a minute! The sidelines out of bounds play that the Viking coach had called turned into a down the field pass, and the horn sounded before the Vikes could kick the field goal. The commentators grumbled something about being DKS'd, but that's the way it goes. The Bears came up big when it counted and they fully deserved the 32-31 win.

Brees was 28 for 37, 260 yards and 4 TDs. Garopolo 18 for 26, 210 yards and 2 TDs. Elliott rushed for 102 yards on 21 attempts, Cook rushed for 87 yards and Jacobs for 77 yards.  Allen caught 10 passes for 97 yard and 3 TDs. Crowder caught 8 passes for 72 yards and 2 TDs.

Next week Minnesota goes to Washington and Chicago plays at the Giants.

Rushing Leaders
Mixon(Hou)      22-139
Jackson,L(NE)   9-129
Fournette(Det) 23-110 3 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Chubb,N(LAC)    20-106
Elliott,E(Min) 21-102

Receiving Leaders
Chark Jr.(Cin)   8-163 1 TD
Allen,K(Min)    10- 97 3 TD

Passing Leaders
Rodgers,A(Cin) 52-36-395   3 TD 1 Int
Allen,K(Oak)    46-23-321   1 Int
Tannehill(Phi) 28-23-317   1 TD 1 Int
Stidham(Den)    38-22-316   3 TD
Allen,J(Jax)    31-22-302   3 TD
Watson,D(NYJ)   40-27-301   2 TD
Brees(Min)      37-28-260   4 TD

Defensive Standouts
A.J. Klein (Mia) 5 tkl, 2 sks, stf – IFL Defensive Player of the Week

Special Teams
Barner(Bal)    3-136 Punt Ret 1 TD - IFL Special Teams Player of the Week
Roberts,A(Ten) 5-168 Kick Ret 1-8 Punt Ret

IFL WEEK ONE STANDINGS

IFL WEEK ONE LEAGUE LEADERS

BILLS DECLARE MURRAY THE MAN!

After a gruesome injury to long time starting Buffalo QB Alex Smith, the Bills begin a new era selecting Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray with the first overall pick in the 2020 IFL draft. The Buffalo faithful are excited about Murray's athleticism as long as it's not for baseball.

Rounding out the top five selections the Redskins take defensive end Nick Bosa with the second overall choice, the Chiefs traded up to draft quarterback Drew Lock, the Super Bowl Champion Rams also traded up to nab Daniel Jones as Andrew Luck's successor, and the Saints landed wide receiver A.J. Brown.

A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO THE PACKERS WAR ROOM

THE DRAFT GURU OFFERS HIS THOUGHTS ON THE IFL DRAFT

Draft Guru Mel Kiper has agreed to critic and respond to Charles Davis's mock IFL draft. We want to thank Mel for taking time to add to the enjoyment of IFL owners.

Thank You Sam and Mr Commissioner I appreciate the opportunity to do something I love to do and that is critic other draft experts picks. I have been a fan of the IFL and had always hoped to be included in this mock draft exercise.

1) BUFFALO - If all the selections were this easy. The Bills quarterback room looks pretty empty.  Kyler Murray, who is a very special athlete, would be a good start toward filling it.

Mels Response : Coming off a 1-15 year and with Alex Smiths devastating injury The Bills need this pick to rejuvenate the hopes of the Bills faithful . QB Kyler Murray

2) WASHINGTON - The Redskins have a history of strong defensive lines and selecting Nick Bosa will help them get back to that tradition.

Mels response : Maybe not the biggest need for the Redskins but this is the best player in the draft that you just don't pass up DE Nick Bosa

3) KANSAS CITY- When a team moves up in the draft, it usually to draft a quarterback. It's been noted that Head Coach Bob Sarcewicz has been seen attending workouts by Daniel Jones. With incumbent Andy Dalton's future in the air, it's a perfect time for Kansas City to select a quarterback.

Mels response: I agree the Chiefs QB play has not been good lately they recognize this move up in the draft and as part of the trade part ways with Richard Sherman they are here to pick there Franchise QB.
QB Daniel Jones

4) RAMS - Another team in need of a quarterback but as I understand it, the best available quarterback, Gardner Minshew, does not have the pedigree the Rams front office is looking for. My sources indicate Los Angeles is enamored with wide receiver A.J. Brown and his 20.2 yards per catch. The question is who is going to throw it to him?

Mels Response: Listen this team has Taysom Hill in the QB room with dreams of Andrew Luck changing his mind. They make 2 trades to move up 10 spots trading away a pro bowl player and several draft picks to make the move. Davis is right Minshew does not have the pedigree the Rams are looking for however they have identified in my opinion from what I hear a franchise QB they will take in this spot and can circle back for a receiver later if needed to but they still have TY Hilton on the roster. The IFL draft boards are shaken up with this pick as they get what they perceive to be a true franchise  QB in Drew Lock

5) NEW ORLEANS - The Saints front office doesn't care about pedigree, they care about production. They'll be happy to take Gardner Minshew and his 91.2 QB rating.

Mels Response: With Flacco's injury and not playing well when he did play and Josh Rosen looking like a bust. This team needs to stabilize there QB play. QB Gardner Minshew

6) BALTIMORE - Another franchise who has drafted a couple defensive line studs such as Aaron Donald and Joey Bosa. Look for the Ravens to select Josh Allen, a hybrid who can put his hand in the dirt and rush the passer or drop into coverage.

Mels Response : This team just drafted there franchise QB in Baker Mayfield they need to get him some weapons so he can succeed. Baker is going to be thrilled with this pick that will give Baltimore a deep threat WR AJ Brown

7) JACKSONVILLE - The Jags drafted their quarterback last year. Now it's time to give him a weapon with wide receiver D.K. Metcalf. Metcalf offers a nice combination of size and speed.

Mels Response : I know that Jacobs is sitting here and the Jags do not have a runner to speak of since David Johnson does not look like himself but as I have said many times you do not take a runner this high in the draft I agree With the WR choice but my pick is WR Terry McLaurin

8) DETROIT - The Lions might consider running backs Josh Jacobs or Miles Sanders but I look for them to upgrade the secondary with cornerback Sean Murphy- Bunting.

Mels Response: A cornerback could be a fit here I just don't see it. The Lions need to improve their pass rush and they get a chance to nab the best pass rusher in the class and that's what they do as they continue to add defensive pieces in Detroit. DE Josh Allen

9) NEW ENGLAND - With an abundance of talented skill position players, I'd be surprised if the Pats selects one of the running backs or receivers remaining on the board. There are plenty of promising players remaining on defense and Devin White would upgrade the linebacker room.

Mels Response: We have been hearing rumblings of this team trying to move out of the 9 slot and for good reason this team is loaded with talent and may be looking to add depth with additional picks . If they can not find a dance partner there is a couple of ways they could go. You could go CB with Sean Murphy Bunting as Sherman reaches the age of 31 or they could use a slot receiver but no one fits the bill here look for them to get a pass rushers with 2 DE Dunlop and Houston over the age of 30 I see the Patriots taking DE Max Crosby if they are forced to pick in this spot

10) CHICAGO - Defense End Max Crosby would be a perfect book-end with Brandon Graham on the Bears defensive line.

Mels Response: with the draft falling the way it has the Bears are happy to welcome CB Sean Murphy- Bunting to bolster a thin Defensive back core.

11) HOUSTON - With the addition of wide receiver Terry McLaurin, the Texans would have one of the best receiving trios in the IFL.

Mels Response : Houston coming off a 2-14 season trades out of the 3rd spot and get this pick along with OT Robinson CB Eli Apple and an aging but productive TE Greg Olson. And I understand Metcalf is still on the board here but let me tell you if you don't protect Cousins he is not going to have 2 seconds to get the ball to the perimeter threats they have already in the fold . I see them reaching just a bit but getting the best young pass blocking in the draft to shore up the interior line. OG Dalton Risner

12) INDIANAPOLIS - The Colts create panic throughout IFL draft war rooms with the selection of quarterback Drew Lock.

Mels Response This team has a lot of holes DB, LB DL,WR and they need a QB of the future. So the question is do the Colts believe Haskins is a QB of the future or Should they just go with best Player available that fills another need. Since they have the 18th pick in the draft also and a player will be there to fill the other needs I look for them to take the last legitimate potential franchise QB on the board and hope he pays enough attention to be in the huddle to kneel for plenty of wins in the future. QB Dwayne Haskins

13) DALLAS - As I understand it America's team was looking hard at Lock. Running back Josh Jacobs is a solid plan B though.

Mels Response - Its going to be Fitzmagic for another year in Dallas. I agree with Charles on this one although Metcalf is hard to pass up here they will stay true to there board and the better player is RB Josh Jacobs

14) PITTSBURGH - Defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence is a good building block for the Steelers defense.

Mels Response: Another team with plenty of holes who traded down from the 6th spot and Added Pro Bowl Safety Anthony Harris along with this pick and a 4th rounder. I agree with Charles DL Dexter Lawrence offers position flexibility on the DL and a youngster to build that line around.

15) MIAMI - After two spectacular seasons that included an IFL championship, the Dolphins may be taking a step back although QUINNEN WILLIAMS offers youth and potential to the defensive front.

Mels Response : The Dolphins have been great the past few years with good coaching and personal moves and mixing in some luck. Well they can't believe there eyes as the turn in there card as fast as they can. They are going to pair up WR DK Metcalf and hope Brandon Cooks returns to form to give them a very formidable 1-2 punch on the outside moving into the future

16) TENNESSEE - The run on defensive linemen continues as the Titans select Ed Oliver.

Mels Response: Hey DL is a good pick here but the Titans have a chance to add another offensive threat to the fold and take some of the attention off of Hopkins and OBJ especially on third down by bringing in a pass catching back in the form of RB Miles Sanders who will make a nice 1-2 punch with Latavius Murray

17) RAMS - With the second of four first round picks, the Rams have to follow their draft board as Miles Sanders is too good to pass up.

Mels Response: Charles got this one right on except Sanders went just before there pick so they go with the next best back on the board RB Devin Singletary to help fill there empty RB Room.

18) INDIANAPOLIS - The Colts upgrade their receiving corps with the selection of Deebo Samuel and give their young quarterback another weapon.

Mels Response : WR Deebo Samuels is a weapon and although they have other pressing needs it will have to wait because Samuels is to good to pass up here

19) DENVER - Another team with an empty quarterback room. They have to take Dwayne Haskins, don't they?

Mels Response : Listen there is not going to be a franchise QB sitting here at 19 in my opinion . Is there a QB that they could take that is 1 or 2 years away sure but that's just a flat out gamble. If this team wants a QB they are going to have to find a way to move up in the draft. They have a lot of good players on this team as they showed with their 9-7 record last year but to win in this league you have got to have a QB. If they stick and pick they could fill another big need at LB and Tab OLB Montez Sweat and fill in the QB position later in the draft

20) RAMS - In a lost season, the defending champs will address quarterback later. With their third selection of the first round the Rams add to the defense with linebacker Devin Bush.

Mels Response : In this scenario they have their QB of the Future and addressed the RB position, with there 3rd pick of the 1st round LA turns to defense and has DL Quinnen Williams fall to them

21) SAN FRANCISCO - Devin Singletary and his 5.1 average per carry upgrades the 49er ground game.

Mels Response : This is an interesting one for me since Singletary is off the the board in this scenario. I thought about a couple players here WR Hollywood Brown to put with Boyd and Diggs , They need help on the O-line some youth may serve in a OT Jawaan Taylor, Oliver still on the board for some Interior Pass rushing ultimately I settled on the DB back room and Adding talented CB Trayvon Mullen you need multiple corners and McCourtey is not getting any younger and has had some injuries.

22) GREEN BAY - The Packers could use a young promising receiver and Marquise "Hollywood" Brown will provide some excitement.

Mels Response : Another team that does need a QB due to injury of Big Ben. They will probable have to piece it together this year but there is plenty of talent on the board from which to choose. Like Charles I thought about adding Hollywood Brown but with there talented DL if they added a dynamic LB Devin Bush it would make there front seven a nasty group and this team will need to get wins on the backs of their defense this year.

23) CHARGERS - Montez Sweat is a nice fit for the Los Angeles linebacking corps and should boast the pass rush.

Mels Response: Eli's last hooray with Tyrod Taylor waiting to take over in the wings. I considered a few players here for the Lightning Bolts. Ultimately to me it comes down to OT Jawaan Taylor to give them young bookends or CB Greedy Williams to pair opposite of Adoree Jackson. I went with CB Greedy Williams to bolster the DB room

24) CINCINNATI - While there are a couple of interesting interior line prospects, Aaron Rodgers has made it clear he needs more weapons and some media pundits believe long time IFL Bengal Alshon Jeffery is about done. I look for the Bengals to select wide receiver Diontae Johnson, who can also help with punt returns.

Mels Response: even with Marquise Brown on the board here I agree with this pick as WR Diontae Johnson will fit very well in this offense sliding into the slot giving Rodgers another weapon.

25) TAMPA BAY - The Bucs could select one of the guards still remaining on the board but wide receiver Mecole Hardman is too interesting to pass up.

Mels Response: Couple ways the Bucs could go here and yes they could use a 3rd receiver but they have 2 outside receivers now that are pretty good in Adams and Lockett there is not a slot receiver here I would take. I looked at safety for there aging group or inside LB upgrade but settled on getting Tampa an OT Jawaan Taylor a young RT to go opposite Bulaga who is making the move to LT. Elijah Wilkinson looks like he cannot handle the tackle position and will be moved inside.

26) ATLANTA - The Falcons could use a burst of youth and potential on the defensive line. If you googled youth and potential Jeffery Simmons would pop up right away.

Mels Response: With WR Marquese Brown falling, this is the perfect spot as Fitzgerald is nearing retirement

27) ARIZONA - The Cardinals have an opportunity to upgrade the interior of their offensive line. I look for Dalton Risner to be the selection.

Mels Response: No question the Cardinals could use interior line help and although Risner is off the board Jenkins could be an option here. But Arizona wants to add to there LB room and LB Devin White
will pair up nicely with Harold Landry to give them a couple young LB

28) MIAMI - The Dolphins could use a wide receiver but Miami is another organization that usually stays true to their draft board so look for the Dolphins to select promising offensive guard Elgton Jenkins with their second of two first round picks.

Mels Response: DL Ed Oliver is still on the board and the Dolphins need any pass rushing help they can get, he will add that to the DL

29) OAKLAND - The Raiders desperately need help at wide receiver and while this may be reaching a little Darius Slayton is a good fit.

Mels Response: The Raiders need a starting center as Kalil heads to retirement and the best center in the draft is on the board Oakland selects C Erik McCoy to help shore up the interior line

30) RAMS - Los Angeles closes out the first round with the selection of safety Juan Thornhill. Their fourth selection of the first round resulting in quite the haul.

Mels Response: The Rams bring in the best NB in the draft in Rock Ya-Sin to complete there 4 picks in the 1st round and they brought in a lot of talent.

IFL 2020 MOCK DRAFT

The IFL is privileged to have NFL Network analyst Charles Davis to mock the upcoming 2020 IFL draft. Besides working for the NFL Network, he also is a game analyst for the NFL on CBS. Davis played football for the Tennessee Volunteers in the 1980's. I confused him with the Charlie Davis who was a defensive lineman for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1970's. Regardless, I look forward to Charles insights on the IFL draft.

Thank you Mr. Commissioner. I am a big fan of IFL football and have spent some time studying the team rosters to determine what direction each IFL team will go with their first round selections.

1) BUFFALO - If all the selections were this easy. The Bills quarterback room looks pretty empty. Kyler Murray, who is a very special athlete, would be a good start toward filling it.

2) WASHINGTON - The Redskins have a history of strong defensive lines and selecting Nick Bosa will help them get back to that tradition.

3) KANSAS CITY- When a team moves up in the draft, it usually to draft a quarterback. It's been noted that Head Coach Bob Sarcewicz has been seen attending workouts by Daniel Jones. With incumbent Andy Dalton's future in the air, it's a perfect time for Kansas City to select a quarterback.

4) RAMS - Another team in need of a quarterback but as I understand it, the best available quarterback, Gardner Minshew, does not have the pedigree the Rams front office is looking for. My sources indicate Los Angeles is enamored with wide receiver A.J. Brown and his 20.2 yards per catch. The question is who is going to throw it to him?

5) NEW ORLEANS - The Saints front office doesn't care about pedigree, they care about production. They'll be happy to take Gardner Minshew and his 91.2 QB rating.

6) BALTIMORE - Another franchise who has drafted a couple defensive line studs such as Aaron Donald and Joey Bosa. Look for the Ravens to select Josh Allen, a hybrid who can put his hand in the dirt and rush the passer or drop into coverage.

7) JACKSONVILLE - The Jags drafted their quarterback last year. Now it's time to give him a weapon with wide receiver D.K. Metcalf. Metcalf offers a nice combination of size and speed.

8) DETROIT - The Lions might consider running backs Josh Jacobs or Miles Sanders but I look for them to upgrade the secondary with cornerback Sean Murphy- Bunting.

9) NEW ENGLAND - With an abundance of talented skill position players, I'd be surprised if the Pats selects one of the running backs or receivers remaining on the board. There are plenty of promising players remaining on defense and Devin White would upgrade the linebacker room.

10) CHICAGO - Defense End Max Crosby would be a perfect book-end with Brandon Graham on the Bears defensive line.

11) HOUSTON - With the addition of wide receiver Terry McLaurin, the Texans would have one of the best receiving trios in the IFL.

12) INDIANAPOLIS - The Colts create panic throughout IFL draft war rooms with the selection of quarterback Drew Lock.

13) DALLAS - As I understand it America's team was looking hard at Lock. Running back Josh Jacobs is a solid plan B though.

14) PITTSBURGH - Defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence is a good building block for the Steelers defense.

15) MIAMI - After two spectacular seasons that included an IFL championship, the Dolphins may be taking a step back although QUINNEN WILLIAMS offers youth and potential to the defensive front.

16) TENNESSEE - The run on defensive linemen continues as the Titans select Ed Oliver.

17) RAMS - With the second of four first round picks, the Rams have to follow their draft board as Miles Sanders is too good to pass up.

18) INDIANAPOLIS - The Colts upgrade their receiving corps with the selection of Deebo Samuel and give their young quarterback another weapon.

19) DENVER - Another team with an empty quarterback room. They have to take Dwayne Haskins, don't they?

20) RAMS - In a lost season, the defending champs will address quarterback later. With their third selection of the first round the Rams add to the defense with linebacker Devin Bush.

21) SAN FRANCISCO - Devin Singletary and his 5.1 average per carry upgrades the 49er ground game.

22) GREEN BAY - The Packers could use a young promising receiver and Marquise "Hollywood" Brown will provide some excitement.

23) CHARGERS - Montez Sweat is a nice fit for the Los Angeles linebacking corps and should boast the pass rush.

24) CINCINNATI - While there are a couple of interesting interior line prospects, Aaron Rodgers has made it clear he needs more weapons and some media pundits believe long time IFL Bengal Alshon Jeffery is about done. I look for the Bengals to select wide receiver Diontae Johnson, who can also help with punt returns.

25) TAMPA BAY - The Bucs could select one of the guards still remaining on the board but wide receiver Mecole Hardman is too interesting to pass up.

26) ATLANTA - The Falcons could use a burst of youth and potential on the defensive line. If you googled youth and potential Jeffery Simmons would pop up right away.

27) ARIZONA - The Cardinals have an opportunity to upgrade the interior of their offensive line. I look for Dalton Risner to be the selection.

28) MIAMI - The Dolphins could use a wide receiver but Miami is another organization that usually stays true to their draft board so look for the Dolphins to select promising offensive guard Elgton Jenkins with their second of two first round picks.

29) OAKLAND - The Raiders desperately need help at wide receiver and while this may be reaching a little Darius Slayton is a good fit.

30) RAMS - Los Angeles closes out the first round with the selection of safety Juan Thornhill. Their fourth selection of the first round resulting in quite the haul.

IFL SUPER BOWL XIX

Rams 23 Oakland 20

T.Y. Hilton celebrates his go-ahead touchdown with just 38 seconds remaining as Rams edge Raiders.

And so the 2019 IFL season came to an end on Friday 1/31/2020 for the final remaining teams, the Oakland Raiders representing the AFC and the Los Angeles Rams. representing the NFC It was another fantastic season in the IFL, in no small part to the efforts of the commish John Storer, who does a tremendous job and is key to making the IFL the best Action league on the net. Throughout the season we saw incredible win streaks like the Miami Dolphins who went nearly two years without losing a game, the San Francisco 49ers who reeled off 9 straight wins after starting 1-4. There were amazing individual performances like 18 sacks from Aaron Donald, an interior defensive lineman, WR Michael Thomas just missed 2,000 receiving yards and Drew Brees threw 56 touchdown passes and only 3 interceptions. There also were major upsets like the Bengals ending the Dolphins win streak, the Ravens spoiling the Vikings playoff chances on the final week of the season, and the Cardinals making a run to the NFC Conference Title game, so it was fitting that the Super Bowl ended the way it did after such a great season.

Leading up to the game there was a lot discussion about the history of the two participants. The Raiders have been a storied IFL franchise, they already have three trophies, no one was surprised to see them make it to the Super Bowl. They have been competitive for years, and put together an incredible game plan to take down the defending champion Miami Dolphins on the road in the AFC Conference Championship. The Rams history has been much more uneven, and their future was further clouded when Rams QB Andrew Luck announced before the season this would be his last. A huge shock to the fans and the team, especially since it appeared the Rams had assembled their best team to date. Many wondered if the Rams would crumble under the added pressure by the Luck announcement.

This was not the first meeting between these two teams, they played in Los Angeles several weeks earlier; the Rams came out on top in that one 34-9. The Raiders wanted revenge. During media day the Raiders players downplayed that first game and said all of the right things, but it became clear as the game unfolded the Raiders had made adjustments and prepared their team completely differently. The preparation worked, with 3:37 left in the Super Bowl the Raiders led 20-16 and stood on the brink of hoisting their 4th trophy. They just needed to stop the Rams and Andrew Luck one last time.

But first how did the two teams find themselves in that position.

The Rams got off to a red hot start. After stopping the Raiders initial possession, the Rams struck quickly, six plays ending with Andrew Luck to TY Hilton from 21 yards out for a touchdown, 7-0 Rams. The Rams had punched the Raiders in the mouth. The Raiders were still gathering themselves; they mustered a drive to the Rams 35 yard line, Raiders pro bowl kicker Jason Myers smoked a 52 yard field goal, 7-3 Rams.

Both teams have balanced offenses and they employed ball control style offenses that led to the game being played at a lightning pace. There would be little margin for error, neither team would have many possessions, not one could be wasted. On only the Rams 2nd possession the game was already well into the 2nd quarter .That drive added a field goal, 10-3 Rams. The Raiders ended up with one more possession before the half with 6:55 left and they put on a clinic. Raiders QB Matthew Stafford guided the Raiders on a 19 play drive converting 3rd down after 3rd down. The drive though stalled and time was low, the Raiders had to settle for a field goal. They left no time though for the Rams. It appeared the Raiders had figured something out in the Rams defense, the Raiders offense in the second half turned into a giant boulder gaining downhill momentum, the Rams were in trouble they just didn't know it year, 10-6 Rams led at the half.

2nd Half:

The Rams offense still had the Raiders off balance on their first 2nd half possession. The Rams OC turned to a long time connection that was playing together for a final time, Luck to Hilton. On 1st and 10 from the Rams 48 Luck dropped back to pass and found his speedy teammate for a 22 yard gain. That put the Rams close to the red zone and several plays later Rams RB Chris Carson plunged over the top for the touchdown. A huge moment for the Rams and they appeared to be on their way to a win, but a curious thing happened on the way to the extra point, Rams Kicker Ryan Succop had been spotty all season and his demons once again got the better of him, his missed the XP wide, 16-6 Rams, but a potentially critical development.

The Raiders and Keith Jackson still had something to say about this game, it was only a two score deficit, with stars like Travis Kelce and Alvin Kamara it was well within their reach to mount a comeback. And boy did they. Stafford took the game into his hands completing 5 passes on the next drive. Coach Jackson kept his offense on the field when facing a key 4th down which Kamara converted. Then Stafford found up and coming WR DJ Moore for a 26 yard touchdown strike, the Raiders were in this! 16-13 Rams clung to a slim lead.

The game became a slugfest. The Rams had always relied on their running attack to punish teams, but the Raiders had the best front 7 the Rams had faced all season. At a critical point in the game the rushing attack failed them causing the Rams to come up empty on two possessions. With 11:40 left in the 4th quarter the Raiders took advantage and dominated the Rams defense for nearly 8 minutes. Converting two 3rd downs and two 4th downs the punishing drive ended with a Devontae Booker 1 yard plunge into the end zone. the Raiders now had the lead 20-16 with 3:37 left! The Rams had only mounted 1 drive in the entire 2nd half their fans were distraught, while the Raiders just needed to stop the Rams one more time.

Andrew Luck had led some last minute drives in the regular season, specifically two critical games against the Falcons and Vikings. The Raiders were determined not to fall victim to his last minute heroics and focused on stopping him. Lining up in a nickel defense the Raiders rolled the dice that the Rams could not or would not run. But they did run, and ripped off three runs totaling 38 yards out of the hurry up, the Rams were across the 50 yard line with 1:50 left remaining in the game. The Rams had a delicate balance to strike, Matt Stafford had devastated the Rams in the second half. The Raiders as a team were 11 for 21 on third and 4th down conversions, the Rams defense could not get off the field; so leaving time for the Raiders would be deadly for the Rams. On the other hand a field goal was not sufficient thanks to their kicker so the Rams had to get a touchdown. The Rams somewhat surprisingly did not go no huddle-hurry up at this point. After a short screen that only gained the three yards the ball sat at the Raiders 35 yard line, 3rd and 3 only 47 seconds remained. The Rams had two timeouts remaining. This play was a critical moment in the game. Rams coach Ryan Heaton said in post game interviews that they had two plays ready for this situation and relied on QB Andrew Luck to make the right decision. The Raiders appeared ready to end the game they lined up in a 5-2 front, seemingly determined not to let RB Carson to get a first down. Luck at the line of scrimmage screamed out an audible, play-by-play announcer Tony Romo immediately chimed in "Luck recognizes they are playing run, he's changing the play, look out for Hilton!" Romo, the great play by play prognosticator was right, for one last time Andrew Luck and TY Hilton hooked up for a 35 yard touchdown strike, 23-20 Rams! Rams fans were losing their minds. For most of the 4th quarter it looked bleak for the Los Angeles fans, now they were jubilant! But the Rams started to celebrate too early. There were still 38 seconds left, the Raiders had all of their timeouts and they only needed a field goal for over-time.

A modest return on the kick started the Raiders at the Rams 21 yard line. Stafford fired a quick 10 yard strike to Kelce, timeout Raiders 21 seconds left. A couple incomplete passes led to the last play of the game. Travis Kelce had delivered all game for the Raiders, he had an great season and his last catch of the game was incredible. 11 Seconds remained the ball sat at the Raiders 31 yard line, 3rd and 10. Stafford dropped back to pass and found Kelce had beaten his man, Stafford threw a perfect strike to Kelce in stride....he caught it at the 46 with running room, past the 40...past the 20..he appeared to be going for the win, eschewing outbounds or going down..But it wasn't to be, Rams safety Anthony Harris made a game saving tackle at the Rams 18 yard line! The clock expired, Oakland was not able to call timeout and the Rams were the IFL Super Bowl Champions, 23-20 final score.

Coach Heaton immediately met Coach Jackson at midfield and congratulated him on an incredible game and effort by his team. The Raiders very easily could have been crowned champions; they were indeed a worthy team. Their in game adjustments completely flipped the momentum of the game, it just was not meant to be.

There were several incredible performances in the game for the Raiders Travis Kelce easily was their MVP, 145 yards receiving on 9 catches. Raiders QB Matthew Stafford was 29-for 49 for 323 yards and 1 touchdown. He consistently completed timely passes to keep drives alive. Raiders Kicker Jason Myers also was impressive making 2 field goals, one a key 52 yarder early in the game.

For the Rams the sentimental favorite for MVP was Andrew Luck since it was his last IFL game, but the voters instead chose WR TY Hilton, 5 catches for 95 yards and 2 touchdowns. An incredible performance against one of the best defenses in the league. Also impressive was Rams RB Chris Carson 19 carries 95 yards and 1 touchdown.

In the end the game came down to one more touchdown for the Rams where the Raiders settled for a field goal. It was an incredible finish to a great coached game by Keith, a worthy final game to a great IFL season.

...but there is no rest for the weary, a new season is right around the corner. And there appears to be a lot of uncertainty about the favorites for next season. Three of the final four teams this year will be faced with QB issues either due to poor performance, injury or retirement. There are exciting and new QBs on up and coming teams like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, perhaps they will be leading their teams in the Super Bowll. Could Deshaun Watson or Dak Prescott take that next step to enter the category of elite. Or maybe it will be an old reliable like Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers leading their team to the promised land. One thing is for sure with injuries to Rothlisberger, Stafford, Brees, Foles, and less than stellar play from Rivers, Goff and even Tom Brady the deck appears to be shuffled. 2020 could be anyone's season, can't wait.

Congrats to everyone on a great season, to all the playoff teams and to the Raiders and Keith Jackson who made a great run.

Lastly I once again want to thank John for doing such a great job running the league, it's an incredible amount of fun to be a part of it.

Enjoy the real Super Bowl everybody.

Ryan Heaton
Rams 2019 IFL Super Bowl Champions

IFL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

AFC

Oakland 26 at Miami 13

Joe Haden's pick six sealed the Raiders win over Miami.

Wearing merely a fur coat post-game, Oakland Raiders’ star cornerback Joe Haden smiled and simply said: “I told you so.”
In the week leading up to the game, Haden told anyone who would listen that it was the defense’s turn to have a big game after “being carried by Alvin Kamara last week.” Haden and the Raider’s defense didn’t waste time as safety Harrison Smith intercepted Dolphins’ QB Jared Goff on the first drive and returned it 51 yards to the 2-yard line. Kamara punched it in on the very next play and the Raiders were up 6-0 after a missed extra point by Jason Meyers.
“That was a huge play for us. The Dolphins started off flummoxing us with their four receiver sets from the first play on and were driving and Goff looked comfortable … we needed to get them off the field, said Raiders’ coach Keith Jackson.”
The Dolphins would prove unbowed as Darius Jennings took the ensuing kickoff 60-plus yards to the Raiders’ 37. Thanks to stout defense, the Dolphins’ seven-play drive stalled and the Dolphins settled for a 44-yard field goal to cut the lead to 6-3.
Both team’s subsequent drives would stall, but the Dolphins’ Goff seemingly broke out of his slow start with a 26-yard touchdown pass to WR Brandin Cooks to take a 10-6 lead before the first quarter ended.
The Raiders struck back two drives later by opening the second quarter with an eight-play, 64-yard drive that culminated with Kamara’s second touchdown. But after a controversial decision to go for two failed, the Raiders were only up 12-10.
“Look, it was a bad decision, said Coach Jackson. I had a conversation last offseason with Jimmy Haslam about the importance of analytics and tried to shoehorn it into that moment. I should’ve just had my kicker get out there and make it 13-7. That was entirely on me.”
After several stalled drives by both teams, the Dolphins kicked a 40-yard field goal to regain the lead 13-12 after an eight-play drive. It only took the Raiders’ five plays on their next drive to regain the lead as Kamara added his third touchdown of the day on a 25-yard touchdown reception.
“All week we knew were facing a really good defense that sprinkled in some blitzes at inopportune times, stated Raiders’ QB Matthew Stafford. So we wanted to make sure if we were able to snuff one out that we switched to a screen to AK because we knew they would be keyed on him for the majority of the day. It worked perfectly, they came in with their linebacker and we dropped it to AK and he did the rest.”
The Raiders came out of halftime intent on dialing up the pressure to maintain the 19-13 lead and they were successful as they used a combination of linebacker blitzes and stunts and twists from the defensive line to keep force Goff from the pocket repeatedly.
“We knew we couldn’t let them get settled in, said Coach Jackson, That team is extremely well coached and we knew they would come out with some different wrinkles that we would need to prepare for. In my estimation, they’ve been the most dangerous offense in the league the past several seasons because of their ability to make adjustments and keep defenses on their toes. We wanted to reverse it and show them some different looks and keep Goff uncomfortable.”
The Raiders were successful defensively in the third quarter as they sacked Goff twice, forced a fumble and garnered a pick six from Haden that made the score 26-13. It was a frustrating fourth quarter for the Dolphins as the Raiders’ defense held them scoreless despite eight-play and 17-play drives that both ended in turnovers on downs. The Raiders were able to end the game with the victory formation as they completed the shocking 26-13 win.
“I can’t say enough about how proud I am of this team, said Coach Jackson. Last season the Dolphins beat the heck out of us on their way to a Super Bowl and we didn’t shrink from that this season. We knew how good of a team they were, how well coached they were and how hungry they were and still fought them. That team over there is dynastic and an organization that I know we try and learn from every day in terms of coaching decisions, personnel decisions, draft, etc. We have one more game left and can’t wait to get out there and play for a Super Bowl title. Whew, let’s get after it!”

STATS
Passing
Raiders- Stafford: 23-40, 241, 1TD
Dolphins- Goff: 40-78, 337, 1TD, 2INT
Rushing:
Raiders- Kamara: 24-60, 2TD
Dolphins- Chris Thompson: 4-17
Receiving:
Raiders- Travis Kelce: 9-106
Dolphins- Thompson: 11-74; Brandin Cooks: 8-95, 1TD
Defensive:
Raiders- Haden: 7 tackles, 1 pass defense, 1 forced fumble, 1 INT, 1 TD; Grady Jarrett, 2 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 QB hurry, 2 forced fumbles
Dolphins- Henry Anderson: 8 tackles, 1 pass defense, 1 QB hurry, 1 forced fumble

NFC

Arizona 21 at Rams 45

Rams running back Chris Carson rushed for 159 yards and 3 touchdowns as Los Angeles defeats Arizona.

Is it possible for a game to be decided midway through the 2nd quarter of a game. The Rams season appeared to be on the brink at that exact moment versus the dangerous AFC East Division Champ Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals led by Patrick Mahomes and Saquon Barkley had been beating the odds all season. After winning their division and then two subsequent playoff games, one on the road, they found themselves leading the #1 Seeded Rams 14-7 mid way through the 2nd quarter. The Rams were sweating, an early turnover had given the Cardinals the lead, 14-7, an eerily similar script to how the Tampa Bay game went for the Cardinals. Compounding the Rams problem at this decisive moment was the down and distance, they faced a 3rd and 11 on their end of the field. Rams QB Andrew Luck to this point had been ineffective, broadcasters wondered if he put too much pressure on himself by announcing he would walk away from football after this season. After the game interviewers asked Rams players if Luck said anything in the huddle prior to the big moment. One player divulged what Luck, a well known Game of Thrones aficionado, said prior to the critical down, "Not today". He then faced down a Cardinals blitz and delivered a 17 yard strike to TY Hilton. The Rams were back in business eventually tying it up a few plays later on a pass from Luck to tight end Trey Burton, 14-14. The home crowd now energized seemed to give life to the Rams defense who held the Cardinals on their next possession. That led to the second decisive moment of the game, the Rams, for some reason use star defensive end Khalil Mack on special teams, a seemingly risky proposition given his value to the team, but today it finally paid off, Mack rolled over his blocker and blocked the Cardinals punt. Rams ball on the Cardinals 26. The Rams quickly cashed in another touchdown, 21-14 Rams. In 8 minutes the Rams went from losing to winning. Mahomes tried to answer with 5 minutes left in the quarter. As was the strategy all game he fired off a deep ball, incomplete. His inability to find his deep ball touch hamstrung the Cardinal offense, he finished 22 for 49. The Cards drive ended in a 3 and out. The Rams again with the ball and only two minutes left. They dinked and dunked their way to the Cardinal 22 yard line running a hurry up offense and 50 seconds left. The Rams appeared to be content to come away with a field goal knowing they would get the ball to start the 2nd half. Rams star RB Chris Carson had other ideas, despite facing a defense keyed to stop him on the play Carson sweeped right dodging and weaving his way to the end zone. 28-14 Rams led at the half.

Despite a devastating 2nd quarter the Cardinals still had life in them. The Cardinals defense held the Rams on their 1st possession of the half, their offense though was still stuck in the mud. The Cardinals could not generate a consistent running game and went three and out. This time Luck decided to take matters into his own hands to make sure the Rams got points, on a 2nd and 10 play Luck scrambled for 23 yards, down to the Cardinal 34 yard line. That play got the Rams offense going again and they would not look back, Luck threw a TD strike to tight end Eric Ebron to make it 35-14 Rams. The 3rd quarter ended with a Rams field goal to make it 38-14. The Cardinals never gave up, they scored with 4 minutes left to make it 38-21, but the onside kick did not bounce their way. The field position helped the Rams score another touchdown, 45-21 was the final. The Rams move on to their first IFL Super Bowl in franchise history.

Congrats to the Cardinals and my Dad on a great season, the future looks bright, a great turnaround from top 5 pick to final four.

Cardinals Stars of the game:
RB Saquon Barkley 187 total yards (11 catches 3 for touchdowns)
QB Patrick Mahomes 22-49 253 yards 3 touchdowns 1 int

Rams Stars of the game:
RB Chris Carson 21 carries 159 Yards 3 Touchdowns
QB Andrew Luck 18-26 3 Touchdowns 1 int

The Rams move on to yet another rematch from the regular season, The Oakland Raiders. A team with an impressive Super Bowl pedigree, should be a great game. Congrats to them on making it to the final.

IFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF ROUND

AFC

Chargers 16 at Miami 35

Dolphins quarterback Jared Goff throws 3 TD passes as Miami defeats the Chargers.

Chargers come to Miami fresh off a wild card victory over the Jets, hoping to make it 2 in a row over the AFC East. The Dolphins, well rested after a 1st round bye and healthy are prepared for the visit.

LA takes the opening KO and travels from their own 24 to the Dolphin 15 using almost half of the 1st quarter but stall out and kick the FG for the 3-0 lead with 8:43 left. The Dolphins run 3 plays and on the 4th, Goff throws the pick at the Charger 24 and LA is going the other way. The Chargers run nine plays but stall at the Dolphin 44 and punt. Miami takes over at their own 20 and quickly move the ball 80 yards in 2:07 and get the TD with 13:11 remaining in the half to make the score 7-3 Miami. After a exchange of punts, 1 by Miami and 2 by LA, the Dolphins go 63 yards in 3 minutes and 9 seconds and score the TD to take the 14-3 lead with 2:50 left in the half. But there's no quit in the Chargers as they get the ball at their own 7 yard line and in 2:39 get into Dolphin territory and kick a 62 yard FG as time expires in the half to make it a 1 score game at 14-6 at halftime.

Miami gets the ball to open the 2nd half and go 3 and out and punt it back to the Chargers. LA covers 57 yards in 11 plays, but the drive stalls, but they do get the FG to cut the lead to 14-9 with 6:27 left in the 3rd. Miami takes over at their own 23 and make short work of the 77 yards and score the TD with 2:59 left in the 3rd quarter to take the 21-9 lead, pushing it to a 12 point lead. Undaunted, LA travels 60 yards in a little over 5 minutes and get the TD to cut the lead back to 5 points at 21-16 with 12:43 to go in the game.

The Dolphins get the ball at their own 17 and travel the 83 yards in 2 minutes and 44 seconds and get the TD to push the lead back to 12 points with 9:40 left in the contest. A Charger 3 and out opens the door for the Dolphins, and they take advantage of the opportunity and go 64 yards and get the TD to go up 35-16 with 5:50 left. The Chargers would get the ball and drive to the Dolphin 34 yard line but turn it over on downs and the Dolphins would run out the clock and get the 35-16 win. A valiant effort by the Chargers, but unable to come up with the win. LA finishes the year strong and looks to build on this year's success as the Dolphins move on to face the winner of the Bengal/Raider game to determine the AFC representative in the Super Bowl.

Thanks to Jerry for getting the game in and a excellent called game on the road.

Cincinnati 10 at Oakland 15

Running back Alvin Kamara rushed for 207 yards and a touchdown as the Raiders advance to the Conference Championship game.

In a hard fought Divisional Round game, the Oakland Raiders prevailed over the Cincinnati Bengals 15-10 and now get ready to travel to Miami to face the vaunted Miami Dolphins in the AFC Championship. Below is the transcript from Coach Jackson’s press conference.

Coach Jackson opening statement: Heckova game out there, I wanna tip my hat to the Bengals and especially Coach Storer. His guys never gave up and it’s impossible to feel safe against that team. Glad we were able to get out of here with a win, but never felt comfortable. That’s testament to the team he’s put together and his coaching. Let’s knock out some questions.

Q: Alvin Kamara rushed 25 times for 207 yards and one touchdown. Was the original game plan to run the ball?

A: Not at all, we thought we’d have more success passing the ball and definitely didn’t anticipate having so much success on the ground against this tough defense. To be honest if you’d asked me before the game what I expected and it would’ve been about 15 rushes and 8-10 catches for AK. But his success changed everything.

Q: At what point did you change the game plan?
A: Oh, late in the second quarter I realized the Bengals’ defensive backfield wasn’t letting anything past them and AK had already got ‘em for the 54-yard rushing touchdown midway through the first and a 29-yard run and looked really comfortable. At that point I told my offensive coordinator that we were scratching the original plan and running AK until he broke down.
Q: Was there any concern about injuries with AK? He has been injured several times during the season.
A: Not at all, during the week I talked to him and let him know what the game plan was and he told me point blank to run him if we needed. He felt confident and now we see why.

Q: What was the turning point in the game?
A: There was no turning point or momentum change because neither team had much momentum. This game was a buckin’ bronco. You just hopped on and hoped you didn’t get thrown too hard. I never felt comfortable and I’m pretty sure neither did Coach Storer.

Q: You missed the extra point after the first touchdown, which continues a string of off-putting kicking performances the past few games. Are you worried?
A: I’m the head coach and it’s my job to worry, but I believe that when we need our guy to make a big kick that he will.
Q: Late in the game, you started using a lot more play action which is not something you normally use? Why was that?
A: Well when facing a well-coached team like the Bengals, you can’t keep giving them the same look. We needed to make sure that we kept them on their toes and didn’t just keep pounding the ball. We needed to make them think about what we might do so that we could keep those lanes open. One more question.
Q: Are you ready for next week’s game against the Dolphins?
A: Not sure anyone is ready to play the Dolphins. I just want my guys to be healthy, ready to execute and that I put them in a position to succeed and if so I think we can give that squad a game. We’re looking forward to seeing what we can do.
MVP: Alvin Kamara: 25 carries 207 yards
Passing: Aaron Rodgers 12-32, 152 yards, 1TD; Matthew Stafford 18-36, 181 yards
Rushing: Melvin Gordon III, 17-81; Kamara, 25-207, 1 TD

NFC

Atlanta 10 at Rams 31

Andrew Luck threw three first half touchdown passes as Rams cruise past Atlanta.

Rams and Falcons met in the rubber match after splitting their regular season series 1-1. Rams eeked out home field advantage which appeared to be the difference in the game today. Timing and inches went against the Falcons most of the day. The final score was deceiving, the Falcons threatened the Rams on several occasions but in a decisive moment a penalty, or sack or a tackle 1 yard short constantly put Atlanta in difficult predicaments.

After the Rams scored a TD on their opening possession Atlanta responded with a huge kick return for 70 yards by Jakeem Grant. But Falcons QB Phillip Rivers was let down by his OL as two sacks on the Falcons first two plays pushed the Falcons back. On 4th down Coach Golden did not appear to have confidence in his field goal kicker attempting a 48 yarder, they punted and downed the ball at the 1 yard line. After stopping the Rams the Falcons regained possession and managed a field goal, 7-3 Rams early in the 2nd quarter.

The Rams pushed the lead to 14-3 on their next drive. The Falcons next possession created another key moment. A second down sack by Rams DE Khalil Mack put the Falcons in 3rd and long. Rivers completed a pass to WR Josh Doctson but he was tackled 2 yards short. The Falcons punted the ball back to a hot Rams offense. Rams QB Andrew Luck orchestrated another TD drive, 21-3 with just over 1 minute remaining in the half. The Falcons pushed the ball into field goal range, but on 3rd and short the Falcons went for the end zone and were picked off, even though that was a tough pill right before the half, the Falcons would hang tough.

The Falcons first drive fizzled and the Rams pushed the ball to Atlanta's goal line; it appeared the Rams were going to put the game out of reach. But a goal line stand caused the Rams to settle for a Field Goal 24-3 Rams. The Falcons then put a Touchdown on the board, a deep pass Rivers to Agholor. Momentum appeared to be shifting; the Falcons converted a 4th down inside their own 15 yard line to keep that TD drive alive. Falcons tried to catch the Rams off guard with an onside kick, but the kicker kicked it too far and it was recovered by a back up lineman. The Rams took advantage of the short field and scored, 31-10 Rams. The Falcons mustered another long drive but it consumed a lot of time and it eventually ended on downs, essentially ending the game.

Penalties(7 against Atl/ 1 Against LA) and turnovers went against the Falcons all game and that ended up contributing to the outcome.

Falcons Stars
WR Nelson Agholor 87 total yards 1 TD
QB Phillip Rivers 24-39 267 yards 1 TD 1 Int

Rams Stars
QB Andrew Luck 17-19 227 yards 3 TDs
DE Trey Flowers 2 Sacks 1 Stuff

Congrats to Marty and the Falcons on a great season, 14 total wins in a tough division and conference.

The Rams await the winner of the Cardinals and Buccaneers.

Arizona 42 at Tampa Bay 39

Cardinal QB Pat Mahomes celebrates his game winning touchdown pass as Arizona edges Tampa Bay in a thriller.

Last year Arizona was challenging for the first pick in the draft. This year Arizona is one game away from the Super Bowl. What a difference a year makes. What a difference Mahomes Magic makes!

The talking heads all picked the Giants to win the East division hands down. They predicted Arizona to finish 4th ahead of Washington and behind Dallas. Instead the Red Wave finished as champion after defeating the Giants twice.

The talking heads predicted Arizona would be eliminated early. They said Zona lacked elite receivers. They said the offensive line was suspect. And the defense was short on play makers. And they said Mahomes was young and lacked experience. They simply did not recognize the Mahomes magic.

Arizona did not begin the Tampa game the way they had planned. Zona returned the opening kick off only to their 11 yard line. They would pick up one first down before two of Mahomes passes missed connections to bring up a punt on a 4th and 4 yards to go. Luckily Bosher boomed a great kick and pinned Tampa on their 10 yard line.

However, Tampa lost no time, completing their first three passes to their 35 yard line. Two runs and two passes later and it was Tampa 7 and Zona zip. It was way too early to panic, but Zona felt the pressure to get something done. As it turned out, the red wave was alive and well. A pass interference penalty gave Arizona a quick first down. Mahomes then caught Tampa stacking the line looking for a Barkley as Williams caught his first pass on a short crossing pattern. On the very next play, Mahomes found Williams deep for 31 yards as the Bucs were again looking for Barkley. Barkley took the next two hand offs for 15 yards and then 8 yards and 7 points. The game was tied.

Tampa's next possession began positively but faltered after a key holding penalty. After failing to convert on a 3rd and 22, Tampa punted. Zona would earn a couple first downs before their drive also stalled. The next series for Tampa led to a critical error. Carr misread the defense and threw the ball directly into Fuller's hands. Arizona takes possession on the Tampa 12 yard line. A quick pass and then another TD for Barkley as he bulled his way into the end zone. Arizona goes up by 7.

Tampa's next possession resulted in a ball control drive deep into Zona territory, but Zona's bend don't break defense was able to hold the Bucs to a field goal. Tampa would kick to Arizona who got the ball back with 3:51 on the clock at their 22 yard line. With only a 4 point lead, Zona knew they needed to produce. And produce they did! Mahomes and Barkley traded passing and running their way down the field. With 1:07 on the clock Barkley would crash his way in for his third TD of the game. Tampa would get one additional possession but the half time score would hold at 21-10 Arizona.

Tampa began the second half with momentum going their way. Gurley was relentless as he pounded the Zona defensive line. The Bucs rode Gurley's back on a 6 minute drive to close the lead to 21-17. Mahomes was unimpressed. He went to work on the Zona drive hitting 5 different receivers picking up large pieces of real estate on each completion. On the 10 yard line Mahomes handed the ball off to Barkley who scampered 10 yards for the score as 4 Bucs defensive players missed tackles on the galloping ghost. Four consecutive touch downs on the ground by Barkley set a new Zona playoff record.

Fans began to breath a little easy. However, as it turned out, it was way too premature. Patterson set up good field position for the Bucs on the next series beginning at their 36 yard line. Carr would go to the air for most of his next drive and quickly found pay dirt just before the end of the quarter. He would find Jackson waving his hands in the end zone to cut the Zona lead to 3 points.

Little did Zona fans know disaster was 3 plays away. On a 3rd and 10, Mahomes would find Johnson on a hitch route for the first down. Bethea had his own plan though as he wrestled the ball away from Johnson for a fumble recovery. Tampa would take over on the Zona 34 yard line. After a couple strong runs by Gurley, Carr would find Cook in the end to take the lead in the 4th quarter 32 to 28.

Starting on their own 15 yard line, Zona would turn again to Barkley on the ground. After picking up a quick first down, Mahomes looked downfield for a pass to Kirk. Kirk was cover and Mahomes was flushed out of the pocket. Mahomes zigged and zagged his way for a 31 yard scramble. Barkley would get his chance again on the next play as Mahomes handed off to him off right tackle. In Barkley fashion, he faked defenders out of their shoes on his way to a 38 yard touch down and 5 consecutive score on the ground. Zona 35, Tampa 32. Fans breathed another sigh of relief, too soon!

Tampa's next drive would be crucial. Again they started with good field position set up by Patterson on their 37 yard line. Carr would find Pruitt for 22 yards, first down! Then Zona stiffened and stopped Gurley for only one yard. An incomplete pass brought up a 3rd and 9. Adams would safety blitz and sack Carr forcing the punt.

Now, with 7 minutes left, if Mahomes could put up another score, it could put the game away. Barkley picks up 7 yards on the first down. Then adds another 2 yards on second down. Mahomes tries to sneak for the first but the defense was looking for him and Zona is forced to punt. Tampa gets the ball back on their 16 yard line with 5:11 in the game. Tampa throws to Gurley for 9 yards and 10 inches bringing up a 2nd and inches. Carr goes to the air on the next play but the Zona D was ready, incomplete. With a 3rd and inches, the Bucs hand off to Gurley. Zona was looking for Gurley the entire way and stuffed him behind the line for a 1 yard loss. With 4:50 on the clock and the game on the line and a 4th and one, Tampa pulls out all the stops. With Zona obviously thinking Gurley run, Carr throws the bomb Adams picking up 56 yards. With 3:58 left in the game, Tampa is set up on the Arizona 19 yard line. Gurley scampers for 12 yards to the 7 yard line. A short pass and another 5 yard gain sets up a 3rd and inches on the goal line. Gurley blasts it across to take the lead 39 to 35.

Arizona begins the sudden death drive at their own 29 yard line. Mahomes finds Barkley for 6 yards. Then disaster strikes and Castanzo is flagged for holding bringing up a 2nd and 14. Mahomes fires incomplete to Barkley. Now on 3rd down and 14, Mahomes looks for Williams on a fly pattern, incomplete. With the season on the line and 4 an 14 it is time for the magic of Mahomes. Mahomes drops back, looks to his right and then fires a strike to Williams slanting across the middle for 16 yards and new life.

Mahomes would continue finding Barkley and Johnson and then Kirk for the winning TD. Tampa would get the ball back with 9 seconds to play which was simply too little too late.

Arizona upsets the heavily favored Bucs and advances to the game in LA.

Thanks to Mike for a great game. They really do not get much closer than this one was.

IFL WILD CARD WEEKEND

AFC

Denver 21 at Cincinnati 24

Bengals cornerback Kyle Fuller's pick six helped rally Cincinnati past Denver.

The Bengals hosted Denver in the first round of the IFL playoffs. The Broncos eliminated Cincinnati 20-8 last year in the divisional round at Cincinnati so home field advantage meant nothing. To make matters worse, the Broncos beat up the Bengals 30-7 in Denver in week seven this year.

The game opened with multiple exchanges of punts until Bronco QB Nick Mullens connected with Tyreek Hill for the 41 yard score at the 8:04 mark of the opening quarter. Rodgers answered by throwing an interception to Bronco safety Tashaun Gipson. Four plays later, Josh Adams would rumble in from 19 yards out giving Denver a 14-0 lead with almost five minutes remaining in the opening quarter. The rout was on, or so it seemed.

Cincinnati finally put together a little something and 12 plays later Fairbairn converted on the 32 yard attempt to cut the Denver lead to 14-3 with just under 13 minutes remaining in the half. On the Broncos next series rookie QB Mullens made a huge mistake as All-IFL cornerback Kyle Fuller stepped in front of a pass and took it 42 yards for the pick six and the Denver lead was just 14-10. After another series of multiple exchanges of punts, the Bengals linebacker Danny Trevathan intercepted Mullens and returned it 12 yards. After a 10 yard run by Melvin Gordon, Rodgers found Alshon Jeffery for the 9 yard score and a 17-14 Cincinnati lead at the half.

Denver received the kickoff to begin the second half. It looked like the Broncos were going to start moving the ball as Mullens converted a second and 20 with a 28 yard pass to tight end C.J. Uzomah. However, forced to punt after a Adam Gotsis near strip sack, the Denver long snapper' snap sailed over the head of punter Chris Jones and was recovered by Fuller at the Broncos 11. On third and 7, Rodgers found Gordon for the score to increase the Bengals lead to 24-14 with about 12 minutes remaining in the third quarter. Punts, punts, and more punts ended the quarter.

The Broncos brought in Blake Bortles to try to rally the troops. He completed a pass to Hill for seven yards but Mullens came back in. The benching seemed to work as Mullens completed three straight passes including a 22 yard scoring strike to Hill cutting the Bengals lead to 24-21 with about 12 minutes remaining in the game. The Bengals were forced to punt, thanks to a Carlos Dunlap sack. Denver reached the Cincinnati 28 but on fourth down Hunt was stuffed and the Broncos came away with nothing. Cincinnati ate up a little time their next drive and a Huber punt pinned them at their own nine. After an incompletion, a Jerry Hughes sack resulted in Denver turning the ball over on downs and the Bengals moved on to the next round.

Not a lot of offensive highlights for either team. Mullens was just 13 of 29 for 197 yards with 2 TDs and 2 INTs. Austin Ekeler rushed 10 times for 66 yards and Adams rushed 11 times for 53 yards and a score. Hill, despite being double-teamed or facing 10 rated Fuller, caught 6 passes for 99 yards and 2 TDs.

The Bengals won this game thanks to turnovers. Rodgers was ineffective, completing just 11 of 25 passes for 103 yards with 2 TDs and an INT. Gordon rushed for 94 yards on 25 attempts. The Bengals defense was the star with 4 sacks and forcing 3 turnovers.

Congrats to Doug on a great season.

Jets 17 at Chargers 27

Veteran Eli Manning showed he still had a little left as his 3 TD passes lead Chargers past Jets

same BatTime, same BatChannel.... one week after the Chargers hosted the Jets in the season finale and squeaked out
a narrow win to secure a playoff spot; both teams returned to the same venue for a sequel in the first round of the
playoffs.... the plot was eerily reminiscent of the previous week’s encounter as the teams traded punch and counterpunch,
with the eventual outcome not being decided till late in the contest....

both teams were similar when it came to offensive and defensive strategies; both teams basically concerned about the
opposing wide receivers who held the advantage over their secondary adversaries; the offenses trying to guess who might
be double-teamed and effectively counterpunching with their respective lead backs....

the game started out with the Jets being forced to punt on the first possession; but the pace picked up as the teams traded touchdowns
on the next four, Watson to Woods twice for the Jets, Manning to Westbrook twice for the Chargers; six punts closed out the rest of
the first half action for a 14-14 score at the half....

LA received the second half kickoff and were forced to punt, the Jets then moved down the field culminated by a 43 yard Hopkins field goal;
after and exchange of punts, LA moved down the field capped by a Maher field goal to tie it at 17-17.... then the crucial play of the
game happened, NY fumbled the ensuing kickoff with LA taking over at the 11 and Manning hitting Julio Jones on the first play to give
the Chargers the lead.... the Jets took the kickoff and marched to midfield where they were stopped on a 4th and 1 play....
LA then started a time consuming drive culminated by a 32 yard Maher field goal to go up 27-17.... on the ensuing drive, the Chargers
once again stopped the Jets on a 4th down play and ran out the clock....

all the stats were very similar.... the only really glaring standout, LAC 6 for 14 on 3rd downs, NYJ 0 for 8 on 3rd downs and 0-2
on 4th downs.... the Chargers displayed a balanced attack, 162 thru the air, 158 on the ground(Chubb-109); Watson passed for 203
yards(Woods 9 rec-137)....

I thank Bob for the games and back-to-back nailbiters.... now as we move on, I must paraphrase Star Trek as the Chargers prepare to go
to places where no Charger team has gone before, at least not a long while.... “Live Long and Prosper” \ II II

NFC

San Francisco 13 at Arizona 30

Reggie Ragland's 26 yard fumble return for a TD broke open a close game in the fourth quarter.

Some would say the real game drama took place in the media prior to kick off. Would Trubisky be ready to play after being banged up in the game against the Rams? Coach Bob was reluctant to predict as he stated over and over, we will make a decision before kick off after we see how "True" is feeling. "True" is the media darling nickname given Trubisky on the Left Coast. Therefore, the Cardinals really did not know how to properly prep for the game. When San Fran trotted Matt Barkley out onto the field, Arizona became the deer in the headlights. They really did not know what to do.

San Fran would win the toss and elected to defer. The high powered Arizona offense took the field. Barkley took the first handoff and chalked up 6 yards. Good start. However, he took the second handoff and was stuffed at the line. A screen pass netted negative yards and Arizona was 3 and out. Not the best of starts.

However, San Fran recipricated with a similar series of three and out. So Zona got the back quickly.

Arizona received the punt and Kirk advanced it to the Zona 30 yard line. Mahomes went to work but threw two quick incomplete passes. However, on the third pass he found Williams across the middle for 17 and a first down conversion. Barkley would added another first down with two rushes from scrimmage. Now on the SF 40 yard line, it would take only two more passes from Mahomes to put up the first TD. Zona 7 and SF 0.

San Fran would down the kick and begin their next drive on their own 25 yard line. Barkley would go to a quick count and attempt to get the ball deep to Diggs but was sacked for 10 yards! Wait, something yellow on the field and it smells. The time clock official was not ready the play was whistled dead! What, San Fran gets a do over! They pitch the ball to Howard who scampers 40 yards to the Zona 35 yard line. The Cards were still stunned by the officials call and were now stunned by Howard. Five consecutive runs by Barber and it was a new ball game 7-7. It also seems the defensive coordinator was dyslexic. After the first 3 consecutive runs by Barber, the intent was to KEY Barber not DOUBLE Barber, but instead the defensive coordinator pushed the wrong buttons.

In addition the actual yellow smell on the field was not a Flag by the officials, but instead was generated by Koch. After Barkley was sacked on his first play the little error window came up as the game crashed. When the game was restored, it did not record the sack but instead restored to just prior to the sack giving San Fran redo. Guess that was pay back for True sitting on bench :)

With the momentum shift, both offenses struggled for two series. Zona would receive the punt at their own 12 yard line and put together a masterful drive. The drive featured runs by Barkley with big play passes from Mahomes. However, Zona would come up short as they moved the ball to the red zone, but could not get it into pay dirt. Zona would have to settle for an easy 3 points to take a 10-7 lead.

San Fran was unimpressed. The Niners took the field motivated and literally and figuratively jammed the ball down Zona's throat. Howard, Bibbs, Barber and Jackson all took their turns grinding out the yardage while defeating run keys. Finally, the Zona defense held by stopping the drive on their 39 yard line. Who the hell would think SF could hit a 57 yard field goal. Well, Crosby did because he trotted out on to the field and cleared the crossbars from 57 yards to tie the game.

Zona would get the ball back with 3:21 left in the half. Finally settled after the yellow smell incident, Mahomes and Company went to work. Barkley showed he could catch as well as he could run. Mahomes made use of 4 different receivers as he advanced the ball down the field into the red zone. However, the drive would stall at the SF 7 yard line. This time it was Carlson who trotted onto the field for a 95% chip shot FG to retake the lead. Except it was not a chip shot as he missed the attempt wide left.

The fans began to become concerned. You know the feeling, third string QB and a hopeful easy win, turns out to be a loss instead. Tied at the half, it was going to be a new ball game.

San Fran takes the opening kick off and flops. Barkley is sacked on the first play. Barkley scrambles on the second play for one yard he is blitzed and cannot find a receiver. The next incomplete results in a punt.

Arizona starts at their 27 and wastes little time. Lightning prepares to strike as Barkley runs for 7 yards. Mahomes finds Kirk for 11 as Williams was double teamed. Now the lightning strikes as Mahomes hits Howard for 35 yards and closes with a 25 yard TD strike to Williams. Zona 17-10 back in the lead.

San Fran gets the ball back and goes back to their run first strategy. However, Zona has the momentum and forces a three an out. Not to be denied, San Fran reciprocates again holding Zona three and out.

Another momentum shift as SF realizes they are still in the game. Barkley steps up with a 22 yard completion to the Arizona 41 yard line. SF shifts gears back to the run as Barber difficult yards. It was not pretty but it was effective as Barber earned 3 to 5 yards and cloud of dust to squeeze out a first down and move into field goal range. Crosby makes it and it is now a four point game.

On Zona's next possession it was Barkley who scampered for 45 yards on his first carry from scrimmage after the kick off. In the red zone again at the SF 17. Mahomes finds Barkley for 10 for a first at the SF 7 yard line. The do or die Niners suck it up and stuff Barkleys next run. Then they sack Mahomes TWICE to force a FG attempt. This time Carlson makes it easily to extend the lead to 7 points.

However, the game drama comes to a conclusion on the next SF possession. SF put Bibbs in the game. The Cardinals decide to gamble and hard key Bibbs hoping his lack of experience may generate something good. It did as Bibbs fumbled on a sweep play after a jarring hit by Ragland. Ragland picks up the ball and easily scores. Zona takes a 14 point lead with 13 minutes left in the game.

SF downs the kick off and feels the need to change things up again. They put Geno Smith in the game. A totally unprepared and surprised Smith promptly throws the ball to Marlon Humphrey for his first intercept ion of the year. The penalty bug strikes and snuffs Arizona's chances to firmly put the game away. However, the game is really over anyways. The Niner's inability to throw the ball with their 3rd string QB dooms them for the remainder of the game. The final stats reflect how bad the San Fran passing game really was as they only completed 4 of 12 passes for 80 yards. The Niners did have 196 yards on the ground and it helped to keep things respectable. Arizona ended with 137 rushing yards and 312 yards passing. Several failures in the red zone kept the game as close as it was. And the one big defensive play put the game out of reach for SF.

Grats to Bob for an interesting game. The result could have been much different with Trubisky.

Green Bay 24 at Atlanta 27

Falcons QB Phillip Rivers throws for 341 yards and 2 TD to help Atlanta get by Green Bay.

Philip Rivers was named MVP as he led the Falcons to a 27-24 Wild card win against a well-coached Packer's team that definitely came to play.

The story of the first half was Packers punch followed by Falcon's counter punch. Both offenses were unstoppable as veterans Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger led their respective teams up and down the field. As in any prize fight, the teams started by feeling each other out as the frst quarter ended with the teams trading FGs, resulting in a 3-3 tie.

The haymakers started raining down in the second quarter as the team scored 35 points between them. It started with Ben Roethlisberger leading the Packers on a 10 play 75 yard drive, ending in a 4 yard TD run by Jay Ajayi to give the Packers a 10-3 lead. The big play on the drive was a 26 yard crossing pass to Josh Gordon.

The Falcons reply was quick as Rivers hit Nelson Agholor on a 33 yard TD pass to tie the game at 10. Tevin Coleman broke a 15 yard run off the right side to help set up the TD.

The Packers scored again on their next drive as Roethlisberger hit Ben Watson for 19 yards, AJ Green for 34 yards and finished with 12 yard TD pass to Emanuel Sanders. Jay Ajayi's 3 runs for 17 yards set up 2 play action passes to Ben Watson and AJ Green as the Packers retake the lead 17-10.

The responding drive by the Falcons was a quick strike as Tevin Coleman broke one up the middle for a 73 yard TD to tie the game again, this time at 17-17 with 2:58 left in the first half.

The teams traded punts before Roethlisberger led the Packers on their own quick strike drive with time running down in the half. A 12 yard PR return by Patrick Peterson set up the Packers with good field position at their own 45 yard line with 1:09 left. Ben Roethllisberger completed passes to Ben Watson and Emanuel Sanders to get the ball to Falcons 28 yard line. After a spiked ball to stop the clock, Josh Gordon broke open on a deep post pattern and Roethlisberger hit him stride for the 28 yard TD to give the Packers a 24-17 lead going into the half.

In the second half, the Falcons defense started to assert itself as the Packers offense seemed to run out of gas. The packers first drive resulted in a punt after an AJ Green first down.

On the ensuing drive, Rivers hit 4 different receivers for 85 yards including Nelson Agholor's 2nd TD reception of the game to tie the game at 24-24.

The Packers couldn't overcome a penalty to Emanuel Sanders on their next drive and they were forced to punt the ball away.

The Falcons started their next drive on their own 21 yard line where they started a methodical drive. Tevin Coleman and Lamar Miller rushed the ball 8 times for 40 yards. Rivers also hit Zach Ertz and Lamar Miller on short passes but the drive stalled out at the Packers 6 yard line. Kai Forbath had an uneven season with several missed FGs and missed and blocked extra points so even this 24 yard chip shot was not a sure thing. Patrick Scales snapped the ball, Donnie Jones caught it, spun the laces and set it down cleanly. Forbath approached the ball and kicked it up and it was good to give the Falcons a 27-24 lead with 1:10 left in the 3rd quarter.

The rest was up to the Falcons defense to stop the Packers. Job done as they forced two Packers punts, the last with 4:37 left. With 3 timeouts remaining, the Packers expected to get the ball back but Rivers led the Falcons on a 10 play drive for 79 yards which used up the Packers timeouts and ran out the clock to seal the Falcons 27-24 win as they get a TKO of the Packers.

Falcons leaders:
Rivers passed for 341 yards and 2 TDs
Tevin Coleman rushed for 138 yards and a TD
Nelson Agholor caught 4 passes for 98 yards and 2 TDs

Packers leaders:
Roethlisberger passed for 296 yards and 2 TDs
Josh Gordon caught 6 passes for 117 yards and a TD
Emanuel Sanders caught 4 passes for 39 yards and a TD

Well coached game by Packers John.

IFL WEEK 16 RECAP

The Ravens upset the Vikings ending Minnesota's postseason hopes.

Minnesota 16 Baltimore 28                   47 0-10
Minnesota came to Baltimore with visions of playoffs in their future but the Ravens wanted to give them a taste of "10-6 and no playoffs" just like they tasted last year. DKS seems to like the torture too as this turned out to be one of those "DKS kinda games".

The Vikings won the toss and deferred. Baltimore, playing without Second-Team All-Pro T Tyron Smith (leg) and Super-Stud-Stat Pack RB Le'Veon Bell (bowling), gained 13 on their first play from scrimmage, but just 2 on the ensuing three plays. Rigoberto Sanchez's punt pushed the Vikes Akeem King back to his 21...where he fumbled the catch. Baltimore's Desmond Trufant recovered and the Ravens were in business. Two plays later, they were knocking on the Vikings door with a 1st-and-goal at the three. After two incomplete pass attempts, Baker Mayfield's third attempt was caught...by Viking LB Adarius Taylor. Viking ball at the 20.

After a Raven penalty gave the Norsemen a 1st-and-5, Drew Brees handed the ball to Ezekiel Elliott for their first play from scrimmage...and he fumbled into the waiting arms to Raven LB Benardrick McKinney. Ravens ball at the Viking 25.

Wanting to strike quickly, Mayfield chucked one downfield toward Adam Theilen, but CB Justin Coleman was blanketing Theilen like one of those flakey wraps around a mini hot dog. The refs thought it was too much and flagged him for not bringing the mustard. Ravens ball on the Vikings 3. On the second play after a Raven motion penalty, Mayfield found Will Fuller on a hitch in the end zone. Matt Bryant's PAT made it 7-0 Ravens.

After the kick-off went out of bound and the refs flagged Aaron Donald for a roughing the passer penalty, the Vikings were into Raven territory quickly. After a first down, a holding penalty set them back and they couldn't recover, failing on a 3rd-and-16 with an 8-yard pass completion. Out trotted Greg Zuerlein to boot a 40-yard FG...except that he over-calculated the stillness of the wind and hooked it.

The Ravens took over, but could only muster one first down. After the punt, the Vikings were held to a three-and-out. The Ravens again mustered a first down and even advanced to the Vikings 36, but Mayfield, already in the holiday spirit, threw another INT, this time to S Jordan Poyer.

On the second play after the turnover, Brees found Antonio Brown streaking (yes, streaking) across the field on a medium slant. The Ravens defenders didn't want to touch him and let him run the entire 59-yards to the end zone. Game tied, 7-7 just 90 seconds into the second quarter. I think there will be a civil suit filed against Brown in the off-season.

Ravens fans, having seen this way too many times (getting ahead, then falling way behind quickly, not Antonio Brown streaking), figured this was the beginning of the end. Falling short of a first down on the ensuing possession, the Ravens punted...but got a gift of their own, when the Vikings were called for offsides. After converting on two consecutive fourth-downs, the Ravens were at the Vikings 27, burning more than 7 minutes off the clock. Unfortunately, Mayfield was still wearing his Santa hat, and threw another intercept.

Brees and Elliott moved the Vikings far enough into Ravens territory where Zuerlein was able to boot a 55-yard FG. Vikings 10-7 with 3:34 remaining before the half.

The teams exchanged punts three times until there were 52 seconds remaining. Brees thought he could get a double-dip by getting a score before the half and then receiving the second half kick-off, but Raven S Earl Thomas had other ideas and wrestled the short pass out of Elliott's arms for an INT. Two plays later, Mayfield was still in a giving mood, but this time to his teammate, WR Chris Hogan, who caught the 19-yard pass for a TD and a 14-10 Raven lead at the half.

The kick to open the second half saw more of the same things that happened in the first half...namely, Baltimore kicks it, Minnesota catches it, then fumbles. Baltimore recovered and three plays later Mayfield found WR Adam Theilen in the end zone from 10-yards out. Baltimore 21-10.

Baltimore's defense forced another Vikings punt, but so did the Vikings D...and then the Ravens D. Regaining possession, the Ravens figured now was the time to start taking the air out of the ball. No, not like the Patriots, but figuratively. Using less-than-stat-pack RB Javorious "Buck" Allen to eat time, the Ravens marched down to the Vikings 3 on another time-consuming (7 min +) drive, culminating in a Mayfield to FB Nick Bellore TD toss. Baltimore 28-10 with :30 left in the 3Q.

The next four possessions ended in punts before the Vikings finally found paydirt with Brees hitting a clothed Antonio Brown from 35-yards out with just 1:09 left. The two-point attempt failed. Baltimore 28-16.

The ensuring onside attempt was recovered by the Ravens, who ran out the clock.

Baker Mayfield was somehow named the game MVP. After a spectacular 22-for-39 game for an impressive 121 yards and 3 INTs (oh, and 4 TDs), I guess the grounds crew was ineligible for the award, despite the fact that they were responsible for greasing the balls before the kicks. Buck Allen and Jaylen Samuels combined for 115 ground yards on 30 carries.

Drew Brees was held to just 229 yards on a woeful 19-of-40 attempts. Ezekiel Elliott was limited to just 32 yards on 10 carries.

Minnesota finishes the season at 10-6, but even with the Niners-Giants tie, missed the playoffs (much like the Ravens last year). The Ravens, meanwhile, look like they'll be drafting 4th or 5th, depending on the Saints-Eagles game.

Cincinnati 13 Tampa Bay 24                  66 0-10
With both teams resting many key players, the Bucs rally to defeat the Bengals. Todd Gurley ran for 91 yards and two scores to lead the Tampa Bay offense.

  Buffalo 10 Kansas City 24                   19 0-10
Andy Dalton throws for 323 yards and 2 TD's, both to Jarvis Landry who finished with 185 yards on 8 catches, as Kansas City defeated Buffalo 24-10 in the season ending game for both teams.

Green Bay 10 Pittsburgh 15                  31 10-20
The 11-4 Packers travel to face a Pittsburgh team that had lost 5 straight games. However with there playoff position clinched GB rest several key personal and the Steelers actually come in as a 4 point favorite.

The teams had to contend with 10-20 mile an hour winds witch had an effect on the game plan for both teams. This game was intense for some reason as each team had a player ejected Chris Jones for GB and Cory Littleton for Pittsburgh and several defensive personal fouls.

After Pittsburgh's opening drive stalls Roethlisbergers 1st pass a bomb fly is picked off by Webb1st and 10 from there 31. The Steelers drive down to the 34 then on a long Slant Brady returns the favor and is picked off by Peterson(one of the few starters playing). GB punts and Brady and company take over on there own 32. An 8 play drive culminates in a Brady to Herdon 2 yard TD Pass.
After 1 Steelers 7 Packers 0

On there next drive GB gets in FG range and Gould would hit from 42 yards out to cut into the lead. Pittsburgh would punt and pin the Packers at there 7 yard line to start there next drive. A holding penalty called in the end zone would give the home team 2 more points on a safety midway through the 2nd. Pittsburgh would take there next possession down to the 6 but the drive would stall there . Vinatieri would boot a 24 yard FG.
Pittsburgh 12 GB 3 at the half.

GB opened the half with the ball and marched down the field with Big Ben rumbling in from 7 yards out to cut the lead to 12-10 early in the 3rd. After a couple of punts by the teams Big Ben is Picked by the Steelers 1st round pick Justin Reid (5th)deep in Packers territory that gave the home team the ball on the 13 yard line. But as the season has gone the1st play is a holding penalty so they settle for a 32 yard FG by Vinatieri to make it 15-10.
Pittsburgh 15 GB 10 after 3

Both offenses struggled in the 4th and GB was going against the wind . GB does manage to get to the 44 yard line only to have Big Ben picked off again this time by Graham at the 27 yard line to stall that drive with 5 minutes to go. GB would have to start there final drive on there own 13 with 2:44 to go and 1 timeout. . with help of a defensive PI they get to the Steelers 36 yard line with 1:03 to play. But GB did not bring enough offensive weapons to this game for Big Ben as the next 4 plays nets only 3 yards as the Steelers defense holds on for the win at home.

Final Pittsburgh 15 GB 10

Big Ben is picked off 4 times in the game and has a 24.8 QB rating , Brady was not much better with a 60.8 rating ( he swears he will be back next year and is not retiring). Gore ran for 99 yards on 26 carries ( he says he will also be back next year) and earns game MVP.

Good luck to John and everyone in the playoffs. It was a very fun year for me even though the losing was not so much fun. Prep work for next year begins well pretty soon .

New York (A) 29 Los Angeles (A) 31          78 Calm
The first four possessions were exchanges of punts and a scoreless 1st quarter; after that all hell broke loose.... NYJ scored first, LAC answered with a td of their own,
NYJ hit a fg for a 10-7 lead.... LAC then closed out the half and opened the third with 3 consecutive touchdowns for a seemingly safe 28-10 lead.... the Jets cut it
to 28-17; LAC was ready to answer but fumbled the ball inside the Jets 10.... NYJ proceeded to march the length of the field to cut it to 28-23, missing the try for two....
LAC then marched over 70+ yards culminating in a fg for a 31-23 lead.... NYJ returned the favor, marching 70+ for a td with just over 3 minutes left; but again, the
Chargers stoned them on the 2-point conversion attempt.... LAC recovered an onside attempt and ran out the clock....

LAC pounded out 205 yards on the ground, led by Nick Chubb’s 142(6.8), as the Jets remained concerned about the Chargers vaunted receiving duo of Julio
Jones and Amari Cooper.... LAC went to their 4 wide receiver package with Chubb as the lone back and Manning was able to connect for 266 yards and
3 touchdowns.... Deshon Watson kept the Jets in the game connecting on 24 of 34 for 314 yards

Both the Jets and Chargers advance to the wild card round, with a possible rematch next week.

Arizona 0 Los Angeles (N) 38                53 Calm
The Cardinals entered the game locked into the 3 seed, while the Rams appeared secure as the number one seed in the NFC. That led to a lot of load management for both teams as they prepared for the playoffs. The Cardinals started AJ Mccarron, who appeared to suffer from star QB Patrick Mahomes hogging all the practice reps throughout the season. Mccarron competed 5 passes. Rams star running back Chris Carson was injured for the game, so seldom used Ken Dixon took advantage of the opportunity and rumbled for 123 yards and a touchdown. The Cardinals defense hung tough as best they could, but the Rams rushing attack was too much, totaling 219 yards. Final score 38-0.

Cardinals finish the season 10-6, NFC East Division Champs and look to host either Minnesota or the 49ers in round 1.

Rams finish 14-2, NFC West Champs and await the results of the first round.

Chicago 20 Tennessee 27                     48 0-10 Light Rain
As usual Tennessee's defense goes into sieve mode in the first quarter as the Bears convert an Andre Roberts fumble into 3 points and then Marvin Jones Jr. takes a medium Mariota hitch to the house for a 53 yard TD. Chicago 10 - Tennessee 0.

The Titans come alive in the 2nd quarter and put together two TD drives. Fringe players Wendell Smallwood and Daesean Hamilton score the TD's off of Matt Ryan passes. Tennessee 14 - Chicago 10.

Early in the 3rd Tennessee converts a Matt Milano interception into 3 points after a 92 yard drive. Chicago then takes only 2:25 to tie it up thanks to another medium hitch to Jones Jr. that gains 46 yards. Jones Jr. then gets the TD on a 9 yard Mariota pass. Chicago 17 - Tennessee 17.

The Titans start the 4th quarter with a nice drive that stalls at the Bear 17 and Dan Bailey kicks the go ahead field goal. Chicago responds with a similar drive that stalls at the Titan 11. Aldrick Rojas ties it at 20-20 with the field goal. With 5 minutes to go Tennessee can't sustain a drive but the punt pins the Bears at their own 7 with 2 minutes to go. And then . . . Matt Milano gets his second interception of the game putting the Titans 10 yards from the end zone. Three Doug Martin runs result in the TD. Chicago had a chance with a minute and a half remaining as Alfred Blue (!) took a short pass 28 yards to the Titan 42. However another medium out was picked off by Carlton Davis III and that was the game. Tennessee 27 - Chicago 20.

Marvin Jones Jr. was the Bear's stat star with 6 catches for 174 yards and 2 TD's. Bobby Wagner had 13 tackles including 3 run stuffs. DeAndre Hopkins caught 10 balls for 117 yards for Tennessee. Matt Milano had the two interceptions along with 10 tackles.

Chicago finishes 5-11 and looks forward to next year with a healthy Jimmy Garoppolo and Mariota consigned to the bench. Tennessee finishes 9-7 and awaits the result of the Chargers-Jets game to see if they sneak into the playoffs.

   Detroit 27 Jacksonville 0                   74 Calm
The Lions came to Jacksonville and mercilessly wiped out an undermanned Jaguar squad 27-0. Josh Allen was horrible in the loss throwing three first half interceptions and struggled to a horrific 16 for 44 afternoon with 4 ints and no tds. Darnold was full marks for the win going 13 o 23 for 2tds and no interceptions.

Det - Gabriel 3 catches 72 yards, 1 td.
Jax - Johnson 21 carries 143 yards.

Full marks to coach Nordberg on his bong induced win.

New York (N) 13 San Francisco 13            68 Calm
The Giants 8-6-1 visit the Niners 10-5 for the season finale, playoff possibilities in the offing. What ensued was a knock-down drag out battle on the field where both teams defenses made the difference, aided by a blown FG in the last minute.

The game started off with each team scoring on the opening drives. SF's 43 yard dive would be their longest of the game resulting in a Crosby 50 yard FG. The Giants answered with a 75 yard drive (their longest of the game) terminated in a 17 yard run by Brieda. Giants 7, SF 3.

The 2nd quarter featured a lot of punts (7) on one drive by the Giants resulting in a 38 yard FG by Santos. Giants 10, SF 3. The score was close but the Giants dominated the play. SF Trubiskey entered the game overworked an in penalty throw situation and the passing game which was SF's strength was nil. Giant's Wentz was sharp in the first half but SF defense stiffened within their own 40 yard line prevented any more scoring.

The second half opened with the Giants Brieda fumbling on his own 38 yard line, recovered by Niners Darius Leonard. Trubiskey awoke momentarily passing for 3 completions ending in a 9 yards TD pass to Boyd,score tied at 10 Two possessions later is was time for SF to cough
up the ball with an INT on the SF 20 yard line. Wentz, now cold, threw 2 incomplete passes and a 0 yard run by Murphy, results in a 35 yard FG by Santos. End of third quarter, Giants 13, 10.

On the next possession, exhausted Trubiskey threw another interception and the Giants were on the SF 43 yard line. SF stopped the Giants on the 30 yard line and exhibiting no faith in their FG kicker, punted. SF went 3 and out and punted 44 yards to the Giants Cannon -- who fumbled and the Niners recovered the ball on the Giants 28 yard line. 49ers could only advance the ball 3 yards but Crosby hit a 43 yard FG to tie the game 13-13.

Both teams had one more chance to break the tie, but neither could and the game went into overtime. Trubiskey was injured with 2 minutes to go and was replaced by the 3rd string QB, Barkley. Neither team could sustain a drive and the 4th string QB, Geno Smith, had to come in for SF. He promptly threw an interception to Giants Thomas on the 40 yd line. Wentz moved the Giants to the 25 yard line and with 22 seconds on the clock the Giants Santos missed a 43 yard kick! The game ends tied.

The Giants really outplayed the 49ers (353 yards to 232 and 24 first downs to 17) deserved better in this games but the niner defense bent but did not break. The stars of the game were both teams' defenses NY picking off 3 passes and SF recovered 2 fumbles and scoring off each. There were 18 punts!

SF completes the season 10-5-1. The previous 3 seasons the Niners had only won 9 games total. The Giants finish 8-6-2.

New England 8 Houston 14                    70
New England falls behind 14-0 as Mixon (17 caries for 94 yards) and Cousins (who completed his first 10 passes in the game) work over the Patriot defense in the first half. With an injured Tannehill and a fatigued Lamar Jackson, the Patriot offense was primarily dependent on Christian McCaffrey (20 carries for 88 yards) and the legs of Jackson (84 yards rushing) but it wasn't enough as Patriots fall 14-8.

Pats finish up 6-10 while Houston wraps up at 2-14.

Denver 31 Miami 35                          77 0-10
Denver visits Miami in the final week of the regular season, Miami has wrapped up the #1 seed and Denver was in based on the email scenarios by John Conners (Thank you John). But both Teams wanting to finish the year strong going into the playoffs, this game didn't disappoint.

Denver receives the opening KO and on their very 1st play, Mullins hits Hill on a short cross and Hill explodes and takes it to the house so with only 17 seconds gone in the game the Broncos are up 7-0. Each Team would score on their 1st two possessions (2 Miami TD's and 1 more Denver TD) to make it 14-14, well into the 2nd quarter before either Team had to punt. After an exchange of punts Denver would score with 4:55 to go in the half to take a 21-14 lead and that's the way it would go into halftime, Broncos 21 Dolphins 14

Miami takes the opening KO in the 3rd quarter and travels 82 yards and get the TD to tie it up at 21. Denver unable to keep a drive going give it back to the Dolphins, and once again Miami is able to engineer and drive and cover 66 yards and get the TD and Miami has it's 1st lead of the day at 28-21. Undaunted, Denver takes the KO and on their very next possession cover 75 yards and punch it in to knot the score up once again at 28-28 with 14:08 left in the game.

After 2 Dolphin punts the Broncos get the ball at their own 33 yard line and move it to the Dolphin 23, but the drives stalls, and they opt for the 41 yard FG and with 4:45 left in the game the Broncos are back in front and own a 31-28 advantage over the Dolphins. Miami gets the ball at their own 25 with the game on the line. They get the job done, with the help of 2 damaging penalties against the Broncos they cover 75 yards in 3:07 and get the go ahead TD with 1:38 left in the game, Miami 35 Denver 31. The Broncos would get off 7 plays but end up throwing the INT with 4 seconds left and the Dolphins would hang on and get the 35-31 win. A exciting and well coached game from start to finish. Denver will be playing in the 1st round of the playoffs next week while Miami gets a round 1 bye

Good Luck to all playoff Teams

Washington 24 Carolina 38                   60 0-5
Two team looking forward to next season meet in a good game to end the season.

Washington Came close to tying the game in the second half on a couple of occasions but fell a little short. A long reception by Evans and run by Henry sealed the game for the Panthers. Bradley Chubb was disruptive for Washington accounting for 3 sacks and a forced fumble.

Dallas 22 Atlanta 23                        68
Philip Rivers was named MVP as passed for 356 yards and 2 TDs passes to Zach Ertz. The Cowboys had several injuries but they managed to cobble together a tremendous coached game. Coach Steve always seemed to make the right call. Cam Newton had a big 75 yard TD pass and a few long scrambles to keep drives going. Kenny Stills had 10 catches for 103 yards and a TD. He also came up big late in the game.

In the end, the Falcons were lucky to hold on for a 23-22 win as Cam Newton scored a TD with 0:59 left but Chandler Catanzaro missed his 2 PAT of the game. The Cowboys recovered the ensuing kickoff but Cam Newton got sacked twice on the last drive.

With the win, the Falcons go to 13-3 and look forward to the playoffs while the Cowboys fall to 6-10.

Indianapolis 17 Oakland 38                  63 0-5
Backup QB Kyle Allen throws four touchdown passes as the Raiders get past Indy.

New Orleans 7 Philadelphia 17               40 5-15 Light Rain
Eagles win ugly finale. Both teams struggle offensively but Eagle QB Jameis Winston subs in for QB Nick Foles to squeeze out the win.

Rushing Leaders
Johnson,D(Jax) 21-143
Chubb,N(LAC)    21-142 1 TD
Dixon,K(LAR)    18-123 1 TD
Henry,D(Car)    12-113
Bernard(Oak)    18-104
Wilson,R(Car)   11-96 3 TD

Receiving Leaders
Landry,J(KC)     8-185 2 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Jones Jr.(Chi)   6-174 2 TD
Hopkins,D(Ten) 10-117
Stills(Dal)     10-103 1 TD

Passing Leaders
Rivers,P(Atl)   36-27-356   2 TD 1 Int
Dalton(KC)      38-22-323   2 TD
Watson,D(NYJ)   34-24-314   4 TD 1 Int
Ryan,M(Ten)     44-31-312   2 TD
Rodgers,A(Cin) 49-31-297   1 TD 2 Int
Allen,K(Oak)    42-24-276   4 TD 2 Int
Goff(Mia)       31-24-269   5 TD
Mayfield(Bal)   39-22-121   4 TD 3 Int

Defensive Standouts
Hill,T(KC)       2 Int 2 Tk
Ansah(LAR)       3 Sk 6 Tk – IFL Defensive Player of the Week
Milano(Ten)      2 Int 10 Tk
Chubb,B(Was)     3 Sk 5 Tk
Edmunds(Dal)     18 Tk

Special Teams
Jones,C(Was)   3-32 Kick Ret 2-110 Punt Ret 1 TD – IFL Special Teams Player of the Week

IFL 2019 FINAL STANDINGS

IFL 2019 LEAGUE LEADERS

IFL PLAYOFF PICTURE HEADING INTO WEEK 16

Compliments of Packer John

Miami 14-1         has clinched #1 seed and home field throughout

Oakland 12-3      has clinched division and first round bye, #2 seed (owns tiebreak over Bengals-head to head win)

Cincinnati 11-4    has clinched division and #3 seed

New York 10-5     has cliched wildcard berth, will clinch #4 seed (first round home game) with a win vs. Chargers or Denver loss.

Denver 9-6        has clinched a playoff berth, owns tiebreaker over Chargers (division record-2nd tiebreak) and Titans (conference record-2nd tiebreaker).

Chargers 9-6      will clinch a playoff berth with a win over NY Jets OR loss by Titans

Tennessee 8-7    will clinch a playoff berth with a win over Chicago AND a loss by Chargers

LA Rams 13-2: clinched home field throughout #1 seed (owns tiebreaker over Falcons, strength of victory-5th tiebreak) and Bucs (head to head)

Tampa Bay 12-3: clinched division (owns tiebreaker over Packers, division record-2nd tiebreak) and #2 seed

Arizona 10-5- clinched division and #3 seed

Atlanta 12-3: clinched wildcard and #4 seed (owns tiebreak over Packers, head to head)

Green Bay 11-4: clinched wildcard playoff berth #5 seed (owns tiebreaker over Vikings, conference record-4th tiebreak) and 49er’s(conference record, 2nd tiebreak)

San Francisco 10-5: earns wildcard #6 with win over New York Giants (owns tiebreaker over Vikings, head to head)

Minnesota 10-5: earns wildcard #6 seed with win over Baltimore plus San Francisco loss to NYG

Note: If Packers, Vikings, and Niners were all to finish at 11-5, Vikings would be eliminated since first step is that if two of the teams involved are from the same division, use the division tiebreaker first to eliminate one of those teams.

NFC wildcard round playoffs:
#6 Vikings or 49’ers at #3 Arizona
#5 Packers at #4 Atlanta

IFL WEEK 15 RECAP

Led by midseason acquisition quarterback Nick Mullens, Denver is in the driver's seat for a wild card spot.

Game Scores
Denver 35 Los Angeles (A) 16                75 Calm
Denver comes in to LA for a divisional game with the Chargers and playoff seeding on the line and the Broncos
came away with a 35-16 victory.

The Bronco defense was the story in this one as they kept Charger QB Eli Manning in check most of the game while
Bronco QB Mullens threw for 4 TD's.

Buffalo 0 Philadelphia 20                   43 0-5
17 second quarter points and a stingy Philly defense result in a long day for Buffalo.

Pittsburgh 0 Tennessee 30                   53 10-20
The legacy of Vince came home to roost as the Steelers struggled to move the ball against the supposedly tough Titan defense. A weird DKS thing was that Tennessee was favored by 8 in the PLAY GAMES screen and then once the game was set up Pittsburgh was favored by 11 which makes no sense.

Anyway, Pittsburgh had 6 players exit the game with injuries while Tennessee had 2 - one of them being OBJ. The only stat of note was Josh Norman getting his 6th pick of the season. This might be his swan song as he has turned into a clipboard holder for the Redskins this season.

Pittsburgh closes the season hosting Green Bay while Tennessee is at home against the Chicago Bears.

Jacksonville 14 Cincinnati 34               19 0-10
The Bengals intercept Jags QB Josh Allen four times on their way to the 34-14 win. Cincinnati cornerback Kyle Fuller intercepted Allen on the first play from scrimmage. But the Jacksonville defense held Cincinnati to a Fairbairn field goal. After forcing a Jacksonville punt it was the Jaguar defense that came up with a big play intercepting Rodgers. Jacksonville took advantage as Allen connected with Jack Doyle for the score and a 7-3 Jags lead. After forcing another Bengal punt, Josh Allen was stonewalled on fourth and one at their own 32. Cincinnati converted this into a touchdown as Rodgers connected with Funchess for the six yard score.

This is about where the wheels fell off for the Jaguars. Bullock missed a 28 yard chip shot. The Bengals then marched down the field with Rodgers finding Everett for the 14 yard score and a 17-7 lead midway through the second quarter. Allen was intercepted again and Rodgers connected Funchess for the 18 yard score. On Jacksonville's next series Allen was intercepted again and this time Bengal safety Shawn Williams took it to the house and the Bengals led 31-7.

The Jaguars would score a second half touchdown and the Bengals finished their scoring with another field goal.

Rodgers finished 19 of 32 for 169 yards with 3 TDs and an INT. Ronald Jones II ran for 60 yards.

For the Jags, Allen finished 17 of 33 for 151 yards and 2 TDS with 4 INTs. David Johnson rushed for 126 yards on 23 attempts.

Jacksonville closes out the season hosting Detroit while Tampa Bay, who may have something still to play for, travel to Cincinnati.

San Francisco 17 Los Angeles (N) 49         57 Calm
The San Francisco 49ers paid a visit to Los Angeles to cap off both teams’ final inter division games of the season. The Niners were riding an incredible win streak, 9 in a row. That streak included an exciting win over the Rams in San Francisco a few weeks back. The win streak was even more impressive considering the Niners rested star Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky 2 games to ready him for the home stretch.

Trubisky kept up his end of the bargain in the first half of the game keeping the 49ers close. Injuries to the San Fran defense meant they were not at full strength and they struggled to contain the Rams offense. The Rams scored each possession they had in the ball in the first half building a 31-17 lead. Trubisky hung tough and answered nearly every Rams scoring drive, combining huge runs with timely passing. A key interception though allowed the Rams to build the two score lead.

In the 2nd half Trubisky seemed to tire. The 49 defense also could not find an answer for the Rams offense. By the end of the 4th quarter it was 44-17. The 49ers did not give up, they continued to try to score and put pressure on the Rams. Trubisky though committed three more turnovers and was sacked for a safety, putting the game out of reach for the visitors.

49ers Stars of the game:

Tyler Boyd 7 catches 118 yards 1TD

Rams Stars of the game:

Andrew Luck 21-31 317 yards 4 touchdowns
James White 110 total yards 2 touchdowns.

Next week both teams host games with likely playoff implications.

The Niners host the Giants who look to be in the hunt for their division and also possibly a wildcard. The Niners appear to control their own destiny and with a win I believe would secure a playoff position.

The Rams host the Giants' competition for the division, the Cardinals. The Rams appear to have secured a playoff position, but homefield advantage and a possible bye week still is in doubt with the Falcons breathing down the Rams neck.

The picture should be a little more clear when all the week 15 games are reported.

Miami 33 New York (A) 20                    34 5-15
The IFL flexed the Dolphins-Jets game to Saturday to show the country the 13-1 Dolphins at the 10-4 Jets. They were hoping for a good game on National TV...

Well, they got one. The Jets scored first on a 2 yard run by Keith “Stat-pack” Smith. Miami responded quickly going 75 yards in 9 plays culminating in a 6 yard run by Adrian “HOF” Peterson.

The Jets then went 65 yards in 9 plays, but had to settle for a 34 yard FG. Miami responded immediately again, getting a 32 yard FG from Prater...10-10.

Once again New York moved the ball into Dolphin’s territory...where they went for, and got a 55 yard FG from Hopkins to make it 13-10 Jets at the half.

So, the IFL, and CBS had what they wanted, but just for a half...the Jets received the kickoff to start the 2nd half, and were hoping to score again to put pressure at the Dolphins. Instead 3 plays into the 3rd quarter Watson was sacked, and coughed up, the ball. Three players later Goff hit Cooks for a 21 yard TD...17-13 Dolphins.

The Jets overmatched secondary allowed Goff to go 11-17 in the 2nd half, and when he was finished Miami was leading 33-13. The Jets scored a meaningless TD with 2:19 to play...making the final 33-20.

Goff ended up 22-38 for 328 yards
Peterson ran 16 times for 91 yards

Watson was 18-32 for 179 yards, and ran 9 times for 99 yards.

Next week Miami hosts Denver, and the Jets are hoping Miami continues their winning ways...while the Jets travel to the left coast to play the Chargers.

Carolina 20 Atlanta 27                      68
Rivers was named game MVP as he led the Falcons to a 27-20 home win over the Panthers. Ertz seemed to be running free all day long as he caught 10 passes for 147 yards and a TD.

Derrick Henry had a good game for the Panthers with 16 rushes for 90 yards and a TD.

With the win, the Falcons go to 12-3 while the Panthers fall to 6-9.

Indianapolis 21 New England 14              31 5-15
The game was scoreless until the final minute of the first half, when Lamar Jackson found Courtland Sutton for a 22 yard TD. Patriots led 7-0 at the half.

Patriots looked to extend their lead coming out of the break, but went 3 and out. Indy muffed the punt however, and New England had the ball at the Colt 34 yard line. In what could be a preview of things to come for the next few years, Lamar Jackson and Christian McCaffrey connected on three consecutive pass plays, the final a 9 yard TD reception to give NE a two TD lead.

A 16 play, 75 yard drive followed by the Colts, highlighted by a Keenum to Tate 2 yard pass - 14-7 Patriots.

It would remain 14-7 until inside the 10 minute mark of the 4th quarter. Lamar Jackson and the Pats were driving inside Colt territory, when Rasul Douglas picked Jackson and ran it back to the Patriot 35 yard line. Keenum to Allen for 12, and a Crowell 10 yard run gave Indy first and 10 from the 13. Not wasting any time, Keenum found Tate for his 2nd TD of the game and it was tied 14-14 with 6:25 to play.

The Patriots could get little going on their drive, punting it to Indy with 3:44 to play. Keenum to Allen for 26 yards just before the 2 minute warning gave Indy first and ten from the Patriot 23 yard line. After a 15 yard penalty set Indy back to the 38, Keenum found Tate for 18 and Allen for 10 yards, down to the NE 10 yard line. Runs of 4 and 3 yards by Michel were followed by a 3 yard Crowell TD run with 35 seconds to play, and Indy had recovered from a 14 point second half deficit to stun the home team.

Keenan Allen caught 10 for 126 and Tate had 2 TDs, while Lamar Jackson led the Pats in rushing with 65 yards. For the 2nd consecutive week, Christian McCaffrey was bottled up, rushing for only 44 yards on 12 carries.

Colts finish up next week at Oakland, while the Pats visit Houston.

Baltimore 3 Green Bay 24                    19 10-20
Packers clinch a playoff berth with a hard fought win over Baltimore.

Green Bay led 21-3 at the half on the strength of two Phillips Lindsay rushing TD's.

Ravens turned the ball over twice deep in Packers territory (once via int, once on downs) and that proved costly in this tight, defensive affair

Final score 24-3

Roethlisberger was a pedestrian 19 of 26 for 189, 0 Td's or Int's

Lindsay 80 yards on 18 carries, 2TD's

Baker Mayfield 28 of 47 for 197, 2 int's, sacked 3 times

Adam Thielen caught 7 for 71 despite seeing a double almost all game long

Packers will try to get healthy for the playoffs by resting several players at Pittsburgh week 16

Baltimore finishes the season hosting the suddenly unbeatable Vikings

Chicago 27 Minnesota 35                     68
Drew Brees throws four touchdown passes as the Vikings hold off the Bears.

Kansas City 19 New Orleans 13               70
In a game of bottom dwellers, this game was tight all the way. The sidelines looked like the red cross with all the injuries. Not really much to see here as both teams struggled moving the ball. Andy Dalton would lead the way for the Chiefs with 260 passing yards and a TD. Joe Flacco threw for 208 yards and a TD. Both teams move to 4-11 and are both looking forward to next season.

Oakland 36 Houston 24                       70
The Raiders barely escape the Texans relying on big defensive plays to go on a 22-0 run to close out the fourth quarter and the game. Great game call by the Texans and the Raiders breathe a sigh of relief.

Matthew Stafford throws for 418 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Dallas 20 Washington 3                      46 10-20
Dallas goes up early and then injuries start to pile up for the skins as Vita Vea, Xavien Howard and the backup Center are all lost for injury. Special teams gave Dallas good field position all day during windy conditions and Dak had absolutely no help from his poor and exhausted WR corps. Washington falls to 2-12-1 and finish the season up with the Panthers while Dallas heads to Hotlanta to play the Falcons.

Arizona 28 New York (N) 24                  42 10-20
Two fourth quarter Pat Mahomes touchdowns (one via the air and one rushing) allows the Cardinals to escape New York with the win and a division title.

Detroit 14 Tampa Bay 38                     80 0-5
Three Carr touchdown passes and two Gurley runs to paydirt help Bucs down Detroit.

Rushing Leaders
Elliott,E(Min) 34-169 1 TD
Johnson,D(Jax) 23-126
Gurley II(TB)   24-109 2 TD
Mixon(Hou)      23-108 3 TD
Johnson,K(Phi) 16-106
Lewis,D(Atl)    18-104
Fournette(Det) 20-102
Breida(NYG)     15-100

Receiving Leaders
Cooks(Mia)       7-171 1 TD
Golladay(NYG)    7-170 1 TD
Ertz(Atl)       10-146 1 TD
Kamara(Oak)     12-142 1 TD
Kelce,T(Oak)    12-131 1 TD
Allen,K(Ind)    10-126
Humphries(Buf) 13- 64

Passing Leaders
Stafford(Oak)   55-37-418   3 TD
Carr,D(TB)      35-22-376   3 TD 1 Int
Goff(Mia)       38-22-328   1 TD
Luck(LAR)       31-21-317   4 TD
Brees(Min)      30-24-269   4 TD 1 Int
Mullens(Den)    29-22-251   4 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week

Defensive Standouts
Fuller,K(Cin)    2 Int 9 Tk – IFL Defensive Player of the Week
Poyer(Min)       2 Int 4 Tk
David(Hou)       16 Tk

Special Teams
Gostkowski(KC) 4-4 FG – IFL Special Team Player of the Week

IFL WEEK 15 STANDINGS

IFL WEEK 15 LEAGUE LEADERS

IFL WEEK 14 RECAP

Buccaneer running back Todd Gurley goes for 225 yards and 3 touchdowns as Tampa Bay has their way with Baltimore.

Tampa Bay 47 Baltimore 20                   41 0-5
Not much to say here. Tampa just had too many horses for Baltimore...well, actually, the Buccaneers had just one BIG horse named Todd Gurley. That horse plowed the Ravens D for 225 yards on 29 carries and added 31 on 4 receptions. DeVante Adams caught 7 of 8 targets for 95 yards as Derrick Carr completed 20 of 25 attempts for 274 yards and 2 TDs. Tampa shredded Baltimore's defense with 8 rushes of 10+ yards and added 2 pass completions for 25+.

Baker Mayfield countered for the Ravens with 259 yards and 2 TDs, but also threw 2 picks. Adam Thielen caught 7 of 16 targets for 92 yards, but uncharacteristically dropped 2.

Tampa Bay (11-3) maintains a 1 game lead over Green Bay (10-4) with two to go. The Buccaneers host the 4-10 Lions next week, while the Ravens (3-11) travel to Green Bay.

Carolina 30 Philadelphia 10                 39 10-20
Nick Foles throws 3 interception in the first quarter to put the Eagles in a hole that they can't get out off. He is then deservedly yanked from the game as he caused what probably would have been a good game to get out of hand early. All the luck was with Carolina tonight.

Jacksonville 7 Green Bay 15                 21 0-10 Light Snow
Packers get to host another team ravaged with fatigue issues.

Light snow in this one as both offenses struggled in the first half. Green Bay led 9-0 at the break on the strength of 3 Robbie Gould FG's

Key play in the second half came midway through the 3rd when Jacksonville went for it on 4th and 1 from their own 32 and saw QB Josh Allen get stopped cold on an inside run. On the ensuing series Ben Roethlisberger found Emmanuel Sanders for an 8 yard TD strike after Jay Ajayi had done most of the heavy lifting.

15-0 Packers

To Coach Hood's credit, the Jags made a game of it early in the 4th as Allen found little used Ryan Switzer for 9 yard TD reception to cut it to 8, but that would end the scoring.

Final score 15-7

Visitors go 2-14 on third down and 3 of 9 on 4th down which really hurt.

Big Ben had trouble versus the talented Jags secondary throwing for just 141 yards on 14 of 27 passing

Ajayi and Phillip Lindsay grinded out 110 yards on 33 carries but it wasn't easy

Josh Allen struggled going 12 of 30 for 122 yards 1TD, 2 INTS

Jacksonville (5-9) heads to Cincinnati in week 15

Green Bay (10-4) finishes up a three game home stand against Baltimore

San Francisco 20 Washington 7               46 5-15
San Francisco gets held to 91 yards of offense, 5 first downs, and was 0-11 on third down…. Yet still comes away with the W.

Early in the second quarter of this defensive struggle Dak Prescott would throw a pick six. On the next Redskin play Martavis Bryant would put the ball on the turf and it would be returned for a TD. 2 plays, 14 seconds, 14 points. SF would add another 3 points right before the half for a 17-0 lead. In the 3rd Washington would finally find the endzone to bring it to 17-7. In the 4th quarter it looked like Washington was going to make it interesting with a promising drive into 49er territory but Dak would throw his second pick of the game ending all hope for the Redskins. SF would add a late FG on a failed 4th down attempt to seal the 20-7 victory.

49ers punter crushed it all game long landing 5 punts inside the 10 yard line with a couple inside the 5.

Houston 22 New York (A) 23                  44 0-5
A 1-12 Houston came into New Jersey to play the NY Jets, and grace the Jets a heck of a game.

Coach Katsafanas called a great game, keeping both the Jet’s offense, and defense off balance the entire game. The Jets scored the games first 16 points, and had a 16-0 lead with 7:53 remaining in the 3rd quarter.

Houston must have been playing Ali’s rope a dope with the Jets because they scored the next 14 points to make it 16-14 Jets with 7:42 to go in the game. The Jets fell asleep at the switch trying to run time after having a 16 point advantage.

The Jets took the ensuing kickoff 75 yards in 10 plays, eating up over 5 minutes, finishing it off with a Watson 21 yard TD pass to Woods. Jets 23-14.

But, the Texans weren’t finished...they went 75 yards in 2 minutes, scored on a 23 yard TD pass from Cousins to Pascal...then scored on the 2 point conversion as time ran out.

Final...Jets 23-22

For Houston:
Cousins was 26-39 for 226 yards and 3 TDs
Mixon ran 20 times for 103 yards

For the Jets:
Watson was 15-24 for 194 yards and 2 TDs
Mack ran 17 times for 86 yards...

The Jets needed this win because they face the 13-1 Dolphins next week in New Jersey,
while the Texans host division leading Oakland.

Kansas City 7 Miami 24                      72 Calm
Pedestrian 1st half with Miami taking a 10 point lead to halftime on the only good drive by either Team in the 1st half, but it was a good one, a 13 play, 97 yard drive and score with only 15 seconds left in the half. 10-0 Miami

Miami gets the ball but can't sustain a drive and punt it to KC. The Chiefs take it 72 yards in 11 plays and get the TD to close the lead to 10-7 with 5:37 left in the 3rd quarter.

After an exchange of punts and moving into the 4th quarter. Pinned at the 8 yard line by the Chiefs, the Dolphins go 92 yards in 57 seconds capped by a 67 yard TD strike to Cooks and push the lead back to 10 at 17-7 with 13:40 left in the game. KC moves the ball but can't convert on 4th down at the Miami 40. Miami takes over close to midfield and drive it the 55 yards and get the TD consuming 5:01 off the clock and scoring with 2:01 left in the game to put it at 24-7 Miami and that would be the way the game ends

KC stays on the road and travels to New Orleans next week, while Miami hits the road and travels to the dangerous New York Jets Team with Miami needing only 1 win to clinch home field throughout the playoffs.

New Orleans 13 Dallas 17                    70
   Cam Newton rushed for 111 yards and a score and was an efficient 16/23 passing for 162 yards and a TD to lead Dallas over New Orleans 17-14 in Dallas.

Jim's Saints' squad had a chance to win it late. With 2 minutes left in the game, New Orleans drove to the Dallas seven.    But Flacco threw an incomplet pass followed by a holding call against a New Orleans offensive lineman and then an another incomplete passt. On fourth down, Dallas gambled and blitzed it's Safety Glover Quin. While sacking Flacco, Quin stripped the ball and Dallas' Brian Price picked it up rumbled down the field with it for 20 yards before being tackled from behind.

New Orleans amassed 379 yards to Dallas' 295. But New Orleans only scoring a single TD in its four trips to the Red Zone was the difference.

Dallas entered the game beset with injuries. They played much of the game with tight ends a each of the Tackle positions.   They sustained eight more injuries in the game. (deep sigh)

Detroit 17 Cincinnati 29                    24 0-10
Leading just 12-10 at the half the Bengals were able to outscore Detroit 17-7 in the second half for the 29-17 home win. Rodgers completed 31 of 43 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns. Devin Funchess proved to be his favorite target with 7 receptions for 78 yards and a score. Gordon added 72 yards on the ground and a touchdown.

Kessler played admirably for the injured hotshot rookie Darnold completing 23 of 37 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 78 yards scrambling around and driving IFL Bengal fans crazy.

Detroit scored just before the two minute warning and trailed by just five. Cincinnati recovered the onside kick and a late touchdown secured the win for the Bengals.

Next week the Lions travel to Tampa Bay while the Bengals host division rival Jacksonville.

Chicago 20 Pittsburgh 3                     24 0-10
On a cold night at Heinz Field 24 degrees the hometown Steelers come into to the game as a rare favorite (8point) by the odds makers. Well apparently Pittsburgh would rather be an under dog as the Bears controlled most of this game.

The turning point of this game came halfway through the 1st quarter when Starting Bears QB Jimmy Garoppolo went down to injury and Chicago turned to Colt McCoy. McCoy was unstoppable through the air going 22-24 (12-12 before misfiring) although only for 158 yards he would drive the Steelers crazy with his feet also. 6-34 yards and 3 first downs and a running TD. The Bears were 8-15 on 3rd downs once McCoy entered the lineup.

So in the 2nd Quarter McCoy had a 9 yard TD run and a 6 yard TD pass to Callaway (3-25-1TD). The Steelers managed a 42 yard Vinatieri FG as the clock ran out in the 2nd for a 14-3 bears lead at the half.

Pittsburgh gets the Ball to open the 3rd and Brady who had a rough night (22-33 156 2 picks) is picked off by Amukamara (3rd on the year) at Mid Field. The Teams would trade punts the rest of the quarter.Still 14-3 heading to the 4th.

Chicago gets a 49 and 52 yard FG from Rosas in the 4th to close out the win as Brady is picked 1 more time in the 4th. Chicago 20 Pittsburgh 3 is the final score.

Pittsburgh would go 3-10 on 3rd down 0-2 on 4th down and lose the top battle 37 minutes to 22. Just a lackluster home effort by the Steelers who drop there 4th in a row to move to (4-10) . Chicago snaps a 7 game losing streak to move to (5-9).

Chicago (5-9) losses Garoppolo for 1 more week and will host Minnesota (8-5). For the Steelers (4-10) they hit the road to a division rival Tennessee (7-6).

  Atlanta 27 Arizona 24                       81 Calm
Atlanta would meet Arizona away this week for the battle of the birds. It would be the Red Birds against the Dirty Birds. Both teams badly needed a win. Zona was decimated by injuries with their star rookie WR out of the game. The Zona offensive line looks like something out a Mash Unit. However, they could rely on Mahomes and Barkley to turn under achieving players into stars.

It was not to be for the Red Birds this week as the wrong Mahomes showed up. Time and time again he missed open WR while on his way to throwing 3 interceptions. Two of the 3 picks converted into points and the third simply ended the game.

All and all it was a defensive battle with few points scored in general. Nevertheless, Atlanta ended up with enough and Arizona prepares for a division show down with the Giants next week.

Los Angeles (A) 28 Buffalo 7                32 5-15
The Chargers come into Buffalo and Eli Manning throws 4 TD passes to Julio Jones as the depleted Bills led by Kyler Sloter were fortunate to put 7 on the board as the Bills fall to 1-13 while the Chargers improve to 9-5 after the 28-7 final.

Denver 34 Indianapolis 7                    69
   Indianapolis, IND (IFL.com) – After making the playoffs in two consecutive seasons with a win total of 10-6 and 10-5-1, the Colts (5-9) were embarrassed at home again 34-7 by the Denver Broncos (8-6). The ninth lost was the first 9 lost season in Head Coach/GM Ken Griffith coaching career. He was so outraged at his team’s performance he announced during the post-game press conference that all season ticket holders will receive a 2-cent discount on all future ticket packages and a one-cent discount on beer sales at selected preseason games next season. However, that announcement was later refuted by team owner and President Jim Irsay.

The Colts open the scoring on a 10 play 75 yard drive ending with a 11 yard TD pass from Case Keenum (24-16, 137 YD 1 TD and sacked 5 times) to wideout Keenan Allen (7-85, 1 TD), 7-0 Colts. Denver would score the next 34 points and out gain Indianapolis 418 yards to 160, and double the Colts in time of possession 39:34 to 20:26. IFL Films caught Keenum mouthing the words “NO MAS” to his Head Coach late in the fourth quarter.

Denver QB Nick Mullens (36-28, 323 YD 3 TD 0 INT) was named game MVP with an eye-popping 131.8 QB rating, and his favorite target Tyreek Hill caught 9 balls for 151 yards and 2 TDs. The only standout for the Colts was punter Marquette King who had 7 kicks for a 47 yard average with 3 kicks placed inside the 20.

The Broncos travel to LA to play the Chargers (8-5), the winner will have the inside track for the second Wildcard spot, while the Colts try to finish-out the season as they head to Foxborough, Mass to play division rival New England Patriots (6-7).

Los Angeles (N) 27 New York (N) 20          31 0-5
The 11-2 Rams paid a visit to the 8-4-1 Giants in a game that was destined to be a thriller.

In the 1st half everything seemed to go exactly how Giants coach Mays had dreamed it would as they would take a 13-0 lead into halftime.

The 2nd half however, coach Heaton made some adjustments and lit a fire under his players as they came out of the half with two straight touchdown drives to take a 14-13 lead.

The Giants respond with a touchdown drive of their own as Brieda punches it in from 8 yards out near the end of the 3rd quarter.

It was all Rams after that as the Rams go on two touchdown drives to take a 27-20 lead.

Although the Giants got the ball back with 1:17 on the clock, WR Taylor fumbles and the Rams are able to run the clock out.

Oakland 16 New England 10                   30 5-15 Snow
    The two teams traded punts in the first quarter before Oakland got a strip-sack by Danielle Hunter, recovered by Jarrett. Stafford immediately hit Kelce for a 45 yard TD to give the Raiders a 7-0 lead. A Myers FG gave the Raiders a 10-0 lead after one quarter of play.

New England's offense could get little going, as they failed to cross midfield in the first half. It was the Patriot defense keeping them in the game - Raiders led 13-0 at halftime.

The score remained 13-0 late in the third quarter with New England mounting their first legitimate scoring drive of the game. Royce Freeman rushed for 15 yards and caught a pass for 6 yards, but it was Lamar Jackson's 23 yard dash which had New England knocking at the door, with a first and 10 from the Raider 12 yard line. McCaffrey was stuffed for little gain on first and 2nd down before Jackson hit Nyheim Hines for a 7 yard gain. On 4th and 1, Lamar Jackson was stuffed on his rush attempts, and the Pats had turned it over on downs.

The teams traded punts early in the 4th quarter before New England caught a break. On 3rd and 5 from their own 25, Stafford was picked by Quincy Wilson, giving the Patriots the ball at the Raider 14 yard line. On 3rd and 9, Jackson hit Hines for a 13 yard TD pass, and New England was within 6 points with 8:28 to play.

A 3 and out forced a Raider punt, but Trevor Davis muffed it, and Oakland recovered! First and ten from the NE 16 yard line.

As they had most of the game, the Patriot defense held firm and forced a field goal. 16-7 Oakland.

With 5:49 left, Richie James looked to make something happen on the return........and he sure did. James coughed up the ball on the return, and Oakland had first and goal from the Patriot 4 yard line. Two consecutive fumbles by the Patriot returners looked to have cost them a chance at a victory.

On 3rd and goal from the 1 yard line, NE's Jonathan Allen sacked Stafford and Rashaan Evans picked it up and ran the ball all the way back to the Raider 32. Oakland's defense held the Patriots out of the end zone, but a 33 yard Elliott field goal had cut the Raider lead to 6 points with 2:32 to play.

New England would attempt an onside kick in the hopes of scoring the game winning touchdown.............and they recovered!! First and ten from their own 47. A McCaffrey 12 yard run got the Pats off to a great start before the 2 minute warning, but that was about all the Patriots could muster on the drive. Raiders hold on, 16-10.

Stafford threw for 242 yard and a TD, while Kelce caught 8 for 133 and a TD. For the Patriots, McCaffrey was bottled up most of the day, rushing for 53 yards on 16 carries. Lamar Jackson ran for 92 yards on 12 carries to lead the New England ground attack. The Patriots could manage only 71 passing yards on the day, rendering their offensive attack completely one-dimensional and unable to put enough pressure on the Raider D.

Oakland travels to Houston next week, while NE hosts Indy.

Tennessee 42 Minnesota 43                   68
Minnesota, 8-5 after 4 straight wins, faced off against Tennessee, 7-6, in a game featuring two explosive offenses. A high-scoring affair was anticipated.

Minnesota received the opening kickoff and, true to form, marched 75 yards in over 5 minutes to take a 7-0 lead on a Brees to Antonio Brown 11-yard TD. Tennessee, though, showed right away what kind of fight they were going to put up. Andre Roberts took the ensuing kickoff 103 yards back for a touchdown 10 seconds later to tie the game at 7-7.

The two teams alternated touchdowns the rest of the first half. The Vikings took 7 1/2 minutes to go 89 yards for a Marshawn Lynch 6 yard crunching touchdown, shedding defenders on his way to the end zone. Beast Mode thunders, he does not scamper! 14-7 Vikings.

Vikings with 174 total yards, Titans with 0 as they have not touched the ball from scrimmage yet near the end of the 1st Q.

As soon as they got the ball, they went 75 yards in less than 3 minutes to tie the game on a 4-yard Smallwood run. At this point the Vikings had had the ball for almost 13 minutes, the Titans for just 3 minutes. But the score was tied 14-14.

The Vikings took a lot more time off the clock, taking 6 1/2 minutes to score another TD on a 21-yard pass from Brees to Brown with 2:48 left in the 1st half. Could the Vikes hold a 21-14 lead with 2:48 left in the half? Not a chance. The Titans ran 10 plays in only 2:27 to knot the game at 21 on a 1-yard Doug Martin dive play. 21-21 at the half.

Opening the 2nd half, Tennessee again wasted little time in scoring a touchdown, taking only 2:27 to go 75 yards capped by another 1-yard Martin run to go up 28-21. The pattern is becoming clear: Minnesota is working the ball down field methodically but successfully, and Tennessee is doing the same thing but much quicker. The Titans' TD's have taken only 10 seconds, 2:50, 2:27 and 2:01. Four touchdowns, not one requiring even 3 minutes!

The Vikings then matched the Titans' touchdown with one of their own, taking almost 4 minutes for Brees to hit Elliott on an 11-yard pass that tied the game at 28-28. And how long did it take the Titans to go ahead again? Sixteen seconds! Another good kickoff return, followed by one pass, a 60-yard bomb from Matt Ryan to Odell Beckham Jr., yielded another TD that put the Titans up again, 35-28.

Starting on their own 10-yard line, Minnesota went 90 yards for another TD on a 13-yard pass from Brees to Brown again. This time, however, the Vikes decided to up the ante: they were moving the ball so well, why not go for the lead on a two-point conversion? Nope, didn't work. The Titans retained the lead, 35-34, as the 3rd Q ended.

The 4th Q saw the Vikes get a stop -- A STOP, REALLY??? -- and once again Brees, this time starting on his 8-yard line, drove his team 92 yards to paydirt on an 11-yard pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster to regain the lead. A two-point conversion, intended to open a 7-point lead, again failed, though, so the Viking lead was only 40-35 with 7:44 to go in the game.

Tennessee met the challenge, this time taking almost 5 1/2 minutes to score yet another touchdown on a 3-yard run by Martin. The extra point made it 42-40 with 2:05 left.

Brees has been in this position before. Trying to use up the clock while gaining yards to get into field goal position, Brees took 8 plays to get within easy field goal range. They had even more time to get closer, but fearing a DKS surprise that mightt run out the clock, the Vikes settled for an easy makeable 38-yard field goal attempt by Zuerlein. Only trouble is, the Vikes have had to kick so few field goals this season, would Zuerlein remember how to do it? Turns out the real question was not Zuerlein, but the rest of the Vikes' field goal team. The snap was poor and almost fumbled, but the holder finally got the ball down, and Zuerlein ...... kicked it straight to give the Vikes a 43-42 lead with 14 seconds to go.

Could the Vikes' porous defense hold a lead with 14 seconds left? Well, two plays netted the Titans 44 yards, but as the fans waited breathlessly to see if the last completion could get the Titans a touchdown, a tackle was made and the Vikes held on for a thrilling 43-42 victory.

The Titans are not a team to fool with, they are top flight in every respect. It may have been one crucial play that left the Vikings come out on top in this one. Zeke Elliott was stripped of the ball on a late drive into Titans territory, but who came up with the ball? The Vike's JuJu Smith-Schuster. That kept alive the drive that produced another Viking TD. If the Titans had come up with the ball, they would have won.

Team stats:
Vikings 39 minutes time of possession, Titans 21 minutes.

Red zone:
Vikings 6 times, 5 TDs and 1 FG
Titans 8 times, 4 TDs and 0 FG

Those were the two main differences between the teams.

Individual stats:
Brees 33/45, 385 yards, 5 TDs 0 sacks, 135.9 qbr
Ryan 25/33, 382 yards, 1 TD 1 sack, 123.5 qbr

Rushing
Elliott 24/133, avg 5.5
Lynch 2/17, avg 8.5, 1 TD

Penny 6/63, avg 10.5
Martin 5/10, avg 2.0, 3 TDs!!
Smallwood 3/7, avg 2.3, 1 TD

Receiving
Brown 10 catches, 136 yards, 3 TDs
Smith-Schuster 11 catches, 110 yards, 1 TD
Elliott 8 catches, 89 yards, 1 TD

In week 15, the Vikings put their 5-game winning streak on the line against division rival Chicago, and the Titans will host Pittsburgh.

Rushing Leaders
Gurley II(TB)   29-225 3 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Elliott,E(Min) 24-133
Newton,C(Dal)   11-111 1 TD
Mixon(Hou)      20-103
Barkley,S(Ari) 19-100
Martin,D(Ten)   5-10 3 TD

Receiving Leaders
Jones,J(LAC)     9-158 4 TD
Beckham Jr(Ten) 5-156 1 TD
Hill,T(Den)      9-151 2 TD
Brown,A(Min)    10-136 3 TD
Smith-Schu(Min) 11-110 1 TD
Coutee(Was)     13- 88
Humphries(Buf) 12- 63

Passing Leaders
Brees(Min)      45-33-385   5 TD
Ryan,M(Ten)     33-25-382   1 TD
Goff(Mia)       38-25-340   2 TD
Mullens(Den)    36-28-323   3 TD
Flacco(NO)      33-25-303   1 TD
Rodgers,A(Cin) 43-31-268   2 TD
Manning(LAC)    22-18-258   4 TD

Defensive Standouts
McCourty,J(SF)   15 Tk
Kazee(Atl)       2 Int 9 Tk – IFL Defensive Player of the Week
Alonso(LAC)      2 Int 3 Tk

Special Teams
Roberts,A(Ten) 3-173 Kick Ret 1 TD 1-3 Punt Ret
Myers(Oak) 3 FGs 10 points – IFL Special Teams Player of the Week

IFL WEEK 14 STANDINGS

IFL WEEK 14 LEAGUE LEADERS

IFL WEEK 13 RECAP

Rookie running back Saquon Barkley combined for 104 yards rushing and 113 yards receiving as Arizona defeats Chicago 37-23.

Arizona 37 Chicago 23                       34 15-25
Chicago hosted Arizona in their final home game of the season. The Cardinals (8-4) were looking to stay atop their division while the Bears (4-8) were looking to break a 6 game losing streak.

The first six drives of the games produced points. Arizona’s first drive produced a field goal, Chicago answered with a field goal of their own. After one quarter, Arizona 3 Chicago 3

Arizona’s next long drive ended in a defensive score. Lotuelei with the strip sack, scooped up by Wagner and run back 75 yards for the score. 10-3 Bears. The lead was short-lived. The Cardinals put together a drive ending in a FG, then after stopping the Bears deep in their own territory, Mercilus blocks the punt and Ogbah runs it in for a 13-10 Arizona lead. Chicago’s next possession produces a game-tying field goal, then after forcing a punt, they take the lead back, Garappolo 36 yards to Gallup. Arizona 13 Chicago 20 at the half.

Chicago extends their lead on their opening drive of the second half, 23-13 on a Rojas FG. Arizona comes back strong. After a drive that ends in a TD (Mahomes 13 yards to Johnson Jr.), the Cardinals stop the Bears, Lawson blocks the punt, and Lippett runs it in. After 3, Arizona 27 Chicago 23.

The Bears are unable to mount a comeback in the 4th quarter. Mahomes finds Johnson Jr. from 4 yards out and the Cardinals add another field goal to close out the scoring.

Arizona: Mahomes 27/36, 273, 2 TD; Barkley 104 yards on 18 rushes, 113 yards on 11 receptions, Johnson Jr. 6/70 2 TD.

Chicago: Garappolo 15/32 181, 1 TD, 2 INT; Wagner 25 tackles; defense 7 sacks.

Los Angeles (A) 31 New Orleans 21           70
Eli Manning goes back to the future throwing four touchdown passes as the Chargers down New Orleans.

Indianapolis 34 Pittsburgh 10               33 0-10
A couple of 4-8 teams take the field in 33 degree weather at Heinz Field. The Colts are installed as a 7 point favorite.

The Colts get the ball first drive down the field to the Steelers 20 but a Suggs Strip sack results in a Fumble recovery for the Steelers. Pittsburgh takes advantage but the drive stalls at the 28 Vinatieri kicks a 46 yard FG for the lead 3-0. That's how the 1st quarter would end. Pittsburgh 3 Indy 0

2nd Quarter - On a drive that stated with 4 minutes to go in the 1st Indy caps a 13 play drive as Brown takes in in from 5 yards out for a 7-3 lead. Pittsburgh responded with an 11 play drive to retake the lead as Brady hits Herndon from 10 yards out 10-7 Steelers. The Colts would quickly march down the field on the next drive on 3 passes and 1 run but had to settle for a 41 yard FG to tie things up with 2:26 to go in the half. This is where the game turned. On a short pass to Gronk for 5 yards he is stripped of the ball as the Colts recover in plus territory. 3 plays later a 17-10 lead when Keenan goes to Allen from 7 yards out.

17- 10 Colts at the Half.

3rd quarter.- each team exchanged punts then Pittsburgh gets a drive going but it stalls on the 15. Vinatieri comes out for the 33 yard FG but hooks it and that's the start of the end for the home team. On there first play Keenan connects with Tate for a 77 yard TD.24-10 Colts.Pittsburgh would turn the ball over on the next 2 possession's. Hauschka hits from 53 yards out for a 27-10 lead after 3 .

4th Quarter - Keenum to Tate from 27 yards out puts this game out of reach with 11 minutes to go with a 34-10 lead. Pittsburghs offense just could not move the ball against coach Griffith defense. And the game would end with the final score of 34-10.

2 weeks in a row Pittsburgh has let a team come into Heinz Field and win handily. The Steelers were called for 7 penalties and had 3 turnovers while the road team Colts had no penalties against them and the one turnover. Golden Tate was Game MVP with 6 catches and 169 yards with 2 TD's.

The Steelers lost Safety Mitchell for 2 games with a hand injury (he just came off a 6 week stint on the injury list) The Colts lost backup Center Holba for the Year with a Broken Ankle.

The Colts (5-8) are at home against Denver (7-5) next week while Pittsburgh (4-9) tries again to get a home win this time against the Bears (4-8)

San Francisco 19 Houston 0                  70
SF (8-4) came into Houston (1-11) hoping to extend their winning streak to 8 games. Houston was a 7 point underdog.

The first half was scoreless. The only drive of the 1st half was Houston's 6 minute, 49 yard march that ended in a fumble and a recovery by SF. Neither team could move the ball well enough to even get into the red zones.

QB Matt Barkley, subbing for 49er QB Trubiskey, could only manage a total of 60 yards resulting in 5 punts and 1 first down.

The second half found Barkley and the 49ers better as they took the opening kickoff 75 yards on 13 plays, finishing with a pass to RB Barber for 6 yards. Houston was still struggling for offense and never got to the red zone the entire game. 49ers defense held QB Kirk Cousins to
19-37 for 145 yards and muted the running game to only 69 yards on 19
carries.

SF moved the ball well enough in the late 3rd and 4th quarter and would score 4 FGs by Crosby. Barkley ended up 19-36 for 176 yards and 1 TD. 49er defenses stifled the Texans holding them to 35 yards gained in the entire 2nd half.

Pete coached the best he could but didn't have the horses to get much going.

Next week SF (9-4) takes on Washington (2-9-1) while Houston (1-12) visits the Jets (8-4).

New York (N) 38 Detroit 28                  70
Giants travel to Ford Field looking to get back in the win column. It wasn't the prettiest of games, but the Giants come out with a 38-28 win.

Both teams were able to run in this one as the Giants had 33 carries for 211 yards and the Lions had 25 carries for 168 yards.

Next week:

Lions travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals
Giants stay home to face the Rams

Washington 0 Green Bay 23                   37 5-15
Undermanned and fatigued Redskins come into Green Bay and get shut out
23-0. Packers are stymied in the passing game (Ben 4-17, 29 yards, 1 int) but run for 224 yards led by Jay Ajayi's 116 yard effort.

Dak Prescott did everything he could but just didn't have enough weapons
in this one.

Hosts got 10 points off of turnovers.

Washington hosts red hot Niners in week 14, Taco Charlton and the Jags travel to Lambeau.

Buffalo 0 Cincinnati 36                     28 0-10
Seven turnovers did in the Bills this contest. Rodgers threw three touchdown passes and Fairbairn kicked five field goals. Bolden had 52 yards rushing on only five attempts to highlight the Buffalo offense.

Next week the Bills host the Chargers while the Bengals welcome Detroit to PBS.

Atlanta 34 Kansas City 14                   27 Calm
Atlanta puts up 513 yards of offense and cruises to a 34-14 win at Kansas City.

Miami 44 Tennessee 20                       51 5-15
Dolphins take a 34-6 lead into the half thanks to four Goff touchdown passes and cruise to the win.

Oakland 9 Los Angeles (N) 34                56 Calm
The leaders of both west coast divisions met in Los Angeles, for a highly anticipated game. Weather Conditions were near perfect, 53 degrees no clouds, but despite the conditions both quarterbacks struggled to find consistent success against two very tough defenses.

The Raiders moved the ball well early but a turnover killed one drive and the other ended only in a field goal, the Raiders led after quarter 1, 3-0.

The Raiders with their focus on Andrew Luck had trouble corralling Carson, he dominated the 2nd quarter. The Rams managed a field goal to start the quarter then Carson went to work. He found the end zone twice on 13 and 41 yard runs and totaled nearly 100 yards rushing in the half. Rams led at the half 17-3.

On the opening second half kickoff the Rams again mustered a drive, this time James White ran it from 8 yards out, 24-3 Rams.

Stafford tried to rally his troops, but a late third quarter interception put the Rams in great field position again, allowing Carson to cap off his day with a third touchdown.

Despite turnovers and penalties going against them, the Raiders did not give up and added a late touchdown. It was just too late. Stafford could not find a rhythm. He finished 28-50 with 2 interceptions.

Raiders Stars:
Alvin Kamara 76 yards on 10 carries
Travis Kelce 9 Catches 90 yards.

Rams stars:
Chris Carson 21 carries 141 yards 3 touchdowns

Next week the Rams take on the Giants in New York, while Oakland makes their way to New England.

New York (A) 45 Baltimore 27                39 0-5   Heavy Rain
Playing in a heavy, cold rain at M&T Bank Stadium, the game couldn't have started any worse for the home standing Ravens as the J-E-T-S scored on two of the first three plays they ran and three of their first nine, taking a 21-0 lead after just three possessions.

Coach Master knew things weren't going to go well when, on a 2nd-and-8, they called a basic 4-3 defense and double-teamed Michael Thomas, yet Thomas caught DeShaun Watson's short hitch and turned it into a 73-yard TD on the second play of the game. Jets 7-0.

Baltimore couldn't get a first down on the ensuing possession and lined up to punt. Though Coach Durfee called for a return, Brandon Williams took it upon himself to block the punt attempt. Watson hooked-up with Thomas on the first play after the turnover for an 18-yard TD. Jets 14-0.

The Ravens actually got a first down (just one) on their next possession and punted (successfully), pushing the Jets back to their own 18. Watson went to work, hurling mud balls to this receivers - Thomas for 18, Robert Woods 18 and 17 and Thomas for another 18-yard TD. Jets 21-0.

Baltimore decided to try to the Jets' strategy of using umbrellas in the driving rain and actually earned a(nother) first down on their second possession, but after Jaylen Samuels scampered for a 9 yard gain on a screen pass, he lost control of the ball as he switched hands with the umbrella. Gang Green recovered, but was unable to move in the muck. Neither could the Ravens, who punted back to the Jets...who then punted back to the Ravens.

Baker Mayfield hooked-up with Mark Andrews from 15 yards out to put the Ravens on the board early in the 2nd quarter. Jets 21-7.

An Aaron Donald sack (his second in consecutive Jet possessions) led to another punt, but Baltimore couldn't take advantage and punted back to the Jets. On third down, Donald made his presence felt again, with a strip sack of Watson. Desmond Trufant scooped it up and ran 18 yards for a defensive score. Jets 21-14.

With just over 5 minutes remaining before the half, New York churned out a 13-play drive that, though it took two tries from the 3 yard line with less than 25 second left, culminated with a Raven-back-breaking 2-yard Watson-to-Theo Riddick TD. Jets 28-14 at the half.

The umbrella hats the Ravens ordered from Amazon Prime arrived just after the marching band slogged off the field and their arrival helped the Adam Thielen catch Baker Mayfield's 67-yard TD heave, cutting into the Jet's lead. Jets 28-21.

Unfortunately for wet Ravens fans, the five next possessions went like this:
Jets - Watson-to-Thomas 16-yard TD. Jets 35-21.
Ravens - Mayfield INT
Jets - Watson 9-yard TD run. Jets 42-21.
Ravens - Mayfield INT
Jets - Dustin Hopkins 45-yard FG. Jets 45-21

Baltimore cut the lead to 18 with a Mayfield-to-Thielen 11-yard TD with 6 minutes remaining, but when the 2-point conversion failed, so did the hopes of the Baltimore faithful. Though the Raven D forced a three-and-out, Mayfield gave the ball right back with his fourth INT of the game. Game over. Jets 45-27.

Watson was the game's MVP hitting 23 of 39 pass attempts despite the downpour. WR Michael Thomas hauled in four of Watson's 5 TD passes and garnered 193 of Watson's 339 yards on 9 receptions.

A strong case could be made for Aaron Donald to be the game's MVP despite being on the losing side. Donald totals 10 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 stuffs and a forced fumble (that resulted in a scoop-and-score for Desmond Trufant).

The 9-4 Jets are sitting in the cat-bird seat for a wild-card spot in the playoffs as they host Houston (1-11) in Week 14.

In an odd scheduling twist, the 3-10 Ravens finish the last three weeks of the season against the top three teams from the NFC Central - start with Tampa Bay (9-3) at M&T Bank Stadium.

Philadelphia 24 Tampa Bay 31                74 0-10 Light Rain
The severely injury depleted Eagles traveled south to take on the Buccaneers. A Philadelphia victory will keep them in the center of the playoff picture while Tampa Bay wants to hold on to their one-game division lead and get a game closer to a potential first round playoff bye.

Tampa runs 25 first quarter plays to 10 to Philadelphia. The Bucs missed a field-goal after a long penalty filled drive that included holding on a successful kick. Both teams find the end zone once. The Eagles overcome a turnover. Score at the end of the first quarter 7 – 7.

Tampa Bay jumps ahead 10 points in the early portion of the second quarter when Derek Carr hits Tyler Lockett for a 29 yard touchdown pass and the Eagles fumble away the kickoff on their own 5 yard line. The Philly defense held tough forcing a short field-goal by Tampa. 17 – 7 Tampa lead.

The teams trade turnovers in the middle portion of the second quarter. The Eagles cut the lead to 3 on a Nick Foles to Mohamed Sanu 16 yard slant. Halftime Tampa 17 – Philly 14. The Bucs having a tougher time than some thought they would.

The third quarter had one score, a Buccaneer TD pass Carr to DeSean Jackson from 10. The Eagles committed their fourth turnover in the form of a Kyle Van Noy interception of Foles. End of the third Tampa 24 – Philly 14.

The Eagles make the home crowd very nervous after they reduce the lead to 3 on a Foles to Cooper Kupp short quick touchdown pass early in the fourth. The drive was also a short one as it included Foles to Kupp for 49. Tampa 24 – Philly 21.

The Eagle defense shows some wear allowing Tampa to get back up 10 points on a Todd Gurley 9 yard scamper. Tampa 31 – Philly 21 mid fourth quarter.

Foles dinks and dunks his team down the field earning first and goal from the 8 yard line with four minutes left. The Tampa defense holds and forces a short field-goal. Tampa 31 – Philly 24 with 3:43 left and the Eagle holding 3 timeouts.

Carr gets sacked on the first play of the ensuing possession. Todd Gurley maybe saves the Bucs bacon by picking up a first down with runs of 8 and 12 forcing Philly to use their timeouts. With 90 seconds left Tampa faces third and 5 at midfield. Carr finds number two TE Ryan Griffin for 18 yards to seal the victory. Tampa 31 – Philly 24 final.

The contest was certainly in question deep into the game despite a bunch of Eagles injuries and losing the turnover battle 4 to 1. Coach Mason called a great game.

Foles put up 305 yards but threw 2 picks. Kupp caught 8 for 156 and a TD. Carr threw for 397 yards and 3 TDs. Lockett took in 7 for 121 and a TD. Tampa OLB Kyle VanNoy gets the Football Cycle with 6 tackles, a sack, a stuff, a forced fumble and an interception.

Next week Philly hosts Carolina and Tampa heads to Baltimore.

Carolina 26 Denver 6                        53 Calm
Carolina comes to Denver and dismantles the Broncos at Mile High

The Carolina defense shut down the Bronco offense and QB Russell Wilson was great for the Panthers
in the 26-6 victory.

New England 26 Jacksonville 28              64 0-10
David Johnson (Willard Reeves) rushes for 107 yards as the Jags win a close one at chilly McMahon Stadium. Both defences play well, and it came down to the forth quarter. There is not much this reporter can say other than most of the game was played well before kick-off.

Winnipeg is on fire....

Notable Performances:

(Jax) Johnson: 17 carries 107 yards, 5 catches 53 yards 1TD
(NE) McCaffrey: 18 carries 82 yards, 8 catches 132 1TD

Dallas 13 Minnesota 41                      68
Minnesota (7-5,) hosted injury-riddled Dallas (4-8) in Week 13, and opened fast, scoring three touchdowns and a field goal to open a 24-0 lead before the Cowboys got on the board. The depleted Dallas squad (11 players injured entering the game, 3 more injured during the game) were struggling just to keep 11 players on the field; the contest should have been waived off as a TKO once the ref saw the Cowboys' condition;

The Cowboys did string together 3 scores after the 24-0 lead, reducing the margin to 24-13, but then the Vikings ran off 17 more points for a final score of 41-13.

Highlights:

Brees 22/30, 284 yards, 3 TD passes 136.0 passer rating.

Smith-Schuster 6 catches 86 yards 1 TD
A. Brown 5 catches 80 yards 1 TD

Elliott 24 carries 79 yards 2 TD

Cam Newton 19/33, 162 yards, 2 interceptions 45.3 passer rating

The 8-5 Vikings, now on a 4-game winning streak, host Tennessee

Newton 6 carries 87 yards
Wilkins 8 carries 58 yards

No receivers worth noting

On a 4-game winning streak, Minnesota (8-5) hosts Tennessee (7-6) in what should be a close game, while the still injury-riddled Cowboys play host to struggling New Orleans.

Rushing Leaders
Breida(NYG)     17-157 1 TD
Carson,C(LAR)   21-141 3 TD
Gore(Pit)       19-132
Peterson,A(Mia) 21-129
Ajayi(GB)       15-116
Chubb,N(LAC)    17-113
Johnson,D(Jax) 17-107 1 TD
Barkley,S(Ari) 18-104

Receiving Leaders
Thomas,M(NYJ)    9-193 4 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Tate,G(Ind)      6-169 2 TD
Jones,J(LAC)    10-162 3 TD
Kupp(Phi)        8-156 1 TD
Barkley,S(Ari) 11-113
Diggs,S(SF)     10- 90
Coutee(Was)     10- 77

Passing Leaders
Goff(Mia)       42-26-403   4 TD
Carr,D(TB)      47-32-397   3 TD
Rivers,P(Atl)   31-24-355   1 TD
Watson,D(NYJ)   29-23-339   5 TD
Mayfield(Bal)   39-22-306   3 TD 4 Int
Foles(Phi)      37-24-305   3 TD 2 Int
Manning(LAC)    38-24-292   4 TD 1 Int

Defensive Standouts
Milano(Ten)      15 Tk
Donald(Bal)      3 Sk 10 Tk
Wagner,B(Chi)    25 Tk
Leonard(SF) 8 Tk, 1 FF – IFL Defensive Player of the Week

Special Teams
Smith,Tr(NO)   5-154 Kick Ret
Crosby(SF)     4-4 FG – IFL Special Teams Player of the Week
Fairbairn(Cin) 5-5 FG
Roberts,A(Ten) 6-175 Kick Ret

IFL WEEK 13 STANDINGS

IFL WEEK 13 LEAGUE LEADERS

IFL WEEK 12 RECAP

The Jets are thinking playoffs as quarterback Deshaun Watson throws 3 touchdown passes as New York defeats Buffalo 27-7.

Game Scores
Buffalo 7 New York (A) 27                   38 5-15
Buffalo flew to New York to play the Jets, looking for their 2nd win of the season. Their hopes were quickly dashed when the Jets scored on each of their first three possessions.

New York took possession at their 25 after the opening kickoff, and then went 75 yards in 7 plays to take a 7-0 lead on a Watson to Thomas 9 yard pass.

Then after holding Buffalo to 19 yards the Jets Montae Nicholson blocked the punt. This lead to a quick 3 points making it 10-0.

Next the Bills were held to a 3 and out giving the Jets the ball at the NY 43 yard line. This time the Jets went 57 yards in 4 plays ending with a Watson to Woods TD pass, Jets 17-0. The Jets would tack on a FG to make it 20-0 at halftime.

In the second half both teams took their time with the ball, with each team scoring a TD ...the Jets on a Watson pass to Higbee, and the Bills on a Smith pass to Humphries...making the Final 27-7.

For the Jets:
Watson 26-33 308 yards 3 TDs
Thomas 7 catches for 101 yards 1 TD

For the Bills:
Smith 13-21 105 yards 1 TD
Humphries 9 catches for 91 yards 1 TD

Next week Buffalo travels to Cincinnati while New York visits Baltimore.

Houston 19 Denver 35                        40 0-10
Denver gets back on the winning track with a 35-19 victory over Houston at Mile High Stadium. The Texans jumped out to a 10-0 lead after a quarter but the Broncos responded with two 2nd quarter TD's and after a Houston FG the score was 14-13 at the half.

The Broncos got two more 3rd quarter TD's and then after Houston cut the lead back to 9 (a missed PAT) the Bronocs put the game away with a pick 6 late in the 4th quarter.

Cincinnati 37 Pittsburgh 10                 47 Calm
Bengals break open a close game in the second quarter with a 17-3 advantage. Gordon scores three touchdowns for Cincinnati.

  Tampa Bay 42 Detroit 16                     70
Derek Carr throws 5 touchdown passes as the Bucs tame the Lions.

Washington 3 Dallas 26                      70
The very injured and extremely usage-impaired Washington Redskins put up little fight against the Dallas Cowboys under the lights Friday night falling to its division rival 26-3.   Washington could only manage 132 yards total offense (68 on the ground and 83 through the air - don't ask me why it doesn't add up) in the contest and converted a woeful one of 13 third down attempts.   Dallas, not exactly a good team either, overcame two (more) Cam Newton interceptions but managed to win.

Alex Erickson returned three punts for 115 yards, including a 53-yard TD, to help the Cowboys' cause.


New England 34 Miami 49                     80 0-5
The Patriots came to Miami in hopes of improving their playoff chances, while Miami was looking to bounce back from their 1st loss in 2 years.

Both Offenses played well and had a lot of yards and scored a combined 83 points, both Defenses gave up a lot of yards and some big plays. The Patriots had 4 passes of over 25+ yards and 4 runs of 10+ yards and the Dolphins had 5 passes of 25+ yards and 3 runs of 10+. Big plays for both Teams in this one. New England amassed 387 yards while Miami racked up 507 yards as Goff threw for 5 TD's and AP ran for 2 scores as well.

After closing a early Dolphin 14-0 lead to 14-13 score with 4:37 left in the 1st half, the Dolphins opened it up and for the most part and kept a 2 score lead for the duration of the game, the final score was Miami 49 New England 34.

Next week New England is at Jacksonville and Miami travels to Tennessee

Los Angeles (N) 28 San Francisco 30         64 0-10
For the second week in a row, the 49ers faced a team that had only 1 loss going into the game. SF fans, having seen their team win a total of 9 games in 3 years, expected the worse. However, this is a new 49er team and for the second week in a row, upset the division leader by squeaking by 30-28.

Scoring Summary
1 8:26 SF TD Trubisky 4 pass to Diggs (Crosby) (14-75-6:34)
1 2:36 LA TD Luck 25 pass to Burton (Succop) (8-92-3:39)
2 14:51 SF TD Trubisky 12 pass to Howard (Crosby) (7-60-2:45)
2 6:45 SF TD Barber 1 run (Crosby) (11-74-5:46)
2 0:26 LA TD Luck 10 pass to White (Succop) (13-91-6:06)
3 1:40 SF TD Trubisky 17 pass to Diggs (no good) (16-79-9:32)
4 13:58 LA TD Luck 43 pass to Davis (Succop) (5- 82-2:33)
4 5:25 LA TD Luck 4 pass to Davis (Succop) (10-58-5:49)
4 1:07 SF FG Crosby 52 (9-45-4:06)

The game featured long drives and no turnovers and when the Rams took the lead 28-27 with 5:49 left, the onus fell on Trubiskey to get the go ahead score. Trubiskey and the 49ers responded with a 9 play 4 minute drive that yielded a 52 yard FG. The Rams, led by Andrew Luck, took over with less than a minute left and move the ball to their own 48 yard line when the time ran out.

Stars of the game:
SF Trubiskey 27-35, 3 TDs, 277 yards
LA Luck 22-35, 4 TDs, 297 yards
SF Diggs 9 receptions, 112 yrds, 2 TDS.

Green Bay 28 Tennessee 17                   55 Calm
Two 7-4 teams met in a game with many playoff implications. The Packers were favored by 1 but for the first half it looked like a slaughter as Green Bay overcame two turnovers to score on 3 lengthy drives and take a two touchdown lead at the half. A key defensive play for Green Bay was Reshad Jones picking off Matt Ryan in the Packer end zone. The Pack had 301 yards of total offense at the break as Phillip Lindsay shredded the Titan defense. Green Bay 21 - Tennessee 7.

The Titans made a game of it in the 3rd as on their first possession OBJ beat Patrick Patterson deep and scored on a 44 yard pass from Matt Ryan. Neither team could do much for the rest of the quarter. Green Bay 21 - Tennessee 14.

At the start of the 4th Tennessee managed to force Green Bay to punt from their own 17. Andree Roberts returned it to the Titan 44 and Tennessee worked it down to the Pack 23 where the drive stalled. Dan Bailey FINALLY made a field goal to make the score Green Bay 21 - Tennessee 17. After an exchange of possessions the craziness started. From his own 28 Roethlisberger completed an 11 yard pass to AJ Green but Josh Norman ripped it out and Matt Milano recovered for Tennessee at the 24. With 5 minutes left Coach Conners was sweating bullets. However DKS returned the favor on the very next play as TE Jason Croom caught a Ryan pass but Brian Orakpo caused the fumble and senior citizen Mike Adams recovered for the Pack and took it to the Titan 33. Three plays later Big Ben hit AJ Green for a 17 yard TD with 3 and a half to go. Green Bay 28 - Tennessee 17. Needing two scores the Titans managed to move down to the Packer 33 but of course Dan Bailey missed the field goal which would have made it a one score game.

Final Score Green Bay 28 - Tennessee 17.

For Green Bay Phillip Lindsay had 143 yards rushing, Roethlisberger had 3 TD passes and AJ Green caught 8 for 113 yards and 2 TDs.
Matt Ryan threw for 347 yards for the Titans and Beckham caught his 14th TD pass of the year.

Next week Green Bay (8-4) hosts Washington while the Titans (7-5) host the Miami powerhouse.

Atlanta 21 Carolina 37                      67 0-10
Carolina plays their best half of football all year and takes a surprising 13-0 lead in to the half.

Carolina extends the lead to start the 3rd with Drake running it in from 3 setup by his 50 yard catch prior. Atlanta makes dents in the lead throughout with a powerful running game that saw both Miller and Coleman rush for over 100 yards on the day. Carolina's offense remains consistent and and won the turnover battle to pull out the unexpected win.

Minnesota 38 Chicago 24                     18 5-15
The 4-7 Bears, losers of 5 straight hosted the 6-5 Vikings, who were hoping to stay in the playoff hunt. Minnesota took the opening drive 80 yards (Elliott 4 yard run) to take the early lead, but Chicago answered with a long drive to tie (Garappolo 8 yards to Brate). Minnesota 7 Chicago 7 at the end of the 1st quarter.

The second quarter saw the Vikings move the ball while the Bears offense stalled. Two long Brees TD passes (29 to Smith-Schuster and 62 to Brown) gave the visitors a 21-7 lead. Chicago managed a FG as the half came to and end:   Minnesota 21 Chicago 10

Minnesota continued its onslaught in the 3rd quarter, Brees to Smith-Schuster from one yard out and a 51 yard pick six by Taylor put them up big after 3: Minnesota 35 Chicago 10.

The Bears showed some life in the final quarter – James running back a fumble 68 yards and Garappolo hitting Thomas from 8 yards out, but this one was over early.

Minnesota: Brees 22/25, 329, 3 TD; Smith-Schuster 11/170, 2 TD; Elliott 26/95 TD.

Chicago: Garappolo 27/40, 226, 2 TD, 3 INT;

Next week Minnesota hosts Dallas and Chicago has its last home game vs. Arizona.

Philadelphia 26 Indianapolis 16             69
Indianapolis, IND (IFL.com) – The Philadelphia Eagles (7-5) snapped their 4 game losing streak with a 26-16 win over the Indianapolis Colts (4-8). Eagles QB Nick Foles (35-28, 231 YD, 3 TD 0 INT) was named game MVP, and wideout Cooper Kupp caught 13 of those 28 completion on 16 targets for 113 yards. After throwing for 300 yards in consecutive games the Colts Case Keenum (34-23, 1 TD 0 INT) was held to 187 passing yards against a stingy Eagles secondary.

First Half

Philly would open the scoring with a Harrison Butker 45 yard FG, 3-0. The Colts would respond with an 8 play 75 yard drive that ended with a Sony Michel (RB) 6-yard TD run, 3-7 Colts. The Eagles regained the lead with a 5-yard TD pass from Foles to Mohamed Sanu, 9-7 (XP no good). Following a 29-yard FG by Colts Steven Hauschka, Foles ended the first half with a 17-yard TD pass to John Brown 16-10 Eagles.

Second Half

The Eagles outscored the Colts 10-6 in the second half with another Foles to Brown 4-yard TD pass and a Butker 23 yard FG. The Colts added a late TD pass (2 point failed) Keenum to Michael Crabtree 12-yard to finish out the scoring and send the hometown faithful home wondering if the Colts can turn it around next week in Pittsburgh (4-7). Philly travels to NFC Central Division leader Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-3).

Baltimore 13 Jacksonville 3                 71 0-10 Rain
Ugly, ugly, ugly but it was a fun game that saw an 81 yard punt into the wind, a 38 yard TD by a stat pack RB , (OK it was Le'veon Bell), multiple long turnover returns. resulting in a total of 16 points. With this being the case, Bell was the star of the game with 22 carries for 111 yards and the games only TD. Zach Brown had a nice game for the Jags with 9 tackles and a 60 yard fumble recovery.

Otherwise, both "D's" played well with the difference being the daring play calling of coach Masters when it mattered late in he game.

The Jags plummet to 4-8 while Baltimore soar to 3-9.

Next week:

Baltimore goes to New York while Jacksonville hosts the Pats.

Kansas City 7 Los Angeles (A) 31            68 Calm
The Chargers out gain the visiting Chiefs by 443-232 and coast to an easy win.

New Orleans 13 Oakland 34                   59 0-5
Raiders beat owner Keith Jackson's hometown Saints' 34-13 in a game where the Raiders caught every break. Josh Rosen broke out with over 90 yards rushing as he kept exploiting the Raiders' inability to stop a rushing quarterback.

New York (N) 21 Arizona 34                  75 Calm
What happens when and irresistible force meets an immovable object, according to the laws of physics the object moves! That is exactly what happened when the Arizona met with New York today.

The IFL was kept in suspense as the New York Giants were snow bound and could not get out of the city to fly into Arizona for the game which was originally scheduled for Tuesday evening. Fans in both cities have been a media feeding frenzy prior to the fight for sole possession of first place in the conference. Giants fans claimed no one can move the ball on the Giants period. The under in Vegas set betting records. The Red Bird fans on the other hand said it would take more than 11 seven foot Giants to stop Magic Man Mahomes. The answer would take only 4 plays and a little over two minutes. A run stuff, a first down conversion pass to Barkley, a first down with another conversion to Kirk and then a 36 yard picture perfect pass to Williams would draw first blood. Mahomes and company would never look back and would never lose the lead.

Mahomes made one mistake in the first quarter on his second possession. Trying for another deep ball, Smith would intercept the pass on the first play of the second possession. However, the Cardinal defense rose to the occasion as they abused Wentz early with multiple sacks. The next time Arizona got the ball it would be another 7 points with Mahomes passing it to Barkley.

Arizona would score once more in the first half with a 55 yard strike to Kirk. The Giants offense was held in check by Arizona for the most part but they did find life later with Breida running the ball. The Giants lone TD in the first half came nearing the end of the first quarter as Wentz played one of his better series. However, Mahomes would answer closing out the half with a 55 yard TD pass to his TE.

The Giants received the second half kick off and committed to run with Breida running for big gains play after play. For a while, Arizona fans were regretting their trading Breida to their rival in New York. The Giants would close the gap to 31-14 mostly on the heels of Breida. The Cardinals resorted to a bend but dont break type defense allowing New York to run while also eating clock. On offense, Arizona used their own clock control to take valuable time away from New York.

When the dust settled, Arizona would collect 407 yards from the Giants. Both teams would rush for over 100 yards. The star of the game would be Mahomes with 323 yards of offense and 4 touch down passes to 4 different receivers.

It will be a cat fight between New York, Arizona and Philadelphia for the conference championship as each of these teams beat up on one another. Coach Heaton only quote was "This beats the Hell out of Last Year"!

Rushing Leaders
Lindsay(GB)     22-143
Miller,L(Atl)   22-138 1 TD
Adams,J(Den)    15-121
Breida(NYG)     15-120 1 TD
Bell(Bal)       22-111 1 TD
Coleman,T(Atl) 21-111
Chubb,N(LAC)    18-107
Peterson,A(Mia) 19-104 2 TD
Gordon III(Cin) 13-37 3 TD

Receiving Leaders
Smith-Schu(Min) 11-170 2 TD
Edelman(Mia)     8-125 3 TD
Kelce,T(Oak)     8-124 3 TD
Kupp(Phi)       13-113

Passing Leaders
Goff(Mia)       32-22-379   5 TD 1 Int
Ryan,M(Ten)     43-32-347   1 TD 1 Int
Wilson,R(Car)   21-16-337   3 TD
Mullens(Den)    34-25-330   4 TD
Brees(Min)      25-22-329   3 TD
Mahomes(Ari)    27-14-323   4 TD 1 Int
Watson,D(NYJ)   33-26-308   3 TD
Carr,D(TB)      31-20-305   5 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Luck(LAR)       35-22-297   4 TD

Defensive Standouts
Poyer(Min)       2 Int 7 Tk – IFL Defensive Player of the Week

Special Teams
Erickson(Dal) 2-49 Kick Ret 5-115 Punt Ret 1 TD – IFL Special Teams Player of the Week
James Jr.(NE) 7-167 Kick Ret

IFL WEEK 12 STANDINGS

IFL WEEK 12 LEAGUE LEADERS

IFL WEEK 11 RECAP

The suprising 49ers are now the hottest team in the IFL after stunning Oakland for their sixth straight win.

San Francisco 20 Oakland 17                 57 Calm
In a tense back and forth game, the Niners thwarted the Raiders' second half comeback with a backbreaking, touchdown drive to win 20-17. The 49ers' stout front seven harassed Raiders' QB Matthew Stafford into an uneven day, while also holding the Raiders to under 75-yards rushing overall.

Baltimore 18 Buffalo 20                     51 15-25
Two cellar dwelling teams who are looking to next year face 15-25 mile an hour winds and 51 degrees which makes for difficult conditions as the Ravens rest Mayfield to start the game but Chase Daniels gets knocked out of the game early and Mayfield must enter but not before Daniels throws a pick 6 to Vander Esch with 32 seconds left in first quarter as the Bills close out the quarter leading 10-0.

The second quarter sees Adam Thielen scamper 31 yards for a TD run but the XPt. was MISSED! 10-6 Bills. The BIlls go on a 8 play 75 yard drive capped off by a TD pass from Alex Smith to Adam Humphries of 6 yards and the half ends 17-6 Bills...

The third quarter scoring belongs to the Ravens as Matt Bryant nails a 52 yarder to make it 17-9 and then Mayfield scampers 9 yards for the TD, the 2 pt. conversion fails and the third quarter ends 17-15 Bills....

With 2:37 left in the 4th Matt Bryant nails a 37 yard FG to give the Ravens their first lead of the game,18-17. Buffalo is backed up to their own 10 yard line with 1:34 left after punting on previous drive and forcing the Ravens to punt. Smith was great in 2-minute drill completing short passes and being helped out by a 15 yard face-mask penalty, with 3 seconds left and a strong wind behind Graham Gano the Bills send the FG unit on for a 62 yarder and he drills it to give the Bills their first win of the season, 20-18!

Adam Thielen was outstanding for the Raves catching 8 for 111 and rushing once for 31 and a TD...Mayfield was solid going 16-21 and 165 with no TD passes or picks.

TJ Yeldon had a solid game running the ball, 15 for 81 and 7 FD's Vander Esch pick 6 on defense...Gano was the MVP for the Bills kicking FG's of 59 and the winning kick of 62!!!

Baltimore heads to Jacksonville next week while the Bills head to New York to play the Jets.

Miami 31 Cincinnati 42                      49 0-10
It was a playoff like atmosphere at Paul Brown Stadium as the defending IFL champion Miami Dolphins and owners of a current 26 game regular season winning streak came to town. Wynonna Judd performed the National Anthem and Axl Rose blurted out "Welcome to the Jungle" thru the loud speakers as the Bengals ran on the field.

The Bengals won the toss and deferred thus kicking off to begin the game. Miami started the game with three straight Adrian Peterson runs and faced fourth and inches. The Dolphins decided to gamble but the Bengals were ready and stuffed Peterson. Taking over at the Miami 35, Rodgers hit Melvin Gordon for 17. Gordon, on consecutive runs, carried it down to the 13. On second and two, Rodgers hit Gordon on a slant for the score and a 7-0 Cincinnati lead.

A dump-off to Peterson on second and five resulted in a 47 yard gain and the Dolphins were quickly in business. Despite a holding penalty, Goff found Jordy Nelson for 17 and then Brandin Cooks for eight tying the score at 7-7 with about seven minutes remaining in the quarter.

The Bengals drove the ball to the Miami 19 but had to settle on a Fairbairn 37 yard field goal attempt, which he missed. The Miami scoring machine took advantage as an Ingram 10 yard run and a Kyle Fuller P.I. moved the ball to midfield. Goff would eventually connect with Nelson for the 20 yard score and a 14-7 lead a couple minutes into the second quarter. Cincinnati made it up before the ten count and had a right of their own as Rodgers found Alshon Jeffery for 58 yards and first and goal at the Dolphin nine. Rodgers then hit Gerald Everett for the score to tie it at 14. The Dolphins would come right back as Goff teamed up with Julian Edelman for 35 and then found him again on third and goal for the seven yard score to regain the lead 21-14.

Things took a bad turn for the home team as Miami safety Adrian Amos intercepted a Rodgers pass on the Bengals first play from scrimmage on their next series. The Cincinnati defense stood strong allowing only a Prater 44 yard field goal to extend their lead to 24-14. With a little over two minutes in the half the Bengals were able to drive down to the four where Gordon scored to cut the Dolphins lead to 24-21 at the half.

The Bengals received the kickoff and had something working until Jarius Wright fumbled after going 33 yards on a rare Cincinnati trick play. Miami took over at their own 38. Once again the Cincinnati defense showed some teeth denying another Dolphin fourth and inches attempt. This seemed to fire up the Cincinnati offense (and also gave some confidence to the coaching staff) as Gordon blasted for 18 on a inside run. Rodgers would eventually find Devin Funchess for the 20 yard score to regain the lead 28-24.

After the Bengals defense forced a three and out, Cincinnati completed a nine play 78 yard drive capped off by a Rodgers to Wright 10 yard score to extend their lead to 35-24.

The game turned into a defensive struggle with multiple punts until the Dolphins would score as Goff tossed it to Ingram from six yards out to cut the Cincinnati lead to 35-31 with about 12 and a half minutes remaining.

Once again the game got gritty as both defenses forced multiple punts until Rodgers would connect with Jeffery on a 31 yard score for the 42-31 final.

Great game by Tony.

Goff finished 28 of 48 for 335 yards, 4 TDs, and an INT. Nelson caught 7 passes for 83 yards and a score.

Rodgers finished 25 of 39 for 342 yards, 5 TDs and an INT. Gordon rushed 23 times for 118 yards and a TD. He also caught 9 passes for 116 yards and a score. Jeffery finished with 7 receptions for 137 yards and a score.

Next week the Dolphins host New England while Pittsburgh looks to bring the Bengals off their cloud.

Philadelphia 13 Green Bay 30                34 0-5
Philadelphia came into Green Bay for a rematch of last year's Divisional playoff round nail biter.

Both teams have been slowed by injuries this season and entered the contest at 6-4. The Eagles came in with 8 players in street cloths, another 3 would be forced out of this one.

After an exchange of punts to open the game, the visitors put together a nice drive but had to settle for a 34 yard Harrison Butker FG. Key play, a Clay Matthews sack on Nick Foles on 3rd and goal from the 5...3-0 Eagles.

Green Bay replied with a 9 play, 75 yard drive of their own. Ben Roethlisberger hit Josh Gordon for a 15 yard TD to cap it off...7-3 Packers after 1.

The start of the second quarter saw both teams go on long drives that resulted in FG's. With just over 2 minutes left in the half it was 10-6. Starting from his own 23, Coach Conners went conservative and handed
the ball off to RB Phillip Lindsay. He found a seam however and went 53 yards all the way down to the Eagles 24. Packers were in business. Five plays later Roethlisberger found TE Ben Watson for a 7 yard score...17-6 Green Bay at the half.

The hosts took the second half kickoff and rode on the back of Lindsay. He ran the ball right at the Eagles defense, despite Coach Mason calling the perfect defense on multiple occasions. The rookie RB capped off the drive with a 5 yard TD run..24-6 Pack.

Green Bay would tack on a couple of FG's before the end of the quarter to go up 30-6 and hang on from there....30-13 was the Final score.

Greg coached a solid game, guessing my offensive play call right on numerous occasions, but on this day the HFA seemed heavily slanted towards the hosts.

Lindsay was game MVP. 21 carries for 148 yards and a TD.

Eagles (6-5) will head into next week's key game at Indy missing 10 players due to injury!

Packers (7-4) travel to Tennessee to face the Law Firm of Brunskill, Hodson and Fukuyama.

Jacksonville 10 New York (A) 20             55 Calm Light Rain
Thursday night football in the Big Apple saw both teams gain a lot of yards, but not put up many points.

The Jags took their opening possession 75 yards in 2:46, and scored on an Allen to Higgins 30 yard pass play. New York responded immediately by taking the ball 75 yards in 4:38, to score on a Watson to Riddick 13 yard pass.

Jacksonville then had a 3 and out which the Jets then took 76 yards on 12 plays in 6:22 to score again. This time it was Watson to Riddick again on a 3 yard pass. Jets 14-7...

After turning it over on downs the Jags forced the Jets to punt. This time they drove to the Jet’s 20 yard line, but had to settle for a 37 yard FG with 1:40 to go in the first half.

The second half saw the Jets punt 4 times, and the Jags punt 3 times along with missing FG.

The only scoring was a 3 yard run by Mack with 1:46 to play in the game. To get the score NY drove 74 yards in 4:25...

Final 20-10...Jets

Next week the Jets host Buffalo, and the Jags host Baltimore.

New Orleans 13 Houston 3                    70
Not much to see here as the 3-7 Saints travel to the 1-9 Texans. The only real stats worth reporting is Joe Mixon for the Texans rushed for 76 yards and future hall of fame QB Josh Rosen go's 21 for 29 for 251 yards and a TD for the Saints. Saints 4-7 will travel to 9-1 Oakland and the Texans 1-10 will travel to 6-4 Denver.

Chicago 16 New York (N) 23                  54 5-15
Giants offense looks pathetic (295 total yards) led by Jeff Driskel (12/27 159 yards) and Matt Breida (21-68) but the #1 defense in the league stands tall forcing 2 turnovers (1 of which went back the other way for 6) by game MVP Chris Harris.

Chicago tied the game up with 1:03 left and gave the ball back to the Giants with :55 left on the clock. Driskel completed a 12 yard out to Robby Anderson and then hooked up with Kenny Golladay for the biggest play of the game, a 67 yard touchdown with :39 on the clock. The Giants kicked away and their defense forced a 3 and out as time expired to complete win number 7.

Next week:

Giants travel to Arizona in a huge divisional matchup
Bears stays home to face the Vikings.

Los Angeles (N) 27 Kansas City 9            43 15-25
Led by a strong defense, the Rams sacked Osweiler 9 times and the offense did enough to secure a 27-9 victory at cold, windy Kansas City. The Chiefs controlled the ball for 38 minutes but were out gained by the Rams to the tune of 242/151. 10 penalties also did not help the KC cause.

Minnesota 35 Arizona 28                     78 Calm
Arizona fans got up Tuesday morning after week 10 results were complete to suddenly realize the Cardinals were leading the division with 7-3 record. After suffering through a miserable 2 win season last year, fans were again energized. Mahomes blossoming into a legitimate elite QB with the addition of Barkley to the roster places opposition defenses in a tough bind. While the Cardinals are for real, they are still young and still lack adequate depth to sustain a meaning charge at the playoffs.

The Minnesota loss was sobering for the energized fans. Bernie Fowler was added to the roster to provide some depth to a thin WR corps. On Zona's second possession Fowler was open speeding to toward the end zone and Mahome's hit him with a dart. Fowler made the reception but somehow while attempting to re-position the ball, he fumbled it as if it was a greased pigskin. The trailing Viking defender jumped on the ball and covered it up to deny Zona's opportunity. Little did anyone know it would ultimately be the key play to an Arizona defeat.

The Zona defense stepped up in the first half limiting the elite Viking offense to 14 points while even adding a defensive score in the second quarter to tie up the game. Mahome's would get a chance to work his magic after the Vikings were forced to punt with 1:19 on the clock. With 5 seconds left to play at near mid field, Mahome's would throw the perfect bomb to Kirk to strike with a 48 yard touch down pass. Zona would go into half time with a 7 point lead.

However, the Zona defense would tire in the second half. Already playing without Harold Landry at OLB, Williams would become injured. Other offensive lineman also were lost to the game. With Costonzo already sitting out the day and additional OL injuries, Mahome's was under additional pressure. With the defense struggling to throttle Brees, the Vikings took the lead 35-28. Mahomes and company would get the ball back with 3:48 to play. Faced with a 4th and less than 1 on their own 35 yard line, Mahomes would convert for new life with a first down. A couple more completions would move the ball to the Minn 39 yard line with 1:05 to go. However, Mahome's had no magic left as he attempted to hit Kirk on a fly pattern. Kirk did his best to contest the ball but Taylor came up with the pick. Kirk would cause Taylor to fumble the ball but Minn was able to maintain possession. Game over, Minnesota wins a nail biter.

Next week the Cardinals meet the Giants for a showdown in the division.

Tampa Bay 28 Dallas 10                      70
Dallas entered the contest with a record of 3-8.   With seven players injured headed into the game, the odds of Dallas pulling off an upset against the 7-3 Tampa Bay squad were slight.

But Dallas' defense played very well in the first half - holding the high-powered Buccaneer offense to a single score - a 14-yard pass from Derek Carr to Davante Adams.

But the Cowboys' plan of double-covering Adams was exploited when Tampa Bay countered that strategy by throwing to its great many other good receivers (TE Cook and WRs Lockett and DeSean Jackson had 151 receiving yards between them).   Additionally, Dallas's roster was further thinned when five more players left the game for good with injuries.

Tampa Bay won 28-10. Dalllas was held to 265 yards in total offense. Carr himself exceeded that team totally by throwing for 273 yards. He completed 23/33 passes - four for scores.

This one could have been much worse had the Bucs converted on third down: they were just 1/10.

Carolina 23 Los Angeles (A) 27              77 Calm
Carolina holds the 23-20 lead with 4 to go in the 4th but the Chargers drive all the way down the field and score a TD in the last Seconds as Manning hits Julio Jones on the TD pass. Chargers convert multiple long 3rd down conversion on the drive, as per usual, the Panthers defense fails when it matters most.

Jones and Chubb could not be stopped for the Chargers gaining 152 and 141 yards respectively.

Denver 30 Atlanta 37                        68
Philip Rivers is named MVP as he leads the Falcons to a 37-30 home win against the Broncos. Rivers had 339 yards, 2 TDs and no INTs against the tough Broncos defense.

The story of the game was that Nick Mullens was virtually unstoppable. He passed for 417 yards and 3 TDs with Tyreek Hill catching almost half with 13 catches for 201 yards and a TD. On one drive Von Miller got a big sack on 3rd down and penalties, the other big story of the game, were the only things that stopped Nick Mullens.

With the win, the Falcons go to 9-2 while the Broncos fall to 6-5.

Tennessee 37 Indianapolis 27                69
Indianapolis, IND (IFL.com) – The disappointing season of the Indianapolis Colts (3-8) continued Sunday with a 37-27 defeat at the hands of the Tennessee Titans (7-4). Both teams combine for a total of 975 yards of offense with game MVP Mat Ryan leading the charge for the visiting Titans. He threw for 460 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 INT while his counterpart Case Keenum through for 348 yards, 2 TD and 3 costly interceptions.

The most costly interception by Keenum, his 3rd of the game, came in the 4th quarter deep in Titan territory with the Colts driving for the tying score. It was 34-27 Titans when the Colts Defense stopped Tennessee on downs at the Indy 39. Keenum and company would drive down to the Titans 14, where they had a 3rd and 3 when Keenum tried to hit Keenan Allen (WR) on a short-slant for the first. The throw was high, Josh Norman (CB) deflected the high throw and Matt Milano (OLB) intercepted the bounce pass at 11 yard-line.

Tennessee would seal the victory following the turnover with a 13 play 92 yard drive ending with a Dan Bailey 21 yard Field-Goal, Final Score 37-27 Titans.

Other Notables

Tennessee Titans

DeAndre Hopkins (WR) 9 Catches 149 Yards 16.6 Avg. 33 Long
O’Dell Beckham Jr. (WR) 6 Catches 93 Yards 15.5 Avg. 28 Long 1 TD
Rashaad Penny (RB) 14 Rushes 63 Yards 4.5 Avg. 11 Long 1 TD

Indianapolis Colts

Sony Michel (RB) 12 Rushes 78 Yards 6.5 Avg. 16 Long 1 TD
Keenan Allen (WR) 8 Catches 205 Yards 25.6 Avg. 75 Long 2 TD
Telvin Smith Sr. (OLB) 12 Tackles 1 INT 51 YD Ret

Detroit 26 Washington 9                     48 0-5
Two of the bottom feeders would face off in Washington and it turned out to be exactly what one would expect… one ugly game. The Lions would take their possession right down the field for a TD. From there on out the two teams would trade a pair of FGs for a pretty uneventful first half with Detroit owning a 13-6 lead. One concern for Washington was WR Davante Parker would be lost of the game in the first half and with their #1 and #2 WRs already injured would leave just the Skins 4th and 5th string WRs to finish the game.

The Lions would get the ball to start the half and would give the Redskins a glimmer of hope when Williams would fumble the kickoff. However in the scrum the Panthers managed to maintain possession. The Skins would hold them to a 3 and out and with a bad snap rookie Vita Vea would block the punt giving the Redskins prime FG position. This is about the point where the wheels started to come off for the Redskins as on the first play after the blocked punt Tackle Dion Dawkins would be called of a hold. On the next play there was utter confusion and Prescott would lose 3 yards. By the time it was all said and done the Redskins would have to settle for a 35 yard FG in what was their best chance to score a TD on the day.

Detroit would then respond like they have all game by marching down and kicking their own field goal with stud kicker Lutz hitting a 51 yarder and making it look like a chip shot. The Redskins would punt the next possession and pen the Lions deep. The Redskins D would finally show up and sack Darnold for a big loss on 3rd down forcing a punt from deep in their own territory to dangerous return man Cyrus Jones. Unfortunately the only danger he posed was to the Redskins as Jones would cough the ball up at the Redskins 34 yard line. From there the Lions would eventually hit paydirt to put them up 14. With only a quarter left and only two healthy WRs that was all she wrote for the Skins. Detroit would later tack on another FG after a failed 4th down attempt to make it 26-9.

Washington will head to Dallas next week for the race to the bottom of the NFC East while Detroit will host division leading (as of this writing) Tampa Bay.

Pittsburgh 13 New England 28                50 10-20
With the Steelers game planning to stop the run Tannehill and Jackson combine to go 21-26 277 yards and 3 TDs to lead New England to a 28-13 home victory .

Rushing Leaders
Lindsay(GB)     21-148 1 TD
Elliott,E(Min) 26-147 3 TD
Chubb,N(LAC)    17-141 1 TD
Gordon III(Cin) 23-118 1 TD

Receiving Leaders
Allen,K(Ind)     8-205 2 TD
Hill,T(Den)     13-201 1 TD
Jones,J(LAC)    11-152 2 TD
Brown,A(Min)    10-100 1 TD
Crowder(Chi)    10- 78 1 TD

Passing Leaders
Ryan,M(Ten)     46-35-434   3 TD 1 Int
Mullens(Den)    38-27-417   3 TD
Brees(Min)      36-29-365   2 TD
Keenum(Ind)     39-21-348   2 TD 2 Int
Rodgers,A(Cin) 39-25-342   5 TD 1 Int – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Rivers,P(Atl)   35-24-339   2 TD
Goff(Mia)       48-28-335   4 TD 1 Int
Watson,D(NYJ)   37-26-311   2 TD
Carr,D(TB)      33-23-273   4 TD

Defensive Standouts
Harris Jr.(NYG) 2 Int 8 Tk – IFL Defensive Player of the Week

Special Teams
Lutz(Det)      4-4 FG – IFL Special Teams Player of the Week

IFL WEEK 11 STANDINGS

IFL WEEK 11 LEAGUE LEADERS

IFL WEEK 10 RECAP

Bengals cornerback Kyle Fuller intercepts two Mariota passes and takes one to the house as Cincinnati downs Chicago 27-7.

Game Scores
Cincinnati 27 Chicago 7                     46 0-10
The Bengals travelled to Chicago to take on a wounded Bears team. Chicago was without star halfback Dalvin Cook, 10+ rated ILB Bobby Wagner, plus receivers Marvin Jones Jr and Jamison Crowder. I am sure that played a part in Cincinnati's 27-7 win.

The Bengals stumbled all over themselves the opening drive with four holding penalties before finally punting. After forcing a Chicago three and out Cincinnati put together a 10 play 57 yard drive that saw Gordon go in from a yard out for a 7-0 lead. The Bengals would add a field goal just before the end of quarter one for a 10-0 lead. Cincinnati would add to the lead as Kyle Fuller would intercept a Mariota pass and go the 46 yards for the pick six. Fairbairn would add another field goal and the Bengals would take a 20-0 lead into the half.

The teams would exchange scores in the second half for the 27-7 final.

Rodgers finished 21 of 31 for 235 yards and a score. Kyle Fuller intercepted two passes, including the pick six. Defensive lineman Adam Gotsis had three of the Bengals six sacks on the day.

For Chicago, Mariota faced a lot of pressure, completing just 15 of 31 passes for 135 yards and a TD with 3 INTs. He also scrambled for 58 yards on 4 attempts.

Next week the Bears head to New York to take on the Giants while the Bengals step up to try to end Miami's 26 game winning streak. As Wynonna Judd would croon "Why Not Me?"

Indianapolis 33 Buffalo 27                  50 5-15
It looked like the Bills were going to pick up their first win of the season when Alex Smith connected with T.J. Yeldon for the 28 yard score with just 1:39 remaining giving Buffalo a 27-24 lead. But the Colts tie it thanks to a Hauschka 45 yard field goal as time expires. Then on the final play of overtime Indianapolis quarterback Case Keenum connects with Golden Tate for the 60 yard game winning score.

Philadelphia 17 Dallas 18                   70
Down seven to Philly, Dallas' Cam Newton led his team on an 11 - play, 77 yard drive for a score with nine seconds on the clock and then hit TE Charles Clay for a 2-point conversion to give Dallas an 18-17 lead … and the ultimate win.

This marks an upset as the Cowboys entered the game with a 2-7 record while the Eagles brought a 6-3 record into the contest.

The Cowboys overcame a 300-yard passing game by Nick Foles.   Foles logged those yards on pin-poing accuracy to the tune of a 31/39 completion game.   The Eagles converted an impressive 10/17 third downs into first downs.   Their issue was allowing four quarterback sacks and only turned five red zone chances into touchdowns.   Perhaps the biggest factor in this upset win by Dallas was the fact Philly had nine players who didn't dress due to injuries.

Miami 19 New York (N) 17                    54 0-10
This was a game pitting the number 1 Offense against the number 1 Defense. The Dolphins still unbeaten through nine games and the Giants at 6-2-1 but only allowing about 16 points a game facing a Dolphin Team that averages about 35, something had to give...it did.

Both Teams started a little slow, punting on each of their 1st possessions. Miami got it going on their 2nd drive with a 14 play, 67 yard drive but on a 3rd and goal from the 1, AP loses 2 yards and the Dolphins settle for the FG and the 3-0 lead. A punt by each Team after that but then New York would drive 60 yards early in the 2nd quarter and get the TD to take a 7-3 lead with 12:25 left in the half. Again and exchange of 2 punts by each team on their next 2 possessions. Miami would get the ball on their own 20 with 6:36 to go in the half and travel 80 yards and get the TD with 2:32 left until halftime and regain the lead at 10-7. NY would only use 1:11 of the clock and punt it back to the Dolphins with 1:10 left in the half, but Miami's on their own 18 yard line. Miami quickly moves it to the Giant 28, including converting a 4th and inches at their own 41 and kick the FG with 2 seconds left in the half to go up 13-7 at halftime.

The Giants get the ball to start the 2nd but can muster only one 1st down and punt it back to Miami. The Dolphins travel 60 yards but their drive stalls and they settle for the FG, but they now have a 2 score lead at 16-7 with 8:15 left in the 3rd. Once again an exchange of punts, but on their following possession NY gets it at their own 41 with 3:17 to go in the 3rd quarter, on a drive that carries over into the 4th quarter trailing 16-7.

4 plays into the 4th the Giants kick a 30 yard FG to cut the lead to 16-10, and make it a one score game. Then Disaster strikes the Dolphins, Goff fumbles at his own 10 and the Giants recover to give them 1st and goal at the Miami 8 yard line. Three plays later the Giants get the TD to take the lead at 17-16 with 13:42 left in the game. Again an exchange of punts by each team but with 3:51 left in the game, looks like the Dolphins will get a last shot as the Giants are forced to punt on a 4th and 4 from their own 31, but wait, the Dolphins are called off sides on the punt (1 of 12 penalties for 108 yards on the night) and the Giants maintain possession, the Fins are running out of opportunities. The Giant take it to the 2 minute warning but have to punt it back to the Dolphins with 1:56 left in the game. Miami gets the ball on their own 31 and work the field quickly. They convert a 4th and 6 at their own 35 which would have been the ball game it the Giants could have held. the drive continues quickly aided by a key personal foul penalty on the Giants (1 of only 6 for 66 yards on the Giants, but definitely the most costly) to set the Dolphins up at the Giant 39 yard line, but only 41 seconds remaining. The Dolphins move it down to the Giant 23, where with 2 seconds left on the clock, Prater kicks the 41 yarder to give the Dolphins the win at 19-17.

The Giants would have loved for the headline to read "Last unbeaten falls" but it was not meant to be in this thriller. A exciting game, even though it was a defensive battle back and forth with 3 lead changes. Next week the Giants host the bears and Miami continues on the road with the always tough Cincinnati Team. I wonder if the Commissioner will have any insights or predictions on this one?

Tennessee 41 Baltimore 31                   56 0-5
Tennessee traveled to Baltimore for a track meet at M&T Bank Stadium. The defenses wore their Timberland work boots as the Titans raced to a 41-31 victory to improve to 6-4. The Ravens drop to a disappointing 2-8.

The keys to this one were turnovers and big plays, but more on that later.

Baltimore opened the game with a 9-play, 68-yard drive, culminating in a Mayfield-to-Thielen 14-yard TD pass. Bryant's PAT made it 7-0 Ravens.

Tennessee responded with an 8-play, 60-yard drive ending with a Ryan-to-OBJ 18-yard TD strike. Bailey's PAT tied the game at 7-7.

Baltimore responded to that with their own 8-play, 63-yard drive, highlighted by a Mayfield-to-Fuller 23-yard pass down to the 2. From there, Le'Veon Bell toted it in and Bryant's PAT put the Ravens ahead 14-7.

Not to be out-done, Ryan hit DeAndre Hopkins for 58 on the first play after the kick and the Titans were in business at the Raven 12. I think the Titans were all a little gassed from racing down field, because the drive stalled at the Raven 5 and Coach Brunskill opted for the safe 3 pointer from Bailey. Ravens 14-10.

Mayfield decided now was a good time to give away some candy since it was, after all, Halloween. Josh Norman was in the mood for some sweets and nabbed his 4th INT of the season, returning it to the Raven 12. From there Ryan found Kyle Rudolph in the end zone. Titans 17-14 after the Bailey PAT.

The first punt of the afternoon, by either team, occurred 5 minutes into the 2nd quarter and the Titans took control on their own 19. Seven plays and 81-yards later, Ryan found OBJ open across the middle for a 31-yard TD. Tennessee 24-14.

After a good return from DeAndre Carter, Baltimore started on their own 31 with about 6:00 remaining in the half. Knowing Tennessee would get the ball to start the second half, Baltimore milked the clock with some unexpected run plays, Alas, the drive stalled before the 2:00 warning, though Matt Bryant did boot a 42-yard FG to cut the Titan lead down to seven, 24-17. Leaving time on the clock would prove devastating to the Ravens because...

The Titans still had their track shoes on. Coming in rested off the bench, Wendell Smallwood turned a short out pass into a 39-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage. After an 8-yard gain on a Ryan-to-Hopkins pass, Smallwood ran another 11 to the Ravens 2. Latavious Murray burrowed through the pile up at the goal line for a Titan TD with :27 left before the half. Tennessee 31-17.

Tennessee's first punt came on their first possession of the 3rd quarter, pinning the Ravens at their own 8. After moving the ball out to the 35, the Ravens were faced with a 3rd-and-5. Seeking to avoid the rush, Mayfield rolled outside the pocket, but was met by CB Carlton Davis III, who stripped the ball out. Yannick Ngakoue recovered for the Titans. An Aaron Donald sack and a Titan PEN curbed Tennessee's excitement, but Bailey still knocked a FG through from 41. Tennessee 34-17.

As the 3rd quarter wound down, Mayfield marched the Ravens downfield, knowing they needed to score before the 4th quarter started. Faced with a 4th-and-4 on the Titan 7, Coach Master realized that the Ravens chances of winning didn't increase that much with a FG, so he decided to go for it. Running a corner fade to Jaylen Samuels, Titan OLB Matt Milano smelled it out and covered it perfectly, wrestling the ball from Samuels arms and even returning it 29 yards out of the endzone to the Raven 20.

As the scoreboard rolled to the 4th quarter, Tennessee opened with an 11-yard screen to TE Kyle Rudolph, then let the air out of the ball in an effort to burn the clock with a 17-point lead. Three plays later, they punted and the Ravens took over on their own 20. Mayfield connected with Andrews for a 14-yard hitch, then with Thielen for a 21-yard slant, setting up the Ravens at the Titan 45. Seems Andrews and Thielen noticed something about the Titan defense and asked Mayfield to look for Andrews on another hitch route. He did and the connection worked...but then Andrews pitched the ball to Thielen, who RAN IT TO THE HOUSE! An unplanned hook-and-ladder. Baltimore down by 10, 34-24 with 10:25 remaining.

Tennessee, again looking to burn the clock, got a first down on their next possession, but a another penalty set them back and they couldn't recover. Johnny Townsend's punt pinned the Ravens at their own 8. Mayfield, looked deep for Chris Hogan, but checked down to Thielen for a short 3-yard gain. That set up a medium out pass to Thielen, who slipped through Matt Milano's tackle and raced down the sidelines, where Blake Martinez also missed a tackle. 91-yards later, Thielen was in the end zone. Baltimore within 3, 34-31 with 5 minutes remaining.

After Anthony Levine Sr sacked Matt Ryan on 1st down, Tennessee couldn't quite gain the yardage needed for a first down. Townsend punted and the Ravens took over on their own 22. The Titan D, however, showed up and along with a crucial holding penalty, stymied the Ravens offense. Faced with a 4th-and-20 from their own 22, Baltimore decided to punt and use their 3 timeouts to pray for one last shot.

Tennessee, using their stable of rested RBs, gave the ball to Rashaad Penny for his second carry of the day. Penny didn't stop running until 76-yards later, when he was crossing the goal line and hammering the final nail into the Ravens coffin. Tennessee 41-31. Baltimore wouldn't need those time outs.

Titan Matt Ryan was named the game's MVP. With a 148.8 QB rating, Ryan was nearly perfect on 26-for-31 attempts for 371 yards and 3 TDs. DeAndre Hopkins caught 6 of those passes for 136 scoreless yards.Odell Beckham Jr, however, caught 2 TDs in his 5/71 day.

Raven WR Adam Thielen burst out with a 9 catch game and a whopping 214 yards, 3 TDs and 7 FDs. Baker Mayfield actually out-yardaged Ryan with 385 yards on a 27-for-43 game, but his 2 INTs and 1 lost fumble hurt.

6-4 Tennessee travels to 4-6 Indianapolis next week, where the odds-makers say its a toss-up. A deflated 2-8 Ravens team heads to Buffalo to take on the Bills, who fell to Indy on the last play of OT earlier this week. Though winless, the odds-makers install the Bills as 1 point favorites and say this is the week they get their first win!

  Tampa Bay 25 Green Bay 37                   48 10-20
Bitter NFC central rivals met for the second time this season with plenty on the line. Packers came in at 5-4 and needed a win to have any playoff aspirations.
Tampa Bay (7-2) could pretty much lock up the division with a road victory. Bucs offense looked good early. They took their first possession and drove
65 yards in 12 plays but had to settle for a short FG. 3-0 visitors. That would be Tampa Bay's only points of the half, however, as the Packers defense came to play in this one.

Green Bay took the lead late in the 1st on a drive that featured big catches by Breshad Perriman and AJ Green. Emmanuel Sanders finished it off with a 17 yard TD grab. 7-3 after 1.

Huge moment in came early in the 2nd as Sanders fumbled at his own 17. Coach Chase wanted dearly to cash in on the miscue so he went for it on 4th and 5 from the 12. DE Chris Jones blasted Derek Carr as he faded back to pass, ending the threat. After an exchange of punts the Packers put together another long drive that stalled at the Bucs 37. On 4th and inches Coach Conners decided to do a little gambling himself. With the Bucs playing the run, Ben Roethlisberger went play action and found a streaking AJ Green for a huge TD...14-3

Green Bay could have added to the lead but late in the half a fake FG on 4th and 10 from the 27 was stopped cold....14-3 at the break.

What was a defensive struggle, opened up in the 3rd. Bucs looked sharp on their opening drive of the second half going 80 yards on 8 plays. Devonte Adams hauled in a 24 yard Carr slant pass for 6. Todd Gurley would add the 2 point convert and suddenly it was 14-11. Lambeau faithful were very uneasy.

Packers responded in a big way. Big Ben showed some veteran poise as he moved his club smartly downfield. His 23 yard TD toss to Green restored a 10 point lead....21-11.

The visitors would not go away in this one. After Gurley ripped off a 26 yard run, Carr found some dude named Equanimeous St.Brown (18th century literary character?) for 21 yards. Two plays later Gurley burst in to make it 21-18.

Green Bay would again have to answer, and answer they did. After Ben hit AJ Green for 22 yards to move it to midfield, Perriman flashed wide open on a blown coverage. 48 yards to the house. 28-18 after a wild 3rd quarter.

In the true spirit of Halloween, the Bucs again rose from the dead early in the 4th. Gurley made a couple of big catches to move it down into Packer territory then little known TE Ryan Griffin hauled in a 26 yard out pattern to take it down to the 4. Gurley pounded it in from there 28-25.

Green Bay put together another long drive but this time they had to settle for a 42 yard Robbie Gould FG to push the lead back up to 6...31-25

Penalties killed the Bucs next posession and the visitors were forced to punt from deep in their own end with just over 7 minutes left. Packers got the ball at midfield and put together a time consuming 5 minute drive. Gould added a 35 yard FG with 2:44 left to make it a 2 possession game. 34-25.

Carr had no miracle comeback on this day. Pack add an insurance FG, 37-25 final

Big stat in this one was the 8 sacks by the Packers defense

Carr 28/43 332 1 TD, 8 sacks
Gurley 16-81 2tds
Adams 5-89 1 TD

Roethlisberger 24-41 370, 4TD
Lindsay 16-81
Green 8-148 2TD's

Always an enjoyable time matching wits with Coach Chase

Bucs (7-3) travel to Dallas (3-7)
Packers (6-4) host Philadelphia (6-4)

Jacksonville 31 Pittsburgh 36               45 0-10
The first game earlier this year was played in a downpour in Jacksonville. Pittsburgh turned the ball over 4 times and the game was never close as the Jags won easily at home 30-3. This one would prove to be a much closer contest.

Jacksonville won the toss and decided to receive. But they end up punting on there 1st possession. Steelers would take there opening drive 7 plays and Score on A Brady to Gronk 16 yard TD 7-0 Steelers. But Pittsburgh would lose Gore on the 1st play of the drive for the game. The Jags would answer on a 16 play 91 yard drive that culminated on a Johnson 4 yard TD run 7-7 after 1 quarter

The Steelers would get a 52 yard FG from Vinatieri early in the 2nd for a 10-7 lead. On the 1st play of the next Drive Littleton intercepts Allen and takes it down to the 1 yard line where Anderson bulls in for the TD and suddenly the Steelers are up 17-7. Just as suddenly on there very next play Allen redeems himself with a 75 yard strike to Robinson 17-14. Brady on his next chance hit Foster in stride for a 35 yard strike to get some momentum back. This drive would stall at the 2 and Vinatieri would hit the chip shot 20-14 Pittsburgh. The rest of the quarter would be a punt fest. However on the Steelers last drive they take it down to the 1 yard line with 6 second to go and a timeout left in there pocket . They figure they have enough time for a quick play and timeout they figured wrong. Anderson was stopped short and time expired and although leading at the half could not help to feel the 3 points they blew would come back to haunt them. 20-14 Steelers at the half.

Pittsburgh would take the opening 2nd half kickoff and move down the field on 5 plays but the drive stalls and they again settle for a Vinatieri 46 yard FG. The key play was a 28 yard completion to Foster making it 23-17. after a couple of punts Jacksonville's Rookie Josh Allen attempting a long Slant was picked by fellow rookie Justin Reid . Reid Would run it back for his 2nd TD of the year 30-17 Steelers after 3.

Injuries would play a big part in this game for both teams as key players were in and out of the game especially WR on both sides. This forced a running game in the 4th quarter. Josh Allen started using his feet and ran it in from 18 yards out with 9 minutes to play to cut the lead to 30-24. Pittsburgh went 3 and out and was having trouble moving the ball without a Foster and Herndon in the game. Jacksonville looking to complete a comeback and stay within a game of the division lead gets the drive they needed. A 7 play drive with Johnson scoring his 2nd TD of the game this time from 9 yards out with 3:16 to go 31-30 Jacksonville. Does Brady have a comeback in hm with depleted offensive weapons . Well he received help from the run game as Edwards would run the ball for 71 yards on 7 carries going in from 2 yards out with 25 seconds left. A 2 point conversion failed leaving the Jags with some hope of a miracle ending but those where dashed as Webb picks off a Allen heave to end the game. Pittsburgh 36 Jacksonville 31.

Key Stats
Pittsburgh - Brady 10-16 128 yards 1 TD
                   Edwards 25-150 1 TD
                   Gronk 5-37 1TD

Jacksonville - Allen 18-30 305 yards 1 TD 4 Ints rushed 12-106
                      Johnson 18-74 2TD Caught 6 passes for 92 yards
                       Robinson 4 - 119 yards 1 TD

Next Week Pittsburgh travels to New England and Jacksonville is on the road going to NY

Injuries Jacksonville lost RT Jared Veldheer (ribs) for 3 weeks
          Pittsburgh lost LB Thomas Davis (finger) for 3 weeks and WR Robert Foster (Knee) for 3 weeks

Los Angeles (A) 28 Houston 21               70
Eli Manning throws three touchdown passes and runs for another as the Chargers get by Houston.

Arizona 24 Washington 9                     58 Calm
Cardinals come in and make pretty quick work of the streaking Redskins giving them their first loss in 3 weeks. Arizona was able to put in the endzone consistently and was up 24-0 before Washington was able to get 9 points in garbage time. Statistically, the Washington’s offense had a good day. However almost all of their drives stalled out in no mans land forcing them to go for 4th and long 3 times and converting none of them. Arizona also won the turnover battle 1-0.

Arizona will take their division leading team to Dallas next week. While the Redskins will host fellow cellar dweller Detroit.

Atlanta 34 New Orleans 7                    70
Forbath no good...that's just Forbath missing another XP. He went 1 for 5 on XP as an 80% kicker but it didn't matter as Rivers and the offense took care of business with a 34-7 road victory.

Rivers passed for 255 and hit Nelson Agholor with 3 TD passes. The rest was looked after by the running game with 33 rushes for 81 yards and 2 TDs.

Atlanta jumped out to a quick 19-0 by early 2nd and Josh Rosen just couldn't really get anything done against Atlanta's pass D. Threw 2 picks when it mattered and a TD to Jordan Akins, for the Saints only score, went it didn't.

With the win, the Falcons go to 8-2 while the Saints fall to 3-7.

Detroit 30 Minnesota 31                     68
Surprising Detroit brought its A game to Minnesota for week 10, battling the Vikings down to the wire. A Lutz 53 yard field goal gave the Lions a 30-28 lead with about 7 minutes to go. Drew Brees, though, mindful that an early score would give the Lions the chance to win on a last possession, managed the clock for the Vikings to keep the ball the rest of the game. Working Zeke Elliott play after play, he took 7 minutes to drive the length of the field to the 3 yard line with 3 seconds left -- then Greg the Leg nailed the GW field goal as the Vikings pulled it out, 31-30.

This prolonged drive stood in stark contrast to a two-play, 75-yard drive that ended in a 64-yard TD pass to Antonio Brown to end the first half.

Detroit scored TD's n a 4-yard Artis-Payne run, a 75 yard fumble recovery by Mosley, and a 1 yd run by Williams. Minnesota scored TD's on a 7 yd Brees pass to Jaszycyzk, the 64 yd pass to Brown, a 28 yd pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster and an 18 yd pass to JuJu.

Brrees finished with 317 yards, 4 TDs and a 129.2 qb rating. BIT: He threw his FIRST interception of the season! Darnold threw for 179 yards and an 81.4 qbr.

Artis-Payne ran for 98 years, Elliott for 111 yards.

Minnesota (5-5) next plays at Arizona and Detroit (3-7) plays at Washington.

Oakland 36 Kansas City 3                   53 20-30 Light Rain
Kansas City kept this one close for about 20 minutes, but then the powerful Oakland Raiders took over and cruised to a 36-3 win in rainy, windy Kansas City. Matthew Stafford threw for 295 yards and 2 TD's, and the Oakland defense sacked new starting QB Brock Osweiler 4 times en route to the win.

Los Angeles (N) 28 Carolina 12              60 Calm
Panthers keep it close for most of the game but the worst defense in the league lives up to its reputation and blows it in the end.

Carolina is within 2 points of the division leading Rams with around 6 minutes left to play and winds up loosing by 16 still.

Carson is pretty much unstoppable on the ground for the Rams rushing for 100 yards at 6.7 per carry. Wilson gave it all he had for the Panthers, throwing for 345 yards in a loosing effort.

Denver 21 San Francisco 44                  63 10-20
Denver jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first then the SF defense created opportunity after opportunity as Denver's Mullens was intercepted 4 times, including a pick 6. The other 3 INTs gave the ball to the 49ers deep within Denver territory, and they scored each time.

Denver outgained the 49ers 403 yards to 257, 23 first downs to 18 first downs but made too many mistakes to win.

Nick Mullens threw for 231 yards and 2 TDs while 49er Trubiskey only mustered 152 yds on 12-28, 2 TDs but had no INTs.

New York (A) 19 New England 28              45 0-10
A 14 play drive ate more than 9 minutes of clock as the Jets took an early 7-0 lead thanks to a Watson to Michael Thomas 3 yard TD. After a Hopkins field goal to make it 10-0 Jets, Lamar Jackson found Zay Jones on a short TD strike and it was 10-7 heading to the half.

Richie James Jr ran the kickoff coming out of the halftime break back 105 yards to give the Patriots the spark they were missing in the first half. After a field goal cut New England's lead to 14-13, Chrsitian McCaffrey scored from 8 yards out to expand the lead to eight points once again. Watson hit Higbee for a 23 yard TD late in the 3rd quarter, but the Jets failed to convert on the 2 point conversion. 21-19 heading to the 4th quarter.

A 15 play, 81 yard drive at nearly 9 minutes of game clock as McCaffrey scored his 2nd TD of the half, this one from 7 yards out, and the Patriots would win this one 28-19.

Watson threw for 324 yards and 2 TDs in the loss. Robert Woods caught 6 balls for 110 yards.

For New England, McCaffrey rushed for 115 and 2 TDs.

New England gets back to .500 at 5-5, while the Jets fall to 6-4.

Rushing Leaders
Edwards,G(Pit) 25-150 1 TD
McCaffrey(NE)   20-115 2 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Elliott,E(Min) 24-111
Crowell(Ind)    9-110 1 TD
Jones,A(Was)    22-108
Allen,J(Jax)    12-106 1 TD
Carson,C(LAR)   15-100

Receiving Leaders
Thielen(Bal)     9-214 3 TD
Jones,J(LAC)     7-189 2 TD
Tate,G(Ind)     10-143 1 TD
Allen,K(Ind)    13-120 1 TD
Agholor(Atl)     4- 99 3 TD

Passing Leaders
Mayfield(Bal)   43-27-385   3 TD 2 Int
Ryan,M(Ten)     31-26-371   3 TD
Roethlisbe(GB) 41-24-370   4 TD
Wilson,R(Car)   37-28-345
Mullens(Den)    43-26-341   2 TD 4 Int
Smith,A(Buf)    42-26-334   3 TD 1 Int
Carr,D(TB)      43-28-332   1 TD
Goff(Mia)       57-32-326   1 TD
Watson,D(NYJ)   39-24-324   2 TD
Brees(Min)      34-25-317   4 TD 1 Int
Keenum(Ind)     42-29-305   2 TD
Allen,J(Jax)    30-18-305   1 TD 4 Int
Foles(Phi)      39-31-304   1 TD
Manning(LAC)    25-19-300   3 TD
Luck(LAR)       34-21-254   4 TD 1 Int

Defensive Standouts
Fuller,K(Cin)    2 Int 4 Tk – IFL Defensive Player of the Week
Gotsis(Cin)      3 Sk 3 Tk
Autry(LAR)       3 Sk 4 Tk

Special Teams
Prater(Mia)    4-4 FG
Lockett(TB)    5-152 Kick Ret 1-2 Punt Ret
Smith,Tr(NO)   5-153 Kick Ret
Lambo(Car)     4-4 FG
James Jr.(NE) 4-183 Kick Ret 1 TD – IFL Special Teams Player of the Week

IFL WEEK 10 STANDINGS

IFL WEEK 10 LEAGUE LEADERS

IFL WEEK 9 RECAP

Rams quarterback Andrew Luck earns IFL Player of the Week honors as Los Angeles edges Atlanta in overtime.

Game Scores
Atlanta 24 Los Angeles (N) 30               50 Calm
Rams and Falcons met in Los Angeles for a pivotal game halfway through the season. For the Rams a loss would have meant the Falcons controlling the division, having topped the Rams earlier in the season. The Falcons faced the possibility of falling a game back to the Rams. These two teams did not disappoint, the rematch played out almost identical to the first time they, that game also was decided in overtime.

There were several important moments throughout the game, but the ultimate story of the game was told in the in 4th quarter and overtime

Going into the 4th quarter the game was tied 14-14, but the Falcons were driving, they drove the ball all the way to the Rams 3 yard line. Falcons elected for the field, but the Rams would go offside twice, each time the Falcons regrouped and discussed their options, after the final penalty the ball sat at the 1 yard line. Falcons decided to stick with the field goal and took the lead, 17-14. The Rams would answer. On a key 3rd down play at the Falcons 9 yard line Rams QB Andrew Luck found Corey Davis in the back of the end-zone, the Rams took their first lead of the game with 5 minutes left, 21-17. Falcons QB Phillip Rivers had been impressive all day, he was undaunted by the change in momentum. He led the Falcons on an impressive drive with a mix of plays. Coach Golden gambled on a key 4th and 6 from their 47 yard line to keep the drive going. With 1:53 left Rivers hit Nelson Agholor on a 22 yard strike to take the lead 24-21 Falcons.

Rams were feeling deja vu. In the last game against the Falcons, the Rams faced a 7 point deficit with 2 minutes left, but Luck managed to drive the field to force overtime. Initially it looked like the game would be over quickly. Luck missed his first three passes and the Rams faced a 4th and 10 from their 19 yard line with 1:12 left. But on 4th down Luck found TY Hilton to extend the game, Rams timeout. The Rams would soon face another 4th down at their 46 yard line with 30 seconds left. Again Luck found Hilton, drive still alive, 22 seconds remained. After an incomplete pass the deciding play of the game happened. Rams fans were trying out all kinds of nicknames for the play, the "sensational snap" or "remarkable recovery", it's ultimate name to be determined. Luck audibled after seeing the Falcons defense playing loose coverage. But disaster for the Rams the ball was snapped over Luck's head! But somehow "he got it" and completed an 11 yard pass to Hilton. The Rams scrambled to the line and spiked the ball, 2 seconds remained. The ball sat at the Falcons 37 yard line. Rams kicker Ryan Succop had a nightmare of a game to this point, he had missed 2 45 yard field goals earlier, this time he came through and sent the game to overtime.

Falcons won the toss for the overtime kick. The announcers questioned whether either team had any offensive plays left, both teams combined for only 5 punts. After a 5 yard gain on 1st down two big defensive plays: a 5 yard loss on a run and a sack ended the Falcons drive. A 17 yard return of the Falcons punt by the Rams put the ball at the 50. Neither team had any surprises left. The Falcons anticipated pass on the first play, but Rams WR Davis came up with another big play catching the 22 yard heave.. But again almost disaster for the Rams, Davis fumbled, but new addition Eric Ebron was in the right place at the right time to recover. Falcons forced to gamble to make something happen aggressively went after Rams RB Chris Carson, but a timely play action pass from Luck to Ebron led to the final game winning score, 30-24 Rams.

A great game and effort by Marty and the Falcons, after two games decided by 9 points both in overt-time it's clear the teams are evenly match. They may not have seen the last of each other.

Falcons stars of the game:
Zach Ertz 9 catches 91 yards 1 Touchdown
Tevin Coleman 84 total yards 1 Touchdown

Rams stars of the game:
Andrew Luck 314 yards passing 4 Touchdowns
Corey Davis 7 catches 119 yards 1 Touchdown

Both teams hit the road next week to face division rivals. The Falcons look to rebound against the newly remade Saints, while the Rams face the Panthers and the always deadly Russell Wilson.

Buffalo 13 Miami 37                         85 0-5
The Hapless Bills came to Miami running low on Personnel and Morale, but a win in south Florida could boost the Team to finish strong. The Home town crowd was fired up after their Team made the half way point in the season undefeated, the hometown fans would not be disappointed.

Miami would score on 5 of 6 first half possessions including the TD drive right before half, a 5 play 63 yard drive that only took 35 seconds in answer to the Bills scoring a TD with 50 seconds left in the half. The score at the half was Miami 27 Buffalo 7.

The Dolphins would add 10 points in the 2nd half and the Bills would grab a late TD, but this game was never really in doubt. Final score Miami 37 Buffalo 13

Next week the Bills welcome the Colts
And the League scoring leader Dolphins travel to Play the League leading Defensive Team, the NY Giants

New York (N) 24 Philadelphia 7              46 0-10
Carson Wentz connects with Kenny Golladay on two scoring passes as the Giants take over first place in the NFC East.

Pittsburgh 24 Detroit 37                    70
Artis Gilmore-Payne carried the Lions to a win today. His 29 carries for 135 yards was just what the doctor ordered. & I must say that stat line cuts him short on what he did. He played so good I can't get my mind of George Gervin.

New England 3 Washington 26                 52 5-15 Light Rain
The Redskins get their SB revenge and extend their not losing streak to 3 games with a W over the Patriots. Aaron Jones continued his tear with 17 carries for 192 yards and 2 TD. That included a 97 yard TD run to start the 2nd half. Prescott was equally impressive completing 15 of 19 passes for 166 yards and a TD.   For the Patriots it was a rough day at the office. With rookie Lamar Jackson filling in for the injured Tannehill they the Pats just couldn’t get anything going through the air. With the defense focused on stopping the run there just wasn’t anywhere for McCaffrey to go.

The Redskins will hope to continue their not losing streak next week against Arizona

While the Patriots will host the Jets.

New Orleans 24 San Francisco 38             65 5-15
The Saints waited until the last minute and decided a rebuild was needed and it looks like it will reflect on the field. This one was actually close at half with the 49ers only leading 17-14. At the beginning of the 2nd had the Saints actually took the lead as newly acquired Josh Rosen would throw a TD pass to Njoku(his 2nd of the day) from 14 yards out. That was it though as the Niners would run off 21 unanswered points. Final score 38-24. Josh Rosen had a good debut throwing for 228 yards and 2 TD's. Conner rushed for 94 yards and a TD also for the Saints. The 49ers would put up 478 total yards. Trubisky led the way for the 49ers with 315 yards passing and 2 TD's. Diggs caught 9 balls for 112 yards and a TD and Boyd also caught 9 balls for 112 yards. Jordan Howard rushed for 87 yards and a TD.

Baltimore 3 Cincinnati 23                   47 0-10 Light Rain
A rainy afternoon in Cincinnati (it actually is raining here - DKS nailed it!) resulted in both offenses struggling. The Bengals settled for two Fairbairn field goals and took a 6-0 lead into the half.

Cincinnati put together a 10 play 70 yard drive capped off by a Gordon six yard run to begin the third quarter, 13-0 Cincinnati. The Bengals converted a Mayfield interception into another field goal just before the quarter ended to increase their lead to 16-0. Mayfield's final interception, he was benched the remainder of the game, was turned into a Rodgers to Wright 14 yard score early in the final quarter. The Ravens avoided the shutout as Janarion Grant fumbled the punt return and Baltimore converted it into a Bryant 51 yard field goal with about a minute and a half remaining for the 23-3 final.

Both Mayfield and Rodgers struggled with the weather, Mayfield finished 18 of 31 for 146 yards and 2 Ints. While Rodgers faired a little better going 19 of 37 for 193 yards and a TD. Gordon ran for 64 yards and a score on only eight attempts.

Next week, the Ravens host Tennessee while the Bengals have a tough one in Chicago.

Houston 37 Carolina 31                      67 0-5
Winless Houston marches into Carolina in a game the Panthers hope to start a turnaround to their season.

Houston totally dominates the game until the 3rd, jumping out to a 24-7 lead. Carolina finally wakes up and take a 31-24 lead with 3 minutes left in the game.

Houston proceeds to march down the field with Cousins throwing a TD pass to a double teamed Ridley as time expired to tie the game.

No worries for the Panthers though as they won the toss to receive the ball in OT and prepare to march down the field to victory. One Malcom Butler interception returned 59 yards later and the dreadful Panthers continue to fall into the abyss and Houston's coach Pete pulls out a heroic win .

Minnesota 23 Tampa Bay 37                   70 0-5   Light Rain
Coach Robb brought his under performing 4 and 4 Minnesota Vikings south to take on 6 and 2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

First quarter (and two plays into the second): Each team is stopped on their first possession. Tampa punts the opening possession to the Viking 1 yard line. The Vikes move the ball out to midfield, but Donta Jackson drills JuJu Smith-Schuster after catching a slant forcing a fumble which he recovers. The Buccaneers exchange the turnover for 7 points. 7 – 0 Tampa. Greg Zuerlein gets Minnesota on the board with a chip shot set up by an Ezekiel Elliott run of 51 yards. 7 – 3 Tampa. Todd Gurley returns the favor taking a check down from Derek Carr 50 yards. He finishes it off with a 10 yard rushing touchdown on the second play of the second quarter. 14 – 3 Tampa.

Second quarter: Minnesota cuts the lead by 7 chewing up 6 ½ minutes using 12 plays to go 80 yards. Smith-Schuster grabs a 24 yard slant from Drew Breese for the TD. 14 – 10 Tampa. The remainder of the quarter has Tampa Bay executing touchdown drives sandwiched around the only three and out of the game by either team. Halftime score 28 – 10 Tampa.

Third quarter: After a great coach Robb pep talk in the locker room, Shelton Gibson fumbles the kickoff return setting up Tampa Bay at the Viking 11 yard line. The defense stands tall. A field-goal makes the score 31 – 10 Tampa. The score makes Tampa Bay’s defensive play calling easier not having to worry quite as much about Elliott. The only additional third-quarter score is a Tampa Bay field goal. 34 – 10 Tampa.

Fourth quarter: The teams played out the string with Tampa Bay gaining enough first downs to keep Minnesota at Bay as Breese heaved the ball deep time after time. The Vikings outscored Tampa Bay 13 to 3 in the fourth quarter. Final score 37 – 23 Tampa.

For Minnesota Drew Breese had an average day completing 58% of his passes on 31 of 53 for 326 yards with 3 touchdowns, no interceptions or sacks, resulting in a QB rating of 95.3. Elliott notches 152 yards from scrimmage - 116 yards on the ground and 36 in the air. Smith-Schuster catches 12 passes for 111 yards. Antonio Brown 11 receptions for 146 yards.
On the Tampa side Derek Carr completed 68% of his passes on 17 of 25 for 260 yards with 3 touchdowns, no interceptions or sacks, resulting in a QB rating of 141.7. Gurley gained 225 yards from scrimmage - 131 on the ground and 94 the air.
Next week the 4 and 5 Vikings host the Detroit Lions while the 7 and 2 Buccaneers head to Lambeau to play the Packers.

Green Bay 27 Chicago 24                     43 10-20
Two teams trying to stay in the playoff race, Green Bay (4-4) visits Chicago (4-4) in week 9. The Bears opened the scoring, Mariota to Gallup from 4 yards out. The Packers drive for an early FG and the first quarter ends Green Bay 3 Chicago 7.

The Packers offense dominates the second quartrer, Roethlesberger 33 to Green and 9 to Sanders, but Chicago manages a late TD, Mariota 10 yards to Blue, with 20 seconds left on the clock. Green Bay 17 Chicago 14 at the half.

Roethlesberger again found Green from 8 yards out, but their attempt to extend the lead later in the quarter fails as the Bears block Gould’s field goal attempt. Green Bay 24 Chicago 14 after 3.

The 4th quarter sees the Bears claw their way back – Rojas hitting a 51 yard field goal to make it a one score game, and Mariota running it in from 22 out to tie the score with 2:21 left on the clock. This proved to be plenty of time for the Packers to drive the field and score on a Gould 52 yard field goal with 2 seconds left in regulation.

Green Bay 27 Chicago 24

Roethlesberger 19/41, 237, 3 TD, 1 INT; Green 5 rec for 82 yards and 2 TD; Green Bay sacked Mariota 7 times.
Mariota 24/32, 220, 2 TD 2 INT;

Next week Green Bay hosts Tampa Bay and Chicago hosts Cincinnati.

Los Angeles (A) 31 Oakland 42               53 10-20 Light Rain
Matthew Stafford throws for two TDs and runs for another as the Raiders hold off the Chargers.

Jacksonville 20 Tennessee 12                54 0-10 Light Rain
Jacksonville only had 239 yards of offense but managed to outscore the Titans 20-12. Probably the key play in the game was the Jags Ryan Switzer returning a punt 82 yards to give Jacksonville a 10 point lead early in the 3rd quarter. The Titans obviously don't like playing in the rain.

Kansas City 17 Denver 49                    56 0-10
Kareem Hunt rushes for 86 yards and 3 touchdowns as the Broncos defeat the Chiefs.

Dallas 9 Arizona 24                         74 Calm
As Zona fans begin to get a whiff of playoff hype, the Cowboys came to play the red birds with one thing on their mind. Stop Saquon Barkley, period, exclamation mark! Unfortunately for Dallas, there is another play maker on Arizona by the name of Patrick Mahomes. Stopping Barkley only pours gasoline on the fire, which was exactly what happened this game.

As the Cowboys focused on Barkley, Magic Man Mahomes would throw for 254 yards and two touchdowns while adding a third TD by taking the ball across the goal line himself. And to add insult to injury, Dallas would not stop Barkley. Barkley would gain 115 yards on 22 carries while catching 3 balls for 47 yards.

However, at the end of the day the game difference was Dallas settling for field goals in lieu of touch downs. Early in the game, Dallas benched their starter Cam Newton in favor of gunslinger Ryan Fitzpatrick. However, drives repeatedly stalled as the Cowboys approached the red zone. Two Dallas turnovers also made life difficult for the Cowboys. It almost looked like Dallas gained new life when they caught the Cardinals sleeping early in the 4th quarter with an onside kick. However, after driving to the Zona 4 yard line, Dallas would turn the ball over on downs. Arizona would squeeze time off the clock and pin Dallas back to their own 8 yard line with 2 minutes to play.

Arizona travels to Washington next week where the Red Skins are making their own noise winning 3 games in a row. Dallas plays the Eagles where they could really help Arizona with a win.

New York (A) 41 Indianapolis 10             69
The New York Jets (6-3) extended their win streak to 3 and the Indianapolis Colts (3-6) dropped its third consecutive game with a 41-10 beat down at hands of their division rival. The Jets racked up 500 yards of Offense and Deshaun Watson (24-18, 301 YD, 3 TD 156.3 QBR) was named game MVP. New York also had three other players with outstanding performances; Marlon Mack (RB) ran for 115 yards on 18 carries, caught a 4 yard TD pass, and ran for 2 scores of 16 and 2 yards. The others were wideouts Michael Thomas (8 catches 165 yards, 45 Lg) and Robert Woods (5 catches 86 yards, 2 TD).


Rushing Leaders
Jones,A(Was)    17-192 2 TD
Peterson,A(Mia) 25-153 1 TD
Artis-Payn(Det) 29-135 1 TD
Gurley II(TB)   23-131 1 TD
Mixon(Hou)      22-119 2 TD
Barkley,S(Ari) 22-119
Elliott,E(Min) 17-116
Mack,M(NYJ)     18-115 2 TD
Bortles(Den)    9-113
Hunt,K(Den)     21-86 3 TD

Receiving Leaders
Evans,M(Car)     7-176 2 TD
Thomas,M(NYJ)    8-165
Brown,A(Min)    11-146 3 TD
Smith-Schu(Min) 12-111

Passing Leaders
Goff(Mia)       39-25-377   3 TD
Wilson,R(Car)   34-24-354   4 TD 1 Int
Stafford(Oak)   51-30-337   2 TD 1 Int
Brees(Min)      53-31-326   3 TD
Trubisky(SF)    43-27-315   2 TD
Luck(LAR)       44-25-314   4 TD 1 Int – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Watson,D(NYJ)   24-18-301   3 TD
Ryan,M(Ten)     51-31-266   1 TD 2 Int

Defensive Standouts
Quinn(NYG) 2 Sck FF – IFL Defensive Player of the Week

Special Teams
Gould(GB) 2 FG including GW 52 yarder - IFL Special Teams Player of the Week

IFL WEEK 9 STANDINGS

IFL WEEK 9 LEAGUE LEADERS

IFL WEEK 8 RECAP

Miami receiver Brandin Cooks earns IFL Player of the Week honors as Dolphins win shootout over Indy to stay undefeated.

Game Scores
Indianapolis 35 Miami 42                    70
This game would feature a offensive showcase by both Teams, 1002 yards to be exact as each defense only showed up at times throughout the game.

Miami would score Touchdowns on all 5 of their 1st half possessions, while yielding only a FG and TD and take a 35-9 lead at the half.
Miami would then yield 26 points in the 2nd half while scoring only 7, but was able to hold on for the 42-35 win and stay undefeated at the season half way point.
An exciting 2nd half

Standouts:

Indy
RB Michel had a 7.8 avg on 13 carries and a TD
WR Allen had 8 receptions for 119 yards and a 14.9 avg
WR Tate had 9 receptions for 100 yards and a TD

Miami
QB Goff 27 for 35 for 431 yards and 4 TD's ( he started the game 16 for 16 )
WR Cooks had 9 receptions for 236 yards and 4 TD's and was the MVP

Next week the Colts host the Jets and the Dolphins host Buffalo.

New England 19 Buffalo 13                   41 10-20
The Patriots come to Buffalo a 2 pt. underdog to the Bills in search of their first victory. The Bills win the toss and defer, the Pats drive 75 yards in 10 plays capped off by a Lamar Jackson 6 yard run with Elliott kicking the PAT. Buffalo loses 4 yards on their first possession and go 3 and out. The Pats drive 38 yards but must settle for a Elliott FG to go up 10-0. The Bills once again are forced to punt after 3 plays and the Pats drive 34 yards before kicking another FG to go up 13-0. A few more possessions result in no more scoring and the first half ends 13-0.

The Bills take the opening kick off and drive 75 yards in 4 plays with the big play by Humphries on a 42 yard reception from Alex Smith before Mike Davis hauls in a 10 yard pass from Smith for 6 and Gano splits the uprights to make it 13-7. The Bills defense holds and the Bills end the third quarter by driving 52 yards as Mike Davis runs it in from the 2 to tie it at 13 as Gano misses the PAT...

The 4th quarter scoring is two FG's by the Pats as the Bills struggle to move the ball and the Pats win it, 19-13. Lamar Jackson had a fine game of passing and running the ball to go along with McCaffrey and Freeman in the backfield lead the way on offense. T.J. Yeldon had his best game of the year as he rushed for 88 on 11 rushes. Vander Esch was a beast for the Bills as he had 16 tackles to go along with 2 stuffs. Logan Ryan had a key pick for the Pats.

The Pats are now 4-4 and head to D.C. next week to play the Redskins while the 0-8 Bills will head to Miami to play the Dolphins.

Washington 31 New York (N) 31               48 5-15
A great game for everyone... except the kickers for both teams.

1-6 Washington took the trip to New York to take on the Giants. Last week, both teams won on the road.

Quarter 1:

New York took the opening kickoff and opened the game with a 21 yard pass to Robby Anderson from Jeff Driskel (26/36 265 yards), who started the game over Carson Wentz. After that they gave Breida (15/127) the ball five straight times and capped off the drive with D'onta Foreman diving over the top of the line for the first score of the game. (7-0 Giants / 10:52 remaining)

On the Redskins first drive, they let Aaron Jones lead them down the field to the 11 yard line where the Giants defense held strong holding them to just a fieldgoal. (7-3 Giants 5:33 remaining)

New York takes the kickoff and keeps with the gameplan of running the ball giving it to Foreman three times taking them to Washingtons 30 yard line. On the next play, Coach Mays dialed up an out pattern pass to Ricky Seals Jones who takes it 30 yards to the house. (14-3 Giants 3:37 remaining)

Quarter 2:

After trading punts to end quarter 1, the Redskins drive down the field to start quarter 2 and Dak Prescott (22/37 230 yards) hits Will Dissly for a 6 yard touchdown. After a 3&out by the Giants, the Redskins drive down the field again and score from 22 yards out. (17-14 Redskins 9:09 remaining)

On the ensuing drive, the Giants march down the field and cap off the drive with a 6 yard strike to Robby Anderson. The Giants defense steps up again causing the Redskins to go 3&out and punt away to the Giants and they drive down the field in 1:38 to the Redskins 9 yard line and settle for a fieldgoal to end the half. (24-17 Giants End of half 1)

Quarter 3:

Both teams trade punts for almost the whole 3rd quarter until Prescott hits Tre'Quan Smith for a 58 yard touchdown near the end of the 3rd quarter. (24-24 Tie End of quarter 3)

Quarter 4:

To start the 4th quarter, the Giants drive down the field and Jeff Driskel runs it in from 9 yards out. (31-24 Giants 12:23 remaining)

On the Redskins first drive of quarter 4, they drive all the way down to the 2 yard line and hand it off to Shaun Wilson who fumbles the ball and Robert Quinn recovers. The drive took a little over 7 minutes off the clock. Giants defense came up with a huge turnover but that wouldn't last long as 2 plays later, Kenny Golladay catches a pass over the middle and fumbles the ball and Jarrad Davis takes it back 14 yards for the game tying score. (31-31 tie 4:07 remaining)

The teams trade punts on the next two drives and the Giants get the ball with 1:19 on the clock with the ball at Washingtons 32 yard line after a shanked 30 yard punt but the Giants can't move the ball throwing two straight incompletions and then a 3rd pass only going 7 yards. With 20 seconds left in the game, Cairo Santos comes out to attempt a game winning 43 yard field goal with 20 seconds remaining. He shanks it left! After a sack of Dak Prescott, the game goes to OT. (31-31 End of quarter 4)

Overtime:

The Giants start with the ball in OT but neither team could get anything going as they both punted away on their first possessions. Giants get the ball back for a second drive starting at their own 32. (31-31 tie 5:34 remaining)

The Giants finally move the ball a little passing down to the Redskins 26 yard line. On 4th and 1, Coach Mays decides to give Santos another shot at a game winner. He learned quickly that it was a bad decision as Santos misses the 44 yard field goal and give the ball back to the Redskins with 1:55 remaining.

Dak Prescott heated up for this drive, hitting 6 of his first 8 passes to begin the drive but the Giants defense came up strong and forced three straight incompletions at their own 25 yard line. With 8 seconds remaining in overtime and the game, Washington kicker Greg Tavecchio attempts a game winning 44 yarder and to the surprise of nobody in this game, he misses!

The Giants attempt two bombs to Golladay to end the game but can only muster 23 yards on the second attempt and in a thrilling and fun game, it ends with a 31-31 tie.

Great coached game by Kris. It was a lot of fun. If anyone has a kicker available.. send them my way.

Houston 10 Kansas City 27                   49 15-25
Andy Dalton threw for 349 yards and 3 td's as the Kansas Chiefs defeated the Houston Texans 27-10 on a chilly, windy day in KC. Joe Mixon had 98 yards on 24 carries and the lone Texan TD.

Los Angeles (N) 37 New Orleans 31           70
Rams and Saints faced off in New Orleans to complete their season series. On paper the Rams appeared to be prohibitive favorites, mainly because the Saints had to start their third string QB Josh Johnson. Johnson had not been seen in the IFL for a couple seasons, but he was effective in his first start leading the Saints to victory against the Lions the prior week. Could Johnson repeat that success versus the Rams defense? Many doubted his chances, but Saints coach Jim Rice would have his QB ready to play.

Johnson's performance was the story of the game. Some Rams players were heard afterward describing Johnson as the new Jekyll and Hyde. He struggled in first half completing only three passes during his Jekyll act. The Saints relied on their run game mostly to move the ball. Some timely turnovers by the Rams helped keep the game close at the half, Rams led 14-10.

Second half the Rams tried to put the Saints away. The Rams put 14 points on the board quickly after a big Tarik Cohen punt return for 76 yards and on the next drive a long run after catch touchdown by tight end Eric Ebron, 28-10 Rams.

Going into the fourth quarter the Rams still led 28-10 and that's when Johnson entered Mr. Hyde mode. He was so effective the Rams defensive coordinator appeared shaken after the game.

A 6 yard Johnson to Sterling Shepard touchdown pass made it 28-17. The Rams added a field goal after recovering a Saints onside kick attempt, 31-17 Rams. Then Johnson started to roll. He led a 12 play drive for another touchdown, 31-24 Rams hanging on. Inexplicably the Rams came out to field a traditional kick rather then preparing for the onside kick, a big mistake Saints recovered!. Momentum completely in the Saints corner, 2 minutes remained. Johnson leads another drive, Rams put up little resistance. With 22 seconds left Johnson throws a 22 yard strike to Conley, tie game! Saints kicker kicked the ball out of bounds on the next kickoff which created a tense moment or two for the Saints, but they survive. Overtime and the Saints win the toss.

In overtime Johnson, still rolling, throws a 13 yard strike to Cole Beasley, Saints at their 40. Next play Johnson back to pass again, but it was not to be. Johnson's pass was intercepted. Johnson, ran out of Hyde juice. On the sideline he was beside himself. Still the Saints defense had been solid in the 4th quarter.and a 1st down holding penalty put the Rams behind on down and distance. But the Rams would convert and with the ball on the Saints 25 yard line Rams QB Andrew Luck threw a short pass to Corey Davis while the Saints keyed on running back Chris Carson. Davis avoided the Saints DBs and scored the winning touchdown.

Saints Stars
James Conner 23 Carries 118 Yards rushing 1 TD
Josh Johnson 3 Touchdown passes in the 4th Quarter, nearly all of his 179 Yards came in the 4th quarter.

Rams Stars
Tarik Cohen 3 punt returns 27 yard avg, 76 yard long
Eric Ebron 6 catches 113 yards 2 touchdowns

Next Week the Saints and Johnson's Jekyll and Hyde act(During Halloween weekend) travel to SF to take on the 49ers, while the Rams also face a division rival, hosting the Atlanta Falcons.

Tennessee 20 Cincinnati 45                  35 15-25
In a must win game for the Bengals, Aaron Rodgers and company stepped up scoring 38 first half points on their way to the 45-20 win over division leading Tennessee. Cincinnati now trails by just a game. Rodgers threw for 309 yards and two scores. Melvin Gordon rushed for 88 yards and FOUR touchdowns. Gordon also caught a TD pass. (Hopefully you started him in your IFL fantasy league). Alshon Jeffery also had a big day, catching 6 passes for 142 yards and a score. Rodgers and Jeffery hooked up for a 70 yard play in the first quarter that led to a score. It looked like the Titans would be able to keep it close as Ryan connected with Beckham for a 51 yard score to cut the Bengal lead to 14-7 but Cincinnati answered with two straight touchdowns before Tennessee would score again.

Ryan finished 24 of 37 for 262 yards with 3 TDs and an INT. The Bengals held Hopkins in check as he only managed 5 receptions for 41 yards.

Backup defensive end John Simon had 2 sacks for the Bengals.

Next week Tennessee host Jacksonville while Cincinnati hopes to stay hot when Baltimore comes to town.

Pittsburgh 33 Baltimore 31                  51 0-5
Pittsburgh traveled to Baltimore for an intra-division match-up of 2-5 teams. The Ravens were 5 point favorites despite losing four of their last five, while the Steelers were winners of two of their last three. An entertaining, high-scoring game ensued with the Steelers walking away with a 33-31 victory. Here's how it happened:

Pittsburgh's second drive of the game stalled at the Ravens 5 and Adam Vinatieri booted a short, 23-yard FG. Pittsburgh 3-0.

Baltimore responded with a 9-play, 46-yard drive that culminated with a Matt Bryant 47-yard FG. Game tied at 3.

The Steelers struck quickly after the ensuing kick-off with QB Tom Brady hitting WR Andre Holmes for 9, RB Frank Gore running for 25 and Brady hitting WR Robert Foster perfectly in stride for a 41-yard TD strike. Pittsburgh 10-3.

The Ravens returned fire with a drive at the end of the first quarter, highlighted by WR Adam Thielen's 28-yard end-around, putting the ball on the Steeler 16. QB Baker Mayfield's next shot, however, would be a dud as Mayfield's short hitch was picked off by S Corey Graham. Five plays later, Brady's Steelers were knocking on the door at the Raven 8. Baltimore's defense stiffened, and well...then things got weird.

Faced with a 3rd and goal from the Ravens 8, things must have gone haywire, though no video evidence was available because of a solar flare that disrupted all electronic currents. A dense fog may have also descended over the field because no one really saw why Tom Brady attempted a quick punt! Maybe the snap was bad. Maybe Brady thought he could snag a quick three points with a drop-kick. Whatever the reason, the punt sailed the necessary 8 yards for a touchback and the Ravens took over on their own 20.

Seriously, this is what happened. Sam said he called a combo pass and he wasn't anywhere close to the screen where he could have called for a quick punt. In another odd twist, the play-by-play lists Mayfield as the punter and S Jordan Lucas as the returner (two Ravens!), and they weren't even on the field!

Since this was an obvious game error, we tried restoring the game back to the "previous play" only to find that the game thought the "previous play" was the punt and touchback. After numerous attempts to restore to a point "before the punt", we decided to take a break and see if DKS Support could help. Unfortunately, 24 hours later, with no response, we resumed the game with the Ravens having the ball at their own 20. So, back to the recap:

Baltimore, well rested after the break, marched down the field (literally) with a 19 play, 66-yard drive that took 8:46 off the clock. The drive included two successful fourth-down conversions - one from their own 30 with inches to go and the second at the Steeler 28 with a yard to gain. The drive stalled after a false start penalty on a 3rd and goal from the Steeler 9 yard line, but Matt Bryant's 32-yard FG cut into the Steelers lead, 10-6 and that's how it remained going into the locker rooms.

Fans who were still standing at the urinals or concession stands missed a lot as the 3rd quarter started. Mayfield, trying to strike quickly, threw two TD passes. Unfortunately for Ravens fans, one was to Steeler safety Justin Reid, who ran his back 46-yards for a pick-six. Pittsburgh 17-6.

Mayfield's second TD came on the first play after the second kick-off in less than a minute. This one a 72-yarder to Thielen. TE Mark Andrews caught the 2-point conversion and the Steelers lead was cut to 3, 17-14.

After a Pittsburgh 3-and-out, Mayfield deftly moved the Ravens downfield, again finding Thielen, who caught the corner fade for a 9-yard TD. Baltimore took the lead, 21-17.

Brady responded with a lightning strike of his own, this one a 52-yarder to Robert Foster. Pittsburgh regains the lead, 24-21.

Seemed that both defenses were playing a man or two short after scores on five-of-six second half possessions and Mayfield again pushed his team toward the goal line, but another false start penalty stalled the drive and Bryant came on to boot a 51-yard FG, tying the game as 24.

The teams exchanged punts as the game moved into the 4th quarter. TE Rob Gronkowski and RB Gus Edwards were featured in this Steelers drive, but it, too, stalled at the Raven 32. Vinatieri's 50-yard FG gave the lead back to the Steelers, 27-24 with 6:16 remaining.

Baltimore got a nice return from WR Chris Moore and a 5-yard run on first down set the Ravens up nicely north of their own 40 yards line. Then disaster struck. RB Jaylen Samuels fumbled and Steeler DT Treyvon Hester smothered it. Two plays later, Brady found...who else...Robert Foster for a 29-yard TD. Vinatieri's PAT sailed wide. Pittsburgh 33-24 with 5:17 remaining.

Down 9 with just 5:17 remaining, Mayfield knew he had to move fast and that he did, completing 4-of-6 passes, the last one a 23-yard TD to Thielen. Pittsburgh 33-31 with 3:32 remaining.

Aaron Donald registered his league-leading 9th sack on the first play of the Steelers next possession, but Brady hit his new favorite receiver, Foster, for 15 and a new set of downs with 2:30 remaining. Using their timeouts and a tight D, the Ravens forced a punt and would have one last shot, only needing to get into FG range. Things were looking good as they moved towards mid-field, but BW Webb snared a Mayfield laser and two kneel-downs later, Pittsburgh was celebrating on Ravens' turf.

Robert Foster was named the game's MVP with 5 catches on 6 targets for 143 yards, 4 first downs and 3 TDs. Raven WR Adam Thielen had an equally impressive game despite being double-teamed on nearly every play. Thielen hauled in 7 passes on 14 targets for 147 yards, 6 first downs and 3 TDs, not to mention 1 carry for 28 yards.

The 3-5 Steelers start the second half of the season as winners of 3-of-4 as they head to Detroit next week to take on the 1-6 Lions.

Baltimore (2-6) is left licking their wounds as they head to Cincinnati to face the Bengals, who improved to 4-4 with a 45-20 thumping of division-leading Tennessee. Looks like another season leading to a Top 10 draft pick for the Ravens.

Dallas 24 New York (A) 34                   59 0-10
Dallas came to New York to play the Jets, who’d spent a week licking their wounds after suffering a lose to the hapless Redskins.

It didn’t start well for the Jets with Dallas taking the opening kickoff 62 yards, the last 13 of which were a TD pass from Newton to Snead IV.

The Jets responded with a 5 minute 70 yard drive that resulted in a 23 yard FG...7-3 Cowboys. Next drive Dallas was held to a 3 and out. New York again drove down the field, this time for a TD on a 20 yard pass from Watson to Ateman. 10-7 Jets...

Once again the Cowboys were forced to punt, and again the Jets went in, this time on an 85 yard drive for another FG...13-7 Jets.

After having New York score 13 points in a row, Dallas responded with a McCoy 3 yard TD run...14-13...Dallas. New York got the ball back with 2:36 on the clock. They went 75 yards in 1:55 to score on a Watson to Woods TD pass...20-14 Jets at the half.

New York took the 2nd half kickoff and drove 73 yards in 4:42, and scored on a Watson 11 yard run...27-14 Jets.

With 2 minutes to play in the 3rd, Dallas cut it to 27-17. The Jets answered with another long drive that ended with a Watson 15 yard pass to Woods for 6...34-17 Jets.

Dallas tacked on another TD to make the final 34-24 Jets.

For the Jets Watson was 21-28 for 320 yards and 3 TD passes, plus a running TD.

For Dallas Newton looked like Tom Brady going 24-29 for 228 yards, and 2 TD passes.

Next week Dallas travels to Arizona, and New York travels to Indianapolis.

San Francisco 47 Carolina 41                69 0-5
In a wild shootout, the 49ers beat the Panthers 47-41. Dennis Agosta subbed for Carolina and held a lead 31-20 going into the 2nd half when Trubiskey caught fire and threw 4 TD passes in the 2nd half alone.

Chicago 15 Detroit 16                       70
In a true 1970's Black & Blue Division game, The Lions intercept a pass late to pull this one out. Just prior to that the Lions had an interception called back cuz of offside. Speaking of the ref's, the Bears were flagged a lot. It was a very close and fun game.

Next week Det hosts Pitt, while Chi is hosting the the Packers who are coached by the head of the famous IFL Coaching Clinic mega head "Mr Conners", as he insists he be called..

I recommend the Clinic. You can sleep through the meetings & "Mr Conner's" ramblings. Then it's a lot of fun once he stops spewing out his nonsense.

Arizona 42 Philadelphia 24                  48 0-10
The Cards would come into Philly looking to get revenge on an earlier loss in Phoenix. The Eagles have been living on the edge with 1 point game (going 2-1) in the last 3 games. This one would not be that.

The Cards would score first on a Pat Mahomes to OJ Howard 49 yard TD connection to take a 7-0 lead.

The Eagles would get a Harrison Butker FG on their first drive but after that, the Cards would take over. The Cards would score 3 TD's before the Eagles could put up another score and at halftime, they would lead 28-10.

The 2nd half was back and forth but the Eagles would only get within 11 at 35-24 and that was because the defense was able to score on an interception return. The final was 42-24.

For the Cards, Pat Mahomes threw 5 TD passes and was named player of the game. For the Eagles, QB Jameis Winston had his worse game of the year by throwing 3 int's and no TDs for a pitiful 24.7 QB rating.

Next up for the Cards will be division rival Cowboys while the Eagles will take on the 2nd place Giants in a battle for the division lead.

Minnesota 40 Green Bay 35                   34 5-15
Vikings come into Green Bay and hand the Packers their 4th consecutive loss.

This one wasn't as close as the score would indicate. Minnesota raced out to a 21-7 lead and never looked back.

Drew Brees was exceptional in this one, finding his 2 star WR's (JuJu and CooCoo) over and over despite a ton of double teams.

When the Packers keyed in on the pass, Zeke Elliott ran wild with several long scampers

Final was 40-35 due to a couple of late Packer scores but for the most part it
was a double digit lead most of the way.

Brees 27-40 2TDs 106.3 rating (does this guy ever throw int's?)
Smith Shuster 9-129, 1TD
A.Brown 9-87, 1TD

Big Ben 27-44 386 3Td's, 2ints
Josh Gordon 9-172 2Tds
Lindsay 130 combined yards

Great play calling by Rich in this one

Vikings 4-4 visit Tampa Bay
packers 4-4 go to Chicago 4-4

Atlanta 29 Los Angeles (A) 13               73 Calm
Atlanta goes to 7-1 as game MVP Zach Ertz caught 7 passes for 100 yards and 2 TDs. For the Chargers, Chubb was having a big game with 11 rushes for 84 and a breakaway 49 yard TD. Unfortunately, he got injured mid way through the 3rd which disrupted the Chargers offense and forced them pass.

Manning wasn't up to the task as he only managed 186 yards passing and got picked by Demonte Kazee in the red zone half way through the 4th.

From then, the Falcons protected the lead and won 29-13. The Chargers fall to 4-4.

Tampa Bay 37 Jacksonville 6                 68 0-10 Rain
The Buccaneers travelled to Jacksonville for an outing of plunder and pillage - and plunder and pillage they did en route to a 37-6 drubbing of the hapless Jags. The Tampa broadside hit hard and early giving them 20-0 lead at the half to which they never looked back on.

Carr was impressive in the win going 14 of 25 for 219 yards and 4 tds with just 1 interception. Josh Allen was awful in the loss.

Oakland 23 Denver 24                        52 0-5
The Raiders come to Denver undefeated but the Broncos rally in nthe 2nd half and get a tough 24-23 win to keep their division title hopes alive.
Trailing 20-7 at the half Denver finally got the offense rolling and the defense stepped up and shut down the talented Raider offense.
The Broncos held the Raiders to just 5 first downs in the 2nd half with two of those coming on Denver penalties.

Rushing Leaders
Elliott,E(Min) 26-160 3 TD
Hunt,K(Den)     29-130
Breida(NYG)     15-127
Conner(NO)      23-118 1 TD
Jones,A(Was)    15-102
Michel(Ind)     13-101 1 TD
Gordon III(Cin) 19-88 4 TD

Receiving Leaders
Cooks(Mia)       9-236 4 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Boyd(SF)         9-185 3 TD
Diggs,S(SF)     13-183 1 TD
Gordon,J(GB)     9-172 2 TD
Thielen(Bal)     7-147 3 TD
Foster,R(Pit)    5-143 3 TD
Landry,J(KC)     7-124 3 TD
Anderson,R(NYG) 10-114 1 TD

Passing Leaders
Trubisky(SF)    41-30-441   5 TD 1 Int
Goff(Mia)       35-27-431   4 TD
Roethlisbe(GB) 44-27-386   3 TD 2 Int
Mayfield(Bal)   46-25-383   3 TD 3 Int
Dalton(KC)      29-23-349   3 TD
Watson,D(NYJ)   28-21-320   3 TD
Rodgers,A(Cin) 28-18-309   2 TD
Keenum(Ind)     45-27-305   2 TD
Brees(Min)      40-27-300   2 TD
Wilson,R(Car)   37-19-296   4 TD
Mahomes(Ari)    43-24-284   5 TD 1 Int
Luck(LAR)       29-17-267   4 TD 2 Int
Carr,D(TB)      25-14-219   4 TD 1 Int

Defensive Standouts
Vander Esc(Buf) 16 Tk
Johnson,T(Det)   2 Int 5 Tk – IFL Defensive Player of the Week

Special Teams
Elliott,J(NE) 4-5 FG – IFL Special Teams Player of the Week
Rosas(Chi)     5-5 FG

IFL WEEK 8 STANDINGS

IFL WEEK 8 LEAGUE LEADERS

LOOK WHO WAS SEEN GRABBING SOME SNACKS AT THE LOCAL GREEN BAY SHELL BEFORE THE BIG GAME IN WEEK 8!

THE PACKERS WORST NIGHTMARE!

IFL WEEK 7 RECAP

Washington running back Aaron Jones lets Jet fans know how many touchdowns he scored as the Redskins edge the Jets.

Game Scores
Washington 38 New York (A) 36               67 5-15
Winless Washington goes on the road and stuns the Jets with a last second FG to win the game. The Redskins offense was explosive all game long finishing with two receptions over 25 yards and 7 runs over 10 yards. Austin Pettis had a 47 yard reception, Parker had a 52 yard reception. Aaron Jones had rushes of 23, 38, 64.

Deashaun Watson played a great game throwing for 317 yards and 2 TDs for a 106.5 rating. He would actually lead the Jets from down 35-16 in the 3rd Quarter to a 1 point lead with 2:40 left in the 4th quarter. Unfortunately that was enough time for Prescott to put Tavecchio in range for a 38 yard FG to win the game. Washington was able to win it with a FG because Hopkins missed an extra point and then failed on the 2 point conversion on the last score. Had that not happened it likely would have head to overtime.

Aaron Jones was the MVP with an absurd stat line of 25 carries for 196 yards and 4 TDs.

Washington will travel to NY for a rematch with the Giants while the jets will lick their wounds (while spending a lot of time working on their run defense) and host the Cowboys

Arizona 35 Buffalo 29                       52 5-15
Pat Mahomes throws four touchdown passes as the Cardinals keep Buffalo winless.

Kansas City 17 Baltimore 38                 57 0-5
The Ravens boat race out to a 31-3 half time lead in which they could do no wrong and the Chiefs could do no right, then coast to a 38-17 victory. Baltimore controlled the ball for 37 minutes and went 5 for 5 on touchdowns in the red zone.

Detroit 16 New Orleans 31                   70
The Saints win at home to move to 3-4. They were led by 3rd string QB Josh Johnson as both Flacco and Mullins were out with injuries. He didn't have a big game but threw for 205 yards and 2 TD's and didn't have any turnovers. The Saints were led by James Conner who had 3 total TD's. Sam Darnold would throw for 294 but threw 2 costly interceptions. The Saints will try to tough it out at least one more week with their 3rd stringer and face the 5-1 Rams at home. The 1-6 Lions will host the 4-2 Bears.

Miami 31 Dallas 6                           70
Jared Goff throws three first quarter touchdown passes as Miami cruises to their 23rd straight regular season win.

Tampa Bay 10 Los Angeles (N) 32             69 Calm Light Rain
Rams and Buccaneers engaged in a slug-fest that was much closer then the final score. Surprising rain showers were welcomed by the residents of Los Angeles, but the Quarterbacks came out of the game with a different opinion. The sloppy conditions led to sloppy play, both teams combined for 5 turnovers and 3rd down conversions were tough to come by.

1st Half:
Tampa imposed their will in the first half. Despite a turnover on Tampa's first drive their defense held and TB QB Derek Carr took care of the rest. A 12 play drive ended in a Tampa touchdown, Carr to star WR Davante Adams. The Rams could only answer with a field goal on their ensuing drive, 7-3 Bucs. The half would end 10-3 Bucs, after another impressive drive by Carr and company. The Tampa defense thwarted Rams drives into their territory, forcing two interceptions of Rams QB Andrew Luck. The Bucs were in the driver's seat, set to get the 2nd half kickoff.

2nd Half

On the Bucs opening drive perfect play-call verse the Rams defense on a key third down did not pay dividends for the Bucs forcing a punt. That gave the Rams a foot in the door, Luck led a quick touchdown drive, tied up 10-10. TB started to suffer some injuries along the OL, that appeared to give the Rams the advantage in the 2nd half. The Rams forced a Carr interception on their next drive on a 4th down gamble, that led to more Rams points, 13-10 Rams. Carr seemed to struggle with the conditions as the game went on. A three and out on the Bucs next drive led to another Rams field goal, 16-10 Rams. Another Carr interception mid way through the 4th quarter allowed the Rams to break the game open to 25-10. A garbage time touchdown for the Rams led to the final score 32-10.

Tampa's defense hung tough most of the game, causing numerous penalties by the Rams offense and forcing them to settle for field goals. The injuries to the TB OL seemed to impact TB's run game and Carr also was less effective when his left tackle went out.

TB Stars
Davante Adams 6 Catches 56 yards 1 Touchdown
Tyler Lockett 30 yard avg on kick returns

Rams Stars
Xaviers Rhodes 4 pass deflections and kept Tyler Lockett in check
Corey Davis 6 catches 21.7 yards 2 touchdowns

Next week Tampa travels to the east coast of Florida to play a scrappy Jacksonville Team. While the Rams travel to the bayou to take on divisional rival New Orleans.

Houston 7 Pittsburgh 28                     57 0-10 Light Rain
Winless Texans come into Heinz Field looking for there 1st win of the year against the Steelers who only have 1 win themselves . The teams would play in light Rain 57 degrees. The experts had the Texans as 3 point road favorites.

In the 1st quarter what you might expect happen did.. the 1st 3 possessions the teams punted the ball. After the Texans 2nd punt Brady and company would take over on there own 20. Slowly move down the field mixing run and pass for an impressive 14 play 80 yard drive that consumed over 8 minutes of the clock. culminated in a 1 yard CJ Anderson TD . Pittsburgh 7 Houston 0 after 1

The 2nd quarter again saw 4 punts and 1 first down between the teams in the 1st 9 minutes of the quarter.This time the Texans would take over at there 45 yard line and Cousins would lead them on a 8 play 55 yard drive to tie the score. Cousins would connect with Godwin from 18 yards out . 7-7 at the half.

Pittsburgh would get the opening kickoff and drive it down the field Brady hits Foster from 38 yards out to give the lead back to the home team early in the quarter. After the teams traded punts , Brady on his 3rd drive of the quarter would again hit a long pass this time its Gronk from 38 yards away and the Steelers enter the 4th up 21-7.

Houston would get the ball with 45 seconds left in the 3rd and drive the ball down to Pittsburgh's 35 yard line trying to get back into the game. Cousins however is picked by CB Stroman who returns the interception down to the 1 yard line . Anderson plunges in to give the home team an insurmountable 28-7 lead with just over 11 to play. That's the way it would end as the Steelers pick up there 2nd win of the year.

Game MVP goes to Brady 11-20 172 yards and 2 TD's. Gronk had 6 catches for 98 yards and a TD. Sheard lead the D with 8 tackles 1 stuff 1 hurry

For Houston Cousin was 22-32 for 219 yards 1 TD 1 pick Mixon had 81 yards on the ground and caught 7 passes for another 46 yards .Warner lead there defense with 10 tackles and a pass deflection.

Pittsburgh travels to division rivals Ravens next week while Houston continues there road tour this time in KC.

Oakland 45 Tennessee 24                     76 0-5
Undefeated Oakland came to Tennessee and proved that they are one of the premiere teams in the IFL. The Raiders owned the first 20 minutes of the game and led 17-0 at that point. Medium hitch passes from Stafford to Kelce and Kamara turned into long touchdowns for Oakland. Tennessee tried to make a game of it with two second quarter TDs sandwiched between another Oakland score. It was 24-14 Raiders at the half.

The Titans cut the lead to 7 thanks to a Dan Bailey field goal 6 minutes into the third and it looked like game on. However the Raiders responded with another TD drive where Stafford completed 5 passes in a row and then Kamara finished off the drive with a 3 yard run. Even though it was 31-17 Raiders at this point the Titans weren't done and drove the ball to the Oakland 37 yard line. Matt Ryan looked for Deandre Hopkins on a medium out but Darius Slay jumped the route and took the pick 71 yards for the clinching TD. With the score 38-17 the game was essentially over. Both teams scored a TD in the final quarter to make the final score 45-24 Raiders.

Alvin Kamara was an absolute beast for the Raiders with 132 yards rushing, 130 receiving yards and 3 TDs. Oakland travels to Denver next week and the Titans visit Cincinnati.in a key divisional matchup.

  New York (N) 31 Indianapolis 14             69
Indianapolis, IND (IFL.com) – The New York Giants came into Indianapolis with the number one ranked defense in the IFL in scoring with 15.7 points per game and number 2 in the league in total defensive yards 293.3 behind the number 1 ranked Denver Broncos who average 275 per game in total defense. The G-Men and that collection of defensive stars are led by Myles Garrett (DE) and Leonard Williams (DL) both with 6 sacks apiece which is one behind the league leader Aaron Donald. This unit dominated the Colts from start to finish, leaving the Hoosier state with a 31-14 win, the last score by the Colts came in garbage time.

1st Half

New York own the first half, scoring three touchdowns behind two Carson Wentz TD passes sandwich between a Matt Breida (14 rush 87 YD, 2 TD) 2-yard touchdown run. Early in the first quarter Wentz (23-14, 169 YD 2 TD) first touchdown pass was a 5 yard toss to tightend Ricky Seals-Jones, 7-0 Giants (1 Qtr. 9:17). Following a missed 45 yard field-goal by Colts Steven Hauschka the Giants go on a 11 play 62 yard (5:31 drive) concluded with the Breida 2-yard touchdown run, 14-0 Giants. The Giants will get their third score of the half when safety Ron Parker intercepted Case Keenum (53-34. 332 YD 2 TD 1 INT) at the New York 10 and returned it 40 yards to midfield. Five plays later Wentz would hit Taywan Taylor (WR) for a 39-yard TD pass, 21-0 Giants (2 Qtr. 4:43).

2nd Half

The only bright spot of the game for Indy came in the third quarter when Keenan Allen (WR) took a short hitch 92-yards for the catch and run TD, 21-7 Giants (3 Qtr. 10:14). However the bright light was quickly extinguish as the Giants will score the next 10 points of the game on a Santos 45-yard FG, and a 4th Qtr 1-yard Breida TD run, opening up at 31-7 lead and crushing the hometown faithful. With 1:53 left in the fourth quarter in front of about 2500 fans the Colts would get a garbage time 6-yard TD pass Keenum to Isaiah Crowell (RB), 31-14 Final Score.

Minnesota 30 San Francisco 38               69 0-10
High powered Vikings (3-3) led by Drew Brees and Ezekial Elliot visit SF (2-4). As awesome as the Minnesota offense is as suspect of their defense and 49er Mitchell Trubiskey came out firing to take advantage of it.

In the first half there were no punts and every possession resulted in
scoring.

In order:

1st Quarter
SF drives 75 yards finishing with a Trubiskey-Rogers 33 yard pass for a TD.
Minnesota drives 75 yards with Brees hitting Smith Schuster for 19 yards
for a TD.
For the third 75 yard drive in the first quarter Trubiskey hits Boyd
for a 13 yd TD. Quarter ends with 12-7 SF lead. SF missed both extra points.

2nd Qtr
Vikings drive 57 yards before a defensive play stops them Minnesota
settles for a 41 yd FG.
SF Trubiskey hits Boyd again for 26 yards and a TD.
Minny comes right back with their drive and Brees hits Lynch for a 4
yard TDhits Brown
SF manufactures another 75 yard drive finished with a Trubiskey-Taylor 4
yd TD. Crosby misses his third xp.
Half ends with SF leading 25-17

3rd Qtr
Minny is stopped on their first possession and punts.
SF Trubiskey drives his team 77 yards and Trubiskey hits Diggs for a 14
yd TD. The drive is highlighted with a 57 yard run by Jordan Howard,
Minny right back at /em as Brees drives them 60 yards hits Brown for a
17 yd TD.
SF drives 51 yards and for the first time is stopped but Crosby hit a 41
yd FG
SF leads 35-23 as the quarter ends

4th Quarter
Vikings are not done yet as Brees dooes it again with a longs drive
capped with a 16 yd TD pass to Smith Schuster,
The defenses finally take effect and they exchange the ball 4 times.
Brees is hampered by some untimely penalties and fails on 2 4th down tries.
SF gets the ball on the Viking 14 yard line and converts a FG for a
38-30 lead.

SF holds on for the win in this donnybrook, 38-30.

Trubiskey 31-42 for 381 yards 5 TDs and no INTs.
Brees 20-39 for 262 yards, 4 tds and no INTs.
Vikes Elliot runs for 24 times for 148 yards.

Total offense: 886 yards.

Rich Robb's offense was virtually unstoppable as was the 49ers. The 49
defense played better in the end aided by penalties and made the difference.

Philadelphia 21 New England 20              64 10-20
Eagles wasted little time attacking the Patriots D, scoring within the first 90 seconds of quarter number one as Jameis Winston hit Mohamed Sanu with a 52 yard TD strike to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead.

A 16 play 71 yard drive near the end of the first quarter resulted in McCaffrey 7 yard TD run, and the Patriots had tied the game at 7-7 after one quarter of play.

A Kerryon Johnson 23 yard scamper put Philly in position to score once again, and soon after Winston connected with Evan Engram for a 10 yard TD. Eagles up once again 14-7 early in Q2.

New England looked to answer but their drive stalled out at the Eagle 41 yard line. On 4th and 6, the Patriots made the somewhat surprising decision to go for it instead of looking to pin the Eagles deep. With the Eagles paying extra attention to Patriot QB Lamar Jackson, McCaffrey broke loose and Jackson hit him for a 41 yard TD catch and run. 14-14 midway through the 2nd quarter.

A fumble by Eagle RB Brian Hill led to a Patriot FG, and New England led at halftime 17-14.

An 11-play drive by the Patriots to start the 2nd half ended with an Elliot field goal, and the lead was 20-14. Those were all the points to be had, heading to the 4th quarter.

The Eagles started the 4th quarter with a bang. From their own 40, Winston connected with Kerryon for a 24 yard completion. On the very next play, Winston hooked up with Mo Sanu once again - this time for a 35 yard touchdown. Early in the 4th, Philly led 21-20.

Elliott missed a 51 yard field goal attempt on the Patriot ensuing drive, and that was as close as the Patriots would get to scoring the rest of the way. Eagles hold on for the one point victory.

The Eagles ran all over the Patriot defense, averaging over 8 yards a carry on the day. Kerryon Johnson rushed for 116 yards on a mere 11 carries. Mohamed Sanu caught 5 balls for 119 yards and 2 TDs.

For New England, Christian McCaffrey had 171 scrimmage yards and 2 TDs.

Eagles move to 6-1, while the Patriots drop their 4th straight game and are now 3-4.

Chicago 30 Carolina 35                      77 0-10
Carolina pulls out a last minute victory as Wilson hits Drake on a 44 yard TD pass with 50 seconds remaining in the game.

Game was a somewhat defensive affair in the first half as the Bears held the 10-6 advantage at half time.

The offense for both squads caught fire in the second with a combined 49 points. Chicago may have held on to a deserved win if not for a 4th quarter injury to Dalvin Cook.

Green Bay 29 Atlanta 31                     68
No writeup could do this game justice. Roethlisberger was unstoppable early leading the Packers to a 17-6 lead with 5 minutes left in the second. Then he made big play after big play as he led the Packers back late. Unfortunately, he couldn't overcome a 25-3 run led by game MVP Philip Rivers to take a 31-20 lead.

Rivers passed for 301 yards and TDs to 4 different receivers, including Lamar Miller, Josh Doctson, Zach Ertz and Tevin Coleman, who also had a rushing TD early on. Ultimately, the Falcons held on by their finger nails. Gould hit a FG early in the 4th to make it 31-23. Then, on the last drive of the game, Roethlisberger hit Emanuel Sanders on two big plays for 81 yards and the TD to make it 31-29 pending the two point conversion.

While Roethlisberger was unstoppable early and made the big plays throughout the game, he couldn't convert on the 2 point pass attempt as the Falcons D stepped up big and knocked down the pass.

Both teams had to overcome big injuries as the Packers lost Philip Lindsay for the game and the Falcons lost Larry Fitzgerald.

Some of the *many* highlights:
1) Roethlilsberger had 504 yards passing and 3 TDs
2) The Packers had two big turnovers, including a Roethlisberger lost fumble resulting in what turned out to be the game winning TD
3) Von Miller got a sack on 4th down with 1:30 left
4) The Packers D came up big and they managed the clock beautifully to stop the Falcons and get the ball back, leading to a TD to make the score 31-29 and the eventual failed two point conversion
5) AJ Green had 9 catches for 140 yards, Emanuel Sanders had 8 catches for 138 yards and Josh Gordon had 4 catches for 137 yards
6) Josh Doctson had a career game with 4 catches for 98 yards and a TD
7) The Falcons kicker Kai Forbath missed 4 extra point attempts, 3 of which were blocked by Calais Campbell. In a couple of twists of irony, it turned out that none of them mattered. Despite that, the Falcons stayed with the XP attempts while it turned out that the Packers hit all their XP attempts but were forced to try the 2 point conversion to tie and failed.

With the home win, the Falcons improve to 6-1 while the Packers fall to 4-3.

Cincinnati 7 Denver 30                      61 0-5
Cincy comes to Mile High for a week 6 matchup vs the Broncos but the Broncos defense was ready to play ball tonight defeating the Bengals 30-7. The Denver defense held Bengal QB Aaron Rodgers to 10-25 completions for 147 yards and one interception while also sacking him 5 times.

Los Angeles (A) 23 Jacksonville 22          94 0-10
A close game that wasn't settled until a Jacksonville game winning drive was snuffed out by a Kiko Alonso interception with one minute left preserving a narrow 23-22 Chargers win. Julio Jones and Nick Chubb were big in the Chargers win.

Next week, LA hosts Atlanta while the Jags entertain the Buc's.

Rushing Leaders
Jones,A(Was)    25-196 4 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Elliott,E(Min) 24-148
Kamara(Oak)     18-132 2 TD
Chubb,N(LAC)    16-124
Johnson,K(Phi) 11-116
McCaffrey(NE)   17-103 1 TD

Receiving Leaders
Thomas,M(NYJ)    9-160 1 TD
Allen,K(Ind)    10-155 1 TD
Diggs,S(SF)     10-127 1 TD
Tate,G(Ind)     10- 49

Passing Leaders
Roethlisbe(GB) 51-31-504   3 TD
Trubisky(SF)    42-31-381   5 TD
Luck(LAR)       39-24-373   2 TD 2 Int
Mariota(Chi)    40-29-345   4 TD
Keenum(Ind)     53-34-332   2 TD 2 Int
Stafford(Oak)   33-21-331   3 TD
Smith,A(Buf)    49-24-323   2 TD
Watson,D(NYJ)   35-25-317   2 TD 1 Int
Wilson,R(Car)   34-21-316   2 TD
Prescott(Was)   29-24-313   1 TD
Rivers,P(Atl)   26-17-301   4 TD
Mahomes(Ari)    35-19-266   4 TD 2 Int
Brees(Min)      39-20-262   4 TD

Defensive Standouts
Vander Esc(Buf) 2 Int 12 Tk
Wagner,B(Chi)    16 Tk
Houston (Den) 2 Sks 2 FF – IFL Defensive Player of the Week

Special Teams
Ervin(KC)      1-25 Kick Ret 3-120 Punt Ret 1 TD
Lockett(TB)    6-181 Kick Ret 1-4 Punt Ret
Succop(LAR)    4-4 FG – IFL Special Teams Player of the Week

IFL WEEK 7 STANDINGS

IFL WEEK 7 LEAGUE LEADERS

IFL WEEK 6 RECAP

Charger rookie running back Nick Chubb goes for 171 yards and 3 TDs as L.A. edges Denver in a wild back-and-forth contest.

Game Scores
Los Angeles (A) 42 Denver 38                73 0-5
The Chargers come to Mile High stadium and steal one away from the Broncos. Charger rookie Nick Chubb rushes for 171 yards and three touchdowns.

Baltimore 23 Chicago 31                     65 20-30
The 3-2 Bears hosted the 1-4 Ravens at a windy Soldier field. After forcing a Bear’s punt on the opening drive, Baltimore found itself pinned on its own 3. Three plays later Kerrigan sacks Mayfield in the endzone for an early Chicago 2 point lead. Chicago scored a field goal on the next drive, but Baltimore answered with a TD, Mayfield to Hogan from 32 yards out. The 2 point conversion failed – Baltimore 6 Chicago 5. The Bears followed with a scoring drive of their own, Mariota hitting Callaway for a 62 yd TD. The first quarter ends Baltimore 6 Chicago 12.

The second quarter saw an exchange of field goals – at the half Baltimore 9 Chicago 15.

Early in the 3rd, Baltimore drove down the field to the Bears 3. On 4th and inches, the Ravens elected to go for it, but Mayfield’s pass failed to connect and the Bears took over on downs. Three plays later, Mariota is intercepted, putting the Ravens back in business on the Chicago 8. Mayfield ran it in himself to give Baltimore its first lead 16-15. The Bears followed with a long drive, and the quarter ended with Chicago still holding the ball. Baltimore 16 Chicago 15.

Mariota completed the drive with a 9 yard TD strike to Cook, 22-16 Chicago. Baltimore immediately answered with a long drive of their own, Mayfield to Thielen from 31 yards out. 23-22 Baltimore. The Bears next drive chewed up clock and ended with Mariota to Thomas from a yard out. The 2 point conversion failed - Bears 28-23. The Ravens last drive stalled, the ball went over on downs, Chicago adds a field goal, and time runs out on the Baltimore comeback drive.

Baltimore: Mayfield 28/47, 349, 2 TD; Thielen 9 rec, 100 yd, TD; Hogan 4 rec, 100 yd TD

Chicago: Mariota 24/32, 286, 3 TD, INT; Callaway 5 rec, 102, TD

Next week Baltimore hosts Kansas City and Chicago travels to Carolina.

Dallas 17 Philadelphia 16                   61 0-10
Dallas (1-4) and Philly (5-0) come into this game going in opposite directions but anything can happen when division rivals meet and this would be no different.

Dallas played ball-control offense in the 1st quarter and, early in the 2nd quarter would get a FG to take a 3-0 lead. After the Cowboy score, the Eagle offense would get moving. Methodically moving down the field under QB Jameis Winston, the Eagles would get to the Cowboy 19-yard line when disaster would strike. On 3rd and 12, Winston would drop back in the pocket and immediately get pressure from the Cowboy DT Kenny Clark. Winston would try to scramble to get away but to no avail. Clark would strip-sack Winston and Cowboy DB Tramon Williams would scoop up the ball and ramble 72 yards to give the Cowboys a 10-0 lead.

Winston, determined to make amends, moves the Eagles back down the field to the Cowboy 20. On 2nd and 5, Winston would make another mistake (the theme of the day) and get picked off on an out route by Cowboy DB Taron Johnson. It wasn't looking good for the Eagles this day and they needed a break of their own. They would get it.

On the ensuing possession, Cowboy QB Cam Newton would hit WR Tyrell Williams on a slant pattern. Williams would be stripped of the ball at the Cowboy 25 which would be picked up by Eagle DB Bashaud Breeland for a 25-yard score to close the gap to 10-7.

The Eagles would not be done in the 1st half as Winston would work the 2-minute offense to perfection. Slicing and dicing through the Cowboy defense, but with time running out, Winston would find an open John Brown running open down the sideline. He would not miss him and the Eagles would take the lead. Unfortunately, the extra point would be missed (a key play in the game) for a 13-10 lead.

The 2nd half would be ruled by both defenses. The only score in the 3rd quarter would be a 51 yard FG by Eagle K Harrison Butker. So, going into the final stanza, the Eagles would lead 16-10.

Midway through the 4th quarter, the Eagles would be faced with a 4th and short from their own 41. The Eagle coaching staff decided to kick and play defense as they had shined all day long. The Cowboys would be pinned on their own 15. It was at this time that Newton came to life and was literally unstoppable. The drive would culminate with an Ito Smith 6 yard TD run. The extra point was good and the Cowboys would retake the lead 17-16 with just over 2 minutes left in the game.

The Eagles would have one last shot to get into FG range to win the game. Winston would move the offense to midfield before throwing another interception to end any hope of the Eagles remaining undefeated. Two knees and the clock would expire on the undefeated season for the Eagles.

Great job by Coach Hart in pulling this one out! The Cowboys go to 2-4 and next meets the tough Miami Dolphins. The Eagles will try to rebound against the just as tough New England Patriots.

Minnesota 42 Detroit 21                     70
The kittens were scared coming in & Elliott & crew scored with ease. Lions sorta made the game interesting when they had the ball down 14 mid 2nd half, but that was it. But, at least we made Mr Cool, Mr Humble, Dirt himself form a bead of sweat before the shellacking was done.

Lions travel to the always tough place to play, New Orleans & Minny hits SF with their high powered offense.

New England 14 Indianapolis 21              69
Indianapolis, IND (IFL.com) – The Indianapolis Colts (3-3) continue their 3-game winning streak with a 21-14 win, and handed the New England Patriots (3-3) their third consecutive lost of the season. DKSports the largest sport book in Vegas installed the Colts a home under dog (-5) for the second time this season and third game in a row overall.
The Colts would score the first 21 points of the game and hold on for the 7 point victory. New England would score 14 unanswered 4th quarter points which terrified to hometown faithful and created a new sense of urgency on the Indianapolis coaching staff.

Indianapolis would score the first 3 touchdowns of the game on long drives which control the clock and the game until midway through the fourth quarter when the Pats would mount their comeback. In the 1st quarter Isaiah Crowell (RB) would score on an 8 yard run following an 11 play 84 yard, 6:17 drive, 7-0 Colts. Sony Michel (RB) capped off a 12 play 75 yard, 6:31 third quarter drive with a 3 yard run behind All-Pro center Mike Pouncey, 14-0 Colts. With 44 seconds left in the third quarter Case Keenum would hit wide receiver Tajae Sharp on a medium slant for a 19 yard TD pass, 21-0 Colts GAME OVER, right? WRONG!!!

The Patriots came storming back with a 14 play 92 yard, 7:03 drive which concluded with a Lamar Jackson 3 yard TD pass to Pats running back Nyheim Hines, 21-7 Colts. With 5:51 left in the game the Patriots would go on a 10 play 82 yard drive, using only 2:53 off the clock when Christian McCaffrey would sweep right for the 8 yard TD, 22-14 Colts.
With 3:11 left, 3 time outs, and after failing on an onside kick earlier in the quarter New England decided to kick deep and put the game in the hands of the defense. Unfortunately for the Pats, Indianapolis would milk the clock with an 8 play 27 yard time killing drive preserving, the 21-14 victory.

New York (A) 20 Miami 42                    70
The Jets travel to Miami for a divisional game to determine the leader of the AFC East.

Miami wins the toss and defers and the Jets can't move the ball on the opening possession and punt to the Dolphins. They take their opening possession and go 62 yards in 8 plays and get the TD to go up 7-0. After a trade of possessions ( Miami going for it on a 4th a 2 and come up inches short) the Jets go on a 8 play drive for 67 yards and get the TD to notch it a 7. Miami gets the ball at their own 9 and go 91 yards (aided by a 24 yard PI call and score from 7 yards out to make it Dolphins 14 Jets 7 with 14:12 to go in the 2nd quarter.

Undaunted, NY takes the kick off and travels 84 yards in just 6 plays and gets the tying score on a 23 yard pass to Thomas to again tie the score at 14 with 11:59 left in the half. The Dolphins get a short field after a big kick return and it only takes them 4 plays to go 38 yards and get the go ahead TD with 10:47 left in the half to retake the lead at 21-14 with 10:47 remaining in the 1st half. After the Dolphins force a punt, NY gets the pick of Goff and push it to the Dolphins 6 yard line but 3 tries from the 6 yield no yards and the Jets settle for the FG to make the score 21-17 with 4:25 left in the half. Miami would take the KO at the 25 and travel 75 yards in 9 plays and score with 1:42 left in the half to increase the lead to 28-17. The Jets only turnover on the night would be a costly one as on the 1st play of the drive Higbee would fumble and give the Dolphins the ball at the 15 and in only 2 plays the Fins would score and push the score to 35-17 and that's the way we would go to half time.

(The dagger in the heart) For the 2nd time in 2 weeks the Dolphins would return the opening 2nd half KO for a TD to go up 42-17. The Jets would muster a FG in the 3rd quarter, but the 2nd half would be the Dolphins trying to run the clock and the Jets not having any success getting to the endzone. As the game ends 42-20 and the Dolphins in firm command of the AFC East.

Next week the Dolphins travel to Dallas and the Jets host the Redskins.

Tennessee 38 Pittsburgh 17                  56 5-15
Central Division leading Titans come into Heinz Field looking to push there record to 5-1. For the Steelers they were coming off there first win on the road against the Bengals and were feeling pretty good about themselves.

Well that feeling went away quickly as the game starts as the game for the Steelers ended last week with a Kick Off return fumbled. But this time it was the Titans that recovered the opening kick off fumble. 2 plays later Ryan to Beckham Jr from 11 yards out 7-0 Titans. After 3 plays that netted -7 yards for the Steelers the Titans start at midfield and in 8 plays score there 2nd TD this time its Murray from 8 yards out. After Tennessee went for it late in the quarter on a 4th and 3 from Pittsburgh's 42 the Steelers would take over and start a drive to end the 1st. Tennessee 14 Pittsburgh 0

Steelers drive would stall at the 18 as Vinatieri hits from 36 yards out to get the home team on the board. The Titans again would have no problem driving down the field getting to the Steelers 11 before Rookie Safety Reid would step in front of a Ryan pass and take it all the way down to Tennessee's 3 yard line. Brady to Gronk on the 1st play makes it 14-10 midway through the 2nd. Again Tennessee would drive the ball down the field this time Ryan is picked off by MLB Littleton at the 6 yard line. 2 Redzone picks for Ryan. Pittsburgh would go on an 9 play drive at the end of the half but this time Brady is picked off in the Redzone by Swearinger with 7 seconds to go on the 12 yard line. Titans 14 Steelers 10 Half Time

Must have been some speech at the half. 1st play of the 3rd 55 yard strike Ryan to Beckham 21-10 Titans. After a Steelers 3 and out the Titans get a Field goal to go up 24-10 mid way through the 3rd. The Steelers have a FG blocked late in the 3rd and the quarter would end 24-10 Titans.

Murray would score his 2nd TD from 7 yards out early in the 4th and the visitors now have this game in hand 31-10 13 minutes to go. After Dickerson the Steelers Punter fumbled the snap giving the Titans a redzone opportunity Zenner runs it in from 3 yards out on the 2nd play and the rout is on. The Steelers get a late TD and thats how it ends . Titans 38 Steelers 17

For Tennessee Ryan is 23-35 for 323 Yards 2TD and 2 Picks
                         Beckham (Game MVP) has 6 catches for 115 yards 2 TD

For Pittsburgh Brady is 20-29 for 215 yards 2TD 1 Pick
                        Herndon has 7 Catches for 93 yards and 1TD

Pittsburgh (1-5) host Houston next week while the Titans (5-1) host the Raiders in a battle of Division leaders

Cincinnati 31 Jacksonville 7                89 0-5
The Bengals shred a confused Jags D at will while the Cinci D overwhelms an impotent Jacksonville offence in route to a 31-7 road win. Aaron Rodgers was extremely effective throwing for three touchdowns with no interceptions while Jags signal caller Josh Allen had a horrible day throwing the ball going 11-27 for 119 yards.

John coached a great game and could have won by 60 had the need been there. Next week the Bengals travel to Denver while the Jags try to bounce back vs the Chargers in Jacksonville.

Rodgers - 21 of 38 for 238 yards 3 TDs
Allen - 11 of 27 for 199 1TD, 1 INT, 3 SKs

Gordon - 19 for 104 1TD
Allen - 13 for 91 1F

Jeffery 4 for 71 1 TD
Smith 2 for 33 1 TD

New Orleans 3 Atlanta 13                    68
Lamar Miller was named game MVP as he rushed 17 times for 70 yards and scored the game clinching TD on a 10 yard pass from Philiip Rivers.

Jim did everything he could to keep it close and did manage to keep the Falcons off balance but, ultimately, it was just too much to overcome when Flacco went down (with Nick Mullens already out).

Unsung hero for the Saints was AJ Bouye who basically shut down Larry Fitzgerald with 3 catches on 13 targets.

While the Saints ran a few times behind Andrew Whitworth and got good gains, he was a net negative when you factor several penalties and very poorly timed as well.

Falcons end up pulling out a close one 13-3 and improve to 5-1 while the Saints fall to 2-4.

Buffalo 0 New York (N) 31                   64 0-10 Light Rain
The Bills and Giants faced off at Metlife. The Giants defense continued its dominance forcing 6 turnovers and sacking the Bills QBs 6 times.

After a first quarter that consisted of punt after punt after punt, the Giants defense got the game finally going with a pick six by Bryce Callahan. (7-0)

After a Buffalo punt, the Giants kicker Santos kicked a 40 yard field goal with 10:23 left in the 2nd quarter. (10-0)

The Bills bad luck continued as they fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Giants took over. Wentz took a shot and the Giants score one play after the fumble recovery. (17-0)

Giants kick off is downed and the Bills start from the 25 yard line but after a holding penalty, Alex Smith dropped back to pass and Gunter sacks him causing the ball to come loose and the Giants to take over at the Bills 13 yard line. After back to back runs, Wentz hit TE Nick Vannett in the back of the end zone for a 7 yard touchdown. (24-0)

After a couple of punts, the Bills turnover woes continue as Alex Smith throws anther interception making it 4 turnovers in the first half so far. Four plays later, D'onta Foreman plows into the endzone with 47 seconds left in the first half. (31-0)

In the second half, the Giants decided to try to just run the clock out and play ball control.

In the third quarter, the Bills throw INTs on two straight drives and the Giants continue attempting to run the clock out, punting the ball away.

The fourth quarter as much of the same as both teams just traded punts and the game ends 31-0.

Giants move to 4-2 and the Bills fall to 0-6.

Next week:
Giants travel to Indianapolis

Bills stay home to face the Cardinals.

Washington 20 Arizona 41                    80 Calm
The game was a battle between two rebuilding franchises. Neither team will make much noise this year other than perhaps to act as a spoiler. Arizona had a season worth forgetting last year and has already won more games than all of last year. Washington on the other hand is struggling mightily and eyeing a top 10 pick in the upcoming draft.

A quick glance at the score would lead one to an incorrect conclusion. Arizona scored 41 points and appeared to dominate the Skins, but it is not even close to the way the game unfolded. Washington actually had more total yards than Arizona, although not by much. Statistically both teams were nearly identical in all categories except one. Both quarter backs enjoyed solid performances with 70%+ completion percentages. Both teams ran the ball for over 100 yards. And on critical 3rd down conversions, both teams were in 50% range. The sole difference maker was turnovers. The Redskins would commit 3 turnovers while Arizona managed to protect ball.

The game would likely have been the last team with the ball wins had turnovers been more equal. Both teams play again and it will be interesting to see the adjustments.

Green Bay 35 Tampa Bay 42                   91 0-5
wo teams with four and one records, top five scoring offenses and the expectations that come along with a good start to the season met in Tampa Bay to determine which will gain an early leg up for the division crown.
The opening kickoff is sent away from Cordarrell Patterson but ends up out of bounds. It takes Derek Carr three plays to find Tyler Lockett for a 41 yard score and a 6 – 0 Tampa lead after Calais Campbell blocks the Janikowski extra point.
Showing some rare defense, the teams exchange punts. On Green Bay’s next possession a game changing injury gets Green Bay running back Philip Lindsay. He goes off after a Mario Addison hit holding his right thumb and in obvious pain. He did not return to the game. His lesser replacement, Alex Collins, allowed the Buccaneers to play an extra defensive back for most of the rest of the game. Keeping positive, Green Bay’s Ben Roethlisberger gives his team the lead by finding AJ Green on a 19 yard crosser. 7 – 6 Green Bay.
On Tampa Bay’s next possession, Green Bay wins a challenge resulting in fourth and inches at the Green Bay 45 yard line. The Packers focus on Todd Gurley. The result is a play action bomb TD to DeSean Jackson. 13 – 7 Tampa.
The teams manage a bit of defense in the second quarter. Roethlisberger finds the tireless Josh Gordon on a 27 yard long slant and Seabass makes a 45 yarder as the half expires. The teams go into the locker room with the scoreboard showing 14 Green Bay - 16 Tampa Bay.
Donte Jackson jumps a short hitch pattern on the second play of Green Bay’s opening second-half possession setting up his team at midfield. The Davonte Adams takes a play action slant from Carr for the touchdown and a score of 23 to 14 Tampa.
Midway through the third quarter, Green Bay cuts the lead to 23 – 21 on second Roethlisberger touchdown pass to Green. Tampa Bay adds a field-goal stretching the lead back to 26 – 21 Tampa.
The Packers are forced to punt. As the Buccaneers are moving down the field, Patrick Peterson picks off Carr and returns it 37 yards to the Tampa Bay 38 yard line. In three plays Big Ben finds Josh Gordon on a slant and watches him split the defenders and give his team its first lead since early in the second quarter. 28 – 26 Green Bay.
The offenses get even hotter exchanging touchdowns that leave Green Bay leading 35 – 32 after a failed to point Tampa conversion. There is 3:47 left in the game.
Tampa is able to grab the lead back when Tyler Lockett takes a short slant 15 yards for the score. A big play was turned in by Cordarrell Patterson on third and five at the Green Bay 40 when he was able to take a handoff up the middle for 21 yards to the Green Bay 19. Tampa 39 – 35. The home crowd is on pins and needles because the Packers have 1:51 left and all three timeouts to come down and score the winning touchdown.
Roethlisberger lubes up his elbow and starts flinging the ball about. The Buccaneers were able to tip away enough passes and mix in a sack to force the Packers to turn the ball over on downs twice. In between Janikowski added another field-goal for a final of 42 – 35 Tampa.
The teams combined for 1,003 yards of offense. The quarterbacks played to about even. Green Bay ran the ball 14 times for 37 yards. Tampa was able to gain 115 yards on 22 carries. The Packers loss of Sanders made a huge difference.
Next week both teams have tough games on the road. Green Bay heads to Atlanta. Tampa Bay heads to Los Angeles to face the Rams.

Kansas City 10 San Francisco 30             75 10-20 Rain
The Chiefs (2-3) met the 49ers (1-4) in an noninterference game.

Jordan Howard of the Niners scored 3 TDs, 1 by pass and 2 by run to pace SF to a 30-10 Victory. The big plays, however, were SF defensive
interceptions by Leonard (42 yd TD) and Baker, a 57 yd return that set up a FG.

Both team's offenses struggled most of the game but in the end SF maintained possession (33 minutes to 27) and finished 2 long drives (83 and 88 yards) for TDs. Trubiskey was 21-34 for 232 yards, 1 TD and an INT.

KC couldn't get a running game untracked with only 46 yards in 21 carries and had to rely on Andy Dalton's arm. He was 19-35 for 237 yards but had 2 costly INTs. Andy fashioned a 93 yard drive finished with a 63 yd TD pass to TE Kittle.

Chiefs (2-4) visit Baltimore next week while SF (2-4) hosts Minnesota.

Carolina 24 Los Angeles (N) 35              59 Calm
The Rams and Panthers opened their two game series in Los Angeles. The weather was unseasonably cool, 59 degrees, but that did not affect Panthers QB Russell Wilson and Rams QB Andrew Luck, both were red hot throughout the game.

Wilson was hyper efficient only attempting 19 passes for 199 yards. But he made them count throwing three touchdown passes, he also was deadly on the ground running for 75 yards. While Wilson hit big plays and moved his team quickly down the field, the Rams and Luck used a ball control approach. Luck was 26 for 37 for 336 yards and two touchdowns. The game came down who could get stops.

The Panthers only punted once through the first 2.5 quarters, but on their 2nd drive of the 3rd quarter the Rams got a stop. The Panthers had accumulated a number of injuries to this point, which seemed to shift the tide of the game. Rams capitalized taking their fist lead on a short slant to from Luck to TE Trey Burton. A second three and out by Carolina allowed the Rams to go on another time consuming drive to push the lead to 35-21. Carolina managed a field goal with just over two minutes left, but not enough time remained when they got the ball back.

Carolina Stars:
Russell Wilson 12-19 199 yards 3 TDs 75 yards rushing
Mike Evans 5 catches 79 yards 2 touchdowns

Rams Stars:
Andrew Luck 26-37 336 yards 2 Touchdowns
Chris Carson 89 yards 3 touchdowns

Next week Carolina hosts Chicago, while the Rams host Tampa Bay.

Houston 14 Oakland 45                       62 5-15
Kamara rushes for two touchdowns and 112 yards.

Rushing Leaders
Chubb,N(LAC)    19-171 3 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Elliott,E(Min) 27-147 1 TD
Hunt,K(Den)     25-131
Kamara(Oak)     17-112 2 TD
Gordon III(Cin) 19-104 1 TD
McCaffrey(NE)   15-102 1 TD
Carson,C(LAR)   23-89 3 TD

Receiving Leaders
Hilton(LAR)      8-154 1 TD
Hill,T(Den)     10-122 3 TD
Allen,K(Ind)    10-107
Smith-Schu(Min) 9- 96 3 TD

Passing Leaders
Carr,D(TB)      52-36-434   5 TD 1 Int
Roethlisbe(GB) 48-34-430   5 TD 1 Int
Mayfield(Bal)   47-28-349   2 TD
Luck(LAR)       37-26-336   2 TD
Ryan,M(Ten)     35-23-323   2 TD 2 Int
Goff(Mia)       31-23-305   5 TD 1 Int
Brees(Min)      36-20-290   5 TD
Bortles(Den)    30-20-217   4 TD

Defensive Standouts
Callahan(NYG) 1 Int 22 yds 1 TD – IFL Defensive Player of the Week

Special Teams
Jennings(Mia) 3-178 Kick Ret 1 TD – IFL Special Teams Player of the Week

IFL WEEK 6 STANDINGS

IFL WEEK 6 LEAGUE LEADERS

IFL WEEK 5 RECAP

Da Bears Dalvin Cook on his way to an 86 yard touchdown run as Chicago upends Green Bay on the road.

Game Scores
Chicago 38 Green Bay 31                     56 5-15
Bear come into Green Bay and put the hurt down on the previously unbeaten Packers.

RB Delvin Cook sets the tone early ripping off an 86 yard TD run just a minute in.

After the hosts replied with a touchdown of their own to knot things up at 7-7 (plus got a 3 and out of defense) the Lambeau faithful were feeling good.

On the next series however Prince Amukamara picked off Big Ben and took it to the house. 14-7 Bears. The Cheeseheads sat silent.

Packers never seemed to recover from that one as the visitors would tack on two more TD's before the half to go up 28-10 at recess. Marcus Mariota was in fine form.

The former Ducks QB tossed his third touchdown early in the 3rd to Demarius Thomas.
This one was becoming a blowout 35-10.

Packer showed some life and mounted a comeback with three late TD's to cut it to 38-31 late but a final drive came up short when Roethlisberger was sacked at the Bears 26 with just seconds left and no timeout.

Bears hold on for a big road win 38-31 Final

Mariota was on fire: 27/30 283 3 TD/ 1int 125.4
Cook 12 for 125 1TD
Thomas 7/73 2TDs

Ben 28/53 329 2td's/2ints 68.8
Lindsay just 8/12 1.5 yard ave versus tough Bears D.
but he led the team in catches 9/63

Great game called by Dennis. He had us off balance all game long.

Bears (3-2) host Baltimore (1-4)
Packers (4-1) travel to Tampa Bay (2-2)

Tennessee 37 Detroit 30                     70
Tennessee came into Detroit an 11 point favorite. In one of the wildest & wacky games either coach had been in for a while.

Titans hit a 75 bomb TD to Beckham as the 2nd quarter was ending to tie it at 20. The Lions Deep coverage / Prevent got beat by Ryan & Hopkins who had a big day of 7 catches & 161 yards & 2 TD's. Also Tenn forced 4 TO's.

Ryan was erratic but when he was hot he was HOT.

Lions had their best game of the season, but to no avail. Rookie Darnold ended with a 93 rating, but a desperation heave interception as time was running out, lowered that rating.

It was a fun interesting close game. Congrats to Coach Brunskillson.

Tenn travels to Pitt, Det hosts division rival Minnesota, the high powered offense & senile coach Dirt Robb & all that goes with it.

Denver 34 Houston 3                         70
Denver comes into Houston against the winless Texans and moves to 3-2 with a 34-3 victory.

The Texans got on the board first following a Bronco fumble they hit a FG for a quick 3-0 lead.
Then, it was all Broncos as they scores quickly to build a 34-3 halftime lead.

The 2nd half was anti-dramatic as neither team scored and used the clock.

Los Angeles (A) 20 Kansas City 27           50 5-15
The visiting Chargers are crippled with 10 accepted penalties to only 2 for the home team as the Chiefs come away with a 27-20 victory.

Arizona 31 Dallas 21                        70
Pat Maholmes passed for 293 yards and two scores and Arizona's defense recorded four sacks in a 31-21 win over Dallas Wednesday night.   Jim coached his club to a 4/4 success while in the Red Zone. There were 16 penalties in this one - eight called against each club. The win advances the Cardinals' record to 2-3 while the Cowboys fall to 1-4.

Jacksonville 31 Baltimore 26                64 5-15
Jacksonville (2-2) traveled to Baltimore (1-3) for the always fun inter-division game. The early line listed the Jags as 3 point favorites, but just before kick-off it jumped to 11 for some reason.

Baltimore won the toss and deferred. Jacksonville ran three plays for a yard, with two passes going right through the hands of Raven CB Desmond Trufant. The Jags lined up to punt from their own 23 and the snap sailed over Johnny Hekker's head and Trufant finally snagged that elusive ball on the 14. Baltimore gained 2 yards on the ground on their first two plays and 7 on a Mayfield-to-Samuels slant to present the Ravens' coach with his first major decision of the game - try on 4th-and-1 from the 5 or kick a FG. Figuring there was plenty of time to correct a mistake, Baltimore elected to go for it, running a dive play to stat pack stud Le'Veon Bell...and he was stone-walled for a loss. Jags take over on downs. Mostly on Josh Allen's legs, the Jags marched out to the 50, but stalled. Hekker deftly handled the next snap and pinned the Ravens at their own 11.

A Mayfield-to-Andrews 18-yard hitch garnered a FD on 3rd-and-6 and Mayfield hurried the offense to the line hoping to catch the Jags in a pass defense. He did and the end-around to Jaylen Samuels was the perfect call. Samuels didn't stop until he'd run half the field (51 yards to be exact) to the Jags 16. Two plays later, Mayfield hit Adam Thielen for a TD on an 18-yard out-pattern. Baltimore 7-0.

Allen rallied the troops on the Jags next possession, hitting Allen Robinson on consecutive plays for 26 and 25 yards and absorbed a late hit that added a bonus 15 yards. On the first play of the 2nd quarter, Allen called his own number on a 2nd-and-8 dive play and ran it all the way in from the 16. Tie game 7-7.

Mayfield combined with Bell to lead the Ravens downfield on their next possession and Mayfield teamed up with Thielen again - this time for a 33-yard TD. Matt Bryant's PAT attempt was blocked. Baltimore 13-7.

Undeterred, Allen led the Jags to paydirt, culminating a 10 play, 75 yard drive with a QB sneak from the 1. Jacksonville 14-13.

Baltimore responded with its own 75 yard drive, this one 13 plays that included conversion of three 3rd downs. Le'Veon Bell capped the drive with a 3 yard run on a pitch to paydirt. Baltimore 20-14 with 3:42 remaining in the half, but don't leave early to get concessions and use the bathroom. Lots of action before half-time.

Jacksonville went 3-and-out, giving the ball back to the Ravens with 1:44 left and Mayfield said, "Let's get some points on the board before the half boys!" Three seconds later, Jags rookie Jessie Bates III said "nuh huh" (or something like that) and nabbed his first career INT, returning it to the Ravens 5. Two plays later, David Johnson ran it in and it was the Jags who put the points on the board for a 21-20 Jags lead with 1:23 left.

Mayfield said "that's plenty of time" and moved the ball down to the Jags 38, where Matt Bryant, with the aid of a little wind at his back, knocked it through the uprights from 56 yards out. Finally, it was half time. Baltimore 23-21. Whew! Where were the defenses?

Baltimore opened the second half with a 13-play, 52 yard drive that stalled at the Jags 23. Matt Bryant kicked a 41-yard FG. Giving Baltimore a five-point lead at 26-21. That closed out the scoring in the 3rd as the teams exchanged punts.

Jacksonville's second possession of the 3rd quarter stretched into the 4th a ended with a Randy Bullock 33-yard FG, cutting the Ravens lead to 2. Baltimore 26-24.

Baltimore earned a first down on their first play from scrimmage, but a penalty in the next series of downs, set them back such that they couldn't recover. Rigoberto Sanchez's punt pinned the Jags at their own 8. David Johnson quickly got them out of the soup with an 8-yard dive and then connected with Allen on a medium slant for 58 yards as the Ravens blitz didn't make it to Allen. With the ball on the Raven 26 and just under 10 minutes on the clock, Coach Hood recognized that it'd probably be best to chew up the clock, knowing he could, at minimum, kick a go-ahead FG. Chew-up, he did, munching 6 minutes off the clock using 10 plays before Allen himself punched it in from the 1, despite being keyed on. Jacksonville 31-26.

Gunslinger that he is, Mayfield marched the Ravens to the Jags 33, where they were faced with a 4th-and-5 with 1:09 left. Down by five, they had to go for it and tried to target Adam Thielen on a hitch, but he was smothered. Mayfield instead hit Samuels on the check-down and stretch as he might, he came up a yard short. Jacksonville lined up in victory formation...but wait! With three time outs, Baltimore got the ball back one more time!

Thielen for 18, spike, Hogan for 13, spike...ball on the Jags 45 with 17 ticks left on the clock. Bomb post to Thielen knocked away in the end zone. Bomb fly...checked down to Samuels. Doh! 42 yards short. Jags 31-26 FINAL.

Congrats to Coach Hood, who knew when to milk the clock and get the most out of the tools he has.

Josh Allen was the game's MVP, mostly on the strength of his legs - 14 rushes for 76 yards, while adding 202 through the air on 12-for-22 passes. David Johnson added 160 yards (15/81 on the ground and 4/70 through the air).

Baker Mayfield chucked the pigskin for 339 yards on 28-for-52 passes that included 2 TDs and 1 INT. Adam Thielen snagged 8 of 18 targets for 129 yards and both of Mayfield's TDs.

Raven LB Benardrick McKinney tallied 11 tackles and 1 stuff, while Aaron Donald was a terror with 7 tackles,1 sack, 2 stuffs, 2 hurries and 1 forced fumble. There just wasn't enough help around those two.

Next week, Jacksonville (3-2) takes on Cincinnati (2-2 as of this writing). Baltimore (1-4) travels to the Windy City to take on DAH-Bears (2-2 as of this writing).

New York (A) 31 Buffalo 10                  45 0-5
The New York Jets come to Buffalo and steamroll the Bills led by Watson by air and ground as he was unstoppable with targets Michael Thomas and Robert Woods being the main targets of Watson's great day

Los Angeles (N) 24 Atlanta 27               68
This game we found out the answer to the question...what happens if the defense ignores Chris Carson. He rushed 29 times for 206 yards for a 7.1 YPC. He also had 9 carries over 10 yards and rushed for 10 first downs. Overall, the Rams offense had a big day with 508 yards and controlled the clock for 37 minutes. Andrew Luck had 3 TD passes, hitting Corey Davis for 2 and Tarik Cohen for big TD with 0:47 left in regulation to tie the game at 24.

Ultimately, it was the Falcons that came up with the biggest plays of the game with a 4th and 3 stop in overtime and then converting their own 4th and 3 which led to the game winning 39 yard FG.

Jason Kelce absolutely dominated the game and was named game MVP as the Rams rushed 42 times for 265 yards. He was also directly responsible for 165 yards on runs right up the middle. He also led the offensive line which protected Andrew Luck, preventing him from getting sacked even once from what might be the best pass rush in the IFL.

With the win, the Falcons tie the Rams for the division lead at 4-1 and look forward to the rematch down the road.

Philadelphia 18 New York (N) 17             66 0-5
Despite taking a 14-0 lead over the Eagles, the Giants give up 18 points in the 2nd half with the game winning touchdown coming with 47 seconds left in the game.

Giants fall to 3-2 and welcome Buffalo next week

Eagles go to 5-0 and welcome Dallas next week.

Pittsburgh 27 Cincinnati 24                 58 0-5
The Bengals hosted the Steelers and put together a long nine play 67 yard opening drive with Rodgers connecting with Jeffery for the seven yard score. Pittsburgh answered and perhaps shocked the Cincinnati faithful as Robert Foster burned Kyle Fuller for a 68 yard score on their second play from scrimmage to tie it at seven.

After an exchange of punts, the Bengals put together another long 12 play drive that took about seven minutes. Rodgers found Heuerman from 12 yards out to regain the lead 14-7 with about eight minutes remaining in the half. The Steelers countered with their own long drive, 13 play and 75 yards, with Gore going in from two yards out. After forcing a Cincinnati punt, the Steelers were content to let the clock run out to end the half tied at 14.

Pittsburgh came out after the halftime and put together a ten play 75 yard drive capped off by another Brady to Foster score, this time from 38 yards out. Cincinnati countered with a 17 play drive but had to settle on a Fairbairn field goal to cut the deficit to 21-17. The Bengals finally caught a big break as Micah Hyde intercepted a Brady pass setting up Cincinnati with first and ten at about midfield. Rodgers completed three passes and Gordon went in from less than a yard out, 24-21 Bengals early in the fourth. The Steelers again put together a long 15 play drive that set up the tying field goal with three minutes remaining. Plenty of time for Rodgers and company to move down the field for at least a game winning field goal attempt. BUT WAIT, Bengals kick returner Janarion Grant fumbles the return and the Steelers recover. Pittsburgh has it first and goal at the Cincinnati five but has to settle on another Vinatieri field goal as Cincinnati burned up their time-outs. There is still 1:34 remaining, plenty of time for Rodgers to work his magic and I replaced Grant at kick returner with D.J. Chark. BUT WAIT! Chark fumbles the return too and Pittsburgh recovers. With no timeouts left Brady takes three knees and the Steelers have their first win, 27-24. Two straight tough losses for Cincinnati.

Sam coached a great game. I don't know how he was winless to this point.

Brady finished 15 of 22 for 238 yards and two TDs with an INT. Foster caught two passes for 106 yards, both for scores. And the timeless Frank Gore rushed for 99 yards on 17 attempts.

For Cincinnati, Rodgers was 20 of 30 for 239 yards and two TDs. Gordon rushed 20 times for 89 yards and a score. Bruce Irvin collected two of the Bengals three sacks.

Next week, the reeling Bengals are at Jacksonville while the Steelers host Tennessee.

Oakland 40 Carolina 37                      73 0-5
Jason Myers kicks the game winning field goal as time expires for the 40-37 Oakland win.

Tampa Bay 45 Minnesota 42                   68
In their last 4 games, the Minnesota Vikings have seen the game tied up with less than a minute left: at 0:25, 0:27, 0:30 and 0:43 in the 4th quarter. In the games with 0:25 and 0:43 left, that was enough time for the game to be decided on a field goal with time expiring. In the game with 0:27 left, the opponent apparently won the coin toss (the game never said) for overtime, and then won the game in OT without the Vikings even touching the ball.

These games, nailbiters all, included games against powerhouses Los Angeles Rams (4-1), Green Bay (4-1) and Tampa Bay (4-1).

We could save a lot of time if we considered the game a tie and just played the last minute.

Tampa Bay and Minnesota was a full-value, entertaining contest.

First downs: Vikings 31, Bucs 30
Net yards: Bucs 525, Vikings 513
Rushing yards: Bucs 154, Vikings 141
Passing yards: Vikings 372, Bucs 371
Time: Vikings 33 min, Bucs 27 min
Red zone: 10 red zone trips combined, 10 touchdowns combined

Both teams were explosive! 1,038 yards for both teams combined!

Tampa Bay had the game wrapped up, 42-21 with less than 10 minutes to go in the 4th quarter, but
Drew Brees caught fire, engineering three touchdowns in a row to tie the game with 43 seconds left. On the first TD, Brees got the ball on his own 3 yard line, then went 97 yards for the score; on the second TD, Brees got the ball on his 20, then went 80 yards for the score; and on the last TD, Brees got the ball on his own 1 yard line (pinned in by a GREAT punt by the Bucs' Bryan Anger), but went 99 yards on 12 plays in only 2:37 for the game-tying score. 42-42, with 0:43 left.

The Vikings thought of a squib kick, but they didn't want to let the Bucs have good field position to get within range of a game-winning field goal. So they kicked off deep. But lo and behold, the Bucs, who hadn't done anything returning full kicks to that point, got a 49-yard return by Cordarrell Patterson to put them at midfield, and two successful passes by Derek Carr against a pass defense later, Janikowski booted the game-winner from 44 yards out. Tampa Bay wins 45-42.

What the Viking coach didn't realize was that Patterson was AVERAGING over 50 yards on kick returns to that point. Maybe the squib kick looks a little better in retrospect!

Individual stats:

Tampa Bay
Carr    25/33 371 yd 4 TD 151.6 rating
Adams 9 catches 112 yd 2 TD
Lockett 5 catches 114 yd
Gurley 20/116 2 TD

Minnesota
Brees 27/40 372 yd 5 TD 136.7 rating
A.Brown 11 catches 165 yd 3 TD
Smith-Schuster 8 catches 139 yd 2 TD
Elliott 20/120 1 TD

Next week, in intradivision battles, Tampa Bay hosts Green Bay (both 4-1 teams), and while Minnesota visits Detroit.

Indianapolis 27 Washington 16               69 5-15
The 1-3 Colts came to town to face the dismal 0-4 Redskins in a game that nobody was really interested in watching.

The Colts would get the opening kickoff and proceed to cram it down the Skins throat to go up 7-0. The following a Redskins drive wouldn’t last very long as Prescott would make an ill-advised throw and get picked off by Douglas. 2 plays later and the Colts were up 14-0. Prescott would make up for his mistake on the next series with a 11 play drive that would end with a 9 yard TD to Ebron. The Colts would manage a final drive at the end of the half to kick a FG to put them up by 10 at the half. The Redskins would receive the ball in the second half and Prescott would put together another nice long 12 play drive capped off by a 14 yard Prescott run for 6 points. Unfortunately Tavechio would miss the extra point. Not wanting to be out done Keenum would put together an 11 play driver where he two would run the ball in for 6. From here on out Washington would lose the battle of field position which would result in another 3 points for the Colts which would seal the Redskins fate.

The story of the game was the Colts running game. The colts managed 207 yards on the ground on 37 carries. While nobody would confuse Keenum for Peyton Manning, he did play well enough to keep the Redskins defense on their toes.

Colts move to 2-3 and look to keep the momentum going with a home game against the Pats

While Washington will travel to the desert to face the Arizona Cardinals.

Miami 38 New England 10                     54 0-5   Light Rain
Miami comes to town looking to continue their unbeaten streak which dates back to the season before last, while the Patriots look to rebound from their first loss of the season at the hands of the Jets.

A Lamar Jackson interception on the Patriots first drive positioned Miami to strike first, via a 35-yard field goal. 3-0 Miami

New England's defense held tough on the next drive, forcing a turnover. With the ball in Miami territory, Christian McCaffrey coughed it up after catching a screen pass and Miami was back in business.

Both squads' true colors emerged from that point on, as the Fins proceeded to score touchdowns on their next three possessions (3 TD passes by Goff, two to Cooks and one to Edelman) to close out the half. New England's defense was truly helpless against the Miami passing game. 24-0 Miami at the break.

Things went from bad to worse for the Pats as on the opening kick of the 2nd half, Darius Jennings raced 95 yards for the TD and the rout was on.

Final Score: Miami 38, New England 10

Brandin Cooks caught 6 passes for 107 yards, and Goff completed 20 of 31 for 247 yards and 3 TDs.

San Francisco 9 New Orleans 27              70
Flacco throws two TD passes and runs for another as Saints down the 49ers.

Rushing Leaders
Carson,C(LAR)   29-206
Cook,D(Chi)     12-125 1 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Kamara(Oak)     17-122 1 TD
Elliott,E(Min) 20-120 1 TD
Henry,D(Car)    19-119 3 TD
Gurley II(TB)   20-116 2 TD
Thomas,R(KC)    22-102
Hunt,K(Den)     13-101 1 TD
Conner(NO)      15-101
Allen,J(Jax)    14-76 3 TD

Receiving Leaders
Brown,A(Min)    11-165 3 TD
Hopkins,D(Ten)   7-161 2 TD

Passing Leaders
Brees(Min)      40-27-372   5 TD
Carr,D(TB)      33-25-371   4 TD
Darnold(Det)    43-27-363   3 TD 2 Int
Stafford(Oak)   41-25-351   3 TD
Mayfield(Bal)   53-28-339   2 TD 1 Int
Newton,C(Dal)   43-29-332   3 TD 1 Int
Roethlisbe(GB) 53-28-329   2 TD 2 Int
Ryan,M(Ten)     29-17-318   4 TD 2 Int
Watson,D(NYJ)   28-25-301   2 TD
Trubisky(SF)    45-30-255

Defensive Standouts
David(Hou)       16 Tk
Watt(Den) 2 SK, ST, FF – IFL Defensive Player of the Week

Special Teams
Roberts,A(Ten) 4-197 Kick Ret 1 TD 1-16 Punt Ret – IFL Special Teams Player of the Week
Myers,J(Oak)   4-4 FG

IFL WEEK 5 STANDINGS

IFL WEEK 5 LEAGUE LEADERS

IFL WEEK 4 RECAP

Minnesota's JuJu Smith-Schuster caught the game winning score as the Vikings edge Cincinnati on the road.

Game Scores
Minnesota 28 Cincinnati 27                  45 Calm
Week 4 of the IFL schedule saw the Minnesota Vikings and their potent offense visit Paul Brown Stadium. The fired up Cincinnati defense forced a three and out on the Viking offense opening drive. The Bengals marched to the Minnesota three but had to settle on a Fairbairn chip shot for a 3-0 lead. Once again the Cincinnati defense forced another three and out. This time the Bengal offense was able to score a touchdown as Rodgers connected with Jeffery on a 15 yard scoring play. The Viking offense finally woke up as Brees connected with fullback Kyle Juszcyk on a 15 yard pass for six, 10-7 Bengals with 11:40 left in the half. Cincinnati could not answer and they were forced to punt. A Craig Robertson sack played a part in the drive stalling. The Minnesota offense took advantage and thanks to a 30 yard Kyle Fuller P.I. Zeke Elliott would plow over from the one to give the Vikings a 14-10 lead at the half.

It did not take the Bengals long to regain the lead in the third quarter as Jeffery scored on a 46 yard pass at the 12:54 mark to give Cincinnati a 17-14 lead. The big "mo" seemed to be going in the Bengals favor as Elliott was stuffed on a fourth and one at the Cincinnati 33. The Cincinnati offense took advantage as Rodgers found Funchess for an 18 yard score to give Cincinnati a 24-14 lead with 4:48 remaining in the third. Minnesota would turn the ball over on downs once again to end the quarter.

The Bengals extended their lead to 27-14 early in the fourth but field goals aren't enough against the explosive Minnesota offense. An unexpected hero in Dontrelle Inman stepped up on the Vikings next drive catching a 19 yard pass on second and 15 and capped off the drive with a 18 yard TD pass to cut the Cincinnati lead to 27-21 with 8:15 remaining. Hoping for at least another field goal the Cincinnati drive stalled thanks to a holding penalty and a sack. The Bengals decided to punt instead of gambling on a 55 yard field goal. The Vikings got the ball back with 5:15 remaining at their own ten. Viking quarterback Drew Brees methodically led Minnesota completing six passes mixed in with an Elliott 23 yard run. Sitting at first and goal at the Bengals one, Cincinnati called a time-out to at least give the home team a chance. Loaded up front for Elliott, Brees connected with Smith-Schuster on the one yard pass for the go ahead score with 36 seconds remaining. There would be no miracles for Cincinnati as the Vikes get the road win.

Brees finished 27 of 38 for 270 yards and three TDs
Elliott rushed for 103 yards on 18 carries and a score.
Smith-Schuster finished with 10 receptions for 109 yards and a score.

For the Bengals Rodgers finished 20 of 30 for 280 yards and three touchdowns. Stat Pack running back Ronald Jones rushed for 81 yards on 17 attempts. And Alshon Jeffery caught 10 passes for 151 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Next week Minnesota welcomes Tampa Bay while Cincinnati host the Steelers.

Kansas City 10 Oakland 31                   68 5-15
Raiders improve to 4-0 as they roll over the Chiefs 31-10.

  Buffalo 17 Indianapolis 20                  69
Indianapolis, IND (IFL.com) – The Colts (1-3) a home dog (-4) get their first win of the season in front of a sold out Lucas Oil stadium and hand divisional rival Buffalo Bills (0-4) their fourth consecutive lost in this young season. The Bills dominated time of procession 38:19 to 21:41, converted 10 of 19 third downs compared to 2 of 9 for the Colts, and ran for 169 yards on 32 carries. However, their undoing came by way of the yellow flags, committing 9 infractions for a total of 86 yards, while the Colts was flagged only once for 5 yards.

The contest would start off very sloppy when both teams exchanged interceptions on their opening drives. With 5:29 left in the first quarter the Colts would tally the first score of the game on a fourth and goal from the 2-yard line when Sony Michel (RB) goes up the middle for the touchdown, 7 plays 45 yards, 7-0 Colts. Both teams could not put together any substantial threats and the first half would end with the Colts holding onto the slim 7-0 lead.

The second half would see a flurry of scoring when both teams would combine to score on 5 straight processions. At the 7:27 mark of the 3rd Qtr. Buffalo would get its first score of the game on a Graham Gano 39-yard field goal, 7-3 Colts. Indianapolis would strike back quickly on its next procession when Case Keenum, QB (24-12, 209 YD 2 TD 1 INT) hit Golden Tate, WR (3-94 YD, 68 LG 1 TD) on a simple medium fly pattern for a 68-yard catch and run TD, 14-3 Colts. It was the Bills turn to hit paydirt and they did, closing the gap to 10-14 on a fourth and goal from the 2 when T. J. Yeldon, RB (7-20 YD, 6 LG 1 TD) swept around the right end for the 2-yard score following an 11 play 75 yard 6:40 drive. The Colts would match the Bills with their own 11-75 yard 5:48 drive and score when Keenum completes a 10-yard medium slant to Keenan Allen, WR (7-95 YD, 23 LG 1 TD) in the end zone for the touchdown (XP no good), 20-10 Colts. Alex Smith, QB (42-22, 150 YD 1 TD 1 INT) and the Bills wouldn’t go away as they responded on their next procession with a 7-75 yard 2:56 drive which concluded with a 19-yard TD pass from Smith to Adam Humphries, WR (7-62 YD 19 LG 1 TD), 17-20 Colts.

With 3:12 left in the game and 3 time outs Buffalo would punt the ball inside the Colts 10-yard line. The Colts would seal the win with a 7 play 67 yard drive which included two 12 yard passes from Keenum to Allen and a back breaking 33 yard sweep by Isaiah Crowell, RB (15-91 YD 33 LG). After a couple kneel downs the Colts had secured their first victory of the season.

Houston 7 Los Angeles (A) 28                92 Calm
It was a Throwback Thursday as the Chargers invoked memories of “Air Coryell” during their 28-7 defeat of the winless
Texans. Eli Manning posted a perfect passer rating(158.3) as he connected on 19 of 23 passes for 358 yards and 4 touchdowns
of 15, 25, 62 and 83 yards.
The main recipients of his throws were Amari Cooper who posted a monster 7-185-26.4-3td line and Julio Jones with a
5-107-21.4-1td performance
. LA relied on the quick strike offense as Houston controlled the clock 38 minutes to 22, plus ran 62 plays to LA’s 41.

Tampa Bay 24 Chicago 34                     54 15-25
Tampa Bay (3-0) visited Chicago (1-2) in a week 4 divisional matchup. The Bucs were a 4 point road favorite, and the early going ran true to form. After scoring a FG on the opening drive, Tampa Bay followed up with a TD on their second drive, Carr 7 yards to Jackson. Tampa Bay 10 Chicago after one quarter.

The Bears offense woke up in the second quarter - Blue a 5 yard TD run made it 10-7, then a Cook 6 yard TD run gave Chicago a 14-10 lead. On the next drive, Onyemata sacked Carr, forcing a fumble, and Bobby Wagner ran it 48 yards for the score. A late field goal extended the Bear lead. Tampa Bay 10 Chicago 24 at the half.

The offenses slowed a bit in the 3rd. Tampa made it a one score game with a late TD (Gurley 4 yd run). Tampa Bay 17 Chicago 24 after 3.

Tampa Bay looked to come back in the 4th. After the Bears scored a FG, Carr found Adams from 12 yards out to pull within 3, but Mariota took the Bears on a long, time consuming drive to put the game away, Blue’s second TD of the game on a 3 yd run.

Tampa Bay: Carr 25/31, 261, 2 TD; Adams 7 rec, 95 yards, TD.
Chicago: 24/29, 234; Jones Jr. 8 red, 95 yards; Chicago D – 7 sacks.

Green Bay 37 Detroit 25                     70
Packers go into Detroit and get a fairly comfortable win.

After going down 17-0 Lions showed some life late in the first half after
a Ben Roethlisberger fumble. Rookie QB Sam Darnold found TE Vance McDonald from 16 yards out to cut the lead to 10 going into the break.

Packers got the ball to start the second half and marched down to
the Detroit 29 before settling for a 46 yard Robbie Gould FG. 20-7 visitors

Lions looked to have a huge momentum changing play when LB Jordan Evans picked off Roethlisberger at midfield and brought it back to the Green Bay 3. Packers defense stood firm and held the hosts to a short FG. 20-10.

Fired up by the huge defensive stand, Big Ben found a streaking Josh Gordon for a 66 yard TD. 27-10

On the next series S Rashad Jones picked off Darnold and took it 63 yards to the house. The lead had mushroomed to 34-10 and fans began streaming out of Ford Field.

Lions would score a couple of 4th quarter TD's but the deficit was just too great.

37-25 Final

Roethlisberger 18 of 24 308 yards 2 tds, 2ints
Gordon 6 for 169, 2TDs

Darnold 16-36 201 2TDs, 2ints
Sammy Watkins 5-80, TD
Fournette 8-13, 1.6 yard average

Green Bay (4-0) returns home to face a tough Chicago Bears squad(2-2)
Detroit (1-3) hosts AFC powerhouse Tennessee (3-1)

New England 17 New York (A) 35              56 0-5
The Jets hosted division rival New England on a beautiful night in New Jersey...

Jets fans were their rowdy selfs, and they weren’t too happy when Watson threw his first interception of the season on the opening drive of the game. The Pats took over on the Jet’s 27 yard line, and in 4 plays they made it 7-0 on a McCaffrey one yard run.

On their next possession Watson took care of the ball, and drove the Jets 75 yards on 8 plays, making it 7-7 on a 18 yard pass to Riddick. New England replied with a 14 play 80 yard drive. McCaffrey scored again on a 1 yard run, this time on 4th down. Coach Kolb sensed an offensive game, and wanted to get 7. Pats 14-7.

The Jets responded with another 75 yard drive capped off with a Watson to Thomas 13 yard pass, 14-14.

New England only had the ball for 5 plays, and the Jets had the ball back. On 2nd and 10 at their 24 yard line Watson hit Thomas on a short slant, a few missed tackles later Thomas was in the end zone...76 yard catch, and run...21-14, Jets.

The Pats ended the first half scoring with a 22 yard FG...Jets 21-17.

The only scoring in the 3rd quarter was medium hitch to Thomas that he turned into a 71 yard TD play...28-17 Jets.

With 10 minutes to go in the game Mack capped off a 52 yard drive with an 18 yard run making it 35-17 Jets.

The last 6 minutes ran off with both teams using their blowout lineups.

For the Jets...

Watson was 13-23 for 271 yards, 4 TD, 1 interception
Thomas 8 receptions for 227 yards and 4 TDs

For the Pats:

Tannehill was 7-13 for 102 yards
Jackson was 7-12 for 98 yards

McCaffrey 15 carries for 46 yards, 2 TDs
Sutton 3 receptions for 79 yards

Next week the Jets visit Buffalo, and New England hosts Miami.

Baltimore 21 Tennessee 30                   65 5-15
Tennessee's offense was rolling in the first half as they jetted out to a 24-7 lead by the 6 minute mark of the 2nd quarter. However Baker Mayfield lead the Ravens on a 75 yard drive near the end of the half that was finished off by a 14 yard TD pass to Will Fuller. Titans 24-14.

Baltimore then received the opening kickoff of the 3rd quarter and marched 68 yards to a TD. The score was now 24-21 Titans. Tennessee responded with a nice drive that stalled with a 4th and one at the Ravens 24. Coach Brunskill went conservative and opted for the 42 yard field goal and Dan Bailey rewarded him by shanking it. Both coaches questioned Brunskill's judgement.

Baltimore couldn't take advantage of the good field position and they went 3 and out. From his own 20 Matt Ryan orchestrated a 10 play 80 yard drive finished with his second TD pass to Deandre Hopkins. The point after was missed (Bailey!) and the score was 30-21 Titans.

Mayfield then completed 6 for 6 to move the Ravens down to the Titan one yard line with a third down half way through the 4th. Leveon Bell (a stat pac) then tried an outside run and was stoned for a 4 yard loss. Coach Master threw caution to the winds and gambled on a 4th and goal from the 5. Mayfield couldn't find an open receiver and tried to run it in but only gained two yards

The Titans took over on their 3 yard line but were stymied by an Aaron Donald sack on 3rd down and they had to punt from their end zone. The Ravens offense moved the ball down to the Titan 19 yard line and then Mike Daniels!! got his one sack for this season and also stripped the ball out to be recovered by Anwausor. This time the Titans effectively killed the clock.. Final Score 30-21 Tennessee.

Baltimore (1-3) hosts Jacksonville next week Tennessee (3-1) visits the Motor City.

Dallas 13 New York (N) 23                   73 0-10
After three straight away games to start their season (2-1), the G Men were extremely excited to come back home and play in front of their fans for three straight home games.

The first half of this game was a defensive battle as Dallas had five drives (FG,Punt,Punt,FG, End of half) and New York had four drives (FG,Missed FG, FG, FG). 9-6 Giants at half.

New York downs the opening kick off and the defensive battle continues as they go 3&out and punt away to Dallas' 29 yard line. The Cowboys get an offside penalty committed by Myles Garrett which starts a drive in which they move it all the way to the 50. On 2nd and 19 (after a holding penalty), Cam Newton gets picked off by Chris Harris and New York takes over on their 46 yard line. New York wanted to get their run game going and decided to give to Breida three straight times to take the Giants to 4th & Inches on the Cowboys 33 yard line. Coach Mays called a QB sneak with Wentz picking up the 1st and keeping the drive going and 2 plays later hit Breida on a screen pass to score the first touchdown of the game. 16-6 Giants with 4:36 left in the 3rd quarter.

The Cowboys down the ensuing kickoff and run three straight times with McCoy. Giants D holds strong bringing up a 4th & Inches on Dallas' own 35. Dallas opted for a QB sneak instead of punting and the Giants defense comes up with a HUGE stop stuffing Cam Newton. Six plays later, Wentz hits TE Nick Vannett for an 11 yard touchdown. 23-6 Giants with 14:54 left in the 4th quarter.

Dallas downs the kick and gain 15 yards before punting away to the Giants. Wentz leads a drive from their own 21 all the way to Dallas' 27 taking off close to 7 minutes off the clock before Santos misses his 2nd FG of the game giving the Cowboys the ball back at their own 27 with 5 minutes left on the clock. Cam Newton decides to get hot too little too late and hits six straight passes including a 7 yard touchdown to McCoy with 40 seconds on the clock. 23-13 Giants with :40 left in the game.

The Giants recover the onside kick and kneel on the ball to get win number 3 on the young season. Was a great defensive battle for most of the game.

Arizona 28 Miami 45                         70
Week 4 has the Cardinals visiting Miami. Arizona comes in with Big play, play makers Patrick Mahomes and Saquon Barkley looking for the upset and although they wouldn't quite get it done, they would not disappoint. Although Miami never trailed in the game, the game was tied 7 all early and twice Arizona cut the lead to 3, the last time with only 7:09 remaining in the game, but the Dolphins would get the TD on the ensuing drive with only 2:09 left to go up by 10, icing the game, the last TD was a gimme as the Cardinals turned it over on downs deep in their own territory. Arizona got 3 TD's from Mahomes while throwing for 306 yards and Barkley would account for 206 total yards and 2 TD's including a 75 yard TD Scamper in the 2nd quarter. Miami would counter with Jared Goff throwing for 291 yards and 3 TD's and AP adding another 111 yards and a TD on the ground. A very well played game from both Teams.
Next week Arizona travels to Dallas and Miami travels to New England

Atlanta 29 San Francisco 28                 73 15-25
In a game that will long be remembered by 49er fans, division rival Falcons met SF as a 4 point favorite.
Before the scoring summary, consider this. Your team just stopped a powerful running attack on 4th and 1 on your own 1 yard line. You hold a 5 point lead. The clock is stopped at 18 seconds left. It's in the bag right? What would you do? Dive with your best fumble free back? Kneel down and take a safety punting to the other team who has a great return man with a 3 point lead? Throw a long pass (or maybe 2 considering the seconds left?)
Well, SF took the first option. Peyton Barber had 1 fumble in over 270 touches (about 1/3 of 1 % chance happening. Well, the impossible happened. Peyton fumbled, Atlanta recovered and ran it in on the next play for a 29-28 victory.
How we got there. The first half watched powerful Atlanta attack run 75, 61 and 68 yards all for TDs. Coleman 1 yards run, Miller 2 yard run and Rivers to Agholer 19 yard pass. 1 XP missed. SF answered with Trubisky throwing into 2 man rush coverage almost all the time fashioning drives of 75 yards and 71 yards for TDs Howard scored on a 5 yard run and Trubisky-Diggs for 19 yards The 49ers a "mini" drive that resulted in a missed 42 yard FG by Crosby.?? A big miss.
Score at half time: Falcon 20, 49er 14.
Bother defenses tightened up in the 3rd qtr.. The only scoring opportunity came up after a Atlanta short punt resulted in a SF short drive where once again Crosby missed a 47 yard FG. Another huge miss.
The action picked up in the 4th qtr. After the only Rivers INT of the day which was deep in Atlanta territory, Trubiskey hit Reed for a 15 yards TD giving the 49ers a 21-20 lead. The Falcons then answered with a 65 yard drive resulting in a Forbath 23 yard FG. Atlanta 23, SF 21.?? Not over yet, SF answered with a 7 play 75 yard drive. To keep it alive on a 3 and 10, Trubisky unexpectedly took off on a 26 yard run. A couple of plays later, Trubisky hit Diggs again, this time for a 32 yard strike. SF leads 28-23! Crowd goes crazy!
Not over still. Atlanta with a little over 4 minutes left goes on a 61 yard drive lead by Rivers passing. With 43 second left they are on the SF 7 yard line . With 18 second left they have a 4 and 1 (goal line) and send Lamar Miller into the middle where he is stopped!???? Game over, right??? Go back and read the opening paragraphs to see what happened! The ending is now known in SF football lore are the "effin" fumble.
All credit goes to Atlanta coach Marty Golden who road this roller coaster with me and threw everything he had and got the win he really deserved. Star of the game for SF was Trubisky who was 19-29 for 209 yards, 3 TDs and ran for 33 yards to boot. He ended up with a 121.2 QBR. Philip Rivers 21-31, 273 yds, a TD and INT for a 91 QBR. Coleman ran for 97 yards for the Falcons and Diggs caught 8 passes for 123 and 2 TDs. Atlanta had 26 first downs and SF had 23. Over 700 yards were gained.

Washington 14 Philadelphia 24               73 0-5
The Skins and Eagles met for the final time this season as the schedule makers wanted early divisional games in 2019. In the first meeting, won by the Eagles 20-6, the Skins were hampered by 3 turnovers and a stout Eagle D. In the encore meeting, it would be a closer nip and tuck game, but still marred by turnovers and penalties from both teams.

The Eagles would get on the board first Eagle QB Jameis Winston orchestrating a 12 play 87-yard drive culminating with a 13 yard TD pass to TE Evan Engram. The Skins would come right back with Skins QB Dak Prescott connecting on a deep pass with WR Dante Petting to knot the game at 7. Winston would get right back to work and, with the help of several key penalties, take the Eagles on another long drive. This time it would be RB Brian Hill over the top from the 1. Eagles up 14-7. Prescott was not going to let the spotlight be taken from him by Winston on this day, so, of course, he leads the Skins down the field and throws another TD to Pettis. That would tie the score at 14 going into halftime.

The Eagles would take the opening 2nd half kickoff and, in short order, score. This time it was Winston to WR John Brown on a 55-yard connection that got the Eagles to the Redskin 1. This time its RB Kerryon Johnson over the top to make it 21-14 Eagles. At this point, it became a game of turnovers. After a Redskin punt, Eagle RB Bilal Powell would fumble on 1st down on their own 9-yard line giving the Skins a prime opportunity to tie the score. However, Prescott would try to sneak a pass to Pettis over the middle. What first seemed to be an incomplete pass ended up being challenged by Coach Mason. The coach's call was a good one as the pass was ruled an interception by CB Bashaun Breeland.

The game would go back and forth until midway into the 4th quarter. After a Redskin fumble at midfield, Winston would get the Eagles into FG range with a little more than 5 minutes remaining. K Harrison Butker would connect on a 41-yard kick that would extend the lead to 24-14. That was as close as the Redskins would get and the Eagles would hold on and remain undefeated on the season.

This was a true team effort by the Eagles on offense and defense. Next up for the Eagles is a date with the NY "football" Giants who are only 1 game behind in the NFC East. The Redskins will try to rebound against the Colts.

Carolina 31 New Orleans 42                  70
Joe Flacco throws five touchdown passes as Saints pick up their first win of the season.

Pittsburgh 3 Jacksonville 30                77 0-5   Rain
   Costly Pittsburgh turnovers (6) spoiled a valiant defensive effort as the Jags down the Steelers 30-3. Pittsburgh's defence played well enough for the win by only surrendering 134 total yards but it was the Jags D that continuously shut down Tom Brady and company that won the day.

Next week the Jags are in Baltimore and the Steelers travel to Cinci.
Los Angeles (N) 20 Denver 13                66 0-5
It was a great game until Bortles started to give away the ball.
Who da thunk it!!!

Rams get the win 20-13 to stay undefeated while the Broncos drop to 2-2.

Rushing Leaders
Mack,M(NYJ)     16-129 1 TD
Peterson,A(Mia) 25-111 1 TD
Elliott,E(Min) 18-103 1 TD

Receiving Leaders
Thomas,M(NYJ)    8-227 3 TD
Cooper,A(LAC)    7-185 3 TD
Gordon,J(GB)     6-169 2 TD
Jeffery(Cin)    10-151 2 TD
Shepard,S(NO)    5-116 3 TD
Smith-Schuster(Min) 10-109 1 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week
Ridley,C(Hou)   10- 62

Passing Leaders
Wilson,R(Car)   38-27-385   3 TD
Manning(LAC)    23-19-348   4 TD
Mayfield(Bal)   39-26-343   2 TD
Ryan,M(Ten)     37-25-316   4 TD
Roethlisbe(GB) 24-18-308   3 TD 2 Int
Mahomes(Ari)    42-23-306   3 TD 1 Int
Watson,D(NYJ)   23-13-271   4 TD 1 Int
Flacco(NO)      16-13-238   5 TD

Defensive Standouts
Autry(LAR)       3 Sk 5 Tk
Floyd,L(LAR)     2 Int 5 Tk – IFL Defensive Player of the Week

Special Teams
Smith,Tr(NO)   5-212 Kick Ret – IFL Special Teams Player of the Week

IFL WEEK 4 STANDINGS

IFL WEEK 4 LEAGUE LEADERS

IFL WEEK 3 RECAP

Andre Roberts racked up 178 punt return yards including an 83 yard return for a TD in the Titans week 3 win at Jacksonville.

Game Scores
Tennessee 33 Jacksonville 7                 97 5-15
The score was flattering. The Titans race out to a 30-0 halftime lead and never looked back. Lead by a defensive touchdown and another on a return it was basically a day off for the men in blue.

Titans
Ryan: 12 of 19 for 116, 2tds
Martin: 7 carries 80 yards, 1td
Roberts: 6PRs 178 yards, 1 td

Jags
Johnson: 25 carries 94 yards (garbage time)

Miami 34 Buffalo 10                         59 10-20
The Miami Dolphins come to Buffalo looking to go 3 and 0 and have little problem doing that as they dominate the Bills 34-10 as they took the gas off the pedal in the second half to coast to victory. Jared Goff threw 3 TD's in a 14-19 showing and a 147.4 rating with Edelman and Cooks each catching five passes with Edelman catching 2 TD passes. For the Bills Adam Humphries caught ten balls and Vander Esch returned a fumble 51 yards for a TD. Miami will host Arizona next week while the Bills will visit the Colts.

Philadelphia 34 Arizona 28                  95 Calm
Mahomes to Earth, I have landed! And land he did, hard lessons learned. Like all young quarterbacks, Mahomes needs to learn not to force the ball to tightly covered receivers. Arizona was defeated by the Eagles in a classic brawl Sunday afternoon. Too often Mahomes' tried to throw the laser perfect pass to well covered receivers and paid the price for it with two Eagle interceptions. One of the interceptions would be returned for an Eagle touchdown and ultimately was the difference in the game.

Nevertheless it was a game which kept Zona fans in the stadium until the last play. Time and time again, the Eagles would score and widen the gap only to watch Mahomes and Barkley answer to keep the pressure on. While the Eagles would roll up 388 yards on the day, the Cardinals would put up 437 yards in a losing effort. If only the Cardinals had a defense!

The Eagles played hard nosed football and were patient enough to run the ball for large rewards. Winston was brilliant on the day finishing with a 109 QB rating. However, perhaps the biggest negative for Arizona was playing without star left tackle Terron Armstead. Mahomes would be under pressure all game absorbing 5 sacks. In the end, the negative plays and interceptions were just too much to overcome as the Eagles prevailed 34 to 28. Arizona travels to Miami next week where Mahomes will attempt to again soar like an Eagle, no pun intended to Philadelphia!

New Orleans 24 Los Angeles (N) 31           82 Calm
Rams and Saints renewed their division rivalry for the 2019 season in Los Angeles. Both teams were involved in nail-biters the previous week, which begged the question how would these teams respond. The Saints endured a heart breaking loss to Green Bay, while the Rams escaped Minnesota with a close win. Saints fans' eyes were on the body language of Saints Kicker Brandon McManus, who missed two critical kicks in the Green Bay game. After today's game it's clear McManus is still working out the kinks.

The Rams got out to a fast starting posting 14 points at the midway point of the second quarter. The Rams again had the ball, looked to make it a three score game. But the Rams were relatively deep in their own end. A Questionable deep ball play call back fired on the Rams as Luck tried to check it down and it was intercepted by Saints safety Curtis Riley. Riley ran it in for a score. This play charged up the Saints and the game became a dog-fight. The Rams answered with a field goal, 17-7 Rams. One of the key plays of the game happened on the ensuing Saints drive. Saints QB Joe Flacco and Coach Rice ran a perfect 2 minute drill, moving the ball into field goal range. McManus nervously took the field to attempt the 43 yarder. It was not to be, he shanked it. That would be demoralizing for most teams, but the Saints hung in.

2nd half, the Saints moved the ball nearly the length of the field, but settle for a field goal. This time McManus was true, 17-10 Rams. The game turned into a see-saw affair, the Rams answered, Rams QB Andrew Luck led a quick drive that ended with a 6 yard pass to Trey Burton for a TD, 24-10 Rams. Flacco, with an answer of his own, hit Cole Beasley with an 18 yard strike, 24-17 Rams. The Rams stumbled on their next possession. Saints got the ball back. Momentum seemed to be shifting. Saints with the ball on their 25 yard line on 2nd down, when the game deciding play happened. Flacco ran play action and looked deep, but Rams DE Trey Flowers stripped Flacco. The ball was picked up by Rams DT Denico Autry who ran it in for a defensive touchdown, 31-17 Rams. The Saints eventually added another touchdown with 1:43 left in the game. They failed to recover the onside kick which essentially ended the game.

Rams Stars:
Andrew Luck 246 yards 3 Touchdowns 1 Int
TY Hilton 7 Catches 108 yards

Saints Stars:
James Conner 149 All purpose yards
Joe Flacco 266 yards 2 Touchdowns 1 Int

Next week the Saints look to get revenge on their week 1 opponent, Carolina, in the bayou, while the Rams will head to the thin air of Denver.

Pittsburgh 14 Tampa Bay 27                  78 0-10
The Steelers travel to Tampa Bay seeking their first win of the year versus the 2 - 0 Bucs. This one was all Buccaneers as they lead 24 - 0 at halftime and 27 - 0 into the fourth quarter. Two late Pittsburgh touchdowns make the score somewhat respectable at the end. Tampa adds a third win with a 27 - 14 final.

Next week Pittsburgh tries again at Jacksonville while Tampa Bay goes on the road for the first time to visit Chicago.

Detroit 21 Chicago 26                       83 0-10 Rain
Detroit (1-1) visited Chicago (0-2) in a divisional matchup, the Bears favored by 1. After an exchange of punts, the Bears stopped the Lions on 4th and one from the Chicago 38. Chicago scored first on a Mariota 3 yard scramble, but Detroit followed with a drive of its own to tie the game, Darnold a 14 yard pass to Watkins. 7-7 after 1.

Chicago added a field goal in the 2nd quarter, but the Lions answered again going 75 yards in 3 plays. Fournette ran it in from 19 yards out. The Bears put together a 13 play drive of their own, but Mariota throws an interception in the end zone and the half ends Detroit 14 Chicago 10.

The 3rd period belonged to the Bears – two field goals followed by a Mariota 18 yard TD pass to Cook. Detroit 14 Chicago 23 after 3.

After another late field goal by the Bears in the 4th, the Lions drove quickly down the field to make it a one score game, Darnold 45 yards to Watkins. After forcing a 3 and out, Detroit had the ball with 1:19 left but no timeouts. The comeback failed to materialize.

Darnold 16/31, 244, 2 TD; Mariota 23/36, 336, TD, INT

Oakland 30 Los Angeles (A) 13               97 Calm Rain
     Raiders pull out a 30-13 win that was much closer than it looked. The Raiders' defense forces and recovers two fumbles in the second half that flipped the field and led to two scores that fueled the 17-point victory.

Carolina 27 San Francisco 17                66 5-15
After the Panthers opened with a 74 yard drive that ended with a FG by Lambo, The 49ers dominated for the rest the first half. Mitch Trubiskey passed to Tyler Boyd 12 yards and later plunged in from 1 yard out. The next 4 possessions for the Panthers ended in 45 yards total and at half time the score was SF 14, Carolina 3.

Different teams came out in the second half. Carolina TOTALLY dominated with sustained BACK TO BACK drives 91, 74, and 84 yards. Finishing the drives were Russell Wilson passes of 5 yards to Amendola and 11 yards to Evans. Drake had a 28 yard run for a score. Meanwhile, 49ers only had possession only 3 times in the entire half initially resulting in a FG but then stoned cold.

Carolina rolled up over 360 yards in the 2nd half. Russell Wilson, ice cold in the 1st half finished with 15-28, 189 yards, 2 TDs and no INTs. Henry rushed to 101 yards but Carolina team total running was 223 yards for a 7.0 average.

49ers Mitch Trubiskey who did not have a bad day was 20-33 for 190 yards, 1 TD passing and 1 TD running with no interceptions. But if your defense can't get you the ball, you can't be all that effective.

Rarely does one play make a difference in the games outcome, but there was this one play. Sean coached a great game including when the score was tied 17-17 went for a 4th an 2 on his own 23! That play was blown dead as it resulted in a 5 yard Panther penalty. Not deterred, Sean went for it again on 4th and 7! Wilson then hit Drake for 11 yards and the drive continued for 8 minutes and 84 yards resulting in the game winning TD. Had the 4th down failed, Carolina does not score a TD and SF
gets at least a FG.

Green Bay 33 Minnesota 27                   68
Same old, same old -- except this time with a lesson learned.
Trailing Minnesota by 20-7 with 8 seconds left in the 1st half, Green Bay, instead of kicking the safe field goal, gambled and went for a touchdown on their last play of the half from 18 yards out -- and got it! Ben Roethisberger to Josh Gordon, 18 yard pass, against a 3-1 pass defense -- a gutsy call, typical of Green Bay's swashbuckling coach John "Snake" Conners, who cut the halftime deficit was only one score, 20-14.
Just one play, but it summed up why Green Bay wins.
Why Minnesota keeps coming up short was shown by a play with two minutes in the game.
In the 2nd half, Green Bay mounted 4 long drives. One was a 95-yard drive that ended in a 4-yard TD run by Phillip Lindsay that put the Packers up 21-20. The drive looked to be stalled several times with third and longs, but time and again the Packers got the first down, passing, largely against a 3-1 pass defense by the Vikings that failed.
Fast forward to the end of the game: Minnesota, leading 27-24 with 2:19 to go in the game, had a 4th and 4 on GB's 43 yard line. Too long for a FG. Green Bay would have gone for it. But Minnesota, instead of going for it, and probably getting the first down and running out the clock for the win, played conservative and punted. The Vikes got only a net 21 yards out of the punt. Those 21 yards made it a little more difficult for Green Bay to get a game-winning touchdown. But it did not stop them from tying the game with 27 seconds left on a 44-yard field goal by Robbie Gould.
Moral: When you have a chance to win the game, go for it. Especially when your quarterback leads the league in passing rating and your running back was the NFL's leading rusher.
Going to overtime, 27-27.
You would think DKS would have a coin toss. But no, no coin toss, Green Bay was just given the ball. And, of course, they scored a touchdown to win the game, 33-27, without the Vikings even touching the ball.
Analyzing the game afterwards, the Minnesota coach discovered that the Vikings' vaunted 3-1 defense had been deployed 8 times, mostly in 3rd and long situations, and the Packers had completed 7 passes against it, averaging over 20 yards. That "defense" cost Minnesota the game.
Taking a closer look at the 3-1 defense, the coach also discovered that, while that defense had been effective last year, it figured to be a disaster this year: it featured the three worst pass defenders on the Viking roster. You'd think a coach would know that, but no, not this "coach".
The Vikes are 1-2, but easily could be 3-0 if the coach knew what he was doing. It would only take about one play per game to go differently for the Vikings to be undefeated. That is the "twist" of the lesson we learned this time. We FIRED the defensive coordinator -- no more 3-1 defense, dummy!!
Stat-wise, Drew Brees threw for 332 yards and 4 TDs for a 126.3 passing rating, and Roethlisberger had 412 yards, completing 33 of 50 passes, for 3 TDs and a 111.4 passing rating. For the Packers, Gordon had 141 yards and 2 TDs receiving, and Emmanuel Sanders had 128 yards, while JuJu Smith-Schuster had 120 yards and 3 TDs and Antonio Brown had 113 yards and 1 TD for the Vikings.
The Packers go to 3-0 and play at Detroit next week. The Vikes go to Cincinnati., another one of the IFL's best teams. Would the easier part of our schedule please show up soon?

Houston 21 Atlanta 24                       68
It was all the Falcons could do to win this one. Pete coached an excellent game and it took a 50 yard breakaway TD run by Raheem Mostert, a kickoff return for a TD by Jakeem Grant and a couple of big defensive stops at the end for the Falcons to win.

The Mostert TD gave the Falcons a 7-0 lead but the Texans countered with 2 TD passes by Kirk Cousins to Calvin Ridley and Chris Godwin to give the Texans the momentum and lead 14-7 going into halftime.

The Falcons Jakeem Grant opened the second half with the kick return for a TD to tie up the game 14-7. After trading punts, the Texans dominated the clock for the balance of the 3rd quarter. They went on a 17 play 93 yards drive ending in a Joe Mixon 1 yard TD run after controlling the ball for 10:19.

On the next drive, the Falcons' Tevin Coleman rushed 3 times for 38 yards leading to a 16 yard TD pass from Phillip Rivers to Nelson Agholor to tie the game at 21-21 with 12:08 left in the 4th.

The Texans went for it on 4th and 3 on their next drive but the Falcons doubled the intended target, Curtis Godwin, to force the turnover on downs.

Tied up at 21-21 with 9:23 left in the 4th, the Falcons drove the ball down to the Falcons 8 yard line before the drive stalled to force a Kai Forbath 26 yard chip shot FG to give the Falcons a 24-21 lead with 4:19 remaining in the game.

The Falcons pass rush blew up the next Texans drive with 2 big sacks for a total loss of 16 yards to force the Texans to punt on 4th and 20 from the Falcons 48 yard line.

The Texans used their 3 timeouts and the 2 minute warning to get the ball back with 1:03 left. The Falcons D came up big again with a Demonte Kazee interception, before the Texans could really threaten, with 0:33 left.

The Falcons kneel and run out the clock on a 24-21 home win to go to 2-1 while the Texans fall to 0-3.

New York (N) 23 Washington 19               64 0-10
The Redskins would host the hated Giants this week and the crowd was downright hostile…. As the Giants players entered the stadium to chants of “CHEATERS” The Redskins looked to rebound from a failed upset bid in Miami and take advantage of the offseason chaos of a NY team that is on its 3rd coach in approximately 3 months. In the first half the Skins D would give the fans what they wanted to see.. a dominating performance that saw the G-Men throw up a goose egg while Prescott was efficient leading the Redskins to a 9-0 1st half lead.

To start the second half the Redskins put together a promising drive when Prescott was forced from the field for a few plays and they were forced to put. The Giants ace return man Cannon would breath life into the team taking the punt 66 yards and giving the G-men great filed position. Breida would punch it to make it a 9-7 game. Washington would respond with a grueling 16 play drive that would result in a FG. Unfortunately on that drive the Redskins would lose their star rb Aaron Jones to a knee injury. The following drive the Defense would do their part when Eric Reid would pick 6 Wentz and put the skins up 19-7. The spark would be provided by the IFL leper Matt Breida. Breida spent his offseason rumored in trade talks with just about every team in the IFL until finally finding a home with the 3rd owner of the Giants. Breida would provide the quick answer with 2 30+ yard carries with the second going for 6 and punt the Giants within striking distance.   With the earlier loss of Aaaron Jones the Redskins defense got stuck in neutral and would have to rely on their defense to win the game. However as strong as they had played all game they would fail when it mattered most.. on a 3rd and 10 from the 11 yard line with just under 2 minutes left Wentz would hit Golladay with a strike to give them a 20-19 lead. The kickoff would be fumbled by rookie Mike Hughes and the Giants would tack on another 3 points to make it a 23-19 lead. Prescott would do his best to mount a game winning drive but would run out of time…. For the second week in a row the Redskins upset falls short…

Washington will head to Philly for a week 1 rematch While the Giants will host the Cowboys.

New England 31 Dallas 7                     70
    Dallas fans smelled an upset during the first quarter after the Cowboys took the opening drive into Patriots territory before stall only to miss a 45-yard field goal. Our sprits remain optimistic when New England took over and we sacked Tannehill and then scored following a New England's punt.

The momentum and mood changed after that as Kevin led his team to a FG and then a score to take a 10-7 lead headed into the locker room.   Cam Newton's throws in the second half were all over the place and the Cowboys' sub-par running backs couldn't even run the ball against a 2-4 defense.
When the dust settled, New England remained undefeated with a 31-7 road win.

Lamar Jackson, who shared QB duties for the Pats with Tannehill, was named game MVP. Jackson, who had been scouted as run-first QB, completed 9 of 10 passes for 152 yards and two scores. He also scored with his legs in the contest. McCaffrey had a couple of long gains: 46 yards on an electrifying run and a 44-yard reception on a pass as his elusiveness was on display after the catch.


Cincinnati 34 Baltimore 14                  75 0-10
Since Baltimore joined the league in 2011, the Ravens have beaten the Bengals just once...in game 15 of Baltimore's failed attempt to make the 2019 playoffs. That's 1-15, but on a one game 1 win streak. Unfortunately (for the Ravens), things returned to "normal" and Cincinnati pretty much did whatever they wanted. The game, however, did it's best to keep things close, but in the end, even the Ravens and DKS couldn't beat Aaron Rodgers and the Bengals. Cincy prevailed 34-14.

The game started poorly for the Ravens...a holding penalty on the first play...3 yard run by Le'Veon Bell and two incomplete passes before punting. Feeling generous, Baltimore gave the Bengals a 5 yard head start with an encroachment penalty on the first Bengals' play. Rodgers took it from there completing passes of 15, 13, 13 and 18 yards - that last one was a TD to Devin Funchess. Cincinnati 7-0.

Baltimore got a first down on a Mayfield-to-Thielen connection on the first play of their second possession, but another yellow hankie set them back 5 yards before they could get another play off. Three plays later they were punting...again.

Rodgers again marched the Bengals downfield, this time completing passes of 8, 5, 17, 11, 15 and 10 before the drive stalled and Fairbairn booted a 30-yard FG. Cincinnati 10-0.

Mayfield connected with Adam Thielen for 11 and 9.9 yards, but the Ravens couldn't gain 12 inches in 2 plays and punted...again.

After a 17-yard completion to start the Bengals next drive, the DKS game engine intervened and decided this was a good time for Earl Thomas to step in front of a Rodgers pass for his first INT of the season. Three plays later, Mayfield hit DeAndre Carter in the endzone for a 16-yard TD. Cincinnati 10-7.

Rodgers went back to work, connecting for 23, 3, 16, 13 and 15...that last one was a TD to Everett, coming immediately after Baltimore lost an 85% challenge on a would-be INT. Cincinnati 17-7.

Three punts ensued and the Bengals ended up with the ball barely on their side of the 50 with just over a minute on the clock before half-time. A 9-yard gain put the ball on the Raven 43 with :39 ticks left. Again, the DKS game engine decided to keep things close. Rodgers completed a short, 3-yard check-down to Alshon Jeffrey, but in trying to gain a couple extra yards, the ball popped out and into the arms to S Eric Murray, who ran it 60 yards into the endzone for a Raven score. Cincinnati 17-14 at the half.

Baltimore's D held for a 3-and-out on Cincy's first possession, but Mayfield gave the ball back, throwing it to LB Trevathan. Rodgers made quick work of the opportunity, his second completion was a 18-yard TD to Eifert. Cincinnati 24-14.

Baltimore punted on their next possession and Cincinnati chewed up all the time in the 3rd Q. Fairbairn's 41-yard FG opened the final quarter. Cincinnati 27-14.

Down two scores in the 4th, Mayfield started slinging it like spaghetti in an Italian restaurant and the Bengal defense was eatin' it up. Three INTs later, the Bengals capped the scoring with a 1-yard Jones plunge. Don't think the Bengals were running up the score. What were they supposed to do after Mayfield gave it to them on the 1?

So, things return to normal and the Bengals blitz the Ravens 34-14.

Rodgers finished with 401 yards on 35 completions in 49 attempts. Three of the completions were TDs, all to different receivers.

Mayfield completed more passes to the Bengals than Rodgers threw TDs. =)

Cincinnati (2-1) hosts Minnesota (1-1) next week, while the Ravens (1-2) travel to Music City to take on Tennessee (1-1).

Indianapolis 25 New York (A) 32             76 0-10
After playing their first two games on the road, the Jets hosted the Colts in their home opener this past Friday night.

Things didn’t start well for the Jets...their first drive was a 3 and out. Then the Colts scored on their first possession...3-0 Colts. The two teams then each had a 3 and out before New York finally got their offense going. They went 84 yards in 10 plays with Watson going 7-7, and hitting Riddick for a 13 yard TD.

Another Colt 3 and out, and the Jets took 7 plays to get a FG to go up 10-3. On the next possession the Colts coughed it up, and a play later Watson hit Woods with a short slant that he turned into a 39 yard TD, 17-3.

The Colts hit a 39 yard FG cut it to 17-6.

Indianapolis scored twice in the 3rd quarter, and cut the lead to 17-15. With 17 seconds to go in the 3rd Watson hit Olawale with a 5 yard pass to go up 24-15.

The Colts then scored 10 straight points to take a 25-24 lead with 5:54 to go. Watson then drove the Jets 75 yards in 9 plays taking 3:32 off the clock, and finished the drive with a 5 yard TD run. The Jets went for two, and converted making it 32-25

Indianapolis had the ball with 2:22 to go, but no timeouts. They ran 6 plays, but only gained 19 yards, turning it over on downs. Jets win 32-25.

Watson was 19-21 for 252 yards and 3 TDs. He also ran for a TD.
Mack ran 17 times for 74 yards.
Thomas had 7 receptions for 109.

For the Colts:

Keenum was 20-35 for 266 yards.
Crowell was 17-109
Tate had 8 receptions for 139.

Next week the Jets host the Pats, and the Colts host the Bills.

  Denver 23 Kansas City 20                    81 0-5
The Broncos rush for 242 yards and for the 2nd week in a row KC loses in OT by identical scores.

Rushing Leaders
Breida(NYG)     16-135 2 TD
Crowell(Ind)    17-109 2 TD
Mixon(Hou)      20-107 1 TD
Barkley,S(Ari) 17-104
Hunt,K(Den)     23-102 1 TD
Henry,D(Car)    15-101

Receiving Leaders
Sanders,E(GB)   10-128
Smith-Schu(Min) 9-120 3 TD
Brown,A(Min)    10-113 1 TD
Moore,D(Oak)    11-108 3 TD
Kirk(Ari)        6-100 3 TD
Humphries(Buf) 10- 82
Brown,J(Phi)     4- 75 3 TD – IFL Offensive Player of the Week

Passing Leaders
Roethlisbe(GB) 50-33-412   3 TD
Rodgers,A(Cin) 49-35-401   3 TD 1 Int
Stafford(Oak)   48-35-372   3 TD
Mahomes(Ari)    47-27-349   4 TD 2 Int
Mariota(Chi)    36-23-336   1 TD 1 Int
Brees(Min)      42-30-332   4 TD

Defensive Standouts
Williams,L(NYG) 3 Sk 3 Tk – IFL Defensive Player of the Week

Special Teams
Rosas(Chi)     4-4 FG
Hauschka(Ind) 4-4 FG
Roberts,A(Ten) 6-178 Punt Ret 1 TD – IFL Special Team Player of the Week

IFL WEEK 3 STANDINGS

IFL WEEK 3 LEAGUE LEADERS

IFL WEEK 2 RECAP

Raider's Grady Jarrett three sacks earned him IFL Defensive honors in Oakland's week two win over the Bengals.

Game Scores

Cincinnati 24 Oakland 30                    62 0-10
Raiders dominated the first three quarters as Stafford threw two TD passes and led 24-0. Rodgers gets hot in the final quarter throwing two touchdown passes including one with seven seconds remaining to Jarius Wright to tie the score at 24. However, Oakland won the toss and marched down the field as Stafford hit Kamara for the game winner, 30-24.

Rodgers finished 23 of 41 for 302 yards and two TDs. Paul Richardson caught five passes for 105 yards and a score.

Stafford finished 25 of 41 for 247 yards and three TDs. Kelce caught 9 of his 18 targets for 91 yards and a TD.

Next week Cincinnati travels to Baltimore while Oakland visits the Chargers.

New York (N) 13 New England 27              66 5-15
With both teams coming off Week 1 victories, the Giants and the Patriots were looking to stack another in the W column to move their record to 2-0. For NY, this was the second of three consecutive road games to open the season, while New England hosts for the second consecutive week after defeating Buffalo in the opener.

After an ineffective drive to open the game by NE, Carson Wentz wasted little time against the Patriot defense. Matt Breida opened the drive with a 25 yard gallop out near midfield. A 21-yard completion to Golladay followed immediately after. An 8-yard completion to TE Fells and a 10 yard scramble by Wentz had NY inside the Patriot 5 yard line. Wentz capped the drive with a 3 yard TD to Robby Anderson and NY had the quick 7-0 lead.

Tannehill looked to answer back with a 15 yard completion to Courtland Sutton to open the NE drive. Neheim Hines converted on a 3rd and 5 with an 11 yard dash, and Lamar Jackson came on to hit Hines for a short 6 yard pass moments later. A Tannehill to Zay Jones resulted in a 21 yard gain. Two plays later, Tannehill hit Sutton for an 18 yard TD catch and the game was tied with 2 minutes left in the opening quarter. 7-7

After NY's next drive produced little yardage, Tannehill stayed red hot, hitting Greg Olsen for 22 yards to the NE 41 to end the quarter. An 8 yard completion to McCaffrey was followed by a second TD pass from Tannehill to Sutton, this one for 47 yards, and it was 14-7 NE early in Q2.

NY managed to gain a first down on their next drive but were still forced to punt back to NE. Richie James ran the punt back for 46 yards, and NE was in business again at the NY 38 yard line. The Patriots converted on a 4th and 3 (eschewing the long field goal) when Tannehill connected with McCaffrey for 11 yards. That ultimately allowed NE to move into more comfortable range and Jake Elliott hit a 40 yard FG into the wind - New England led 17-7 with 4:42 in the half.

A 17 yard D'Onta Foreman run followed by a 13 yard Wentz to Anderson pass led to a 45 yard Santos field goal. 17-10 Patriots headed to the half.

The 3rd quarter saw an exchange of punts before NY started putting a nice drive together. A Seals-Jones 9 yard reception was followed by another 15 yards by Breida over the next 3 plays. On 4th and 1 from the NE 47, NY handed to Breida who was stuffed, giving the ball back to NE. NE put together a 14 play 52 yard drive, eating over 7 minutes of game time. The key play of the drive was a Lamar Jackson to Greg Olsen completion for 21 yards on 4th and 5, bringing NE to the NY 13 yard line. Soon, McCaffrey was running the ball in from 1 yard out. 24-10 NE.

After a 3 and out, NE put together another 7+ minute drive, this one resulting in a field goal to make it 27-10 Patriots with 5 minutes to play. A Santos field goal cut the lead to 14, but that was as close as the Giants could get.

Carson Wentz completed 20 of 31 passes for relatively tame 172 yards and a TD. Breida rushed for 53 yards on 13 carries for the Jints. For New England, Courtland Sutton caught 3 balls for 80 yards, including 2 TDs. McCaffrey was held somewhat in check, totaling 97 yards from scrimmage on the day. The duo of Ryan Tannehill and Lamar Jackson combined for 16 completions on 21 attempts for a total of 210 yards passing.

Neither team turned the ball over on the day, and each team was assessed 7 penalties. New England converted all 3 of their 4th down attempts, which helped prolong 3 different scoring drives.

Next week NE travels to Dallas, while the Giants wind up their 3 game road trip at Washington.

Dallas 23 Buffalo 20                        57 15-25
With both teams looking for their first win of the season on a cool 57 degree day with winds gusting from 15-25 mph the Cowboys win the toss and elect to get the ball first. Both teams struggle on their opening drives and with 1:26 left in the first Cam Newton hits Willie Snead on a 17 yd. TD pass to give the Cowpokes a 7-0 lead after one.

Buffalo goes on a 11 play 75 yard drive culminating in Smith to Yeldon 10 yard pass to even the game at 7. Cam Newton comes right back on a 14 play 75 yard march ending in a 19 TD to Stills from Newton to make it 14-7. After a Alex Smith INT the Cowboys make the connection of Stills and Newton again and close out the half leading 21-7.

Buffalo takes the second half kick off and marches 75 yards on 10 plays resulting in a Smith to Valdes-Scantling of 11 yards to close the gap to 21-14. Ito Smith fumbles after losing 4 yards and Buffalo recovers at the Dallas 21 but does't gain a yard on offense as Gano drills a 39 yarder to make it 21-17 heading into the 4th.

The Bills defense which shut down Dallas in second half went on a 15 play 70 yard drive resulting in a Gano 24 yard FG to cut it to 21-20 with 10:30 left. With 5:43 left Gano hooks a 53 yard attempt and both offenses are inept the rest of the way as Smith is sacked for a safety with 45 seconds left and a Dallas 23-20 victory.

Buffalo out gains Dallas 367-229, Dallas commits no penalties which was key...Dallas will host undefeated New England next week while the Bills will host Super Bowl champs Miami.

Green Bay 37 New Orleans 31                 70
This might be just one of those year for the Saints as they drop their 2nd straight overtime game to a tough opponent. The Saints would start Nick Mullins and it would be a performance not to be remembered. The first quarter would start out with an exchange of FG's then Big Ben would connect with Josh Gordan on a 38 yard slant over the middle. 10-3 Pack. The Saints would get the ball back and Conners would plow in from 4 yards out after a 49 yard PI put the Saints in scoring position. The teams would exchange punts until Mullins would throw a pick at midfield. 4 plays later Big Ben would hit Breshad Perriman on a 31 yard long strike. 17-10 Packers. After an exchange of punts Green Bay would punt and Jo Jo Natson would take the punt 66 yards down to the Green Bay 6 yard line. Mullins would then hit Cole Beasley on a 3 yard crossing pattern to tie it up at 17-17 with 5 minutes left in the half. To much time for Ben. Big Ben would construct a 76 yard drive that finished with Big Ben's 3rd TD of the day on a 1 yard pass to Watson. 24-17 HT. The 3rd quarter would be very uneventful except for Mullins getting carted off the field after an abysmal 9 for 20 and 112 yards performance. End of the 3rd quarter 24-17. The beginning of the 4th the Saints were pinned at their own 6 and be forced to punt. Green Bay would take over at the Saints 49 and Big Ben would strike quick with his 4th TD on a bomb to Emanual Sanders. 31-17 Pack attack with 14:20 left in regulation. Right when you think the Saints are gonna throw in the towel Flacco would hit Shephard on a bomb into Packers territory and finish off the drive with a 6 yard toss to Mark Carrier. 31-24 Green Bay. Green Bay would go 3 and out and it was Flacco on the move again. He would put together almost a 5 minute drive together ending in a 15 yard strike to cole Beasley and we are all tied up at 31. The Packers would go 3 and out and punt to the Saints 35 with 4:33 left. It was all set up for a Saints comeback victory. Behind the rushing of James Conner, the Saints would take the ball the whole way down to the Pack attack's 24 yard line and McManus would come in with 3 seconds left for the 39 yard gamewinner and...……..he bricked it. OT 31-31. The Saints would get the ball in OT and Coach Rice was put in a critical situation as his daughter had to get to soccer practice, so he threw an abnormal number of long passes to end it right there. lol. The Saints did manage to get to the Packers 35 and McManus would miss again from 53. 2 plays later Big Ben would go deep again to Perriman for a 56 yard game winning TD for his 5th of the day. 37-31 Packers final. This was a very enjoyable game and competitive till the end. Big Ben was the MVP throwing for 302 yards and 5 TD's. This was even harder to swallow since I'm a Steelers fan. lol

Tennessee 42 Houston 30                     70
Two teams with sieve like defenses collided. The game was decided
in the second quarter when two Houston turnovers deep in their own zone led to 14 Titan points. Other than that teams traded scores for the better part of the game.

Jacksonville 23 Kansas City 20              81 5-15
Randy Bullock kicked a 48 yard FG as time expired in regulation, and then kicked a 47 yard FG as time expired in OT as Jacksonville rallied to defeat Kansas City 23-20.

Atlanta 39 Tampa Bay 41                     86 Calm
his matchup of two teams with playoff expectations did not disappoint.
David Rivers leads the Falcons to a touchdown on the opening drive. He was a perfect 5 for 5 including the 10-yard scoring pass to Zach Ertz. Kai Forbath missed the extra point. 6 – 0.
Cordarrell Patterson returns the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown for the second time in two weeks. 7- 6 Tampa.
Rivers misses on a couple of throws to start the next drive. Atlanta is forced to punt, however, the normally surehanded Tyler Lockett muffs it giving the ball back to the Falcons. Tevon Coleman carries the load thereafter running for 21 yards on two carries a catching a 7 yard TD pass from Rivers. 13 – 7 Atlanta.
Next the Buccaneers turn the ball over on downs and Rivers says thank you very much by completing six passes in a row, including a 6 yard scoring throw to Jalen Richard. After the failed two-point conversion score is 19-7 Atlanta.
Derek Carr is able to keep pace using 6 Todd Gurley rushes and completing 4 of 5 passes. Gurley’s dive from 4 yards out has the scoreboard showing 19 – 14 Atlanta.
Rivers once again moves his team in for a touchdown going 75 yards on 13 plays. The big play was Rivers checking off and finding Josh Doctson for 19 yards on a first and 25. The Falcons had scored a touchdown on each of their 4 possessions and now lead 26 – 14.
The teams traded field goals and headed to the locker room with the scoreboard showing 29 - 17.
The Bucs cut the lead to 5 with the opening possession of the second half. Gurley ran the ball five times mixed in with short Carr passes finishing with a five yarder to Davante Adams. 29 – 24 Falcons.
Next the Rivers and Company Air Show throttles down a bit. They tack on their second straight field-goal for a score of 32 – 24 Atlanta.
On the third play on the ensuing possession, DeSean Jackson catches an out pass and beats the defense down the sideline for a 63 yard quick strike. The game has tightened up to 32 – 31 Falcons.
The defenses figure things out for a while forcing two Atlanta and one Tampa Bay punt.
The Buccaneers take the lead for the first time with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter. Giving up on the run, Carr goes 6 for 6 on the drive finishing with a second scoring pass to Jackson. 38 – 32 Bucs.
The Falcons also go all pass and keep the ball for six minutes. At the two minute warning, they are faced with a 4th and 15 to go from the Tampa 33 yard line and needing a touchdown to take the lead. Tampa is in their Prevent and double teams Larry Fitzgerald and Zach Ertz to no avail. Rivers finds Fitzgerald on the long fly pattern for the go-ahead score 39 – 38 Atlanta.
The Falcons kick the ball away from Patterson, but Tyler Lockett scoops up the squib and returns it 38 yards to the Falcon 43 yard line with 1:34 left. The Bucs only move the ball 5 yards leading the Polish Rifle facing a 56 yarder hoping to put his team ahead with less than 30 seconds left. The talking heads give him a 50% shot at success. The kick is up and the play-by-play guy says, “Dead on. He smoked it!” 41 – 39 Tampa Bay. The Falcons could not muster another quick strike. Game over.
As usual, Marty called a great game. Things might have worked out differently had David Rivers not been given a rare QB fatigue rating in the fourth quarter.
Of course offensive players had some nice stats. They include hundred yard games for Ertz, Agholor and Jackson. Carr and Rivers both had QB ratings over 120. Rivers was 39 for 55 for 468 yards, notching his second 400 yard game to start the season.
Next week the Falcons look to take the tough loss out on the Texans in Atlanta. The Bucs go on the road to visit the Steelers.

Baltimore 7 Denver 34                       74 Calm
After the Broncos dropped their opener last week to Oakland there was some concern. In week two vs a very good Baltimore squad the Broncos showed they are still a team that can scare you as they defeated the Ravens 34-7.

It was a great game from Scott but things just didn't go his way in this one.

Carolina 30 Detroit 33                      70
Game saw Detroit slowly build a 27-7 lead with 3:31 left in the 3rd then saw the Panthers storm back behind Wilson and the real Carolina offense began moving the ball in chunks at a time. Air ground, didn't matter. & tie the game in the last seconds 30-30. OT saw Det win the toss go 3 & out then Carolina had 5 plays & a punt leading to the winning drive of 8 plays for 47 yards capped of with a 47 Lutz FG for the 33-30 for a Lions win.

From what I saw the home ref's helped, and combined with 4 Carolina turnovers were the difference. One of those being a pick SIX for 46 yards by Lions CB Trumaine Johnson.

Teams had 450+ yards each.

Big highlight for the Lions was seeing Fournette run for 134 yards & Darnold played good enough as a rookie not to lose this, but he sure did got cold for awhile, again..

Panthers Wilson threw for 397 & 3 TD's & a 106 rating, but had 2 ints & 2 sacks. Evans caught 134 yards worth for Wilson & Cobb shined with 3 catches for 98 yards.

All in all it was a heck of a great comeback but somehow Detroit pulled it out.

Next week both teams travel to divisional rivals SF & Chicago.

Pittsburgh 27 Los Angeles (A) 38            87 Calm
Steelers score 1st after an opening kick off fumble recovery Brady to Foster 7-0 Pittsburgh.Manning 27 yard TD ties things up midway through the 1st. Wilson 3 yard TD run caps the end of the 1st Quarter as the Chargers take a 14-7 lead into quarter number 2. After a Pittsburgh 3 and out rookie Punter Dickerson for the 2nd week in a row has his punt blocked and it leads to a Chubb 6 yard TD run 21-7. Teams trade FG and at the half its 24-10 for the home team.

Pittsburgh opening drive of the 3rd stalls after a 13 play almost 7 minute drive they settle for a FG 24-13. Later in the Quarter Manning to Cooper from 8 yards out makes it 31-13. Brady to Gronk 22 yard TD makes it 31-20 with 10 to play. LA takes the ball on there own 9 yard line on the next possession and grind the clock down to 1:42 with Chubb running it in from 8 yards out 38-20. Brady to Gronk one more time ends things 38-27.

Manning is 23-33 for 293 and 2 TD while Chubb runs for 2 TD and Jones has 106 yards receiving and a TD. For Pittsburgh Brady throws for 3 TD Gronk Catches 2 of them.

Steelers loss another guard this week it Pamphile for 13 weeks .

Pittsburgh travels to Tampa next week while LA host the Raiders

Indianapolis 20 Arizona 35                  84 Calm
Mahomes cut and pasted the Indy defense completing 20 passes in 29 attempts and throwing 3 TD passes. Oh, and he capped his passing off by rushing for two additional TDs. He was a fantasy wizard making all who drafted him king of the hill last Sunday. Zona would go on th win 35 to 20.

While Mahomes threw lasers to every receiver on the team, Barkley quietly kept the Indy defense on edge as he added 80 yards on the ground. When Barkely needed a breather, Duke Johnson stepped in to add 28 yards on only 3 carries. Indy could not keep up the the Zona weapons.

Zona's first drive of the field for a TD would be repeated 5 times on the day. Only once in those 5 drives did Mahomes misfire with an interception into the waiting hand of Smith Sr.

Indy would also have success against the Zona defense as they also were able to put points on the board. The biggest disappointment was when the on field communications system failed. The Indy QB did not realize it was 4th down and ran a play deep in his own territory. Had Keenum simply glanced to the sideline he would have seen all the coaches frantically waving towels in the air trying to stop him. There may be a grievance filed against Arizona arguing the communications system was purposefully sabotaged. It seemed to work fine for Mahomes.

Zona fans were delighted with a win, a rare thing given last years performance.

&

COLTS TURN TO BURROW

ROUND ONE BY THE NUMBERS

THE GURU SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON THE IFL DRAFT

NEW SCHOOL VERSUS OLD SCHOOL

Todd McShay offers a different perspective on how the IFL Draft could turn out....

YOU ARE LOOKING LIVE.....................

at the IFL Indianapolis Colts draft room.

IFL SUPER BOWL

IFL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Bengals 15 Patriots 45

Eagles 24 Panthers 30

IFL DIVISONAL ROUND

​Jaguars 6 Patriots 38

​Jets 28 Bengals 31 (O.T.)

​Saints 19 Panthers 36

Eagles 24 Buccaneers 18

IFL WILD CARD WEEKEND

Ravens 6 Jets 31

Jaguars 16 Raiders 14

​Cardinals 7 Eagles 34

Giants 10 Saints 24

WEEK 16 RECAP

FINAL IFL REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS

FINAL IFL REGULAR SEASON LEAGUE LEADERS

​IFL PLAYOFF PICTURE HEADING INTO WEEK 16

AFC OUTLOOK

NFC OUTLOOK

​WEEK 15 RECAP

WEEK 15 IFL STANDINGS

WEEK 15 IFL LEAGUE LEADERS

​WEEK 14 RECAP

WEEK 14 IFL STANDINGS

WEEK 14 IFL LEAGUE LEADERS

WEEK 13 RECAP

WEEK 13 IFL STANDINGS

​WEEK 13 IFL LEAGUE LEADERS

WEEK 12 RECAP

WEEK 12 IFL STANDINGS

WEEK 12 IFL LEAGUE LEADERS

​WEEK 11 RECAP

IFL WEEK 11 STANDINGS

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WEEK 10 RECAP

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IFL WEEK NINE STANDINGS

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IFL WEEK SEVEN STANDINGS

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WEEK 6 RECAP

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​WEEK 5 RECAP

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IFL WEEK FOUR STANDINGS

IFL WEEK FOUR LEAGUE LEADERS

​WEEK 3 RECAP

IFL WEEK THREE STANDINGS

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IFL WEEK TWO STANDINGS

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WEEK 1 RECAP

IFL WEEK ONE STANDINGS

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BILLS DECLARE MURRAY THE MAN!

A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO THE PACKERS WAR ROOM

​THE DRAFT GURU OFFERS HIS THOUGHTS ON THE IFL DRAFT

IFL 2020 MOCK DRAFT

IFL SUPER BOWL XIX

Rams 23 Oakland 20

IFL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

​AFC

Jaguars 6 Patriots 38

Jets 28 Bengals 31 (O.T.)

Saints 19 Panthers 36

Cardinals 7 Eagles 34

IFL PLAYOFF PICTURE HEADING INTO WEEK 16

WEEK 15 RECAP

WEEK 14 RECAP

WEEK 13 IFL LEAGUE LEADERS

WEEK 11 RECAP

IFL WEEK SEVEN LEAGUE LEADERS

WEEK 5 RECAP

WEEK 3 RECAP

THE DRAFT GURU OFFERS HIS THOUGHTS ON THE IFL DRAFT

AFC

IFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF ROUND

AFC

IFL WILD CARD WEEKEND

IFL WEEK 16 RECAP

IFL 2019 LEAGUE LEADERS

IFL PLAYOFF PICTURE HEADING INTO WEEK 16

IFL WEEK 15 RECAP

IFL WEEK 15 LEAGUE LEADERS

IFL WEEK 14 RECAP

IFL WEEK 13 RECAP

IFL WEEK 13 LEAGUE LEADERS

IFL WEEK 12 RECAP

IFL WEEK 12 LEAGUE LEADERS

IFL WEEK 11 RECAP

IFL WEEK 10 RECAP

IFL WEEK 10 LEAGUE LEADERS

IFL WEEK 9 RECAP

IFL WEEK 8 RECAP

IFL WEEK 8 LEAGUE LEADERS

LOOK WHO WAS SEEN GRABBING SOME SNACKS AT THE LOCAL GREEN BAY SHELL BEFORE THE BIG GAME IN WEEK 8!

THE PACKERS WORST NIGHTMARE!

IFL WEEK 7 RECAP

IFL WEEK 6 RECAP

IFL WEEK 6 LEAGUE LEADERS

IFL WEEK 5 RECAP

IFL WEEK 4 RECAP

IFL WEEK 4 STANDINGS

IFL WEEK 4 LEAGUE LEADERS

IFL WEEK 2 RECAP