Sunday’s early action didn’t exactly stir up some hot Monday debate. Several games were blowouts, with only five decided by one score.
There were some fascinating close-game finishes, however, and a few non-one-score games whose fates could have looked far different had one or two plays gone the other way.
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The Washington Commanders, frequent guests of this list, have ended up here again thanks to a few fateful late plays in their failed upset bid against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Browns lost their second straight, and it came down to a critical call by Todd Monken late in overtime.
We also had one of the wilder interceptions you’ll ever see … and to think that it almost didn’t go down as a pick added to the drama.
Here are five of the more momentous plays from Sunday’s early action:
1. Washington’s missed chances
The Commanders had their opportunities to beat the Rams, but a mix of stalled drives and a messy final play doomed them in the end.
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After the Rams took a 20-13 lead early in the fourth on Puka Nacua’s touchdown, Washington got the ball back multiple times but couldn’t generate points. Two drives in the final five-plus minutes ended without scoring.
The botched final play was the talking point after the game went final. Jayden Daniels threw short of the end zone, with the Commanders at the Rams’ 32-yard line, and the ball was lateralled several times before being recovered by the Rams.
Let’s be clear: It wasn’t a well-thought-out plan. The fact Daniels didn’t throw either of his final two passes into the end zone, with no timeouts, is damning.
But the sequence that really turned the game came near the two-minute warning. With 2:31 remaining at the Rams’ 38-yard line, Jayden Daniels took a 12-yard sack by Myles Garrett, one of three on the day for him. Washington’s Dan Quinn opted to let the clock run down to the two-minute stoppage.
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On fourth-and-17, Daniels’ deep throw to Van Jefferson was broken up by the Rams’ Emmanuel Forbes Jr. at the last second.
Forbes, a former Commander, was guilty of a bad penalty and was beaten for a touchdown by Jefferson earlier in the game. Washington had a target on him, but Forbes made the big play.
2. Todd Monken’s fateful OT decision
The Browns were a two-point conversion away from a 6-3 record. The Saints had taken a seven-point lead in overtime Sunday at the Superdome, but Shedeur Sanders – starting for an injured Deshaun Watson — rallied the Browns with a touchdown pass of his own with one minute left in OT.
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Then came the decision: kick or go for it? Browns head coach Todd Monken opted to go for two — and the win. The play was doomed from the start. Sanders’ hurried pass fell incomplete, and for good measure, the Browns’ Tytus Howard was flagged for holding.
If you want to argue the play call, be my guest. It looked like Sanders tried to make something happen out of structure, but it just wasn’t there.
But Monken’s call? I was fine with it. It felt like an aggressive, but highly defensible decision given where the Browns were at. They failed to get in on a fourth-and-goal situation earlier in the game and turned it over again on downs early in the fourth quarter. The Saints were at home, and the Browns were fortunate even to be in overtime after the Saints took the lead with less than a minute remaining.
Had they opted to tie it, the Saints would have had a full minute left and two timeouts. Tyler Shough led a six-play, 55-yard TD drive that took only 50 seconds earlier in the game. Monken went for the win, and it’s hard to blame him for that.
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3. Broncos’ two huge defensive plays
Nik Bonitto’s strip sack on Carolina’s final drive sealed Sunday’s Broncos win over the Panthers. But Devon Key’s end-zone interception was also a massive play — and the kind you have to see to believe.
Late in the third quarter, Carolina led, 14-13, and had first-and-goal at the Denver 1. Bryce Young threw to a diving Tommy Tremble in the left corner of the end zone, with the ball hitting Tremble’s hands twice before being ruled incomplete.
But wait! Replay saw what many others watching on television likely did: Key somehow catching the ball before it touched the ground.
Key smiled after the play, apparently not knowing he actually caught the ball. The fact that he had to whip his body almost completely around to make the play also added a serious degree of difficulty to the act.
What’s wild is that Carolina had actually snapped the ball for second-and-goal, with Chuba Hubbard stopped for no gain, but Broncos head coach Sean Payton’s challenge flag had come out just prior to that snap.
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There was also more controversy with the play, as Panthers fans wanted Denver’s Justin Strnad flagged for pass interference, but there was no call.
The pick prevented at least three points, and possibly seven. So instead of a 4-to-8 point lead for the Panthers, they were only up one — briefly. The Broncos went down and scored a touchdown on their ensuing drive. After missing the two-point try, Denver then led, 19-14.
It was a massive momentum swing in the game and a big reason why the Broncos held on to win.
4. Falcons’ costly flag(s)
The Falcons were their own worst enemies in their 34-17 loss to the Bengals in Spain. Penalties were one of the biggest problems for Atlanta — especially one critical flag.
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Early in the fourth quarter, the Falcons trailed, 31-17, but they had the ball at the Cincinnati 10-yard line, facing a third-and-2. Kyle Pitts was called for holding, pushing the ball back to the 20 and making it fourth-and-12. The pass was incomplete on the hold, so it didn’t wipe anything out, but their decision would have been a lot different on fourth-and-2.
Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski opted for the field goal with 11:27 left … but Nick Folk pushed a 38-yarder wide left. Atlanta marched 11 plays and 52 yards and got nothing out of it.
The Falcons were flagged 12 times for 88 yards in the game. Earlier in the game, they reached the Bengals’ 7-yard line before multiple offensive line flags pushed them back and compelled them to settle for a field goal.
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Atlanta had other things it needed to clean up in the Spain game, but the penalties really cost them. They never seriously threatened again after Folk’s miss.
5. Key relief appearance from Winston fueled Giants
The Giants continued to win ugly Sunday, and they needed some help from their benched quarterback to get it done. Jameis Winston lost his starting job to J.J. McCarthy, but when McCarthy got hurt against the Eagles, in came Winston for a crucial, go-ahead touchdown drive in the third quarter.
To that point, the Giants had kicked only field goals and trailed, 8-6. Early in the third quarter, McCarthy took a hit from the Eagles’ Zack Baun and left with a hip injury. Winston took over and completed 6-of-8 passes for 71 yards, including a 5-yard TD throw to Isaiah Likely. Winston also converted a fourth-and-1 with a sneak.
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That put the Giants up, 13-8. The Eagles never got the lead back. McCarthy eventually made it back in, and the Giants hung on for a 19-11 win. There’s no controversy over who’s starting next week, but the Giants might not have won this one without Winston’s terrific drive.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
