"The Stack" 12-16-19
It was a snowy day in Kansas City which made for a fun game to watch between the Broncos and Chiefs. The Chiefs won 23-3 and have clinched the AFC West.
The Stack is back on this Monday and we had a number of intriguing things that happen in the NFL on Sunday. Some amazing things and teams that proved me and I think a lot of other people wrong so let’s get right to “the stack” for today, Monday, December 16th:
Eagles 37 Washington 27
The Philadelphia Eagles got all they wanted from Dwayne Haskins and Washington. Adrian Peterson ran the ball really well as well and scored his 110th rushing touchdown placing him fourth all-time on the NFL rushing touchdown list. The Eagles, depleted at wide receiver, would not go down without a fight and they got the big win to set up next week’s huge showdown for the NFC East against Dallas.
Texans 24 Titans 21
Well, so much for the Titans being undefeated when Jim Nantz and Tony Romo call their games. In a battle for AFC South supremacy, Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans jumped out to a 14-0 lead, in part thanks to a pick in the red zone by Whitney Mercilus and then after the Titans tied it back up, they didn’t back down. Carlos Hyde rushed for 104 yards and the Texans picked up a big road win over their division rival. We’ll see if anything changes when the two teams meet in week 17.
Dolphins 20 Giants 36
In what very may well have been Eli Manning’s last ever game in front of the home fans, the New York Giants quarterback delivered with a win. Sure he threw three interceptions, but helped by running back Saquon Barkley’s 112 yard and 2 touchdown rushing performance (coupled with the fact that they were playing the Miami Dolphins), it was a great win for Manning and the Giants (except if they wanted to keep their status as number two in the 2020 NFL Draft). We’ll see if Manning plays any more this season.
Broncos 3 Chiefs 23
Snow games are always fun and this one was no exception. Hall-of-famer Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs were better in every facet of the game against rookie quarterback Drew Lock and the Denver Broncos and it showed. Just the optics and everything with the snow falling made it a really fun game to watch.
Bears 13 Packers 21
The Chicago Bears offense was stymied for much of the first three quarters of this game. The Green Bay Packers looked like they were going to run away with this game when they got up 21-3 even though Aaron Rodgers hadn’t done a whole lot, but the Bears battled back and had a chance to potentially the game on the last play when they did on the laterals, but a missed lateral to Allen Robinson who was wide open and would have scored denied the opportunity for the Bears and eliminated them from playoff contention. The Packers meanwhile still have a chance at the top seed in the NFC. Crazy to think.
Buccaneers 38 Lions 17
When Jameis Winston is on, he is on. After throwing an early interception, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback only threw for four touchdowns and 458 yards as the Bucs beat the hapless Lions. The Lions actually got within seven at 24-17, but a defensive touchdown by the Bucs sealed the deal in this one. The Bucs may not make the playoffs this year, but they are building some momentum for next year.
Patriots 34 Bengals 13
Believe it or not, the Cincinnati Bengals actually had a 10-7 lead in this one and were moving the ball on the Patriots defense, but New England took control and ended up picking off Andy Dalton four times including a pick-six by Stephon Gilmore. In a week dominated by the Patriots videotape scandal (which is ongoing and sounding worse and worse for the team), the Patriots were able to get back on the winning track while the Bengals have all but cemented the number one overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft where they should (will) take LSU QB Joe Burrow.
Seahawks 30 Panthers 24
Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks built a big lead only to see Christian McCaffrey and the Carolina Panthers rally and nearly pull off comeback and the upset. Alas though, the Seahawks pulled off another one score victory which puts them in tremendous position for homefield advantage in the NFC if they can win their final two home games. The Seahawks do need to be concerned with some of the injuries to the defensive side. It could come back to haunt them.
Vikings 39 Chargers 10
LeBron James, say it with me. Not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, but seven, seven turnovers by the Los Angeles Chargers in their “home” loss to the Minnesota Vikings. A ton of Vikings were there and momentum swung completely for the Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter forced a Philip Rivers fumble and Ifeadi Odenigbo returned it for a touchdown to give the Vikings a 19-10 halftime lead. The barrage of turnovers continued in the second half, but it wasn’t all fun and games for the Vikings who lost running back Dalvin Cook to a shoulder injury. It could be serious, but we will find out more in the coming days. That would be a devastating blow to the Vikings.
Jaguars 20 Raiders 16
The last game ever in Oakland, in the Black Hole, was a black eye for the Oakland Raiders. They had a 16-3 lead only to see Minshew Magic help lead a comeback with two touchdown passes to Mike Conley. The Jaguars survived a couple of Hail Mary’s and Gardner Minshew II was cascaded with many middle fingers as he ran off the field. You feel for the people of Oakland, losing the Raiders like that. It will never be the same again unless and until the Raiders return to Oakland. Sorry Raiders fans.
Browns 24 Cardinals 38
Well you may as well stick a fork in the Cleveland Browns. What kind of effort was that against the Arizona Cardinals, particularly against the run and stopping Kenyan Drake? Drake had four rushing touchdowns and was a man possessed as the Cardinals capped off their home portion of the 2019 season with a victory. Bad loss for the Browns. Bad season. Embarrassing.
Falcons 29 49ers 22
San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Shanahan said he didn’t think he had to worry about talking to his team about a letdown against the Falcons after last week’s big win over the New Orleans Saints. Evidently he should have. When quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo wasn’t looking for tight end George Kittle he didn’t have much success at all, but yet the 49ers had a 19-10 lead in the fourth quarter. The Falcons rallied back though and Julio Jones caught the game-winning touchdown with the ball just crossing the goalline. Incredible win for the Falcons in a largely unforgettable season. Tough, bad loss for the 49ers, but they still control their own destiny.
Rams 21 Cowboys 44
How bout them Cowboys?! Where has this Dallas Cowboys team been all year long? It’s a worthwhile question, because they put a whooping on the Rams on Sunday. The defense played well and the offense was superb with Ezekiel Elliott rushing for over 100 yards and two touchdowns and Dak Prescott was great. Just when you think you know what is going on with the Rams offense clicking and the Cowboys struggling, the Cowboys put forth that performance. The Rams need a lot of help to make the playoffs and the Cowboys just need to be Philadelphia next Sunday. Should be fun.
Bills 17 Steelers 10
In what was a predicted defensive struggle, this game lived up to the billing. The Buffalo Bills defense forced what, five turnovers while the Pittsburgh Steelers forced a few on their own. Points were at a premium and the Bills came through thanks to a Josh Allen touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. Oh yeah, Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White is awfully good! Bills…ten wins for the first time since 1999 and in the playoffs for the second time in three years. Awfully impressive.
6-7 Indianapolis Colts @ 10-3 New Orleans Saints 8:15 PM ET ESPN MNF
If Andrew Luck were playing and hadn’t retired abruptly, this would be a very intriguing matchup, him versus Drew Brees. But he isn’t playing and the Colts have been ravaged by injuries this year. All of this combined with the Saints trying to get back on the winning track after last week’s loss to the 49ers means that the Saints should win this game easily.
Prediction: Saints 31 Colts 17
Coming up Tuesday: MNF reaction plus baseball contracts & more
