Baltimore- 34
Oakland- 17
The matchup was surprisingly close early in the game as the Ravens led 13-10 at the half. Rookie QB Lamar Jackson made his second career start in place of the injured QB Joe Flacco but he didn’t run the ball nearly as much as he did a week ago. Jackson carried just 11 times, gaining 71 yards and a touchdown. He looked much stronger as a passer, throwing for 178 yards and a touchdown, though he also tossed a pair of picks. Thanks to Jackson and the Baltimore defense, the Ravens broke the game open in the second half, leading to the final of 34-17.
RB Alex Collins was a surprise inactive, meaning rookie RB Gus Edwards carried the load, gaining over 100 yards for the second straight game. Collins only has two 100-yard rushing games on his career resume. Edwards finished with 118 yards on 23 carries but had no role in the passing game. TE Mark Andrews broke free for a 74-yard reception, which was good enough to make him the team’s leading receiver for the game. WR Michael Crabtree caught only three passes for 25 yards but was on the receiving side of Jackson’s only passing score. Following the game, Baltimore HC John Harbaugh refused to comment on his Week 13 starting quarterback.
The Raiders put up a fight early but didn’t have enough to stay with the Ravens. QB Derek Carr passed for 194 yards and a touchdown, hitting TE Jared Cook, who made a diving grab in the end zone for the score. Cook finished with only two grabs for 32 yards. WR Jordy Nelson was back in the lineup but was only targeted once. RB Doug Martin posted 72 yards from scrimmage and scored for the first time this season.
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Buffalo- 24
Jacksonville- 21
This was a game that many fantasy players wisely avoided but it became one of the more hotly contested matchups of the day. The Bills got out to an early two-score lead only to see the Jaguars and RB Leonard Fournette tie the game before halftime. Things got really interesting in the third quarter when a battle for a jump ball in the end zone ignited tempers on both sides. Punches were thrown and multiple players were ejected, most notably Fournette, who racked up 108 total yards and two touchdowns before being sent to the showers. The Jags had multiple chances to score on that possession but couldn’t make it happen. The Bills pulled away with a 14-yard touchdown scramble from QB Josh Allen, who returned to the team after missing multiple games.
Allen finished with 160 passing yards, a huge chunk of that coming on a 75-yard touchdown bomb to rookie WR Robert Foster, who now has 199 yards in the past two games. Foster finished with two receptions for 94 yards in this one. Veteran RB LeSean McCoy flopped, totaling 53 yards on 18 touches while Allen finished with 99 rushing yards and a score. This is only Allen’s second game finishing above QB28 for the week.
Outside of Fournette’s box score, there is little to get excited about for the Jags. QB Blake Bortles passed for 127 yards and a touchdown, with much of his yardage coming on a final, garbage-time drive which resulted in a touchdown to WR Dede Westbrook (3/44/1). With only three wins on the season, this team is simply playing out the final few weeks of Bortles’ tenure with the team.
Seattle- 30
Carolina- 27
The Panthers wasted a huge performance from RB Christian McCaffrey as the Seahawks nailed a field goal as time expired to get the win and send the Panthers to their third straight loss. This might have been the game of the day, back and forth throughout as QBs Cam Newton and Russell Wilson continued to find ways to put points on the board for their respective teams.
Wilson threw for a season-high 339 yards and two scores and both WR Tyler Lockett (5/107/1) and WR David Moore (4/103/1) eclipsed the 100-yard plateau. Veteran WR Doug Baldwin, who has endured a disappointing season, was questionable to play in this game. He was in the lineup, catching five balls for 39 yards. RB Chris Carson rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown.
McCaffrey led his team in rushing and receiving, becoming just the third player this decade to hit at least 100 yards in both categories. He joins Todd Gurley and Arian Foster as the only running backs to reach those numbers since 2010. McCaffrey finished with 125 rushing yards and a score and caught all 11 passes thrown his way for 112 yards and another touchdown. Newton passed for 256 yards and two scores and added 63 rushing yards, his highest rushing total of the season. The Panthers were without WR Devin Funchess but new top target, WR D.J. Moore caught eight passes for 91 yards. TE Greg Olsen only managed two grabs for 11 yards.
Cleveland- 35
Cincinnati- 20
The Browns entered this gamer hoping to end their 25-game road losing streak and get the ultimate revenge on former HC Hue Jackson, who is now on the Bengals’ coaching staff. This one was never even close! The Browns scored a pair of first-quarter touchdowns and never looked back.
Rookie QB Baker Mayfield played his best game of the season, passing for 258 yards and a new career-high four touchdowns. Perhaps the only disappointment in this game for the Browns was the performance of WR Jarvis Landry, who caught three of five targets for 30 yards. Landry hasn’t exceeded 50 receiving yards in a month. TE David Njoku broke out of his small slump, leading the team with five grabs for 63 yards and a touchdown. On his scoring play, Njoku jumped for the end zone several yards too early but was carried into the paint by his linemen. Antonio Callaway contributed a 4/62/1 line for the game, only his second touchdown since Week Two. RB Nick Chubb had another huge game, totaling 128 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns.
The Bengals were without WR A.J. Green for the third straight week and are now 0-3 without their top wideout. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Cincinnati also lost starting QB Andy Dalton, who suffered a thumb injury on a bad snap that resulted in a turnover. Dalton was replaced by QB Jeff Driskel, who thrived in garbage time, throwing for 155 yards and a touchdown and adding a score on the ground.
WR Tyler Boyd made a couple of highlight-reel catches and finished with seven receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown. The ground game was shut down due to the early deficit, but RB Joe Mixon still managed 89 rushing yards and 155 yards from scrimmage. WR John Ross (3/31/1) caught a touchdown pass for the third consecutive game. Green is expected to return next week but HC Marvin Lewis says Dalton will undergo more tests and his status is unclear.
New England- 27
New York Jets- 13
The Patriots had been struggling entering this game, especially on the road, having lost to the Titans prior to their bye last week. This time, they had the crew back together as TE Rob Gronkowski and RB Sony Michel were both active and it clearly made a difference. This battle of AFC East foes was close throughout, despite the Jets playing without rookie starting QB Sam Darnold once again.
After the Jets tied the game at 13 in the third quarter, the Patriots scored the game’s final 14 points to get to the final score. Patriots QB Tom Brady became the NFL’s all-time leading passer when combining regular season and playoffs, passing Peyton Manning. Brady passed for 283 yards and two touchdowns in the game and Michel set a new career-high with 133 total yards. Brady and the Pats got productive stat lines from all key pass-catchers with WR Julian Edelman (4/84/1) leading the way. WR Josh Gordon added five receptions for 70 yards and Gronkowski scored for the first time since Week One, totaling three catches for 56 yards in his return to the field.
McCown ended the day with 276 passing yards and a touchdown, looking early and often to slot WR Jermaine Kearse, who caught six of his 12 targets for 66 yards and a touchdown. WR Quincy Enunwa add a 4/73 line and WR Robby Anderson returned to the lineup but caught only two passes for 22 yards.
Philadelphia- 25
New York Giants- 22
A hard fought, back and forth NFC East fight is what we got with the Eagles and Giants game, pitting a pair of disappointing teams. The Eagles entered the game missing nearly their entire starting secondary and QB Eli Manning took advantage early on. The Giants 12-0 early and then 19-11 at the break as Manning spread the ball around. The Eagles slowed the pace in the second half, leaning on rookie RB Josh Adams and kicked a field goal with under a minute left to steal the win.
Manning finished with 297 yards and a touchdown while RB Saquon Barkley continued his torrid pace, rushing for 101 yards and a score and adding 41 yards and another touchdown through the air. Through 11 games, Barkley is on pace for over 2,000 yards from scrimmage and 17 total touchdowns. Four different pass-catchers saw at least six targets for the G Men, leaving star WR Odell Beckham with a 5/85 stat line. Considering the opponent, WR Sterling Shepard’s four receptions for 37 yards were a major disappointment. TE Evan Engram suffered a hamstring injury in pre-game warmups and didn’t play. Unfortunately for fantasy players, that was not widely reported until after the game kicked off.
Eagles QB Carson Wentz passed for 236 yards and a touchdown, going back to his favorite target, TE Zach Ertz. The tight end was shut down last week against the Saints but led the team with seven receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown this week. WR Alshon Jeffery caught all three of his looks for just 39 scoreless yards and former Lions WR Golden Tate tied for the team lead with eight targets but only managed a 4/30 line. For Philly, Adams was the story. A pre-game report suggested the team would treat the undrafted rookie as their bell cow back and he saw a career-high 22 targets, rushing for 84 yards and a touchdown. That line could’ve been even better as Adams had a long touchdown called back due to a hold. The Eagles have found themselves a running back.
Tampa Bay- 27
San Francisco- 9
The Buccaneers reinstalled QB Jameis Winston as their starter and he had a productive game, throwing for 312 yards and two touchdowns. Perhaps more importantly for the turnover-prone Bucs, Winston did not throw any interceptions. Tampa Bay’s defense has been a weakness all season but they shut down the 49ers offense missing many of their original offensive starters, including QB Jimmy Garoppolo, RB Jerick McKinnon and WRs Pierre Garcon and Marquise Goodwin.
The 49ers wisely leaned on RB Matt Breida early in the game but his role lessened as the game went along and Tampa Bay built a lead. Breida finished with 140 total yards while QB Nick Mullens passed for 221 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. With Garcon and Goodwin out, rookie WR Dante Pettis was featured, catching four of seven passes for 77 yards and the Niners only touchdown. As expected, TE George Kittle was fed targets all game but finished with a modest six grabs for 48 yards on a dozen targets.
WR Mike Evans was the top option for Winston, catching six passes for 116 yards while slot WR Adam Humphries stayed hot, posting a 6/54/1 line on six opportunities. That gives Humphries four scores in the past four games. The Bucs played their first game without second-year TE O.J. Howard, who was placed on the injured reserve last week. Veteran TE Cameron Brate caught three passes for 26 yards and a touchdown playing nearly a full-time role. RB Peyton Barber found the end zone for the second straight game, totaling 63 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown.
Los Angeles Chargers- 45
Arizona- 10
Chargers QB Philip Rivers completed his first 25 passes and his team scored 28 second-quarter points to totally wipe out the Cardinals. Arizona actually led the game 10-0 before LA put up 45 unanswered points, allowing Rivers and many other starters to rest in the final quarter. Rivers ended the game with 259 passing yards and three touchdowns.
RB Melvin Gordon was a game-time decision as he’s dealt with knee and hamstring injuries. He reportedly convinced the coaching staff to let him play and he looked great early, scoring a pair of first-half touchdowns and putting up 66 total yards. Gordon did take a nasty shot to the knee which put him out of the game. While Gordon will undergo further testing, the initial diagnosis is that he suffered an MCL injury, which could cost him next week’s game, at least. Playing in his place, RB Austin Ekeler excelled, especially in the passing game. Ekeler totaled 103 yards and a touchdown. WR Keenan Allen (7/72/1) led the team in receiving while WR Mike Williams scored twice, giving him seven touchdowns on the season.
The Cardinals gained 76 yards on their opening scoring drive, which resulted in a touchdown from QB Josh Rosen to WR Larry Fitzgerald. They would only manage 73 total yards of offense the rest of the game, adding only a field goal to the scoreboard. Rookie QB Josh Rosen totaled a pitiful 105 passing yards while RB David Johnson posted a scoreless 79 yards. WRs Christian Kirk (4/41) and Larry Fitzgerald (2/30/1) were victims of Rosen and the offense.
Indianapolis- 27
Miami- 24
For the eighth straight game, Colts QB Andrew Luck threw at least three touchdown passes. In this game against the Dolphins, Indianapolis needed every point they could get. Luck also threw a pair of costly interceptions and the Colts needed a last-second field goal to claim their fifth straight win.
Luck finished with 343 yards and all three of his scoring passes went to tight ends. After failing to draw a target last week, TE Eric Ebron (5/45/2) caught two scores, giving him twelve total touchdowns for the season. That matches his four-year output for the Lions. Luck also hit TE Jack Doyle (4/16/1) for a touchdown. The Colts lost RB Marlon Mack to a concussion late in the game but he did put up 96 yards from scrimmage before exiting. WR T.Y. Hilton led the team with seven catches for 125 yards, building on his huge game a week ago.
The Dolphins had QB Ryan Tannehill back in action for the first time since Week Five and he moved right back into game-manager mode. After backup QB Brock Osweiler averaged 35 pass attempts per game, Tannehill threw only 25 passes for 204 yards and two scores. This also led to a big game for RB Kenyan Drake, who totaled 96 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. That’s more total yardage than any game playing alongside Osweiler.
The Miami pass-catching corps continues to be a total disaster. Veteran WR Danny Amendola had established himself as a reliable option but he left the game in the first quarter with a knee injury. WR DeVante Parker (3/10), WR Kenny Stills (1/6) and TE Mike Gesicki (1/5) have all been major busts this fantasy season. None of these can be counted on as the fantasy playoffs near.
Denver- 24
Pittsburgh- 17
The Steelers had a chance to steal another win late in the game but this time QB Ben Roethlisberger threw an interception and there were no penalties to save the day. Big Ben was picked twice and the Steelers lost a pair of fumbles to help Denver get a huge win over the AFC North leaders. Roethlisberger finished with a season-high 462 yards and only one touchdown, but it was a good one. The quarterback, buried deep in his own territory, hit WR JuJu Smith-Schuster who did the rest for a 97-yard touchdown. Smith-Schuster finished with 13 receptions for 189 yards on a team-high 17 targets. WR Antonio Brown caught nine passes for 67 yards while RB James Conner quietly put up 95 yards from scrimmage.
The Broncos were led by rookie RB Phillip Lindsay, who rushed for 110 yards and the go-ahead touchdown, while veteran WR Emmanuel Sanders posted a team-high 7/86/1 line. Rookie WR Courtland Sutton was once again a disappointment, catching only one of four targets for 14 yards. QB Case Keenum passed for 197 yards and two scores. Both teams lost their starting tight ends to late-game injuries. TE Vance McDonald suffered a hip injury while TE Jeff Heuerman left the game with a back injury.
Minnesota- 24
Green Bay- 17
After a tight game in the early going, Packers mistakes mounted and the Vikings were able to build a second-half lead. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers found his favorite target, WR Davante Adams, for a 15-yard touchdown to open the scoring and the Vikings quickly answered. QB Kirk Cousins and RB Dalvin Cook hooked up for a 26-yard score to tie the game. Packers breakout RB Aaron Jones stayed hot with a touchdown run before Cousins found WR Stefon Diggs from 30 yards out to tie it at the break. Offense was tough to come by after intermission but WR Adam Thielen got things going and scored on a 14-yard Cousins pass. That third-quarter score was the last of the touchdowns as the Vikes were able to run out the clock late in the game.
Rodgers ended with 198 passing yards and a score, slowing down in the second half. Adams caught five passes for 69 yards and a touchdown while Jones finished with 93 yards from scrimmage. TE Jimmy Graham (2/34) and WR Equanimeous St. Brown (3/53) chipped in with solid stat lines.
Cousins carved up the Pack again, finishing with 342 yards and three scores, while Diggs (8/77/1) and Thielen (8/125/1) were back to their high-scoring ways. TE Kyle Rudolph added a nice 7/63 line. Despite the early touchdown, Cook had another subpar game, totaling just 29 rushing yards on 10 carries, though his 3/47/1 receiving box score masked his poor rushing performance.
