Forget about an instant classic – the Rams and Chiefs game on Monday night was a game for the ages. Never had we seen both teams score 50+ points in an NFL game, and boy, was it fun to watch.
The battle was so entertaining that it has made some folks forget about what happened on Sunday and what else had developed around the league.
I’ll get you caught up with everything significant that went down because it wasn’t just Kansas City and Los Angeles who made some noise.
Of course, it seems fitting to start with what was not only the signature game of Week 11, but as Bill Barnwell of ESPN wrote, arguably the greatest regular-season game in NFL history.
54-51.
I mean, what words can I really use that can properly justify how wild of a football game it was on Monday night in Los Angeles?
We saw the Chiefs go down 13-0 early, but Andy Reid’s bunch fought back and took a 17-16 lead.
After a couple more ties and lead changes, Sean McVay’s group had Kansas City up against the ropes to start the fourth quarter, leading 40-30.
And then before you could blink, just 3+ minutes into the final frame, KC had scored twice and was back on top 44-40.
Jared Goff responded quickly by connecting with tight end Gerald Everett on a seven-yard throw just 89 seconds later, putting his team back in front, 47-44.
But it was more than obvious to everyone in the stadium and all who were glued to their televisions that this thing was far from over.
And boom!
Patrick Mahomes struck Chris Conley on a crossing pattern with just under three minutes to go to give his men a 51-47 lead. But rather than panic or be nervous, what Goff and the Rams did next was outstanding.
Less than 60 seconds after the Chiefs were celebrating on the sidelines, the Rams QB found Gerald Everett perfectly in stride streaking down the sideline for a 40-yard bomb.
Check it out.
That would be the 14th and final touchdown of the game, and allow me to put that in perspective.
The Buffalo Bills have hit pay dirt just 13 times all season long!
Unfortunately, I wasn’t smashing the over like 69% of the Vegas bettors did, but fortunately, I was on the Chiefs +3.5 and was able to cash in.
That capped off a 4-1 week against the spread that had me smiling for sure, but that’ll be old news in no time.
It’s the lasting memory of this MNF game that I’ll never ever forget.
Remember when I alluded to the Monday night game taking the “oomph” out of what transpired in the NFL on Sunday?
Well, it’s kind of hard to forget what the Saints did to the Eagles if you are a Philly fan like me. Because New Orleans didn’t just beat the Eagles in the Big Easy in Week 11.
They beat the Eagles into submission, a bloody pulp, or whatever dramatic adjective or phrase you want to use to describe what happens when one team completely demolishes another.
In my post about the NFC East Division being up for grabs, I spoke about the Saints looking like a varsity team playing against a smaller and less-experienced JV squad.
Drew Brees barely broke a sweat en route to throwing for 363 yards and four touchdowns on 22/30 passing. Mark Ingram went over the century mark on the ground and had two scores, and Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas were reliable as always.
But it was the emergence of Tre’Quan Smith, the rookie WR from Delray Beach, Florida, that really caught people by surprise.
The third-round pick out of UCF went off against the Eagles’ decrepit secondary, totaling ten receptions for 157 yards and a touchdown off a team-high 13 targets.
This offense was already clicking on full cylinders, and now it appears that Brees has himself another flashy toy.
There has been all this talk about Patrick Mahomes and Jared Goff for league MVP, and rightfully so. Those guys are playing out of this world.
But don’t forget about what the 39-year-old Texas native is doing in the Crescent City, because Brees is actually having the best season of his illustrious career.
This dude has 25 touchdowns and just one interception and is the only full-time starting quarterback in the National Football League who has been sacked less than ten times.
As remarkable as Mahomes and Goff are playing, it might be the former Purdue Boilermaker who actually has the leg up to win this award.
Because right now, from top to bottom, it’s hard to argue that the Saints aren’t the top team of them all.
If you are one of those people who has to turn away when something gory or “disgusting” comes on the screen, then let me warn you.
Don’t watch any replays of Alex Smith breaking his tibia and fibula in his right leg.
When Kareem Jackson and J.J. Watt wrapped up Alex and tackled him to the ground, Smith landed awkwardly. In an instant, ill memories were brought back of Redskins QB Joe Theismann breaking his leg in a similar fashion some 33 years ago during a Monday Night Football game against the Giants.
The devastating injury leaves Washington fans not knowing what to expect next, but we’ll find out soon enough. The Redskins play the Cowboys, Eagles, and Giants over the next three weeks, so time will tell if Colt McCoy can rally his troops and keep the ’Skins ahead in the crowded NFC East.
On the other hand, what Washington lost was there for Houston to gain, as the Texans quietly scooped up their seventh straight victory and are now two games up in the AFC South.
Did you realize that Bill O’Brien had reeled off seven consecutive wins after starting the year 0-3 before I just pointed it out?
Has that been directly correlated to Deshaun Watson and the offense catching fire? Or have the Texans just been on the receiving end of a lot of good fortune and good luck to wind up in this position?
Or perhaps a bit of both?
Well, let’s find out.
Houston did start their streak by beating the Colts and the Cowboys by just three points apiece, and now they’ve won each of their past two contests by just two points in each.
But winning close games in the NFL isn’t just about being lucky. It’s about being prepared and ready to execute when the opportunity to steal a game late arises. And that’s what Houston has done.
But before I hand out all this praise to the 7-3 Texans, let me just say something.
I’ll preface it by stating that I know this league comes down to winning football games, and winning takes care of everything. But after doing some digging, it appears to me that Houston is getting it done with a little “smoke and mirrors.”
I mean that in the sense that even though the Texans are winning games, they have a lot of holes that they’ll need to address moving forward.
As electric has Watson can be, the sophomore signal-caller has thrown nine interceptions and fumbled the ball eight times. Will Fuller is lost for the year, leaving a gaping hole in the wide receiver core behind DeAndre Hopkins.
Plus, Lamar Miller is only averaging 4.2 yards per carry (T-31st in the NFL) and isn’t getting any younger.
I like the grit and determination that this team has shown, but I think the Colts actually are the team in the division with the most firepower.
That’s why I’ll be keeping close tabs on the Week 14 showdown between Houston and Indy, as it will likely decide who gets to wear the AFC South crown at season’s end.
The NFC North was supposed to be a fierce competition between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers. The Lions brought in a Bill Belichick disciple in Matt Patricia and were thought to be on the brink of becoming a legitimate contender.
Then there were the Bears, who were supposed to be in complete rebuilding mode under first-year head coach Matt Nagy and 24-year-old Mitch Trubisky.
Well, I can tell you with supreme confidence that that memo never reached the hands of the Bears’ new leader, because Matt Nagy has this group straight ballin’.
And he’s got Chicago at 7-3 and nursing a healthy 2.5-game lead over their nearest pursuers.
Minnesota had a golden opportunity to slice into that deficit on Sunday night in Soldier Field, but Khalil Mack and the Bears proved to be too much.
The Vikes didn’t reach the end zone until there was 4:51 remaining in the game, which temporarily got them back within eight points. But Cody Parkey delivered with a clinching 38-yard field goal in a big bounce-back performance after the Bears’ kicker was abysmal in Week 10.
The Bears have been consistently winning the battle at the line of scrimmage, and they did it again in their most recent outing.
Talk about a stout run defense. The “Purple and Gold” rushed for just 22 yards on 14 carries with starting tailback Dalvin Cook healthy and in uniform. That put an insurmountable amount of pressure on the arm of “Captain Kirk,” who was sacked twice and threw a pair of interceptions.
That’s not so much a knock on Cousins, but it’s more admiration on behalf of Vic Fangio’s defensive unit.
When you look at the current standings and Chicago’s remaining schedule, you’ll see that it’s crystal clear that the Bears control their own destiny.
I fully expect this team to take care of business down the stretch and claim their first NFC North crown since 2010. And I can assure you that no team will want to face a Mack-led defense in the Windy City in January.
That’s for certain.
While you are getting ready to feast on Turkey Day, six teams will be getting ready to take the field.
One of our top NFL writers already dove into the slate and offered his betting advice for the Thanksgiving Day games, so feel free to get a head start on Week 12.
If you’d rather wait until the 11 games on Sunday to get your wagers in, that’s okay as well.
I’ll be releasing my picks for Sunday’s game on Friday morning, and you can guarantee it will be detailed and filled with data. I can’t promise you that anything as exciting as what happened on Monday night will happen again in Week 12, or at all this season.
Because quite frankly, we may not see another NFL game with 105 points scored for a long, long time.
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