2023 3GML Season - Week #18

Philadelphia Eagles 17

New York Giants 35

NEW JERSEY - In a game where the Eagles rested most of their starters, the Giants cruised to a 35-17 victory.  The game was essentially a playoff game for New York who now wait to see if their 9-8 record is good enough to get them in as a six or seven seed.

For Philadelphia, Mac Jones got the start and was efficient but it wasn't enough as the offense struggled to move consistently all afternoon.

For the Eagles, who had already locked up the NFC East title, the loss brings their record under GM BD's inaugural season to 10-7.  They will enter the playoffs as the four seed and will play the loser of the Saints and Falcons week 18 game.

Pittsburgh Steelers 17

Baltimore Ravens 38

BALTIMORE - The Baltimore Ravens cruised to a 38-17 victory over division rival Pittsburgh behind Bijan Robinson's four touchdowns.  The scoring onslaught from Robinson brings his total to 23 on the year and breaks the 3GML record for rushing touchdowns previously held by Chris Ivory of the Miami Dolphins.  When added to his five receiving TDs, the 28 total TDs also breaks the 3GML record for touchdowns previously held by Tyreek Hill, who had 24.

GM TP wraps up his first season in the 3GML with a 12-5 record and earning the AFC's six seed.  Baltimore will travel to Cincinnati in the first round of the playoffs to meet the Bengals for a third time this season after dropping the first two matchups..  This time, however, they will get a shot at victory without Joe Burrow playing quarterback.  

Los Angeles Rams 34

San Francisco 49ers 31

SANTA CLARA - The 49ers lost in a game that will be remembered more for an officiating decision than anything else.  Tied at 31 with 4 seconds remaining and possessing the ball on their own 25, Matthew Stafford threw a Hail Mary that was swatted down on the San Francisco 25.  However, the officials threw a flag and called defensive pass interference, giving the Rams one more play to kick a field goal for the win.

"They never call that.  Like, never," said an exasperated Jordan Love after the game.

A silver lining for the 49ers was Drue Tranquill, who set the 3GML record for tackles at 182.

The loss had little meaning as San Francisco has already clinched the number one seed in the NFC.  They now get a week off and will wait to see who their opponent will be in divisional round.

Chicago Bears 23

Green Bay Packers 37

GREEN BAY - Tua Tagovailoa broke the NFL single season passing yard record as the Green Bay Packers handled the Chicago Bears 37-23.  Tagovailoa finished the season with 5,504 yards, breaking Peyton Manning's 2013 record by 27 yards.

Tagovailoa also set the 3GML record for passing touchdowns at 43 and will try to keep things going for the Packers as they head into the playoffs as the number two seed.

Green Bay will wait to see their first round opponent as there will likely be a complicated tie breaker needed to award the NFC's seventh seed.

Houston Texans 45

Indianapolis Colts 31

INDIANAPOLIS - Quarterback Trey Lance set the single game quarterback rushing record in a career day against the Colts.  Lance ran 12 times for a whopping 280 yards and four touchdowns.  The yardage breaks the previous record by 99 yards, highlighting how extraordinary the effort was.

With the win, Houston heads to the playoffs looking to be the first team ever to win three Super Bowls in a row.  They will play the loser of the highly touted Sunday Night game between the 14-2 Chargers and 14-2 Chiefs.

Kansas City Chiefs 10

San Diego Chargers 31

SAN DIEGO - In a highly touted matchup to determine the number one seed in the AFC, the San Diego Chargers easily defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 31-10.  Both team came in at 14-2 and had everything on the line, fighting for home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Charger defense shone brightest making the vaunted Chiefs offense struggle for each and every yard.  Both Nolan Smith Jr. and Karen Curl forced fumbles for San Diego.

"Division champs baby!" Smith said after the game.

With the win, San Diego gets a bye and waits for the lowest seeded AFC team that advances from Wild Card Weekend.  The Chiefs meanwhile will head to Houston to take on the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Texans.

2023 3GML Season - Week #17

San Diego Chargers 21

Denver Broncos 20

DENVER - The San Diego Chargers (14-2) kept their AFC West and #1 seed hopes alive with a dramatic late victory over the Denver Broncos 21-20.

QB Hendon Hooker was quiet for most of the game before leading the team to a dramatic TD with :22 left on the clock.

"It's a theme for us for sure," Hooker said. "Our defense is playing at an elite level and our offense does just enough to get us home. We can do more for sure."

The Chargers will now head home to take on the 14-2 Kansas City Chiefs for the AFC West and a first round bye in the playoffs.

Miami Dolphins 19

Baltimore Ravens 38

BALTIMORE - The Baltimore Ravens (11-5) clinched a playoff berth with a strange 38-19 victory over Sam Darnold and the Miami Dolphins. 

The Ravens defense was dominant again while the Baltimore offense struggled to find their footing behind five interceptions by QB Jalen Hurts.

"The ghosts were seeing me today," Hurts said. "I was awful, flat out."

Rookie HB Bijan Robinson was magnificent again with 167 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns. 

Baltimore will close out their regular season against the Pittsburgh Steelers at home. The Ravens are locked into the AFC's #6 or #7 seed.

San Francisco 49ers 16

Washington Commanders 13

WASHINGTON DC - In a game that had little meaning for San Francisco, the Niners still managed a sloppy win over a Commanders team fighting for its playoff life.  The 49ers (15-1) rotated both quarterbacks and ran a vanilla offensive scheme in what appeared to be a game treated more like a preseason matchup.

The 49ers will have one more game with no playoff implications as they take on the Rams to close out their season. 

Arizona Cardinals 23

Philadelphia Eagles 26

PHILADELPHIA - The Eagles secured a playoff spot in the 2023 NFL playoffs with a win over the Arizona Carnivals 26-23.  The Eagles (10-6) held off a late Cardinals charge to run the clock out with a three point lead.

Christian McCaffrey ran for 117 yards and was instrumental in ensuring the Eagles didn't give the ball back to Arizona in the last part of the 4th quarter.

Patrick Surtain II kept his interception streak alive with another pick in this one.

"I feel like I'm really seeing the field well right now," said the two-time defending 3GML defensive player of the year.

The Eagles head to New York to close out their season in a game that could decide the NFC East.

Tennessee Titans 30

Houston Texans 27

HOUSTON - The Texans lost in overtime after blowing an eleven point 4th quarter lead.  Trey Lance played well all game, but there are two throws he'd probably like back.  One in the fourth quarter with the Texans up eight where he telegraphed a pass to Sean Murphy-Bunting, who intercepted it and returned it for a touchdown.  The other was in overtime, where Houston won the toss and were driving in the red zone.  On a second and six from his the Titan 19 yard line, there seemed to be some miscommunication between Lance and the receiver and Caleb Farley intercepted the pass.  Tennessee drove down the field and kicked the winning field goal as a result.

Josh Downs was a bright spot for Houston, however.  The rookie from North Carolina caught four passes for 77 yards and two touchdowns.

With the loss, Houston is locked into the AFC's four seed and will play a game with very little meaning next week against the Colts.

Green Bay Packers 42

Minnesota Vikings 28

MINNEAPOLIS - Tua Tagovailoa stayed red-hot as the Green Bay Packers nearly put up 500 yards of offense for the second straight week in their 42-28 win over the Vikings.  Tagovailoa threw for 417 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.  The 4th year QB is currently sitting at number one in passing yards and has broken the 3GML record with one game remaining.

Defensively, Harold Landry once again shined for the Packers with two more sacks.  However, in the second straight week, the Green Bay defense has given up more points than they would prefer against inferior opponents.  

Green Bay is guaranteed the NFC's two seed and plays next week against rival Chicago in a game that means nothing for the Packers and everything for the Bears who are fighting for a playoff spot.

2023 3GML Season - Week #16

Buffalo Bills 49

San Diego Chargers 28

SAN DIEGO - The Buffalo Bills (11-4) made a strong statement 3,000 miles from home as they humbled the San Diego Chargers (13-2) in their home stadium 49-28.

Josh Allen passed for 350 yards and added four TD passes on a day where the Bills showed the rest of the NFL they will be a tough out in the playoffs.

"This was a playoff game for us and we showed what we are made of," Allen said. "From here on out all the games matter."

The Chargers lost only their second game of the season and will look to rebound against their division rivals the Denver Broncos in Week 17. 

New York Giants 17

Philadelphia Eagles 33

PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Eagles moved into the drivers seat of the NFC East with a huge win over rival New York.  The Giants have been holding ground since the loss of Daniel Jones to an ACL injury, but couldn't keep up with the Christian McCaffrey led Eagles offense.

McCaffrey had 183 yards on the day, making it the second straight game the running back had over 180 yards rushing. 

"Hitting my stride at the right time,"  McCaffrey said.  "We're not there yet.  This division is full of good teams."

Speaking of hitting their stride, Patrick Surtain II once again had an interception, this time a pick six returned 59 yards to the house.

Philadelphia will look to protect their fragile division lead and playoff spot next week against the Arizona Cardinals.

Baltimore Ravens 14

San Francisco 49ers 36

SANTA CLARA - The San Francisco 49ers clinched the number one seed in the NFC and moved to 14-1 after a strong 36-14 win against a hot Ravens team.  The Niners looked ready to go from the start and used their number one ranked league defense to shut down Jalen Hurts and Bijan Robinson.

The Ravens who were one of the most explosive teams coming in were held to just 254 yards of offense including just 161 from Jalen Hurts, who was playing under the weather.

Offensively, Jordan Love continues to show why he's taken over starting duties, throwing for 296 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for another TD.

For the Ravens, it was a tough blow as they were hoping to lock up a playoff spot and stay in the hunt for the AFC North crown.  Coach DeMeco Ryans promised to flush this one and dominate the rest of the way.

We'll see what San Francisco decides to do the next two weeks with home field advantage and a bye clinched.  Do they keep their foot on the gas or start resting players for the playoffs?  Next up is a date with the Washington Commanders.

For Baltimore, they'll hope to book a trip to the playoffs for the first time under GM TP with a home game against the Miami Dolphins.

Green Bay Packers 49

Carolina Panthers 38

CHARLOTTE - The Green Bay Packers won a barn-burner 49-38 against the Carolina Panthers Sunday afternoon.  The Packers offense put up 574 yards of total offense, including 440 from quarterback Tua Tagogailoa.  The Green Bay QB also thew for four touchdowns on the day.  With the win, the Packers locked up the NFC North division title and a home playoff game.

Those 440 yards were spread around as the Pack had three different receivers with over 100 yards.  Amon-Ra St. Brown led the group with 135, but Gabe Davis' 107 and Justin Jefferson's 101 also kept the Panther defense looking lost.

On the ground David Montgomery had 145 yards and three touchdowns when he was only asked to carry the ball 16 times.

The Packers will look to clinch the NFC two seed next week with a trip to Minnesota.

Cleveland Browns 13

Houston Texans 24

HOUSTON - The Houston Texans played solid football en route to a 24-13 win over the Browns that gave the two-time defending Super Bowl champs another AFC division title.

Trey Lance used his legs to the tune of 104 yards rushing and two touchdowns, while adding another 201 yards and TD through the air.

With the win, David Shaw showed why he's got two 3GML coach of the year awards in his trophy case.  He's taken a team with high expectations who lost their starting quarterback week one, and got them right back in the big dance.

The win wasn't the only good news for Houston as it was reported today that quarterback Aaron Rodgers who tore his Achilles in September, is likely to be medically cleared to play by week 18.  

Houston will look to continue their successful campaign next week against the Titans.

2023 3GML Season - Week #15

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 18

Green Bay Packers 34

GREEN BAY - The Packers used a strong second half to put away the Buccaneers 34-18.  David Montgomery had his second consecutive 100 yard game and may not give touches back to the injured Isaiah Pacheco.

Defensively, we continued to see the rise of Harold Landry with another two sacks, bringing his total to 13 on the season.

"Feeling like my old self again," Landry said, referring to his ACL injury that knocked him out all of last season.

Green Bay will look to clinch to division and a playoff spot next week on the road in Carolina.

Houston Texans 31

Tennessee Titans 29

NASHVILLE - The Texans used a last second field goal by new kicker Ryan Succop to walk off victorious over the Titans.  Succop was signed after previous kicker Mason Crosby missed two crucial field goals last week and called his own number on a fake for his third attempt.  The rush came up well short of the first down leading David Shaw to cut him right after the game.

This one also saw the return of Trey Lance full time after the two QB system faltered last week in New York.  Lance played like the early season version of himself and guided the Texans to a much needed win.

Houston heads home to take on the Browns next week.

San Diego Chargers 45

Las Vegas Raiders 9

LAS VEGAS - In a game featuring two potential AFC playoff teams, the San Diego Chargers (13-1) demonstrated why they are still in talks to earn the conference's #1 overall seed with their 45-9 demolition of the Raiders in Vegas.

Rookie Nolan Smith Jr. harassed QB Jimmy Garoppolo all night finishing with 4.5 sacks to put his season total at 17.0 for the year. 

"We play a lot of guys on defense to keep us all fresh," Smith Jr. said. "Our 'NASCAR' package with me, Joe, and Calijah gets in there after the 'Dirt Racers' do all the dirty work."

Fellow rookie Hendon Hooker passed for only 100 yards on the night, but used his legs for a trio of TD runs.

"We're a simple team honestly," Hooker said. "We are a defensive team who wants to run the ball on offense - They give us short fields and we try to put points on the board for them to play from the front."

The Chargers will now play host to the Buffalo Bills in a game with massive playoff implications. 

San Francisco 49ers 44

Arizona Cardinals 34

PHOENIX - The San Francisco 49ers won a shootout in the desert 44-34 over the Arizona Cardinals.  The win almost assures the Niners of the one seed as they are up three games on Green Bay with three to go.

Jordan Love got the start over MVP Justin Fields and showed why with an amazing afternoon.  Love threw for 309 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions.

"Coach trusted me and I'm glad I could s back up that trust," Love said.

The Niners now host the red-hot Ravens in an all 3GML matchup with GM TP.

Philadelphia Eagles 30

Seattle Seahawks 27

SEATTLE - Will Levis drove down the field with 38 seconds to set up a Justin Tucker field goal for the walk off win.  With the win, the Eagles move back into a tie for first in the NFC East with the New York Giants, who they play twice in the last three weeks.

Seattle made this one close at the end due to scoring 17 points in the final three minutes.  This included recovering an onside kick and getting a three and out to give Eagles fans a heart attack.  However Levis remained cool and drove his team to victory.

Lost in the excitement was an exceptional game from Christian McCaffrey who rushed for 192 yards on 24 carries and now leads the NFL in rushing yard.

Philadelphia enters the most important stretch in its season as it host the New York Giants next week.

Baltimore Ravens 56

Jacksonville Jaguars 14

JACKSONVILLE - MVP candidates Jalen Hurts and Bijan Robinson put on another show as the Baltimore Ravens (10-4) destroyed the Jacksonville Jaguars 56-14 Sunday.

Hurts passed for 396 yards with 5 TD passes while Robinson rushed for 196 yards including a pair of TDs on the ground (and one through the air).

"It was a total team win top to bottom," Hurts said. "But their are always areas we can clean up."

The dominant Ravens will now take on the top team in the NFL as they travel to San Francisco. 

2023 3GML Season - Week #14

Los Angeles Rams 25

Baltimore Ravens 48

INGLEWOOD - The Baltimore Ravens (9-4) re-asserted their dominance defensively with a five takeaway outing against Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams en route to their convincing 48-25 victory.

MLB Roquan Smith was all over the field in the first half with three interceptions himself including a pick six to open the scoring.

"We wanted to play angry and aggressive," Smith said. "I think this team is going to hit our stride now."

Smith now has an impressive 139 tackles, 4.0 sacks, and four interceptions on the season.

Baltimore will now take on the Jacksonville Jaguars next week.

Denver Broncos 17

San Diego Chargers 34

DENVER - The San Diego Chargers (12-1) were able to rally after a slow start to put away the Denver Broncos 34-17 Sunday afternoon at Jack Murphy Stadium.

Rookie QB Hendon Hooker, returning from a 1-game injury absence, did just enough through the air and on the ground to complete the victory.

"At this point and with how our defense is playing, my job is to protect the football and not take too many chances," Hooker said. "Denver played well and the scoreline does not do this game justice."

The Chargers now take on the Las Vegas Raiders for the second time this season to see if they can get their 13th victory of the season.

Philadephia Eagles 17

Dallas Cowboys 45

DALLAS - The Eagles fell victim to a surging Cowboys team 45-17.  Micah Parson had 6 sacks and Philadelphia could not stop the Cowboy offense.

The NFC East division tightens up with the Cowboys win and now the Eagles turn to an easier stretch in their schedule with a date against the struggling Seahawks.

Seattle Seahawks 20

San Francisco 49ers 30

SANTA CLARA - The San Francisco 49ers shook off a slow start to pull away late and beat the Seattle Seahawks 30-20.  The win moved the Niners to 12-1 with four games to go.  However, the story of this one was Kyle Shanahan shockingly benching two-time 3GML MVP Justin Fields in favor of Jordan Love mid way through the third quarter with the game tied at 13.

The move proved to be the correct one as Love took a Niners offense that was struggling down the field in four plays for a touchdown.  Love finished the game and now there are so many questions for the NFCs number one seed.

After the game, Shanahan stated, "You know, Justin is always looking for the big plays.  We saw it just before the half with him hitting CeeDee deep.  But you have to balance the looking for big plays with taking what the defense gives you.  Justin has been taking a lot of sacks lately and putting stress on our line.  Sometimes, he can overcome that.  Today, we couldn't get enough positive momentum with it.  Jordan came in and provided a spark.  He made some big throws.  He also made some throws I'd rather he not.  It paid off today.  We'll go back to the film and take a hard look about our QB room moving forward."

Never before has a team rolling like this made a move at quarterback willingly this late in the season.  Who takes the start next week against Arizona?  Stay tuned.

Green Bay Packers 14

New York Giants 37

NEW JERSEY - The Packers lost a tough one that had everything going against them.  Coach Matt LaFleur promised to "burn the tape" and that the football gods "had this one predetermined."

Green Bay heads home to play the Buccaneers.

Houston Texans 2

New York Jets 10

NEW JERSEY - The Texans lost a tough one that had everything going against them. There were no offensive touchdowns scored by Houston.

The Texans couldn't get out of New York fast enough and now travel to take on the Titans.

2023 3GML Season - Week #13

San Diego Chargers 21

New England Patriots 16

FOXBORO - With starting QB Hendon Hooker ruled out, fellow rookie Jake Haener did just enough to keep the San Diego Chargers (11-1) in prime playoff position with a 21-16 victory over the New England Patriots.

Haener passed for 146 yards with a pair of TDs to go along with two bad INTs. 

"I have to fix the turnovers," Haener said. "But for my first start, we have a lot to build toward."

The Chargers defense stepped up again with 5.0 sacks and rookie Joey Porter Jr's first TD of his career with a pick six late in the first half.

San Diego will now take on the Denver Broncos in Week 14. 

San Francisco 49ers 24

Philadelphia Eagles 23

PHILADELPHIA - In what may be the game of the year so far, the San Francisco 49ers used a last minute touchdown on fourth and goal to escape Philadelphia with a 24-23 victory.  Dalvin Cook was once again electric for the Niners, while their defense stifled what had been a sold Eagles run game.

For the Eagles, Will Levis gave his team as much as he could and looked like a rising star.  New addition Zach Ertz looked like the player who went to three pro-bowls while in Philadelphia years ago.

The fallout from this result starts to paint a picture for the top NFC playoff seeds.  The race for the one seed is now a two-horse race between the Niners and Green Bay.  The Eagles now fall into a tie for first place with the Giants in the NFC East with both Washington and Dallas lurking.

Next up for San Francisco is another date with the dismal Seattle Seahawks, while the Eagles have to face a surging Dallas team that has won four in a row.

Kansas City Chiefs 14

Green Bay Packers 45

GREEN BAY - The Green Bay Packers dominated the undefeated Chiefs in heavy snow, winning 45-14.  The Pack looked every bit the part of a Super Bowl contender, embarrassing a Kansas City team that previously looked unbeatable.

Tua Tagovailoa was electric all game and one opposing scout labeled his play in the game as "perfect."  The QB threw for 293 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 9.3 yards per attempt.

The game also marked the return of Justin Jefferson, who immediately made his presence know with a 63 yard touchdown in the first quarter.

"Happy to be back out with the boys," Jefferson said.

Green Bay will look to keep it rolling next week on the road for a Monday night matchup with the New York Giants.

Denver Broncos 7

Houston Texans 28

HOUSTON - The Houston Texans defense harassed Russell Wilson all game en route to a 28-7 victory.  The Texans defense sacked Wilson seven times on the afternoon and made it almost impossible for Denver to convert on third down.

Offensively, the game saw the first start this year from Malik Willis at quarterback and it looked like the decision to change from Trey Lance was the right one.  Willis brought a running element that had been lacking the Houston offense. The Liberty product totaled 117 yards on the ground and found the end zone twice with his legs.

Houston has a comfortable three game lead in the division and will now take on a 4-8 New York Jets team.