Analysis
12/11/22
5 min read
Week 14 First-and-10: What You Missed Over a Wild Weekend of Football
Ten wonderful, weird and wacky items from a wild weekend of football in Week 14:
1st Down
Tiptoe TD
Football is a game of inches. Sometimes millimeters. En route to defeating the Titans on Sunday, Jacksonville’s Zay Jones walked the tightrope hauling in this incredible catch.
.@zayjones11 R U KIDDING #ProBowlVote | #JAXvsTEN on CBS/NFL+ pic.twitter.com/Cal96890IV
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) December 11, 2022
Slice of green. Well done, @zayjones11.
📺: #JAXvsTEN on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/xHAnGDC3Lg pic.twitter.com/hAjGyOjQQo— NFL (@NFL) December 11, 2022
2nd Down
Heart of a Lion
Lions OC Ben Johnson, a hot head-coaching candidate, went deep into his play-calling bag against the Vikings. Early in the third quarter, he called a successful fake punt from inside his own 30-yard line. Then on third down with two minutes left in the fourth quarter, Johnson caught everyone by surprise again with a designed pass to 335-pound tackle Penei Swell. The big man’s catch led to a field goal that sealed Detroit's fifth win in six games.
Big man. Big reception! @peneisewell58
📺: #MINvsDET on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/RvZfbqafel pic.twitter.com/BOfmZEoXxr— NFL (@NFL) December 11, 2022
"He could be a Hall of Fame tight end, in my opinion too, if went and losed a little bit of weight."
- Dan Campbell on offensive tackle Penei Sewell when asked about his nine-yard reception to seal the game. 😂 #OnePride
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) December 11, 2022
3rd Down
Air Knox
Nothing was stopping Dawson Knox from getting into the end zone, not even gravity itself. Knox lifts, flips and somehow still breaks the plane for six. This play was mesmerizing, to say the least.
Take flight, @Dawson_Knox!
📺: #NYJvsBUF on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/7FXORqYuVi pic.twitter.com/99FkfKPBzd— NFL (@NFL) December 11, 2022
4th Down
More Mahomes Magic
A casual Kareem hook-shot pass for a touchdown, simply unreal from Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs held off the Broncos for a 34-28 victory.
Lol @PatrickMahomes
📺: #KCvsDEN on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/TzmdzbFm9o pic.twitter.com/59aoI8aUya— NFL (@NFL) December 11, 2022
5th Down
Brick Walls Be Warned
The 123rd Army vs. Navy game was held Saturday and featured sweet uniforms and patriotism. Most of the game was spent on the ground. So much so that both teams did not complete a pass until the fourth quarter. In the first overtime game of the rivalry's existence, Army pulled out the victory, 20-17. This was the scene in Army’s locker room after the game. Chills.
𝗙𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗦𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 💪 ‼️#GoArmy | #BEATnavy pic.twitter.com/RF9jYgcOxU
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) December 11, 2022
Navy's locker room was not as celebratory. On Sunday, the Midshipmen fired Ken Niumatalolo, who had been leading the program since 2007, had three double-digit-win seasons and bowl appearances in six straight years and 9 of 10.
6th Down
Chase-ing Records
No Tee Higgins, no Tyler Boyd, no Hayden Hurst, no problem. Joe Burrow was dealing to Ja’Marr Chase against the Browns, connecting with him 10 times for 119 yards and a touchdown. Chase became the second player in NFL history with more than 2,000 receiving yards and 20-plus receiving touchdowns at age 22 or younger. The other? None other than the great Randy Moss.
Burrow threads the needle to Chase!@JoeyB @Real10Jayy__
📺: #CLEvsCIN on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/5eoy1fJ9tq pic.twitter.com/kn0r0Mn67g— NFL (@NFL) December 11, 2022
7th Down
FCS Playoff Pandemonium
One week removed from notching a SportsCenter top-10 play, Incarnate Word quarterback Lindsey Scott Jr. delivered another thrilling performance. In a quarterfinal playoff game, UIW and Sacramento State combined for an FCS-record 129 points. The back and forth slugfest ended with UIW on top, 66-63.
Scott now holds the FCS single-season record for most passing touchdowns with 59 and is only three away from breaking the NCAA record. UIW’s high octane offense plays North Dakota State in the FCS Semifinals on Thursday.
𝗬𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚!!!@UIWFootball LINDSEY SCOTT JR. TO TAYLOR GRIMES TO GIVE THE CARDS THE LEAD LATEEEEEEEE IN THE FOURTH!! pic.twitter.com/6Ezs5NlVNH
— Southland Conference (@SouthlandSports) December 10, 2022
8th Down
A Punter's Worst Nightmare
This is something that doesn’t happen every day. Giants punter Jamie Gillan was flagged for an illegal kick of the football. Turns out, the ball slipped out of his hand right before he was ready to punt. This caused Gillan, a former high school rugby player, to frantically kick the ball away Rugby-style, which resulted in a flag. Pat McAfee is here to explain, from a punter's point of view.
pic.twitter.com/Z1tJHElG3L https://t.co/DL7y3M9hd1
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 11, 2022
9th Down
Let Russ Cook
Before leaving Sunday's loss to the Chiefs with a head injury, Russell Wilson was having one of his better games this season. This was an exception.
.@WillieG___ tips it to himself and takes it for a pick-6!
📺: #KCvsDEN on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/TzmdzbFm9o pic.twitter.com/saVV3ch1zL— NFL (@NFL) December 11, 2022
Chiefs linebacker Willer Gay has caught 11% of Russell Wilson’s touchdown passes this year.
— nick wright (@getnickwright) December 11, 2022
10th Down
High Praise for Brock
Brock Purdy has taken the football world by storm. He went from being the last pick (Mr. Irrelevant) in this year's NFL draft to winning two games in a row for the 49ers. Purdy got his shot last week against Miami when Jimmy Garoppolo left the game in the first quarter due to injury. He threw for 210 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. But this week against the Bucs was judgment week. Could he handle the pressure of playing Tom Brady? Does he really belong in the NFL? Purdy silenced all doubt by beating Tom Brady and the Bucs, 35-7. He completed 16 of 21 passes for 185 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. His performance even left Jerry Rice a believer.