Tom Brady and the Patriots suddenly are dealing wit𓆉h plenty o🌸f baggage issues of their own.
The luggage filled with much of the Chiefs’ equipment had an unexpected layover Sunday in Newark, but it all arrived in time for Kansas City to avoid a forfeit ♛and execute a 23-16 victory over the sliding Pats (10-3).
The loss ended New England’s 22-game winning streak at Gillette Stadium (playoffs included) and did little꧙ to dispel question💫s about the Pats’ chances to win an unprecedented seventh Super Bowl title.
The defending champions atypically were roundly booed at home until mounting a lat💜e comeback bid, losing for the second straight week (also falling to Houston) and for the third time in five games afteཧr opening the season 8-0.
“Yeah, you hear cheers, you hear boos, that’s part of being in sports,” Brady said. “You try to go in and pඣlay better, basically.
“We ⛄had some moments, we had some plays that we just couldn’t score. We just have to play betterꦚ and try to go out and win next week’s game [against 1-12 Cincinnati].”
Bags containing the shoulder pads and helmets of approximately 35 Kansas City players were rushed from New Jersey to Boston𝓀 and arrived barely one hour ahead of the 4:25 p.m. kickoff time
Bill Belichic𒆙k’s team grabbed an early lead on a 37-yard flea-flicker from Brady to Julian Edelman, but the Chiefs scored the next 23 points — including a 48-yard hookup between Patrick Mahomes and Mecole Hardman and three field goals by Harrison Butker — by the 8-minute 46-second mark of the third quarter.
A blocked punt set up Brandon Bolden’s 10-yard TD run around the right end, before a Travis Kelce fumble led to a Nick Folk field goal and a 23-16 game with 11:42 remaining in the fourth quartಞer.
The Pats also had a fourth-and-3 opportunity on the Kansas City 5-yard line with 1:06 remaining, but Bashaud Breeland broke up Brady’s pass intended for Ede෴lman in the left corner of the end zone to compl🙈ete the Patriots’ first home loss since Carolina beat them, 33-30, in October 2017.
Earlier in the fourth quarter, N’Keal Harry was ruled o♈ut at the 3-yard line before diving into the end zone. Replays sh🐓owed he did not step out of bounds, but the Patriots had no challenges left.
“It doesn’t happen very often, but, you know, it happened,” said Brady, who finished the game 19-for-36 for 169 yards, marking his second-worst yardage output and passer rating (63.3) o🃏f the season. “We still had a chance and wish we could’ve scored there at the end.”
Game of the Day/Year
George Kittle rumbled downfield like Mark Bavaro, and Ro✨bbie Gould was money in the end as the 49ers pulled out the NFL’s game of the year so far.
San Francisco’s wild 48-46 shootout victory Sunday in New Orleans — the first time a game has resulted in that final score in NFL history — moved the Niners back to the coveted No. 1 position in th๊e NFC. At 11-2, they are one game ahead of Seattle, which lost Sunday night to the Rams, in the NFC West.
“When you go through a game like that, that was as cool of a game as I’ve been a part of,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “The🍌 guys just kept battling. … It probably saved a few years of my life.”
Garoppolo threw for 349 yards and four touchdowns, with a 39-yard catch and run up the left sideline by Kittle on fourth-and-2 from the San Francisco 33 — plus a face-mask personal f♔oul by New Orleans defensive back Marcus Williams at the end of the play — setting up Gould’s 30-yard field goal as time expired.
“I thought everyone was calm on the sideline and I thought we were all in a good state of mind and we all went out and🌞 executed,” said Garoppolo, who joined Steve Young (1993-94) and Jeff Garcia🅺 (2000) as the only 49ers QBs with at least three games of four passing touchdowns in one season. “Once George caught it and turned up field, I knew the guy was in a bad situation on the other side. George is a beast with the ball in his hands. Get him the ball in space and let him go work. He did the rest.”
Earlier in the ga♔me, 49ers receiver Emmanuel S🧜anders hauled in a 75-yard touchdown pass, and he also heaved a 35-yard score to running back Raheem Mostert on a double-reverse trick play.
San Francisco faces the Falcons and the Rams th💛e nဣext two weeks before a showdown with the Seahawks in the regular-season finale.
The previous ✨high the Niners defense had allowed this season was 27 points in an overtime loss to Seattle in Week 10. The Saints, who took a 27-14 lead midway ℱthrough the second quarter, went ahead 46-45 on Drew Brees’ fifth touchdown pass of the game — a 16-yard throw to Tre’Quan Smith — with 53 seconds remaining. But the Saints missed the two-point conversion, leaving the Niners with a chance to win it on the final drive.
Sweepless in Seattle
Russell Wilson and the Seahawks (10-3) were unable to complete a divisional sweep of the Rams, slipping back into wild-card position with a 28-12 loss Sunday night♌ in Los Angeles.
Wilson was held without a touchdown pass for the first time this season, with Seattle’s lone TD coming on an interception return by Quandre Diggs in the third quarter. Rams 🤡quarterback Jared Goff registered 293 passing yards and two touchdowns as the Rams (8-5) won their second straight game to stay alive in the NFC wild-card picture. It was Seattle’s first road loss of the season.
Exclusive Club for Lamar
Lamar Jackson and the AFC-leading Ravens (11-2) eked out their second con��secutive defensive struggle andღ their ninth straight win overall with a tight 24-17 win over Buffalo to clinch a playoff spot in the AFC.
Jackson tota꧙led just 145 passing yards, after th𝓰rowing for just 105 in last week’s last-second win over San Francisco, but the MVP candidate threw for three scores, including a 61-yarder to tight end Hayden Hurst in the third quarter.
Jackson also ra🐬n the ball for 40 more yards to become the second quarterback in NFL history to surpass 1,000 on the ground (1,017🌜). He is 22 yards shy of Michael Vick’s all-time record of 1,039 for Atlanta in 2006.
Lock of the Week
Von Miller called rookie quarterback Drew Lock “a f—ing rock star” after Denver’s second-round draft pick led the Broncos to a shocking 38-24 road rout of the Texans.
Lock, who had defeated the Chargers in his first NFL start last week,🅘 threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns as the Broncos never looked back after grabbing a 31-3 halftime lead.
Deshaun Watson 💮was 28 of 50 for 292 yards with one 🐓touchdown and two interceptions in a brutal home loss for Houston, which had defeated New England last Sunday night. Tennessee moved into a first-place tie with the Texans (8-5) in the AFC South with a 42-21 win over Oakland.
Broncos defensive back Kareem Jackson, who played nine seasons for the Texans, returned Keke Coutee’s fumble 70 yards for a touchdown and ad꧟ded an interception of Watson.
The Hurt Locker
Tampa Bay wide receiver Mike Evans hauled in a 61-yard TD reception in the second quarter against Indianapolis but injured his r𒈔ight hamstring on the pl🐼ay and did not return. Dolphins wide receiver DeVante Parker suffered a concussion against the Jets. Bengals wide receiver Auden Tate left their game against the Browns with a knee injury. Saints tight end Jared Cook had two TD catches but suffered a concussion on a high hit by 49ers cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon. 49ers center Weston Richburg was carted off the field in the third quarter with right knee and ankle injuries. Redskins running back Derrius Guice left their game against Green Bay with a knee injury.
Post Patterns
Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill moved surging Tennessee into a first-place tie with Houston in the AFC South, throwing for 391 yards and three touchdowns in the Titans’ sixth win in seven games, a 42-21 victory over Oakland (6-7). … Titans running back Derrick Henry (103 rushing yards, 2 TDs) has run for 12 TDs in back-to-back seasons, joining Earl Campbell as the only players in franchise history to record consecutive seasons with at least 🐟a dozen rushing TDs. … Steelers quarterback Devlin Hodges was 16-for-19 for 152 yards and one TD with no interceptions and wide receiver Diontae Johnson returned a punt 85 yards for a score as Mike Tomlin and Pittsburgh (8-5) also won for the sixth time in seven games, 23-17 over Arizona. … Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston left for one second-half series with a hand injury, but he still finished with 456 passing yards and four touchdown passes as the Buccaneers improved to 6-7 with a 38-35 win over the Colts. The always hot-and-cold Winston also chucked three picks, however, giving him 26 touchdown passes and 23 INTs this season. … Colts linebacker Darius Leonard returned one of Winston’s picks 80 yards for a touchdown for the Colts (6-7). Colts kicker Chase McLaughlin, filling in for injured veteran Adam Vinatieri, missed a 47-yard field goal with 8:18 remaining. … Browns cornerback Denzel Ward also had a 61-yard pick-six in Cleveland’s 27-19 win over Cincinnati (1-12) in the Battle of Ohio. Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (11-for-24, 192 yards, no TDs, two INTs) had another shaky day but running back Nick Chubb went over 100 rushing yards for the 10th time in his first two seasons, second only to Jim Brown (11) in Browns history. Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. had just two catches for 39 yards. The former Giant will have to undergo sports hernia surgery in the offseason, according to NFL Network. … Bengals running back Joe Mixon finished with 146 rushing yards and a touchdown. … Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan became the 10th player in NFL history to surpass 50,000 career passing yards in Atlanta’s 40-20 win over Carolina. Falcons wide receiver Juilo Jones reached 1,000 receiving yards for the sixth straight season, tying Roddy White for the longest streak in Falcons history. … Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo recovered a Greg Dortch fumble on one kickoff, one week after Atlanta recovered two onsides kicks. … Falcons wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus’ first NFL reception was a 93-yard touchdown reception — the longest play from scrimmage this season in the NFL. … Packers running back Aaron Jones ran for 134 yards and one touchdown (his 15th of the season) and caught six passes for 58 yards as Green Bay (9-3) held on for a 20-15 win over Washington (3-10). … Vikings DE Danielle Hunter had three sacks (for 12.5 this season) as Minnesota (9-3) earned a 20-7 win over Detroit (3-9-1). … Chargers running back Austin Ekeler went over 100 yards in both rushing (101) and receiving (112) as Los Angeles (5-9) rushed Jacksonville, 45-10. … Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew was 24-for-37 for 162 yards in his first game back as the starter over benched Nick Foles.
Three Stars
1. Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers QB
Jimmy G was 11-for-12 for 206 yards in the first half and finished with 349 passing yards and four touchdowns as San Francisco pulled out a crazy 48-46 win at New Orleanꦐs to improve to 🌟11-2.
2. Drew Brees, Saints QB
The 19-ye🍌ar veteran threw for 349 yards with five touchdown tosses and no picks against the NFL’s top-rated defense in th🤪e loss, moving within two of Peyton Manning’s all-time record for TD passes of 539.
3. Drew Lock, Broncos QB
The other Drew, at the opposite end of his career, improved to 2-0 as Denver’s starter, completing 22 of 27 passes for 309 yards and three touchdo🙈wns in the Broncos’ 38-24 win over Houston.
He Said What?
“I don’t want to answer ONE officiating question ⭕today.”
— Saints coach Sean Payton, after multiple fourth-quarter calls went against New Orleans in its 48-46 loss to San Francisco.
Fantasy Insanity
- Injuries played a huge role in week 14. Tight ends Mark Andrews and Ryan Griffin were knocked out early. Jared Cook and Noah Fant had big fantasy days before injuries cut short what could have been mammoth totals. Wide receiver Mike Evans didn’t return after scoring a TD. Running back Josh Jacobs was ruled inactive after early kickoffs. Suboptimal events, especially during the fantasy playoffs.
- Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders connected on seven field goals, good for 23 fantasy points in traditional scoring leagues. It was the highest single kicker total on the year, and just the second to top 20 fantasy points. Some teams are going to get knocked out of the fantasy playoffs based on this random spike in production. It provides a strong argument against having kickers on fantasy rosters, given that volatility.
- Emmanuel Sanders was the primary benefactor of the shocking scoreboard explosion in New Orleans. The 49ers receiver, over the past four weeks, had scored a total of 21.3 fantasy points. Sunday he had seven catches, 157 yards, a TD catch and a TD pass — good for 34.1 fantasy points.