Monday’s 6-pack:
Week 17 NFL spreads:
— Cowboys (-5.5) @ Washington
— Lions (-6) @ Minnesota
— Broncos (-12.5) @ Kansas City
— Texans @ Chargers (-1.5)
— Ravens @ Green Bay (-2.5)
— Steelers (-4.5) @ Cleveland
Quote of the Day
“You got to be able to choke someone out. We didn’t do that.”
Oregon football coach Dan Lanning; his Ducks led James Madison 34-6 at the half, wound up winning, 51-34.
Monday’s quiz
Which former NFL quarterback is the all-time leader in passing yardage for the Missouri Tigers?
Sunday’s quiz
Donovan McNabb was the Eagles’ QB, last time they won the NFC East in consecutive years.
Saturday’s quiz
On the old TV show Seinfeld, Jerry Stiller played George Costanza’s father.
******************************************
Just 2nd win for Carolina in their last 12 games vs Tampa Bay.
QB Young threw for 191 yards, two TD’s.
Panthers kicked a 48-yard FG with 2:20 left for the winning score.
Carolina now leads the NFC South by a game, with two weeks left.
Tampa Bay lost seven of its last nine games, after a 5-1 start.
Buccaneers lost their last three games by total of eight points.
Tampa Bay was 8-14 on third down, Carolina 6-12.
These teams play again in two weeks, in Tampa.
— Patriots 28, Ravens 24
New England has won 12 of last 13 games; they’re in playoffs.
Ravens led this game 24-13 in the fourth quarter.
QB Maye threw for 380 yards, two TD’s.
Patriots in 4th quarter: 22 plays, 181 yards, 14 points.
QB Jackson hurt his back in the second quarter, didn’t return.
RB Henry ran for 128 yards, 2 TD’s, but only had 18 carries.
Patriots outgained Baltimore, 453-330.
Ravens need two wins and Steelers to lose to Cleveland to win AFC North.
— Steelers 29, Lions 24
Detroit had two TD’s negated by offensive interference in last 0:30 of game.
Lions ran ball only 12 times, for 15 yards.
Steelers won their last three games, scoring 27-28-29 points.
Pittsburgh is 8-0 when it allows less than 25 points.
Steelers ran ball 27 times for 230 yards.
Game was 10-10 at half; Steelers got a safety in third quarter, led 12-10.
RB Warren carried ball 14 times for 143 yards, two TD’s.
Steelers WR Metcalf punched a fan in stands; he’ll hear from the league.
— Jaguars 34, Broncos 20
Jacksonville won their last six games, giving up 15.3 ppg.
Jaguars were 8-15 on third down, Denver 5-14.
QB Lawrence threw for 279 yards, 3 TD’s, also ran for a TD.
Right now, Jaguars are the #3-seed in the AFC.
Loss ends Denver’s 11-game winning streak.
QB Nix threw for 352 yards, but only one TD.
Broncos lead Chargers by a game in AFC West; they play in Week 18
Underdogs covered Denver’s last seven games.
— Titans 26, Chiefs 9
Backup QB Minshew tore his ACL, like Mahomes did last week.
#3 QB Oladokun was 11-16/111 passing, leading Chiefs to three FG’s.
Chiefs are 1-5 SU/ATS in last five road games.
Titans outgained Kansas City, 376-133.
Tennessee’s win snaps an 11-game home losing streak.
QB Ward threw for 228 yards and two TD’s.
Titans were 9-17 on third down, Kansas City 1-9.
Tennessee ran ball 40 times for 164 yards.
— Saints 29, Jets 6
Rookie QB Shough threw for 308 yards and a TD.
Saints are 4-2 in last six games, after a 1-8 start.
New Orleans outgained the Jets, 412-195.
Saints made 6 of 7 FG’s, scored two TD’s on 11 drives.
Jets first three drives: 18 plays, 88 yards, two FG’s.
Jets rest of game: 47 plays, 78 yards, two turnovers.
Jets lost their last three games, by 24-28-23 points.
Jets are 0-10 when they score less than 27 points.
— Famous birthdays, December 22nd:
Hector Elizondo, 89
Steve Carlton, 81
Dave Robisch, 76
Lonnie Smith, 70
Glenn Wilson, 67
Jason Lane, 49
Jacob Stallings, 36
Tyler Gilbert, 32
— Bills 23, Browns 20
Buffalo’s first three drives: 21 plays, 209 yards, 20 points.
Buffalo rest of the game: 30 plays, 48 yards, 3 points.
RB Cook ran for 117 yards, two TD’s.
Right now, Bills are the #6-seed in the AFC.
Cleveland turned ball over on three of its first six drives.
Cleveland was 8-14 on third down, Buffalo 2-8.
Cleveland lost four in row, 10 of its last 12 games.
Browns are 0-12 when they allow more than 10 points.
— Chargers 34, Cowboys 17
Chargers outgained Dallas 452-340, converted 7-11 on 3rd down.
QB Herbert threw for 300 yards, two TD’s.
Chargers won four in row, seven of their last eight games.
Chargers are 10-1 when they allow 21 or fewer points.
Dallas in first half: 32 plays, 216 yards, 17 points.
Dallas in second half: 25 plays, 131 yards, no points.
Cowboys lost their last three games, giving up 44-34-34 points.
Cowboys are 1-8 when they score less than 33 points.
— Vikings 16, Giants 13
QB McCarthy hurt his right hand just before halftime, didn’t return.
Total yardage in an ugly game: Vikings 240, Giants 141
Minnesota won its last three games, giving up 13 ppg.
Vikings converted 7-12 on third down, Giants 141
Giants’ only TD was a defensive score 0:17 before halftime.
Giants had only 13 passing yards; their first 15 plays were runs.
Giants lost their last nine games (3-6 ATS)
Giants are 5-10 ATS last 15 games as a home underdog.
— Bengals 45, Dolphins 21
QB Burrow threw for 309 yards, four TD’s.
Cincinnati led 17-14 at halftime.
Bengals’ first 4 drives in second half: 21 plays, 174 yards, 28 points.
Cincinnati was 6-12 on third down, +3 in turnovers.
Miami turned ball over on 3 of first 4 drives in third quarter.
Rookie QB Ewers threw for 260 yards with two INTs in his first NFL start.
Dolphins are 0-9 when they allow 27+ points.
Miami is minus-16 in turnovers in losses, +11 in wins.
— Falcons 26, Cardinals 19
RB Robinson ran ball for 76 yards, had 92 receiving yards.
Robinson is first Falcon since 1999 with 2,000+ yards from scrimmage,
Atlanta is 3-2 in last five games, after a 3-7 start.
QB Cousins is 87-80-2 as an NFL starter, 10-10 with Falcons.
Arizona led this game 10-0 late in first quarter.
Cardinals lost seven in row, 12 of last 13 games.
Arizona is 0-9 when they allow more than 22 points.
Cardinals are 1-4 ATS as a home underdog TY.
— Texans 23, Raiders 21
Houston won its last seven games (5-2 ATS)
Texans are game behind Jacksonville in AFC South.
Right now, Texans are #7-seed in the AFC.
Houston is 9-0 when they score 20+ points.
First score of day was a 31-yard pick-6 by Texans 4:17 into game.
Raiders outgained Houston 315-270; they ran ball for 145 yards,
Raiders have lost nine games in a row, 13 of last 14.
RB Jeanty ran ball for 128 yards and a TD.
Week 17 NFL spreads:
— Cowboys (-5.5) @ Washington
— Lions (-6) @ Minnesota
— Broncos (-12.5) @ Kansas City
— Texans @ Chargers (-1.5)
— Ravens @ Green Bay (-2.5)
— Steelers (-4.5) @ Cleveland
Quote of the Day
“You got to be able to choke someone out. We didn’t do that.”
Oregon football coach Dan Lanning; his Ducks led James Madison 34-6 at the half, wound up winning, 51-34.
Monday’s quiz
Which former NFL quarterback is the all-time leader in passing yardage for the Missouri Tigers?
Sunday’s quiz
Donovan McNabb was the Eagles’ QB, last time they won the NFC East in consecutive years.
Saturday’s quiz
On the old TV show Seinfeld, Jerry Stiller played George Costanza’s father.
******************************************
Monday’s Den: Wrapping up an NFL Sunday……..
— Panthers 23, Buccaneers 20Just 2nd win for Carolina in their last 12 games vs Tampa Bay.
QB Young threw for 191 yards, two TD’s.
Panthers kicked a 48-yard FG with 2:20 left for the winning score.
Carolina now leads the NFC South by a game, with two weeks left.
Tampa Bay lost seven of its last nine games, after a 5-1 start.
Buccaneers lost their last three games by total of eight points.
Tampa Bay was 8-14 on third down, Carolina 6-12.
These teams play again in two weeks, in Tampa.
— Patriots 28, Ravens 24
New England has won 12 of last 13 games; they’re in playoffs.
Ravens led this game 24-13 in the fourth quarter.
QB Maye threw for 380 yards, two TD’s.
Patriots in 4th quarter: 22 plays, 181 yards, 14 points.
QB Jackson hurt his back in the second quarter, didn’t return.
RB Henry ran for 128 yards, 2 TD’s, but only had 18 carries.
Patriots outgained Baltimore, 453-330.
Ravens need two wins and Steelers to lose to Cleveland to win AFC North.
— Steelers 29, Lions 24
Detroit had two TD’s negated by offensive interference in last 0:30 of game.
Lions ran ball only 12 times, for 15 yards.
Steelers won their last three games, scoring 27-28-29 points.
Pittsburgh is 8-0 when it allows less than 25 points.
Steelers ran ball 27 times for 230 yards.
Game was 10-10 at half; Steelers got a safety in third quarter, led 12-10.
RB Warren carried ball 14 times for 143 yards, two TD’s.
Steelers WR Metcalf punched a fan in stands; he’ll hear from the league.
— Jaguars 34, Broncos 20
Jacksonville won their last six games, giving up 15.3 ppg.
Jaguars were 8-15 on third down, Denver 5-14.
QB Lawrence threw for 279 yards, 3 TD’s, also ran for a TD.
Right now, Jaguars are the #3-seed in the AFC.
Loss ends Denver’s 11-game winning streak.
QB Nix threw for 352 yards, but only one TD.
Broncos lead Chargers by a game in AFC West; they play in Week 18
Underdogs covered Denver’s last seven games.
— Titans 26, Chiefs 9
Backup QB Minshew tore his ACL, like Mahomes did last week.
#3 QB Oladokun was 11-16/111 passing, leading Chiefs to three FG’s.
Chiefs are 1-5 SU/ATS in last five road games.
Titans outgained Kansas City, 376-133.
Tennessee’s win snaps an 11-game home losing streak.
QB Ward threw for 228 yards and two TD’s.
Titans were 9-17 on third down, Kansas City 1-9.
Tennessee ran ball 40 times for 164 yards.
— Saints 29, Jets 6
Rookie QB Shough threw for 308 yards and a TD.
Saints are 4-2 in last six games, after a 1-8 start.
New Orleans outgained the Jets, 412-195.
Saints made 6 of 7 FG’s, scored two TD’s on 11 drives.
Jets first three drives: 18 plays, 88 yards, two FG’s.
Jets rest of game: 47 plays, 78 yards, two turnovers.
Jets lost their last three games, by 24-28-23 points.
Jets are 0-10 when they score less than 27 points.
— Famous birthdays, December 22nd:
Hector Elizondo, 89
Steve Carlton, 81
Dave Robisch, 76
Lonnie Smith, 70
Glenn Wilson, 67
Jason Lane, 49
Jacob Stallings, 36
Tyler Gilbert, 32
— Bills 23, Browns 20
Buffalo’s first three drives: 21 plays, 209 yards, 20 points.
Buffalo rest of the game: 30 plays, 48 yards, 3 points.
RB Cook ran for 117 yards, two TD’s.
Right now, Bills are the #6-seed in the AFC.
Cleveland turned ball over on three of its first six drives.
Cleveland was 8-14 on third down, Buffalo 2-8.
Cleveland lost four in row, 10 of its last 12 games.
Browns are 0-12 when they allow more than 10 points.
— Chargers 34, Cowboys 17
Chargers outgained Dallas 452-340, converted 7-11 on 3rd down.
QB Herbert threw for 300 yards, two TD’s.
Chargers won four in row, seven of their last eight games.
Chargers are 10-1 when they allow 21 or fewer points.
Dallas in first half: 32 plays, 216 yards, 17 points.
Dallas in second half: 25 plays, 131 yards, no points.
Cowboys lost their last three games, giving up 44-34-34 points.
Cowboys are 1-8 when they score less than 33 points.
— Vikings 16, Giants 13
QB McCarthy hurt his right hand just before halftime, didn’t return.
Total yardage in an ugly game: Vikings 240, Giants 141
Minnesota won its last three games, giving up 13 ppg.
Vikings converted 7-12 on third down, Giants 141
Giants’ only TD was a defensive score 0:17 before halftime.
Giants had only 13 passing yards; their first 15 plays were runs.
Giants lost their last nine games (3-6 ATS)
Giants are 5-10 ATS last 15 games as a home underdog.
— Bengals 45, Dolphins 21
QB Burrow threw for 309 yards, four TD’s.
Cincinnati led 17-14 at halftime.
Bengals’ first 4 drives in second half: 21 plays, 174 yards, 28 points.
Cincinnati was 6-12 on third down, +3 in turnovers.
Miami turned ball over on 3 of first 4 drives in third quarter.
Rookie QB Ewers threw for 260 yards with two INTs in his first NFL start.
Dolphins are 0-9 when they allow 27+ points.
Miami is minus-16 in turnovers in losses, +11 in wins.
— Falcons 26, Cardinals 19
RB Robinson ran ball for 76 yards, had 92 receiving yards.
Robinson is first Falcon since 1999 with 2,000+ yards from scrimmage,
Atlanta is 3-2 in last five games, after a 3-7 start.
QB Cousins is 87-80-2 as an NFL starter, 10-10 with Falcons.
Arizona led this game 10-0 late in first quarter.
Cardinals lost seven in row, 12 of last 13 games.
Arizona is 0-9 when they allow more than 22 points.
Cardinals are 1-4 ATS as a home underdog TY.
— Texans 23, Raiders 21
Houston won its last seven games (5-2 ATS)
Texans are game behind Jacksonville in AFC South.
Right now, Texans are #7-seed in the AFC.
Houston is 9-0 when they score 20+ points.
First score of day was a 31-yard pick-6 by Texans 4:17 into game.
Raiders outgained Houston 315-270; they ran ball for 145 yards,
Raiders have lost nine games in a row, 13 of last 14.
RB Jeanty ran ball for 128 yards and a TD.

