We go again.
After two disappointing games last night, we’ve higher hopes for this evening’s action.
First up is the Miami Dolphins travelling to the Pittsburgh Steelers with kick-off at 6.05pm.
Then the biggest game of the weekend sees Eli Manning and the New York Giants travel to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers at 9.40pm.
As always, I’m Steve O’Rourke and I’ll be your host for the evening.
One of the sport’s all time legends is in the house and looking particularly cold:
While Ryan Shazier of the Steelers is sending mixed messages about the temperature:
TOUCHDOWN – Steelers 7-0 Dolphins
Antonio Brown takes a wide receiver screen 50 yards to the house.
What an opening for the home team:
And Brown already has more yards than he did against the Dolphins last time out:
The Dolphins go three and out on their opening drive after a nervy start from Matt Moore.
The Steelers have only lost one game this season when scoring first.
TOUCHDOWN – Steelers 14-0 Dolphins
The Dolphins go into man coverage for the first time in the game and Antonio Browns punishes them accordingly, even having time to call out the Miami sideline:
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Decent start for Roethlisberger though most of the yards are coming after the catch:
Field Goal – Steelers 14-3 Dolphins
A brilliant catch by Kenny Stills on a Matt Moore bomb puts Miami in the red zone but they stutter and have to settle for the three points.
On Ben’s passing yards:
TOUCHDOWN – Steelers 20-3 Dolphins
That is just a ridiculous drive and run from Le’Veon Bell as he looks to have scored the Steelers’ third touchdown of the game, breaking multiple tackles, however he’s just short:
Two plays later though, and Bell does cross over for the score. Boswell misses the extra point though.
Oof.
The Dolphins were driving but Matt Moore might be done for the day as he’s just taken a huge hit from Bud Dupree. The Steelers player was rightly flagged for it.
TJ Yates is the back-up for Miami.
Matt Moore comes back into the game after sitting out just one play.
So that concussion protocol then?
Field Goal – Steelers 20-6 Miami
At the end of all that, the Dolphins hit their second field goal and the gap is now just 14.
Half-Time – Steelers 20-6 Dolphins
Just as it looked like the Dolphins had a chance to get within seven points in the redzone, James Harrison’s strip sack of Moore sends us to the half.
The second half is under way with the Dolphins getting possession. Can they mount a comeback?
And the Dolphins start the second half exactly as they ended the first with a Matt Moore fumble when they were in great position to narrow the deficit.
The Steelers have the football.
Field Goal – Steelers 23-6 Dolphins
The Steelers get three points off the takeaway and, midway through the third quarter, there’s only been one punt in this game.
Pick!
Ryan Shazier makes it three turnovers in three drives (and just nine plays) since Matt Moore took his helmet-to-helmet hit in the first half as he picks off the Dolphins’ quarterback.
Can we just get to the Giants v Packers now so we can all have an early night?
TOUCHDOWN – Steelers 30-6 Dolphins
Bell has just set a postseason record for the most rushes by a Steelers back with 165 (and counting) as he ran in for their latest score.
And the guy wasn’t even touched going into the endzone.
The drive was only allowed continue after the Dolphins encroached on a field goal attempt giving Pittsburgh a new set of downs.
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So you’re saying they’re good?
The second game may well be delayed as there’s some trouble with the gates. Even they don’t like the cold:
I haven’t gone away btw, there’s just nothing happening in this game as the Steelers look to get through to face Kansas City next week without any serious injuries.
TOUCHDOWN – Steelers 30-12 Dolphins
Miami finally find the end zone as Moore connects with Williams for the consolation score.
The Dolphins fail with the two-point conversion attempt.
Full-Time Steelers 30-12 Dolphins
That was as easy a win as they come for Pittsburgh who’ll travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs next weekend.
It’s been a good season for Miami but this was one game too far for Adam Gase’s team.
The Giants and Packers kick off in 20 minutes.
Can we finally get a good game this weekend?
The second game is under way. It’s VERY cold in Lambeau and the Giants have the ball first and they’re over half-way.
No coaches today decided to go with this particular look:
The Giants fail to trouble the scoreboard after a bad drop from Odell Beckham Jr on third down.
Green Bay will have their first possession from their own five-yard-line.
And the Packers have to punt after going three-and-out on their opening drive.
Buckle up everyone, this could be a chess match.
Eli Manning is on fire but both Shepard and Beckham have dropped certain touchdowns.
Field Goal – Giants 3-0 Packers
Four drops so far today including two in the endzone. That drive deserved as touchdown but his receivers need to step up. A field goal will have to do.
The first quarter comes to a close and the Giants are showing just how good that defence is. It remains 3-0.
I said this would be a chess match and I’ve been right so far (even a stopped clock, etc).
The Packers have only managed -8 yards of offence so far!
Not good news for the Packers
Field Goal – Giants 6-0 Packers
The Giants take a 6-0 lead through another Robbie Gould field goal. However, it should be much, much more than that and the Packers will be happy to be down by less than a touchdown after being dominated all game.
It is this cold in Wisconsin:
Rodgers was at his MVP best over the last six weeks but he didn’t face an elite defence.
Tonight:
TOUCHDOWN – Packers 7-6 Giants
And, after being completely outplayed, Green Bay lead thanks to this unbelievable play from Aaron Rodgers’ offensive line to give him eight seconds to find Davante Adams:
A three-and-out from the Giants gives the Packers the ball back with more than 90 seconds left in the half.
That feels like a dangerous thing to do, despite the Green Bay struggles on offence for most of the first half.
TOUCHDOWN – Packers 14-6 Giants
There’s nothing I can say about this touchdown (other than it was AWFUL defending) but Aaron Rodgers = good at football.
Half-Time – Packers 17-6 Giants
After just seven yards in the first quarter, the Packers had 140 in the second and all those drops have come back to haunt the Giants.
The Giants defence regroups and they force a three-and-out to start the second half.
After the good news for the Packers before half-time, the bad news came at the start of the second half:
The Giants get great field position as the Packers decide to go for it on fourth-and-inches in their own half and actually go backwards.
TOUCHDOWN – Packers 14-13 Giants
And Eli Manning and the Giants make them pay within two plays as Tavarres King gets wide open and New York are back within one.
It’s King’s first career touchdown:
TOUCHDOWN – Packers 21-13 Giants
With Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie out, Aaron Rodgers marches the Packers down the field and they restore an eight-point lead.
Field Goal – Packers 24-13 Giants
Mason Crosby’s field goal puts the Giants down by 11. It’s tough to imagine a New York comeback from here. 15 minutes left.
TOUCHDOWN – Packers 31-13 Giants
And that’s your ball game folks. The Packers have their fourth touchdown of the day with Randal Cobb grabbing his third.
The Packers will play the Cowboys next week.
How good as Rodgers been tonight?
And the Packers had just 7 yards after the first quarter!
TOUCHDOWN – Packers 38-13 Giants
And this is officially a rout. Aaron Ripkowski extends the lead to 25.
Right, that’s it from me, thanks for sticking with it the whole weekend even if the four teams advancing to the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs had a combined winning margin of 76 and an average winning margin of 19.
