Aussie Jordan Mailata comes up with key block as Jalen Hurts makes MVP statement
Australian Jordan Mailata delivered when it mattered most as the Philadelphia Eagles secured a win in what was the game of the season.
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The Buffalo Bills have suffered a crushing hit to their playoff aspirations, falling 37-34 in an overtime thriller against the now 10-1 Philadelphia Eagles on Monday morning.
The Bills, who had lost two of their last three before travelling to Philadelphia, looked to be trending in the right direction on Monday as they jumped out to a 17-7 lead at halftime.
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Quarterback Josh Allen was doing plenty of damage with his legs and also through the air, finding wide receiver Stefon Diggs for a 13-yard score just before the break.
The Eagles were quick to hit back with a three-yard touchdown for A.J. Brown before Allen again used his legs to get into the end zone, scrambling 16 yards for his second score on the ground.
The seesawing nature of Monday’s game continued into the fourth as Philadelphia scored two-straight touchdowns to take the lead, only for Buffalo to jump ahead again after Allen connected with Gabe Davis on a seven-yard pass.
That gave the Bills a 31-28 lead heading into the final two minutes and Buffalo looked destined for victory after doing just enough on defence, forcing Philadelphia to a 59-yard field goal attempt.
Jake Elliott though had the accuracy and distance, guiding the ball between the posts to send the game to overtime.
The Bills had to settle for a field goal on their first drive to take a 34-31 lead and put the ball in the hands of Philadelphia quarterback and MVP favourite Jalen Hurts.
Hurts proceeded to only further bolster his MVP claims as he led the Eagles on a game-winning drive, first finding DeVonta Smith for a 17-yard gain on a 2nd-and-10 to get the chains moving.
Hurts then went back to Smith again on a 3rd-and-3 to keep the game alive before a 16-yard rush from D’Andre Swift put the Eagles inside the Bills’ red zone.
Hurts then ran it on a quarterback keeper to score the game-winning touchdown, taking advantage of strong protection from the Philadelphia offensive line, including a big block from Australian Jordan Mailata.
THE EAGLES WIN A THRILLER IN OT! #BUFvsPHIpic.twitter.com/sZpCdrwc7d
— NFL (@NFL) November 27, 2023
PATRIOTS’ QB NIGHTMARE DEEPENS
The Patriots look no closer to solving their quarterback nightmare after Mac Jones was benched once again in a 10-7 loss to the New York Giants.
After remaining the Patriots’ starting quarterback for Monday morning’s game at MetLife Stadium, Jones was pulled at halftime for backup Bailey Zappe, the fourth time Jones has been benched in a game this season.
The Giants led 7-0 at halftime, but Zappe immediately led the Patriots on a game-tying 60-yard touchdown drive, with Rhamondre Stevenson rushing for a 7-yard score.
Zappe went 6-for-6 with 38 yards on the drive.
Jones threw two interceptions during the first half, completing 12 of 21 passes for 89 yards.
Zappe though didn’t fair much better for the remainder of the game, completing just three of eight more passes for 16 yards and an intercept since that opening drive.
Air yards of Bailey Zappe's completions so far today:
— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) November 26, 2023
-3
-5
-4
5
1
-3
-2
The Patriots had a chance to send the game to overtime but Chad Ryland’s 35-yard attempt sprayed wide.
Reports before Sunday’s game indicated that both Jones and Zappe could see action against the Giants, and Jones’ poor first half made that an easier decision.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick refused to name a starting quarterback in the lead-up to Monday’s game after Belichick benched Jones for Zappe for a late two-minute drive during a Week 10 loss to the Colts in Germany.
New England was on a bye last week.
Jones, who made the Pro Bowl as a rookie after being taken No. 15 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, has 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 11 games this season.
— with New York Post
HEARTBREAK FOR TEXANS AS FIELD GOAL FALLS JUST SHORT
Speaking of missed field goals, it was heartbreak for the Houston Texans and kicker Matt Ammendola as a 58-yard attempt came up agonisingly short against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Texans had a chance to send the game to overtime, trailing 24-21 as rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud made clutch throws to bring Houston into field goal range.
Ammendola, who had been signed to replace the injured Ka’imi Fairbairn, stepped up and looked to have the length only for the ball to clank off the crossbar.
It was a costly miss given the Jaguars now improved to 8-3 with the win to maintain their lead atop the AFC South, with the Texans still sitting behind them at 6-5.
Stroud continued his impressive rookie campaign in defeat as he completed 26 of 36 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns while also carrying the ball six times for 47 yards and a score.
SAINTS WHACKED BY INJURIES IN CRUCIAL LOSS
Elsewhere, the Atlanta Falcons have jumped into first place in the NFC South after a crucial 24-15 win over the injury-hit New Orleans Saints.
Both teams sit level at 5-6 but the Falcons have both the head-to-head and 3-0 division record for the tiebreaker.
Already without veteran wide receiver Michael Thomas, the Saints were dealt a crushing blow early in the third quarter when they lost the dynamic Chris Olave to a concussion.
Olave had been the spark plug for the New Orleans offence up to that point, recording seven receptions for 114 yards in the first half alone.
It wasn’t just Olave though. Third-string receiver and big-play threat Rashid Shaheed (thigh) was also banged up in the win, leaving quarterback Derek Carr with a severely understrength receiving corps to work with.
It resulted in an underwhelming offensive display from the Saints, who failed to score a single touchdown and instead relied on five Blake Grupey field goals to stay in touch with the Falcons.
The defence also made some big plays with two interceptions but a standout, two-touchdown game from rookie running back Bijan Robinson was enough to get Atlanta home.
MISTAKES COST BUCS IN LOSS TO COLTS
Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers also had a chance to improve to 5-6 in the NFC South alongside the Saints but fell 27-20 to the Indianapolis Colts.
Running back Jonathan Taylor had a big game for the Colts, rushing 15 times for 91 yards and two scores while Michael Pittman was a reliable option through the air for quarterback Gardner Minshew, catching 10 passes for 107 yards and six first downs.
The Indianapolis defence also cause all kinds of problems for Baker Mayfield, sacking the Tampa Bay signal caller six times to go with an interception and forced fumble.
Mike Evans made big plays to keep the Bucs in it, scoring two touchdowns in the loss.
The Bucs had the ball with just over two minutes left and trailing at that point by the one touchdown but an illegal shift penalty later in the drive moved them back before Mayfield was sacked by Samson Ebukam and lost possession, with the Colts’ Dayo Odeyingbo recovering it.
STEELERS WIN... BUT HUMILIATING MOMENT RAISES EYEBROWS
Diontae Johnson turned his back to a significant fumble in the first quarter of the Steelers’ crucial game against the Bengals on Sunday.
With 4:45 remaining in the scoreless opening quarter, Kenny Pickett handed the ball off to running back Jaylen Warren, aiming for the first down beyond Cincinnati’s 20-yard line.
Warren sprinted to the left but was instantly hit by two Bengals defenders, tackling him to the ground as the ball pops out near where Johnson was lined up on the line of scrimmage.
Johnson didn’t move once the play started, not running a route, and when the ball was fumbled, he made no effort to grab it for his team close to scoring position.
Instead, he turned the other way, letting rookie defender DJ Turner pick it up at the Bengals’ 11-yard line for a gain of 28 yards.
Diontae Johnson (No. 18) appeared to have a chance at this loose ball, but was not able to make it happen pic.twitter.com/B736lPSx8H
— NFL on CBS 🈠(@NFLonCBS) November 26, 2023
The Steelers’ wide receiver has shared his frustrations this season with his team, most recently getting into a “heated” argument with safety Minkah Fitzpatrick after the 13-10 loss in Cleveland in Week 11 before teammates Cameron Heyward and T.J. Watt broke up the fight.
The outburst reportedly included Johnson “chirping” at the coaches after the game and into the locker room, where Fitzpatrick eventually began arguing with the wide receiver.
According to ESPN, the team was able to move past the situation and it did not carry over into the practices and preparation for the Bengals, but clearly something is amiss with Johnson.
OTHER SCORES
Tennessee Titans 17 defeated Carolina Panthers 10
Arizona Cardinals 14 defeated by Los Angeles Rams 37
Denver Broncos 29 defeat Cleveland Browns 12
Las Vegas Raiders 17 defeated by Kansas City Chiefs 31
Originally published as Aussie Jordan Mailata comes up with key block as Jalen Hurts makes MVP statement
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