Panthers shock Rams, Texans beat Colts and Bucs best Cardinals: NFL week 13 – as it happened
(7-6) Carolina Panthers 31-28 Los Angeles Rams (9-3)(3-9) Cleveland Browns 8-26 San Francisco 49ers (9-4)(8-4) Indianapolis Colts 16-20 Houston Texans (7-5)(5-7) Miami Dolphins 21-17 New Orleans Saints (2-10)(3-9) New York Jets 27-24 Atlanta Falcons (4-8)(7-5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-17 Arizona Cardinals (3-9)(1-11) Tennessee Titans 3-25 Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4)And that’s the end of that chapter.I’m really glad we got another upset after all the shocks midweek.The Panthers couldn’t look like more of a different team than the rabble that flopped against the 49ers on Monday.Nice to see Bryce Young pull off a huge win, maybe we might start seeing a few more of them as he continues to develop.Enjoy the rest of night’s action if you are staying locked in, goodnight! I’ll just leave you with another view of that frankly ridiculous Puka Nacua catch.
It’s GOOD! Jets 27-24 Falcons, final scoreNICK FOLK! The walkoff 56-yard field goal seals the win for the Jets.They never held the lead in this one until the very last second.What an effort.Wow he only just made it, but they all count! Jets now 3-9 and the Falcons are 4-8.Atlanta really struggling this season despite having a solid roster.
Dolphins 21-17 Saints, Titans 3-25 Jaguars, final scoresSo about that Cam Ward breakout game.The Titans lose a seventh in succession while the Jags leap to the top of the AFC South.The rookie QB finished 24/38 with 141 yards, no TDs, no picks.That is an average of 3.7 yards per completion.
Yikes,Colts 16-20 Texans, final scoreIndy drop to 8-4 and are about to lose top spot in their division with the Jags about to win,Fourth straight W for Houston will feel great for Texans fans with CJ Stroud back in the lineup,They are 7-5 just one game back on the Colts and Jags in the AFC South,Browns 8-26 49ers, final scoreRoutine win for San Fran that feels that bit more special with the Rams losing.
They are 9-4 now after a third win in succession,TOUCHDOWN! Jets 24-24 Falcons 1:11, 4th quarterTyrod Taylor tucks and runs for a 10-yard score,Jets keep fighting back they are yet to take a lead in this one but are on the ball again now,TOUCHDOWN! Dolphins 17-21 Saints 1:46, 4th quarterOh dear,Tyler Shough drives the Saints to the verge of drawing level with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Devaughn Vele.
And then with the two-point try he throws a pick that is returned for a score by Minkah Fitzpatrick.Hard luck for the rookie.So near and yet so very, very far.Buccaneers 20-17 Cardinals, final scoreThe 7-5 Bucs snap their three-game losing run to stay top of the NFC South.They really needed that with the Panthers winning as well.
Carolina snapping at their heels.Colts 16-20 Texans 1:51, 4th quarterIndy are on the ball with a crucial 3rd down upcoming.Nine yards to get.And the receiver gets very lucky not to fumble.He makes the catch and immediately drops it inexplicably when he would have moved the chains.
Josh Downs will be kicking himself for making such an easy catch look very difficult.The Colts go for it on 4th down and the ball bounces off Josh Pittman’s hands.Looks like curtains for them,The upset is complete.Carolina win 31-28 and move to 7-6 while LA dip to 9-3, level with Chicago at the top of NFC.Seattle can move alongside those two with a win over the hapless Minnesota Vikings later too.
The Panthers established the run and had faith in Bryce Young’s arm on two huge touchdowns on 4th down.Impressive stuff.It’s GOOD! Dolphins 19-11 Saints 6:01, 4th quarterIrish kicker Charlie Smyth boots it through from 56 yards out to make his first field goal in the NFL.The 24-year-old used to play Gaelic football before switching sports and going through the International player programme.Wow! Carolina have an excellent shot at pulling off an epic upset.
Derrick Brown pulls off an incredible sack/fumble and scoops it upw,Three turnovers from Stafford today,That catch,How?It’s GOOD! Colts 16-20 Texans 8:41, 4th quarterMike Badgley draws Indy a little closer with a 42-yard field goal,Panthers 31-28 Rams 5:01, 4th quarterLA are marching down field and into enemy territory after chain-moving passes to Colby Parkinson and Davante Adams.
My, oh my! The Panthers gamble on 4th down again and HIT again! They risk it all for a second time and it works a treat.Tetairoa McMillan this time races by his defender and jogs in.Perfect throw from Bryce Young on the 43-yard score.Young is having a day with 196 yards and three touchdowns.TOUCHDOWN! Colts 13-20 Texans 7:51, 4th quarterBlocking, just sublime blocking.
Nico Collins takes the carry on a reverse and has two men bounce defenders this way and that allowing Collins to walk in from seven yards out.Boos rain down.Fans not happy with struggles against their AFC South rivals.If the Colts do lose they look like they could fall a lot deeper with a rough schedule and the Jags and Texans coming into form.Houston would have a four-game winning streak with a W here while Jacksonville look set to make it three in a row,The Rams regain the lead! Kyren Williams races in from seven yards but that scoring drive was all about Puka Nacua.
He is something else.There are one-handed grabs and there are Nacua one-handed grabs.The ball comes in and he snags it overhand, sort of plucks it out of the air for a 30-yard gain.Struggling to understand the physics of that one.Magic.
Carolina Panthers 24-21 Los Angeles RamsCleveland Browns 8-17 San Francisco 49ersIndianapolis Colts 13-13 Houston TexansMiami Dolphins 16-8 New Orleans SaintsNew York Jets 14-14 Atlanta FalconsTampa Bay Buccaneers 17-10 Arizona CardinalsTennessee Titans 3-25 Jacksonville JaguarsJust watching Jets kicker Nick Folk miss his first field goal of the season.Lot’s of empty seats at MetLife Stadium.Understandable.TOUCHDOWN! Titans 3-25 Jaguars 6:54, 3rd quarterBhayshul Tuten gives the Jags a big, big lead with a banger up the gut for two yards.Jacksonville can go top of the AFC South with a win here and if the Colts lose.
13-13 still in Indy,TOUCHDOWN! Colts 13-13 Texans 2:51, 3rd quarterIndy draw level with a 12-yard touchdown from Daniel Jones to Tyler Warren,The rookie tight end is having a superb start to life in the NFL,That is his fourth touchdown of the season and is on pace to break the 1,000 yard mark,TOUCHDOWN! Browns 8-17 49ers 1:29, 3rd quarterBrock Purdy romps in on a keeper for the two-yard touchdown.
San Francisco taking care of business while their rival Rams at the top of the NFC West are behind,49ers fans very happy as it stands,Panthers 24-21 Rams 2:57, 3rd quarterSadly the high-scoring action looks likely to slow down,It is absolutely pelting down in Charlotte,A running back’s dream.
TOUCHDOWN! Buccaneers 17-3 Cardinals 3:56, 3rd quarterBucky Irving is back with a bang! His first score of the season is a 13-yard scamper out to the left.Tampa on the way to breaking a three-game losing streak.TOUCHDOWN! Dolphins 16-8 Saints 10:40, 3rd quarterTyler Shough gets the Saints on the board with a 17-yard strike to Chris Olave.He runs in an easy two-point conversion too.TOUCHDOWN! Jets 14-14 Falcons 8:58, 3rd quarterTyrod Taylor digs in his back for his driver and hits an absolute beauty straight up the fairway.
Adoni Mitchell is wide open on the goal line after the harrying defender falls over.He makes the grab and falls into the end zone.Huge 52-yard throw from Taylor right on the money.PUNT! Panthers 24-21 Rams 7:18, 3rd quarterHouston, we have a punt or rather Los Angeles.I have a history of putting my foot in it and have done so again.
Immediately after saying Carolina are struggling with Stafford and company they force a three and out.TOUCHDOWN! Jets 7-14 Falcons 9:41, 3rd quarterBijan Robinson is running all over the Jets.He scores with a brilliant jump cut out to the left.Absolutely cooks the defender who is helpessly stranded on the turf as Robinson glides by for a five-yard touchdown.Robinson has 103 yards on 15 carries.
Strong.What a game this is turning out to be.Carolina are back out on offense and moving the ball steadily.Nothing special.Until.
Until they roll the dice big on 4th down,Jalen Coker speeds by his man on the right sideline and takes the catch for a 33-yard touchdown,Gutsy play but you have to risk it for the biscuit,Especially when the defense can’t land a glove on the Rams outside of two big interceptions,Bit of a slow burn so far minus the barnburner in Carolina.
The scores:Carolina Panthers 17-21 Los Angeles RamsCleveland Browns 8-10 San Francisco 49ersIndianapolis Colts 6-10 Houston TexansMiami Dolphins 16-0 New Orleans SaintsNew York Jets 7-7 Atlanta FalconsTampa Bay Buccaneers 10-3 Arizona CardinalsTennessee Titans 3-18 Jacksonville JaguarsLooks like my hopes of a Tennessee upset are falling rather flat.Cam Ward is averaging about four yards per play compared to Trevor Lawrence’s 12.Woah.It is all popping off as a fight breaks out on the sideline.A late hit from Arden Key on Lawrence sparks the melee.
Key is penalised for roughing the passer.Little boots a field goal through from 45 yards.TOUCHDOWN! Jets 7-7 Falcons 0:09, 2nd quarterAtlanta are finally on the board with a one-yard score from Tyler Allgeier.It’s GOOD! Browns 8-10 49ers, half-timeThere is a gale blowing in Cleveland.Matt Gay has some help from the post to give San Francisco the lead at the break.
The refs didn’t seem sure whether it had gone in but he ball blasts the post and goes through from 25 yards out.TOUCHDOWN! Panthers 14-21 Rams 1:55, 2nd quarterIt is raining points in Carolina.Blake Corum this time blasts up the middle for a two-yard score.Well, you can’t throw it to Adams EVERY time can you.Variety is the spice of life
Let’s not repeat the folly of PFIs for NHS buildings | Letter
In response to Lord Hutton’s letter (23 November) on NHS hospitals built under the private finance initiative (PFI), independent research into the design quality of PFI public buildings, by all of the auditing authorities in the UK, showed serious flaws and a significant “quality gap” when compared to traditional design-led procurement.In my 2007 book The Design Quality Manual: Improving Building Performance, I included results from all these reviews, starting with the Audit Commission’s 2003 report PFI in Schools. The design flaws were serious, including poor functionality, short-life materials, and non-compliance with building and safety regulations.PFI contracts tend to be led by building contractors rather than architects. So was the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower
Fears for UK security as Foreign Office moves to scrap unit on conflict and refugee crises
The Foreign Office has been warned that a plan to axe its dedicated unit on emerging conflicts and refugee crises is a “real error” that “undermines UK security” as the department grapples with swingeing cuts.The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) migration and conflict directorate, which employs about 100 civil servants, is being abolished at the end of this year and its work subsumed by the rest of the department.The directorate provides advice and technical support to governments and civil society groups in trouble spots, including Syria, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Yemen and the Philippines.It is slated to close despite Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, writing last week that the FCDO was “stepping up efforts” to support peace-building.The move is part of a wider restructuring that threatens 2,000 jobs – about a quarter of the workforce – and has damaged morale among diplomats
Your Party to have ‘collective leadership’ in win for Zarah Sultana
The new leftwing party headed by Jeremy Corbyn and others has voted narrowly for it to have a ‘“collective leadership” in a win for Zarah Sultana, who has been at loggerheads with the former Labour leader.The results were announced on Sunday after a chaotic start to its founding conference in Liverpool. Sultana, a former Labour MP who now sits as an independent, had boycotted the first day of the conference amid disagreements over how Your Party – its provisional name – should be run.In advance of the results of voting on the party’s constitutional arrangements, Corbyn had said: “It’s quite hard for the public to grasp things that there are sort of 10 people who run things.”However, members voted by 51
Rachel Reeves denies lying to public in run-up to budget
Rachel Reeves has denied lying to the public in the buildup to last week’s budget, insisting that she needed to raise taxes to a record level to ensure economic stability.The chancellor said on Sunday she had announced £26bn-worth of tax rises on Wednesday in part to build a buffer against her fiscal rules and reduce the risk of further tax increases in the future, and in part to protect public spending.Her messaging contrasted, however, with what she said before the budget, when she said tax rises would be necessary because of an expected decision by economic forecasters to reduce their growth expectations.In the end, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) did downgrade its expectations for economic productivity, but said unexpectedly strong wage growth and tax receipts would more than make up for that.The OBR’s comments have kickstarted a political firestorm, which has led opposition politicians to demand Reeves’s resignation
Your Party’s first conference shows little sign of achieving fresh start
When the idea of a new leftwing party spearheaded by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana was first mooted in the summer, it was so popular that hundreds of thousands of people expressed an interest in joining.Although it was quickly beset by arguments – its co-founders rowed bitterly over its initial leadership and funding model – many hoped this weekend’s inaugural conference would signal a fresh start.A sizeable chunk of the 2,500 delegates are former Labour members, disappointed by the policies of the current government and looking for a political home as they worry about the rise of Reform UK.As plans for the party’s first official gathering were finalised, Sultana and Corbyn looked to have buried the hatchet. Appearing at a leftwing festival in Manchester last month, Sultana jokingly compared the duo to the Gallagher brothers, saying: “I’m here to tell you the show is back on the road
Your Party conference thrown into chaos as Zarah Sultana boycotts first day
Zarah Sultana has boycotted the first day of Your Party’s inaugural conference, throwing the party’s first official gathering into chaos amid disagreements with co-founder Jeremy Corbyn over how the party should be run.Corbyn confirmed to journalists on Saturday that he preferred a single leader and is likely to stand for the role but Sultana said she would vote for collective leadership and that she did not believe parties should be run by “sole personalities”.In a sign of further division within the fledgling movement, a spokesperson for Sultana said she would not be entering the conference hall on Saturday in solidarity with delegates who were expelled over links to other leftwing parties, describing the process as a “witch-hunt”.The Guardian understands Sultana will run against Corbyn if members decide to elect one leader. Delegates in Liverpool will choose between electing a sole leader or a collective of lay members – those not already serving as MPs or councillors
The Guide #219: Don’t panic! Revisiting the millennium’s wildest cultural predictions
From Christy to Neil Young: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead
Susan Loppert obituary
Oh yes he is! Kiefer Sutherland dives into the world of panto
O come out ye faithful: a joyful roundup of UK culture this Christmas
Nominate your favourite Australian children’s picture book of all time