The Oakland Raiders, fresh off of their thrashing at the hands of hated Denver, may be on their way to 0-16.
More importantly, my NFL recaps are about to become as pathetic as the Silver and Black.
I take pride in closely watching the games from my condo in Los Angeles, and live blogging the games. I hate being away from my home on NFL Sundays. I pay for the NFL Package, and realize that every week I am not at home, I am wasting money.
I did get to watch Week 1 from my LA home. I will now embark on a stretch of Sundays that will take me away from my home. This will be the longest stretch away from my home on NFL Sundays since…well, birth, I guess.
Week 2 finds me in Chicago. Week 3 has me in Las Vegas. Week 4, I will be in New York. After a brief Friday in Atlanta, Week 5 finds me in South Florida. Week 6, which was supposed to be my return to LA, has me back in NY. God willing I will be back in LA for Week 7.
Thankfully all of these places have television sets, some of them in sports bars.
With that, below is my attempt at my Week 2 NFL Recap, live from Mother Hubbard’s Sports Bar in Chicago.
Chicago Bears @ Carolina Panthers–A blocked punt for a touchdown had the Bears up-7-0. Brandon Lloyd recovered the blocked punt for the score. A 26 yard field goal pushed the lead to 10-0. A long punt return set up a Carolina field goal with seconds left in the half to make it a 10-3 game.
The Bears did take a 17-3 lead, but developed fumbleitis in the second half. A pair of turnovers led to 10 Carolina points and a 17-13 game. The game would have been tied had one touchdown not been called back by a penalty. With 4 minutes left, Delhomme went deep, and a perfect bomb had the ball at the one foot line. Carolina scored on the next play and led 20-17.
The Bears went to work, and at the 2 minute warning, faced 4th and 1 at midfield. The Bears ran up the middle into a Carolina brick wall. The defense stoned the Bears, and Carolina ran out the clock. The Panthers are 2-0, and already this year’s Cardiac Cats. 20-17 Panthers
Tennessee Titans @ Cincinnati Bengals–Tennessee has a solid defense, but Vince Young is out for the next several weeks. More importantly, there is a cloud swirling around young regarding the state of his mental health. I hope this young man with everything to live for bounces back personally and professionally. Veteran Kerry Collins started the game, and led the Titans to a 7-0 lead against the hapless Bengals as Lendale White barreled in from one yard out. Chris Perry ran it in from 13 yards out to tie the game, but an 11 yard touchdown pass from Collins to Justin Gage just before halftime had the Titans led 14-7 at the break. A field goal pushed the Titans lead to 17-7, and another touchdown off a blocked punt by Keith Bullock effectively put the game out of reach. Tennessee is not pretty, but they are 2-0 because they are tough. 24-7 Titans
Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions–Aaron Rodgers could be the next Brett Favre, but playing against the Lions doesn’t count. 3 touchdown passes had the Packers up 21-0 early in the 2nd quarter. One was a short pass set up by a Ryan Grant run, with the other two bing long throws. It was the second straight week the Lions fell behind 21-0. Rodgers had 209 yards passing in the first half. Somehow, the Lions kicked a field goal to pull within 21-3. James Jones and Donald Driver each had touchdown receptions.
The Lions moved the ball on their next couple drives but could not reach the end zone. 3 field goals had the Lions within 21-9.
Although the Packers added a field goal to go up 24-0, Detroit finally crossed the end zone, and the score was 24-16 with 13 minutes remaining. A safety made it 24-18, and a 47 yard catch and run from Jon Kitna to Calvin Johnson had the Lions up 25-24 in a shocker with under 8 minutes remaining. Were the Lions going to pull off a miracle finish?
No. The Packers kicked a field goal, intercepted a pass, and had Brandon Johnson run the ball 19 yards for a score, and a 9 point lead. Kitna was then intercepted by Pro Bowler Charles Woodson, who raced 43 yards to paydirt. Kitna was then intercepted again for another touchdown, and the Packers ended the game the way they began it, with a blowout. 48-25 Packers
Buffalo Bills @ Jacksonville Jaguars–Perhaps the Jaguars are overrated, but it is quite possible the Bills are significantly improved. Buffalo took an early 7-0 lead on a Marshawn Lynch run, and the Bills led 10-3 at intermission. The Jaguars took the lead 13-10 in the 3rd quarter, and then the defenses hunkered down. Josh Scobee nailed his 3rd field goal early in the 4th quarter to put the Jaguars up 16-10.
Buffalo retook the lead 17-16 on a 5 yard Trent Edwards touchdown pass with just over 4 minutes to go. Jacksonville could not move the ball. With 29 seconds left, Buffalo added a field goal for insurance. Both teams have played a pair of tough games, with the gap between them being small. Nevertheless, the Bills might be for real. 20-16 Bills
Oakland Raiders @ Kansas City Chiefs–JaMarcus Russell went right to work and led a time consuming drive. As is the case with the Raiders, the drive bogged down. A Sebastian Janikowski field goal had Oakland up 3-0. Kansas City turned it over in their own territory, but from 1st and goal, the Raiders settled for another field goal and a 6-0 lead. The offense was inept, but the defense was solid. Perhaps Rob Ryan should throw more temper tantrums. His tirade during the week was appropriate. At least somebody on the coaching staff has passion.
The second half saw the Raiders start in excellent field position. Russell, an anemic 3 for 11 for 30 yards passing in the first half, threw 3 straight incompletions to start the second half, and the Raiders punted. When Kansas City punted back, one of the Raiders tried to pick up a wobbling ball at the 3 yard line, even though the entire football world knows that you leave it alone. The Chiefs recovered the fumble, but thankfully the ball was ruled down since the Chiefs touched it first.
From their own 3, a McFadden run got the ball to the 25. Another McFadden run went for a 50 yard gain. McFadden was pulled down and fumbled, but the ball went out of bounds. From the Kansas City 25, more runs set up 3rd and 4 at the 19. McFadden then ran around the end, and stretched the ball past the pileon for a touchdown. 5 runs, 0 passes, 97 yards, 91 of the my McFadden, and the Raiders led 13-0 midway through the third quarter.
After a Kansas City punt, Darren McFadden ripped off another 25 yard run. The Raiders moved the ball well, but failed to convert a 3rd and 3, and punted. Kansas City took over at their own 15. Damon Huard, who was having a more miserable game than Russell, was sacked for a 10 yard loss as the 3rd quarter ended.
The Chiefs punted, and for the second time in the game, the Raiders punt return team was awful. The ball rolled to about the 10 yard line from the 40, where an Oakland return man picked it up again. He was tackled at the 15. On 3rd and 6 form the 19, an incomplete pass was thankfully bailed out by defensive pass interference. Another 3rd down, this time a 3rd and 8 near midfield, was converted on another Darren McFadden run with the Chiefs smelling pass. The drive stalled when McFadden could not pick up 3 yards on 2nd or 3rd down. The Raiders had eat up 7 minutes of clock time, and Seabass nailed a 40 yard field goal to put the Raiders up 16-0 with 7 minutes remaining.
Kansas City took a touchback, and a juggling circus catch moved them to midfield. With 5 minutes remaining, the Chiefs had 3rd and 10 at the Oakland 29. Despite playing mistake free most of the game, the defense jumped offsides. The Chiefs converted on the next play. A defensive pass interference call had the Chiefs at first and goal at the 8 yard line. With 4 minutes left, facing 3rd and goal at the 4, the Chiefs called time out. A touchdown pass to Tony Gonzales from 3rd stringer Tyler Thigpen followed by a successful 2 point conversion closed the gap to 16-8.
Johnny Lee Higgins returned the ensuing kickoff to the Chiefs 48. A strong run by Michael Bush ended in a fumble, which the Chiefs recovered at their own 35.
As the entire football world knows, the Raiders cannot finish games. That is coaching. The defense was stout the whole game, and the offense could not do anything right when it counted. The defense stepped up big again. On 3rd and 19, Thigpen was intercepted by Kirk Morrison. The Raiders took over on their own 40 and stayed on the ground.
Michael Bush carried the load with McFadden taking a breather. With 90 seconds left and the clock running, the Raiders faced 3rd and 5. A delay of game with 59 seconds left stopped the clock. Bush not only converted the first down, but he ran for a touchdown, icing the game with 51 seconds left.
McFadden had 161 yards, Bush added 90, and Fargas had almost 50 before leaving the game. The Raiders gashed the Chiefs for about 300 yards on the ground. 23-8 Raiders
Indianapolis Colts @ Minnesota Vikings–Something is wrong with the Colts offense. Joseph Addai had 9 rushes for 4 yards, as the Vikings built a 9-0 lead. Peyton Manning was intercepted once. The Vikings extended the lead to 12-0 early in the 3rd quarter. The Vikings kept kicking field goals as they built a 15-0 lead. The Colts finally cracked the scoreboard on a Joseph Addai one yard run, leaving them down 15-7.
Embattled quarterback Tavaris Jackson was sacked by Dwight Freeney, and fumbled at his own 18. Seconds into the 4th quarter, Adam Vinatieri missed a 30 yard field goal. On their next drive, Manning was intercepted. Yet the Vikings failed to ice the game when Ryan Longwel missed a 48 yard field goal.
Manning had a horrible game, but finally began clicking.
The Colt took over at their own 39, and 3 Manning passes followed by a 2 point conversion by Dominic Rhodes had the game tied 15-15 with 6 minutes left. After an exchange of punts, the Colts got the ball back with 1 minute left at midfield. Manning did just enough, and with 3 seconds left, Vinatieri nailed a 47 yarder to win it. 18-15 Colts
New York Giants @ St. Louis Rams–The Giants may not be super, but the Rams are a mess. Eli Manning came out throwing the long ball, and a 33 yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress had the Giants up 7-0. A long field goal pulled the Rams to within 7-3. Field goals were the order of the rest of the half, with the teams trading them. The Giants led 13-6 at the break.
A 10 yard pass from Manning to Amani Toomer had the Giants up 20-6. Marc Bulger then stepped back, and fired a 45 yard bomb to Torry Holt, who made a juggling catch off of the deflected pass. The Giants insisted they had intercepted the ball, but the tie went to the offense. The Rams trailed 20-13 with 11 minutes left.
A comeback was not in the works. Eli Manning kept firing, and by the time he was 20 of 29 for 260 yard passing, the Giants were winning in a rout. Justi Tuck also added a 41 yard interception return for a score in addition to Manning’s 3 touchdowns. 41-13 Giants
New Orleans Saints @ Washington Redskins–Washington moved the ball well, but did not crack the end zone early on. A 22 yard field goal followed by a longer field goal had the Redskins up 6-0. A fumble return for a touchdown put the Saints up 7-6. Sean Suisham made the two field goals, but he also missed two of them as well in the first half. The Saints added a field goal, and Suisham connected on a 3rd one, as the Saints led 10-9 at halftime.
The Saints took a 17-9 lead, But Jason Campbell brought Washington right back. A touchdown closed the gap, but the 2 point conversion was intercepted, and the Saints led 17-15 with 5 minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter. On the last play of the 3rd quarter, Reggie Bush ran a punt back 56 yards for a touchdown and a 24-15 lead. The Redskins closed to within 24-22 with 6 minutes remaining. The Redskins got the ball back, and Campbell went for all the marbles. He found Santana Moss for an 80 yard touchdown and a 29-24 Washington lead with 3 1/2 minutes left.
The Saints could not move the ball. The Redskins took over, and at the 2 minute warning, faced 4th and 2 at the Saints 35. They decided to go for it, and a completed pass allowed them to run out the clock. 29-24 Redskins
San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks–This game disgusted me, not because I care about either team, but because in only the second week, I am now eliminated from my suicide league. Unbelievable.
A 27 yard run by Julius Jones had Seattle up 7-0 only 3 minutes into the game. 3 minutes later a 10 yard run by Terrill had Seattle up 14-0, and the route was on. No, it wasn’t.
San Francisco made a couple of field goals, and then Seattle added one of their own to lead 17-6. With 5 minutes left in the half, after a nullified interception, J.T. O’Sullivan threw a 3 yard touchdown pass for a 17-13 game. Seattle added another field goal before the half.
The key play in the game came when Seattle faced a 2nd and 14 from the San Francisco 25. Matt Hasselbeck was intercepted by Willis, whose 86 yard return tied the game 20-20. Hasselbeck was intercepted again on the next drive, and with a short field, Frank Gore ran it in from 2 yard out for a 27-20 San Francisco lead.
Hasselbeck then led a 15 play drive that ate 7:21 off the clock to deadlock the game at 27-27. After a punt, another 9 play drive set up a 32 yard field goal that had the Seahawks up 30-27 with under 8 minutes remaining. San Francisco battled back with a 12 play drive that led to a 28 yard field goal to tie the game again with 2:42 left. Seattle went nowhere, and the 49ers had a 41 yard field goal attempt to win it on the final play. The kick was wide right.
In overtime, the 49ers got the ball first. On 3rd and 7 from their own 23, O’Sullivan found Isaac Bruce for a 33 yard gain. A few plays later Joe Nedney redeemed himself with a 40 yard kick to end it.
I hate suicide leagues. Gggggrrrrrrr. 33-30 49ers, OT
Atlanta Falcons @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers–Last week, Matt Ryan’s first NFL pass was a touchdown. Week 2 brought the reality check. The Bucs have a defense. 30 seconds into the game, Ryan was intercepted. From the Atlanta 19, the Buccaneers quickly took a 7-0 lead. A 14 play drive taking 6 minutes off of the clock later on in the first quarter set up a 2nd quarter touchdown to put the Buccaneers up 14-0. The game was never competitive as the Tampa Bay Defense cracked down, as it does. 24-9 Buccaneers
Miami Dolphins @ Arizona Cardinals–The Arizona Cardinals have a superstar quarterback, and his name is Kurt Warner, not Matt Leinart. Warner is turning the Cardinals into the new Greatest Show in the Desert. Yes, they played the hapless Dolphins, but Warner still has plenty of arm. He passed for 361 yards and 3 touchdown passes. Both Larry Fitzgerald and Anquon Boldin had at least 140 yards receiving, and each one of them had at least 75 yards receiving on one play. It was an aerial show. The team racked up 445 yards of offense.
A 79 yarder to Fitzgerald went for one score and a 79 yarder to Boldin set up another one as the Cardinals led 14-0 after one quarter. The Dolphins eventually scored during garbage time, but he game was so out of hand that Leinart was allowed to come in and throw two passes, completing one. For the first time since 1991, the Cardinals are 2-0. 31-10 Cardinals
San Diego Chargers @ Denver Broncos–This game was ridiculous. After a quiet 1st quarter that had Denver up 7-3, the second quarter became a pinball machine. 38 points were put on the board, 24of them by Denver. Philip Rivers finished the game 21 of 33 for 377 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Jay Cutler was an insane 36 of 50 for 350 yards, 4 touchdowns, and an interception.
Denver was coasting 21-3 in the 2nd quarter when Darren Sproles returned a kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown to make it 21-10. After a Denver field goal, Rivers found Chris Chambers for a 48 yard touchdown pass to pull within 24-17. After a touchback, with 2:25 left in the half, Cutler took Denver straight down the field, and a touchdown with 2 seconds left in the half had Denver ahead comfortably 31-17. The second half was a reversal of fortunes.
The Chargers took the kickoff, nd 4 minutes later, Rivers found Chambers again, for a 31-24 game. Denver could not move the ball in the 3rd quarter, and a pair of field goals, the second one only a minute into the 4th quarter, Had Denver clinging to a 31-30 lead.
After a touchback, Denver began a time consuming drive that took almost 9 minutes off of the clock. From the 4 yard line, Cutler was intercepted, his only mistake of the game. The ball was fumbled on the return, which should remind San Diego once and for all to kneel down and stop trying to return them in traffic. Nevertheless, the Chargers took over from their own 9.
With 5 1/2 minutes left, Rivers needed 2 passes. A 21 yard pass to Vincent Jackson followed by a 66 yard pass to Darren Sproles had the Chargers up 38-31 after a successful 2 point conversion. 4 1/2 minutes remained.
Cutler went to work, and methodically drove Denver down the field. from the San Diego 39, a 20 yard pass to Stokely had Denver at the 19. They reached the 2 yard line, fumbled the ball away, and then had the fmble call reversed. Then Cutler was sacked. With 24 seconds left, Cutler hit Eddie Royal for what was believed to be the tying touchdown.
Mike Shanahan, who perhaps had lost his mind, decided to go for the 2 point conversion. The entire world knows you kick the extra point in that situation. Then again, Cutler found Royal again, and the Broncos had won a thriller. This might be the game of the year at the end of the year. Last year the Chargers walloped Denver by a combined 64-6 over two games. Revenge was sweet for Denver. 39-38 Broncos
Baltimore Ravens @ Houston Texans–Due to Hurricane Ike, this game was postponed until November 9th.
New England Patriots @ New York Jets–No Tom Brady? No problem. Brett Favre? Not enough. The Patriots were still themselves, and so were the Jets.
An ugly first half had the Patriots up 6-3. In the 3rd quarter, New England took over. Brett Favre was intercepted once, and the 3rd quarter turnover had the Pats at the Jets 31. Cassel, who had no turnovers, directed a short scoring drive to put the Patriots up 13-3. A field goal increased the lead to 16-3.
The Jets did manage one long scoring drive, and with 10 minutes remaining were within 16-10. Yet Cassel, who was not thrilling, managed the game just fine. A 5 minute drive set up Stephen Gostkowski’s 4th field goal, putting the game on ice. 19-10 Patriots
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cleveland Browns was the Sunday Night game. This was an old fashioned AFC North defensive slobberknocker. The teams banged heads for the first 30 minutes, with the only score coming on an 11 yard Ben Roethlisberger touchdown pass to Hines Ward.
In the 3rd quarter, from their own 16, Big Ben began to move. A 36 yard completion set up a 48 yard field goal that had the Steelers up 10-0 in the Dawg Pound. Cleveland managed a 12 play, 6 1/2 minute drive that culminated in a 31 yard field goal of their own, closing to within 10-3 with 90 seconds left in the 3rd quarter.
Nither team could muster offense, but the defenses were spectacular. With 11 minutes left in the game, Cleveland began a drive on their own 20. A 23 yard Derek Anderson pass had Cleveland at their own 43. They methodically moved down the field, converting 3 third downs. However, on 3rd and 7 from the Pittsburgh 20, they failed to convert. The drive had consumed 14 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. Coach Romeo Crennel decided no to go for it. The decision may have been questionable, but the defense had been solid all game. Phil Dawson nailed a 37 yard field goal, and the Steelers were clinging to a 4 point lead.
Crennel’s decision was reasonable, but did not pay off. On 2nd and 10 from the 31, Big Ben completed a 19 yarder to Heath Miller at midfield. Another 19 yarder to Willie Parker forced Cleveland to use all their time outs. The Browns did get the ball back on their own 26 with 26 seconds remaining, but Anderson was sacked, and the Steelers escaped. This game was another example of a 2-0 team and an 0-2 team being inches apart. 10-6 Steelers
Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys was the Monday Night game. Wade Phillips is a very respected defensive mind. Jim Johnson is one of the best defensive coordinators in football. Yet those who took the under had lost by halftime. This game was insane.
The Eagles had the ball for 11 minutes in the first quarter, yet trailed 14-6 thanks to a 72 yard pass from Tony Romo to Terrell Owens and a 100 kickoff return. The Eagles exploded for 24 points in the 2nd quarter, and Donovan McNabb was on fire, passing at will.
With the score 14-13, Tony Romo went back to pass from his own end zone, fumbled, and Saw the Eagles recover for a gift touchdown and a 20-14 Philly lead. An exchange of touchdowns followed by an exchange of field goals had the Eagles up 30-24, and that was only had halftime.
Both McNabb and Romo fired at will in the second half, with Dallas taking the lead, and Philly taking it back 37-31 one minute into the 4th quarter. On the next Dallas drive, the Eagles finally stepped up, but not until the Cowboys were in field goal range. A 47 yarder pulled the Cowboys to within 37-34 with 10 1/2 minutes remaining.
The Cowboys defense stiffened in the 4th quarter, and after an actual punt, a rare occurrence inbetween all the missiles being lobbed, Dallas marched again. From the Philadelphia 37, Romo found Jason Witten for a 32 yard gain down to the 5. Marion Barber barreled in from a yard out, and Dallas led by 4 points with 4 1/2 minutes left.
With 2 1/2 minutes left, the Eagles took over at their own 22. At the 2 minute warning, Philly was just shy of midfield. At that point the drive bogged down, and on 4th and 17 from their own 42, the Eagles tried a hook and ladder play. After a couple of laterals, the play ended up short of the first down, and the Cowboys had prevailed.
These teams have a rematch later in the year in Philadelphia, and a possible rubber match in the NFC Title Game is not farfetched. The Eagles are back, McNabb is Healthy, and both teams are loaded. On this night, the only thing to be said is “How Bout Them Cowboys.” 41-37 Cowboys
eric
There is nothing wrong with the Colts offense, the Vikes defense is just that good. But as usual we have no pass game and a mediocre QB, at best. If I am allowed to say it, we suck.
You know not being able to watch much football might actually be a blessing for a Raider fan :-P
Hey, he should stay a die-hard Raider’s fan because it might get me free t-shirts in other foreign countries besides Israel.
And he also left out my completion of 2 Mother Hubbard Weisses… very tasty and highly recommended should any other sports fans end up in that fine establishment.