THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

The Tygrrrr Express is cognizant of world events, which have been tragic in recent days. My Sunday column deals with the National Football League, and only the National Football League. Football cannot solve every world problem, but it can be a welcome respite. Escapism is legitimate. The world can wait until Monday.

As for the Plaxico Burress situation, I will be waiting and seeing just like everybody else. The Giants wide receiver accidentally shot himself in the leg with a gun that he brought into a nightclub. New York law is very strict, as is NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. We shall see. For now, football attention is focused on Thanksgiving weekend.

Thanksgiving is about tradition, and one of the great traditions of Thanksgiving that I personally give much thanks for is an abundance of the National Football League. This is the only stretch of the year where 5 straight days of football takes place. The NFL has 3 games on Thanksgiving Thursday. Friday is normally a college game. Growing up the Friday after Thanksgiving was the annual Oklahoma vs. Nebraska game. Then Saturday was traditional college games followed by the NFL on Sunday and Monday night.

Yet Thanksgiving in 2008 means a potential mismatch between the best team in the league and the worst team in the league. The 10-1 Titans faced the 0-11 Lions. This reminds me of several years ago when the 9-1 Oakland Raiders were facing the 0-10 Chargers in San Diego. I was scared to death, and so were my friends rooting for the Raiders. We knew the Chargers were hungry. They were going to get a win. In the season opener the Raiders beat the Chargers only by a score of 9-6. A safety broke a scoreless 3rd quarter tie. I bring this up because every team has dignity, and the Lions will not go 0-16. As for the Chargers that year, they did win a game, but thankfully not that week. Sebastian Janikowski kicked 5 field goals, including one with seconds left. The Raiders survived 15-13. Raider fans were right to be scared. Any given Sunday absolutely still exists in the NFL.

With that, back home from North Carolina in front of my football den in Los Angeles, is the Week 13 NFL Recap.

Tennessee Titans @ Detroit Lions was the Thanksgiving Day morning game. This game ended as quickly as it began. Detroit needed 2 plays to fumble the ball away. Starting from the Detroit 34, Tennessee needed 2 plays to score. Jones ran for 28 yards to set up a 6 yard run by Chris Johnson for a 7-0 Tennessee lead. After a Detroit field goal, Johnson burst through for a 58 yard touchdown to make it 14-3. Dante Culpepper was the intercepted by Ball, who rumbled 15 yards for a touchdown to put the Titans up 21-3 after the first quarter. For some reason, the game continued.

A 13 yard Detroit punt let up Tennessee with another short field at the Detroit 31. Lendale White ran it in from 6 yards out to make it 28-3. After a better Detroit punt, Kerry Collins led a 91 yard drive that ate up 15 plays and 8 ½ minutes of clock. On 3rd and 7 from their own 37, an incomplete pass was nullified by an illegal contact penalty. On 3rd and 9 from the Detroit 46, Collins hit Justin McCareins for 23 yards. White ran it in from 2 yards out to put the Titans up 35-3.

Tennessee made one mistake in the game, which they will only use to improve in later weeks. Instead of running out the clock to end the half, Collins went back to pass and add more.  Collins was hit and fumbled. Detroit took over at the Tennessee 2 yard line, and Culpepper completed the touchdown drive to make it a 35-10 game. The Tennessee Titans used to be the Houston Oilers. The Oilers once blew a 35-3 lead. History would not repeat itself in this second half. Jeff Fisher had other ideas.

Rob Bironas once kicked 8 field goals in one game. In the second half of this game, he kicked 4 field goals. Things got so out of hand that Vince Young came in for the first time since Week 1. On 3rd and 1 he completed a short pass that went for 50 yards. Even on 3rd and 37 from midfield, a running play picked up 25 yards for Lendale White to set up a field goal. Drew Henson came in for Culpepper. The Lions remain a winless mess, and the Titans still have the top record in the AFC by 2 games. 47-10 Titans

Seattle Seahawks @ Dallas Cowboys was the Thanksgiving day afternoon game. Tony Romo made it look easy for the Cowboys as Mike Holmgren continued to have a miserable final year in Seattle. Romo quickly fired a 32 yard strike to Jason Witten before hitting Bennett for 16 yards to put the Cowboys up 7-0. Marion Barber took over on the next Dallas drive, as a 17 yard run was followed by a one yard touchdown run and a 14-0 Dallas lead. The game was beginning to look like a rout, and it was.

After a Seattle field goal, Romo led the Cowboys again in the 2nd quarter down the field. He hit Terrell Owens for 26 yards, Witten for 10 more, Barber for 13, and Witten for another 13. Romo Hit Crayton for 9 yards, and finished off the aerial clinic with a 7 yard toss to Witten. The Cowboys led 21-3, and coasted from there.

The Cowboys led 24-6 at the half, but with the game at 24-9, Romo hit Owens for 33 yards to set up his 19 yard touchdown pass to Owens. After seeing a 3-0 team fall to 4-4 with Romo nursing an injured pinkie, the Cowboys have now won 4 straight and are every bit as loaded as last year. The Seahawks fell to 2-10, with no end in sight. 34-9 Cowboys

Arizona Cardinals @ Philadelphia Eagles was the Thanksgiving day night game. The Cardinals were trying to clinch their first division title since 1975 and their first home playoff game since 1947. The Eagles were trying to save their season, and perhaps the jobs of Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb. If this game was an indication, they succeeded.

McNabb opened the game by leading the Eagles 70 yards over 7 minutes and 12 plays. A 5 yard touchdown pass to Bryan Westbrook had the Eagles up 7-0. McNabb had a dream day, while Kurt Warner had a nightmarish one. His first interception had the Eagles starting at the Arizona 41. Westbrook did the rest, running for 5, 16, 17, and 1 yard to put the Eagles up 14-0 after the opening quarter.

After a punt, the Eagles took over at their own 40. McNabb hit Hank Baskett for 20 yards, and Westbrook continued to run wild. Westbrook scored from 2 yards out to have the Eagles cruising 21-0. Warner finally got the Cardinals going. He hit Tim Hightower for 26 yards and Pope for 25 yards to set up Warner’s 1 yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald. The Cardinals were within 21-7, but the Eagles were far from done. David Akers nailed a field goal at the end of the half to put the Eagles up 24-7.

In the 3rd quarter, Westbrook scored again, this time from 9 yards out. At 31-7, the Eagles were on their way to a blowout. The Cardinals tried to make a game of it when Warner threw short touchdown passes to Steve Breaston and Larry Fitzgerald after hitting Fitzgerald on a 40 yarder to set up the latter touchdown. Yet trailing 34-20 with the ball, Warner was hit and fumbled. McNabb took over at the Arizona 19 and ended up hitting Jackson for a 5 yard touchdown pass to end any suspense.

McNabb finished with 4 touchdown passes, while Warner suffered through 3 interceptions. Yet the Cardinals remain on track for the playoffs even at 7-5 in the NFC West, while the Eagles at 6-5-1 remain in last place in their tough NFC East. 48-20 Eagles

Miami Dolphins @ St. Louis Rams–The Rams have been getting blown out, with their last 3 games effectively ending by halftime. Yet this time they came out playing tough for Jim Haslett. A pair of field goals had the Rams up 6-0 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, Miami mounted a 91 yard drive that consumed 12 plays and 5:46 of clock. Chad Pennington hit Ted Ginn for gains of 19 and 13 yards before hitting Bess for 19 yards. Ronnie Brown ran it in from 3 yards out to give the Dolphins the 7-6 lead. That would be the only touchdown of the game.

The field goal kickers had the Dolphins leading 10-9 at the half and 13-21 after 3 quarters. With 10 minutes left, Marc Bulger was intercepted, setting up the Dolphins at the Rams 40. Another field goal with 6 1/2 minutes remaining had the Dolphins up by 4 points. With 35 seconds remaining in the game, Bulger was intercepted again, as Miami left behind their 1-15 season and moved to 7-5 with the win. 16-12 Dolphins

San Francisco 49ers @ Buffalo Bills–This game started with a flourish and ended with people falling into a sleep induced coma. The 49ers took the opening kickoff and went 72 yards in 14 plays, eating over 8 minutes off of the clock. Sean Hill hit Isaac Bruce for the 12 yard touchdown pass that had the 49ers up 7-0. The final 52 minutes of the game could not end soon enough. In the 2nd quarter, the Bills decided to kick a field goal on 4th and goal from the 2. Ryan Lindell hit the upright. In the 4th quarter, on 4th and 2 from the San Francisco 7, the Bills failed to convert. 10-3 49ers

Indianapolis Colts @ Cleveland Browns–Peyton Manning had a miserable day in the Dawg Pound as this game was a defensive slugfest. The teams combined for barely more than 400 yards of total offense. The Colts had a 12 play, 7 minute drive, which the Browns answered with a staggering 16 play, 9 1/2 minute drive. Neither drive produced a touchdown. The Colts did face 4th and goal at the 1 in the 2nd quarter, but the ball was fumbled away. Thanks to that goal line stand, in the 4th quarter, the Browns led 6-3. With 10 minutes left, the only touchdown of the game came on defense. Derek Anderson was hit by Dwight Freneey, causing a fumble that Robert Mathis returned 37 yards for the score.

Late in the game Anderson was hit and injured. A team that alternated him and Brady Quinn has now lost both of them for the season, with 3rd stringer Ken Dorsey being their quarterback. As for the Colts, they Colts survived to get to 8-4. 10-6 Colts

Carolina Panthers @ Green Bay Packers–On a day of defense, this was a shootout. Working with a short field after a punt, the Panthers took the 7-0 lead on a 1 yard run by Williams. Both offenses heated up in the second quarter. After a Green Bay field goal, a kickoff return had the Panthers starting at their own 45. A 43 yard run by Stewart set up Jake Delhomme, who ran it in himself from one yard out to put Carolina up 14-3. Aaron Rodgers led a 12 play, 6 1/2 minute drive. A 24 yard run by Jackson set up Rodgers hitting Donald Driver from 6 yards out to make it 14-10. With 2 1/2 minutes left in the half, a Green bay fumble in their own territory had the Panthers at the Green Bay 17. William ran it in from one yard out to put the Panthers up 21-10 at the half.

The Packers began the 3rd quarter with a field goal, and after a Carolina punt, the Packers took over at their own 5. Rodgers hit Driver for 46 yards. Rodgers then ran for 16 yards before hitting Greg Jennings for 15 more. The 95 yard drive was completed when Rodgers hit Lee for 5 yards. The 2 point conversion went to Jennings, tying the game 21-21 after 3 quarters.

After another Carolina punt, Rodgers hit Nelson for 23 yards before firing 21 yards to Jennings for the touchdown that had the Packers up 28-21 just over a minute into the 4th quarter. Jake Delhomme quickly responded. After a defensive pass interference penalty nullified an interception, Delhomme hit Steve Smith for 36 yards down to the one yard line. Williams crashed through to tie the game 28-28 with 11 minutes left. Rodgers took over on the Green Bay 20 and led a staggering 9 minute drive. On 3rd and 4 from the Green Bay 44, Rodgers picked up 6 yards. On 4th and 1 from the Carolina 41, Rodgers picked up 2 yards. Yet on 2nd and goal from the 1 and 3rd and goal form the 1, Green Bay ran into a brick wall of Panthers. On 4th and goal from the 1, with 1:57 remaining, Mike McCarthy made the key decision  in the game by opting for the field goal. The Packers led 31-28.

Jones returned the kickoff to the Carolina 45. Delhomme went for all the marbles on the first play. Superstars Steve Smityh and Charles Woodson fought for position, and somehow Smith came down with the ball at the Green Bay 1 yard line. His acrobatic circus catch set up Williams for the go ahead touchdown with 90 seconds remaining. The Panthers were ahead, but used up only 27 seconds of clock. Yet 21 seconds later, Rodgers went deep and was intercepted. Carolina improved to 9-3, while the Packers fell to the brink of elimination with a 5-7 record. 35-31 Panthers

Baltimore Ravens @ Cincinnati Bengals–In the first quarter, Joe Flacco hit Clayton for 45 yards to set up a field goal and a 3-0 Baltimore lead after the first quarter. In the second quarter Flacco led the Ravens deep, but on 4th and goal at the 2, another field goal was in the cards as the Ravens led 6-0. After a punt, Flacco led the Ravens 80 yards, and this time they cracked the end zone. Flacco hit Todd Heap from 4 yards out to put the Ravens up 13-0. With only 1:11 left in the half, the Bengals rapidly moved from their own 8 to the Baltimore 3. Yet a field goal was all they could muster, and trailing 13-3 at the half, the second half was all Ravens.

In the 3rd quarter a halfback option pass had Clayton throwing a 32 yard touchdown pass to Derrick Mason after receiving the handoff from Flacco. Flacco later added a 70 yard touchdown pass to Clayton as the Ravens poured it on. A 35 yard interception for a touchdown by Leonhard wrapped up the scoring. The misery continued for the Bengals, while the Ravens moved to 8-4 with their rookie head coach and rookie quarterback. 34-3 Ravens

New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers–A 3-3 game in the 2nd quarter saw the Bucs drive to the New Orleans 5, where they were forced to settle for another field goal and a 6-3 lead. Drew Brees finally got going, hitting Marquis Colston for 37 yards before hitting Moore for the 13 yard touchdown. The Saints led 10-6 at the break.

The Buccaneers began the second half at the Saints 46. Williams ran it in from 8 yards out to put the Buccaneers ahead 13-10. Another New Orleans punt again had the Bucs starting in Saints territory. Jeff Garcia threw a 39 yard touchdown pass to Antonio Bryant to give the Buccaneers a 20-10 lead after 3 quarters. The Saints then mounted an 82 yard drive that took 11 plays and 5:44 of clock. Brees hiit Devry Henderson for 20 yards before hitting Thomas for a 20 yard touchdown pass. The Saints were within 20-17, with 12 minutes remaining.

7 minutes remained when the Saints took over at the Tampa Bay 48. Brees hit Jeremy Shockey for 21 yards, setting up the tying field goal with 5 1/2 minutes left. With 2 1/2 minutes left, Brees made the mistake of the game when he was intercepted by Phillips. The Buccaneers began at the New Orleans 17. Yet the New Orleans Defense forced the Buccaneers into a field goal with only 29 seconds coming off of the clock. The Buccaneers had the lead, but the Saints had 1:55 left. It did not matter. Brees was intercepted again, this time by Philip Buchanon. The Buccaneers under Jon Gruden improved to 9-3 while the Saints fell to the precipice at 6-6, which is the cellar of their division. 23-20 Buccaneers

New York Giants @ Washington Redskins–In the Thursday night opener, the defending champions looked terrible in a 16-7 win over the Redskins at home. However, given how improved Washington is, the Giants victory is more impressive in context. This time the Giants let another foe know that they intend to repeat. Eli Manning hit Amani Toomer for a 40 yard touchdown to put the Giants up 7-0. The Giants added a pair of field goals to lead 13-0, but the Redskins came back. A 29 yard run by Thomas had the Redskins within 13-7. Both teams missed opportunities, with the Giants failing to convert 4th and 1 at the Washington 38, and the Redskins missing a field goal.

The second half saw the Giants defense unleashed. On offense, starting from the Washington 48, Brandon Jacobs ripped off a 23 yard gain. The bruising Jacobs scored from one yard out to put the Giants up 20-7. With 11 minutes left, on 4th and 1 from their own 39, Clinton Portis went nowhere. The Giants added a field goal and upped their record to 11-1. The Redskins remain in the hunt at 7-5. 23-7 Giants

Atlanta Falcons @ San Diego Chargers–The Atlanta Falcons are one of two teams along with Baltimore that are winning with a rookie quarterback and a rookie head coach that looks like the poster child for Non-descript Caucasian Monthly Magazine. The Charger are led by Norvelous Norv Turner, who is leading his 3rd franchise into the ground. The Falcons led 3-0 and stopped the Chargers, but a fumbled punt had the Chargers starting at the Atlanta 18.  Rivers hit Ladanian Tomlinson for 15 yards, and Tomlinson ran it in the final 3 yards to put the Chargers up 7-3. The Falcons added another field goal to pull within 7-6 after the opening quarter.

In the 2nd quarter a punt return by Douglas had the Falcons at the San Diego 46. On 4th and 1 from the 20, Mughelli picked up 2 yards. Matt Ryan then hit Peele for the touchdown to put the Falcons up 13-7. A key play in the game came when Philip Rivers was called for intentioanl grounding in his own end zone. The safety put the Falcons up 15-7, and they took the free kick and went right down the field. Eating up 7 minutes of clock, they reached the San Diego one yard line with one minute left in the half. Yet Mughelli failed to get in on 3rd down, and on 4th and goal from the 1, Michael Turner hit a brick wall. Instead of turning out the lights, San Diego was within one score at halftime.

Matt Ryan had the Falcons driving in the second half, again looking to put the game out of reach. Instead a fumble by Brad Finneran was returned 86 yards for a touchdown by Weddle. Although the 2 point conversion failed, a potential blowout was now a 15-13 game. Yet Matty Ice stayed calm, as he has all year. He led an 11 play, 72 yard drive that ate up 5:46. On the first play of the 4th quarter, Ryan hit Douglas from 5 yards out to put the Falcons up 22-13.

With 11 1/2 minutes remaining, Nate Kaeding came in for a 43 yard field goal to make it a one score game. The kick was blocked. Yet Michael Turner fumbled, and Quentin Jammer recovered to put the Chargers at the Atlanta 45. They reached the 10 before the drive stalled. The field goal attempt was good this time, and the Chargers were within 6 points with 5:15 left. San Diego got the ball back, but went nowhere. They fell to a Norvelous 4-8. The Falcons with their coach, who happens to be named Mike Smith, movd to 8-4 with the win. 22-16 Falcons

Denver Broncos @ New York Jets–The Jets at 8-3 had just won road games against New England and previously unbeaten Tennessee, who they walloped from the undefeated ranks. The Broncos at 6-5 had just lost at home to a Raiders team that entered the game at 2-8. This is why the games are played in real life and not on paper. In New York, the Broncos dominated.

Although Brett Favre played the game, a key play occurred when Smith substituted for Favre at quarterback on a gadget play. The result was a fumble that the Broncos returned 23 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead. Thomas Jones broke through for a 59 yard touchdown run to tie the game 7-7. Yet the Broncos added a 59 yard play of their own when Jay Cutler found Eddie Royal to put Denver back in front 14-7. The Broncos added a field goal before the first quarter ended.

In the 2nd quarter, Jones added to his 59 yard run with another touchdown, this time from 29 yards out. He appeared down, but rolled on bodies, stayed on his feet, and kept going. His alert play had the Jets within 17-14. Yet after that, Denver rolled. Cutler hit Tony Scheffler for 22 yards to set up a one yard touchdown run by Patrick Hillis to give Denver a 24-14 cushion. After a punt, with 3 minutes left in the half, Cutler moved Denver from their own 16 to the New York 17 to set up a field goal and a 27-14 Broncos lead at intermission.

Late in the 3rd quarter, on 3rd and goal from the Denver 7, Favre was sacked. The Jets settled for a field goal, and were blanked the rest of the game. A 36 yard pass from Cutler to Brandon Stokely salted the game away. Despite only being 7-5, the Broncos are in firm command of their division. The Jets at 8-4 are clinging to a one game lead in theirs. 34-17 Broncos

Pittsburgh Steelers @ New England Patriots–Early in the game, Ben Roethlisberger was intercepted, alowing the Patriots to start at the Pittsburgh 14 in a game featuring rain and snow. Sammy Morris scored from 2 yards out to put the Patriots up 7-0. It was Pittsburgh’s only turnover of the day. Big Ben led an 11 play drive that took almost 6 minutes, but on 4th and 1 from the 2, Mike Tomlin decided to put the points on the board on the road. The field goal made it a 7-3 game. In the second quarter New England faced 4th and 2 at the Pittsburgh 11, and Bill Bellichick also went with the field goal to make it 10-3. Yet when Big Ben hit Santonio Holmes for a 19 yard touchdown pass, the game was tied 10-10 at halftime.

In the second half, New England turned the ball over 5 times. Matt Cassel had people forgetting about his predecessor, but today it was Cassel who was forgettable. Pittsburgh moved from their own 14 to the New England 7 in 14 plays and 7 minutes. Yet a field goal was all the Steelers could muster, making it 13-10. After that the Patriots collapsed. A fumble on the ensuing kickoff had the Steelers beginning at the New England 8. Big Ben hit Hines Ward for the touchdown to put the Steelers up 20-10. Cassel was then hit and fumbled. The Steelers moved to the New England 1 yard line, but again Tomlin opted for the field goal, giving the Steelers a 23-10 lead entering the final quarter.

In the 4th quarter Cassel was intercepted again, leading to a field goal. The final dagger came when Cassel had the Patriots at the Pittsburgh 14. Cassel was intercepted by Timmons at the 10, who returned it 89 yards before exhaustion led to him being taclked inches from the goal line. Russell finished things on the ground. The Steelers moved their record to 9-3 to keep a one game lead in their division, while the Patriots are 7-5, one game out of their divison lead. 33-10 Steelers

Kansas City Chiefs @ Oakland Raiders–As pathetic as the Raiders have been in 2008, they thrashed Denver on the road last week. They were at home against 1-10 Kansas City. The Raiders beat the Chiefs badly in Arrowhead 23-8 earlier in the year. Potential back to back wins had people claiming the Raiders running the table and winning the division at 8-8. As somebody who does not smoke crack, I just wanted to see 4-8. For more on the game of the day, go to:

http://www.justblogbaby.com

Yet the Raiders simply have a long way to go before even being an average team. They dominated the first half, yet were well on their way to giving away the game. Starting at their own 13, they opened up the playbook. A defensive pass interference penalty put the ball on the Oakland 35. JaMarcus Russell hit Zach Miller for 28 yards. From the Kansas City 30, Russell threw a quick swing pass to Ronald Curry, who pitched it to Darren McFadden. The hook and ladder had Oakland at the Kansas City 14. Yet when it comes to conventional offense, the Raiders still do not execute. 2 plays on 2nd and 3 from the 7 yielded nothing. Sebastian Janikowski had his 25 yard field goal blocked, but yet somehow it still went through to put the Raiders up 3-0.

The Chiefs responded with an 11 play, 7 minute drive of their own that tied the game 3-3. Yet it was the Raiders that blundered on 2 consecutive possessions in the second quarter to turn an easy win into a deficit. On 4th and 10 from the Kansas City 25, a field goal would have put the Raiders up 6-3. Instead the Raiders tried a fake field goal. Shane Lechler is a great punter, but not a quarterback. The snap was fumbled and picked up by Leggett, who raced 67 yards for a gift touchdown. Herm Edwards did win the Miracle at the Meadowlands, but this was just pathetic execution. Instead of being down 6-3, the Chiefs led 10-3.

On the next Oakland possession, Russell led a drive from the Oakland 9 to the Kansas City 22 that ate up 7 minutes and 11 plays. On 4th and 3 from the 22, rather than again kick a field goal, Tom Cable decided to go for it. A roll out pass by Russell was just overthrown past a diving Ronald Curry in the end zone. Rather than be up 9-3, the Raiders still trailed 10-3 at halftime.

Early in the 3rd quarter, the Chiefs tried to give the game back. Tyler Thigpen was intercepted by Chris Johnson at the Kansas City 45. Johnson, who has been playing brilliantly in place of the cut Deangelo Hall, returned it to the one yard line. Justin Fargas leapt over the top like Marcus Allen used to do, tying the game 10-10. Now if the defense, which had given up no touchdowns in the game, could continue playing well, the Raiders would be fine.

Instead Tyler Thigpen moved the Chiefs 91 yards in a staggering 16 play drive that ate up 9 1/2 minutes. From the 9, Thigpen hit Tony Gonzalez for 23 yards. On 3rd and 10 from their own 32, Thigpen hit Gonzalez again, for 16 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Oakland 44, Larry Jonhson picked up 3 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Oakland 40, Thigpen hit Gonzalez for 12 yards. After a decade of doing this, perhaps the Raiders might have noticed that covering Gonzalez might be a good idea. As the 4th quarter began, on 3rd and 4 from the 11, Thigpen ran himself up the middle 9 yards, and Johnson finished the drive to put the Chiefs up 17-10.

The Raiders needed one play to self destruct, as Justin Fargas fumbled. The Chiefs added a field goal to lead 20-10 with 9 minutes remaining. As desperation set in, with 5 minutes remaining, the Raiders were forced to go for it on 4th and 7 from their own 24. Russell ran it 20 yards, and the Raiders had life. A  51 yard field goal by Seabass had the Raiders within 7 points. 2:55 remained, and Oakland had all 3 timeouts.

The Raiders decided not to try the onsides kick, and Seabass boomed out the back of the end zone. On 3rd and 3 from their own 27, the Chiefs needed to convert. One stop would give the Raiders the ball back. Thigpen hit Bowe for 12 yards. The Raiders took their final timeout. Larry Johnson then ran for 15 yards, and the Raiders never got the ball back. The Chiefs improved to 2-10, and the 3-8 Raiders moved a step closer to 3-13, not 8-8. The Raiders have now had 6 straight losing seasons since their 2002 Super Bowl season. That was the last year they defeated the Chiefs at home. 20-13 Chiefs

Chicago Bears @ Minnesota Vikings was the Sunday night game. Both of these teams came in tied for first place in their division at 6-5. Earlier in the year, the Bears won a ridiculous shootout at home 48-41. While Devon Hester was not running back kickoffs, he is now more than a return man. As a receiver he is just as dangerous, and Kyle Orton hit Hester on a pass that Hester took for a 65 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Bears lead.

Early in the second quarter, Adrian Peterson took a handoff from his own 35, and raced 59 yards to the Chicago 6. The Vikings could not capitalize, and had to settle for a field goal. Later in the quarter the Bears began with a short field. From the Minnesota 27, a 26 yard run by Matt Forte moved Chicago to the Minnesota 1 yard line. On 3rd and goal Forte was short. On 4th and goal from the 1, Forte ran into the closest thing Minnesota has had since the Purple People Eaters, or at least Big Dog John Randle. The goal line stand reverberated on the very next play. From his own one, Frerotte went back and fired the bomb to Bernard Berrian, who raced for the 99 yard touchdown. Instead of trailing 14-3, the Vikings led 10-7.

With 2 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Vikings got the ball on their own 14. At the 2 minute warning, they were at their own 25. Adrian Peterson then ran for 16 yards. Frerotte hit Wade for 15 yards on the next play. A personal foul on the defense had Minnesota at the Chicago 21. Frerotte hit Kleinsasser inches from the goal line, allowing Frerotte to sneak it in himself with less than one minute remaining in the half. The Vikings took the 17-7 lead into the locker room.

In the second half, Frerotte had a pass deflected and intercepted by Payne at the Minnesota 40. Payne returned it to the Minnesota 4 yard line. Forte again did not get in on the ground, but instead caught the 2 yard touchdown pass from Kyle Orton to get the Bears to within 17-14 midway through the 3rd quarter. On Chicago’s next drive, Orton was intercepted, setting the Vikings up at the Chicago 35. Chester Taylor ran it in from 21 yards out to give the Vikings some breathing room at 24-14.

In the 4th quarter, Orton was intercepted by Leber at midfield. Leber returned it to the Chicago 22. There would be no goal line stand for the Bears this time, as Peterson crashed through on 3rd and goal at the one to put the Vikings comfortably ahead 31-14 with 8 minutes remaining. Another Orton interception led to a field goal to take a close game and end it in a rout. Yet this Sunday saw road teams defeat home teams in 10 of 11 games. Yet the night game went for the home team, as the Vikings moved into first place heading into December. 34-14 Vikings

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Houston Texans was the Monday night game. For the first 55 minutes this was a grind it out game, while the last 5 minutes featured big plays on offense. Unfortunately, the game was already out of hand, and mattered little at the start. Sage Rosenfels led the Texans to a 7-0 early lead with a 31 yard touchdown pass to Andre Johnson. After that, both teams fell asleep until late in the game. In the 2nd quarter, the Texans kicked a field goal, and the Jaguars missed one The Texans also fumbled a snap on a field goal when they faced 4th and goal at the 3 as the half ended . In the 3rd quarter, the Jaguars did make one field goal, but the Texans made 2 more. With 12 minutes remaining, on 4th and goal at the 5, David Garrarrd tripped when his lineman stepped on him. With 5 minutes left, the game was still 16-3.

Yet 19 points in 55 minutes was followed by 28 points in the final 5. Garrard was sacked and fumbled, allowing the Texans to take over at the Jacksonville 7. Steve Slaton scored on the next play to make it 23-3. Fred Taylor scored ona  4 yard run with 2:11 left to make it 23-10. The onsides kick failed, and the demoralized Jaguaars gave up a 40 yard touchdown run to Slaton, who burst through untouched. The Jaguars did score a garbage touchdown in the final minute. Both teams are 4-8. After going 12-4 last year, the injury riddled Jaguars areplaying out the strong. As for the Texans, they still have not turned the corner. 30-17 Texans

eric

Anything is possible in the National Football League. It has not happened since 1947, but if the Arizona Cardinals win this week at home against the defending champion New York Giants, they will host a playoff game. They will have made the playoffs for the first time since 1998, and won their division for the first time since Air Coryell coached them in the 1970s before heading to the Chargers and revitalizing them.

The Cardinals have been the joke of the NFL for so long, that it is nice to see them win. They have 5 games left, and need one win. Yes, they play in the worst division on Earth, but they are 7-3 and looking phenomenal on offense. They are the Greatest Show in the Desert. Keep in mind, when other teams were winning in that division, it was still a terrible division, partly because of the Cardinals. So if 8-8 gets them in to the playoffs, they still absolutely deserve to be there.

Yet one word to describe the early games today would be disappointment. All 8 games were blowouts. I cannot recall the last time that happened. I am used to toggling between 4 or 5 games going down to the wire. Today, the closest morning game was 10 points, and that was only one game. Every other game featured at least an 18 point spread. Some of these games were close for a half or 3 quarters before being blown open. The late games were better. With that, below is the Week 12 NFL Recap.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers was the Thursday night game. The Bengals began the season 0-8, but have since become a juggernaut, winning one and tying another one in the first tie game in 6 years. They were one missed field goal from a two game winning streak. Yet their second game against a Pennsylvania team in 2 weeks was a miserable experience. The Steelers are very good, were at home, and had the snow flurries and swirling winds for dramatic effect. This was simply Goliath beating up David.

The Steelers dominated time of possession 35:20 to 24:40 and yards 364 to 208. The Bengals did shock the crowd with an 11 play, 6 minute drive that went 62 yards, ending in an 18 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick to Holt. The Bengals led 7-0 after the opening quarter before reality set in. Ben Roethlisberger hit Heath Miller for a 3 yard touchdown pass to tie the game, and a field goal had the Steelers up 10-7 at the half.

In the 3rd quarter, another field goal extended the lead for the Steelers. On their next drive, Big Ben hit Miller for 19 yards to set up a 2 yard touchdown run by Russell to put the Steelers safely in front 20-7. In the 4th quarter, a short field led to the Bengals facing a 4th and goal at the 8 with 7 minutes remaining. Ina  very curious decision that almost seemed like giving up, Coach Marvin Lewis opted for the field goal. The decision to not try and make it a one score game was puzzling. Speaking of 8 yards, Big Ben led the Steelers on one final drive, and he scrambled for that amount to cap the 73 yard drive and end things. 27-10 Steelers

Philadelphia Eagles @ Baltimore Ravens–Philadelphia was coming off an ugly game that produced a tie against hapless Cincy. The Ravens have been winning ugly for the last decade. Shockingly enough, these teams produced an ugly game. A scoreless first quarter was followed by an even moire hideous beginning to the second quarter. An interception of Donovan McNabb gave the Ravens a short field, but a pair of sacks of Joe Flacco set up 4th and 37. The Ravens punted. With 3 minutes left in the half, a field position battle led to a Philly Punt that had the Ravens starting at the Philadelphia 28. The Ravens offense moved 2 yards and kicked a field goal to lead 3-0 in what may have been one of the worst games in NFL history.

McNabb was then intercepted again, and Ed Reed had the Ravens at the Philadelphia 6. Even the Ravens can occasionally drive 6 yards. They needed 3 plays, but Flacco hit Wilcox for a 1 yard touchdown and a 10-0 Ravens lead. 1:49 remained in the half, but the Eagles needed only 12 seconds. Demps returned the kickoff 100 yards to make it a 10-7 game. Neither team had anything resembling offense.

The only thing worth discussing about this game is what may reverberate for the rest of the history of the Eagles. Andy Reid benched Donovan McNabb. Yes he was playing badly, but this was a close game, and Reid and McNabb have been a team for a decade. A fellow named Kolb took over in the second half. 1st and 10 at the 20 turned into 4th and 26 from the 4. The turning point in the game came when the punt was blocked out of the back of the end zone for a safety and a 12-7 Ravens lead. Kolbe was then intercepted at midfield by Samari Rolle. This led to a field and a 15-7 Ravens lead seconds into the 4th quarter.

After a punt, the Ravens showed the closest thing the game would have for offense. Flacco threw a 53 yard touchdown pass to Clayton to put the Ravens up 22-7. The only thing worth discussing about this game will be the future of Donovan McNabb in Philly. Unless Andy Reid wants to give up on the season, he should let McNabb keep his job. Kolb was intercepted in the end zone by Ed Reed, who returned it 108 yards for a touchdown. The Ravens defense is their offense, but after a 12-7 game, the 4th quarter blew the game open. 36-7 Ravens

Houston Texans @ Cleveland Browns–Sage Rosenfels began the game by leading a 79 yard drive that took 14 plays and over 8 minutes of clock. Rosenfels hit Walter for a 17 yard touchdown pass to put the Texans up 7-0. After that, the game was virtually unwatchable. I watch so you do not have to. In the second quarter, the teams exchanged field goals, and the Texans led 13-6 at the break.

This game was one of two games where the only drama came due to a quarterback benching. Romeo Crennel is under pressure, but playing carousel with quarterbacks destroys a team. First they draft Brady Quinn. Then Derek Anderson leads the team to a 10-6 record, and gets a 6 year contract. This year the team struggles to a 3-6 record, and Anderson gets benched in favor of Quinn. Quinn plays very well in his first start, losing a shootout. He wins his second start. In his 3rd start today, he throws a pair of interceptions, and gets benched in a close game in favor of Anderson.

When the Bills had Doug Flutie and Rob Johnson, the carousel destroyed the team. This is no different. Put one of them in there and leave them in. The second half was a complete waste. The Texans added one field goal, and Cleveland added one field goal less than that. On 3rd and 2 from the Houston 12, Quinn was intercepted in the end zone. With 7 1/2 minutes remaining, Phil Dawson missed a 39 yard field goal. Rosenfels then threw an interception, but on the next play from the Houston 27, the Browns fumbled it right back. Anderson was then intercepted again late in the game for Cleveland’s 5th turnover. 16-6 Texans

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Detroit Lions–The Buccaneers came in at 7-3 to face the 0-10 Lions. This is the NFL, where even the worst teams have a shot. Any given Sunday does exist. The Buccaneers were the laughingstock of the NFL for so long that they can relate to the current Detroit woes. While the Ford family owns the Lions, the Lions are ineligible for a government bailout. They would have to fix their problems on the field by themselves.

On their second drive, Dante Culpepper found Calvin Johnson for a 41 yard gain to set up Culpepper’s 15 yard touchdown pass to Johnson for the 7-0 Lions lead. Jeff Garcia had the Bucs at midfield, but he was then sacked, resulting in a fumble that was returned 44 yards for a touchdown by Keith Bullock. After a Tampa Bay punt, Culpepper led the Lions to a 38 yard Jason Hanson field goal. After the first quarter, the Lions led 17-0 over a shell-shocked Tampa Bay team.

The second quarter saw a reversal of fortunes. Warrick Dunn ran it in fro 13 yards out to get the Buccaneers to within 17-7. After a Detroit punt, Garcia hit Ike Hilliard for a 36 yard touchdown and a 17-14 game. on Detroit’s next possession, Culpepper completed a pass to Ronde Barber, who plays defense for the Bucs. Garcia took over at the Detroit 24, and needed one play to hit Jeremy Stevens for the go ahead touchdown.

Taking a 21-17 lead into the second half, the Bucs continued rolling. A 70 yard touchdown by Muhlbach had the Buccaneers up 28-17. A Jeff Garcia fumble had the Lions in business at the Tampa 40. Culpepper responded by completing his 2nd pass of the day to Ronde Barber, who still plays defense for the Buccaneers. Barber returned the interception 65 yards for a touchdown to put the Buccaneers up 35-17. Yes, the Lions did lead 17-0 after the first quarter. The Bucs improved to 8-3, and the Lions reward for falling to 0-11 is a face-off with an angry Tennessee team. Instead of a historic 11-0 vs 0-11 matchup, the Titans will be 10-1 with a chip on their shoulder. 38-20 Buccaneers

Buffalo Bills @ Kansas City Chiefs–Buffalo began the season 5-1 and then lost 4 straight. Kansas City has won only one game all year, which gets lost in all the hype about Detroit’s pursuit of winlessness. Yet like Detroit, Kansas City has pride. Tyler Thigpen hit Charles for a 36 yard touchdown pass to put the Chiefs up 7-0. Marshawn Lynch powered the ground game for the Bills, and on 4th and goal from the 1, the decision to go for it paid off when Lynch broke through and tied the game 7-7.

Kansas City began their next drive with awful field position, and on 4th and 17 from their own 1, punted. The Bills began at the Kansas City 40. Just like on their previous drive, they reached 3rd and goal at the 1. However, on this drive, on the last play of the 1st quarter, Lynch was blown up in the backfield for a 2 yard loss. Ryan Lindell made the field goal to put the Bills up 10-7. Kansas City struck back rapidly as Larry Johnson ran up the middle for a 63 yard gain, setting up a 2 yard touchdown pass from Thigpen to Tony Gonzales. Yet leading 14-10, the Chiefs could not handle prosperity. A fumble set up Buffalo at the Kansas City 28. Trent Edwards could not lead the team to a 1st down, and Buffalo settled for another field goal and a 14-13 lead for the Chiefs. After that, the roof caved in for Kansas City.

Thigpen was intercepted by Leodis McKelvin, who raced 64 yards for a touchdown and a 20-14 bills lead. After an exchang of field goals, Thigpen was intercepted again by McKelvin. Taking over at their own 47, with under 90 seconds left in the half, Trent Edwards hit Reed for 20 yards. Edwards ran it in himself from 15 yards out to give the Bills a 30-17 lead just 4 seconds before halftime.

McKelvin returned the second half kickoff to the Kansas City 48, with a facemask penalty moving the ball another 15 yards. Edwards needed only 4 plays to turn a close game in the first half into a rout. Edwards again ran it in himself, this time from 5 yards out, and the Bills were cruising at 37-17. A fumble set up  a Buffalo field goal before Thigpen hit Bradley on a 45 yard touchdown pass to pull within 40-24. Yet Trent Edwards was far from done, and an 8 yard touchdown pass to Reed had the Bills up 47-24 after 3 quarters. They extended the lead and coasted from there. The Bills are above .500 and in the hunt. 54-31 Bills

Chicago Bears @ Los Angeles Rams–The Rams are a mess, and a confusing one at that. They started out 0-4, and looked every bit as awful as Detroit and Kansas City. Yet Jim Haslett took over as coach and the Rams won back to back games. Then the wheels fell off and the losing resurfaced. Yet unlike the other bad teams in the league, the Rams are not even competitive. In their last couple games they trailed 40-0 and 35-3, and that was only at halftime. This just does not happen in the NFL. The Bears were shellacked 37-3 last week, and took their frustration out on the hapless Rams.

This game featured another awful half for the Rams. A kickoff return by Manning, and not Devon Hester, had the Bears at midfield. A 20 yard run by Hester set up a 13 yard run by Matt Forte for the 7-0 Bears lead. Later in the quarter, the Devon Hester show took place, and it was not even on a kickoff or punt return. Kyle Orton found Hester for a 27 yard pass completion. Hester then ran for 12 yards before catching an 8 yard pass from Orton. Orton finished the drive with a 7 yard pass to McKie and a 14-0 Bears lead. In the 2nd quarter Matt Forte broke through for a 47 yard touchdown run to put the Bears up 21-0. For the 3rd week in a row, the Rams got shellacked in the first half, followed by an uneventful and meaningless second half. The Bears led 24-3 at the break before everyone fell asleep. 27-3 Bears

New York Jets @ Tennessee Titans–Before the season this looked like a matchup of average teams that could possibly make the playoffs with Chad Pennington and Vince Young. Instead it became a clash of the Titans with Brett Favre and Kerry Collins. Titans should be taken literally since that is the former team name of the Jets. The Old Oilers are the New Titans, and they came into the game at 10-0. The Old Titans and New Jets just came off of a shocking overtime win over New England that catapulted them into first place in their division.Although the Jets are playing good football, Tennessee had the home field advantage.

Favre took over at the New York 24 and promptly began firing. The Gunslinger went 6 for 6, capping the drive off with a 10 yard pass to Thomas Jones to put the Jets up 7-0. Yet these teams both have good defenses, and points were expected to be at a premium. Favre then led the Jets in the 2nd quarter on a 13 play, 7 1/2 minute drive that reached a 3rd and 1 at the Tennessee 2. They failed to convert, and Eric Mangini opted for the field goal on the road and a 10-0 lead. The Titans came back with a field goal of their own, cutting the gap to 10-3 at halftime. Both teams had missed opportunities, as a promising Jets drive led to a fumble in the red zone. An interception of Favre had the Titans starting with a short field, but on 4th and 3 from the 35, Jeff Fisher opted to punt and play field position.

The New Titans have been winning with hardnosed defense and long drives. Today it was the Jets that played smashmouth. Favre took the opening second half kickoff and led a 13 play, 7 minute drive that led to a field goal and a 13-3 Jets lead. The normally disciplined Titans fumbled the ensuing kickoff, allowing the Jets to begin at the Tennessee 35. Favre hit Laverneous Coles for an acrobatic 2 yard touchdown pass to put the Jets comfortably in front. After a Tennessee field goal, Leon Washington broke through on a 61 yard touchdown run to have the Jets ahead 27-6.

Collins did hit Hall for a 6 yard touchdown with 10 minutes remaining, but Favre led a 12 play, 7 1/2 minute drive to remove any doubt that the Jets are for real. Leon Washington ran it in from 4 yards out for the exclamation point. Jeff Fisher is too even keeled to have his team panic. Yet the Jets have consecutive road wins against New England and Tennessee. They are for real. Brett Favre is definitely not ready for retirement. The Jets are 8-3, and the Titans fall to 10-1. The 1972 Dolphins will not have to wait until the end of the Super Bowl to pop the champagne corks. The only thing left is for Detroit to win a game and protect the legacy of the 1976 Bucs and Lee Roy and Dewey Selmon. On Thanksgiving, Detroit faces an angry bunch of Titans. It also seems unfair. Tennessee still leads the entire AFC by 2 games. 34-13 Jets

New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins–Last year this was the 16-0 Patriots vs the nearly 0-16 Miami Dolphins, who needed overtime and a missed field goal to get their win. The win came against Baltimore, who also blew the game against New England for what should have been a loss for them. The Patriots shredded the Dolphins. Yet this year, the Patriots lack Tom Brady and the Dolphins have a new attitude, a Wildcat offense that is sweeping the league, and a President in Bill Parcells that demands execution. Both of these teams came in 6-4 and one game out of the division lead. In the Week 2 matchup, the Dolphins went into New England and destroyed the Patriots 38-13. If there is one person Bill Bellichick cannot stomach losing to, it’s his former mentor Parcells. This was another Tuna Bowl matchup, and a good one at that.

Matt Cassel went right to work, but an incomplete pass on 3rd and 2 from the Miami 12 led to a field goal and a 3-0 Patriots lead in what would be a seesaw game. Cassel was intercepted later in the quarter by Hill, allowing Chad Pennington and the Dolphins to start at the Miami 42. A pass to Martin went for 29 yards to set up a 3 yard toss from Pennington to Camarillo to put the Dolphins up 7-3.

In the 2nd quarter, Cassel led a 12 play, 5 1/2 minute drive, and again faced 3rd and 2 at the 12. This time Sammy Morris picked up the 1st down, and Cassel ran it in himself from 8 yards out to give the Patriots the 10-7 advantage. Pennington led a 12 play drive that ate up over 7 minutes, and he also ran it in himself for the score, with his run coming from 7 yards out. Yet trailing 14-10, the Patriots struck back fairly quickly. Cassel hit Randy Moss for a 25 yard touchdown pass to give New England a 17-14 halftime lead.

To start the 3rd quarter, the Dolphins began at their own 18. Pennington went deep to Ted Gin for a 46 yard gain. A 16 yarder to Camarillo continued the drive, and Pennington hit Cramer for the 2 yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone. The 5th lead change of the game had the Dolphins up 21-17. The Patriots came back with an 11 play drive that ended with Cassel hitting Moss for an 8 yard touchdown pass. The 6th lead change of the game had the Patriots up 24-21. Miami’s next drive reached the New England 27, but a holding penalty and a sack forced a punt. Cassel then hit Welker for a pass that eventually became a 64 yard gain. Kevin Faulk then ran up the middle for 21 yards to give the Dolphins a 31-21 lead as the 3rd quarter ended.

The Dolphins came right back in the 4th quarter, needing less than 2 minutes. Pennington hit Bess for 36 yards before hitting Ricky Williams for the 13 yard touchdown to make it a 31-28 game. Yet neither defense could prevent this pinball machine of a game from slowing down. With 9 minutes remaining, Cassel hit Moss for a deep touchdown with 9 minutes remaining. Their 3rd connection of the day went for 40 yards and put the Patriots up 38-28.

What was a good game for 50 minutes turned into a blowout. A field goal added the New England lead to 41-28. Then Bill Bellichick showed why he is the least classy individual in football, and maybe on Earth. With 40 seconds remaining, the Patriots faced 4th and goal at the 1. Rather than kneel on the ball, the Patriots ran the ball in for the touchdown as Bellichick felt necessary to remind Parcells who he was. At least the Patriots opted not to attempt a 2 point conversion. The Patriots moved to 7-4, one game behind the Jets, and one game ahead of Miami and Buffalo. Cassel passed for 415 yards, in addition to his 400 yards passing last week. Only 5 quarterbacks in NFL history since the 1970 merger have done this. Tom Brady is not one of them. Matt Cassel is. 48-28 Patriots

Minnesota Vikings @ Jacksonville Jaguars–Minnesota came in 6-4 against an underachieving and desperate 4-6 Jaguars team. Yet less than one minute into the game, the game seemed over. Jack Del Rio is known for having disciplined teams, and a lack of discipline off the bat put the Jaguars in a deep hole. On their first play from scrimmage, a fumble on the snap was returned 27 yards for a touchdown by Meester for a 7-0 Minnesota lead. On their next possession, the first play from scrimmage was another Jacksonville fumble. Minnesota took over at the Jacksonville 28. Chester Taylor ran 11 yards, Bernard Berrian picked up 14, and then Taylor picked up the final 3 yards to put the Vikings up 14-0 early on.

The Jaguars were given life by a 38 yard punt return by Witherspoon that had them starting at the Minnesota 27. After a completion to Jerry Porter, David Garrard hit Williams for the 8 yard touchdown pass that had the Jaguars within 14-7. Josh Scobee hit the ensuing kickoff out of bounds. Combined with an offsides penalty, the Vikings took over at their own 45. A 21 yard Adrian Peterson run had Minnesota at the Jacksonville 34. The drive stalled, but Ryan Longwell nailed a 54 yard field goal to put the Vikings up 17-7 after the opening quarter.

In the second quarter Garrard led a 14 play, 8 1/2 minute drive that went from the Jacksonville 31 to the Minnesota 3. However, the Jaguars moved no further and had to settle for a Scobee field goal to pull within 17-10. In the 3rd quarter, the Jaguars began their half the way they began the game, by fumbling the ball away. Minnesota took over at the Jacksonville 38, and kicked a field goal to lead 20-10. A field goal in the 3rd quarter and a 16 yard Adrian Peterson run rounded out the scoring for Minnesota. They took an intentional safety late in the game for the only Jacksonville points after halftime. The Jaguars fell to 4-7, but in 1996 they were 4-7 before running the table to the AFC Title Game. 5 turnovers today does not suggest history will repeat itself. After a shaky start, Brad Childress made the quarterback switch and stuck with his decision. The Vikings are 7-4 and in the hunt. 30-12 Vikings

San Francisco 49ers @ Dallas Cowboys–This is not the 1990s, and this game was not for the NFC Title Game. Mike SIngletary is turning around a pathetic 49ers team, while Wade Phillips is trying to hold the Cowboys together after a midseason collapse. This game was a blowout, not a classic. In the first quarter, the 49ers drove twice inside the Dallas 5 yard line. Twice they had to settle for field goals and a 6-0 49ers lead after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the game reversed for good as Dallas exploded.

Tony Romo threw the bomb to Terrell Owens, who loves him some him. The 75 yard touchdown pass put the Cowboys up 7-6. The 49ers on their next possession had to punt on 4th and 21 from their own 5. Polk blocked the punt for a safety and a 9-6 Dallas lead. Another Dallas punt went 70 yards and was downed at the one yard line. The 49ers punted from their own end zone again, allowing the Cowboys to start at the San Francisco 35. A field goal put Dallas up 12-6. Later in the period Romo hit Owens for a 45 yard gain to set up another field goal and a 15-6 lead. The ensuing kickoff was fumbled, and Dallas began at the San Francisco 19. Romo hit Bennett for a 1 yard touchdown pass as Dallas took a 22-6 lead at intermission.

Dallas took the second half kickoff and rapidly moved 75 yards, with Romo hitting Crayton for a 10 yard touchdown pass to put the Cowboys safely in front 29-6.  The 49ers mounted a furious late rally, but it was far too little and far too late. The Cowboys remained in the playoff hunt. 35-22 Cowboys

Oakland Raiders @ Denver Broncos–The game of the day actually was a fabulous game. I remain pleased and shocked. The Silver and Black are on pace for their 6th straight losing season, but not today. The 2-8 Raiders were at the 6-4 Broncos. In Week 1, the Broncos went into Oakland and thrashed the Raiders 41-14. Yet that game cost Lame Kiffin his job, so some good came out of it. Another fired Raiders Coach is Mike Shanahan, whose life seems to be about his bitterness towards Al Davis. Shanahan wins this battle often, but even Norvelous Norv Turner beating Shanahan 25-24 in the snow in 2004 was enough to make Shanahan go ballistic. Shanahan’s head might explode after this one.

The game started out in typical fashion. The Raiders went 3 and out, and the Broncos marched right down the field. They moved from their own 16 to the Oakland 7. From the Oakland 28, Jay Cutler hit Brandon Marshall for 21 yards. The blowout was on the horizon. Yet then it was not. Cutler fumbled on the next play, and the Raiders recovered. A moral victory for the Raiders occurred when the game was scoreless after the opening quarter.

In the second quarter, Jay Cutler was intercepted by Chris Johnson, who raced 35 yards for a touchdown. Unfortunately, a defensive holding penalty nullified the score. The Broncos missed a 47 yard field goal o the drive. The Raiders took over at their own 37 and moved the ball. From the Denver 33, JaMarcus Russell hit Zach Miller for a 30 yard gain down to the 3 yard line. On 2nd and goal from the one, Justin Fargas was blasted backwards. 3rd and goal featured Fargas going nowhere. The Oakland Raiders had not scored an offensive touchdown in 3 straight games. On 4th and goal at the 2, a false start forced them to kick a field goal. They led 3-0, but still could not put it in the end zone. I personally felt the false start saved them a failed attempt on the ground and a scoreless game.

The Broncos took over at their own 20, and a 13 play drive included 3 third down conversions, including 13 yards on 3rd and 7 from their own 23 that would have ended the drive. A field goal tied the game 3-3. At the 2 minute warning, the Raiders faced 3rd and 1 from their own 42. Michael Bush went nowhere, and again the Raiders were stoned on the ground. Denver went nowhere, and with 1:25 left in the half a 60 yard punt was fielded by Johnny Lee Higgins at the 11. 89 yards later, Higgins had a touchdown on a punt return for the second consecutive week. While this absolutely does not count as offense, the Raiders led 10-3 with one minute remaining in the half.

Since these are the Raiders, anything positive has to involve something negative as well. An unsportmanlike conduct penalty for excessive celebration forced the Raiders to kick off from their own 15. Thankfully, Sebastian Janikowski belted the kickoff 85 yards. The Broncos moved to midfield, where an incomplete pass was offset by a horrendous roughing the passer penalty. Apparently the referees think that football is tiddly winks, since Cutler was barely touched. The dreadful call should be a reminder to all Raiders fans that it is tough to defeat the opponents and the refs. Disaster was averted when a 43 yard field goal attempt was no good. The second miss of the half kept the Raiders up 10-3 at halftime despite no offensive touchdowns for 14 quarters.

The Broncos began the second half at their own 15. On 3rd and 9 from the 16, Cutler scrambled himself for the first down. Terrible tackling gifted the Broncos life. These are the Raiders. On 3rd and 2 from the Oakland 41, Cutler again was the beneficiary of a nightmarish and horrendous roughing the quarterback call. I am critical of the Raiders when they deserve it, but these 2 calls are enough to make a guy break his television. If I could have leapt through the television I would have. On 4th and 1 from the Oakland 6, Shanahan ordered the Broncos to go for it. Hillis scored on the play, and the game was 10-10. The Raiders appeared set to do an el foldo.

Not this time. Russell threw only 11 passes all day. He completed 10 of them. His first pass of the second half was a 51 yard bomb to Ashley Lelie, the former Broncos wide receiver. On 2nd and goal from the 1, Fargas again went nowhere. On 3rd and goal from the 1, Darren McFadden scored. It took 3 1/2 games, but the Raiders FINALLY had an offensive touchdown. More importantly, The Raiders had a 17-10 lead.

Even more important than that was the inspired play of the defense. The Broncos went 3 and out. The Raiders took over at their own 24, and mounted a 10 play, 76 yard drive that took over 5 minutes off of the clock. Given that the running game had no success in the first half, I was skeptical when the Raiders faced 3rd and 3 at their own 44. I mentioned to my friend that a halfback option pass would be a good call at that time. Shockingly enough, that is exactly what was called. Michael Bush took the handoff, and threw a terribly high pass that Zach Miller somehow caught for 8 yards and a first down. On 3rd and 1 from the Denver 39, Frgas finally broke through for a 9 yard gain. From the 30, it was the Raiders who got a break when a defensive pass interference call put the ball at the 6 yard line. Russell hit Lelie for 4 yards and the Raiders were leading in a shocker 24-10.

90 seconds into the 4th quarter, Cutler was intercepted by Howard at the Denver 43. The Raiders had nothing on the ground in the first half, but the Raiders kept pounding. A 21 yard run by Fargas had Oakland at the Denver 22. Michael Bush and Justin Fargas got the ball to the 6 yard line. Darren McFadden did the rest, running for 5 yards, and then one yard on the next play to give the Raiders a 31-10 lead. The closest the Raiders have had to a route in their favor in 2008 was cornberback Stanford Routt. Yet this was for real. The team that had no offensive touchdowns for 3 1/2 games had 3 of them in only 7 minutes.

The Broncos faced 3rd and 11 at their own 19, but the Raiders still have improvements to make. Cutler hit Brandon Marshall for a 32 yard gain just past midfield. Yet on 4th and 11 from the 38, the Raiders held as the Broncos turned it over on downs. The Raiders took over with 6:47 remaining. Russell id not throw a single pass. The Raiders ran the ball down the throat of the Broncos. The Broncos did not get the ball back. The Raiders had played a complete game, and had finished the game. There would be no heartbreaking loss today. As I said after the Jets game against the Raiders, this could be something to build on.

No matter what happens the rest of the season, the 2008 Oakland Raiders went into the worst city in America and thrashed the hated Denver Broncos on their home field. Tom Cable has the team fighting hard. Mike Shanahan may hate Al Davis more than Al Queda, but that could not change the score. 31-10 Raiders

Carolina Panthers @ Atlanta Falcons–The 8-2 Panthers came into Atlanta to face a 6-4 Falcons team coming off a tough home loss. One announcer described this game as a dogfight, but that term should never be used to describe an Atlanta game. On the second play of the game, Matt Ryan found White for a 38 yard gain. The drive stalled when a 3rd and 2 pass from the 5 was incomplete. The field goal had Atlanta up 3-0. AFter a punt, Ryan led the Falcons 75 yards. A 27 yard pass to Snelling began the drive. On 3rd and 3 from the 7, this time the Falcons converted, as Douglas scored to make it 10-0.

In the second quarter, a punt return had the Falcons starting at the Carolina 37. 10 plays and over 5 minutes later, the Falcons had scored again. A one yard touchdown run by Michael Turner had the Falcons winning in a laugher, 17-0. Then the game completely changed. Atlanta fumbled, and the Panthers began at the Atlanta 48. From the 32, Jake Delhomme hit Steve Smith for a 31 yard gain down to the one yard line. Yet the Panthers got no closer, as a false start forced them to settle for a field goal and a 17-3 game at the half. Carolina missed a pair of opportunities in the 2dn quarter to tighten the game. On 3rd and 3 from the Atlanta 39, an incomplete pass by Delhomme led to John Fox calling a punt rather than a long field goal. On 3rd and 6 from the Atlanta 35 on their next drive, Delhomme was sacked to end the drive.

Carolina took the second half kickoff and needed only 5 plays to get back in it. Delhomme found Steve Smith for gains of 41 and 22 yards. Williams ran it in from 5 yards out, and the Panthers were within 17-10. The Panthers drove deep into Atlanta territory on their next possession, but on 3rd and 6 from the 7, a run left them short. On 4th and 2 from the 3, Coach Fox again opted for the field goal. A 17-0 deficit was a 17-13 nailbiter after 3 quarters. Yet just as a blowout had turned into a close game, the 4th quarter turned the close game back into a blowout. The teams combined for 30 points in the first 3 quarters, and 43 points in the final quarter alone.

The Falcons answered the 12 play, 6 minute Carolina drive with a 12 play, 5 1/2 minute drive of their own. From the Carolina 26, Ryan found Jenkins for 17 yards. A defensive penalty on the play moved the ball to the 4 yard line. On the opening play of the final quarter, Turner ran it in to put the Falcons up 24-13. Delhomme rapidly moved the Panthers 83 yards. He hit Smith for 27 yards and Donte Rosario for 21 yards. After a 15 yard pass to Smith, Delhomme ran it in himself the final 15 yards. Williams rushed up the middle for the 2 point conversion that had Carolina within 24-21 with 11 minutes left.

Atlanta came right back in lightning speed. On 3rd and 11 from their own 25, Ryan found Douglas for a 69 yard pass completion down to the Carolina 6. On 4th and goal from the 1, the Falcons went for it. Turner scored, and Atlanta led 31-21 with just over 7 minutes left. Carolina had a nightmarish next series, and punted on 4th and 28 from their own 2. A 59 yard punt was all for nought as DOuglas returned it 61 yards for a touchdown to put the Falcons up 38-21 with under 5 minutes left.

Delhomme did manage to rally the Panthers with a 16 yard touchdown pass to Muhsin Muhammad with 2:23 remaining, but it was not enough. The onsdies kick failed. With one minute to go, the Falcons faced 4th and 6 at the Carolina 16. The Falcons decided to go for it rather than risk a blocked field goal. Desperately needing a stop, instead Turner ran 16 yards for the score. The Falcons dropped to a first place tie with Tampa Bay at 8-3, just one game ahead of Atlanta. The Falcons scored 28 points in the 4th quarter to break open the close game. 45-28 Falcons

New York Giants @ Arizona Cardinals–A quiet opening quarter ended with the Cardinals up 3-0, but after that the game settled into a shootout. Late in the first quarter, the Giants began a 12 play, 6 minute drive. On 4th and 1 from the Arizona 36, Ward picked up the yard and not more. Ward finished off the drive in the second quarter with a one yard run to put the Giants up 7-3. JJ Arrington returned the kickoff 55 yards to the New York 42. With the short field, Kurt Warner led the Greatest Show in the Desert. Using Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston, and Anquon Boldin, the Cardinals reached the 4 yard line. Ti Hightower ran it in and the Cardinals led 9-7. They fumbled the snap on the extra point attempt, which would prove costly later on in the game.

Dominic Hixon returned the ensuing kickoff 83 yards to the Arizona 17. The Giants only got a field goal out of this, but led 10-9. The Cardinals came right back, with JJ Arrington returning the kickoff to midfield. Warner hit Urban for 30 yards down to the 19. Yet on 3rd and goal from the 4, the Cardinals fell short. On 4th and goal from the 2, Ken Whisenhunt opted for the field goal to put the Cardinals up 12-10. Yet as much as Arrington was helping the Cardinals, Hixon was doing even more for the Giants. His 68 yard kickoff return to the 32 set up a 12 yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Amani Toomer as the Giants led 17-12 at the half. The last play of the half featured Neil Rackers attempting a 68 yard field goal attempt. Like the 76 yard attempt by Sebastian Janikowski earlier in the year, this one did not threaten the record held by Tom Dempsey and later tied by Jason Elam.

Early in the 3rd quarter, Kurt Warner fumbled. The Giants took over at the Arizona 40, and Wanrer’s former protege Eli Manning took advantage. A 30 yard pass to Steve Smith set up a 2 yard touchdown pass from Manning to Hedgecock to put Big Blue up 24-12. Wanrer then took the Cardinals 90 yards in 12 plays, needing only 4:40 to do it. A defensive pass interference penalty moved the chains early on, and on 3rd and 2 from the New York 17, a 15 yard completion to Boldin set up a  1 yard run by Hightower to make it a 24-19 game.  Manning and Warner continued firing away in the 4th quarter.

Manning hit Kevin Boss for 28 yards to set up a 10 yarder to Boss to put the G-Men up 31-19. An interception of Warner had the Giants in a position to wrap up the game at the Arizona 29. Yet on 4th and 1 from the 9, Tom Coughlin went with the field goal, and the Giants led 34-19 with 6:17 left. Arrington returned the kickoff 40 yards to the Arizona 48. Warner then hit Boldin for 15 yards and Breaston for 32 yards. Warner tossed a 5 yard touchdown pass to Boldin to pull the Cardinals to within 34-26 with 4 minutes left.

The onsides kick failed, and the Giants took over at the Arizona 46. At the 2 minute warning, the Giants faced 4th and 1 at the Arizona 16. The field goal had the Giants up 37-26 with 1:55 left. Yet the Cardinals would not go away. The Cardinals took over at their own 31. Warner fired away at will, and with 42 seconds remaining, the Cardinals were facing 1st and 10 at the New York 26. Needing 2 scores, with little time left, Whisenhunt smartly went for the field goal on 1st down. Neil Rackers did his job from 44 yards out, and the Cardinals were again within 8 points. However, the onsides kick again failed.

The Giants moved to 10-1, and the Cardinals fell to 7-4. Yet since everybody else in the NFC West also lost, the Cardinals are still on pace for their first playoff birth since 1998, first division championship since the 1970s, and first home playoff game since 1947. They have only 4 days to be ready when they face the Eagles in Philadelphia on Thanksgiving night. The Giants lead the entire NFC by 2 games. 37-29 Giants

Washington Redskins @ Seattle Seahawks–Former Seattle Hall of Fame wide receiver Jim Zorn came back to Seattle as the Head Coach of the Redskins. From Washington State to Washington, DC, Zorn faced off against the Walrus, Mike Holmgren. Statistically the Redskins dominated. They led in yards 386 to 228 and in possession 38 1/2 minutes to 21 1/2. They had only 2 penalties to 6 for Seattle, and only one turnover compared to 2 for the Seahawks. Yet the game defied the statistics.

In the first quarter, a 40 yard run by Morris set up a field goal and a 3-0 Seahawks lead. In the second quarter, a defensive pass interference penalty kept an 11 play drive moving. After 5:42 of clock, Betts ran it in from one yard out to put the Redskins up 7-3. Matt Hasselbeck answered Jason Campbell with a drive of his own. A 4 yard touchdown pass to Morris had Seattle leading 10-7 at the break. The 3rd quarter featured an 11 play, 5 1/2 minute drive that led to a field goal and a 10-10 game. The key play in the game came when Hasselbeck was intercepted on 3rd and 12 from his own 35 by Landry. Campbell found Chris Cooley for 21 yards to set up an 8 yard touchdown toss to Antwon Randel-El. AFter 3 quarters, the Redskins led 17-10.

The Seahawks took over at their own 38 and needed 5 minutes to go 10 plays. Early in the 4th quarter, on 3rd and 8 from the Washington 31, Hasselbeck hit Bobby Engram for 21 yards down to the 10. A toss to Carlson on the next play tied the game 17-17 with 13:24 left. Washington came right back, and from midfield, Campbell found Santana Moss for 24 yards down to the 27. On 3rd and one from 5, Campbell threw incomplete. On 4th and 1 from the 5 with 9 minutes left, Zorn played it safe and kicked the go ahead field goal.

Seattle punted, and the Redskins took over at their own 4 with 7 minutes left. The Redskins ground down the clock, but with 1:28 left, from the Seattle 23, Betts fumbled. Seattle had one last shot. Hasselbeck needed one play to be intercepted, snuffing out any hopes. The Redskins survived another close one. 20-17 Redskins

Indianapolis Colts @ San Diego Chargers was the Sunday night game. Despite the fact that the Colts are coached by Tony Dungy while the Charger are being destroyed internally by Norvelous Norv Turner, the Colts for some reason cannot seem to beat the Chargers. Peyton Manning just has nightmarish luck against San Diego.

Last year, despite going 14-2, one of those losses was a ridiculous loss to the Chargers. Manning threw 6 interceptions as the Colts fell behind 23-0. Yet the Colts pulled to within 23-21, and late in the game needed only a 24 yard field goal to win it. For some bizarre reason, coach Dungy allowed a 5 yard delay of game penalty to eat more clock. Adam Vinatieri missed a 29 yarder as the stunned Colts lost.

In the AFC Divisional Playoff, the Colts were at home and looking forward to their showdown ti unbeaten New England. With backup Billy Volek playing for Philip Rivers, the Chargers stunned the Colts again, 28-24. The greatest AFC Title Game in history never happened.

Again the Colts played the Chargers in 2008 with expectations of a win. The Colts were 6-4 and the Chargers were 4-6. Again the Colts struggled. Midway through the opening quarter, a 12 play drive that ate up 5:40 stalled at the 5 yard line. The field goal had the Colts up 3-0. The Chargers came back in the second quarter but also bogged down in the red zone, and a field goal tied the game 3-3. With 9 1/2 minutes left in the half, Philip Rivers led the Chargers 89 yards. On 3rd and from their own 14, Rivers found Floyd for 23 yards. A 39 yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson put the Chargers up 10-3. With 5 minutes left in the half, Manning came right back. A 71 yard drive culminated in a 13 yard touchdown pass to Antonio Gonzalez with 38 seconds left in the half. The teams were tied 10-10 at the intermission.

The Chargers took over in the second half at their own 34 and immediately moved the ball. Rivers hit Chris Chambers for 13 yards. LaDanian Tomlinson then ran for 20 yards, followed by a 21 yard gain to the Indy 12 by Darren Sproles. The drive was then ruined when Rivers was hit and fumbled. The Colts took over at their own 34. On 3rd and 4 from the San Diego 46, Manning hit Gonzalez for 29 yards to the 17. Yet the normally organized Colts had significant trouble with clock management on this drive. Whether it was the crowd or some other reason, the Colts took two timeouts on this drive. On 4th and goal from inside the one, a disorganized Colts team had the play clock running down. Rather than run, Manning had to operate out of the shotgun. He fired a 1 yard pass to Dominic Rhodes to put the Colts up 17-10 and complete the 13 play, 7 minute drive.

After a San Diego punt, Manning led a 13 play drive that resulted in a field goal. The Colts had some breathing room at 20-10. Rivers came back with a 12 play, 6 minute drive that ended when Rivers hit Jacob Hester from 1 yard out with 5:36 left. The Chargers still trailed by a field goal, and needed the ball back from Manning. They got it back at their own 13 with 3:15 left. At the 2 minute warning, Rivers had them at the Indy 37. Nate Kaeding nailed a 47 yard field goal to tie the game at 20-20. Manning got the ball back at his own 30 with 90 seconds left and only one timeout.

With 26 seconds remaining, the Colts faced 4th down and one chain link at their own 48. It took several minutes to measure before determining that the Colts were short by the nose of the ball. If they failed to convert, San Diego would be near field goal range. A quarterback sneak was possible with one timeout left. Yet Tony Dungy trusts Peyton Manning, and gives him latitude that no other quarterback in the league has. A play action pass went for 18 yards to Marvin Harrison to the San Diego 34. With 2 seconds remaining, Adam Vinatieri came in for a 50 yard field goal attempt. He drilled it.

The Colts improved to 7-4, and have a schedule easy enough to allow the Colts to run the table and get to 12-4. The Chargers fell to 4-7. In 1995, the 4-7 Chargers ran the table before losing a home playoff game to the Colts, who also started 4-7 before running the table as well. Norvelous Norv Turner is not Bobby Ross. When he quit the Lions, they were 5-4. The next year they became the Lions we know today. The Chargers are done. 23-20 Colts

Green Bay Packers @ New Orleans Saints was the Monday night game. Both of these teams came in at 5-5 and desperate to get back into playoff contention. A loss tonight would force that team to have to practically run the table to have a shot. The game started out with an exchange of punts before turning into a pinball machine.

The Packers began their second possession on the New Orleans 37. Ryan Grant ran 17 yards to set up Kuhn from one yard out to put the Packers up 7-0. The Saints needed one play from scrimmage to tie the game as Drew Brees hit Moore on a slant that split the seams and went for a 70 yard touchdown. After a Green Bay punt, it was the Saint with a short field at the Green Bay 41. Brees hit Thomas for gains of 14 and 13 yards to set up Thomas on the ground from 3 yards out. The Saints led 14-7 at the end of the opening quarter.

Aaron Rodgers then led a 72 yard drive that took 12 plays and ate up 6 minutes. Green Bay converted 3 third downs, including a 24 yard pass to Donald Driver. Rodgers hit Greg Jennings from 7 yards out to tie the game again at 14-14. Brees came right back with a 76 yard drive. A 19 yarder to Jeremy Shockey eventually led to a 14 yard touchdown toss to Moore to put the Saints back in front 21-14. The aerial show gave Rodgers his turn, and he led Green Bay 83 yards in 14 plays over 6 1/2 minutes. Rodgers hit Jennings for 22 yards, and on 3rd and 6 from the 10, ran it in himself to tie the game 21-21with 1:44 left in the half. A 62 yard kickoff return by Roby had the Saints starting at the Green Bay 32. With 22 seconds left in the half the Saints had 1st and goal at the 7, but stalled at that point. A field goal put the Saints up 24-21 at halftime.

Like many of the early games on Sunday, this game saw a shootout turn into a blowout. The Saints began the second half by moving 80 yards in 13 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. The Saints faced 4th and 1 from their own 45 when Sean Payton, a Bill Parcells disciple, did some riverboat gambling. The gamble paid off as Thomas picked up 4 yards to keep the chains moving. Brees hit Miller for a 16 yard touchdown to put the Saints up 31-21. Rodgers was then intercepted by David, who returned it 42 yards to the Green Bay 3. Deuce McAllister ran it in. The Saints led 38-21, and McAllister set the Saints team record for touchdowns on that play. The crowd gave a lengthy ovation.

Rodgers was the intercepted by David again, allowing the Saints to begin at the Green Bay 29. However, Sean Payton went back to his bag of tricks, and it didn’t work. A backwards pass to a wide receiver to set up an option pass blew up when the receiver faced defensive pressure and threw a ball that was underthrown and intercepted. It did not matter. The Packers punted, and Brees fired a 70 yard touchdown pass to Marquis Colston. At the end of 3 quarters, the Saints led 45-21 in a route.

Drew Brees threw for 4 touchdown passes, while Aaron Rodgers threw his 3rd interception with 6 minutes remaining. At 6-5, the Saints are still in last place and 2 games back in the division that has all the teams playing well. The Packers at 5-6 are one game out of their division lead. 51-29 Saints

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