THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

The weather is getting colder, and the games are getting more important.

There will be no hyperbole this week. The games do not need it.

Unfortunately for fans, most of the early games this week were blowouts. After several weeks of heart stopping finishes, most of these games early on were anticlimactic. The late games were thrillers.

Below is the Week 10 NFL Recap.

Denver Broncos @ Cleveland Browns was the Thursday night game. Now that baseball season is thankfully over, Thursday night football returns to America. This game was a thriller. Brady Quinn made his first start, completing 23 of 35 with a pair of touchdown passes and no interceptions. Yet Quinn could only watch from the sidelines as Jay Cutler passed for a ridiculous 472 yards. Cutler began firing away at the outset, although the Broncos missed a 38 yard field goal on their opening drive. After a Cleveland punt, Cutler led an 86 yard drive. A 34 yard pass to Brandon Marshall led to a 1 yard run by Torain to open this high scoring game. A strong kickoff return by Josh Cribbs set the Browns up at their own 41. An 18 yard pass to Dante Stallworth and a 29 yard run by Jamal Lewis set up a 5 yard touchdown pass from Quinn to Kellen Winslow to tie the game 7-7.

A field goal in the 2nd quarter put the Browns up 10-7. Cutler then made a big mistake, with an interception setting up the Browns at the Denver 20. Quinn hit Winslow for 16 yards to put the Browns up 17-7. At this point Quinn made no more touchdowns and Cutler made no more mistakes. An exchange of field goals had the Browns up 20-10 at the half, and another exchange of field goals had the Browns up 23-13 after three quarters. The 4th quarter is what turned this ordinary game into a classic.

One minute into the 4th quarter, the Broncos began at their own 7 yard line. They needed one play as Cutler launched a bomb to Eddie Royal that went for a 93 yard touchdown in front of the shocked Cleveland crowd. The Broncos were within 23-20, and were just getting warmed up. Another strong kickoff by Cribbs had the Browns starting at midfield, but on 3rd and 6 from the Denver 46, Winslow fumbled. The Broncos took over at their own 38. Cutler found Royal for 22 yards, and several plays later threw a 28 yard touchdown pass to Graham to give Denver a 27-23 lead with 10 minutes remaining.

Quinn and the Browns took over at their own 22. A end run by Cribbs went for 21 yards. A 30 yard pass to Winslow and an 18 yard pass to Lewis had the Browns at the Denver 6 yard line. Lewis broke through from 1 yard out to put the Browns back in front 30-27 with 5 minutes left.

Cutler and the Broncos took over at their own 20, and Cutler led a staggering 13 play drive that bled a good amount of the clock. From the Cleveland 29, out of the shotgun, Cutler ran up the middle on a quarterback draw for 18 yards. Cutler then hit Marshall from the 11. The Broncos had scored 21 points in the 4th quarter to retake the 4 point lead with 1:14 left.

After a short kick, the Browns took over at their own 33. After gaining 9 yards on 1st down, 3 plays failed to gain one yard as the incompletions ended the drive and the game. Brady Quinn had an impressive debut, and cannot be blamed for Jay Cutler, for at least one game, turning into the second coming of hall of famer John Elway. 34-30 Broncos

New Orleans Saints @ Atlanta Falcons–On their second possession, Atlanta began at midfield. Matt Ryan took the short field and found Roddy White for a 16 yard touchdown pass to put the Falcons up 7-0. Drew Brees led the Saints on a 13 play, minute drive, but it bogged down at the 6 yard line. The field goal pulled the Saints to within 7-3. The Falcons took over at their own 31, and Ryan went back to work. A 32 yard pass to Michael Jenkins set up a 2 yard touchdown run by Michael Turner that had the Falcons up 14-3 early in the 2nd quarter. The teams traded field goals, as the Falcons led 17-6 at the half. Atlanta added a field goal in the 3rd quarter after a 13 play, 8 1/2 minute drive, to take a 20-6 lead into the final period.

Seconds into the 4th quarter, Ryan found Jerrius Norwood for a 67 yard touchdown pass to give the Falcons a comfortable 27-6 lead. Brees responded with a 12 play drive that included a 4th and 1 conversion from their own 29. A 15 yard touchdown pass to Deuce McAllister had the Saints within 27-13 with 10 minutes left. After a failed onsides kick, Atlanta punted. Brees moved the Saint from their own 10 to the Atlanta 21. Brees was then intercepted in the end zone by Houston. On the next New Orleans drive, Brees found Marquis Colston for a 48 yard gain. On 1st and goal from the 8, Bees was intercepted again. Jackson returned the interception 95 yards for the icing on the cake. The Saints did score a touchdown during garbage time, but it was far short of mattering. 34-20 Falcons

Tennessee Titans @ Chicago Bears–Although the Titans came in at 8-0, this game was expected to be tough. Both teams have solid defenses. Rex Grossman filled in for Kyle Orton in a game where points were expected to come infrequently. Grossman led a 14 play, 6 1/2 minute drive that went 75 yards. Grossman capped the drive off with a 5 yard touchdown pass to Matt Forte to put the Bears up 7-0.

The Bears often refer to “Good Rex, Bad Rex.” Good Rex began the game, but after a Tennessee punt, Bad Rex showed up. From deep in his own territory, a pass into coverage was batted by Cortland Finnegan and intercepted by Hope. From the Chicago 25, Kerry Collins led the Titans down to the one yard line, facing 4th and goal. Hall was stuffed up the middle by Brian Urlacher and company, fumbling the ball away. As the goal line stand left the game unchanged. However, the Bears could not move the ball, and after two straight positions inside their own 10, the Titans finally capitalized on the good field position. Chris Carr took a punt all the way to the Chicago 22. Collins hit Bo Scaife for a 10 yard touchdown pass to tie the game 7-7 at the break.

This game was about field position, and throughout the game, the Bears were starting deep in their own territory while the Titans were starting near midfield. After a Chicago punt, the Titans began at their own 44. Despite being known as a running team, Collins kept firing away as the Bears stuffed 8 men in the box. Passes to Jones, Gage, and Scaife had the Titans in the red zone. Collins hit Justin Gage for the 12 yard touchdown pass that had the Titans up 14-7. As the 3rd quarter ended, snow began to fall in Chicago.

More terrible field position for the Bears again had the Titans starting at their own 48. Lendale White ran it in from 2 yards out to put the Titans up 21-7 with 12 minutes remaining. When Tennessee blocked a field goal with 9 1/2 minutes left, the game seemed over. It was not. Tennessee could not run the ball all game, so incomplete passes ate up very little clock. Grossman began working out of the no huddle, and a 29 yard completion to Devon Hester set up a 1 yard quarterback sneak by Grossman for the score. The Bears trailed by 7 with 5 minutes left.

With 3:12 left, the Bears were in position to tie the game, taking over after a punt on the Tennessee 41. On 2nd and 1 from the 32, they went backwards, and a pair of incomplete passes had them turn it over on downs. Tennessee ran out the clock. Despite no ground game, Collins was 30 of 41 as the Titans gutted out another tough win. Jeff Fisher has his team at 9-0. 21-14 Titans

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Detroit Lions–The winless Lions signed the unemployed Dante Culpepper to lead them. Culpepper began by throwing an interception. David Garrard, beginning at the Detroit 23, could only lead the team to a Josh Scobee field goal and a 3-0 Jacksonville lead. Yet Culpepper still has a cannon of an arm. In the 2nd quarter he threw a 51 yard bomb to Calvin Johnson and a 27 yarder to Kevin Smith to set up a gadget play from the goal line. Stanton came in at quarterback for Culpepper to throw the one yard touchdown pass to Owens to put the Lions up 7-3.

Garrard went right to work from the Jacksonville 20, with Maurice Jones-Drew carrying the load. From the Detroit 35, Garrard found Lewis for a 29 yard gain. Jones-Drew carried the final 6 yards to put the Jaguars back up 10-7. After a Detroit punt, the Jaguars began at their own 29 and marched down the field again. Garrard found Jerry Porter for 26 yards, and Fred Taylor ran hard. Jones-Drew ran the final yard to give the Jaguars a 17-7 lead midway through the 2nd quarter. The Lions came back and moved the ball, but on 4th and 2 from the Jacksonville 15, Jason Hanson’s field goal was blocked and returned to the Jacksonville 42. Garrard found Jones-Drew for a 22 yard gain, and Jones-Drew ran it in the final 8 yards to put the Jaguars up 24-7 at the half.

For some reason, the 2nd half was played. Garrard led a 15 play, 83 yard drive that up 9:20 off of the clock. Garrard hit Jerry Porter for a 7 yard touchdown pass to put the Jaguars up 31-7. The misery continues for the winless Lions. 38-14 Jaguars

Baltimore Ravens @ Houston Texans–This game should have been played in Week 2, but Hurricane Ike delayed it. So one can be cynical and say these teams had 8 weeks to prepare for this. Shockingly enough, a pair of incredibly dull teams played an incredibly dull half. The only exciting play came on a 43 yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco to Figurs in the opening quarter. In the 2nd quarter, Sage Rosenfels, filling in for Matt Schaub, took over at the Houston 15 and led the Texans to the Baltimore 5. The result was a field goal and a 7-3 thriller. With 4 minutes left in the half, the Texans took over at their own 3 yard line. Offensive holding in the end zone resulted in a safety and a 9-3 Ravens lead. An exchange of field goals had the Ravens leading 12-6 at intermission.

The offenses moved the ball in the 2nd half. Flacco led an 11 play, 6 minute drive that went 75 yards. Willis McGahee plowed through for the final yard to put the Ravens up 19-6. After an exchange of punts, the Texans took over at their own 40. Rosenfels needed one lpay to throw a 60 yard touchdown pass to Walter to pull the Texans to within 19-13. Flacco came right back with a 78 yard drive. A 2 1yard run by Derrick Mason followed by a defensive pass interference call in the end zone set up a 1 yard touchdown pass from Flacco to Todd Heap. Flacco completed the 2 point conversion to Mason to put the Ravens up 27-13 early in the 4th quarter. With 8 minutes remaining, Rosenfels was intercepted by Ray Lewis, who returned it 19 yards to the Houston 14, setting up another Baltimore touchdown. Baltimore scored 22 points in the 4th quarter to turn a close game into a blowout. 41-13 Ravens

Seattle Seahawks @ Miami Dolphins–The Walrus took on the Tuna. Mike Holmgren is ready to end this miserable final season in Seattle, while Bill Parcells is thriving in his opening season with Miami. This game did not alter the trend early on. Chad Pennington and the Dolphins took over at their own 10, and moved 11 plays in 6 minutes. Pennington threw a 39 yard touchdown pass to Ted Ginn to put the Dolphins up 7-0. After a Seattle punt, Miami took over at their own 24. After getting near midfield, the Dolphins broke out the Wildcat formation that is sweeping the NFL. It began in Miami, and they again worked it to perfection. Ronnie Brown took the direct snap, and handed to Ricky Williams. Williams ran up the middle for 51 yards to put the Dolphins ahead 14-0. Yet with Miami totally in control, Pennington had a pass intercepted by Jed Babineaux, who raced 35 yards for a touchdown to pull Seattle to within 14-7 at the half.

The defenses ruled the 3rd quarter, but a pair of Seattle field goals had the Seahawks within 14-13. Seconds into the 4th quarter, Pennington led the Dolphins on a staggering 16 play drive that ate up over 9 minutes of clock. The 79 yard drive ended in another successful Wildcat trick play. Ronnie Brown took the direct snap and rambled around the end for 16 yards to put the Dolphins up 21-13 with 5 1/2 minutes remaining.

A strong kickoff return had Seattle starting at their own 45. Seneca Wallace hit Bobby Engram for 15 yards, and Julius Jones ripped off a 33 yard run down to the Miami 5 yard line. Wallace hit Koren Robinson for the 3 yard touchdown pass. The 2 point conversion was no good, and the Seahawks trailed 21-19. Although 2:57 remained, Seattle had only one timout left. Holmgren decided to kick it deep rather than go for the onsides kick. The defense held, and Seattle took over at their own 23 with 1:50 left. With 37 seconds remaining, Seattle was just past midfield. A spike followed by 3 incompletions ended the rally as Miami hung on. From 1-15 to 5-4, the legend of the Tuna continues to grow. 21-19 Dolphins

Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings–A pair of 4-4 teams slugged it out in the NFC North. After a terrible Green Bay punt, the Vikings began their first drive at the Green Bay 39. Adrian Peterson moved the ball on the ground, setting up a 3 yard touchdown pass from Gus Frerotte to Rice for a 7-0 Minnesota lead. Later in the quarter Frerotte was intercepted, allowing Aaron Rodgers to start at the Minnesota 48. Rodgers completed passes to Greg Jennings and Donald Driver to set up a one yard touchdown run by Ryan Grant to tie the game 7-7 after the opening quarter.

The second quarter was about defense. Minnesota also found a bizarre way to come up with a combined 7 points. An 11 play, 6 minute drive set up a 54 yard Ryan Longwell field goal to put the Vikings up 10-7. On the next Green Bay drive, Rodgers was sacked near his own end zone and fumbled. He picked up the fumble in the end zone, and intentionally grounded the ball, resulting in a safety and a 12-7 Minnesota lead.

Neither offense could move the ball, but with 52 seconds left in the half, the Packers took over at their own 9. For some bizarre reason Mike McCarthy decided not to kneel on the ball or run up the middle. Rodgers went back to pass, and again was sacked in his own end zone. It is very rare to have two safeties in the same game, much less the same quarter. The Vikings led 14-7, and received a free kick. However, this time it was Brad Childress that could not leave well enough and go to the locker room. Frerotte was intercepted, and Green Bay took over at the Minnesota 40 with 22 seconds left in the half. A field goal had the Vikings up 14-10 at the break.

In the 3rd quarter, Frerotte through a swing pass to Chester Taylor, who evaded tacklers and raced 47 yards for a touchdown to put the Vikings up 21-10. Yet Frerotte continued to follow up good plays with dreadful ones. On the next Minnesota series, Frerotte was intercepted by Vince Shiancoe, who raced 59 yards for a touchdown to pull the Packers to within 21-17. The Vikings could not move the ball on their next drive, and the punt was returned 65 yards for a touchdown by WIll Blackmon. Out of nowhere, the Packers had put 14 points on the board to lead 24-21.

With 9 minutes remaining, on 4th and 1 from their own 41, Adrian Peterson got blasted short of the first down. The turnover on downs set up a Green Bay field goal with 6 minutes left to put the Packers up 27-21. Yes Adrian Peterson atoned for his earlier mistake by grinding out yards as the clock ran down. His 29 yard touchdown run put the Vikings in front 28-27 with 2:22 left. A strong kickoff had the Packers at their own 41. A 19 yard completion to Driver had Green Bay at the Minnesota 40. With 30 seconds remaining, Green Bay had a 52 yard field goal attempt to win it. The kick was wide, no good. The Vikings had survived a thriller. 28-27 Vikings

Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots–A couple of weeks ago there was talk of the Bills supplanting the Patriots as kings of the AFC East. That talk can now be dismissed as premature. After a Buffalo punt, Matt Cassel led the Patriots 71 yards. A 21 yard pass to Wes Welker set up Cassel running it in himself from 13 yards out to put the Patriots up 7-0. The game then settled into a defensive slugfest, with the Patriots carrying a 13-3 lead into the 4th quarter.

With 11 minutes remaining in the game, Cassel took over on his own 8 and led a ridiculous 19 play drive that lasted over 9 minutes. The Patriots made 4 3rd down conversions, including 3rd and 9 at their own 9. When Green-Ellis finally scored the one yard touchdown, only 1:57 remained. The Patriots were up 20-3. An 85 yard kickoff return did set up a garbage time touchdown, but it was too little, too late. The Patriots were unspectacular, but efficient, at home. They lead the Bills by one game. 20-10 Patriots

St. Louis Rams @ New York Jets–There is no way to accurately describe this game. The Jets have been winning ugly, with Brett Favre being unspectacular but good enough. The Rams began miserably but showed improvement under Jim Haslett. On paper this game had a chance to be competitive. Instead it turned out to be one of the biggest blowouts in NFL History. Favre was only 14 for 19 for 167 yards, but it did not matter.

The Jets went 80 yards on their opening drive, with Thomas Jones running it in from 13 yards out to put the Jets up 7-0. Favre found Keller for a 54 yard gain on the next drive, setting up a short field goal to make it 10-0. Marc Bulger was then sacked, and the fumble was returned 50 yards for a touchdown by Pace. The Jets led 17-0 after the opening quarter, but the blowout was just beginning.

Taking over at their own 42, Favre moved the Jets to a 4th and 2 at the St. Louis 35. An 8 yard pass to Keller continued the drive. This drive was also finished off by Jones from 2 yards out to make it a 24-0 game. The Jetsadded a field goal on their next drive, recovered a fumble, and aded another field goal to lead 30-0. 4 minutes still remained in the half.

Bulger then threw a deep pass that was intercepted and returned 50 yards by Rhodes to the St. Louis 18. Favre hit Kelley for a 1 yard touchdown pass, his only touchdown pass of the game. The Jets led 37-0, and 28 seconds still remained in the half. All the Rams wanted to do was runout the clock. Instead the fumbled. On the last play of the half, Jay Feely nailed a 55 yard field goal, his 4th of the half. This was not a college football game. It was an NFL professional game. At halftime…repeat at haftme…the Jets led 40-0. The second half was just about both teams avoiding injuries. 47-3 Jets

Carolina Panthers @ Oakland Raiders–For more on the game of the day, go to

http://www.justblogbaby.com

Last week the Raiders managed 0 points, 3 first downs, and less than 15 minutes of possession. This week had the potential to be worse. JaMarcus Russell was out with a bad knee. Andrew Walter started the game. Darren McFadden was out with an injured toe, as Justin Fargas started at running back. Johnny Lee Higgins fumbled the opening kickoff, allowing Carolina to start at the Oakland 15. I declared the game over at that point. Chalk up another loss.

Dolhomme hit Muhsin Muhammad from 3 yards out to put the Panthers up 7-0. The route was on. Except it wasn’t. The defense played their hearts out, as the offense remained dysfunctional. Delhomme had a miserable first half, going 7 for 18 with 72 yards and 2 interceptions. The Raiders could not capitalize, and Walter himself had a promising drive end when he was intercepted in the Carolina end zone.With 3 minutes left in the half, it was still a one possession game. Yet one play changed that. Denagelo Williams ran up the middle, broke through terrible tackles, and raced 69 yards for a touchdown. The Panthers led 14-0 at halftime.

Delhomme had thrown interceptions to Nahmdi Asomugha and Rashard Baker in the first half. To start the 2nd half, Delhomme’s 3rd interception was the 2nd one for Baker. Starting at the Carolina 25, Oakland went nowhere. Sebastian Janikowski’s 38 yard field goal prevented two straight shutouts. 3 interceptions, and the Raiders trailed 14-3. It was demoralizing. Delhomme then had a high pass tipped and intercepted, his 4th on the day. The Raiders again started with a short field, and again failed to pick up a first down. A 45 yard field goal had the Raiders within 14-6. Delhomme was having a miserable game, but the Raiders have the most dysfunctional offense on Earth. The fact that the Raiders are playing with backups on offense is no excuse. The players receive paychecks.

The Raiders could not function on offense. They did cross midfield, but on 3rd and 4 from the Carolina 46, Walter threw his 2nd interception. The Oakland defense was still playing stellar, but on the next offensive series Walter completed a pass before reaggravating his knee. 3rd string quarterback Marquis Tuiasasopo came in. Again the Raiders failed to convert on 3rd and 4.

The Raiders had every chance under the sun, but could not supplement their defense with an ounce of offense. Carolina had a miserable offensive performance as well. Delhomme did not complete a single pass in the 2nd half. He finished a dreadful 7 for 27 for only 72 yards and 4 interceptions. Yet he won. John Kasay nailed a 32 yard field goal with 1:49 remaining to put the game out of reach. With 13 seconds remaining, Seabass was brought in for a 58 yard field goal. The logic was that a field goal combined with a successful onsides kick would allow for a miracle hail mary. Seabass nailed a 57 yarder several weeks earlier to win the game. From 57, this kick would have been perfect. From 58, it hit the crossbar and bounced away. The 7-2 Panthers under John Fox had all they could handle from the 2-7 Raiders, but records do not lie. Tom Cable could sure use some healthy starters on offense. Had Delhomme thrown 8 interceptions the Raiders may have lost 17-12. That is how dreadful the offense is. 17-6 Panthers

Indianapolis Colts @ Pittsburgh Steelers–Big Ben Roethlisberger took the opening drive 80 yards for the Steelers in 10 plays and 6 minutes. Mewelde Moore crashed through from one yard out after Roethlisberger completed passes to Santonio Holmes for 23 yards and Nate Washington for 16 yards. Trailing 7-0, the Colts quickly struck back. Manning went deep. The pass was deflected by Taylor, and caught off the tip by Reggie Wayne, who raced to the end zone for a 65 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7. In the 2nd quarter, Pittsburgh went with the flea flicker from the Indy 42. Moore took the handoff, pitched it back to Big Ben, who threw a prayer into traffic that was somehow caught by Hines Ward, who made it to the one yard line. Moore banged in again to put the Steelers up 14-7. Pittsburgh added a field goal to lead 17-7 with 4 minutes left in the half.

Seemingly in control, with 90 seconds left in the half Roethlisberger was intercepted, allowing Peyton Manning to have the ball at the Pittsburgh 30. With just seconds left in the half, Manning found Dallas Clark from 2 yards out to pull Indy to within 17-14. To start the 2nd half, Manning drove the Colts 74 yards in 12 plays and 7 minutes. The tying field goal had the game at 17-17.

In the 4th quarter Pittsburgh mounted a 14 play, 8 1/2 minute drive that went from the Pittsburgh 30 to the Indianapolis one. On 3rd and goal from the one, Mewelde Moore went over the top and got blasted short of the goal. On 4th and goal from the 1, Mike Tomlin opted for the field goal. The Steelers led 20-17 with 8 minutes left. The Colts failed to move the ball, but on the next Pittsburgh possession, Big Ben was intercepted. The Colts took over at the Pittsburgh 32 with 4:44 left. Manning found Dominic Rhodes for the 17 yard touchdown pass to put the Colts up by 4 points with 3 minutes left.

For those who want a stroll down memory lane, the 1995 season featured an AFC Title game where the Steelers led the Colts by 4 points late in the game. Jim Harbaugh threw a hail mary on the final play that was almost caught before falling incomplete. The STeelers held and went to the Superbowl.

In 2008, it was the Steelers with the ball trailing by 4 points. Roethlisberger drove Pittsburgh from his own 27 to the Indy 27. On 4th and 5, as the clock expired, his hail mary was battd up and the air. It could have been caught, but it fell incomplete. The Colts had survived. By getting to 5-4, they may have saved their season. The STeelrs have lost a pair of brutal home games after beginning 6-1. A rematch between these two good teams would be worth watching. 24-20 Colts.

Kansas City Chiefs @ San Diego Chargers–The Chargers have much more talent than the horrid Chiefs, but the Chargers are coached by Norvelous Norv Turner, giving the Chiefs a chance. Tyler Thigpen led the Chiefs 95 yards on 12 plays in 7 minutes. A 30 yard pass from Thigpen to Bradley had the Chiefs up 7-0. San Diego put a couple of field goals on the board in the 2nd quarter to close to within 7-6. Midway through the 2nd quarter Thigpen led the Chiefs 83 yards. A 34 yard touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez had the Chiefs up 13-6. They fumbled the extra point attempt and never got the kick off.

Midway through the 3rd quarter, the Chargers began a drive at their own 42. After some Ladanian Tomlinson runs, Philip Rivers tied the game 13-13 by throwing a 5 yard touchdown pass to Floyd. In the 4th quarter Rivers led a 94 yard drive that took 14 plays and 8 1/2 minutes off of the clock. A 27 yard pass to Vincent Jackson set up an 8 yard touchdown pass to Gates. The Chargers led 20-13 with 7 minutes remaining.

The Chiefs kept fighting. With 3 minutes left, the Chiefs took over at their own 40. With 46 seconds left, a controversial defensive pass interference call in the end zone had the Chiefs one yard away. After a run lost two yards, Thigpen tossed a 3 yard touchdown pass to Gonzalez. At 1-7 and on the road, Herm Edwards decided to go for the 2 point conversion. Had they not messed up an earlier conversion it would have not been an issue. Thigpen’s pass to Gonzalez was incomplete. 20-19 Chargers

New York Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles is the Sunday night game. The first quarter was a blowout statistically. The Giants led in possession 13 1/2 minutes to 90 seconds, and led in yards 176-12. Yet due to an early turnover the game remained close. An interception of Eli Manning by Patterson was run back to the New York 9 yard line. Although Donovan McNabb was the opposing quarterback, the direct snap to Jackson went for the touchdown and the 7-0 Eagles lead.Manning led the Giants right back on an 80 yard drive, finding Plaxico Burress for the 17 yard touchdown that tied the game 7-7. The Giants added a field goal after the ensuing kickoff was fumbled. Manning led the Giants 80 yards again on their nex possession, with a one yard touchdown pass to Kevin Boss putting the Giants up 17-7 on the first play of the 2nd quarter.

Midway through the 2nd quarter, Brando Jacobs fumbled, setting Philly up at the New York 44. McNabb took the short field and found Avant for 10 yards to pull the Eagles to within 17-14. In a game of miscues, McNabb was intercepted with just over 2 minutes remaining in the half. Madison returned it to the Philadelphia 14, setting up a field goal to put the Giants up 20-14. Yet the Eagles still had 1:49 to work with, and McNabb ran the 2 minute drill to perfection. David Akers nailed a 29 yarder on the final play of the half to pull the Eagles to within 20-17.

A strong second half kickoff return had the Eagles at their own 40. McNabb rapidly moved down the field. A 20 yard run by Correll Buckhalter set up a 7 yard touchdown pass from McNabb to Hank Baskett. The Eagles led 24-20, but not for long. The Giants took over at their own 31 and needed 13 plays to retake the lead. On 3rd and 10 from the Philly 20, Manning hit Kevin Boss for 17 yards, setting up the 3 yard touchdown run by Jacobs. After a punt, the Giants began at their own 33, and continued to move at will. 12 plays and 6 1/2 minutes later, the Giants faced 3rd and goal at the 5. A draw play was blown up in the backfield, and the Giants settled for another field goal and a 30-24 lead 90 seconds into the final quarter.

A punt return by Dominic Hixon had the Giants starting at the Philadelphia 40 on their next drive. Bradshaw ripped off a 23 yard run down to the 17. On 3rd and 2 from the 9, Jacobs ran 6 yards when the ball came out. Jacobs was ruled down, but ANdy Reid challenged the call. The ruling was upheld, and the Eagles had lost a timeout. On the next play it appeared Jacobs had barely crossed the goal line when the ball came out again. The Eagles recovered in the end zone. It was ruled a touchdown. Again Reid challenged the call, and again the play was upheld. The Giants led by 12 points, and the Eagles were down to one timeout with 9 1/2 minutes remaining.

McNabb came right back, moving 71 yards in 10 plays. A 32 yard pass to Jackson had them on the move. On 3rd and goal from the 13, McNabb avoided everybody and scrambled for 11 yards. On 4th and goal from the 2, McNabb rolled out and hit Curtis for the touchdown. With 5 1/2 minutes left, the Eagles were within 5 points.

Trying to run out the clock, on 3rd and 1from their own 40, a lateral run was blown up in the backfield for a 5 yard loss. On 4th and 6, the Giants punted, and the Eagles took over at their own 14 with 3 minutes left. On 3rd and 3 from their own 43, there was about 2:20 remaining. In a very curious decision, McNabb decided to let the clock wind down to the 2 minute warning. McNabb looked exhausted, but it seemed a bizarre occurrence to not run a play before the 2 minute warning. Brian Westbrook only gained 2 yards, but he got out bounds to set up 4th and 1. Westbrook ran up the middle into a Big Blue brick wall. The Giants took over, and with the Eagles burning the earlier timeouts, watched as the clock ran down. The defending Champion Giants are better than last year. 36-31 Giants

San Francisco 49ers @ Arizona Cardinals was the Monday night game. Before the season this looked like a terrible football game. Again, channeling the voice of Chris Berman, “that’s why they play the games.” The 49ers got the game going with a bang as Allen Rossum returned the opening kickoff 104 yards for a touchdown to put the 49ers up 7-0. The Cardinals came back with a field goal, and in the 2nd quarter, both offenses got going.

From their own 45, Frank Gore ran for 20 yards, setting up a 31 yard touchdown pass from 3rd stringer Shaun Hill to Morgan. Kurt Warner led the Cardinals right back, as his offense shredded the San Francisco defense all game. Hos 46 yarder to Steve Breaston set up a 13 yarder to Anquon Boldin to pull the Cardinals to within 14-10. With just under 5 minutes left in the half, the Cardinals added a field goal. Yet the 49ers continued marching. A 14 play drive ended when Hill found Vernon Davis in the end zone from 18 yards out with seconds left in the half. mike SIngletary let Davis know that he was pleased, as the 49ers led 21-13 at the break.

Neither team had much defense in the first half, but in the second half the Cardinals provided some. Warner kept firing, and the Cardinals drove right down the field. The drive stalled when the Cardinals faced 4th and 1 at the San Francisco 5. Ken Whisenhunt decided to go for it, and called a risky play that worked. Warner found Larry Fitzgerald for the touchdown. The Cardinals decided to kick the extra point rather than try to tie the game. They trailed 21-20. The 49ers came right back, but on 3rd and 1 from the Arizona 24, Gore was stuffed up the middle. The 49ers settled for a field goal and a 24-20 lead entering the final quarter.

The Cardinals passed up a 53 yard field goal attempt and decided to punt the ball and play field position. The strategy worked, and their next drive reached the San Fransisco 5 yard line before stalling. The field goal again reduced the lead to one point at 24-23 just seconds into the 4th quarter.

A key play in the game came with 5 1/2 minutes remaining. Although Hill had been managing the game well, he blundered badly. Just before being sacked, he tried to throw a shotput while falling down that was intercepted and returned to the San Francisco 5 yard line. Warner found Boldin for his 3rd touchdown pass of the game to put the Cardinals up by 5 points with 4:16 left. The 2 point conversion failed. Hill then led the 49ers down the field, but was intercepted again at the Arizona 12 yard line by Wilson with 2:24 left.

The Cardinals could not move the ball, and decided not to take the intentional safety. While an intentional safety would have made it a 3 point game, it would have allowed the Cardinals to free kick from the 20 with no pressure. Instead the Cardinals punted from their end zone and the 49ers began with 1:06 left at the Arizona 42. 2 plays and 14 seconds later, the 49ers were down to the Arizona 15. With 20 seconds left, the 49ers had 1st and goal at the one yard line.

This would have been enough for 4 plays in the air, but the 49ers decided to try an end run. Gore appeared to have slithered into the end zone, but he was ruled down by contact because a defender accidentally contacted him, causing his knee to hit the ground. After much confusion, the officials placed the ball at the 2 yard line with 2 seconds left. Instead of passing or using Gore, Robinson was sent up the middle on the final play. He ran into a Brick Red Cardinal Wall and was flung backwards as time ran out.

The Cardinals improved to 6-3, and have a chance to host their first playoff game since 1947 when they were in Chicago. San Fransisco has much work to do, but mike Singletary seems to be getting his message across. They came within one yard of the upset. 29-24 Cardinals

eric

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