From the Ohare Airport sportsbar in Chicago followed by an airplane with a tv on the seat, here is the NFL 2011 Week 10 Recap as I fly home to Los Angeles.
Oakland Raiders @ San Diego Chargers was the Thursday night game. For more on the game of the week, go to http://www.justblogbaby.com
A pair of 4-4 teams fought with first place in the AFC West on the line. The Raiders have been devastated by injuries to Jason Campbell, Darren McFadden and Rolando McClain, but Hue Jackson will not tolerate excuses. The Raiders have lost 2 straight at home and now have to go at San Diego on a short week. The Chargers have plenty of talent, but Norvelous Norv Turner seems to keep them from going further. The Raiders swept the series last year after 7 straight years of losing to the Chargers, but this will be a far sterner test.
After a touchback the Raiders quickly went 3 and out. Shane Lechler did his job but the Chargers had trickery prepared. They imitated the “home run throwback” made famous in the Tennessee-Buffalo playoff game after the 1999 season. This time it went for 40 yrds to give the Chargers a short field to start the game. From the Oakland 40, Philip Rivers hit Brown for 13 and Ryan Mathews ran for 16 more. From the 11, the Chargers went backward and soon faced 2nd and 20 from the 21. Rivers hit Mathews for 19, but on 3rd and 1 from the 2 he threw incomplete. On 4th and 1 from the 2 Norv Turner played it safe and Novak hit the 20 yard field goal to have the Chargers up 3-0.
A disastrous kickoff return had Jacoby Ford lucky to get back to the 13. With McFdden out Michael Bush is the bruiser expected to carry the offense. On the first play he raced 44 yards, and then got the ball again for 5 more and then another deuce to set up 3rd and 3 at the San Diego 38. With Sebastian Janikowski playing with a bad hamstring, 55 yard field goals were not the easy decision they usually are for the Raiders. Bush got the carry anyway and came up one yard short. On 4th and 1 Hue Jackson decided against going for it or kicking the field goal. He called a fake punt. Lechler threw deep. There was obvious pass interference as Quentin Jammer decked Jacoby Ford. It was not called and the Chargers took over.
On 2nd and 10 Aaron Curry blew up Chargers offensive lineman Marcus McNeil and McNeil stayed down. Curry prayed as McNeil was carted off. On 3rd and 6 Rivers threw incomplete. The Raiders took over at their own 14. Bush ran for 3, and after San Diego jumped offsides, got a couple more for a first down and then a couple more. With the running game working, Carson went deep to Jacoby Ford for a 41 yard gain. It was underthrown, so instead of a touchdown it was a long gain. Yet Ford then went down with an ankle injury on the play as the offense continued to lose bodies. The cart took him to the locker room as well as the drive continued.
Bush gained 5 and Palmer then hit TJ Houshmanzadeh for 6 to set up 1st and 10 at the Chargers 22. Bush barreled for another 8 yards and then 4 more to the 10 yard line. Illegal use of hands made it 1st and goal at the 5. Marcel Reese took it to the 2. Bush went airborne, got hit, but broke the plane as pure power football completed the 11 play, 86 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive to have the Raiders up 7-3 as the first quarter ended.
Seabass and his bad leg meant short kickoffs, and the Chargers took over at their own 28. The second quarter saw a 3rd and 8 sack of Rivers as the Chargers punted again. The Raiders kept it on the ground from their 25 and Taiwan Jones gained 4 and then 12. On 1st and 10 Palmer went deep and Denarius Moore made a diving finger tip catch for a 46 yard gain to the 13. Yet on 3rd and 2 Bush came up a yard short. On 4th and 1 from the 4 Hue Jackson wasted no time calling for the field goal. Seabass hit a knuckleball that may have missed from 30 but from 22 it was good the Raiders led 10-3.
Another short kickoff had the Chargers taking over at their own 28. On 3rd and 4 Rivers found an open receiver past the first down marker, but Michael Mitchell blasted him to force an incomplete pass as the Chargers punted after a 3rd straight 3 and out. Denarius Moore blundered by fielding the punt at his own 1 yard line, and going down at the 13. Luckily for the Raiders the Chargers had an illegal man downfield, meaning a rekick. Moore again made a mistake as he decided not to field a ball that bounced at the 15 and rolled toward the goal line. Moore was lucky as it just reached the end zone for a touchback.
Bush ran for 4 and Palmer hit Moore and Bush for 7 yard gains. Yet on 2nd and 3 from the 38, the Raiders self-destructed with consecutive holding penalties. They would punt and the Chargers took over at their own 22. On 3rd and 6, Rivers was sacked again as a 4th straight 3 and out gave the Raiders the ball at their own 44 after a long return by Moore. A wel executed screen pass to Bush went for 23 yards at the 2 minute warning. Palmer needed one play to execute a perfect play action pass deep strike to Moore for the touchdown as the Raiders led 17-3.
From their 28 with with 1:46 left in the half, Rivers hit Gates for 9 and Tolbert gained 4. Yet Kameron Wimbley sacked Rivers for a 10 yard loss and on 3rd and 9 Rivers threw incomplete. San Diego punted again and the Raiders took a knee to end the half. Palmer finished the half 8 of 10 for 169 yards while Rivers was 4 of 11 for 44 yards. Yet the Raiders offense was very vanilla, which hurt them in the second half last week. They still have not opened the playbook like they did earlier in the year, so they had to run well in the second half or get more creative. San Diego can strike in a heartbeat. The Raiders led in total yards 293 to 65. It was pure domination, but games are 60 minutes and not 30.
The Raiders had the ball for 19 1 /2 minutes in the first half. The key question would be if they could finish a game. Seabass still could not kick it to the end zone to start the second half, but he managed to squib it there. Heavy pressure and a pair of incomplete passes meant 3rd and 10. Yet this time Rivers hit Patrick Crayton for 14 and then for another 11 as Rivers found a rhythm. A 2nd and 6 screen pass was blown up by Aaron Curry for a loss. On 3rd and 7 Rivers found Antonio Gates for a 22 yard gain to the Oakland 30. Rivers went for it all and threw into double coverage. Somehow Vincent Brown outjumped Giordano and Stanford Routt for the touchdown as the Chargers were within 17-10.
Raiders fans saw this last week, and they did not want to see another second half collapse. The offense had to keep the pressure on and not go into a shell. With Ford out injured earlier in the game, Taiwan Jones returned the kickoff only to the 15. Jackson kept it basic but Bush gained 6 yards on first down. On the next play Stefan Wisniewski accidentally stepped on Palmer’s foot, resulting in the 6 yard loss and 3rd and 10. Yet a perfectly executed screen pass to Bush went for 55 yards. On 2nd and 7, Palmer went deep and found Moore for the 26 yard touchdown as the Raiders led 24-10. Hue Jackson was rewarded for not being too conservative.
Another short kickoff had the Chargers at their own 30. On 3rd and 6 the Raiders jumped offsides. On 3rd and 1 Rivers hit Tolbert for 10 yards just shy of midfield. Rivers then fired a laser to Vincent Brown for 20 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Raiders 28, this time the Raiders held as Rivers threw incomplete. From 46 yards out, Nick Novak missed it just wide as the Chargers came up empty. Now the Raiders had a golden opportunity to show they can finish a game.
A pair of ultraconservative runs by Bush set up 3rd and 5. Under heavy pressure with 2 defenders bearing on him, Palmer off his back foot somehow hit a falling Brandon Myers for 6 yards and a critical first down. Bush gained 5 but on 2nd and 5 Palmer was again chased and this time the defense forced a fumble. Hue Jackson challenged the call although it was clear Palmer’s hand was not going forward. The Chargers took over at their own 48 as the Raiders lost a timeout.
Rivers hit Mathews for 5 and Mathews then somehow avoided a loss and ran for 13 more. Rivers again went deep to Brown and again the play was very well covered, this time by Lito Shepphard. Yet somehow again Brown came down with it after wresting it away for another miracle touchdown. As the third quarter was ending the Chargers were within 24-17 as the Raiders again had to prove…say it with me everybody…that they could finish an entire game.
Yet in a stunning turn of events, the officials reviewed the catch and called it incomplete. Brown clearly caught it and was inbounds. That was not in dispute. However, Lito Shephard also had his hands on it and he was out of bounds. Tie goes to the offense, but Shephard being out of bounds meant the entire play was out of bounds. That will be one for referees to discuss in the offseason. Instead of a touchdown it was 3rd and 10. Rivers got drilled on the next play by Wimbley but somehow got it to Crayton, who came up one yard short. On 4th and 1 from the Oakland 24, the Chargers lined up to go for it and then called timeout. Rivers hit Tolbert, who broke a tackle for a 17 yard gain. Rivers the rolled out and found a wide open Jacob Hester for a 7 yard score. Now it actually was 24-17, and the third quarter had finally ended. So again the Raiders had to see if they had the character to finish a tough game on the road.
A touchback and another predicted run up the middle meant one yard. Palmer then found Moore for 12 yards and a first down. Bush got another run up the middle on first down but this time netted 4 yards. Encrochment on the defense then meant 2nd and 1. Bush got 3. On 2nd and 10 Palmer hit Kevin Boss for 8. On 3rd and 2 Bush broke free for a 30 yard gain. The Raiders had 1st and 10 at the 18. Yet again they could not finish things as Palmer was hit as he threw, leading to a fluttering interception. A personal foul against the Chargers came after the interception, so San Diego retained possession at their own 6 with 12 minutes left in regulation.
Ryan Mathews was trapped in the backfield and belted in the end zone for a safety. Yet the Raiders jumped offsides. Rivers hit Tolbert for 7 and a first down. On 2nd and 10 Rivers threw incomplete but Stanford Routt was called for defensive holding. Although the Chargers were only at their own 22, the Raider Nation has seen this kind of collapse before. A pair of incomplete passes meant another critical 3rd and 10. The Raiders sent a blitz and Rivers threw it straight to Lito Shephard. The sure interception was dropped. Shephard had it right in his hands. Nevertheless it was 4th and 10 and the Chargers punted with 9 1/2 minutes left. Yet defensive holding on the punt before the ball was kicked instead meant the Chargers kept the ball. Yes, this was a full scale collapse.
The Raiders led in total yards 450 to 239 at that point but could not get off the field. From the San Diego 32, the drive continued. On 2nd and 9 Rivers somehow shook off a sure sack, flew around like Houdini, rolled out, and fired deep. This time it was incomplete to set up 3rd and 9. This time the Raiders came on a jailbreak and Rivers threw it straight to Rolando McClain. McClain dropped it, but it was 4th and 9. The Chargers punted and finally the drive was over. With 8 minutes left in regulation the Raiders had the ball at their own 31. For the 50 billionth time, they had a chance to finish a game.
Bush got the carry and gained 5 yards. He got it again and gained 2 more to set up a critical 3rd and 3. Palmer burned the Raiders second timeout with 7 minutes left in the game. Every first down would keep Rivers off the field. A pass was broken up and of course 3 and out meant giving it back to Rivers. Shane Lechler hit a fantastic punt as the Chargers again had awful field position at their own 11.
On 2nd and 10 Rivers found a wide open Jackson for 23 yards. Rivers then hit Gates for 9. An incompletion meant 3rd and 1 from the San Diego 42. Hester got the yard. Rivers found Gates for 9 and a draw play to Tolbert meant 11 more. The Raiders appeared in full retreat when a sack of Rivers meant 2nd and 15 from the Oakland 42. Rivers again went for the deep ball to the end zone into double coverage. Finally, the Raiders outjumped the Chargers as Giordano intercepted it in the end zone.
The defense had saved the day but there was still 3:22 to play. The offense again for the umpteen billionth time had to finish a game. A run up the middle lost a yard as the Chargers took their second timeout. The Raiders tried to pass, and it was incomplete. 3rd and 11 was meant to be a disaster and a typical Oakland offense self-destructing. Not this time. Palmer found Kevin Boss for a 24 yard gain. With exactly 3 minutes left, the Raiders had to salt it away as the Chargers took their final timeout. Now it was time to just run the ball and hang on to it.
Bush got the carry and gained nothing as the clock ticked down. A naked bootleg fooled nobody. The clock hit the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and long, the only intelligent thing to do in this situation is run the ball. A run and a punt would leave Rivers with 1 minute and no timeouts. An incomplete pass would stop the clock and give Rivers an extra 45 seconds. Hue Jackson is a riverboat gambler, but there is a line between boldness and foolishness. This is one time where there is no decision whatsoever. You run the football.
Michael Bush raced up the middle and came so close to the first down marker to end it. Yet he was one yard short. On 4th and 1 Hue Jackson decided not to go for it from the San Diego 36 with 1:13 left. After taking a delay of game, Lechler hit another beauty. Rivers had 1:04 and 0 timeouts from his own 10 yard line. The offense could not finish it, so the defense had to do it.
Rivers hit Brown for 12 but Shephard kept him in bounds. Rivers then hit Gates, who did get out of bounds with 37 seconds left at the San Diego 27. Rivers got hit as he threw incomplete on the next play to set up 3rd and 5. Rivers hit Brown at midfield as the clock ticked. Rivers spiked it with 14 seconds left. Rivers was going down and tried to throw it forward like the Holy Roller. Yet the rules were changed because of that and it was ruled a sack. With the clock running Rivers snapped it with one second left. Rivers was sacked again and the Raiders had the win.
The quarterbacks had comparable numbers, each throwing 2 touchdowns and one interception with Palmer throwing for 299 yards, most in the first half, and Rivers throwing 274, most in the second half. Yet Palmer barely lifted his arm, going 14 for 20. Rivers meanwhile fired early and often going 23 for 47. Michael Bush had 30 carries for 157 yards, over 5 yards a carry. Bush also had 85 receiving yards for a total of 242 yards. Moore had 123 yards receiving. The Raiders had 489 yards of offense compared to 314 for the Chargers. 191 of that came on the ground while the CHargers had only 75 yards rushing. Rivers was sacked 6 times, 4 of them by Kamerion Wimbley.
The Chargers fell to 4-5 with 4 straight losses under Norvelous Norv Turner. As for the Raiders, they are a young, inexperienced and injured team trying to find their identity. After a pair of bad home losses, they gutted out a tough win on the road. They showed determination and heart. Hue Jackson deserved credit for getting the team to 4-2. Yet good teams respond to adversity. Hue Jackson has kept this team together through very tough times. The Raiders made their mistakes but they have nothing to apologize for. They beat the Chargers for the 3rd straight time. In useless statistics, the Raiders in 1994 at 6-6 went into San Diego and beat the 9-3 Chargers 24-17 when Stan Humphries was sacked on the final play. Yet in that season the Raiders were the underachievers. This Silver and Black team is anything but as Palmer got his first win as a Raider. The Raiders are 5-4 and in first place in the AFC West. Just win baby. 24-17 Raiders
New Orleans Saints @ Atlanta Falcons–This game very well could determine the NFC South, and both of these teams won on the road last year to split the series. Sean Payton is back on the sidelines after having to coach from the press box due to an injury, while Mike Smith remains the poster child for average non-descript white guy monthly magazine. Yet by the time the game was over, NFL fans saw a fantastic football game and the bland looking Mike Smith turn into a riverboat gambler with a coaching decision late that summoned up the ghosts of Barry Switzer and Bill Bellichick. This one will be talked about for some time.
The Falcons began with Matt Ryan leading a staggering 16 play drive that consumed over 8 1/2 minutes. The Falcons moved from their 20 to the Saints 13. Yet a false start and incomplete passes stopped the drive. Matt Bryant kicked a 36 yard field goal to put the Falcons up 3-0. Darren Sproles returned the ensuing kickoff to the Saints 35. On 3rd and 2 Drew Brees hit Marquis Colston for 9 and 10. The Saints would also stall, but Jon Kasay nailed a 52 yard field goal to tie the game 3-3. On the next series the Falcons went 3 and out and faced 4th and 1 at their own 29. With the first quarter almost over, Mike Smith decided he was not crazy. He punted. This seemed routine, but would play a role later on.
Atlanta got the ball back to start the second quarter with very good field position at their own 44. Ryan went to Roddy White for a 27 yard gain. Ryan again took the Falcons deep, but on 3rd and 5 from the 11 he threw incomplete. Bryant kicked a 29 yarder to put the Falcons up 6-3. The field position game changed, and with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half the Saints took over at midfield. Brees made it look easy as he hit Graham for 29 and then again for the 21 yard touchdown as the Saints led 10-6 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half.
Atlanta again ran 3 plays and again faced 4th and 1 at their own 29. With 1:56 left in the half, Mike Smith again showed he was not crazy and opted to punt. While again this seems like a routine call, again it would be an issue later. The Saints would get the ball back at their own 48. Yet 3rd and 3 meant a Brees incompletion. From the Atlanta 45, Sean Payton also played it smart and punted. With 1:05 left in the half the Falcons were at their own 1. Turner gained 10, and with 37 seconds left the Falcons were at their own 19. Ryan went deep to Douglas for a 46 yard gain. Ryan gained 9 more, and with 3 seconds left in the half Bryant came in for a 41 yarder. He missed it, deflating the home crowd as Atlanta trailed 10-6 at halftime.
The Saints in the third quarter began at their own 18. From the 20, Brees went deep to Robert Meachem for 36 yards. Pierre Thomas gained 16 and 9, but on 2nd and 1 lost 4. John Kasay came in for a 40 yarder, but in a complete mirror image he missed his kick as well as the game stayed 10-6.
The Falcons soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 30, and Ryan hit Douglas for 12. On 3rd and 8 from the 44, Michael Turner gained 24. The Falcons soon faced 4th and 1 again. Yet they were at the Saints 26, not their own 29. So Mike Smith went for it, which was not insane. Turner gained 5 yards. On the next play Ryan hit Snelling for the 21 yard touchdown to complete the 10 play, 6 minute drive, 70 yard drive and put the Falcons up 13-10.
From the Saints 18, Brees brought them right back. He hit Colston for 15, and on 3rd and 8 went back to Colston for 19 more. From the Atlanta 33, Brees went deep to Meachem for the touchdown as the Saints took a 17-13 lead into the fourth quarter. On the first play of the fourth quarter, facing 2nd and 19 at their own 31, Ryan was intercepted. Teh Saints took over at the Atlanta 26. Brees hit Colston for 15 but the Saints went backwards due to holding. On 4th and 25 from the 30, Kasay came in for a 48 yarder. He made this one, as the Saints led 20-13 with 12 minutes left in regulation.
Atlanta went 3 and out and on 4th and 7 from the Altanta 47, Mike Smith decided to punt. This made sense since plenty of time remained. The Saints took over at their own 12. Brees quickly hit Moore for 28. On 3rd and 5 from midfield, Brees again hit Colston for 18 yards. The drive stalled, but Kasay hit a 44 yarder. With 7 minutes left in regulation the Saints led 23-13 and appeared to put the game out of reach.
From the Atlanta 19, Ryan showed why he has the nickname Matty Ice. Ryan hit Tony Gonzalez for 18, Weems for 9, and soon faced 4th and 3 at the Saints 45. Of course Mike Smith went for it because in this situation that is the only sane option. Ryan hit White for yards and then again for 19. Ryan then fired to Gonzalez for the 20 yard touchdown as the Falcons were only down 23-20 with 4 minutes left in the game.
The onsides kick failed, and the Saints took over at the Atlanta 44. On 3rd and 11, Brees hit Colston for 13. The Falcons had to use all of their timeouts. With 3 minutes left the Saints had 2nd and 1 at the Falcons 23. One more yard would most likely end the game. Mark Ingram got the carry and lost 4 yards. Then on 3rd and 5 Sean Payton decided to have Brees throw. He fired incomplete. Yet Kasay could come in for a 45 yard kick to at least make it a 6 point game. The kick was good, but holding nullified the score. 55 yards was too much for Sean Payton, and he decided to punt. Morstead did his job, as the Falcons had one last chance with 1:55 left from their own 6 yard line.
Ryan quickly hit Douglas for consecutive 23 yard gains. On 2nd and 15 from their own 47, Ryan went back to Douglas a third time for 20 yards. With 41 seconds left the Falcons had 3rd and 6 at the Saints 29. Ryan threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and 10 at the 20. With 28 seconds left it was 3rd and 10, and Ryan hit Weems for 11 and then spiked the ball to stop the clock with 13 seconds left. Yet despite the chance for a miracle 94 yard drive to end it, Ryan fired incomplete twice. 13 plays and 85 yards in under 2 minutes meant only a 27 yard Matt Bryant try. Yet the Falcons were all but dead down 10 saw Bryant connect as the game went into overtime tied 23-23. If ever a game deserved an extra period, this one was it.
Atlanta got the ball to start overtime and soon saw Ryan throw incomplete on 3rd and 2. On 4th and 2 from their own 28, Mike Smith decided to punt because he is not crazy. For those who wonder why so many routine fourth down decisions are being analyzed, it only takes one crazy call to ruin things. The Saints also ran 3 plays and soon faced 4th and 1 at their own 36. Sean Payton punted because he is not crazy. Atlanta got it back on the 20. On 3rd and 1 Ryan hit Cox for 2, but on further review it was ruled that Cox fumbled it forward, moving it back to the spot of the fumble. That left 4th and 1 for the Falcons at their own 29. Naturally Mike Smith would punt like did every other time since he is not crazy.
Not so fast. Smith had the Falcons line up to go for it. On 4th and 1…from their own 29. Surely this was just to try and get the Saints to jump offsides. I mean everyone knows what happened when Bill Bellichick gambled on 4th and 2 from his own 28. It failed and the Patriots gave up the winning touchdown. Everyone knows when Barry Switzer gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 29. The gamble failed in a tie game and Dallas lost on a late field goal since their opponent was already in range. Bill Parcells would gamble from his own 40, but not from his own 29 in that situation. Nobody is that crazy outside of Bellichick and Switzer.
Add Mike Smith. Mike Turner got stuffed and the jubilant Saints took over at the Atlanta 29. On 2nd and 7 Brees hit Collins for 12. Ingram ran for 6 more. On 2nd and 4 from the 8, Sean Payton took no chances. Kasay came in for a 26 yarder to win it as Mike Smith and the Falcons looked on helplessly. Kasay connected and the Saints won. This was a fine football game, but Mike Smith cost his team the game. Yes he led the Falcons to a 13-3 record last year and is the only Falcons coach to enjoy 3 straight winning seasons. Yet this decision was boneheaded, and now the Saints are in sole control of the NFC South with some breathing room. As for Barry Switzer, he was allowed to take a mulligan since Dallas won the Super Bowl that year. Bill Bellichick gets latitude due to 3 Super Bowl rings. Sean Payton has a ring, and his onsides kick in the Super Bowl worked. Mike Smith may not be boring, but he needs some big wins to overcome this loss. 26-23 Falcons, OT
Tennessee Titans @ Carolina Panthers–The Titans have faded after a strong start while the Panthers are a young improving team with rookie phenom Cam Newton. Yet outside of Newton this game has very few if any compelling storylines. From the start it was a blowout as a pair of big plays began the deluge. Mariani returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown and Matt Hasselbeck hit Williams for 43 yard touchdown as the Titans led 14-0 after the opening quarter. Rob Bironas would tack on a field goal from 38 yards out as the Titans led 17-0 at halftime of a game that was never competitive.
In the second half he Panthers finally got on the board when Olindo Mare nailed a 29 yard field goal. Yet that concluded the Carolina lowlights for the day. Bironas would tack on a 36 yarder and then in the fourth quarter a 49 yarder to have the Titans coasting 23-3. Neither Cam Newton or Matt Hasselbeck were spectacular or awful, but on this day Hasselbeck got help from a revitalized Chris Johnson. Late in the game Hasselbeck led an 11 play, 83 yard drive that ate up 6 minutes, culminating in a 1 yard run by Johnson to end the scoring. Ron Rivera knows better days are ahead but on this day, Mike Munchak saw his club stop their skid in a big way. 30-3 Titans
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cincinnati Bengals–The AFC North is seen as a turf war between Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Despite being 6-2, Cincinnati is considered an afterthought. Every team complains they are disrespected, but with only 2 winning seasons in 20 years, the Bengals really are. A loss at home to Pittsburgh will have everybody calling them out as pretenders.
After a Cincy punt the Steelers took over at their own 46. Ben Roethlisberger found Mike Wallace for gains of 7 and 6 sandwiched around a 6 yarder to heath Miller. Wallace ran for 15, and on 3rd and 10 from the 16, Roethisberger found Jerricho Cotcherry for the touchdown and the early 7-0 Steelers lead. Cincy punted again and the Steelers took over at their own 22. Roethlisberger found Rashaard Mendenhall for 26 yards and Wallace ran for 16 more. Big Ben hit Hines Ward for 10 nd on 3rd and 10 from the 20, Roethlisberger went back to Miller for 18. Mendenhall got the deuce for the touchdown as the Steelers were making it easy up 14-0.
The Bengals finally got going. On 3rd and 5 from their own 26, Andy Dalton went deep to Hawkins for 25 yards. After Scott ran for 11, rookie Dalton went deep to rookie Green for a 36 yard touchdown as the Bengals were only down 14-7. The offenses cooled after the first quarter as the defenses took over. Big Ben was intercepted to start the second quarter, giving the Bengals a short field at the Pittsburgh 41. The Bengals would settle for a 43 yard Mike Nugent field goal to trail 14-10. Midway through the quarter Roethliseberger led Pittsburgh from their own 13 to a 3rd and 7 at the Cincy 10. Yet Big Ben was then sacked as the Steelers settled for a 39 yard Shawn Suisham field goal and a 17-10 halftime lead.
The third quarter saw Pittsburgh punt, and the Bengals take over at their own 33. Dalton hit Gresham for 10 and Caldwell for 11 on 3rd and 10. A 25 yard pass to Cochart set up 1st and goal at the 10. Dalton hit Caldwell at the 2, and hit Gresham for a one yard score as the 11 play drive had the game tied 17-17.
From their own 19 Pittsburgh came right back. Roethlisberger hit Cotcherry for 13, Wallace for 9, Brown for 12, and saw Redman run for 11. On 2nd and 12 from the Cincy 21, Roethlisberger hit Wallace for 12. Mendenhall ran it in for the 9 yard touchdown as the Steelers were back up by 7 after three quarters.
The fourth quarter was all defense. Dalton was intercepted early in the fourth quarter. With 4 1/2 minutes left the Bengals got it back at the Pittsburgh 49. Benson gained 7 and 16. With 2 1/2 minutes left from the Pittsburgh 25, Daltonw as intercepted again by William Gay. Yes the Bengals are 6-3 under Marvin Lewis, but they look ripe for an early playoff exit if they even get there. Mike Tomlin has his guys prepared for a third match with Baltimore, and until Cincy proves otherwise, their record is just scheduling and nothing more. 24-17 Steelers
St. Louis Rams @ Cleveland Browns–This game meant something in the 1950s when Norm Van Brocklin, Paul Brown, Otto Graham, and Lou “the toe” Groza were around. Today it is just a pair of bad teams who are both cellar dwellars in their respective divisions. Walrus Mike Holmgren has to watch this game, but nobody else has that obligation. Cleveland moved 11 plays over 6 minutes and Phil Dawson hit a 44 yard field goal to have the Browns up 3-0. In the second quarter quarter Sam Bradford moved the Rams 10 plays in 5 minutes for 69 yards. When Bradford hit Brandon Lloyd from 7 yrds out, NFL fans got to experience a touchdown as the Rams led 7-3. Much of the rest of the game was a battle of field goal kickers. Dawson hit from 32, Josh Brown responded from 29, and Dawson hit from 43 to have the Rams leading 10-9 at halftime.
The second half was even worse as the league refused to cancel the game. Dawson connected from 27 and Brown responded from 34 in the fourth quarter as the Rams led 13-12. The only way to send a terrible game is with terrible play. With 2 minutes left the Browns had 4th and goal at the 4. Old reliable Phil Dawson actually missed the 22 yard field goal wide. Mike Holmgren was a most unhappy Walrus as the Rams debated whether or not to even accept the win. Steve Spagnuolo decided to take it. 13-12 Rams
Buffalo Bills @ Dallas Cowboys–The Cowboys humiliated the Bills in consecutive Super Bowls. Then Chan Gailey took over the Cowboys and was quickly fired by Jerry Jones, leading him to the Bills. Wade Phillips was fired from both of these teams as well. In recent years, these teams played a thriller on Monday Night Football in Dallas. Tonoy Romo threw 5 interceptions and with one minute left the Bills led 24-16. Yet somehow Romo got his team a touchdown. They missed the 2 point conversion, recovered the onsides kick and kicked a 53 yard field goal at the gun to give the Cowboys a 25-24 shocker victory. In 2011, both of these teams have talent but are inconsistent.
One never knows what they will get from Tony Romo. On this day they got a Hall of Fame performance. Romo completed his first 13 passes and finished a precision 23 of 26 for 278 yards. Romo threw a 34 yard pass to Dez Bryant to put Dallas up 7-0. Then Romo found Miles Austin from 5 yards out. Despite having dated a Kardashian, Austin caught the ball to have Dallas up 14-0 after the 12 play, 7 1/2 minute, 78 yard drive. Buffalo tried to get back in early in the second quarter but a 52 yard field goal try was no good. Dallas needed only one play to capitalize as Romo went deep to Robinson for a 58 yard touchdown. Dallas led 21-0.
Ryan Fitzpatrick brought Buffalo back from the 20, and defensive pass interference moved the ball to the Dallas 46. Fitzpatrick hit Chandler for 18 and Fred Jackson ran for 19 more. Fitzpatrick hit Nelson for a 3 yard touchdown to get the Bills within 21-7. Was a miracle comeback in the works? Just like in the Super Bowls, the answer was a resounding no as the Bills score was a mere blip on the short end of a blowout.
With 8 minutes left in the half from the 20, Dallas soon faced 3rd and 8. Romo hit Murray for 17. On 3rd and 6 from the Dallas 43, Romo found Jason Witten for 17. On 3rd and 2 from the Buffalo 32, Romo found Witten again for 10. On 3rd and 6 from the 18, Romo hit Dez Bryant for 11. Murray would take it in from 1 yard out to complete the 14 play, 80 yard, 7 minute drive and have the Cowboys cruising 28-7 at halftime.
In the third quarter Fitzpatrick led Buffalo from their own 17 to a 4th and 2 at the Dallas 17. Chan Gailey decided to go for it and Fitzpatrick fired incomplete. After an exchange of punts the Cowboys took over at their own 34. Romo hit Bryant for 12, Ogletree for 17, and Robinson for 10. On 4th and 2 Dan Bailey hit the 45 yard field goal as Jason Garrett saw Dallas up 31-7. Fitzpatrick was then quickly intercepted, leading to another field goal as the Cowboys led 34-7 after three quarters.
The fourth quarter began with Buffalo reaching the Dallas 37 before fumbling the ball away again. Dallas bled the clock with an 11 play, 8 minute drive that resulted in another field goal from 31 yards out and a 37-7 lead. On the next play Fitzpatrick was intercepted again, and Terrence Newman returned it 44 yards for the final score of the game. Like the Super Bowls, the Bills were destroyed by turnovers. This game was not as painful, and both teams are 5-4. Both Dallas and Buffaloa re one game back in their respective divisions. Yet the Bills sliding while Dallas is inconsistently trending upwards. 44-7 Cowboys.
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Indianapolis Colts–The 2-6 Jaguars look like a juggernaut compared to the 0-9 Colts. Jim Caldwell has yet to make a facial expression while Jack Del Rio knows losing this game could give him something pink for Christmas, long after breast cancer awareness month has ended. Once again bad teams came together to play an even worse game. The first quarter saw Josh Scobee hit a 44 yard field goal for the Jaguars while the Colts responded with a 42 yard Adam Vinatieri kick to send the teams to the locker rooms tied 3-3. The league demanded the second half be played.
In the third quarter Blaine Gabbert led the Jaguars on a staggering 16 play, 86 yard drive that consumed over 9 1/2 minutes off of the clock. This was good for the fans since terrible games should be shorter anyway. It was better for the Jaguars as Gabbert hit Dillard from 11 yards out to have Jacksonville up 10-3. The Jags had Dillard yet the game was still a dullard. The Colts did not have Peyton Manning or even Curtis Painter. They had Dan Orlovsky, who played on the 2008 Detroit team that went 0-16. With 5 minutes left and the Colts facing 3rd and 3 at their own 20, Orlovsky was sacked and fumbled. Jacksonville took over at the Indy 8 and Maurice Jones-Drew ran it in on 3rd and goal at the 3. Indy fell to 0-10 and the Jaguars are now a 3-6 juggernaut. 17-3 Jaguars
Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs–The Chiefs began 0-3 but could move into a first place tie with the Raiders in a division nobody seems to want. The Chiefs lost last week at home to previously winless Miami. Denver now has Tebowmania, and his running the option so far has worked. Tim Tebow again did it with his legs early on as he ran it in from 7 yards out to put the Broncos up 7-0. In the second quarter Matt Prater hit a 38 yard field goal as the Broncos led 10-0 at halftime against a lifeless Chiefs squad.
In the third quarter Matt Cassel finally got the Chiefs moving, and a 65 yard drive culminated in a one yard touchdown pass to McClain to get the Chiefs within 10-7. Yet Denver would salt away this dull game in the fourth quarter as Tebow showed the ladies that he is more than just the best pair of legs since Elroy Hirsch (not really). He has an arm, and he went 56 yards to Eric Decker to put the game out of reach. The Chiefs would kick a field goal with 11 seconds remaining, but Denver recovered the onsides kick. Kansas City has lost 2 straight games at home to inferior teams, same as Oakland did. Oakland rebounded on the road as Denver, Kansas City and San Diego are all 4-5, one game behind the Raiders in the AFC West. 17-10 Broncos
Washington Redskins @ Miami Dolphins–Miami got their first win last week and now face a reeling Redskins squad. Mike Shanahan got rid of Donovan McNabb, then benched Rex Grossman, and has now benched John Beck and gone back to Grossman. As for Tony Sparano, some Dolphins fans are mad at him because the win last week could remove them from the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. Luck lost this weekend while the Dolphins won without him. Fans are what they are sometimes. The theme on the day was bad teams combining to play very bad games, and this one was no exception.
After a Washington punt, Miami took over with a short field at the Washington 45. On 3rd and 8 Matt Moore found Brandon Marshall for 26 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the 9 Moore hit Reggie Bush for 4. Bush took it in for one yard out proving that despite dating a Kardashian, he can still contribute something positive on a small scale. The Dolphins led 7-0, and after that the field goal kickers took over this awful game. Graham Gano hit from 26. In the second quarter Dan Carpenter hit from 21 nd Gano responded from 47. In the third quarter Gano hit from 23 and Carpenter responded from 28. Miami led 13-9 after three quarters as both teams struggled near the the goal line. Washington saw 3rd and goal at the one result in a nullified touchdown due to holding.
The fourth quarter began with Rex Grossman leading the Redskins from their own own 41 to a 3rd and 10 at the Miami 32. Good Rex hit Hankerson for 22 yards. Yet on 1st and goal at the 10 with 12 minutes left in regulation, Bad Rex was intercepted by Karlos Dansby. Miami took over at their own 19. Moore hit Marshall for 12, and on 3rd and 8 form the 33, found Anthony Fasano for 11. Moore went back to Fasano for 21 and Marshall for 12. Bush ran for an 18 yard touchdown with 6 minutes left to put the game out of reach. Mike Shanahan has seen his team collapse. As for Tony Sparano, those calling for his head may wish to pause. Chan Gailey began 0-8 last year in Buffao before the team split the final 8 games and improved drastically this year. After an 0-8 start Miami has won consecutive games by double digit margins. They are still fighting hard for Sparano. 20-9 Dolphins
Arizona Cardinals @ Philadelphia Eagles–Kevin Kolb was hoping for revenge against Walrus Lite Andy Reid, but Kolb is injured and will not play. John “Red” Skelton starts for the Cardinals, bringing back to glory days of Stoney Case and Casey Weldon. The Eagles have Michael Vick, and should almost consider this a preseason game. Take the any given Sunday cliche and throw it out the window. Even at 3-5, the Eagles are much better than the Cardinals.
A scoreless game in the second quarter saw Skelton throw a perfect pass to Asante Samuel. Problem: Samule plays defense for the Eagles, and he returned it 20 yards for a score to have the Eagles up 7-0. Skelton would redeem himself and lead Arizona 84 yards in 10 plays in 5 minutes. Skelton would find Larry Ftizgerals, who does play receiver for the Cardinals, from 10 yards out to tie the game 7-7. Michael Vick then had his turn, and 10 plays and 70 yards later McCoy would crash in from one yard out to have the Eagles up 14-7 at halftime.
After a scoreless third quarter, Skelton would lead the Cardinals on another long drive, taking Arizona 89 yards. From 7 yards out, he again hit Fitzgerald, who still plays receiver for the Cardinals. The game was tied 14-14 with plenty of time left. With 7 minutes left in regulation the Cardinals faced 3rd and 7 at their own 16. Skelton completed a pass to Nahmdi Asomugha, who also plays defense for the Eagles. Philly took over at the Arizona 26 but failed to get a first down when a 3rd and 3 run netted onely one yard. Henery made the 36 yard field goal and the Eagles led 17-14 with 5 minutes left.
Yet before everybody could begin the “these are the Cardinals” chant, Arizona actually came alive. They did face 3rd and 19 on their own 15, and Skelton hit Taylor for 15. On 4th and 2 from their own 32 with 3 minutes left, Skelton hit Stephens-Howling, who took it 30 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Philly 38, Skelton went deep to Fitzgerald, who still plays for Arizona as a receiver. Fitzgerald came down with it at the one yard line. On 2nd and goal at the one Beanie Wells lost 4 yards. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 5 Skelton hit Doucet for the touchdown in front of a shellshocked home crowd. The Cardinals led by 4 with 1:56 to play.
Philly took over at their own 19. With 41 seconds left they faced 3rd and 20 at their own 32. Vick went deep and was intercepted. Maybe this is why they play the games. Ken Whisenhunt earned job security through next week while the stories about the Eagles righting the ship are now as dead as they are after falling to 3-6 with consecutive home losses. This was a stunning loss for the Eagles. Desean Jackson was benched for missing a team meeting. Andy Reid may have to bench the entire team after this effort. As for Skelton, he is now the offspring of Jim Hart, Neil Loma, and Jake Plummer combined. No, not really. 21-17 Cardinals.
Houston Texans @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers–Albert Haynesworth arrived to Tampa so fast after being cut by New England that he barely had time to take a nap. Then again, he can always get some sleep on the field during the game. The Bucs face a Houston offense that even without Andre Johnson is racking up yards and points. It was a blowout from the very first play.
After a touchback, Matt Schaub went deep to Jones for an 80 yard touchdown. Only 12 seconds into the game, and the Texans had the 6-0 lead. Albert Haynesworth of all people got his Bucs career off to a good start by blocking the extra point. It didn’t matter. Josh Freeman had a miserable day with 3 interceptions. On his first drive the Bucs reached the Houston 39, but then Freeman was sacked to end the threat. From the Houston 15, Schaub led a 14 play, 7 1/2 minute drive that went 80 yards. Yet on 3rd and goal from the 5 the Texans failed to capitalize and had to settle for a 22 yard Neil Rackers field goal and a 9-0 lead.
In the second quarter the Texans took over at their own 10. From the 22 Schaub found Arriun Foster, who took a short pass 78 yards for another long touchdown as the Texans were coasting 16-0. With 1:45 left Freeman moved the Bucs to a 4th and 2 at the Houston 5. Raheem Morris decided to go for it and Freeman fired incomplete. The Bucs got it back at the Houston 46 and on the last play of the half Connor Barth drilled a 55 yard field goal. The Bucs were down 16-3, but there would be no rally.
After a Bucs punt in the third quarter, the Texans took over at their own 35. Schaub would throw only 15 passes all game, completing 11 of them for 242 yards and the 3 touchdowns. Houston just ran it down the Bucs throats the rest of the game. Foster broke off runs of 13 and 17 and Tate added 13 more. Ward gained 9 and Foster ran it in from 5 yards out to have the Texans up 23-3. Freeman was the intercepted, giving the Texans the ball at the Tampa Bay 39. Foster ran for 8 and Tate added 5 and 4. On 3rd and 6 from the 22, Schaub hit Foster for 13. Ward then ran for 5 and for the 4 yard touchdown to have the Texans up 30-3 in a laugher.
Freeman was intercepted again, but Rackers missed a 37 yarder. If a kicker has to miss a kick, it should be when his team is already up by 27. With 11 1/2 minutes left inr egulation Freeman would hit Parker from 9 yards out. The 2 point conversion failed as Tampa Bay trailed 30-9. Yet midway through the fourth quarter Freeman was intercepted again and the Texans took over at the Tampa 27. Foster ran for 9 and 2 while Tate ran for 5 and then the 11 yard score to end things. Houston remains in first place in the AFC South while Tampa Bay fell further behind in the NFC South. Losing badly at home does not help matters. 37-9 Texans
Baltimore Ravens @ Seattle Seahawks–A very good Ravens team travels on the road to face a pathetic Seattle team. Yet after the big emotional win over Pittsburgh to sweep the series, the Ravens have to guard against a letdown. John Harbaugh will have his guys focused while Pete Carroll probably misses the gorgeous Southern California weather and quality football at Troy.
Yet despite the Ravens deservedly being talked about as a Super Bowl contender, the last time they beat Pittsburgh they had a major hangover against a far inferior Arizona team. Last week’s win over Pittsburgh was even bigger, and this time the Ravens again came out flat against a dreadful NFC Worst opponent.
Joe Flacco would lead Baltimore to a 50 yard field goal try, but Billy Cundiff missed it. From the Seattle 40, Tarvaris Jackson hit Zach Miller for 6 and Marshawn Lynch gained 5. Jackson hit Lynch for 21, and again for 23. Lynch took it in from one yard out to have the Seahawks up 7-0. Baltimore fumbled the ensuing kickoff, giving Seattle the ball at the Ravens 19. A 22 yard field goal made it 10-0 Seahawks.
In the second quarter Baltimore took over at their own 34. Flacco hit Dickson for 3 and 15. On 3rd and 1 from the Seattle 39, defensive pass interference meant 5 more yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Seattle 20, Flacco found Dickson for 19. On 2nd and goal at the 1, Ray Rice got the ball and threw the halfback option to Dickson for the score as the Ravens got within 10-7.
The rest of the half belonged to Seattle kicker Hauschka. A 38 yarder with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half had the Seahawks up 13-7. Baltimore went 3 and out and Seattle took over at their own 42. On 4th and 1 from the Baltimore 22, Hauschka hit from 39 to make it 16-7 with 1:55 left in the half. For the second time in the half the Ravens fumbled the ensuing kickoff, giving Seattle the ball at the Baltimore 18. Again Seattle failed to capitalize with a touchdown as a 35 yard field goal had them up 19-7. Hauschka made 4 kicks in the first half while Cundiff had a rough day. Flacco led the Ravens to a 52 yard try at the end of the half, but Cundiff missed a second time.
In the third quarter Flacco was intercepted, giving the Seahawks a gift at the Baltimore 4 yard line. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 3 Jackson was sacked. Hauschka hit his fifth field goal from 22 to make it 22-7. Despite being totally inept the Ravens only needed 2 scores to get back in it. Late in the third quarter Flacco led the Ravens from their own 18 to the Seattle 17. After 12 plays and 5 minutes, this time Cundiff hit from 35 as the Ravens trailed Seattle 22-10 after three quarters.
With 8 minutes left in regulation after another sack of Flacco, the Ravens faced a critical 4th and 5 at their own 40. Forced to go for it, Flacco scrambled for 6 yards. On 3rd and 10 Flacco threw incomplete, but illegal contact kept the drive going. Flacco found Ray Rice for another first down at the 39 yard line. Another incomplete pass to Boldin was offset by a defensive hit on the defenseless receiver for going helmet to helmet. Ironically it was the defender who stayed down. On 1st and 10 from the 16, Flacco fired a laser to Ed Dickson as the Ravens were within 22-17 with 6 minutes left.
All the Ravens needed was a stop, but the vaunted defense of Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Haloti Ngata, and Terrell Suggs could not get one. A desperate Ravens team at the 2 minute warning even challenged the spot on a run in the hopes of a first down being overturned. The challenge failed as the Ravens wasted a vital timeout, leaving them with only one. Marshawn Lynch got his 31st carry as the Ravens called their final timeout. Another run meant another first down as the Seahawks ran out the clock. The Ravens are a good football team but Harbaugh does not seem to be able to get them ready for bad teams as they do in their big games. Contenders have to dispatch the bad teams, and the Ravens failed to do this. 22-17 Seahawks
Detroit Lions @ Chicago Bears–The 6-2 Lions and 5-3 Bears actually have a meaningful game in November. Both of these teams could make the playoffs, and the Lions would sweep the season series with a win today.
It was a mismatch from the start. The Lions first drive ended when Calvin Johnson fumbled and the Bears took over at the Detroit 30. Unnecessary roughness moved the ball to the 12, and Matt Forte ran for and then 6 more as the Bears led 7-0. On the next series it was Nate Burleson who fumbled for the Lions as the Bears took over at their own 38. Jay Cutler hit Bennett for 15 and a facemask added 15 more. Robbie Gould hit a 43 yarder to ahve the Bears up 10-0. After a punt the Bears took over at their own 48. On 3rd and 13 Cutler hit Bennett for 17 and Johnny Knox for 18. Gould would hit from 35 as the second quarter began to have the Bears up 13-0.
Detroit then went 3 and out and punted. Devon Hester would only be returning kicks in this game, not playing wide receiver. Has anybody gotten the memo about not kicking to Devon Hester? Deion Sanders saw his baby do it again with the Bears already up 13-0. Hester took it 82 yards for his 12th punt return touchdown and 18th overall return touchdown to put Detroit up 20-0. As the great Chicago announcer keep saying, “Devon Hester, you are ridiculous!”
Detroit went 3 and out again, and the Bears took over at their own 16. Jay Cutler quickly fumbled, and the Lions took over at the Chicago 19. Morris gained 9, but on 2nd and 1 and 3rd and 1 Stafford threw incomplete. On 4th and 1 Jim Schwartz decided to kick the field goal rather than go for it down by 20. Jason Hanson hit from 29 to have the Lions down 20-3. With 7 minutes left in the half the Lions took over at their own 35. On 3rd and 5 from the 42 Stafford hit Young for 11. On 3rd and 15 from the Chicago 23, Stafford hit Brandon Pettigrew for 17. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 6, Stafford was sacked. Hanson hit from 35 as the Lions trailed 20-6. Cutler led the Bears to a 43 yard Robbie Gould try at the end of the half. Gould missed it, giving the Lions hope. The third quarter would dash those hopes quickly.
Cutler would finish the game only 9 of 19 for 123 yards. Yet he did not throw an interception. Stafford put it up 63 times, completing 33 of them for 329 yards and a touchdown. Yet 4 interceptions killed the Lions. 2 of those interceptions were returned for touchdowns, with Heller returning one 24 yards out and Peanut Tillman taking the latter one 44 yards for the score. Robbie Gould would tack on a field goal as late in the third quarter the Bears led in a blowout 37-6 as tempers flared after yet another Stafford interception. The Lions would finally reach the end zone, long after the outcome was in doubt.
Both of these teams are now 6-3 and have split the season series. Jim Schwartz has seen the Lions lose 3 of 4 since their 5-0 start While Lovie Smith has the Bears firmly in the hunt, although both teams are way behind Green Bay. 37-13 Bears
New York Giants @ San Francisco 49ers–In 1990 these teams played a couple of the greatest defensive games in NFL history. The 49er won on Monday night football 7-3 after both teams started 10-0, got clocked in game 11, and met the week after. Yet in the NFC Title game it was the Giants who won 15-13 on 5 Matt Bahr field goals to prevent the 49ers 3peat and send Bill Parcells to his second Super Bowl win. In the playoffs after the 2002 season the tables were turned in an offensive shootout as the Giants blew a 38-14 lead, allowed the 49ers go ahead 39-38, and saw the Giants botch a field goal on a fumbled snap at the end. The game today sees both teams resurgent as Tom Coughlin has the Giants at 6-2 and Jim Harbaugh has the 49ers at 7-1 in his rookie season.
21 years after the NFC Title game went to the half without a touchdown, so did this game. After a touchback, Eli Manning led a 14 play, 8 1/2 minute drive that got no further than 4th and 2 at the 5. Tom Coughlin opted for the field goal and Lawrence Tynes hit from 23 to have the Giants up 3-0. Alex Smith after a touchback led a 12 play, 6 minute drive. yet it stalled at the 18 and David Akers hit a 36 yarder to tie the game 3-3 after the first quarter.
Another touchback and another long drive meant 13 plays and 6 1/2 minutes but again just a 25 yard field goal as Tynes put the Giants up 6-3. Yet another touchback and another drive meant a 52 yard field goal by Akers as the game was tied 6-6 with 5 minutes left in the half. Jim Harbaugh called a surprise onsides kick that worked perfectly as the 49ers took over at their own 47. With 1:49 left in the half, Akers hit again from 39 as the 49ers led 9-6. Eli Manning was intercepted, giving the 49ers the ball at the Giants 43. Yet from the 24, Alex Smith threw it right back to the Giants to end the half.
The third quarter continued the trend of the first half as the 49ers took a touchback and Smith moved them in 10 plays to 1st and goal at the 10. Yet Smith then threw 3 incompletions as Akers hit his fourth field goal from 28 yards out as the 49ers led 12-6.
With 8 minutes left in the third quarter the Giants took over at their own 16. On 3rd and 7 Manning went deep to Victor Cruz for a 36 yard gain and Brandon Jacobs ran for 15 more. Manning hit Pacoe for 14. In a game of only field goals, the Giants faced 3rd and 6 from the San Francisco 13. Finally the end zone was cracked with 2 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter as Manning hit Mario Manningham for the score as the Giants led 13-12 after three quarters.
The fourth quarter began with the 49ers at midfield. Hunter ran for 6. On 3rd and 2 from the 42, the Giants jumped offsides. Hunter ran for 6 more to the Giants 31. Alex Smith then found a wide open Vernon Davis, who leapt over the goal line past 2 defenders to get the 49ers back in front. Smith found Michael Crabtree for the 2 point conversion to have the 49ers back in front 20-13 very early in the fourth quarter.
Eli Manning came back and threw a pass straight to Carlos Rogers. Problem: Rogers plays defense for the 49ers, and he gave the 49ers golden field position at the Giants 17. One play was all Kendall Hunter needed to take an off tackle run all the way to the end zone untouched as a close game now saw the 49ers comfortably head 27-13 with 12 minutes left in regulation.
Yet the Giants were far from done. Eli Manning quickly led them to a 3rd and 7 at the Frisco 33. Manning then went deep to Hakeem Nicks. Despite good double coverage, Nicks hauled it in for the touchdown as the Giants were back within 27-20 with over 10 minutes left.
With 6 minutes left the Giants had it back at their own 30. With 3 1/2 minutes left the Giants faced a critical 4th and 6. Tom Coughlin decided to go for it and Manning found Mario Manningham for an 18 yard gain to the San Francisco 48 yard line. On 2nd and 5 Manning went deep to Manningham. Manningham had it in his hands and dropped it. Manning avoided a sack on 3rd and 5 and was lucky to avoid intentional grounding. On 4th and 5, Manning found Victor Cruz for 6 yards as again the Giants stayed alive at the 2 minute warning. Manning then found Ware, who straddled the sideline and got out of bounds at the 18 with 1:53 left. Manning found Cruz for 8. With 38 seconds left in regulation from the 11 yard line, the Giants faced 4th and 2. Yet this time Manning’s pass was knocked down at the line of scrimmage by Justin Smith.
This was not as epic as the games in 1990 or even 2002, but it was a fine football game. The 49ers moved to 8-1 while the Giants fell to 6-3. Both teams still lead their divisions and the NFL would definitely benefit from seeing a rematch of this game, perhaps in the NFC Title Game. 27-20 49ers
New England Patriots @ New York Jets is the Sunday night game. These teams hate each others guts. The Patriots have won the division the last 2 years but the Jets have gone deeper in the playoffs. Last year the Jets went into New England and got blasted 45-3. Then in the playoffs a few weeks later the Jets won at the Patriots 28-21. Rex Ryan knows the Patriots are reeling from consecutive losses, and this is the best chance the Jets have to bring down the Evil Hoodie Bill Bellichick and his Evil Empire of football.
Mark Sanchez came ut throwing and put on a clinic early on against the woeful New England pass defense. Sanchez hit Santonio Holmes over the middle for a 27 yard gain to the New England 9. Had Holmes stayed upright he may have scored but he stumbled down without being touched. This was key since the drive would stall. Then Nick Folk quickly deflated the home crowd by somehow missing a 24 yard field goal. Tom Brady then got his chance, and he also unleashed passes at will. Yet a costly illegal motion penalty killed the drive. An ill advised sideline pass should have been intercepted, but the ball was simply dropped in and out of the bread basket. Stephen Gostkowski did his job from 50 yards out as the Patriots led 3-0.
Each team on the next series also faced mirror situations with different results. Sanchez faced 3rd and 8 in his own territory to end the drive. Tom Brady would soon face 3rd and 8 from his own 31. He went deep to Chad Johnson for a 51 yard gain. Yet a couple of incompletions meant another field goal try. From 36 yards out, Gostkowski gave the Patriots the 6-0 lead.
The game then turned into a war of attrition as the defenses dealt heavy hits. A field position game favored the Jets, and with 5 minutes left the Patriots were pinned at their own 5. Tom Brady was unprepared for a shotgun snap, and it bounced of of him and a scrum ensued. The Patriots retained possession, but on the next play a near sack of Brady in the end zone led to a call of intentional grounding. The Jets got the safety to get within 6-2 as Rex Ryan pumped his fist.
The Jets received the free kick and when New England jumped offsides, the Jets were at the Patriots 47. LaDanian Tomlinson broke off a 15 yard run, and Sanches then fired over the middle to Patrick Turner for a 22 yard gain to the 10 yard line at the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and goal from the 3, after a timeout, Sanchez ran the quarterback draw and stretched the ball over the plane for the touchdown as the Jets led 9-6 with with 1:20 left in the half. Tempers flared after the extra point as the defense was called for a personal foul to be assessed on the kickoff.
Yet what really hurt the Jets was that they took the timeout. They scored way too early and there was no reason to stop the clock. They had plenty of time. So despite keeping Tom Brady out of the end zone for nearly 29 minutes, he still had 1:20 to work with. After the touchback Brady hit Rob Gronkkowski for 12, Wes Welker for 14, and back to Gronkowski for 23 more. A defensive facemask on the next play moved the ball to the Jets 16. On 3rd and 12 from the 18 Brady went to Gronkowski for the score as the Patriots took the 13-9 lead into the locker rooms.
The Patriots went nowhere to start the third quarter but the turning point in the game came when the Jets fumbled the ensuing punt. Several Jets had a chance to recover the ball with no Patriots around it. Somehow it slipped through all of them and the Patriots took over at the Jets 13 yard line. On 3rd and 11 Brady avoided a sack, moved around for what seemed like forever and a day, and found Gronkowski for the touchdown. The play was reviewed and while Gronkowski did catch it, he had stepped out of bounds before coming back in to catch it. An illegal touch left the Patriots with 3rd and 16 from the 19. Brady hit Welker short of the marker and Gostkowski came in for a 27 yarder, which he hit to put the Patriots up 16-9.
McKnight was the one who fumbled the punt, and he also bobbled the ensuing kickoff. Yet he quickly collected himself and returned it to the Jets 40. On 3rd and 7 Sanchez found Curley for 23. Yet the next pass was deflected and intercepted by Ninkovich, who returned it to the Patriots 43. Brady quickly found Aaron Hernandez for 16. and Branch for another first down at the Jets 23. In the hurry up offense with the Jets defense exhausted, the Patriots switched to the ground game. From the 6 yard line Brady went back to the air and found Gronkowski for the score as the Patriots now led 23-9
Sanchez finally moved the Jets again, and on a critical 3rd and 2 from the Patriots 10, Tomlinson got 3. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Sanchez hit Plaxico Burress for the touchdown to get the Jets within 23-16. Yet the defense could not stop the Patriots running game as they racked up chunks with ease. Brady then found Deion Branch for 14 to the Jets 39 while staying in the no huddle offense. Brady then found Gronkowski for 12. On 3rd and 4 from the Jets 18, Brady found Welker for 9 just before being sacked. From the 8, Brady found Branch for the score as the 13 play, 84 yard, 7 minute drive put the dagger in as the Patriots led 30-16 with 8 minutes left in regulation.
The Jets then self-destructed for good as a penalty, a dropped pass and an interception by Ninkovich made it a route. It was his second pick of the game, and the 15 yard return had the Patriots cruising 37-16. The final indignity came when the Jets moved to the Patriots 10 with less than one minute to play, and a touchdown pass was dropped before the Jets turned it over on downs. Even during garbage time they could not get the score.
For all the blather about the changing of the guard, forget it. The Patriots are now in sole possession of first place and have swept the Jets this year. The Jets have a short week before traveling to Denver for a Thursday night game. The Patriots have not lost 3 straight games since 2002. Evil Empires do not go down easy as once again Bill Bellichick served Rex Ryan a heaping of humble pie. In typical classless Patriots fashion, Bellichick had Brady keep throwing late while up by 21 points. Brady completed his final 12 passes. In a useless statistic, the score of this game was the exact score of the playoff game between these teams. That was under Eric Mangini and this was Rex Ryan, yet in both caases it was Bill Bellichick delivering the pain. At least the other one was on the road. This was a home debacle for Gang Green. Rex Ryan plays a Patriots fan in an upcoming Adam Sandler movie, but nothing about this game had him amused. 37-16 Patriots
Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers is the Monday night game. The defending champion Packers are 8-0 while Minnesota is a miserable team. Yes these teams have had memorable Monday night games with thrilling upsets, but this will not be one of them. Oh yeah, and Brett Favre played for both of these teams, which the NFL announcers will try not to mention 6 billion times.
This was expected to be a blowout and the home team obliged at the outset. Minnesota quickly went 3 and out and punted to Randall Cobb. Cobb took the opening kickoff back 109 yards for a score in Week 1. He began the second half of the season in…what else? Mid-season form. He returned the punt 80 yards for a touchdown as the Packers led 7-0 barely more than one minute into the game.
On the next series Christian Ponder got belted by Clay Matthews, forcing a fumble. Minnesota retained possession but punted. From the Green Bay 30 Rodgers fumbled on the first play for a 7 yard loss, but after that he made it look easy. Rodgers ran for 9 and then hit Donald Driver for 22. On 3rd and 1 from the Minnesota 27 Rodgers gained 3 and then went deep to Greg Jennings for a 24 yard touchdown to have the Packers up 14-0. On the next series Ponder had Minnesota moving, but on 3rd and 9 from the Packers 28, a sideline pass for Vicente Shiancoe was ripped out of Shiancoe’s hands by Charles Woodson for the interception. That would lead to a field goal as the defenses dug in after that with Green Bay up 17-0 at halftime.
Green Bay was not content to go conservative in the second half. They immediately moved to ice the game as quickly as possible. Green Bay took over at their own 31. From the 34, Rodgers found Jordy Nelson for 23. On 4th and 2 from the Minnesota 35, Mike McCarthy decided to go for it. An earlier conversion on 4th and 5 from the 36 led to the field goal. Green Bay converted again as Rodgers hit Nelson for 12, Driver for 6, and then back to Nelson for the 17 yard touchdown as the Packers led 24-0.
Minnesota could not get anything going but got a break when Randall Cobb fumbled the punt. Cobb took the earlier one back for a score, but this fumble had the Vikings starting at the Packers 14. Christian Ponder hit Percy Harvin for 11 and then Adrian Peterson took it in from 3 yards out to have the Vikings down 24-7. An angry Cobb redeemed himself on the ensuing kickoff, returning it 55 yards to midfield. Rodgers hit Starks for 9 and Starks then ran for 15 more. Rodgers found Ryan Grant for 17 down to the 9. On the next play Rodgers hit John Kuhn for the touchdown as the expected route materialized with the Packers up 31-7.
Late in the third quarter Green Bay began at their own 41. On 3rd and 7 a defensive pass interference penalty moved the Packers 20 years as the third quarter ended. On 3rd and 12 from the Minnesota 38, Rodgers was sacked. Yet illegal use of hands on the defense meant an automatic first down. On 3rd and 2 from the 25, Rodgers hit Jones for 9. Rodgers hit Nelson for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 38-7.
Minnesota went 3 and out and the Packers took over at their own 34. Aaron Rodgers was benched by Mike McCarthy, but there is no quarterback controversy. Risking injury is not a wise move, so Rodgers relaxed on the sideline while backup Flynn got some snaps. On 3rd and 4 Flynn found Cobb. On 3rd and 4 from the Vikings 47, Minnesota jumped offsides. Flynn then went deep to Finley for 31 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the 3, Flynn ran it in to make it 45-7.
There is a difference between good teams and great teams. The Packers are a great team. Even at 8-0 Mike McCarthy was not satisfied that the Packers were not closing out games. Well Leslie Frazier has a Vikings team that is in bad shape. These are games that great teams win big. The Packers did, and got to 9-0 in the same fashion that got them to the Super Bowl last year. 45-7 Packers
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