NFL 2013 Week 2 Recap
Between the 9/11 anniversary, Yom Kippur, and the Navy tragedy, it has been a harrowing few days. Football can unite us all and help the healing. Here is the NFL 2013 Week 2 Recap.
New York Jets at New England Patriots—Bill Bellichick and Tom Brady love running it up on Rex Ryan. Both teams won last week, although the Jets were bailed out by the refs. This was the reality check.
Only 2 minutes into the game, Brady had led the Patriots 81 yards, with a 39 yard touchdown pass to Dobson quickly making it 7-0. The Jets turned it over deep in their own territory. This time their defense held, but a 21 yard Stephen Gostkowski had the Patriots up 10-0 early in the first quarter. League rules required the rest of the game be played.
Geno Smith did lead the Jets to a 37 yard Nick Folk field goal, but the Patriots responded in the second quarter with Gostkowski hitting from 30 as the Patriots led 13-3 at halftime. The second half saw the weather get worse, and a dull game become a slog.
In the third quarter Powell ran it in from three yards out as the Jets only trailed 13-10 after three quarters. Smith was managing the game well, but with 11 minutes left in regulation and the Jets driving, Smith threw a pass into traffic that was deflected and intercepted by Aqib Talib at the Patriots 11.
With 4 1/2 minutes left, again Smith led the Jets past midfield and again Smith was intercepted.
The Jets got it back with one minute left in regulation at their own 29. Smith was intercepted for the third time, the second pick by Talib. For the second week in a row these teams both played a game that was far more hideous than expected. Despite their offense getting shut out the entire second half, it was the defense that got the job done for the Evil Hoodie. 13-10 Patriots
St. Louis Rams at Atlanta Falcons—Former Rams running back Stephen Jackson now plays for the Falcons, and he plowed in to put Atlanta up 7-0 early on. Matty Ice Ryan then found Julio Jones, who outraced everybody for an 81 yard score to make it 14-0 Falcons. Sam Bradfors then completed a pass to Osi Umenyora, who plays defense for Atlanta. Umenyora took the interception 68 yards the other way for another score and a 21-0 Falcons lead. The teams exchanged field goals as the Falcons had a comfortable 24-3 halftime lead.
The Rams made a game of it in the second half. Bradford hit Austin for a 6 yard score and Pettis for a 3 yard touchdown as the Rams only trailed 24-17 early in the fourth quarter. Ryan led an 80 yard drive that was culminated with an 11 yard Jason Snelling run to put the game out of reach. Bradford would hit Austin again for a 10 yard score, but only 2:16 remained. Atlanta faced 3rd and 1 from their 29, and Ryan hit Snelling for 22 yards as the Rams never got the ball back. 31-24 Falcons
Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens—Peace in the Middle East seemed more likely than the Browns going on the road and beating the defending champion Ravens. Yet in an absolute shocker, the Browns lead the defending champion Ravens 6-0 at halftime on pair of field goals. The Browns have not had much success since Otto Graham and Paul Brown and Jim Brown were gone by the 1960s. The last half a century has been tough. A win over the defending champs would make a statement.
The only statement in the second half came from the Baltimore defense. Flacco would lead an 80 yard drive and Pierce scored from 5 yards out to put the Ravens up 7-6. The fourth quarter began with the Browns facing 4th and 3 at the Baltimore 39. A West Coast Offense dink and dunk pass came up a yard short. With 9 minutes left in regulation Flacco hit Brown for the touchdown and the 8 point lead. The Ravens defense knocked Brandon Weeden out of the game. Jason Campbell came in at his own 1 yard line needing to go 99 yards. He did not, as the Ravens won an ugly one. 14-6 Ravens
Carolina Panthers at Buffalo Bills—Both of these teams lost heartbreakers last week in the final moments. Buffalo got on the board first with a field goal in this game, but Cam Newton led a 10 play, 90 yard drive in the second quarter. A 13 yard touchdown pass had the Panthers up 7-3 at halftime of a game that probably had more fans in Eastern Canada than in the continental United States.
The second half brought much more action. The Bills moved 14 plays to a 2nd and goal at the 2, but settled for a 20 yard field goal and a 7-6 deficit. Newton went deep to Ted Ginn for a 40 yard touchdown and a 14-6 Panthers lead. EJ Manuel hit Stevie St. Johnson for a 45 yard gain and Fred Jackson ran it in from 4 yards out. Manuel hit Woods for the 2 point conversion to tie the game 14-14.
Buffalo would fumble in their own territory to set up a Carolina field goal early in the fourth quarter from 27 yards out. Graham Gano would tack on a 25 yarded as the Panthers led 20-14. Yet they kept driving near the goal line without getting in. Carpenter hit from 48 to get the Bills within 20-17. With 1:42 to play a key decision had to be made.
The Panthers faced 4th and 1 at the Buffalo 21. Ron Rivera played not to lose rather than go for the win. The Bills were out of timeouts. If the Panthers convert, the game is over. Instead they played it conservatively and Gano hit the 39 yard field goal. They led 23-17, but Buffalo had one shot left from their 20 with 1:38 to play.
Manuel hit St Johnson for 8, CJ Spiller for 12, Jackson for 14, and St Johnson for 11 again. With 21 seconds left in the game the Bills faced 3rd and 6 at the Carolina 31. Manuel was intercepted, but defensive pass interference instead meant 1st and 10 at the 11. With 6 seconds left, from the 2, Manuel hit St. Johnson for the score. For the seconds eek in a row Carolina suffered a devastating loss while the Bills got the cardiac victory. 24-23 Bills
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears—Cordarelle Patterson took the opening kickoff 105 yards for a Minnesota touchdown. Devon Hester took the ensuing kickoff 76 yards to set up a one yard touchdown pass from Jay Cutler to Bennett to make it 7-7. Later on Jay Cutler found Brandon Marshall for a 34 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Bears. Yet the Bears just cannot handle prosperity. Cutler giveth and Cutler taketh away. This time he giveth up a fumble to Robison, who rumbles 61 yards to tie the Bears and Vikings at 14-14.
The deadliest return man in NFL History has done it for the second time this game, breaking a kick return most of the way. This 80 yard return has Chicago starting inside the Minnesota 25. The NFL Hall of Fame has to consider special teams game breakers like Ray Guy, Mel Gray, Steve Tasker and one day Devon Hester. This anti-special teams bias must stop.
Tip Drill! Cutler from inside the 5 throws a wobbler that turns into a volleyball and is eventually intercepted for a touchback. The ball never should have been thrown as Chicago wastes a golden opportunity. Yet then Ponder completed a perfect pass to Jennings. Problem: Jennings plays defense for Chicago. The Bears end up getting their score, only a few plays later than anticipated. Despite the high score 21-14, it is defense and special teams and not offense lighting up the game board.
Very few quarterbacks are as under fire as Christian Ponder. The 20 yard touchdown pass he threw to Kevin Rudolph to tie the Bears 21-21 may get the critics off his back until the third quarter. Cutler brought the Bears right back, but 1st and goal from the Minnesota 2 with 12 seconds left in the half brought 3 incompletions. Chicago settled for a 20 yard field goal and a 24-21 halftime lead.
In the third quarter the Vikings went real ballsy. Yet one play after the gutsiest call of the day, that play is all for naught. Leslie Frazier gambles on 4th and 1 with Minnesota at their own 40. Christian ponder gets the first down but one play later Adrian Peterson fumbles it away.
The Vikings had long drives in the second half but could not convert in the red zone. Brandon Walsh hit field goals of 28, 28, and 22 as the Vikings had a 30-24 lead late. Chicago had one last chance from their own 34 with 3:08 to play.
On 3rd and 4 Cutler hit Marshall for 12 at the 2 minute warning. With 3rd and 1 from the Vikings 39, Cutler hit Marshall again for 10 with one minute to go and then Bennett for 23. With 16 seconds left, on 3rd and 10 from the Minnesota 16, Cutler hit Bennett for the winning touchdown. The Bears have played a couple of heart-stoppers, and they are 2-0 under Marc Trestman and the revitalized Cutler. 31-30 Bears
Washington Redskins at Green Bay Packers—Washington looked awful last week and RGIII did not look like the RGIII from his rookie year. Meanwhile Green Bay lost a tough shootout. Green Bay got on the board first with a field goal and then the Packers faced 4th and 3 at the Washington 35 later on. Mike McCarthy gambled and Aaron Rodgers hit Randall Cobb for the touchdown to put the Cheeseheads up 10-0.
In the second quarter, Green Bay kept rolling. On 3rd and goal from the 10, Rodgers hit Jordy Nelson for another score as the Packers led 17-0. Rodgers hit Jermichael Finley from 3 yards out to cap a quick 90 yard drive and make it Packers 24-0 at halftime. They almost scored again but fumbled away a touchdown for a touchback in the closest thing resembling a Washington highlight.
In the third quarter Rodgers went back to Nelson for a 50 yard score. Rodgers completed 28 of his first 34 passes and had 377 yards passing and 4 touchdowns midway through the third quarter in a lights out performance.
With the Packers all over Washington 31-0, some people want to declare the Redskins a fraud. The fact is Green Bay really is that good. They have much of the same personnel from their 2010 Super Bowl team and the 2011 team that went 15-1.
Rodgers finished a ridiculous 34 of 42 for 480 yards. After the Redskins cracked the end zone, a 32 yard run by Starks had the Packers up 38-7. They coasted from their as they got to 1-1 and the Redskins remain winless. 38-20 Packers
Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans—Brandon Tate took a handoff 60 yards to set up a one yard touchdown pass from Matt Schaub to Graham as the Texans quickly took the 7-0 lead. Jake Locker moved 80 yards over 14 plays and 7 1/2 minutes for the Titans as a 3rd and goal from the 6 pass to Wright went for the tying touchdown.
Rob Bironas once made 8 field goals in a 38-36 Titans win over the Texans. This time he missed a field goal, saw the Titans defense grab an interception, and got another chance from 47 as the half ended. Bironas hit the second one as the Titans led 10-7 at the break.
A short field in the third quarter saw Matt Schaub hit Owen Daniels for a 12 yard touchdown on 3rd and 6 to make it 14-10 Texans. In the fourth quarter Tennessee faced 2nd and 21 from their own 1, and Chris Johnson got caught for a safety as the Texans led 16-10. Tennessee got it back again at their own 1 and this time Locker came back with a 99 yard drive. A 10 yard touchdown to Walker as the Titans led 17-16. With the Texans facing 3rd and 21 at their own 10, it was Schaub who was intercepted by Verner, who took it 23 yards to the house as the Titans led 24-16 and smelled the upset with 5 minutes left in regulation.
With 3 minutes left the Texans took over at their own 13. Schaub hit Hopkins for 23, 13, and 28. On 3rd and goal from the 1, Arriun Foster banged in just past the 2 minute warning. Foster got the 2 point conversion as the game was now tied 24-24. Tennessee failed to convert on 3rd and 1, and with one minute left Schaub moved the Texans from their 22 to the Tennessee 33. A 51 yard field goal try was blocked, but the Titans jumped offsides. The 46 yard retry bounced off the upright no good, as the game went to overtime.
Houston won the overtime toss and took over at their 22. Schaub hit Graham for 18 and Tate gained 13. On 3rd and 10 from the Titans 26, Schaub went deep to Hopkins for 25. On 3rd and goal from the 3, Schaub hit Hopkins for the touchdown. The Titans are much improved, playing 2 road games and getting a split. Yet the Texans have won both of their games on the final play to get to 2-0 in thrilling fashion. 30-24 Texans, OT
Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts—Miami jumped all over the Colts at the start. Ryan Tannehill moved the ball with ease as an 18 yard touchdown to Mike Wallace had the Dolphins up 7-0. Andrew Luck brought the Colts back but they settled for a 30 yard Adam Vinatieri field goal to get within 7-3. Tannehill then went bombs away, as 80 yards required only 3 plays. A 10 yard Miller run had Miami up 14-3 after the opening quarter.
In the second quarter Indy woke up as Luck moved the Colts 80 yards, hitting Fleener for the 3 yard touchdown. On the next drive 78 yards came rapidly, as Bradshaw took it in from one yard out. The Colts led 17-14 but Miami tied it 17-17 as the half ended when Sturgis drilled a 54 yard field goal.
The second half belonged to the defenses. Adam Vinatieri hit a 38 yard field goal to put the Colts up 20-17. Miami came back with Tannehille hitting Wallace for 20 and again for 34 to set up a one yard touchdown run by Clay. Miami had the 4 point lead with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. The last 20 minutes offered nothing resembling offensive football. Miami fumbled, Luck had it intercepted back with 8 minutes left to play, and the Colts had one last chance from their own 14 with 4 minutes left.
Luck looked like he was ready to pull off the second straight miracle in 2 weeks at home, as the Colts moved to a 1st and 10 at the Miami 23 with 1:50 left. Yet 3 incompletions brought the critical 4th down play, where Luck was sacked. Miami is a very surprising 2-0 while Indy lost in the same dramatic fashion they win last week and last year. 24-20 Dolphins
Dallas Cowboys at Kansas City Chiefs—Alex Smith led the Chief 77 yards on 13 plays and Jamal Charles got in from 2 yards out to make it 7-0 Chiefs. Dan Bailey would kick a 51 yard field goal to get the Cowboys on the board. Later on Tony Romo went deep to Dez Bryant, with the bomb setting up a 2 yard toss to Bryant to have the Cowboys up 10-7.
In the third quarter, Dallas drove deep. Yet on 3rd and goal from the 5, rather than throw to the end zone, play caller Bill Callahan dials up one of those hated West Coast dink and dunk passes. Dallas loses yards and settles for a field goal. On 3rd down you have to throw past the marker. Dallas led 13-7, but those who hate the West Coast Offense had more ammo. Alex Smith would throw a 12 yard touchdown to Dwayne Bowe as the Chiefs led 14-13 entering the final quarter.
Dallas fumbled around midfield and the Chiefs took over at the Dallas 31 to start the fourth quarter. Ryan Succop hit a 40 yard field goal to make it 17-13 Chiefs. Dallas fumbled it away again, but would get the ball back. With 4 minutes left Dan Bailey drilled a 53 yard field goal as the Cowboys trailed by one point. They needed the ball back.
The Chiefs took over at their own 16. With 2 1/2 minutes left the Chiefs faced 3rd and 10 from their 44. Smith threw incomplete, but defensive pass interference meant an automatic first down. Dallas got it back at their own 4 with 16 seconds left. Needing 96 yards, they came up 86 yards short. Walrus Lite Andy Reid has already turned the Chiefs around as they are 2-0. Dallas split their first 2 games, but this was a winnable game they gave away with a late dumb penalty. 17-16 Chiefs
San Diego Chargers at Philadelphia Eagles—Mike McCoy and Chip Kelly both showed they can run high octane offenses last week, although San Diego forgot to play defense in blowing a 21 point lead. Philadelphia nearly blew their 26 point lead but hung on. Nick Novak got the Chargers on the board first with a 49 yard field goal to make it 3-0 San Diego. Philly answered back with their own kick to make it 3-3.
In the second quarter Rivers led an 11 play, 93 yard drive that consumed 6 1/2 minutes. Rivers hit Eddie Royal for the 11 yard score to make it 10-3 Chargers. Novak would tack on a 53 yard field goal and the Chargers led 13-3. Yet after last week, no lead was safe. Vick found Desen Jackson for gains of 17 and 41 and Riley Cooper for the 13 yard touchdown as the Chargers were only down 13-10.
Rivers brought the Chargers right back, and on 2nd and 5 from the Philly 26, Antonio Gates took the ball 24 yards. Yet Gates fumbled at the 2, killing the scoring chance. San Diego got it back, got to 1st and goal at the 9, and fumbled the ball away again. Philly missed their own scoring chance to tie it when Henery missed from 46 as the half expired.
Both Rivers and Vick kept piling on the yards and the points in the second half. Rivers moved the Chargers with ease 80 yards a a 24 yard strike to Eddie Royal had the Chargers up 20-10. Philly came back but had to settle for another field goal try. This time Henery was good from 48 yards out to make it a one score game. When the Eagles got it back, it was time for the home run ball as Vick went deep to Jackson for a 61 yard bomb to tie the game 20-20. At this point, neither quarterback had been intercepted. The one who turns it over will lose this game, as Rivers and Vick have done many times.
The shootout continued in the fourth quarter. Novak hit a 33 yard field goal to put the Chargers up 23-20. Vick ran it in from 2 yards out to make it 27-23 Eagles. Rivers came right back and hit Royal for a 15 yard score as the Chargers were now back up 30-27. By the time this game would end, Rivers would be 36 of 47 for 419 yards and 3 touchdowns. Vick was 23 of 36 for 428 yard and 2 touchdowns. Neither quarterback was intercepted as Mike McCoy and Chip Kelly knew it would come down to who had the ball last.
The Eagles had 3 minutes left from their own 29. They moved the ball easily, but Chip Kelly this time made a questionable decision with clock management. He wants a quick strike offense, but there comes a time to let the clock run. With 2:09 left and the Eagles with 1st and 10 at the Chargers 14, winding down the clock would have made sense. Instead 3 straight incompletions meant settling for a 32 yard Henery field goal. The game was tied 30-30, but the Chargers still had 1:45 to work with from their 21.
Rivers made it look easy, hitting Antonio Gates for gains of 15 and 21. A 46 yard field goal try by Novak for the win was good. Both these teams played thrillers last week, with reversed results this week to get to 1-1. A rematch of these teams would be well worth the watch. 33-30 Chargers
Detroit Lions at Arizona Cardinals—These teams both have solid offensive firepower, with Matthew Stfford and Carson Palmer getting to throw deep to Calvin “Megatron” Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald, respectively. After a scoreless first quarter, both teams got going in the second quarter. Jay Feely hit a 47 yarded to put the Cardinals up 3-0. Stafford went deep to Johnson for a 72 yard touchdown, but Palmer came right back to Ellington for a 36 yard score. Stafford led a 10 play, 92 yard, 5 1/2 drive that ended with him hitting Johnson for a 3 yard score as the Lions led 14-10 at halftime.
The pace slowed considerably in the second half. Stafford fumbled deep in his own territory and the Cardinals had 1st and goal at the 7. They settled for a field goal to trail 14-13. Palmer was intercepted by Levy, who returned it 66 yards for a score as the Lions led 21-13. Feely would hit a 43 yard field goal in the third quarter and a 33 yarded early in the fourth quarter as the Cardinals only trailed 21-19. David Akers came in for a 47 yarded with 9 minutes left for the Lions, but the kick was blocked.
With 4 1/2 minutes to play the Cardinals took over at their own 39. Ellington gained 16 and the Cardinals were on the move. On 3rd and 8 from the Detroit 32 with 2:17 to play, Palmer went deep and drew the pass interference call. Rashaard Mendenhall banged in from one yard out. The 2 point try failed and the Lions had 2 minutes left from their 20. On 4th and 4 Jim Schwartz called a West Coast Offense dink and dunk play. The pass was caught short of the marker. In situations like that the quarterback has to throw past the marker. Padding stats does no good as both teams are now 1-1. Last week the Cardinals let one get away. This week they had a comeback of their own for their first win under Bruce Arians. 25-21 Cardinals
New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers—The Saints are known for Drew Brees and their prolific offense, but it was their defense that saved them last week. The Bucs are known for defense but it was a boneheaded play on defense last week that caused them a last second loss. This game was Buc Ball, in all its ugliness.
Garrett Hartley kicked a 44 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Saints. Josh Freeman hit Ogletree for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Buccaneers. Brees went to Graham for a 56 yard touchdown to have the Saints up 10-7 after the opening quarter. The final three quarters were a dreadful slog.
Hartley tacked on a 41 yarded in the third quarter to make it 13-7, but disaster struck the Saints in the fourth quarter. Trying to put the game out of reach, Brees was intercepted by Foster, who returned it 85 yards for a score as the Buccaneers had a 14-13 lead.
With 7 minutes left, Freeman and the Buccaneers took over at their own 14. Freeman led a time consuming drive. With 1:56 left the Bucs faced 3rd and 6 at the Saints 32, with New Orleans out of timeouts. Greg Schiano wisely decided to run the ball to take the time off the clock. Yet Doug Martin gained only 3 yards. a 47 yard field goal try by Ryan Lindell would have made it a 4 point game, but Lindell was no good. The Saints took over at their own 37 with 1:06 to play.
Brees made it look easy. He hit Graham for 15, Darren Sproles for 8, and Marquis Colston for 31 yards. With 5 seconds left, Hartley came in for the 27 yarded to win it. The kick was good, and for the second straight week the Buccaneers lost on a field goal as time expired. The Saints for the second straight week escaped on the final play. This is one example of 2-0 and 0-2 being reversed by one play here and there. 16-14 Saints
Denver Broncos at New York Giants—The Manning Bowl was a shootout for awhile until reality set in. The main problem for the Giants is that they did not finish drives. Josh Brown hit a 36 yard field goal in the first quarter and kicks of 24 and 41 in the second quarter. Knowshon Moreno ran it in from 20 yards out early in the second quarter and Matt Prater hit a 42 yard field goal to have the Broncos up 10-9 at halftime.
Peyton Manning hit Wes Welker for a 2 yard touchdown and the Giants came back with recently reacquired Brandon Jacobs banging in from one yard out as the Giants trailed 17-16 in the third quarter.
After that the Broncos poured it on. Moreno ran for a 25 yard touchdown run as the Broncos led 24-16 after three quarters. Manning hit Thomas for an 11 yard score and Holliday provided the dagger with an 81 yard punt return as the Broncos cruised up 38-16. Eli Manning would throw a 23 yard touchdown pass to Scott but it was far too little too late. Prater added one more field goal to complete the scoring.
Peyton Manning was 30 of 43 for 307 yards and two touchdowns. He will not throw seven touchdowns every week as he did last week, but he still has 0 interceptions. Little brother Eli was 28 of 49 for 362 yards and one touchdown, but 4 interceptions killed the Giants as they fell to 0-2 and Denver won both of their games in blowout fashion. 41-23 Broncos
Jacksonville Jaguars at Oakland Raiders—The loser of this game had a chance to go 0-16. Jacksonville looked lifeless last week while the Raiders lost a heartbreaker on the road in the final seconds. Terrell Pryor has the Raiders gaining some respect and relevance again, while the Jags are a mess. They switched from Blaine Gabbert to Chad Henne in an attempt to spark something. Henne was 25 of 38 for 241 yards and one touchdown. Pryor was only 15 of 24 for 126 yards. Yet Pryor also ran for 50 yards and Darren McFadden added 129 more. Pryor managed the game and did not make the critical mistake.
Marcel Reece ran it in from 11 yards out as the Raiders led 7-0 early on. In the second quarter Josh Scobee kicked a 27 yard field goal to have the Jaguars within 7-3. The rest of the game was a dreadful affair as the Raiders kept driving but remained dysfunctional in the red zone. That was better than the Jaguars, who had nothing to offer at all. Sebastian Janikowski missed a field goal, but then connected from 46, in the second quarter, 30 in the third quarter, and 29 twice in the fourth quarter to make it 19-3 Raiders.
A garbage touchdown with 3 minutes left followed by a failed 2 point conversion should have been the least inspiring end to a game. Instead it came on the final play. Jacksonville faced 3rd and 5 at the Oakland 30 with 16 seconds left. Henne completed a 6 yard pass and got the first down as the clock ran out. The Raiders got to 1-1 as Dennis Allen and the team pumped up its win. However, they beat the worst team in football, and should hold off on the optimism until they get better wins. 19-9 Raiders
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks—This game was expected to be a defensive barefooted slobberknocker, and these teams on this night were exactly what we thought they were. This game had several delays, first due to weather and then due to an injury after a violent collision. Frank Gore was called for holding in the end zone for a Seattle safety. Colin Kapernick was then hit and fumbled, giving Seattle the ball at the 49ers 29. Seattle settled for a 30 yard Steve Hauschka field goal and a 5-0 halftime lead.
The Seahawks began the third quarter at their 20 and Russell Wilson went deep to Baldwin for a 51 yard gain. Marshawn Lynch ran it in from 14 yards out as the Seahawks built a 12-0 lead. Kaepernick moved the 49ers to the Seattle 3 yard line but no further as they settled for a field goal. Seattle came back but soon faced 3rd and 28 from the Frisco 42 A short pass to set up a field goal turned into 1st and 10 when Aldon Smith committed a dumb personal foul on defense after the play ended. On 3rd and 4 from the 7, Wilson hit Lynch for the touchdown to make it 19-3 early in the fourth quarter. Richard Sherman then intercepted Kaepernick to set up another field goal as Hauschka made it 22-3 Seahawks. Another interception of Kaepernick, this time by Kam Chancellor, was returned to the Frisco 2 yard line. Lynch did the rest to complete the blowout. 29-3 Seahawks
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers—A 40 yard punt return set up a 44 yard Shawn Suisham field goal and a 3-0 Steelers lead. Red Rifle Andy Dalton went deep to Eifert for a 61 yard gain to set up a 7 yard Bernard run and a 7-3 Bengals lead. Mike Nugent tacked on a 41 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Bengals. With 3 minutes left in the half Big Ben Roethlisberger, on 3rd and 8 from the Pittsburgh 37, went to Emanuel Sanders for gains of 19 and 43. Roethlisberger hit Moye for the one yard score to tie the game 10-10.
In the third quarter Dalton went to Bernard for a 27 yard touchdown and a 17-10 Bengals lead. In the fourth quarter Dalton led a 14 play drive that chewed up 7 minutes of clock. Nugent hit the 25 yard field goal to give the Bengals a 20-10 cushion. With 5 minutes left and the Steelers facing 3rd and 2 from the Cincy 27, Big Ben had his pass deflected and intercepted. It was not pretty but the Bengals got the win as the Pittsburgh offensive misery continued. 20-10 Bengals
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