THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

NFL 2012 Week 11 Recap

Miami Dolphins @ Buffalo Bills was the Thursday night game. The game was delayed at the start due to a security risk when police mistakenly thought that the Unabomber was on the sideline. It turned out to be Buffalo Head Coach Chan Gailey sporting a very sinister looking beard. As for the game, it would not replace Dan Marino and Jim Kelly in the pantheon of epic matches.

Miami went 3 and out and punted, and Leodis McKelvin returned it 79 yards for a touchdown. Just 90 seconds into the game, the Bills led 7-0. Later in the quarter Miami fumbled and Buffalo took over at their own 48. On 3rd and 10 Ryan Fitzpatrick hit Stevie St Johnson for gains of 15 and 16. Ryan Lindell would hit a 32 yarder to make it 10-0 Bills. Yet 12 seconds later it was the Dolphins with their own special teams touchdown as Thigpen took the ensuing kickoff 96 yards the other way. The Dolphins were down 10-7, although viewers could have turned off the television at that point.

Much of the rest of the game was a slog. Buffalo moved from their own 24 to a 3rd and 1 at the Miami 16. Fitzptrick threw incomplete and Chan Gailey decided not to go for it. Lindell hit his second field goal from 34 yards to make it 13-7 Bills after the first quarter.

In the second quarter the Bills faced 3rd and 5 from their own 17. Fitzpatrick threw incomplete but a 31 yard defensive pass interference call moved the chains. Yet on 3rd and 3 from the Miami 17, Fitzpatrick was sacked. Lindell hit his third field goal from 42 yards to make it 16-7 Bills.

At the 2 minute warning Miami punted on 4th and 15 from their own 2. Buffalo took over at their own 47. CJ Spiller caught a pass for 13 yarda and then ran for 20 and 4. On 3rd and 8 from the 18 Fitzpatrick hit St Johnson for 14 but onl 15 seconds remained. On 1st and goal at the one with 6 seconds left, Fitzpatrick threw incomplete. Chan Gailey again opeted for the field goal and Lindell’s fourth kick from 19 yards out made it 19-7 Bills at the half. Buffalo took the rest of the night off, and Miami for the most part did as well.

In the third quarter Buffalo moved from their 21 to a 2nd and 7 at the Miami 36. Yet a pair of incompletions was followed by Chan Gailey playing it safe and punting. Miami moved from their 36 to a 4th and 7 at the Buffalo 32. Dan Carpenter came in for a 50 yard field goal, which was no good.

In the fourth quarter, Miami took over and soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 27. Ryan Tannehill hit Duane Bess for 9 yards. Defensive pass interference on the next play added 30 more yards. Reggie Bush gained 11 and Tannehill hit Bess for 14 more. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Tannehill hit Bess in the end zone. Initially Bess was ruled out of bounds, but Joe Philbin challenged the call. On reversal, the Dolphins were within 5 points after the 11 play, 81 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. 8 1/2 minutes still remained.

Buffalo would punt, and Miami was trapped at their own one yard line with 4 1/2 minutes left. After barely avoiding a safety, the Dolphins moved to their own 32 at the 2 minute warning. Tannehill went deep and Byrd made a diving interception, literally robbing away a reception. The acrobatic pick appeared to ice the game. Yet the Dolphins had all of their timeouts, and on 3rd and 1 from their own 44, Buffalo saw Spiller get belted back for a one yard loss. Miami would have one more chance at their own 16 with 0 timeouts and 1:24 to play.

Tannehill hit Bess for 18 and Ryan Mathews for 19, and despite being down all game Miami had a chance to win. On 1st and 20 from their 43, Tannehill was intercepted again by Scott. It was not pretty but the Bills escaped for a win that will not affect the playoff race in any way. 19-14 Bills

Arizona Cardinals @ Atlanta Falcons–A bad team that has lost five straight games travels on the road to play a very good team angry over losing their first game after winning eight straight. This is not why they play the games.

A surprising start had Atlanta start at their own 27 and Matt Ryan get intercepted on the first play by Johnson. Johnson returned it 34 yards to the Atlanta 9. Larod Stephens-Howling gained 6 and then the final 3 as the Cardinals led 7-0 only one minute into the game. Atlanta then went 3 and out without gaining a yard, and the Cardinals took over at their own 30. Stephens-Howling then broke free for a 40 yard gain. The Cardinals ot nothing more, but Jay Feely drilled a 48 yard field goal to put Arizona up 10-0 in front of a stunned home crowd.

Things got uglier as the Falcons faced 2nd and 10 from the Arizona 29. Ryan was intercepted for the second time. They would not capitalize, and the Falcons faced 3rd and 6 from their own 11. For the third time in the first quarter, Ryan was intercepted. Arizona took over at the Atlanta 18. On 4th and 1 from the 9, Ken Whisenhunt played it safe. Feely hit the 28 yarder as the Cardinals looked like the 4-0 team from early this year as they led 13-0.

The Falcons woke up in the second quarter which began with them facing 3rd and 6 from their 24. Ryan hit Roddy Rhite for a 9 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from their 35, Ryan hit Tony Gonzalez for 12. On 3rd and 7 from midfield, Ryan hit Jaquez Rodgers for 9. Yet on 3rd and 1 from the Arizona 32, Jason Snelling got blown up in the backfield for a one yard loss. Matt Bryant hit the 51 yard field goal to get the Falcons on the board down 13-3.

While it was John “Red” Skelton startig the game, the second quarter saw Lindley come at quarterback with the Cardinals at their own 14. On 3rd and 3 from their 21, Lindley was hit by John Abraham and fumbled. Julian Babineaux picked it up and raced 15 yards for a score to get the Falcons within 13-10. This was a microcosm of the entire Arizona season for Ken Whisenhunt.

Atlanta would take over midway through the second quarter at their own 9 and Ryan went deep to White for gains of 37 and 19. Yet despite 1st and goal at the 10, a failed run and a pair of incompletions meant Matt Bryant from 28 yards. With 1:56 left in the half the game was tied 13-13.

Arizona began at their own 6 yard line with 1:45 on the clock. Stephens-Howling immediately broke free for a 52 yard gain. Lindley hit Floyd for 17 more. Yet Lindley threw incomplete on 3rd and 5 from the Atlanta 20. Feely hit from 38 to make it 16-13 Cardinals. Atlanta got it back after a touchback but with only 32 seconds on the clock. Matty Ice hit Snelling for 13 and Rodgers for 17 to midfield. Ryan hit Julio Jones for 20 as the Falcons took their last timeout with 2 seconds left at the half. Bryant hit the 48 yarder as each kicker made 3 field goals in sending the game to halftime deadlocked 16-16.

Despite the action of the first half, the second half was lifeless.

Arizona saw a promising drive end with a sack of Lindley. Atlanta fumbled away an opportunity. Late in the third quarter after a touchback Matt Ryan threw his fourth interception. Arizona took over at the Atlanta 16. The defense held, but on the first play of the fourth quarter Feely hit his fourth field goal from 27 yards out to make it 19-16 Cardinals.

After an exchange of punts, Atlanta took over at their own 30. Ryan hit Douglas for 11 and then again for 26 more. Ryan then went to White for 18. On 3rd and 5 from the 10, Ryan hit Gonzalez for 9. Michael Turner got the last yard as the Falcons led by 4 points with 6 1/2 minutes to play.

Arizona went 3 and out and Atlanta had it on their own 36 with 5 minutes left. Yet rather than grind down clock, Mike Smith had Matt Ryan keep throwing. Ryan threw his fifth interception, this time to Acho. With 4 minutes left, Arizona had been given gift field position at the Atlanta 32. Yet on 4th and 2 from the 24, Lindley threw incomplete.

The Cardinals were out of timeouts, and everything came down to 3rd and 2 at the Atlanta 32 just shy of the 2 minute warning. Yet Rodgers gained 6 yards allowing Atlanta to run out the clock. Matt Ryan was 28 of 46 for 301 yards, but he had 5 interceptions without a touchdown. Yet Atlanta won. The last time a quarterback with 0 touchdowns and 5 picks one a game wa Bart Starr with the 1967 Packers. They won it all, and that means winning ugly sometimes. Lombardi was not concerned with beauty, and neither are coaches today. Arizona is all but done, while Atlanta is 9-1 and showing their resiliency. 23-19 Falcons

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Carolina Panthers–Greg Schiano has seen his Buccaneers get to 5-4 after a couple of wins over AFC West teams. Carolina is having a miserable year, but with the Panthers one does not know what to expect.

Tampa Bay punted and Carolina fumbled it away, giving the Buccaneers the ball at the Carolina 29. On 3rd and 1, Freeman gained 2. Freeman would hit Byham for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Buccaneers. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 48 and and Josh Freeman hit Vincent Jackson for 19 yards. That was enough for Connor Barth to hit a 51 yard field goal to have the Buccaneers up 10-0.

The Buccaneers were in total control of the game when the Panthers punted on 4th and 26 from their own 4. Tampa took over just shy of midfield and was marching toward a possible early knockout blow as they faced 3rd and 8 from the Carolina 30. At that moment the game change as Freeman was intercepted by Munnerlyn, who returned it 74 yards the other way as the Panthers were only down 10-7 after the first quarter.

Momentum had changed, and in the second quarter the Panthers got it back at their own 23. Jimmy Stewart gained 11 and caught a pass from Cam Newton for 30 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Tampa 28 Newton hit Steve Smith for 11 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the 11 Newton threw incomplete, but defensive pass interference put the ball on the one. Stewart got in as the Panthers led 14-10. With 3 minutes left in the half it was the Panthers looking to widen the lead as they faced 3rd and 9 from the Bucs 12. Newton threw a touchdown to Steve Smith, but Smith was called for offensive pass interference. Medlock missed the 40 yard field goal as the game remained 14-10 at halftime.

Early in the third quarter the Panthers faced 4th and 6 at their own 41. Ron Rivera gambled on a fake punt, and it didn’t work. Nakamura was tackled for a loss and the Bucs took over at the Carolina 37. Freeman went deep right away but was intercepted. In the fourth quarter Freeman led a time consuming drive from the Tampa 19 to a 4th and 1 at the Carolina 2. Doug Martin got the carry and the first down, but right at the goal line was hit and fumbled. Carolina recovered in the end zone for a touchback. Greg Schiano challenged the call, and it appeared that the ball may have just broken the plane of the goal. Yet the call was upheld and the score remained 14-10 with 10 1/2 minutes in regulation.

On 3rd and 2 from their own 28, Newton hit Brad LaFell for 20. On 3rd and 4 from the Tampa 46, Newton hit Smith for 17 and then went deep to Lafell for the 29 yard touchdown. Newton did his Superman pose and with only 6 minutes oleft in the game the Panthers led 21-10.

Yet this Tampa team under Schiano is very resilient. Freeman quickly moved the Bucs from their 20 to a 3rd and 2 at the Carolina 22. Freeman hen threw incomplete, and needing 2 scores, Schiano opted for the field goal. Barth hit from 40, but the Bucs were still down 21-13 with only 4 minutes left.

After a touchback, Newton hit Smith for 11 as the Bucs were forced to use all of their timeouts. With 3 minutes left Carolina faced 3rd and 11 from their own 30. Newton hit Louis Murphy for 12 and a critical first down, but Murphy ran out of bounds to stop the clock. Nevertheless, unable to stop the clock, it all came down to the 2 minute warning and the Panthers facing 3rd and 12 at their own 40. Newton scrambled himself and came up one yard short as the clock ticked down. On 4th and 1 just past midfield, Ron Rivera decided to punt. The Bucs would get it back after a touchback with 0 timeouts and only one minute left.

Freeman hit Tywuon Underwood for 18 yards, and unnecessary roughness tacked on 15 more and stopped the clock. With 32 seconds left, facing 3rd and 4 at the Carolina 41, Freeman found Vincent Jackson for 17 yards. After spiking the ball to stop the clock, only 20 seconds remained. Freeman went deep to the end zone and found Jackson for the 24 yard touchdown in front of a disbelieving home crowd. Carolina called a timeout before the 2 point conversion try. It didn’t matter, as Freeman faked the handoff and found Jackson in the back of the end zone. The miracle comeback meant a 21-21 ballgame and overtime.

Tampa won the coin toss and took over at their own 20. Doug Martin was the one man wrecking crew, rushing for 11 and 27. Freeman hit Mike Williams for 13. Then Martin gained 7 and 2. On 3rd and 1 at the 9, Freeman hit Jackson for 4. Freman then fired to Dallas Clark, who raced for the 15 yard touchdown in front of a crowd that was now stone cold silent. Carolina would never get the ball as 17 unanswered points late in the fourth quarter and overtime ended things. Carolina is only a two win team for a reason. As for the Bucs, Schiano has turned them around. They have won 4 straight and 5 of 6 to get to a 6-4 record, very much in the playoff hunt. 27-21 Buccaneers, OT

Cleveland Browns @ Dallas Cowboys–The Browns are terrible, while Dallas got a much needed divisional road win to get to 4-5 and perhaps save their season.

A field position game had Dallas punting twice, and Cleveland beginning their second possession at the Dallas 48. On 3rd and 2 Brandon Weeden hit Trent Richardson for 7 and Gordon for 13. On 3rd and 1 from the 11, Ogbayanna got the yard. On 3rd and goal from the 10 Weeden hit Watson for the touchdown as the 7-0 Browns lead had Jerry Jones threatening to blow up his 1.2 billion dollar metropolis if they lost to Cleveland.

Cleveland began the second quarter facing 3rd and 5 at the Dallas 47 when Weeden hit Gordon for 13. That was enough for original Dawg Pound member Phil Dawson hit a 51 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Browns. Dallas was lifeless on offense as Cleveland got it back at their own 27. On 3rd and 8 from their 45, a Weeden incompletion was offset by unnecessary roughness on the defense. That was enough for the Browns to move in position for Dawson to connect again from 37 yards. Shellshocked home fans saw the 2-7 Browns beating up Dallas 13-0 at intermission.

After a punt in the third quarter, Dallas took over at their own 20. Tony Romo hit Dez Brant for 13 and Felix Jones gained 12. Yet on 2nd and 6 from the 19, Romo was sacked. Dan Bailey did hit a 44 yard field goal, but the Cowboys still trailed 13-3 after three quarters. Just remember, these are the Browns.

A surprise squib kick failed, yet from their own 44, Cleveland went 3 and out. Dallas got it back at their own 11. Romo hit Bryant for 6 and again for 30. Romo hit Ogletree for 10 and defensive pass interference on the next play added 13 more yards. Dallas began the fourth quarter with 2nd and 5 at the Cleveland 18. Romo hit Jason Witten for 5 and Bryant for 11. Jones got the last couple as the Cowboys were within 13-10.

Cleveland again went 3 and out and the Cowboys got it back at their own 42. On 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 44, Felix Jones went nowhere. On 4th and 1 Jason Garrett decided to go for it. Romo hit Vickers for 3 to keep the chains moving. On 3rd and 6 from the Cleveland 37, Romo hit Witten for 9. Romo then went deep to Brant for a 28 yard touchdown. The Cowboys led 17-13 as the football world conceded that these are the Browns.

Cleveland took over at their own 12, and with 6 minutes left faced 2nd and 10 from their 29. Weeden was sacked and fumbled, and Dallas took over at the Cleveland 18. These are the Browns. Yet looking to now ice the game, offensive holding and a sack of Romo forced him to fumble, and the Browns got it back at their own 35. This year, these have been the Cowboys. 5 minutes remained.

Weeden hit Little for 17 and Gordon for 23 more. On 3rd and 3 from the 16, Weeden hit Watson for 10. Trent Richardson gained 5 as Dallas used their timeouts to preserve the clock in case Cleveland scored. On 3rd and goal at the one Richardson leapt over the top and got belted backward. With 1:47 to play it came down to 4th and goal at the one. Weeden threw a fade route so far to the corner that it was caught way out of bounds. These are the Browns. The goal line stand did not end things because the Browns had all 3 of their timeouts. Jason Garrett went more conservative than Rick Perry, hammering Jones into te line 3 times. Dallas took only 19 seconds off of the clock.

On 4th and 8 from their own 4, Dallas punted. Josh Cribbs returned it 21 yards to the Dallas 32. A questionable horsecollar tackle came went Joshua Cribbs was pulled down by his long hair. While that may be bush league, it is not against the rules. From the Dallas 17, Cleveland needed one play for the famed Weeden to Watson combination. Only 1:07 remained and th Browns were up 20-17. Dallas was 80 yards away from the end zone without a timeout. The only thing in their favor was that they were playing the Browns.

From the 24, an incompletion was nullified by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Cleveland. These are the Browns. Romo hit Miles Austin for 12. Romo went deep incomplete, but a 35 yard defensive pass interference penalty made it 1st and 10 at the 14. These are the Browns. On 3rd and 5 from the 9 with 12 seconds left, a delay of game penalty and incompletion left only 6 seconds and 4th and 10. Bailey hit the chip shot from 32 as the game went into overtime tied 20-20.

Dallas moved from their 20 to a 3rd and 2 at the Cleveland 41 in overtime. Yet an incompletion meant a punt, and the game now became sudden death. Cleveland went 3 and out and Harris returned the punt 20 yards to the Cleveland 48. Romo hit Austin for 9 and Dunbar gained 7. On 3rd and 2 from the 24, Dunbar gained 3. At this point Dunbar gained one more yard just to center the ball. On 2nd and 9 from the 20 with 6 minutes left in overtime, Bailey came in for the 38 yarder to win it. It was good, and Dallas survived a scare to get to 5-5, only one game out of the NFC East division lead. Jason Garrett kept his job for another week as Jerry Jones did not hit the detonate button. As for 2-8 Cleveland, everyone say it with me. These are the Browns. 23-20 Cowboys, OT

Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions–The Packers are clicking after early season struggles while Detroit is regressing after Jim Schwartz got them to the playoffs last year. Yet Detroit often plays well at home against NFC North foes.

A field position game had the Packers starting at the Detroit 48. Yet on 4th and 4 from the Detroit 31, Mike McCarth decided to go for it rather than kick a 49 yard field goal. Mason Crosby has been very shaky lately, missing 5 of his last 10. Aaron Rodgers threw incomplete to end the drive. Detroit faced 3rd and 12 from their 29 when Matthew Stafford went deep to Megatron Calvin Johnson. Between 2 defenders, Johnson did what he does for a 53 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 3, Stafford was sacked for a loss. Old Reliable Jason Hanson, who has been kicking field goals since feet were invented, hit the 30 yarder to make it 3-0 Lions.

The Packers moved the ball and the second quarter began with Green Bay facing 3rd and 3 at the Detroit 42. Rodgers hit Jordy Nelson for 19, Randall Cobb for 3, and Jermaine Finley for a 20 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Packers.

Stafford took his turn from the Detroit 26, hitting Heller for 17. On 3rd and 9 from their 47, Stafford hit Johnson for 21. On 3rd and 3 from the Packers 25, Stafford again went to Johnson for 14. Leshoure gained 10 and then the final yard as the Lions retook the lead 10-7.

With 2 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Lions had 1st and 10 at the Packers 29. Yet Stafford was intercepted by Hayward, who returned it 20 yards to the Green Bay 48. Rodgers was then quickly intercepted, and the Lions had it back at their 33 with 1:51 left. On 3rd and 10 from the Detroit 43, Stafford was sacked and fumbled. Green Bay took over at the Detroit 42. With 3 seconds lef in the half, Crosby came in for a 50 yard field goal try. He misse dit wide right, but Jim Schwartz did the Mike Shanahan timeout at the last moment that everyone hates so much. Given a second chance, this time Crosby was wide right as a disgusted Mike McCarthy saw the Packers trailing 10-7 at the break.

Midway through the third quarter the Lions faced 3rd and 10 at the Green Bay 44. Stafford fired over the middle to Tony Scheffler, but it bounced off of Scheffler’s fingertips. It caromed straight into the arms of the doctor, MD Jennings. Jennings broke tackles, got to the sideline, had a convoy, and dove just over the pileon for a 72 yard touchdown return. There was a flag on the play, but it was an illegal block against Stafford of all people. The Packers had the 14-10 lead.

Detroit took over at their own 17. Leshoure gained 5 and a facemask on the next play added 15. On 3rd and 2 from the Detroit 45, Stafford hit Pettigrew for 12. Leshoure gained 5 and 12. On 2nd and 20 from the Packers 25, Staffors went deep to Johnson, who did what he does. The touchdown had the Lions back on top 17-14 after three quarters.

Early in the fourth quarter confusion reigned as the Packers faced 4th and 5 at the Detroit 40. Mike McCarthy appeared to be trying a fake field goal when the Packers were called for illegal motion. The Packers punted. Detroit went 3 and out and the Packers got it back at the Detroit 44. On 3rd and 2 from the Lions 20, Rodgers threw incomplete. Crosby came in for the tying kick, this one only from 38 yards out. Again Crosby was no good as his struggles continued with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

From their 28, Leshoure gained 4 and 5. On 3rd and 1 Stafford hit Broyles for a 27 yard gain and Young for 24 more. With 5 1/2 minutes left the Lions had 1st and goal at the 10 with a chance to ice it. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 9, Stafford fired incomplete. Hanson hit the 27 yard field goal, but with 4 1/2 minutes left the Lions only led 20-14.

From their own 18, Starks gained 11. Rodgers hit Finley on a short pass that went for a 40 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the Detroit 22, Rodgers fired to the end zone for Randall Cobb. Safety help was one split second too late as Rodgers split the double coverage for the touchdown. The see-saw game had the Packers up 21-20 as the Lions took over at their own 25 with 1:48 to play.

4 incompletions and a false start meant a turnover on downs as 4th and 15 from their own 20 went nowhere. The Lions still had two timeouts, and on 3rd and 10 Mike McCarthy ran it to bleed the clock. With 24 seconds to play Crosbya came in again for a 39 yarder. This time Crosby was good. Down by 4, the Lions needed a touchdown to win.

On 3rd and 10 from their own 37 with 3 seconds left, the Lions were out of Hail Mary range. The hook and ladder was the only chance. Stafford found Johnson for a 30 yard gain to the Packers 33, but the first lateral went straight to Green Bay. The Packers got to 7-3 while the Lions are slipping out of contention. 24-20 Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Houston Texans–This is absolutely not why they play the game. One of the worst teams in the league at 1-8 goes on the road to play one of the best teams at 8-1. This could get very ugly very early on.

Houston made it look easy at the start from their own 16. Matt Schaub hit Andre Johnson for 7, 22, and then deep for a 45 yard gain. A 9 yard touchdown pass to Martin quickly had the Texans up 7-0 as the league reconsidered its policy of canceling games. Jacksonville would fumble on their first possession, but when the Texans failed to capitalize the game became surprisingly competitive.

With 4 1/2 minutes left in the opening quarter the Jaguars took over at their own 19. Blaine Gabbert had gotten injured earlier in the game when he fumbled, and now Chad Henne was in. Henne went deep to Justin Blackmon for a 63 yard gain. On 3rd and 5 from the 13, Henne hit Mercedes Lewis for the score to make it 7-7 after one. The second quarter began with Houston facing 4th and 6 at the Jacksonville 36. Gary Kubiak decided to play it safe and punt. Jacksonville took over at their own 19. From their 33, Henne hit Chris Shorts on a short pass that suddenly became a 67 yard touchdown as the Jaguars led 14-7 on the road.

Martin returned the kickoff 54 yards to the Jacksonville 48. Schaub found Johnson for 15. Forsett gained 9 and 3 and Arriun Foster gained 9, 6, and 3. Yet with the running game doing it all, from the one yard line Schaub crossed up the Jaguars and threw the touchdown to Casey to make it 14-14 midway through the second quarter.

Jacksonville kept moving the ball from their 31 as Paralee gained 12 and 2 and Henne found Lewis for a 26 yard gain. The drive would stall, but Josh Scobee hit a 43 yard field goal. The Jaguars are 1-8 and the Texans are 8-1, but it was Jacksonville up 17-14 with 3 minutes left in the half.

Yet a few seconds later and special teams had Houston starting at the Jacksonville 31. The drive stopped but Shane Graham hit a 42 yard field goal as the teams went to the locker rooms tied 17-17.

Jacksonville kept the pressure on in the second half. After a touchback, Henne went deep to Blackmon for a 39 yard gain. On 3rd and 10 Henne hit Blackmon again for 11. On 3rd and 2 from the Houston 22, Henne threw incomplete. Scobee hit from 40 as the Jaguars led 20-17. Houston soon faced 3rd and 17 from their own 26 when Foster lost 4 yards and fumbled. The Jaguars took over at the Houston 11. Henne hit Michael Spurlock for 10. On 3rd and goal from the 1, Henne hit Lewis for the score as the Jaguars led 27-17.

Houston moved from their 26, helped along by a 30 yard completion from Matt Schaub to Graham. Yet on 3rd and 1 from the Jacksonville 9, Foster got nothing. On 4th and 1 Gary Kubiak, needing 2 scores, opted for the field goal. Graham hit from 27 to get the Texans to within 27-20.

The fourth quarter began with the Jaguars punting from their own 23. Martin returned the kick 71 yards to the Jacksonville 23. Yet 2 plays later Schaub was intercepted. Jacksonville after a sack and penalty faced 3rd and 21 from their own 19. Henne went deep and found Justin Blackmon, who bounced off a couple of terrible attempts at tackling and completed the 81 yard touchdown. Wade Phillips may be the best defensive coordinator in the game, but his defense was being shredded by the worst team in football. This game was supposed to be a laugher, but now the Texans were fighting for their lives. Instead of a 27-27 game, they were down 34-20 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The issue would be if Jacksonville could finish things.

On 3rd and 1 from their 29, Foster got the yard. Schaub then hit Casey for 8, and then played pitch and catch with Graham for gains of 5, 8, 6, and 19. Unnecessary roughness moved the bal to the 12. On 3rd and 1 from the 3, Foster got just enough. From the one, Foster got stopped twice as the clock kept ticking down. On 3rd and goal at the one, Schaub went back to Graham for the score as the Texans were within 34-27 with 5 1/2 minutes to play.

Jacksonville went 3 and out and the Texans were backed up to their own 10 with 4 minutes left. Schaub went deep to Johnson for 20, to Walter for 11, to Owen Daniels for 18, Walter for 13, Johnson for 7, and Johnson for 14 to make it 1st and goal at the 7 at the 2 minute warning. Schaub threw a 5 yard touchdown pass to Graham as his passing clinic when it counted tied the game 34-34. Jacksonville had blown a 14 point lead late. They went 3 and out and were in full self-destruction mode.

1:07 still remained, the Texans were at their own 35, and they had 2 timeouts left. On the first play Schaub went deep to Johnson for a 35 yard gain as the Texans were already in field goal range. Gary Kubiak bled the clock, and with five seconds left on 3rd and 4 from the 24, Shane Graham came in for the winning 42 yard kick. A false start moved Houston back from 5 yards out, and from 47, Graham was no good. Jacksonville had life.

Houston won the toss and began overtime at their 20. Schaub hit Johnson for 11 and and Foster for 9. On 3rd and 1 from their 40, Foster got the yard. Schaub hit Daniels for 9 to midfield. Foster gained 6 and 3 and Schaub hit Walter for 12 down to the 29. Foster gained 7. On 3rd and 2 from the 21, Schaub threw incomplete. Yet defensive pass interference put the ball on the 9. On 3rd and goal at the 7 Schaub threw incomplete. Shane Graham hit the 25 yarder to complete the 80 yard, 7 minute drive. Yet under the new overtime rules the game was not over. Houston had the 3 point lead, but Jacksonville would get one chance with the football.

Jacksonville took over at their 32. Henne gained 4 and threw incomplete, but unnecessary roughness meant 1st and 10 just past midfield. A run gained nothing and Henne fired incomplete twice. Jacksonville took a timeout as everything came down to 4th and 10 at the Houston 49. Henne found Blackmon for 15 and again the Jaguars were still alive. Parmalee then broke free for a 28 yard gain. The Jaguars had 1st and goal at the 6. Now even winning the game was as possible as the tying field goal. Parmalee got the carry again and lost 4 yards as the both teams took their second and final timeouts of overtime back to back with 4 1/2 minutes left.

On 2nd and goal from the 10, a false start followed by a pair of incompletions meant Scobee from 33 yards out to tie it. He was good, and the game stayed tied 37-37. Now it was sudden death, and the Texans took over at their 20 with 4:20 left. Last week saw the first tie in 4 years, and this had the chance to be the second one in 2 weeks.

From the Houston 39, the roller coaster continued as Schaub was intercepted by Cox. Cox returned the ball 16 yards and now the Jaguars had a short field at the Houston 47. A pair of incompletions and a failed run meant 4th and 10 from the 47. With 2 1/2 minutes to play and neither team having a timeout, the decision was whether to punt and play field position or gamble and risk giving Houston great field position. Jacksonville is 1-8, so why the hell not go for it? They did, Henne threw incomplete, and Houston took over. On 2nd and 5 from the Jacksonville 48, Schaub threw a short pass to Johnson, and the beast broke free for the touchdown. Jacksonville remained the worst team at 1-9 while Houston survived the megascare to get to an NFL best 9-1. Chris Berman reminds us that “That’s why they play the games.” Yes it is, and while this was not one of the all time greatest upsets in football, it was still a fantastic game from beginning to end. 43-37 Texans, OT

Cincinnati Bengals @ Kansas City Chiefs–The Bengals got a stunning win last week against the defending champions, and this week play one of the worst teams in football. The Bengals have a slim chance to save their season.

After an exchange of punts the Chiefs took over at their own 25. Matt Cassel hit Moeaki for 22 yards. Jamal Charles ran for 17, 2, 10, and 5. Yet on 3rd and 5 from the Cincy 19, a completion to Dexter McCluster came up 2 yards short. Romeo Crennel went with Ryan Succop, who hit the 34 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Chiefs. After not leading all year until last week, the Chiefs have a lead in consecutive weeks.

Cincinnati could not gain a first down but Marvin Lewis decided to go very bold by calling for a fake punt on 4th and 3 from his own 29. Peerman took the direct snap and gained 32 yards around the end. Then the Bengals again decided to go for it on 4th and 7 from the Chiefs 36. This time Andy Dalton gained 11 yards. Dalton hit Gresham for 18 yards and AJ Green for a 4 yard toudown to make it 7-3 Bengals after the first quarter. The first quarter ended with Peyton Hillis fumbling and the Bengals taking over at the Chiefs 34. Yet the second qurter saw 3rd and 2 from the 26, where Dalton was sacked. Mike Nugent missed the 50 yard field goal. The Bengals would get it back at their own 43. Dalton went deep to Green for a 40 yard gain, with unnecessary roughness setting up 1st and goal at the 8. On 3rd and goal at the 11, Dalton hit Gresham for what was initially ruled a touchdown. Yet on further review it was 4th and goal at the 1. Again Marvin Lewis decided to go for it and again he was rewarded as Dalton got in to make it 14-3 Bengals midway through the second quarter.

The Bengals got it back at their 21 with 6 minutes left in the half. On 3rd and 7 Dalton hit Gresham for 11. Ben-Javis Green-Ellis baked blackbirds in a pie with some extra by gaining 4 and 21. Peerman gained 17 and Dalton hit Gresham for 17 more. The Bengals fumbled but retained possession. Green-Ellis ran it in from one yard out to make it 21-3 Bengals.

With 53 seconds after a touchback, Matt Cassel did lead the Chiefs to a 1st and 5 at the Cincy 15. Succop hit from 33 as 21 unanswered points finally saw the Chiefs on the board again. Their 3-0 lead a distant memory, the worst team in football trailed 21-6 at halftime. League rules were the only thing that forced the second half to be played. An uneventful second half would see Dalton throw a 14 yard touchdown pass to Sanu in the fourth quarter to complete the scoring in this snoozefest. 28-6 Bengals

New York Jets @ St. Louis Rams–The Jets are an imploding mess as the Rex Ryan circus seems to have worn thin on Woody Johnson. Meanwhile, Jeff Fisher has the Rams fighting hard, as they went on the road and took the 49ers to a tie last week.

The Jets moved from their 20 to a 3rd and 6 at the Rams 40. Sanchez was then sacked to kill the drive. the Rams began at their own 14 and Stephen Jackson gained 11, 5, and 2. On 3rd and 3 from their 32, Sam Bradford hit Danny Amendola and McNeil for 9 yard gains. On 3rd and 4 from their 47, Bradford went deep to Pettis for a 36 yard gain. From the 1 yard line on 2nd and goal and 3rd and goal, Jeff Fisher called pass plays rather than go smashmouth. A pair of incompletions meant 4th and goal from the 1. Fisher decided to go for it, and he called another pass play. Bradford hit Gibson for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Rams and complete the 14 play, 6 1/2 minute, 86 yard drive.

The Jets soon faced 3rd and 3 from their 44 and Sanchez hit McKnight for an 18 yard gain. That was enough for Nick Folk to drill a 51 yard field goal to get the Jets within 7-3 after the first quarter. The second quarter began with the Rams facing 3rd and 10 from their own 17. Bradford was intercepted by Smith, giving the Jets gift field position at the Rams 13. They squandered it as a 26 yard Folk field goal was blocked. Yet with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half and the Rams facing 2nd and 8 at the Jets 31, disaster struck the Rams again. Bradford was sacked for a 12 yard loss and fumbled. Bart Scott returned the fumble 38 yards to the Rams 28. 2 plays later Sanchez threw a 25 yard pass to Chaz Schilens as the Jets led 10-7.

With 3 minutes left in the half the Jets took over at their 34 and on 2nd and 16 Sanchez found Kerley for a 32 yard gain at the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 10 a completion came up 3 yards short. Nick Folk hit the 51 yarder as the Jets led 13-7 with one minute left in the half. Drama ensued as Givens returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. Yet rather than 14-13 Rams, it was an illegal block and a 13-7 haltime lead for the Jets.

With 6 minutes left in the third quarter the Jets took over at their 37. Sanchez gained 8 and hit Dustin Keller from midfield for a 10 yard gain. Sanchez hit Schilens for 9 and on 3rd and 3 from the Rams 23, Sanchez found Reuland for 18 yards. The fourth quarter began with the Jets facing 3rd and goal at the 5. Powell took it up the middle to have the Jets up 20-7. On the next series the Rams fumbloed at their own 35, and the Jets took over at the Rams 38. Gates gained 12, and on 3rd and 9 Sanchez hit Powell for 11. On 3rd and 7 from the 11, Powell again went up the middle for the touchdown as the Jets had a commanding 27-7 lead.

Givens returned the kickoff 48 yards to the Rams 44. Bradford would throw a 2 yard touchdown to Gibson with 6 minutes to play, but it was too little, too late. The 2 point conversion failed, and the Jets had the road win. Woody Johnson said he did not sign up for a 3-6 season, and Rex Ryan and everyone else may be on the chopping block. Yte while 3-7 is game over, 4-6 is a sliver of hope. 3 years ago rookie head coach Rex Ryan had a 4-6 team that lost 6 of 7 after a 3-0 start. They then went 5-1 down the stretch and took a 9-7 team to the AFC Title Game. 27-13 Jets

Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Redskins–Walrus Lite Andy Reid and the Eagles are on the ropes, and now with Michael Vick injured Nick Foles will get his first NFL start. Jeffrey Lurie is expected to clean house, with everything but rehiring Donovan McNabb an option.

One knock on Michael Vick is that he turns it over too much. Yet this was the Nick Foles era. 3 plays into the game, on 3rd and 8 from their 23, Foles was intercepted by Hall. Hall returned it 22 yards to the Philly 9. Robert Griffin III hit Young for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Eagles less than 2 minutes in.

The Eagles did move the ball, and the second quarter opened with Philly facing 3rd and 8 at the Washington 23. Foles threw incomplete and the Eagles settled for a 41 yard Henery field goal to trail 7-3. Yet RGIII came right back. On 3rd and 6 from the Washington 24, RGIII gained 10. From just past midfield, RGIII went for it all and found Robinson for a 49 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Redskins.

The game stayed the same as the Eagles had 1st and 10 at their own 12 with 36 seconds left in the half. Just trying to run out the clock, Walrus Lite Andy Reid watched as McCoy coughed it up and Washington took over at the Philly 14. Reid vowed never to run the ball ever again. Curious play calling lost yards, and with 2 seconds left Mike Shanahan sent in Forbath on 3rd and 3 from the 7 to kick it. It was good from 25, and the Redskins led 17-3 at halftime.

After a Washington punt in the third quarter, the Eagles had a short field at the Washington 47. On 3rd and 5 from the 42, Foles hit Captain Morgan Brent Celek for 22 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the 19, Foles was sacked and fumbled. The Eagles retained possession, and Henery hit a 42 yarder to get the Eagles within 17-6. Yet Washington soon buried them. On 3rd and 14 from their own 16, RGIII scrambled for 23 yards. RGIII then went deep to Santana Moss, who between a couple defenders came down with it, and broke free from both of them a couple yards away from paydirt and dragged his way into the end zone. Just like that, the Redskins led 24-6.

In the fourth quarter Washington got it back at their own 45. Morris gained 17 around the end. On 1st and 20 from their 48, RGIII ran around the end for 28 and Morris gained 9 more. On 3rd and 7 from the 17, Griffin hit Paulsen for the touchdown as the Redskins were now winning a blowout in what will have Jeffrey Lurie perhaps ready to fire everyone. 31-6 Redskins

New Orleans Saints @ Oakland Raiders–After an 0-4 start, the Saints have won four of five and face a collapsing Raiders team that gave up a franchise worst 55 points last week. The Raiders have given up over 40 points in consecutive weeks under Dennis Allen, which did not happen in half a century under Al Davis. Drew Brees could break 100 points passing against the Raiders.

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Despite not having Darren McFadden or Mike Goodson, there are no excuses in football. From the Oakland 23, Marcel Reece got the Raiders going by running for 17 and then 8 yards. A holding penalty wiped out another first down and on 3rd and 9, a pass from Carson Palmer to Rod Sreater only gained 6 yards. From their own 47 the Raiders punted. After a touchback, Drew Brees and the Saints made it look easy.

Brees hit Marquis Colston for 14. Mark Ingram gained 16 and Pierre Thomas added 14 more. Brees went to Cadet for 17. Thomas gained 6 and caught a 5 yard pass from Brees to set up 1st and goal at the 8. On 3rd and goal at the one, Brees hit Graham for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Saints. After an exchange of punts, the Raiders had good field position at their own 48. Yet Palmer was intercepted by Malcolm Jenkins, who returned it 55 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-0 Saints.

Oakland took over at their own 16 and Reece ran for 14 and 2. On 3rd and 8 from their 32, Palmer hit Brandon Myers for 9. On 3rd and 7 from their 44, Palmer went to Criner for 13 and Derek Hagan for 17 more. The second quarter began with the Raiders facing 2nd and 16 from the Saints 32. Palmer connected with Reece for a 20 yard gain. On 4th and 1 from the 3, Dennis Allen decided to go for it. Palmer gained 2, and the Raiders had 1st and goal at the one. First Reece lost a yard. Then offensive pass interference on an incompletion pushed the Raiders back On 3rd and goal at the 7, Palmer was intercepted in the end zone by Roman Harper to kill the threat.

The Raiders got it back at their 19 and soon faced 3rd and 5 from the 24. Palmer found Reece, who turned a short play into a 56 yard gain. Palmer went deep and defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. This time Palmer hit Myers for the score as the Raiders were only down 14-7 with 4 minutes left in the half. Yet as has been the case with the Dennis Allen Raiders, the roof caved in.

The Saints took over at their own 10. Ingram gained 9 and Brees hit Colston for 24 more. On 3rd and 4 just shy of midfield, Brees hit Colston for 16. With one minute left in the half the Saints faced 3rd and 13 from the 38, not yet in field goal range. It didn’t matter as Brees found a wide open Lance Moore deep for the touchdown as the Saints led 21-7.

The Saints pretty much ended the game when the second half kickoff was returned by Cadet 75 yards to the Oakland 27. One play from scrimmage was enough for Ingram to race around the end for the touchdown to make it 28-7 Saints.

From the Oakland 33, Reece gained 4 and Palmer hit Darrius Heyward-Bey for 13 and Myers for 6 more. On 2nd and 18 from the Saints 45, Palmer hit Stewart for a 23 yard gain. Yet on 1st and 10 from the 22, 3 straight incompletions ended the drive. Sebastian Janikowski hit the 40 yarder to get the Raiders within 28-10.

After an exchange of punts, the Saints took over at their own 42. Ingram gained 4, Brees hit Cadet for 8, and Ingram gained 6 more. From the Oakland 40, Chris Ivory ran for 25 and Brees hit Moore for the 15 yard touchdown to make it 35-10 Saints.

It got worse. On the first play of the fourth quarter the Raiders went for it on 4th and 1 from the Saints 40. Reece got nothing. Garrett Hartley would tack on a field goal to make it 38-10 Saints. A 3 yard garbage touchdown from Palmer to Criner completed the scoring as the Raiders lost another game by double digits.

After the 0-4 start, the Saints are 5-5. Brees has now thrown a touchdown in 53 straight games. Reece did gain 103 yards on 19 carries and Palmer was 22 of 40 for 312 and 2 touchdowns with 2 interceptions. Yet Brees was 20 of 27 for 219 and 3 touchdowns. Most importantly, the Raiders have given up 135 points in the last 3 weeks. That is the worst 3 game span since the first 3 games of 1961 when the Raiders gave up 141 points to start the season 0-13 before winning their finale. In other words, the Dennis Allen era is worse than Joe Bugel, worse than Norv Turner, and worse than Lane Kiffin. 38-17 Saints.

San Diego Chargers @ Denver Broncos–The Chargers may lose this game on purpose just to finally get Norvelous Norv Turner fired. Earlier this year San Diego blew a 24-0 halftime lead and lost to Denver 35-24. Peyton Manning is licking his chops at giving Denver a stranglehold on the AFC West.

Midway through the first quarter after some punts Denver faced 1st and 10 from their 25. Peyton Manning went back to pass and was intercepted by Eric Weddle. Weddle returned it 23 yards for a touchdown as the Chargers had the surprising 7-0 road lead. Manning did lead the Broncos from their 20 to a 4th and 6 from the San Diego 37. Last year in the Rockies Matt Prater hit a 59 yarder. This time from 55 he doinked the upright no good.

The game changed in the second quarter, which began with Willis McGahee from the Denver 44 gaining 15 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Chargers 36, Manning found Willis for 10. McGahee gained 8, and from the 13 a pass to Thomas in the end zone was ruled incomplete. John Fox challenged the call, and on further review there was a reversal. Thomas caught the ball inbounds for the touchdown to tie the game 7-7.

On the next play from scrimmage after a touchback, Philip Rivers was intercepted by Woodyard, who returned it 25 yards to the San Diego 8. A 3rd and goal from the 7 pass from Manning to Ball came up one yard short. The home crowd grumbled, but on 4th and goal from the one John Fox brought out Prater. The 19 yarder made it 10-7 Broncos.

At the 2 minute warning of this close game, the Chargers were punting on 4th and 18 from their 36. Chargers special teams continued to be a nightmare. 2 years ago they had 5 punts blocked. They corrected the problem last year but last week Mike Scifres had one blocked. Scifres is a Pro Bowler. It’s not his fault that the protection team has been atrocious. This time Scifres had his punt blocked by Irving. From the Chargers 31, Manning immediately went for the kill to Brandon Stokley. The touchdown ahd it 17-7 Broncos at halftime, and the Chargers never recovered.

The Chargers tried an onsides kick to start the second half, and it worked. Yet they lost yards and punted. Denver took over at their own 2 yard line. Manning was sacked for a safety as the Chargers got within 17-9.

After an exchange of punts the Chargers faced 3rd and 4 from their 46. Rivers was sacked, and Woodyard recovered the resulting fumble. Woodyard returned it 12 yards to the San Diego 25. On 3rd and 5 from the 20, Manning found Eric Decker for the score as the Broncos led 24-9.

San Diego took over after a touchback. Ryan Mathews gained 7 and Rivers hit Malcolm Floyd for 10 and Alexander for 15. On 3rd and 10 from the Denver 48, Rivers hit Floyd for 15. On 3rd and 4 from the 27, Rivers found Robert Meachem for 10 and Ronnie Brown for 5. On 3rd and 1 from the 8 Rivers hit Alexander for the score to complete the 80 yard, 12 play, 6 1/2 minute drive. The Chargers were only down 24-16 after three quarters.

Denver took over at their 21 and Hillman gained 19. On 3rd and 3 from their 47 early in the fourth quarter, Manning hit Jacob Tamme for 7 yards. Ball gained 14 and Manning hit Joel Dreesen for 11. On 3rd and 13 from the 24, a Manning pass to Stokley came up one yard short. On 4th and 1 from the 12 again John Fox played it safe. Crowds like to go for it, but the 30 yard Prater field goal was the smart call as it made it a 2 score game again at 27-16 Broncos.

With 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Chargers went for it on 4th and 9 from the Denver 41. A delay of game penalty on Rivers was followed with another interception. Denver moved from their 29 in a time consuming drive that finally stalled at the San Diego 14. Prater hit from 32 to make it 30-16 with only 4 1/2 minutes to play.

After a touchback Rivers led a furious rally that came down to a 4th and 1 at the Denver 21 with 90 seconds to play. Rivers went to Alexander in the end zone, and Alexander appeared to make an acrobatic catch. Despite the replay showing that the ball did hit the ground, the review upheld the touchdown. The Chargers were within 7 points and needed the ball back.

The Chargers took their timeouts, but did not get the ball back until 23 seconds remained. They were at their own 13. Rivers was sacked by Elvis Dumervil to end the game. San Diego could have gotten to 5-5 and only one game out in the AFC West. Instead they are 3 games back of the 7-3 Broncos, which is actually a 4 game deficit since Denver swept San Diego. Norvelous Norv Turner has pulled Lazarus acts to avoid getting fired, but he may finally be out of miracles. Manning threw his 421st touchdown pass, moving ahead of Dan Marino and trailing only Brett Favre. Manning won his 148th game, moving him past Marino, tied with Elway, and again trailing only Favre. 30-23 Broncos

Indianapolis Colts @ New England Patriots–For a decade, this was the greatest rivalry in all of sports. Yet with the collapse of Indy last year and the departure of Manning ended the rivalry. Yet Andrew Luck is a solid quarterback, and he and Tom Brady both are leading 6-3 teams. It won’t ever be the same, but it could be worth watching.

Indy looked impressive early on. On 3rd and 1 from their 29, Hughes gained 5 and Ballard added 20. From the Patriots 46, a deep ball drew defensive pass interference for a 40 yard gain. Ballard gained 5 and Donald Carter got the last yard as the Colts led 7-0.

New England came right back. On 3rd and 6 from their 23, Tom Brady hit Julian Edelman for 18 and Rob Gronkowski for 36 and 16 more. On 2nd and goal from the 4 Brady hit the Gronker for the score to tie the game 7-7.

The Colts got it back at their 16 and Andrew Luck hit Hilton for 13. Ballard gained 9 and 4. On 3rd and 7 from the Indy 45, Luck found Brazill for 25. Ballard gained 15 and Luck hit Hilton for the 14 yard touchdown as the 10 play, 84 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive had the Colts up 14-7 after the first quarter. 2 drives made it look easy, but the rest of the game belonged to the experienced Patriots.

Brady moved the Patriots from their 25 to the Indy 18, but Stephen Gostkowski missed a 36 yard field goal. The Colts had the momentum, but they punted and Julian Edelman made them pay. His 68 yard return for a touchdown tied the game 14-14 with 12 minutes left in the half. 2 plays later on 2nd and 1 from their 31, Luck was intercepted by nely acquired Aqib Talib. The Tampa castoff started in the middle, got to the right sideline, and crossed diagonal all the way to the left corner end zone for a 59 yard touchdown return as the Patriots took a 21-14 lead they would not relinquish.

Luck led a 12 play, 5 minute drive from the Indy 19 to a 1st and 10 at the Patriots 29. Yet 3 straight incompletions had the Colts settling for a 47 yard Adam Vinatieri field goal as the Colts trailed 21-17. Brady did likewise, moving the Patriots from their 25 to a 2nd and 7 from the Indy 13. Brady threw incomplete twice, and at the 2 minute warning Gostkowski hit the 31 yarder. The Patriots only led 24-17 at halftime, but by the end people would have forgotten this game was competitive. Luck did move the Colts from their 10 to a 4th and 6 at the Patriots 40, but Vinatieri was no good from 58 as the half ended.

The Patriots began the second half at their own 24 and quickly moved to put the dagger in. On 3rd and 11 Brady hit Edelman for 17 and Welker for 11. Ridley gained 11 and Brady found Gronkowski for a 31 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 2 Brady found Edelman for the score to make it 31-17 Patriots. Luck would lead the Colts from their 20 to a 3rd and 4 at the Patriots 39, but an incompletion was followed by the decision to punt. Indy got it back and faced 3rd and 7 at their own 29. Luck was sacked and fumbled, and Ninkovich recovered for the Patriots at the Indy 24. One play was enough for Brady to hit Gronkowski again for the touchdown as a close game was broken open 38-17 after three quarters.

Luck moved the Colts all day, and on the next drive he got them from their 20 to a 1st and 10 at the Patriots 23. Yet the first play of the fourth quarter was Luck being intercepted by Dennard. Dennard raced the other way for an 87 yard touchdown return and a 45-17 Patirots blowout. Luck would throw a 43 yard touchdown pass to Hilton a coupe minutes later, but they were still down 45-24 and New Engalnd was not done.

On 3rd and 8 from their own 22, Evil Hoodie Bill Bellichick kept throwing. Brady hit Gronkowski for 11, and Welker for 14 Edelman took the end around 47 yards, and Ridley got the last 3 yards to make it 52-24 Patriots.

New England got it back at the Indy 39 and Brady kept throwing, hitting Vereen for 11. On 3rd and 7 from the Indy 25, Brady hit Welker for 13. Vereen then gained 5, 3, and the 4 yards for the score to finally complete the scoring. New England tied the most points in franchise history that they set three years ago. Normally a 35 point win is celebratory, but afterward the news was bittersweet. Gronkowski was injured, and would be out 4 to 6 weeks. The Colts at 6-4 are vastly improved, but the 7-3 Patriots are as good as ever and just getting warmed up. They made a statement today, and the league noticed. 59-24 Patriots

Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers is the Sunday night game. Normally this game is exactly why we watch football. These teams under John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin are mirror images of each other, playing hard nosed defensive bonelocks that have produced epic games. This time Baltimore is 7-2 and Pittsburgh is 6-3. Yet this game may miss some of the intensity. Ray Lewis is still out for the Ravens, while Big Ben Roethlisberger is out with an injured shoulder and rib. In fact, the rib injury is a threat to his aorta, meaning if he plays, he could die. Therefore, Byron Leftwich will be guiding the Steelers. Both teams will still bring the lumber.

Everybody expected the Steelers to go conservative with Byron Leftwich in for Big Ben, but Mike Tomlin had other ideas. After a touchback, on the first play from scrimmage, Tomlin had Leftwich roll out and go bombs away. Defensive pass interference meant a 4 2yard gain. Gilreath gained 7, and on the next play Leftwich rolled out, scrambled, evaded a tackler, and lumbered for 31 yard touchdown. Only 43 seconds into the game, the Steelers led 7-0. Leftwich actually hurt himself on the play without being touched. He stumbled in the end zone and landed hard on his shoulder. Charlie Batch would come in for him, but Leftwich would return to gut it out in the Roethlisberger tradition. However, the Steelers would not reach the end zone for the remaining 59 minutes. As for the Ravens, their offense did not reach the end zone at all. This game was exactly what we thought it was, and it was as great as ever.

A few minutes later the Steelers faced 3rd and 10 from their own 14. Leftwich found Mike Wallace for a 15 yard gain, but Wallace had his arm chopped by Chris Johnson, forcing a fumble. Ball hawk Ed Reed recovered the fumble and returned it 17 yards to the Pittsburgh 12. Yet despite their best field position of the whole game, 3 plays netted only 4 yards. Justin Tucker hit the 26 yard field goal to get the Ravens within 7-3.

Late in the first quarter, the Steelers punted on 4th and 10 from their 12. Jones fielded the punt, and got past everybody down the sideline for a 63 yard touchdown. The Ravens led 10-7 after the first quarter. The final three quarters were all defense, as these teams just beat the hell out of each other.

After a scoreless second quarter, the Steelers began the third quarter by moving from their 15 to a 3rd and 8 at the Baltimore 38. Leftwich was intercepted by Graham, who returned the pick 20 yards to the same spot at the Baltimore 38.

Joe Flacco is more than a game manager, but in this game that is what he was required to do. He did go deep to Anquon Boldin for 23 yards, and on 3rd and 6 from the 35 he hit Ray Rice for 8. Yet on 2nd and 4 from the Pittsburgh 21, Flacco threw incomplete twice. In a game where points came at a premium, Tucker hit a 39 yarder to make it 13-7 Ravens.

The Steelers soon faced 2nd and 14 from their 12. Leftwich hit Dwyer for 15. Tomlin then went to the gorund game and Dwyer gained 7 and 11. Rashard Mendenhall gained 4 and 5. On 3rd and 1 from the Baltimore 46, Batch gained 3. Leftwich went deep to Sanders for 20 yards, with unnecessary roughness adding 11 more to the Baltimore 12. On 3rd and 2 from the 4, Leftwich went to Wallace in the end zone. At first it looked like a touchdown, but there would be no 14-13 Steelers lead. Wallace was ruled out of bounds. Shawn Suisham hit the 22 yard field goal. The Steelers trailed 13-10 after three quarters, and the fourth quarter was a last gladiator standing war of attrition. With Ben Roethlisberger and Ray Lewis cheering on opposite sidelines, the fourth quarter told the story.

With 11 minutes left and the Steelers facing 3rd and 9 from the Baltimore 46, Leftwich was sacked by Haloti Ngata. On 3rd and 11 from the Baltimore 43 with 4:40 to play, Leftwich was sacked again.

On 3rd and 7 from their 38 just before the 2 minute warning trying to run out the clock, Flacco was sacked. Yet the Steelers were offsides. It did not matter. On 3rd and 2, Flacco was sacked again.

Pittsburgh got it back at their own 16 with 1:05 to play. Leftwich found Mendenhall for 12 and then found Jerricho Cothery deep. Yet Cotchery got blasted by Pollard to force an incompletion. Leftwich fumbled on the next play but Pittsburgh retained possession. With 12 seconds left, on 4th and 10 from their 28, the hook and laterals did not work.

Had the Steelers won, both teams would have been 7-3. Instead, 8-2 Baltimore has a 2 game lead on Pittsburgh, and the rematch in 2 weeks is in Baltimore. Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh have built up expectations for these matchups, but those expectations keep being met. This grudge match is why we watch football. The rematch in 2 weeks cannot come soon enough. 13-10 Ravens

Chicago Bears @ San Francisco 49ers is the Monday night game. While these are not the teams from the 1980s, they both have nasty defenses and quarterbacks that do not get their fair share of credit. Chicago lost a tough game last week but are still 7-2 while the 49ers had a stunning tie that got them to 6-2-1. These teams know how to hit, and it could be a slobberknocker.

With Jay Cutler and Alex Smith both out with concussions, it fell to backups Jason Campbell and Colin Kaepernick to make the difference. The tone was set from the first play with the 49ers at their own 18. Kaepernick hit Mario Manningham for 8 yards with unnecessary roughness tacking on 15 more yards. Kaepernick then went to Vernon Davis for 22 yards and then 12 more. Yet on 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 14, Kaepernick fired incomplete. Jim Harbaugh just had a heart procedure, and perhaps he was not in a gambling mood. David Akers hit the 32 yard field goal to make it 3-0 49ers.

Chicago soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 28 when Campbell was sacked. The 49ers got it back at their own 37. On 3rd and 7 Kaepernick went deep to Williams for a 57 yard gain. On the next play Kaepernick hit Davis for the 3 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 49ers.

Chicago punted again and the 49ers took over at their own 4. Frank Gore ran for 13, Kapernick hit Randy Moss for 12, and Gore gained 7 more. On the first play of the second quarter Kaepernick went deep to Davis for 32 yards. Gore gained 13, and Kendall Hunter ran up the middle for a touchdown to make it 17-0 49ers. On the next series Campbell was intercepted, and the 49ers took over at the Chicago 44. Gore gained 14, and on 3rd and 11 Kaepernick hit Michael Crabtree for 20. A sack of Kaepernick stalled the drive but Akers hit from 37 to make it 20-0 49ers at the half.

The second half was more of the same as Chicago punted and the 49ers took over at their own 38. Gore gained 11 and Kaepernick hit Manningham for 37. On 3rd and 6 from the 10 Kaepernick hit Crabtree for the score as the 27-0 49ers blowout ended any suspense.

Campbell would throw a 13 yard touchdown to Brandon Marshall to make it 27-7, but another interception of Campbell meant another short field, setting up Akers in the fourth quarter from 32 to make it 30-7 49ers.

The final indignity came with the Bears facing 3rd and 28 from their own 8, as Campbell was sacked and fumbled. The resulting safety was the exclamation point. Lovie Smith has seen his Bears lose 2 straight and are now only tied for the division lead with a resurgent Green Bay. San Francisco righted the ship after it’s tie last week and is firmly in command of the NFC West. 32-7 49ers

eric

NFL 2012 Week 9 Recap

Kansas City Chiefs @ San Diego Chargers was the Thursday night game. The Chargers have lost 3 straight to fall to 3-4 while the Chiefs have dropped four straight to become a woeful 1-6. Norvelous Norv Turner must have compromising photos of the Spanos family because it seems he cannot get fired. Seeing the Chargers blow a 24-0 lead was not enough. Losing to woeful Cleveland 7-6 was not enough. Yet losing at home to the Chiefs would have been enough. That meant the Chargers would probably win.

San Diego exploded out of the gate. On 3rd and 5 from their 25, Philip Rivers found Ajirotutu for a 28 yard gain and Antonio Gates for 21 more. A 14 yard touchdown pass to Gates quickly had the Chargers up 7-0. The rest of the first three quarters was an unwatchable slog worthy of the AFC Worst.

San Diego got it back at their own 22 and Rivers led a 12 play drive that consumed over 8 minutes off of the clock. With 9 minutes left in the half, a 3rd and 9 completion from the Chiefs 14 came up 2 yards short. Norv Turner opted for the field goal and Nick Novak hit from 25 to make it 10-0 Chargers.

Kansas City then played ball control, which was good because it would get this game over with more quickly. They moved from their own 20 to a 3rd and 1 at the San Diego 31. Peyton Hillis got nothing, and on 4th and 1 Romeo Crennel opted for the field goal. Ryan Succop hit from 49 as the Chiefs trailed 10-3 at halftime. The CHargers missed a golden opportunity to put the game away just before the half when they moved from their 37 to a 3rd and goal at the one. Rivers went to the end zone and was intercepted.

The third quarter was even uglier. On 3rd and 1 from their own 35, Dexter McCluster got the carry and got nothing. The Chiefs punted, the Chargers fumbled it, and the Chiefs recovered at the Chargers 24. 3 plays netted only 3 yards, and a 39 yard field goal try by Succop was no good. The Chiefs got it back at their own 7, and moved all the way to a 4th and 5 at the San Diego 23. This time Succop was good from 41 and the Chiefs only trailed 10-6 after three quarters. Would Romeo Crennel be fired, or would Norvelous Norv Turner finally go?

The Fourth quarter was decisive, From their own 20, Ryan Mathews gained 31 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Chiefs 31, Brown gained 7 and 9 more. Rivers threw a 13 yard touchdown to Malcolm Floyd as the Chargers led 17-6 with 11 1/2 minutes to go. The Chiefs soon faced 2nd and 13 from their own 5. Matt Cassel was sacked, fumbled, and Shawn Phillips recovered it in the end zone for a gift touchdown as the Chargers led 24-6. A few plays later facing 2nd and 8 from the San Diego 46, Cassel was intercepted by Williams. Williams returned it 59 yards for a touchdown and the Chargers now led a blowout 31-6.

Norv Turner is an offensive guru, and his game plan was to have 2 defensive touchdowns as Matt Cassel helped the other team. As for Rivers, he only threw 20 passes, completing 18 of them. Norv lived to coach another day. The Chiefs did score a garbage touchdown, which is fitting because they are playing like garbage. 31-13 Chargers

Denver Broncos @ Cincinnati Bengals–Peyton Manning is must-see tv, but the Broncos themselves are not and neither are the Bengals. Yet these teams did put together a good football game, which is all Americans ask for on an NFL Sunday.

After a Cincy punt, Denver faced 3rd and 4 from their 26. Manning found Thomas for 5. On 3rd and 3 from their 38, Manning found Bell for 7. Yet on 3rd and 6 from the Cincy 26, Jon Fox decided to cross up the Bengals with a running play. It gained one yard, and a 43 yard Matt Prater field goal made it 3-0 Broncos. After an exchange of punts, Cincinnati took over at their 33. Andy Dalton went deep to AJ Green for a 37 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the Denver 23, Dalton hit Green for 5. The Bengals began the second quarter with second and goal at the 10. The Bengals got no further as a 28 yard Mike Nugent field goal made it 3-3.

On 3rd and 2 from their 28, Manning found Thomas for 3 and then went deep to Thomas for a 45 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from the 13, Manning found Eric Decker for the touchdown as the Broncos led 10-3. Defenses controlled the rest of the half with the closest thing resembling action being a missed Bengals field goal to close it out.

The third quarter exploded with action as Holliday took the kickoff 5 yards deep in the end zone and raced 105 yards to make it 17-3 Broncos. Yet the Bengals came right back. Dalton ran for 11 and found Gresham on a short pass that went for a 52 yard hain to the Denver 11. From the 10, Dalton hit Green for the score as the Bengals were within 17-10.

Manning moved the Broncos from their 17 to a 2nd and 7 at the Denver 9. Yet he was intercepted in the end zone by Terrence Newman to kill the threat. Cincinnati faced 3rd and 7 from their 234 and Dalton went deep to Sanu for a 34 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and 6 from the Denver 24, a sack of Dalton meant a Nugent attempt from 49 yards out. He was good, as the Bengals crept within 17-13 after three quarters.

The very end of the third quarter saw something bizarre. The ensuing kickoff after the field goal was downed by Ball at the one yard line. Perhaps he thought he was in the end zone, but Denver began in a hole. On 3rd and 8 from their 3, Manning was intercepted again as Cincinnati took over at the Denver 27. The fourth quarter began with Dalton hitting Green for 19 yards and Ben-Jarvis Green-Ellis running it in from 2 yards out as 17 unanswered points had the Bengals up 20-17.

Denver faced 3rd and 3 from their 27 and Manning went to Decker for 30 yards and Thomas for 13 more. A deep ball drew a 29 yard defensive pass interference penalty, and on 1st and goal at the one, Manning hit Dreesen for the score. The Broncos retook the lead 24-20 with 12 minutes left in regulation.

With 9 minutes left the Bengals faced 3rd and 25 from their own 18. Dalton went deep and was intercepted. Denver took over at the Cincy 46 looking to put the game out of reach. On 3rd and 5, Manning found Brandon Stokley for 15. On 3rd and 1 from the 17, Willis McGahee gained 12. On 2nd and goal from the 4, Manning hit Decker for the touchdown. Only 3:40 remained, and Denver led by 11.

Needing two scores, Red Rifle Andy Dalton rapidly moved the Bengals from their 30 to a 3rd and 8 at the Denver 17 with one minute left. Yet Dalton was then sacked. The Bengals had to burn their last timeout. Nugent hit from 41 to make it an 8 point game, but the onsides kick failed. Manning overcame his two interceptions with three touchdown passes, as Denver stayed ahead in the AFC Worst while the Bengals under Marvin Lewis continued wasting their talent. 31-23 Broncos

Baltimore Ravens @ Cleveland Browns–The Ravens have been devastated by injuries and despite being 5-2, their loss to Houston last week was a reality check. They have the benefit of a Cleveland team that has pretty much given up for the next decade. cleveland runs the West Coast Offense, which means throwing an incomplete pass on 3rd and 1 rather than run the ball. After the punt, Baltimore took over at their 30. Ray Rice ran for 7 and Joe Flacco hit Anquon Boldin for 6 more. On 3rd and 8 from their 45, Flacco found Boldin for just enough. Rice gained 11 and 4, and Flacco hit Dickson for 8 and Boldon for 16. Rice ran the final 8 yards as the Ravens made it look easy going up 7-0. They made it look this way because it was.

It was deja vu all over again as Cleveland faced 3rd and 1 at their own 32. Again, the West Coast Offense rather than a power run meant an incomplete pass and a punt. Baltimore soon faced 3rd and 5 from their 39 when Flacco hit Boldin for 6. Rice gained 9 and Flacco went to Torry Smith for a 26 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 12, the Ravens tried something unique called running the ball. Pierce got all of it for the touchdown as the Ravens led 14-0.

Cleveland would mount their version of a furious rally in the second quarter. They would face 3rd and 9 from the Baltimore 16. They run the West Coast Offense, which meant a 2 yard completion to pad the stats and a 32 yard field goal by Phil Dawson. Throwing past the marker on third down is not allowed as the Browns trailed 14-3. The Browns would get it back and it was again deja vu all over again yet again as they faced 3rd and 8 at the Baltimore 15. The West Coast Offense meant another dink and dunk pass, this time for 4 yards. Again, throwing past the marker is not allowed as Dawson hit from 29 to have the Browns trailing 14-6.

Cleveland would get it back at their own 39 and moved the Baltimore 11 with 5 seconds left in the half. Dawson connected from 29, but had the Browns had more time to work with they could have thrown an incompletion on 3rd and 1, so kicking the field goal early spared everybody and moved the game along as the Browns trailed 14-9 at halftime.

Brandon Weeden would throw an interception in the third quarter, but the Ravens cooled considerably after their early hot start. Midway through the third quarter the Browns got it back and faced 3rd and 2 at the Baltimore 48. In a stunning turn of events, they called a running play and Trent Richardson gained 3 yards. Unnecessary roughness on the next play had the Browns with 3rd and 4 at the Baltimore 24. Weeden gained 6. Yet on 3rd and 7 from the 15, Weeden threw incomplete. Dawson’s fourth field goal of the day from 33 yards had the Browns within 14-12 after three quarters.

With 12 minutes left in regulation, Cleveland faced 3rd and 6 from their 47. Defensive pass interference meant 7 yards and 1st and 10. Weeden hit Gordon for 12, Greg Little for 10, and on 3rd and 6 from the 18, Gordon for the touchdown. It was a miracle. Cleveland had reached the end zone. naturally, the play was wiped out by illegal formation. Phil Dawson’s 5th field goal from 41 yards out had the Browns winning 15-14. Would a major upset be in the cards?

Of course not. Despite giving up 5 straight field goals, the Ravens rubbed the sleep out of their eyes and the boredom than affected John Harbaugh’s team since going up 14-0 early on. From their 19, Flacco went deep to Boldin for a 40 yard gain. Roughing the passer would add 16 more yards. Ray Rice had a pair of 10 yard gains. On 3rd and 10 from the 19m Flacco hit Smith for the touchdown and Boldin for the 2 point conversion. The Ravens led 22-15 with 4 1/2 minutes left.

Yet asking the Browns to score one touchdown in two consecutive weeks was too much to ask. On 4th and 2 from their own 28, Pat Shurmer decided to go for it rather than punt and trust his defense with 4 minutes left. Weeden threw incomplete, and the Ravens were already in field goal range. Tucker hit from 43 to lock up the victory. The Ravens got to 6-2 while winning ugly while the Browns fell to 2-6 by losing ugly. These teams have been doing exactly this for years. 25-15 Ravens

Arizona Cardinals @ Green Bay Packers–Arizona began winning straight and then lost 4 straight. Now they travel to Green Bay to face a Packers team that is starting to get some of its mojo back after early season stumbles. Early in the game John “Red” Skelton was sacked and Arizona punted. Yet despite great field position thanks to a Randall Cobb return, Aaron Rodgers was sacked and Mason Crosby missed a 44 yard field goal to keep the game scoreless.

Green Bay took over at their own 16 and Rodgers went to work. From the 19, Rodgers hit Jones for 9 and Jermaine Finley for 19 and 6. Green ran for 21, and on 3rd and 18 from the Arizona 18, Rodgers scrambled up the middle for 9 yards. On 3rd and goal from the 13, Rodgers found Randall Cobb for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers.

On the first play of the second quarter, The Packers faced 2nd and 4 from their 40. Rodgers was intercepted, giving the Cardinals the ball at the Packers 43. Skelton went deep to Roberts for a 40 yard gain. Larod Stephens-Howling got the one yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7.

After a touchback, Randall Cobb took a pair of end arounds for gains of 11 and 12. Starks took one for 9 yards and then ran conventionally for 3 and 4. On 3rd and 6 from the Arizona 38, Rodgers threw incomplete but the defense was offsides. On 3rd and 1, Green gained 2. On 3rd and 10, Rodgers found Donald Driver for just enough and on the next play Rodgers went deep and again found Cobb for the 21 yard touchdown. Green bay led 14-7, with more to come.

Green Bay got it back at their own 25 with 6 1/2 minutes left in the halfStarks gained 5 and then fumbled, but the Packers held on. Green caught a pass for 6 and ran for 2 and 5. On 3rd and 3 from their 45, Rodgers found Jones for 7 and Green for 19. At the 2 minute warning, Rodgers went deep to Jones for a 28 yard touchdown as the Packers were firmly in control 21-7.

Early in the third quarter Skelton was intercepted, giving the Packers gift field position at the Arizona 17. Green Bay failed to move the ball and settled for a 33 yard Mason Crosby field goal to lead 24-7. After an exchange of punts Arizona took over at their own 13. Skelton hit Malcolm Floyd for 17 and on 3rd and 10 found Housler for 11. Skelton went to Roberts for 23, and on 3rd and 5 from the Packers 31, hit Larry Fitzgerald for the score to get the Cardinals within 24-14.

Arizona got it back at their 24 and Stephens-Howling gained 11. Skelton hit Housler for 10 and again for 22. A 14 yard completion to Roberts and a 9 yard toss to Fitzgerald set up a critical 3rd and 1 from the 2. Stephens-Howling got the carry and got stoned cold. Now Ken Whisenhunt had a big decision to make. On 4th and 1 from the 2, he opted from the field goal. Jay Feely hit the 20 yarder as the Cardinals were only down 24-17 with 46 seconds left in the third quarter. Yet 2 plays later the game was iced. Rodgers went deep to Crabtree for a 72 yard touchdown.

The fourth quarter was scoreless as Arizona went 3 and out twice and saw their final gasp with 2 1/2 minutes die when a 4th and 3 pass from the Green Bay 34 was incomplete. Arizona has lost 5 straight and Mike McCarthy sees his Packers firmly in the hunt. Rodgers was only 14 of 30 for 218 yards, but four touchdown passes are more than enough on most days including this one. 31-17 Packers

Buffalo Bills @ Houston Texans–One of the worst teams travels on the road to play one of the best. This is not why they play the games. Sometimes Goliath takes David, beats him up, and steals his girlfriend and lunch money. League rules required that this game not be canceled.

Yet the Bills were surprisingly game, and they hung tough for most of the day. A mostly defensive first quarter saw the Texans take over at their own 23 late in the period. Matt Schaub hit Walter for 18 and Andre Johnson for 6 more. Arriun Foster gained 14 and Schaub went deep to Owen Daniels for a 39 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Texans after the first quarter. The Texans moved in the second quarter from their 27 to the Buffalo 19. Yet a sack and a penalty meant a 46 yard field goal try by Shane Graham. It was blocked. Buffalo took over at their 36 and Fred Jackson gained 13. Ryan Fitzpatrick hit Dickerson for 13 more and Jones for 14. Yet on 3rd and 9 from the 11, a completion left 4th and 2 at the 4. Chan Gailey opted for the field goal and Ryan Lindell hit the 22 yarder as the Bills were only down 7-3 with 1:45 left in the half. Houston went 3 and out and Buffalo took over at their own 33 with 52 seconds left to work with. Fitzpatrick hit CJ Spiller for 12 yards and Jones for 19. Spiller gained 22 and with 16 seconds left in the half Buffalo had 1st and 10 at the Houston 14. Yet Fitzpatrick was sacked and Buffalo settled for a 38 yard Lindell field goal. The Bills only trailed 7-6 at intermission.

Buffalo went 3 and out to start the third quarter with 3 straight incompletions. Martin returned the punt 26 yards to the Buffalo 43. On 3rd and 5 Schaub went deep to Johnson for a 34 yard gain. Foster gained one and then the last 3 yards as the Texans were doing just enough on offense to lead 14-6.

Buffalo took over at their own 23. Fitzpatrick kept throwing, finding Jones for 15 and Chandler for 27 yards. Yet on 3rd and 2 from the Houston 21, Fitzpatrick threw incomplete. Again Chan Gailey decided to play it safe, and Lindell hit from 39. The Bills were still hanging around down 14-9 after three quarters.

Houston took over at their own 32 late in the third quarter and Schaub hit Walter for 10, Daniels for 12 to midfield, and Johnson for 14. The fourth quarter began with Foster running for 8 and 3 more. Schaub hit Johnson for 18 to the 9. On 3rd and goal from the 5, Schaub hit Graham for the touchdown to put the game out of reach.

Houston was sluggish most of the game, but they scored touchdowns while Buffalo kicked field goals. It was hardly beautiful, but Houston is 7-1 while Buffalo is on the verge of extending the longest playoff drought since the 1999 season when an Adelphia Miracle ended their season. Now their seasons end in October. 21-9 Texans

Miami Dolphins @ Indianapolis Colts–Despite being two of the worst teams in the league last year would be in the playoffs today if the season ended. President Obama decided to give a speech in South Florida at the same time as this game. Luckily the game is a road game for Dolphins fans. Nevertheless, a few thousand people may go watch Mr. Obama while 70,000 will watch the game. Anybody wondering which will have higher ratings on television needs to understand the power of the NFL.

Indy came out throwing from their 30 as Andrew Luck hit Avery for 16 yards. On 3rd and 12 from their 44, Luck found Allen for 22 more. Yet on 3rd and 1 from the Miami 25, Donald Carter got stopped. After a false start, Adam Vinatieri missed from 48 to keep it scoreless. Miami took over at their 39 and Ryan Tannehill hit Duane Bess for 14 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Indy 43, Tennehill found Brad Hartline for 13 yards. A sack of Tannehill meant a 37 yard field goal try from Dan Carpenter. He made it to make it 3-0 Dolphins.

The Colts came back and soon faced 3rd and 2 from their 28. Luck hit Reggie Wayne for 9 yards. On 3rd and 14 from their 33, Luck hit Hilton for a 25 yard gain. Defensive pass interference added 32 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 9 Luck hit Wayne for the score to make it 7-3 Colts after the first quarter.

After a touchback Tannehill went deep to Hartline for 35 yards and again for 10 more as the Dolphins began the second quarter with 1st and 10 at the Indy 35. Tannehill went deep to Clay for a 31 yard touchdown as the Dolphins retook the lead 10-7. After the touchback, Luck came right back with a 48 yard completion to Avery. On 3rd and 3 Luck hit Ballard for 14. Yet the drive got no further than the 5. Vinatieri hit from 23 as the game was tied 10-10.

Miami got it right back and on 3rd and 8 from their 22 Ryan Tannehill hit Reggie Bush for 19 and Thomas for 11. Thomas then ran for 20. On 3rd and 1 from the 19, Thomas got the yard. On the next play, despite his having dated a Kardashian, Reggie Bush ran for the 18 yard touchdown to make it 17-10 Dolphins.

Indianapolis missed a chance to get closer when a 54 yard Vinatieri field goal try was blocked. Yet with only 1:15 left in the half, the Cotls got it back at their own 13. Luck hit Allen for 12, Wayne for 13 and 12 to midfield, ran for 5 himself, and hit Brazill for 6. On 3rd and 20 from just past midfield, Luck hit Hilton for the 20 needed. Yet the Colts had to take their last timeout with 12 seconds left. Vinatieri hit from 47 to have the Colts within 17-13 at intermission.

With 6 minutes left in the third quarter the Colts faced 3rd and 6 from their own 22. Luck hit Ballard for 15. On 3rd and 16 from their 31, Luck found Brazill for 19. Carter gained 9 and 5, and Luck went deep to Hilton for a 36 yard touchdown as the Colts had the 20-17 lead.

Miami took over at their 35 and Tannehill hit Hartline for 15. The fourth quarter began with Miami facing 3rd and 5 at the Indy 42. Tannehill hit Bess for gains of 13 and 16, but 1st and 10 from the 13 was followed by 3 incompletions. Carpenter hit the 31 yarder as the game was tied 20-20 with 13 minutes left in regulation.

On 3rd and 11 from their own 5, Luck hit Allen for a pair of 20 yard gains. On 3rd and 3 from the Miami 45, Luck hi Wayne for 6. Ballard gained 10 and 2, but on 3rd and 6 from the Miami 25, Luck threw incomplete. After 13 plays and 7 minutes, the tie game came down to Vinatieri from 43 yards. He nailed it and the Colts had the 3 point lead.

Miami would punt on one possession and get it back at their own 17 with 2:40 to play. With 1:48 left Miami faced 4th and 15 from their 45. Tannehill rolled to his right, threw across the middle of the field, and somehow completed a duck to Thomas. Yet Thomas was one yard short of the marker, and offensive holding would have nullified the play anyway. Tannehill was decked on the play and the Colts had the tough win.

This was a fine football game, and these teams are no longer losers. Joe Philbin has a 4-4 team and the Colts are 5-3. Luck set the rookie record with 433 yards passing, going 30 of 48 and a pair of touchdowns. Tannehill is turning out to be very good as well, going 22 of 38 for 290 yards and one touchdown. There were zero turnovers in this game, which is another reason these teams are vastly improved. 23-20 Colts

Miami got it right back and on 3rd and 8 from their 22 Ryan Tannehill hit Reggie Bush for 19 and Thomas for 11. Thomas then ran for 20. On 3rd and 1 from the 19, Thomas got the yard. On the next play, despite his having dated a Kardashian, Reggie Bush ran for the 18 yard touchdown to make it 17-10 Dolphins.

Indianapolis missed a chance to get closer when a 54 yard Vinatieri field goal try was blocked. Yet with only 1:15 left in the half, the Cotls got it back at their own 13. Luck hit Allen for 12, Wayne for 13 and 12 to midfield, ran for 5 himself, and hit Brazill for 6. On 3rd and 20 from just past midfield, Luck hit Hilton for the 20 needed. Yet the Colts had to take their last timeout with 12 seconds left. Vinatieri hit from 47 to have the Colts within 17-13 at intermission.

With 6 minutes left in the third quarter the Colts faced 3rd and 6 from their own 22. Luck hit Ballard for 15. On 3rd and 16 from their 31, Luck found Brazill for 19. Carter gained 9 and 5, and Luck went deep to Hilton for a 36 yard touchdown as the Colts had the 20-17 lead.

Miami took over at their 35 and Tannehill hit Hartline for 15. The fourth quarter began with Miami facing 3rd and 5 at the Indy 42. Tannehill hit Bess for gains of 13 and 16, but 1st and 10 from the 13 was followed by 3 incompletions. Carpenter hit the 31 yarder as the game was tied 20-20 with 13 minutes left in regulation.

On 3rd and 11 from their own 5, Luck hit Allen for a pair of 20 yard gains. On 3rd and 3 from the Miami 45, Luck hi Wayne for 6. Ballard gained 10 and 2, but on 3rd and 6 from the Miami 25, Luck threw incomplete. After 13 plays and 7 minutes, the tie game came down to Vinatieri from 43 yards. He nailed it and the Colts had the 3 point lead.

Miami would punt on one possession and get it back at their own 17 with 2:40 to play. With 1:48 left Miami faced 4th and 15 from their 45. Tannehill rolled to his right, threw across the middle of the field, and somehow completed a duck to Thomas. Yet Thomas was one yard short of the marker, and offensive holding would have nullified the play anyway. Tannehill was decked on the play and the Colts had the tough win.

This was a fine football game, and these teams are no longer losers. Joe Philbin has a 4-4 team and the Colts are 5-3. Luck set the rookie record with 433 yards passing, going 30 of 48 and a pair of touchdowns. Tannehill is turning out to be very good as well, going 22 of 38 for 290 yards and one touchdown. There were zero turnovers in this game, which is another reason these teams are vastly improved. 23-20 Colts

Detroit Lions @ Jacksonville Jaguars–The Lions have regressed since last year while the Jaguars may be the worst team in football. Jacksonville may be the only city in America where a political rally will get almost as many fans as an NFL home game, not counting road fans of course. Old reliable Jason Hanson was not so in the first quarter, doinking a 47 yard field goal try off the upright. That was the closest thing to a highlight.

Late in the opening quarter Detroit faced 3rd and 7 from their own 12. Matthew Stafford went to Megatron Calvin Johnson for 10 yards and Leshoure ran for 14 more. A 26 yard completion to Johnson had the Lions at the Jacksonville 37 as the second quarter began. Stafford went to Johnson again for 18. On 3rd and 3 from the 12, Stafford hit Broyles for 5. Leshoure ran the final 7 yards to make it 7-0 Lions. Detroit got it back at their own 47. On 3rd and 9 Stafford hit Brandon Pettigrew for 11. On 3rd and 8 from the Jacksonville 39, Stafford went deep to Johnson for a 38 yard gain. Leshoure got the last yard to make it 14-0 Lions.

Detroit got it back and faced 3rd and 4 at their 35 with under 4 minutes left in the half. Stafford threw incomplete, but defensive pass interference added 20 yards. Stafford found Johnson for 12, and faced 3rd and 7 from the Jags 40 with 1:20 left in the half. Stafford hit Bell for 12 and Titus Young for 17. An 8 yard touchdown run by Leshoure had the Lions up 21-0 at halftime.

The Lions coasted because they could, as a scoreless third quarter was followed by a 42 yard Hanson field goal early in the fourth to make it 24-0 Lions. Blaine Gabbert would throw a 5 yard touchdown to Michael Spurlock with 9 minutes remaining, and the 2 point conversion had the Jaguars down 24-8. There would be no comeback as the Lions moved to ice the game. Stafford hit Johnson for 18 after a touchback and on 3rd and 2 from their 46 Stafford hit Broyles for 7. Bell caught a 14 yard reception and then ran for 11, 7, and the 10 yard touchdown to make it 31-8 Lions.

Jacksonville would get one more garbage touchdown, but garbage is exactly how the Jaguars played in front of their own fans. Jim Schwartz knows his Lions need to get better, but a convincing road win over a bad team is what good teams are supposed to do. The Lions did. 31-14 Lions

Chicago Bears @ Tennessee Titans–The Bears again under Lovie Smith are not as good as their record while the Titans have regressed since last year under Mike Munchak. Yet Jay Cutler and veteran Matt Hasselbeck know how to throw the ball. On the first play from scrimmage, Hasselbeck found Kenny Britt deep for a 43 yard gain. Of course Britt fumbled the ball away. Midway through the first quarter the Titans punted from their own 20. It was blocked by McManis and recovered by Wootton, who returned it 5 yards for a touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears.

Chicago got it back and quickly faced 2nd and 14 from their own 5. Webb was called for an offensive holding in the end zone, resulting in a safety. The Titans were within 7-2, but the free kick resulted in them punting it back on 4th and 27 from their own 9. The nightmare for Tennessee was just getting started, and by the end of this game it would be hard to believe it started 0-0.

Devon Hester returned the punt 44 yards to the Tennessee 8, ever so close to extending his own NFL touchdown returns record. Matt Forte needed one play to run into the end zone to make it 14-2 Bears. 2 plays later Matt Hasselbeck put the game out of reach by throwing an interception to Brian Urlacher. Urlacher returned it 46 yards for a score and all of a sudden it was 21-2 Bears. On the next play from scrimmage the Titans fumbled and the Bears took over at the Tennessee 16. On 3rd and 7 Jay Cutler hit Brandon Marshall for the 13 yard touchdown. The Bears set a franchise record for most points in the first quarter. They led 28-2 after one and could have won 112-8 had they tried harder.

The Bears would pile it on but even they did not get as much as they could have. They tacked on a field goal in the second quarter and with 1:15 left in the half had 1st and 10 at the Titans 14 on a drivbe that had them backed up to their own 9. Yet Cutler was sacked and fumbled. That led to a Tennessee field goal as the half ended, but it was hard to fault the Bears for being up by 26 instead of 36.

Tennessee did try to make a game of it in the third quarter when Hasselbeck threw a 30 yard touchdown to Nate Washington. Yet down 31-12, the Titans would see the Bears continue their avalanche of points. After the touchback, Forte ran for a 46 yard gain with a horsecollar tackle adding 15 more. A 3rd  and goal from the 5 pass to Forte lost 2 yards, but a 25 yard Robbie Gould field goal made it 34-12 Bears. Deja vu all over again had the Bears moving from their 20 to a 3rd and goal at the 4. Yet Cutler threw incomplete and Gould hit from 22. Once again it is hard to criticize a team up 37-12, although Lovie Smith will talk about improvements in goal line situations.

In the fourth quarter Cutler would throw a 39 yard touchdown to Marshall, and Tennessee needed one play from scrimmage to turn it over again. The Bears recovered the fumble at the Titans 2 yard line, and on 3rd and goal at the 5 Cutler hit Marshall for the score. With 10 1/2 minutes still to play, the Bears had a 51-12 lead.

Tennessee would get a touchdown when Chris Johnson broke free for an 80 yard run. The 2 point conversion had the Titans within 31 points. The onsides kick failed, and the Bears took over at the Tennessee 42. Lovie Smith kept it on the ground rather than throw the ball like classless coaches do in this situation. Allen ran for 10, 3, 6, 5, 3, 8, 0, and 2 to set up 3rd and goal at the 5. Allen took the ball again and lost 7 yards. On 4th and goal from the 12 with 4 minutes left, a classy Lovie Smith decided not to bring on the field goal unit to run up the score. He handed it to Allen for the 10th straight time up the middle for a 2 yard gain and left it at that.

The game was a statement, but perhaps a bigger statement needs to be made. While these Bears are not the 1940 Monsters of the Midway or the 1985 Super Bowl Shufflers. Yet they are 7-1. Various Bears teams in 2001, 2005, and 2007 have coasted on an easy record to the playoffs and lost badly at home. Even the 2006 Super Bowl team was not as good as the top 4 AFC teams that year. Yet despite the legendary Dennis Green scream that “the Bears are who we thought they were,” maybe that is not the case this year. They could still be pretenders, but 51 points on the road is not who we think even good teams are. This is a quality Chicago football team. 51-20 Bears

Carolina Panthers @ Washington Redskins–Carolina is a woeful 1-6 while Washington is vastly improved. Last year’s phenom Cam Newton is struggling while Robert Grffin III is this year’s playmaker. Carolina hung tough and lost a heartbreaker at the gun last week, and this week they moved from their 20 to a 4th and 9 at the Washington 38. Ron Rivera decided to punt and play field position.

Washington would face 3rd and 10 from their own 3 when a completion only got half. Yet roughing the passer gave the Redskins a second chance. On 3rd and 6 from the Washington 27, Griffin hit Morgan for 16 and Paulsen for 12. The drive stalled, but Forbath hit from 47 to make it 3-0 Redskins.

Carolina came back and had 3rd and 1 from their 40. Newton gained 3 and the ground game did the rest. Stewart took an end around 17 yards, Newton went around the end again for 10 more, and a third straight run around the right end was a 30 yard Deangelo Williams touchdown run to make it 7-3 Panthers.

In the second quarter Washington began after a touchback and held the ball for a staggering 10 minutes. On 4th and 3 from the Carolina 38, Mike Shanahan went for it and RGIII hit Morgan for 6 yards. On 4th and 1 from the 10 Shanahan went for it again and Young gained 3. On 3rd and goal at the 4, a completion only got half of it. On 4th and goal at the 2, for the third time on the drive, Shanahan kept throwing. RGIII got nothing. From their 2, Carolina soon faced 3rd and 2 from the 10, Newton gained 11. On 3rd and 6 from the 25, Newton hit Greg Olsen for 17 and Stewart for 6. Roughing the passer added 15 more and Newton went back to Olsen for another 8. Defensive pass interference tacked on 7 more yards to make it 1st and 10 at the Washington 19. On 3rd and 10 Newton went to Steve Smith for the touchdown as the Panthers took the 14-3 lead at halftime.

The third quarter belonged to the defenses, although Washington did move from their 23 with RGIII finding Hankerson for 25 yards. Yet on 3rd and 6 from the Carolina 11, a running play gained only half of it. Shanahan would not be gambling this time as Forbath connected from 25 as the Redskins still trailed 14-6 entering the fourth quarter.

The first play of the fourth quarter was the play of the game. From their own 9, Newton went deep and connected with Edwards for an 82 yard gain to the Washington 9. Defensive pass interference moved the ball to the one and Newton took it in. The Panthers had a commanding 21-6 lead with 13 minutes left in regulation. With 6 minutes left in the game the Redskins faced 4th and 10 from their 43 after 3 incompletions. RGII was sacked to end the threat. The Panthers would miss a 50 yard field goal, but at this point it did not matter. A Washington touchdown with 1:34 to play made the score look respectable, but after a failed onsides kick it was over. This one was a surprise, as the shootout turned out to be a defensive hard fought road win for beleaguered Carolina and a head-scratcher for Washington. 21-13 Panthers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Oakland Raiders–For more on the game of the day, go to http://www.justblogbaby.com

The Raiders at 3-4 have won consecutive games against two of the worst teams in the league. A home game against another subpar Tampa Bay team separated the Raiders from a .500 record. Yet The battle of pirates has been misery for the Raiders overall. It has been a decade since the Buccaneers shellacked the Raiders in the Super Bowl, beginning their decade long slide. A couple of years later the Raiders won the game but an injury late ended Rich Gannon’s career. The 2012 Pirate Bowl was once again a nightmare for the Silver and Black.

This game saw only 3 points in the opening quarter, 14 in the second quarter, 21 in the third quarter, and a 36 point fourth quarter explosion for 17 first half points and 57 second half points.

A slugfest early on saw the Buccaneers on their second drive move from their own 10 to a 4th and 7 at the Oakland 17. 30 yards in penalties against the Oakland defense started the drive. Yet the 35 yard Connor Barth field goal try was blocked by Lamar Houston to keep the game scoreless. Houston returned the blocked kick 34 yards to the Tampa 44. On 3rd and 3, the Bucs jumped offsides. Darren McFadden was hurt on his very first carry with a high ankle sprain, but he stayed in the game. He rushed for only 17 yards on his first 7 carries, but on this drive gains of 5 and 7 moved the Raiders along. Carson Palmer hit Mike Goodson for an 11 yard gian to set up 1st and goal at the 10. Yet as has been the case too often with the Raiders, the red zone was the dead zone. McFadden lost a yard and Palmer threw incomplete twice as the Raiders settled for a 29 yard Sebastian Janikowski field goal to lead 3-0 after the opening quarter.

The second quarter began with the Buccaneers facing 3rd and 15 at their own 15. Josh Freeman then went deep to Vincent Jackson, who burned the Raiders repeatedly when he was in San Diego. Jackson did it again, catching a 64 yard completion. A taunting penalty on Jakson moved the Bucs back, but from the 36 the Raiders were introduced to Oakland born running back Doug Martin. Martin would gash them before the day was over. On this drive he ran for 3 and 13, and Freeman went back to Jackson for a 20 yard touchdown as the Buccaneers led 7-3 early in the second quarter.

The next drive was just a blunder bowl, with some big plays thrown in. On 3rd and 3 from their 27, Palmer hit Denarius Moore for 21 yards. Yet a sack of Palmer had the Raiders punting on 4th and 20 from their 38. Yet roughing the kicker instead meant 1st and 10 at the Tampa 47. Palmer went deep to Derek Hagan for a 47 yard touchdown, but offensive holding nullified the score. On 4th and 13 from midfield, Shane Lechler came out to punt again. Dennis Allen called a fake punt, and Lechler completed the pass to Taiwan Jones. Yet Jones fumbled the ball. He recoverd it, but the Raiders only gained 6 yards and turned it over on downs.Yet on 4th and 5 from the Oakland 38, Greg Schiano opted to punt it back.

With 1:42 left in the half, the Raiders took over at their own 29. Palmer went deep to Darrius Heyward-Bey for a 46 yard gain. On 3rd and 10 Palmer fired to Rod Streater for the touchdown as the Raiders led 10-7 at halftime. They led Miami at halftime before getting blown out 35-13. The second half was too bizarre to fathom.

The third quarter was almost as nightmarish as the Super Bowl a decade earlier. Tampa faced 2nd and 3 from their 27 and Martin ran for 10 and 6. Freeman hit Ware for 12 yards, and Martin rambled for a 45 yard touchdown as the Bucaneers regained the lead 14-10. Oakland went 3 and out, and the Bucs faced 3rd and 5 from their 45. Freeman hit Williams for a 37 yard gain. Martin gained 6 and 1, and on 3rd and 3 from the 11 Lamar Houston was offsides. Freeman hit Williams for the 4 yard touchdown to make it 21-10 Buccaneers.

Palmer moved the Raiders from their 20 to 1st and 10 at the Tampa 38. Yet dinking and dunking under Dennis Allen only increases the chances for disaster, and Palmer was intercepted by Johnson. From the Tampa 33, Martin broke into the clear again, rumbling for a 67 yard touchdown as the 21 point Buccaneers third quarter had the Raiders trailing 28-10 going into the fourth.

After a touchback, Palmer hit Moore for 12, Brandon Myers for 11, and Marcel Reece for a 26 yard gain. Palmer went back to Reece for 15 more as the Raiders began the fourth quarter at the Tampa 21. Palmer hit Goodson for 12 and Myers for a 4 yard touchdown as the Raiders were within 28-17 less than one minute into the fourth quarter. Yet only seconds later they were down by 18 again as one play from scrimmage was enough for Martin to break free yet again for a 70 yard touchdown. This keystone cops effort by the run defense had the Buccaneers back up 35-17. At this point Palmer mounted a furious rally.

From the 20, Palme hit Streater for gains of 8 and 15 and Moore for 26 more. On 3rd and 5 from the Tampa 21, Palmer hit Streater for 6. Defensive pass interference put the ball on the one, and Palmer hit Myers for the touchdown to get the Raiders within 35-24 with 10 minutes to play.

The onsides kick failed, and Tampa took over at the Oakland 44. Yet on 2nd and 3 from the 27, the Raiders received a break when Freeman fumbled and Richard Seymour recovered. The Raiders took over at their own 35. On 3rd and 10 Palmer hit Reece for 20 and Hagan for 6. With 6 minutes left and 4th and 2 from the Tampa 37, Palmer threw incomplete. Yet defensive pass interference meant a 13 yard gain and new life. On 4th and 2 from the 16, Palmer gained 3 and then hit Reece for the 13 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion to Criner succeeded. The Raiders were down 35-32 with 4 minutes left. The Raiders had all of their timeouts. Despite Martin running wild all day, Greg Schiano called some pass plays rather than grind it out. The Bucs netted one yard, and the Raiders got it back at their own 38 with 2:42 to play and 2 timeouts. A miracle comeback for the ages was still possible.

Then it wasn’t. Palmer went deep and was intercepted by Black. Black returned it 34 yards to the Oakland 22. The Silver and Black desperately needed a stop on defense again, and this time none was coming. Martin gained 13, 8, and then the final yard to put the Buccaneers back up by 10 1:48 to play. Palmer would go deep again and get intercepted again to snuff out the rally.

Freeman was 18 of 30 for 247 yards and 2 touchdowns, but the real star was Doug Martin. He rushed for 251 yards, 10 yards per carry, and 4 touchdowns. Carson Palmer put the ball in the air 61 times, completing 39 of them for 414 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions, all late, the last one after the outcome was decided. The Buccaneers are 4-4 and the Raiders fell to 3-5. This was another double digit loss. What Dennis Allen is doing is not working. The offense only moves when Palmer is unleashed. The vertical game actually is working. Yet the dink and dunk West Coast Offense is killing the Raiders in games. In this game the offense was terrible in the first half and the defense was pathetic in the second half. This looks to be a conditioning issue. A couple of wins over awful teams does not change the fact that the Raiders lost a very winnable game. This team appears set to fall apart down the stretch and perhaps go 4-12 like they did under Joe Bugel. Al Davis is rolling over in his grave after another loss to the Buccaneers. 42-32 Buccaneers

Minnesota Vikings @ Seattle Seahawks–Both of these teams are much improved from last year but still not good enough to quiet the skeptics. Adrian Peterson never should have had skeptics, and he would gash Seattle for 182 yards on the day. After the opening touchback, Peterson gained 5 yards, broke free for a 74 yard run down to the one, and then got the last yard to make it 7-0 Vikings only 90 seconds into the game. Yet on their next possession, facing 3rd and 10 from their own 11, Percy Harvin gained 8 yards before fumbling. Seattle took over at the Minnesota 17. Marshawn Lynch ran for 3 and 8 and Russell Wilson hit Golden Tate for the 6 yard score to make it 7-7.

Later in the quarter Seattle took over at their 22. Wilson hit Tate for 5 and Sidney Rice for a 23 yard gain to midfield. Lynch gained 3 and 10, and then Pete Carroll went to the bag of tricks. Wilson got it to Rice, and Rice threw the halfback option deep to Zach Miller for a 25 yard gain down to the 12. On 3rd and 9 from the 11, Wilson hit Rice for the touchdown as Seattle led 14-7 after the first quarter.

Minnesota came right back from their 20. On 3rd and 7 Ponder hit Jenkins for just enough. Harvin gained 6 and Ponder hit Simpson for 14 as the Vikings began the second quarter at midfield. On 3rd and 4 from the 44, a defensive pass interference penalty went for 24 yards. Ponder hit Reisner for 13 and Peterson ran for 2 and the last 4 to tie the game 14-14.

Seattle failed to convert on 3rd and 1, and Minnesota got it back at their own 24. Ponder gained 8, and Peterson ran wild on consecutive plays, gaining 24 and 15. Harvin gained another 15, but on 3rd and 7 from the 11 Ponder was sacked to kill the drive. Walsh hit a 36 yard field goal as the Vikings led 17-14 with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half.

Seattle took over after a touchback and went tothe gorund game. Lynch gained 4, Robinson 6, and Lynch 8 more. On 3rd and 4 from the Seattle 36, Wilson hit Rice for 7. On 3rd and 7 from the Seattle 46, Wilson hit Baldwin but came up one yard short. With 1:52 left in the half, Pete Carroll decided to go for it on 4th and 1 from the Minnesota 48. Wilson got the yard, and then went deep to Miller for a 22 yard gain. From the 20, Wilson hit Turbin for 9 and Tate for the 11 yard touchdown with 52 seconds left in the half. The extra point was blocked, but the Seahawks led 20-17 at halftime. The first half was a track meet, but the second half would be considerably slower.

After an exchange of punts in the third quarter, Seattle took over at their 28. Tate gained 13 and 8, and Wilson ran for 8 and 2. On 3rd and 10 from the Minnesota 43, Wilson was sacked. Yet the defense was offsides. On 3rd and 5 Wilson hit Tate for 6. Lynch ran for 23 yards, 3 more, and the final 3 for the touchdown to make it 27-17 Seahawks.

Minnesota again came back from their 19 as Peterson ran for a 28 yard gain. Unsportsmanlike conduct added 15 to the Seattle 41. Seattle gained only 4 more yards, and Walsh leveled a 55 yard field goal to get the Vikings within 27-20 after three quarters.

Seattle would get it back after an exchange of punts and face 2nd and 13 from their 37. Wilson hit Lynch for 23 yards, and Lynch ran for 7 and 2. On 3rd and 1 from the Minnesota 31, Wilson hit Robinson for 16. A sack of Wilson ended the drive, but Hauchska hit the critical 40 yard field goal to make it a 10 point game and put it out of reach. Ponder was quickly intercepted, and Seattle ran out the last 5 1/2 minutes.

Lynch gained 124 yards and Wilson was 16 of 24 for 173 yards and 3 touchdowns with 0 interceptions. Ponder was awful, going 11 of 22 for 63 yards and the one interception late. Both teams are 5-4, but Minnesota fans still are not sold on Ponder. 30-20 Seahawks

Pittsburgh Steelers @ New York Giants–This game was played with the backdrop of heavy hearts from Hurricane Sandy. The decision was made not to move the game. The STeelers decided to come in the day of the game rather than the day before and fly out the same night. This was so they would not take up hotel rooms that were desperately needed by displaced New Yorkers and New Jerseyites. Yet Mike Tomlin and Tom COughlin have no patience for excuses, and both teams knew they had a job to do.

A scoreless first quarter saw the Giants fail to convert on 3rd and 1 and later have Eli Manning throw an interception. Pittsburgh took over at their own 42, and began the second quarter with a critical 3rd and 4 at the Giants 23. Ben Roethlisberger hit Johnson for 5 yards. Ian Redman ran for 7, 5, and 2 and Roethlisberger hit Emanuel Sanders for the 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Giants.

The Giants took over at their own 28. From their 39, Manning went deep and drew a 41 yard defensive pass interference penalty. On 3rd and 2 from the 12, Ahmad Bradshaw ran for 4, 3, and 3. On 3rd and goal at the 2 Manning threw incomplete, but a personal foul on the defense put the ball on the one. Brown got in to tie the game 7-7.

Rainey returned the ensuing kickoff 50 yards to the Giants 48. Yet on 2nd and 5 from the Giants 32, major controversy ensued. Roetholisberger went back to pass and was hit as he was throwing. His arm was clearly going forward when the ball slipped out. It was not even a “tuck rule” case. Boley picked it up and raced 70 yards the other way for a Giants touchdown. Yet not only did the replay clearly show his arm going forward, there was also an illegal block on the play. A shocked Roethlisberger saw the officials say that the play stood. Even some of the Giants seemed surprised to be leading 14-7. Roger Goodell was at this game, and thankfully nobody asked him if these were the replacement refs.

The last 90 seconds of the half would be a struggle to see who would score next. Pittsburgh faced 3rd and 7 from the Giants 41. Yet long field goal range became a punt when Roethlisberger was sacked for a 12 yard loss. The Giants quickly moved from their 20 to the Pittsburgh 33. Yet with 30 seconds left in the half, Lawrence Tynes was no good from 51 yards out. From the Pittsburgh 41, Big Ben hit Jerricho Cotchery for 24 yards as the Steelers called their last timeout with 20 seconds left. A 23 yard completion to Heath Miller allowed Big Ben to spike the ball with 5 seconds left. Suisham hit the 30 yarder as the Steelers trailed 14-10 at halftime.

In the third quarter the Giants moved from their own 7 to a 2nd and 7 at the Pittsburgh 32. Yet the Giants got no further. Tynes nailed a 50 yarder as the Giants led 17-10.

The Steelers got it back at their own 6, and from their 20, Roethlisberger was intercepted by Webster. The Giants took over at the Pittsburgh 33. On 3rd and 1, Brown gained 8. The Giants reached 2nd and goal at the 2, but Brown lost 3 yards. Manning threw incomplete and again the Giants settled for a 23 yard Tynes field goal. Big Blue led 20-10 after three quarters, but this game was far from done.

The fourth quarter began with the Steelers facing 3rd and 5 just shy of midfield. Roethlisberger found Mike Wallace over the middle, and the speedster got to the outside, and just outraced everybody for a 51 yard touchdown. Only one minute into the fourth quarter, the Steelers trailed 20-17.

The Giants went 3 and out after Manning was sacked for an 11 yard loss. Emanuel Sanders took the punt and raced 63 yards, finally being taken down at the Giants 12 yard line. That proved to be key. On 3rd and 1 from the 3, Big Ben completed a pass to Redman, who ran into a Big Blue brick wall. On 4th and 1 from the 3, Mike Tomlin decided to settle for the field goal. Yet Tomlin went to his bag of tricks, and it was a fake. A shovel pass to kicker Suisham was snuffed out when Coe, the only Giant in the area, made a perfect tackle. With 10 1/2 minutes left, this hard-nosed game saw both defenses make big stands.

The Giants again went 3 and out and the Steelers got it back just shy of midfield. Roethlisberger hit Miller for 14 yards and Cotchery for 12. On 3rd and 7 from the 14 Redman only gained 5, but the GIants jumped offsides. With 3rd and 2 instead of 4th and 2, Redman gained 8 and then got the final yard for the go ahead touchdown. The Steelers had a 4 point lead with 4 minutes to play.

The Giants yet again went 3 and out and on 4th and 9 from their own 13 but with all 3 timeouts and 3 minutes to play, Tom Coughlin decided to punt and trust his defense. Now it came down to attitude. The Steeler running game would bang into the Giants defense.

A pair of runs went nowhere and the Giants took 2 timeouts. With 2:40 left the Steelers faced 3rd and 9 from their 29. Mike Tomlin has cojones of steel, and he called a pass play knowing that an incompletion would stop the clock while a run would force the Giants into using their last timeout. The gamble paid off as Big Ben hit Sanders for a 16 yard gain. On the next play Redman broke free for a 28 yard gain. Roethlisberger knelt 3 times and the game was over.

This was more than just a tough football game between two classy organizations with good records, the Steelers 5-3 and the Giants 6-3. This was a brief respite from the real pain going on, and both coaches alluded to that. A scary moment came late when Raines got leveled and was on the ground. Players on both teams knelt together in prayer, and Raines eventually walked off the field with help. While neither of these teams would have a first round bye if the season ended, this would not be a bad rematch in February. Last year the Giants began 6-2 before losing 4 straight and then righting the ship. This year they came in 6-2 with a stranglehold on the division by 2 1/2 games. Yet losing today should not set off the panic button. As for both teams, the Rooneys and the Maras have given much to the NFL, and both teams gave the fans a reason to watch today. 24-20 Steelers

Dallas Cowboys @ Atlanta Falcons is the Sunday night game. Mike Smith may look like an average non-descript white guy named Mike Smith, but he has an unbeaten football team. Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys have been one of biggest underachievers this year. While this had the makings of a blowout, as uber-announcer Chris Berman reminds us, “That’s why they play the games.”

Both quarterbacks played well, with Tony Romo going 25 for 35 with 321 yards and a touchdown. Matt Ryan went 24 of 34 for 342 yards. Yet despite the stats, the first three quarters was a defensive bonelock that saw neither team reach the end zone.

Atlanta went 3 and out and Dallas got the first big break of the game when Harris returned the punt 37 yards to the Atlanta 32. Romo hit Miles Austin for 9 and Kevin Ogletree for 10. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 5, Romo threw incomplete. Dan Bailey hit from 23 to make it 3-0 Cowboys. Atlanta moved from their 20 to a 2nd and 2 at the Dallas 18. Yet Michael Turner got nothing and Jaquez Rodgers lost a yard. Matt Bryant came in for the 37 yard field goal to tie it, but it was no good.

Dallas took over and soon faced 3rd and 20 from their own 17. One play made the difference as Romo went deep to Ogletree for a 65 yard gain. Yet on 2nd and 6 from the 14, Romo threw incomplete twice. Bailey hit from 32 as Dallas led 6-0 after the first quarter.

From the Atlanta 27, Ryan went to Julio Jones for 20 yards. On 3rd and 7 from midfield, Ryan hit Roddy White for 18 yards. On the first play of the second quarter, on 3rd and 7 from the Dallas 29, Ryan hit Jason Snelling for only a 2 yard gain. Depite the earlier miss, Bryant was good from 45 as Atlanta trailed 6-3. Dallas moved from their 19 to a 4th and 7 at the Atlanta 36. Bailey came in for a 54 yarder, and it was no good. This gave Atlanta good field position at their own 44. They faced an almost identical 4th and 3 at the Dallas 36. Yet with one missed field goal for each team, Mike Smith at this point decided to play field position and punt. Dallas took over at their own 3 with 6 minutes left in the half. At the 2 minute warning they faced 3rd and 1 just shy of midfield. Tanner got the carry and got nowhere near the halfstripe. They punted, and Atlanta took over at their own 12 with one minute left in the half.

On 3rd and 5 with 37 ticks left, Ryan hit White for 20 yards and scrambled for 8 more. Dallas was charged an injury timeout with 17 seconds left. That lucky break allowed Ryan to hit Gonzalez for gains of 12 and 15. That left 3 seconds for Bryant to try from 46. He was good, and the game was deadlocked 6-6 at halftime.

The third quarter saw both teams move the ball but not translate into points. Dallas moved from their 14 to a 3rd and 7 at the Atlanta 44, but a sack of Romo meant a punt. Atlanta moved from their 14 to the Dallas 25, but from 43 yards out Bryant missed for the second time on the day. Atlanta got it back on their own 19 and Ryan hit White for 16 yards. Michael Turner gained 8 yards and then broker free for a 43 yard gain. Atlanta began the fourth quarter with 2nd and 7 at the Dallas 11. Ryan hit White for 8 and Turner got the 3 yard touchdown one minute into the fourth quarter. After 46 minutes the end zone was cracked as the Falcons led 13-6.

Dallas went 3 and out and Atlanta faced 2nd and 13 from their 17. Ryan hit Julio Jones for a 48 yard gain, and on 3rd and 1 from the 26, Jones gained 8. The drive stalled at the 18, but Bryant hit from 36  to give Atlanta some breathing room up 16-6 midway through the fourth quarter.

Dallas took over at their 22. Romo hit Austin, who despite having dated a Kardashian, for a 20 yard gain. Romo went to Felix Jones for 6 yards, Jason Witten for gains of 7 and 10, Jones again for 14, and finally to Ogletree for a 21 yard touchdown. The Cowboys were within 16-13 and 5 1/2 minutes still remained. If Dallas could get the ball back they had a shot at the upset.

With 4 minutes left Atlanta faced 3rd and 6 from their own 24. Ryan hit Rodgers for a 31 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Dallas 43 with 3 1/2 minutes left, Ryan threw incomplete. Yet a killer defensive holding penalty on Scandrick instead meant 1st and 10 as Dallas had to use their last timeout. On 3rd and 5 from the 33, knowing an incompletion would stop the clock, Ryan hit Rodgers for 11 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the 16, a first down would end it as only 1:10 remained. Mike Smith kept it on the ground with the cowboys unable to stop the clock. On 4th and 2 from the 14, Bryant hit from 32 for his 4th kick in 6 tries. The Falcons only had a 6 point lead, but only 17 seconds remained. Rather than the squib kick, Smith had it kicked deep, and the result was a touchback.

17 seconds in 80 yards with 0 timeouts is not easy. Romo hit Witten for 7 and 11. On the last play of the game from the Dallas 40, Romo heaved a completion to Felix Jones, who escaped several Falcons. Yet with a nervous home crowd looking on, Jones only gained 39 yards down to the Atlanta 21. The Falcons had survived to get to 8-0. Dallas fell to 3-5. The Cowboys gave the Falcons all they could handle, but Atlanta did just enough to stay perfect at the halfway mark. 19-13 Falcons.

Philadelphia Eagles @ New Orleans Saints was the Monday night game. Walrus Lite Andy Reid and quarterback Michael Vick are both under fire as Philly as has lost 3 straight. The firing of defensive coordinator Juan Castillo has not turned things around. As for the Saints, despite the 0-4 start under Aaron Kromer, they won a couple although Joe Vitt’s debut last week was less than auspicious. The loser of this game would be in dire straights.

The Eagles moved the ball after a touchback to a 1st and 10 at the Saints 27. Yet then the room caved in as consecutive sacks of vick meant 3rd and 35 and a punt one play later. The Saints moved from their 20 to a 3rd and 3 at the Philly 34. Drew Brees threw incomplete, and Garret Hartley missed a 52 yard field goal try to keep the game scoreless.

The Eagles took over at their own 42, and from the Saints 45 Brown raced for a 40 yard gain. On 2nd and goal from the 6 came the play of the game. Vick fired to Captain Morgan Brent Celek, resulting in a touchdown. Yet it was not Celek in the end zone, as the ball caromed off of him, intercepted by Robinson, and returned coast to coast the other way. The 99 yard touchdown return lit up the Superdome and had the Saints up 7-0.

After a touchback the Eagles moved the ball again and began the second quarter facing 3rd and 3 at the Saints 40. Vick hit Harbor, but came up one yard short. Andy Reid decided to go for it on 4th and 1 from the 38. The entire world knows Andy Reid refuses to run the ball in that situation. Yet this time he did, and McCoy got in the open for a 34 yard gain to set up 1st and goal at the 4. Yet after another run gained nothing, Reid abandoned the ground as expected, Vick threw incomplete twice, and the Eagles settled for a 22 yard Henery field goal and a 7-3 deficit.

The Saints soon faced 3rd and 1 from their 33, and Mark Ingram gained 5 yards and then burst for a 23 yard gain. Brees hit Graham for gains of 9 and 8, and Ivory got around the end for a 22 yard touchdown run to make it 14-3 Saints. The Saints got it back with 5 minutes left in the half at their 26. Ingraham gained 7 and Brees hit Graham for 13 more. Ivory gained 8 and Brees hit Graham again for 17. Pierre Thomas gained 19 and 9 and Brees capped off the drive with a one yard touchdown to Marques Colston. Brees extended his own NFL record with his 51st straight game with at least one touchdown pass as the Saints took a 21-3 lead into the locker rooms. The Saints for the most part coasted the rest of the game.

The Saints took the opening kickoff and moved from their 22 to a 1st and goal at the Philly 9. Looking to put the game away early, Brees was sacked and fumbled, and the Eagles took over at their 17. Two plays later Vick did what e is capable of doing when he is at his best. He went bombs away, and found Desean Jackson for a 77 yard touchdown. Rather than a 28-3 game, the 14 point swing had the Eagles only down 21-10.

The Saints then fumbled the ensuing kickoff, giving the Eagles the ball at the New Orleans 22. Vick scrambled for 14 yards to set up 1st and goal at the 8. Yet a sack of Vick wasted the opportunity a the Eagles settled for a 37 yard Henery field goal. Two trips to the red zone inside the 10 yard line meant field goals instead of touchdowns. Rather than a tie 21-21 game, the Eagles were down 21-13.

The Saints stayed calm from their own 30 despite giving away 10 quick points. On 2nd and 12 from their 28, Brees hit Ingram for 16, Devry henderson for 8, and on 3rd and 7 from the Saints 47, Moore for 23 yards to the Philly 30. A pair of 7 yard Ingram runs and a defensive penalty meant 1st and goal at the 8. Brees threw a 6 yard touchdown pass to Graham as the Saints built their lead back up to 15 points after three quarters.

Philadelphia got a jolt of momentum on the ensuing kickoff when they redid the Adelphia Miracle made famous in Tennessee and infamous in Buffalo. Boykin tossed the kick to Cooper, who raced all the way for a combined 107 yard kickoff return. Yet unlike that fateful playoff game after the 1999 season, this time it was a forward lateral. Rather than a one score game, the Eagles were backed up to their own 3 yard line and would punt. Philly got it back at their own 26 with 9 minutes to play and reached 1st and goal at the 5 with 4 minutes left. Yet the Eagles self-destructed as consecutive penalties and a sack of Vick meant 3rd and goal from the 22. Vick found Celek for a 14 yard gain but again Celek’s tough night got worse as he fumbled and the Saints recovered at their own 7.

The Saints would punt, but a 66 yard punt backed the Eagles up to their 38 with 1:54 left. Their was not enough time, and despite reaching the Saints 15 with 22 seconds left, 3 straight incompletions finally ended it. The last incompletion went in the area of Celek. The scoreless fourth quarter had both teams at 3-5. Yet the Saints have won 3 of 4 and the Eagles have seen their 3-1 start go up in smoke. Things are definitely not sunny in Philadelphia while the Saints are moving in the right direction. 28-13 Saints

eric

NFL 2012 Week 8 Recap

The only way to recover from a Saturday night of South Beach, Miami revelry is to spend the entire Sunday relaxing and watching football. So let’s do this America. Time for some football.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Minnesota Vikings was the Thursday night game. The Vikings came in a very strong 5-2 while the Buccaneers were an up and down team. So naturally at home Minnesota would show that they were ready for the big time and take back the NFC North crown. As ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman says, “That’s why they play the games.”

A field position game early on had Minnesota punting twice and the Buccaneers once, with Tampa taking over at their own 42. Doug Martin, who would gash the Minnesota defense all game, got started with a 41 yard run up the middle. Despite 2nd and 3 from the 10, Josh Freeman threw incomplete twice and the Bucs would settle for a 28 yard Connor Barth field goal and a 3-0 lead. Tampa got it back and soon faced 3rd and 10 from the Minnesota 48. Freeman went deep to speedster Vincent Jackson for a 26 yard gain. Freeman then hit Martin for 9 and Dallas Clark for 10 before capping off the drive with a one yard touchdown pass to Lorig to make it 10-0 Buccaneers.

Minnesota fumbled the ball away on their next series, and Tampa took over at their own 46. Martin quickly gained 12 and 8. On 3rd and 2 from the Minnesota 34, Martin got the deuce as the second quarter began. The drive stalled at the 20, but Barth hit from 40 to make it 13-0 Buccaneers in front of a stunned home crowd.

The Vikings finally got a jolt of life when Percy Harvin took a pass from Christian Ponder after a touchback 32 yards. Adrian Peterson gained 11 yards, and a roughing the passer penalty added 15 more. On 3rd and 6 from the 18, Ponder went to Harvin for the touchdown as the Vikings were only down 13-7.

Yet on Minnesota’s next possession, they fumbled the ball away again as the Bucs took over at the Minnesota 37. Martin gained 16 and Freeman hit Clark for 13. On 3rd and goal from the 3 Freeman hit mike Williams for the touchdown as the Bucs led 20-7.

After a touchback, on 3rd and 10 from their 20, Ponder hit Rudolph for 12. On 3rd and 12 from their 30, Ponder went to Simpson for a 33 yard gain. Walsh would hit a 51 yard field goal as the Vikings still trailed 20-10 at the half.

The third quarter had the Buccaneers putting the dagger in very quickly. After a touchback, Freeman hit Clark for 17 yards. Then a short pass to Martin became a 64 yard touchdown as the Bucs immediately led 27-10. Minnesota again went 3 and out as the Buccaneers took o er at their own 42. Martin gained 6, 9, and 4. Barth would hit a 38 yarder as the Bucs were cruising 30-10.

Minnesota had another spark of life when immediately after the ensuing kickoff, Peterson took a handoff and raced 64 yards for a score to get Minnesota within 30-17.

Yet there would be no comeback. Tampa Bay took over after an exchange of punts at their own 13 and entered the fourth quarter with Freeman leading a staggering 16 play, 9 minute, 87 yard drive that just ground Minnesota into dust. On 3rd and 6 from their 23, Freeman hit Jackson for 14. On 3rd and 10 from their 37, Freeman hit Tyquon Underwood for 12. On 3rd and 10 just shy of midfield, Freeman went deep to Williams for a 34 yard gain. On 3rd and 9 from the 16, Freeman hit Williams for 11 and the Vikings defense could not get off the field. On 3rd and goal at the one, Martin got in. The 2 point conversion failed, but it did not matter.

Leslie Frazier has seen calls despite the 5-2 start to replace Christian Ponder. This game did not do anything to silence the critics, as Minnesota looked like pretenders on their home field. Freeman threw for 3 touchdown passes, but the big story was Doug Martin. He ran wild and finished with 214 all purpose yards in a game that was never competitive. 36-17 Buccaneers

Atlanta Falcons @ Philadelphia Eagles–Michael Vick faced off against his former team, but the real story is that Atlanta is 6-0 under average non-descript white guy Mike Smith while Walrus Lite Andy Reid sees his Eagles underachieving for the second consecutive season. Reid fired defensive coordinator Juan Castillo, who was converted from an offensive line position to begin with. It is not always sunny in Philadelphia, and Jeffrey Lurie has everyone on a short leash after not firing anyone last year.

Atlanta dominated at the start. On 3rd and 8 from their 22, Matt Ryan hit Davis for 15 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the 37 an incompletion was offset by defensive holding. On 3rd and 2 from midfield Ryan hit Roddy White for 10. On 3rd and 1 from the Philly 31, Turner got the yard. Ryan hit Tony Gonzalez for 11, and on 3rd and 7 from the 15 Matty Ice hit Davis for the touchdown to complete the 16 play, 80 yard, 9 minute drive to make it 7-0 Falcons.

Philly went 3 and out and Atlanta took over just shy of midfield. On 3rd and 4 Ryan found Julio Jones for 7 yards. A 22 yard defensive pass interference penalty meant 1st and goal at the 10. On 3rd and goal, an incomplete was offset by another defensive pass interference penalty. Ryan hit Jason Snelling for a 3 yard score as the Falcons led 14-0.

Philly finally got going and the second quarter began with them facing 3rd and 2 at their own 42. Michael Vick hit Desean Jackson for a 3 yard gain. Vick hit Jeremy Maclin for 9 yards and Captain Morgan Brent Celek for a couple more. A 12 yarder to Maclin and a pair of 7 yard McCoy runs meant 2nd and 3 from the Atlanta 7. Brown gained 5, fumbled the ball, and was lucky that the Eagles retained possession. McCoy got the final couple yards as the 14 play, 7 minute drive had the Eagles within 14-7. After that with rain coming down, the Eagles got washed away as well.

Atlanta took over at their own 27 and struck quickly. Ryan hit White for 14 yards. On 2nd and 14, a short pass from Ryan to Jones went for a 63 yard touchdown as the Falcons were back up 21-7. Philly moved from their 20 to a 2nd and 2 just past midfield. They got nothing else and on 4th and 2 Andy Reid decided to punt. With 2:48 left in the half the Falcons took over at their own 9. They were at their own 20 at the 2 minute warning. Ryan ran for 10 and Rodgers added 10 more. Ryan hit Tony Gonzalez for 11. On 3rd and 4 from the Philly 48, Ryan hit Jones for 6 and White for 14. matt Bryant hit a 43 yard field to end the half as the Falcons led 24-7 in front of a disgusted and wet home crowd. The second half would provide no relief from the weather or the Falcons.

Philly would begin the third quarter moving from their 17 to a 2nd and 6 at the Atlanta 15. Yet Vick fired incomplete twice, and the Eagles settled for a 33 yard Henery field goal and a 24-10 deficit. Atlanta matched the Ealges with a 12 play drive that took 5 minutes off the clock, going from their 20 to 1st and goal at the 5. An illegal touch on the offense ended the drive, but Bryant hit from 29 to make it 27-10 Falcons. This was the exact score the Eagles won by in the NFC Title Game after the 2004 season, and Vick again was on the losing end of this game. Atlanta got it back at their own 10 and took 5 more minutes off of the clock. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Bryant hit from 30 as the Falcons led 30-10.

Vick would lead a 16 play, 80 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive, but ball control is not good when down by 20 and needing 3 scores. On 3rd and goal at the 7 Vick would hit McCoy for the score, but that would be it. Philly would turn it over on downs two more times. A disgusted Andy Reid saw his team fall to 3-4, while Mike Smith has the Falcons a perfect 7-0. They are silencing critics with solid wins on the road. 30-17 Falcons

Carolina Panthers @ Chicago Bears–Carolina began the season 1-5 and General Managaer Marty Hurley was fired. Owner Jerry Richardson wants quarterback Cam Newton to be happy, and losing does not help. Lovie Smith has the Bears playing well this season, but time will tell if they are contenders or pretenders. The Bears have fooled us in recent years. A home win against a team having a miserable year would be expected.

Jay Cutler was intercepted early on, but on the next series Chicago took over just past midfield. Matt Forte ran for 16 yards and Cutler hit Brandon Marshall for 18 more. Forte ran for a 13 yard touchdown. The Bears made it look easy going up 7-0, but nothing came easy for them the rest of the half.

On the first play from scrimmage after a touchback, Newton went deep to Brad LaFell for a 62 yard gain to the Chicago 18. The Panthers settled for a 34 yard Medlock field goal to trail 7-3. A sack of Cutler would have the Bears facing 3rd and 21 at their own 32. Cutler was then sacked again, and he fumbled. Carolina took over at the Chicago 16, and Deangelo Williams ran for 7 yards to end the opening quarter. On 3rd and 3 from the 9, Newton fumbled, but Murphy recovered in the end zone for Carolina as the touchdown just the way they drew it up at sandlot practice had the Panthers up 10-7.

Carolina got it back and soon faced 3rd and 3 from their 36. Newton hit Steve smith for 8 yards. On 3rd and 9 from their 45, Newton threw incomplete but illegal contact meant 1st and 10 at midfield. On 3rd and 1 Stewart got nothing, and Ron Rivera gambled on 4th and 1 from the Chicago 41. Newton gained 2 to keep the drive going. Newton would hit Stewart for 15 more, but the drive died at the 10. Medlock hit from 31 to make it 13-7 Panthers. Newton threw for nearly 200 yards in the first half with Cutler throwing for 40, yet the Bears were still in it. With less than one minute in the half, Newton was intercepted. with seconds left in the half Cutler was sacked again and fumbled again.

Carolina dominated the third quarter but critical breakdowns kept them from putting the game out of reach. A long drive from their own 6 to a 2nd and goal at the hicago 4 took 8 minutes off the clock. Yet 90 yards was not enough, and a pair of Newton incompletions meant a 22 yard Medlock field goal. The Panthers led 16-7. Carolina got it back at their 12 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Chicago 25. Yet they got nothing more and despite Medlock hitting his fourth field goal from 43 yards, the Panthers only led 19-7 after three quarters.

Facing 2nd and 12 from their own 32, Cutler hit Bennett for gains of 24 and 11 yards to the Carolina 33 as the third quarter ended. Cutler hit Marshall for 13, but got no further than the 15. Robbie Gould missed a 33 yarder as the Bears misery continued and they still trailed 19-7 with 12 minutes left in regulation.

Carolina got stopped on 3rd and 1, and a 6…yes 6…yard punt had the Bears starting out at the Carolina 38. On 3rd and 8, Cutler hit Marshall for 11, Forte for 9, and Davis for the 12 yard touchdown as the Bears were only down 19-14 midway through the fourth quarter. After a touchback, Newton was intercepted by Jennings, who returned it 25 yards for a touchdown. The Panthers were giving the game away as 2 touchdowns in 18 seconds had the Bears up 20-19 after the failed 2 point conversion.

After a touchback, a roughing the passer penalty had Carolina moving. On 3rd and 1 from their 45, Newton took an end around 16 yards. With 2 1/2 minutes left, Medlock came in for a 45 yarder. His fifth field goal was good, and 5 for 5 had the Panthers up 22-20. Now it was up to their defense.

Chicago took over at their 22, and at the 2 minute warning Cutler hit Marshall for 8 to the 34. Cutler then hit Bennett for 12. With one minute left the Bears faced 3rd and 3 from the Carolina 47. Cutler hit Marshall for 11 and again for 10. With 4 seconds left, Gould came in for the 41 yarder to win it. Despite his earlier miss, this time he was good. Lovie Smith will keep hearing that his team is not that good. Their offense in particular looked dreadful. Yet they are 6-1. Carolina is 1-6 and they are that bad. They found a way to lose this game, which bad teams do. 23-22 Bears

San Diego Chargers @ Cleveland Browns–With Walrus Mike Holmgren on the way out, the Browns continue their commitment to futility that has define much of the last five decades. Unlike in politics, if you inherit a mess in sports and fail to turn it around in three or four years, you get fired anyway. There are no excuses in football. The Chargers, unlike the Browns, actually have plenty of talent. Yet Norvelous Norv Turner, who somehow cannot be fired in San Diego, has even oversaw his team blow a 24 point halftime lead. Perhaps he has pictures of the Spanos family engaging in illegal activities. A loss to the woeful Browns would really have the San Diego fans calling for Turner’s scalp. While this was not the worst football game ever played, it certainly was fairly awful.

San Diego moved from their 19 to a 4th and 1 at the Cleveland 30. Turner went for it, and Battle got stopped cold. On 3rd and 6 from their 34, Brandon Weeden got just enough. On 3rd and 1 from the Chargers 48, Trent Richardson got the yard and then 11 more. On 3rd and 10 from the Chargers 37, Weeden hit Ogbonnaya for 9. Pat Shurmur decided to go for it, and Weeden gained 2 on 4th and 1. Richardson then broke free for a 26 yard touchdown run. The Browns led 7-0, concluding offensive highlights for both teams for much of the rest of this dreadful excuse of a football game.

With 1:54 left in the half the Browns faced 4th and 8 at the Chargers 38. Shurmur decided to punt, yet a touchback gave San Diego plenty of time. Philip RIvers hit Ronnie Brown for a 25 yard gain, Rosario for 6 more, Brown for another 5, and Rosario for 5 more. With 14 seconds left in the half facing 3rd and 5 from the Cleveland 17, Rivers was sacked. Nick Novak would hit the 43 yard field goal but the Chargers trailed 7-3 at intermission in the Dawg Pound.

A field position game had the Chargers taking over at the Cleveland 43 midway through the third quarter. Ryan Mathews gained 8, McClain added 3, and Matthews had a pair of 3 yard gains and 8 more on 3rd and 4. Yet on 1st and 10 from the 18, an end around got blown up in the backfield. The Chargers settled for a 31 yard Novak field goal as they still trailed 7-6 after three quarters in a game that should see the film destroyed.

The fourth quarter was every bit as heinous as the first three quarters. Both teams began drives at their own 3 yard line, got to about midfield, and punted. With 2 1/2 minutes left and needing only a field goal, San Diego took over at their own 12. With 1:41 to play the Chargers had 1st and 10 at the Cleveland 44. One more first down meant long field goal range and another typical Cleveland loss, another San Diego win, and a repreive for Norvelous Norv Turner. 3 straight Rivers incompletions meant 4th and 10. Turner decided to go for it rather than have Novak try a 62 yard field goal. Rivers threw another incompletion and the Browns had the greatest win in team history except for many of them. The Chargers had one of the worst losses except for many of them. 7-6 Browns

Seattle Seahawks @ Detroit Lions–Pete Carroll has Seattle competitive in the NFC West with a ferocious defense while Jim Schwartz saw his high powered Lions offense run into an NFC North black and blue Chicago wall last week. After a Detroit punt Seattle took over at their own 23. Russell Wilson hit Golden Tate for 18 yards. On 4th and 5 just past midfield, Seattle punted but Detroit was called for an illegal formation on defense. Given second life, Seattle moved to a 3rd and 7 at the 10 where a pass from Wilson to Tate came up 2 yards short. Pete Carroll played it safe and Stephen Hauschka hit the 23 yarded to make it 3-0 Seahawks.

Detroit soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 26, and Matthew Stafford hit Leshoure for 4 yards. Leshoure gained 12 and Stafford hit Broyles for 19 yards and Tony Scheffler for 20 more. On the last play of the first quarter, Stafford hit Broyles for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Lions. The first play of the second quarter was the first play from scrimmage after the kickoff. Marshawn Lynch took a handoff around the end and raced 77 yards for a score to put the Seahawks back on top 10-7.

Detroit immediately saw a 12 yard sack of Stafford and on 3rd and 24 from their own 6, were lucky to get to punt formation. Seattle took over at their own 44. A defensive pass interference penalty meant a 41 yard gain. On 3rd and 4 from the 9, Wilson hit Sidney Rice for the touchdown to make it 17-7 Seahawks.

After a touchback Stafford found Scheffler for 14 and Brandon Pettigrew for 18. On 3rd and 11 from the Seattle 46, Stafford went deep to Young for the touchdown as the Lions were back in it down 17-14.

A scoreless third quarter saw Detroit miss an opportunity facing 2nd and 3 from the Seattle 29 when Stafford was intercepted. Wilson throw an interception back several plays later as the Lions took over at their own 44. Stafford hit Megatron Calvin Johnson for 25, and Bell ran for 5 and caught a pass for 9 more. Detroit began the fourth quarter from the Seattle 17, and on 3rd and 4 from the 11 Stafford hit Pettigrew for 9. On 3rd and goal at the one, Stafford got in as the Lions led 21-17 with 12 minutes left in regulation.

Facing 3rd and 10 from their 13, Wilson hit Rice for 18. Lynch ran for 9 and Wilson hit Rice for 18 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Detroit 32, Wilson threw incomplete. A 50 yarder is makeable, but down by 4 with 6:40 to play, Pete Carroll decided to go for it. Wilson hit Tate for 6. Lynch then gained 10 and Wilson hit Miller for the 16 yard touchdown as Seattle retook the lead by a field goal with 5 1/2 minutes left.

After a touchback Stafford moved the offense beautifully. A 15 yarder to Johnson got the Lions going, and on 3rd and 5 from their 40 Stafford hit Johnson for 6, Young for 6, Young for 7, and Bell for 5 to the Seattle 36 at the two minute warning. Stafford hit Pettigrew for 11. Bell gained 5 and caught a reception for 8 more as the Lions took their second timeout with 51 seconds left and Detroit at the 12 yard line. On 3rd and 10 Stafford hit Bell for 11 as the Lions had 1st and goal at the one with 42 seconds left.

With 20 seconds left, it came down to 3rd and goal at the one. Stafford fired to Titus Young for the touchdown as the home crowd erupted. The stout Seattle defense were as game as they have been all year, but this time they were beaten. Matthew Stafford added to his already successful young professional career with another thrilling comeback win. 28-24 Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Green Bay Packers–The Jaguars are perhaps the worst team in football and Blaine Gabbert is having a tough year. After a very sluggish start, Mike McCarthy now has the Packes playing like they did during the regular season last year. This was supposed to be an easy win for the Packers. Again, “that’s why they play the games.”

After an exchange of punts, a 3rd and 4 from their own 40 had Gabbert going to Justin Blackmon for a 36 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the 22, offensive holding killed the drive. Josh Scobee hit from 38 yards out to make it 3–0 Jaguars.

From their own 31, Aaron Rodgers hit Jones for 12. On 3rd and 2 just past midfield, Rodgers gained 4. and hit Green for 12. From the Jacksonville 25, Rodgers hit Finley for 20 and Randall Cobb for the 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Packers.

Early in the second quarter Jacksonville had 1st and 10 from the Green Bay 22. Jet Jacksonville fumbled the ball away to waste the opportunity. Things got worse for the Jaguars on the next series. Punting from their own 37, the kick was blocked by House and recovered by Moses for a touchdown to make it 14-3 Packers.

With 2 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Jaguars took over at their own 31. Gabbert hit Jennings for 14 and Shorts for a 35 yard gain to the 10. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 4, Gabbert threw incomplete. With one minute left in the half, Scobee hit a 22 yarder to get Jacksonville within 14-6.

After a touchback, rather than run out the clock, Mike McCarthy went looking for more. Rodgers was sacked and fumbled, and the Jaguars took over at the Green Bay 13. On 3rd and 5 at the 8, Gabbert hit Michael Spurlock for 7 down to the one with 21 seconds left. Gabbert hit Whimper for the touchdown. While the 2 point conversion failed, the easy game was gone as the Jaguars only trailed 14-12 at halftime.

Green Bay had chances to extend the lead but shot themselves in the foot. On 4th and 6 from the Jacksonville 37, Rodgers threw incomplete. Late in the third quarter on 3rd and 1 from the Jacksonville 14, a run went nowhere. Mike McCarthy decided not to gamble, but Mason Crosby doinked a 32 yard field goal try off the upright. Green Bay began the fourth quarter with 3rd and 1 at the Jacksonville 43. Green this time got the yard, and on the next play Rodgers went deep to Jones for a 31 yard gain. ROdgers hit Donald Driver for a 4 yard touchdown as the Packers finally had some breathing room up 21-12 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

Gabbert moved the Jaguars from their 20 to a 2nd and 5 at the Packers 12. Yet Gabbert twice threw incomplete, and needing 2 scores, the field goal made sense. Scobee hit from 32 as the Jaguars were back within 21-15.

Scobee kicked the ensuing kickoff out of bounds, but the packers went 3 and out. With 6 minutes left, Jacksonville took over at their own 8. Gabbert hit Jennings for 15, Shorts for 9, and Jennings for 18 to midfield. Yt on 4th and 4 from the Packers 44 with 3 minutes left, Gabbert threw incomplete. The Jaguars had their timeouts, and they took their final one with 2:44 to play and the Packers facing a critical 3rd and 7 from their own 47. One stop would give the Jaguars one more chance for the win. Rodgers threw deep incomplete, but defensive pass interference instead meant a 38 yard gain. On 3rd and 4 from the 9 Green Bay only got half, and Crosby came in for the 25 yarder. Despite his earlier miss, this time he was good and the game was finally out of reach with 30 seconds left. Green Bay is 5-3 and moving in the right direction. Jacksonville is a miserable 1-6 after another tough loss. 24-15 Packers

Miami Dolphins @ New York Jets–Anthony Sparano faced off against the team that fired him, but this rivalry is now a battle in the AFC least where nobody is playing well. Miami moved from their own 22 to start the game, and on 3rd and 4 the vaunted Rex Ryan defense jumped offsides. Reggie Bush, despite having dated a Kardashian, ran for 19 yard with 15 more tacked on for unnecessary roughness. Ryan Tannehill hit Brad Hartline for 12 more. Dan Carpenter hit a 33 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Dolphins. Miami even ran a successful onsides kick, but it did not lead to points. Yet with 4 minutes left in the opening quarter, punting from their own 20, the Jets suffered a special teams breakdown. The punt was blocked by Wilson, and bounced straight to Vernon for the touchdown as Miami led 10-0.

The Jets would get it back having failed on defense and special teams. Now the trifecta was complete as the offense failed. From the Jets 37, Mark Sanchez, who probably has lost interest in football now that he is dating Eva Longoria, was sacked and fumbled. Miami took over at the Jets 32. Matt Moore was in for the injured Chad Henne, and he hit Hartline for 11 as the opening quarter ended. On 3rd and goal from the 3, Thomas got in the end zone. The Jets lost a game earlier this year at home 34-0, and they were halfway there already as the Dolphins led 17-0.

Miami would get it back and soon face 3rd and 3 from their own 42. It was the M Moore to M Moore connection as Matt went deep to his teammate for a 37 yard gain. Dan Carpenter would hit from 39 as the Dolphins led 20-0. The Jets got it back with 2:43 left in the half and moved from their 13 to a 2nd and 5 at the Miami 17. Sanchez then threw incomplete twice and Rex Ryan brought in Nick Folk for the 35 yard field goal. The kick was blocked, and Bronx Cheers rained down on the New Meadowlands as Gang Green suffered another reminder that they will never be as beloved as their Big Blue counterparts, especially with performances like this one. League rules required the second half to be played.

Gates returned the second half kickoff to the Jets 46, and on 3rd and 1, Hilliard gained 2. Snachez hit Dustin Keller for 23 to set up 1st and 10 a the 20. 3 more plays meant 0 more yards. This time Folk was good from 38, as the lifeless Jets still trailed 20-3. Thigpen answered by returning the ensuing kickoff 57 yards to the Jets 40. On 3rd and 10 Moore hit Jabar Gaffney for 30 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Moore hit Anthony Fasano for the touchdown as the Dolphins cruised 27-3.

Midway through the third quarter facing 4th and 5 at the Miami 47, Rex Ryan apparently conceded by calling for a punt. The Jets finally created a break when they recovered a Miami fumble and took over at the Dolphins 32. Yet from the 15, Sanchez was intercepted.

In the fourth quarter Sanchez would lead a 94 yard drive that would culminate in a 5 yard touchdown to Chaz Schilens. The 2 point conversion failed, and the Dolphins would tack on one more field goal to complete the blowout. Joe Philbin has his Dolphins hanging around with a 4-3 record while the Jets head into their bye a miserable 3-5. They suck in every phase of team football, and Rex Ryan knows it. Sanchez threw for 283 yards and was 28 of 54, not the ground and pound Rex Ryan wants. With the trading deadline approaching, Ryan may wish to trade all 45 players. 30-9 Dolphins

Washington Redskins @ Pittsburgh Steelers–RGIII came to face off against Big Ben Roethlisberger. In the beginning it was all Pittsburgh as Big Ben led a 12 play, 76 yard drive that took 7 minutes off the clock. A 25 yard completion from Roethlisberger to Heath Miller went to the Washington 46. Roethlisberger also hit Mike Wallace for 8, and on 3rd and 7 from the Washington 31, Big Ben found Emanuel Sanders for 15 and Wallace for 5. On 3rd and goal at the one, Dwyer did not get in. Mike Tomlinson decided to go for it, and on 4th and goal from the one, Roethlisberger hit Pope for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Steelers.

Washington went 3 and out when a 3rd and 1 run meant a 3 yard loss. Pittsburgh took over at their own 28 and Dwyer ripped off a 34 yard run. The drive would stall when a gadget play went awry and Shawn Suisham hit a 48 yarder to make it 10-0 Steelers.

The Redskins finally got moving and by the second quarter beginning, they were at the Pittsburgh 14. On 3rd and 4 from the8 RGIII found Morgan for 5. On 4th and goal at the 2 Mike Shanahan decided to go for it, and Griffin hit Santana Moss for the touchdown. The extra point was blocked as the Redskins trailed 10-6.

From their own 26, Pittsburgh came right back. Roethlisberger hit Sanders for 14, and on 3rd and 2 Rainey gained 3. Roethlisberger from just past midfield hit Brown for 14 and again for 18, and then to Wallace for 10. On 3rd and goal from the 7 Roethlisberger hit Miller for the score to make it 17-6 Steelers.

With 4 minutes left in the half a shanked punt went only 12 yards. The Steelers took over at their own 45 and Roethlisberger quickly hit Sanders for 27 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the 12 a pass to Wallac eonly gained 3, and at the 2 minute warning Suisham came in for a 27 yarder. It was good and the Steelers led 20-6 at halftime.

RGIII moved the Redskins in the third quarter from their 21 as a pass to Paul gained 37 yards. Yet from the Pittsburgh 30, the Redskins went nowhere. Forbath hit a 48 yard field goal to get the Redskins within 20-9.

The Steelers came back after a touchback to put the game away. Dwyer gained 12 and 10. Roethlisberger hit Johnson for 7, Charlie Batch for 8, and Miller for 12. On 3rd and 3 from the Washington 21, Rainey took a wildcat snap and gained 19 yards. Big Ben hit Johnson for the one yard touchdown to have the Steelers firmly in command up 27-9.

Pittsburgh missed a chance to extend the lead when a punt return for a touchdown was called back, but they didn’t need it. Washington again got in the red zone and again settled for a 45 yard Forbath field goal, but it was far too little far too late. With 4 minutes left in regulation, 4th and 17 from the Pittsburgh 24 saw RGIII throw incomplete.

The Redskins are a much improved team, but this time the Steelers had too much firepower at home. 27-12 Steelers

New England Patriots @ St. Louis Rams–The 2001 season saw a Super Bowl shocker when the Greatest Show on Turf under mad scientist Mike Martz was shocked by Evil Hoodie Bill Bellichick and Tom Brady. A dynasty was launched, but not in St. Louis. Now these are a pair of avergae teams, with the Rams overachieving and the Patriots not up to their usual standards.

After a touchback, Sam Bradford hit Stephen Jackson for 14 yards. On 3rd and 2 from their 47, Jackson gained 3. Bradford then went deep to Givens, and the 50 yard touchdown bobm had the Rams on top first 7-0. New England came right back. On 3rd and 2 from their 30, Brady threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 10 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from their 48, Brady hit Danny Woodhead for 24 yards. Ridley gained 9, and on 3rd and 1 Brady went to Lloyd for the 19 yard score to tie the game 7-7.

Reality soon set in for the Rams. From the New England 17, Ridley gained 20, and Brady hit Rob Gronkowski for 25 more. Brady found Wes Welker for 9 and then hit Gronkowski again for 25 more to set up 1st and goal at the one to start the second quarter. On 3rd and goal from the 2 Woodhead only got half, and Bill Bellichick decided to go for it on 4th and goal at the one. Vereen got in and the Patriots led 14-7.

New England got it back at their own 22 and Vereen gained 14 yards. Brady hit Gronkowski for 11 more. On 3rd and 4 from the Rams 41, Brady hit Gronkowski again for a 32 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 7, it was again Brady to Gronkowski for the touchdown and the 21-7 Patriots lead.

With 2 minutes left in the half the Rams faced 4th and 4 at the Patriots 35. Jeff Fisher called a fake field goal that blew up, resulting in a 9 yard loss. The Patriots took over at their own 44 and Brady made the Rams pay. Brady hit Woodhead for 15. On 3rd and 4 from the 35 Brady threw incomplete, but defensive pass interference added 15 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the 11 Brady gained 3. On 3rd and goal from the 8 with 17 seconds left in the half, Brady again threw incomplete and again defensive pass interference killed the Rams. From the one yard line, Ridley got in as the Patriots rolled 28-7 at halftime.

New England has not had the killer instinct they have had in past years, but perhaps having to fly all the way to England to play in London’s Wembley stadium and try the disgusting British food made Bellichick crankier than usual. AFter a touchback to start the third quarter, Brady went right to work. He hit Hoomanawanui for 18 yards, and Brady is the only known player to complete a pass to a guy named Hoomanawanui. Ridley then ran for 30 yards. Brady hit Gronkowski for 10, Welker for 9, and Lloyd for the 9 yard touchdown to make it 35-7 Patriots. New England got it back at their own 34 and a 41 yard gain by Ridley led to a 26 yard Stephen Gostkowski field goal and a 38-7 Patriots advantage. In the fourth quarter Brady would throw a 14 yard touchdown pass to Gronkowski to complete the scoring.

The British do like professional football, but they only saw it from one team on this day. The last time Jeff Fisher faced Bellichick and the Patriots, Fisher was with Tennessee, the snow came down, and the Patriots won 59-0. The 2 game total of Bellichick over Fisher is now 104-7. At least the teams could leave behind the miserable London weather and get back to America in time for Hurricane Sandy. 45-7 Patriots

Indianapolis Colts @ Tennessee Titans–The Colts have been playing inspired football since coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with lukemia. Andrew Luck has certainly hepled matters, while the Titans have old man Matt Hasselbeck in for the injured Jake Locker. The Titans began by moving 13 plays and taking half the quarter to do it. Yet after moving from their 20 to the Indy 17, a failed run, a false start, and a sack of Hasselbeck meant the Titans were settling for a 39 yard Rob Bironas field goal and a 3-0 lead. The Colts came back with a long drive of their own from the Indy 15 to the Tennessee 4 yard line. Yet on 3rd and goal Luck was only able to get half of it. On 4th and goal at the 2 the Colts took no chances and Adam Vinatieri hit the 20 yarder to tie the game 3-3.

Midway through the second quarter of a defensive slugfest, the Titans faced 3rd and 5 from their own 33. Indy jumped offsides to keep the drive going. On 3rd and 5 from their 43, Hasselbeck hit Wright for 7 to midfield and then scrambled for 10 more himself. On 3rd and 2 from the Indy 27, Hasselbeck hit Nate Washington for 5. On 3rd and 11 from the 23, Hasselbeck went deep to Wright for the touchdown with one minute left in the half to make it 10-3 Titans. Luck would rapidly move the Colts from their 19 to a 3rd and 1 at the Titans 19 with 10 seconds left in the half. Luck threw incomplete, and on 4th and one with only 4 seconds left, the field goal was the choice. Vinatieri’s kick from 37 yards out was blocked.

Luck moved the Colts more methodically in the third quarter from their 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Tennessee 30. A sack of luck meant Vinatieri was coming in again, this time from 44. The kick was good and the Colts were within 10-6. The Colts got it back and midway through the third quarter Luck went for it all from the Tennessee 32. He was intercepted for a touchback. Tennessee moved to the Indy 27, but from 45 yards out Bironas missed a field goal.

Tennessee got it back at their own 20 and a pair of Chris Johnson 5 yard gains had them starting the fourth quarter at their 30. Hasselbeck went deep to Cook for a 29 yard gain, and Johnson gained 11 more. Hasselbeck hit Hawkins for 7, and Johnson ran for 14 to set up 1st and goal at the 9. Hasselbeck would fumble and although the Titans retained possession, the drive was done. Bironas this time was good from 30 as the Titans led 13-6 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

After a touchback, Luck hit Reggie Wayne for 10 and Allen for 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Titans 48, Luck gained 7. Luck hit Hilton for 14 and Saunders for 11. On 3rd and 10 from the Titans 17, Luck hit Brazill for 9. With 4 minutes to go, it came down to 4th and 1 at the 7. Donald Carter got the carry, and gained 7 yards. Carter gt the last yard on the next play. After 56 1/2 minutes, the Colts reached the end zone. The 80 yard, 7 minute, 14 play drive had the game tied 13-13. Each team had one more chance with the football in regulation but the game went into overtime, where the Colts won the toss and began at their 20.

Donald Brown gained 4, with 5 more tacked on for a penalty. Brown became a workhorse, gaining 19, 9, 5, and 5 more. Yet on the next carry he lost 3 yards to set up 3rd and 8 at the Titans 36.Luck hit Wayne for 20 yards. Under the new overtime rules, a field goal would give the Titans one chance with the ball. So instead Luck threw a 16 yard touchdown to Ballard. The Titans would not see the ball as the game was over. The Colts were 2-14 last year and are now 4-3 as Mike Munchak saw hit Titans lose a tough one at home. 19-13 Colts, OT

Oakland Raiders @ Kansas City Chiefs–For more on the game of the day, go to http://www.justblogbaby.com

The Raiders avoided becoming the worst team in football by eking out a win last week against the worst team. They have won two games this year at home while being down by at least 10 points in both of those games. Meanwhile, they have been blown out in three road games by at least 16 points. Now they face a Kansas City team that is also even worse than they are. If the Raiders are ever going to even be a respectable team, they have to avoid losing these games. 3-4 leaves hope. 2-5 does not. The Dennis Allen era has been rough, but this was a winnable game for the Silver and Black. Brady Quinn was starting instead of a benched Matt Cassell, meaning unless the Raiders benched Carson Palmer and inserted Captain Checkdown Matt Leinart into the game, the Raiders had a golden chance to win. Sometimes bad teams can come together to play a great game. This was not that game.

After a touchback on the very first play of the game, Carson Palmer went for the bomb. He was intercepted by former Raider Stanford Routt, who returned it 17 yards to the Oakland 44. Yet 3 plays netted the Chiefs only 5 yards, and on 4th and 5 from the 39 Romeo Crennel decided to punt. Oakland took over at their own 6, and Darren McFadden lost a yard. Yet Palmer found McFadden for 11 yards and then hit Denarius Moore on a short pass that went for a 58 yard gain to the Chiefs 24. The problem is that the Raiders do not finish drives. Dennis Allen has installed the despised dink and dunk West Coast Offense that confuses yards with points. On 3rd and 8, Palmer threw a dink pass that gained only 4. Sebastian Janikowski hit a 36 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Raiders.

After an exchange of punts, Quinn was sacked and fumbled. The Chiefs retained possession, but on the next play on 2nd and 17 from their 42, Quinn was intercepted by Matt Giordano. Giordano returned it 21 yards to the Chiefs 45. Yet unfortunately for the Raiders, Quinn was injured on the play, meaning Matt Cassel would get to play. He is no star, but he is not Quinn either.

On 3rd and 7 from the Chiefs 42, Palmer threw incomplete, but illegal contact on Stanford Routt kept the drive going. Routt was never that good, drew far too many penalties, and is now despite the earlier interception hurting another team. On 2nd and 6 from the Chiefs 33, Palmer hit Moore for 16 yards as the opening quarter ended. Yet 3 plays yielded 0 yards and Seabass hit from 35. Again the Raiders failed to finish a drive although they led 6-0.

The Chiefs soon faced 3rd and 2 from their 28. Dexter McCluster took a wildcat snap and gained 13 yards. Cassel then went deep to Dwayne Bowe for a 46 yard gain to the Oakland 13. Yet 3 more plays only gained one yard as it was the Chiefs settling for a 30 yard Ryan Succop field goal to trail 6-3.

The Raiders went 3 and out and the Chiefs had excellent field position. A critical 3rd and 6 from midfield saw Cassel find Moeaki for a 20 yard gain. Cassel scrambled for 11. Yet on 3rd and 3 from the 12, Cassel was sacked by Wheeler for a 12 yard loss. Succop hit from 42 as the game was tied 6-6 after 26 minutes. It would all come down to who wanted it least.

That appeared to be the Raiders, who faced 2nd and 21 from their 15 with 3 minutes left. Palmer then found Brandon Myers, who took a short pass for 29 yards. On 3rd and 4 from midfield, Palmer threw incomplete with 1:50 left in the half. Yet the Chiefs wanted it even less than that as they fumbled the punt. The Raiders recovered at the Chiefs 11. Most likely that meant 3 useless offensive plays and another Seabass field goal. Yet this time, on 3rd and 8 from the 9, Palmer found Moore in the end zone. An actual touchdown had the Raiders up 13-6 at halftime. A very curious decision on 3rd and 10 from midfield had Romeo Crennel instrucing Cassel to take a knee rather than try the Hail Mary.

The Chiefs fumbled the second half kickoff, and the Raiders recovered at the Chiefs 18. Palmer hit Moore for 7, but 2 plays for 2nd and 3 were incomplete passes rather than smashmouth runs. Again the Raiders squandered a gift as a 29 yard Seabass field goal was good. Yes the Raiders were up 16-6, but only because the game was being given to them.

The Chiefs would move from their 22 to a 1st and 10 at the Oakland 35. Yet offensive holding pushed the Chiefs back, and they had to settle for a 52 yard Succop field goal. Succop was good as the Chiefs were back within one score down 16-9.

After a touchback, McFadden broke free for a 19 yard gain. Palmer then hit Myers for 16 yards and Rod Streater for 9 more. On 2nd and 8 from the 32, a short pass to Darrius Heyward-Bey went for a touchdown as the Raiders now had a 23-9 lead, which they would carry into the fourth quarter.

The problem with the Raiders is they do not finish drives and they do not finish games. In total control, this was their chance from their 24 with 13 minutes left in regulation. Palmer hit Moore for 6 and McFadden gained 5. McFadden then broke free for a 28 yard gain. Mike Goodson ran for 21 more yards to set up 1st and 10 at the 12. Yet again the Raiders did not finish the drive. A pair of runs lost yards. Seabass even missed a 37 yard field goal, but received a break because the Chiefs jumped offsides. Seabass hit from 32 as the Raiders now had a comfortable 3 score lead up 26-9 with 8 1/2 minutes to play.

Cassel quickly moved the Chiefs from their 20 to a 1st and 10 at the Oakland 24 with 5 minutes left to play. Yet Cassel was intercepted by Lee at the 2 yard line to kill any comeback hopes. A short punt had the Chiefs getting it back at the Oakland 32 ith 3 minutes left, and Cassel hit McCluster from 10 yards out to get the Chiefs from within 10. Yet despite two tries at the onsides kick, the Raiders recovered and McFadden ripped off another 21 yard gain to help run out the clock.

The Chiefs are wretched, and the Raiders won a couple games against the league’s worst. They are 3-4, but have plenty of room for improvement. The offense kicks way too many field goals instead of scoring touchdowns. Yet the defense went on the road and did not give up a touchdown either. Time will tell if these last two games were a mirage or if the Raiders, as we have been told so many times in the last decade, have finally turned a corner. Nevertheless, this was a convincing win. 26-16 Raiders

New York Giants @ Dallas Cowboys–In the opening Thursday night to stat the 2012 season, Dallas went into New York and shocked the Giants 24-17. Yet since then these teams have taken on what Klaus Von Bulow would call a reversal of fortune, with the Cowboys struggling and the Giants playing like defending champions.

The Giants soon faced 3rd and 9 from their 21, and Eli Manning went deep to Randle for a 56 yard gain. Yet they got nothing more as a 41 yard Lawrence Tynes field goal made it 3-0 Giants. Dallas moved from their 11 to their 45 when Tony Romo was intercepted. Brown returned it 37 yards to the Dallas 27. Yet on 3rd and 2 Ahmad Bradshaw got nothing as Big Blue again settled for a 37 yard Tynes field goal and a 6-0 Giants lead.

Dallas took over at their 14, and it was deja vu all over again as Romo was intercepted again. Webster returned it 38 yards to give the Giants another short field at the Dallas 31. Manning hit Bennett for 12, and Bradshaw ran for 12 and 6. Brown got the last yard as the Giants led 13-0. Dallas punted and the Giants punted it back. Yet that return was fumbled by Dez Bryant. The Giants took over at the Dallas 15. Yet the second quarter began with the Giants again being unable to take full advantage. On 3rd and 3 from the 8 Manning threw incomplete. Tynes hit from 26. The 3 Dallas turnovers in the first quarter had the Giants up 16-0. After a touchback, the fourth turnover was a killer. From their 34, Romo was intercepted for the third time by John Pierre-Paul, who is actually not three different people. All 3 of him ran for the 28 yard interception touchdown return as the Giants led 23-0 less than 2 minutes into the second quarter. Jason Garrett had no answers while Captain Grumpy Tom Coughlin was so happy that he almost smiled.

Dallas got it back, went 3 and out, and the Giants took over at their own 40 in total control. Yet football is a game of momentum, and this time it was the Giants fumbling the ball away. The Cowbos took over at their own 48. They did nothing with it, but got it back at their own 28. Romo hit Jason Witten for 9 and Miles Austin for 10 more. Romo then went deep to Austin, who despite having dated a Kardashian, caught the ball for a 24 yard gain. Romo went to Witten for a 20 yard gain, and Felix Jones ran it in from 4 yards out to get the Cowboys on the board down 23-7 with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half.

Dallas got it back at their own 12 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. Romo hit Witten for 9 and then found a wide open Bryant deep for a 55 yard gain. The ball was underthrown, preventing a touchdown. That would prove costly as a sack of Romo meant the Cowboys had to settle for a 51 yard Dan Bailey field goal try. He made it, and the Cowboys were within 23-10 at halftime.

Dallas began the second half at their own 14, and defensive pass interference meant a 20 yard gain. Romo then hit Witten for 8 and Bryant for a 30 yard gain. Romo found Witten for 8 more, and on 3rd and 10 from the Giants 16, Romo found Austin for 15. Tanner got the carry twice and ran into a Big Blue brick wall. On 3rd and goal Romo threw incomplete. On 4th and goal at the one, Jason Garrett decided to go for it with 9 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. Romo called a naked bootleg, and practically waltzed into the end zone untouched. Dallas was within 23-17, as the early Giants lead had all but evaporated.

The Giants went 3 and out after gaining only one yard, and Dallas got it back at their own 41. Romo hit Philips for 8 and found a wide open Austin over the middle for a 25 yard gain. Romo hit Witten for 6, and on 3rd and 4 from the 20, found Witten for 5 more. Romo went to Witten again for 14 more yards down to the one. Again it was the naked bootleg that fooled the Giants. This time as it looked like Romo was going to run it in, he fired to Phillips for the touchdown. 23-0 was now 24 unanswered Dallas points and a 24-23 Cowboys lead as Jerry Jones held off on plans to blow up his 1.2 billion dollar Metropolis stadium for the insurance money when it looked like they were losing again.

With one minute left in the third quarter, the Giants faced 3rd and 2 at the Dallas 46. Manning found Victor Cruz over the middle for an 11 yard gain, but the salsa dancer got blasted before he could begin dancing. The ball popped in the air, bounced off a defender’s backside and leg, and was caught by McCray for an interception. The Giants finally stopped the bleeding by sacking Romo as the third quarter ended.

The Giants took over at their own 15, and Manning went to Hakeem Nicks for a 29 yard gain and Randle for 12 more. Manning went back to Nicks for 7 yards on 2nd and 6 for another first down at the Dallas 33. Offensive holding pushed the Giants back, and on 3rd and 5 a Manning pass to Dominic Hixon came up 2 yards short. Tom Coughlin sent out Tynes, and the field goal kicker hit from 43 as the Giants went back on top 26-24 with a full 10 1/2 minutes to play.

Dallas took over and quickly faced 3rd and 4 from their 28. Romo hit Witten for just enough. On 3rd and 5 from their 37, Romo found Austin for 15 more. Yet on the next play Felix Jones got hit and fumbled. The Giants took over at the Dallas 45. Ahmad Bradshaw gained 9 and 10, but was stopped on 2 more carries. On 3rd and 8 from the Dallas 24, Manning hit Hixon for only 5 yards. Tynes hit from 37, but the Giants failed to put the game away as they only led 29-24. Dallas took over at their own 22 with 3 1/2 minutes to play.

Illegal contact added 5 yards and Romo hit Witten for gains of 10, 9, and 9 more to the Giants 45 at the 2 minute warning. Romo was then sacked for a 9 yard loss, but instead defensive holding meant 1st and 10 at the Giants 40. Romo found Austin for 12 and Witten for 9. With 2nd and 1 at the Giants 19 with 1:22 to play, the Giants took their first timeout on defense. After an incompletion, major controversy ensued.

On 3rd and 1 Romo went deep, and a penalty flag came down in the end zone. Tom COughlin screamed, but there would be no defensive pass interference. The refs picked up the flag. It was an appropriate non-call. Everything came down to 4th and 1. Romo faded back, was chased by 3 or 4 Giants, retreated over 20 yards backwards, and heaved up a prayer that was intercepted. The 6th Dallas turnover with one minute left finally ended this thriller.

Except it didn’t. The Giants came up inches short of a first down and had to punt. Dallas would have one more chance with 0 timeouts and 44 seconds from their own 30. Romo found Witten for the 16th time, a Cowboys record for receptions in one game. Yet only 25 seconds remained and Dallas was at their own 43. Romo found Bryant for a 16 yard gain at the sideline. With 19 seconds left from the Giants 41, the Cowboys were in Hail Mary range. A useless short pass to Witten was his 17th catch and gained 5 yards as 16 seconds remained. Then it happened.

Romo went deep for the Hail Mary. It came down to Dez Bryant and two defenders. Bryant caught it as the Cowboys went wild and the Giants were shellshocked. 6 seconds still remained, but this was going to be a finish for the ages.

Except again it wasn’t. Bryant clearly caught the ball and held on to it. However, in an attempt to soften his fall, his hand hit the ground before any otherpart of his body. His entire body was in bounds…except for his fingers. The fingers were on the chalk. The miracle catch was incomplete. Instead of a win, it was 3rd and 5 from the Giants 37. There would be one more Hail Mary. Bryant was injured on ther play and despite valiantly walking off the field, he was told to get back to the sidelines and was not on the field for the final play.

Yet the officials added 4 seconds on the clock to make it 10 seconds left. If this game would ever end, it would be an instant classic.

Given the extra time, Romo connected with Witten for the 18th time for an 8 yard gain. From the Giants 28, now came the final final final play. Romo threw for Austin but the throw was high and incomplete.

Yet one second still remained. Had Austin caught it he would have been short of the goal. Bryant came back in. Now there would be the final final final final final final final play unless there was a defensive penalty.

Romo was chased, and heaved the ball high and out the back of the end zone. Perhaps the extra yards they gained worked against them. Romo passed for 437 yards and 18 completions to Witten, but 4 interceptions. NOW it was over.

The Giants got to 6-2, which is where they were last year before losing 4 straight. of course we know how they ended the season. As for Dallas, they are spiraling downward. 29-24 Giants

New Orleans Saints @ Denver Broncos was the Sunday night game. The Saints have won two straight after an 0-4 start and now get Joe Vitt back for the final 10 games. They even get Jonathan Vilma back until his appeal can be heard. Yet the team that beat Peyton Manning in the Super Bowl saw a man with a chip on his shoulder. He led a 24 point comeback last week, and this week the outcome was never in doubt.

The Saints punted twice and Denver once, with the Broncos taking over at their own 2. Willis McGahee ran for 4, 12, 7, and 3. Manning then went deep to Thomas for a 41 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from the New Orleans 27, Manning found Jacob Tamme for just enough. McGahee ran for 6, caught a pass for 14 more, and ran for the final yard to make it 7-0 Broncos. It was not “The Drive,” but John Elway had to be pleased at Manning taking the Broncos 98 yards for a score.

On the next Denver series McGahee fumbled, and the Saints took over at their own 45. Drew Brees found Marques Colston for 16 yard, Lance Moore for 7, and on the first play of the second quarter, to Darren Sproles for a 29 yard touchdown to make it 7-7.

With 9 minutes left in the half, the Saints faced 4th and 2 at the Denver 47. Joe Vitt decided to go for it, and Brees was intercepted by Woodyard. Denver took over at their own 44. Manning hit Thomas for a 34 yard gain. From the Denver 24, Hillman ran for 7 and 4, and Manning threw a 13 yard touchdown to Eric Decker to make it 14-7 Denver.

Denver got it back with 4 1/2 minuts left in the half at their own 13. Manning hit McGahee for 19. On 3rd and 6 from their 36, Manning found Decker for 23 more. McGahee ran for 5, 6, and 10. On 3rd and 7 from the 17, a short pass only gained 2 yards. A 33 yard Matt Prater field goal made it 17-7 Broncos as the half expired.

Denver began the second half at their own 7. Since 98 yards came easy enough, a 93 yard drive was a walk in the park. On 3rd and 1 McGahee gained 3. Manning then found Thomas for 26 yards and Hillman ran for 31 more. On 3rd and 2 from the 16, Manning found Thomas for 11 yards. On 3rd and goal at the one, Manning found Thomas for the touchdown as the Broncos led 24-7 after three quarters.

Denver took over with 2 minutes left in the third quarter just shy of midfield. Manning hit Tamme and Thomas for a pair of 23 yard gains down to the 5. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Manning threw a 2 yard touchdown to Decker to make it a blowout 31-7 Broncos.

Denver took over at their own 43 with 9 minutes left, and McGahee gained 5 and 15. Hillman raced for 24 more. The drive stalled, but Prater hit again from 33 to make it 34-7 Broncos. The Saints would get a garbage touchdown late in the game, but this was a stunner. Denver is now in first place in the AFC Worst, while the Saints at 2-5 are hanging by a thread. 34-14 Broncos.

San Francisco 49ers @ Arizona Cardinals was the Monday night game. The 4-0 start by the Cardinals has been exposed as fools gold while the 49ers came in knowing a win would put them in a strong position to run away with the division for the second straight year. This game was a mismatch from the start.

After an exchange of punts, the 49ers took over at their own 23. Alex Smith hit Mario Manningham for 10 and Frank Gore for 11. Hunter gained 9 and Gore picked up 17 more. A 23 yard completion to Walker meant 1st and goal at the 7. On 3rd and goal from the 3, Smith hit Michael Crabtree for the touchdown as the 49ers led 7-0. In the second quarter a field position game had the 49ers taking over at the Arizona 45. On 3rd and 2, Gore gained 3. A sack of Smith set up 3rd and 23 from the Arizona 47. Smith found Crabrtee for a 22 yard gain, one yard short of the marker. Jim Harbaugh played it safe and went with the field goal. David Akers hit from 43 yards to make it 10-0 49ers.

With 4 1/2 minutes left in the half the 49ers got it back at their own 32. Smith hit Manningham for 6, Walker for 15, Crabtree for 8, and Vernon Davis for 25 yards down to the 10. On 3rd and goal at the 9 with less than 2 minutes in the half, Smith hit Crabtree for another touchdown. The 49ers led 17-0, and in the second half the defense just smothered Arizona.

Arizona did move to a 4th and 7 at the San Francisco 37 early in the third quarter, but Ken Whisenhunt opted against the 55 yard field goal try or going for it. Arizona punted, and a touchback allowed the 49ers to put it away easily. On 3rd and 9 from their 21, Smith hit Crabtree for a 30 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Arizona 47, Smith hit Randy Moss, who still has plenty of gas left in the tank. Moss raced to the end zone. The 49ers led 24-0, and just coasted from there.

Arizona moved from their 20 to a 4th and 2 at the Frisco 10. Down by 24 points, Ken Whisenhunt went with the field goal just to avoid the shutout. Feely hit the 28 yarder, but the crowd was not pleased. The fourth quarter would be scoreless. The 49ers moved to 6-2 while Arizona lost 4 straight to fall to 4-4. John Skelton was 32 of 52 for 290 while Alex Smith was almost perfect. He only threw for 232 yards, but was 18 of 19. The final indignity came when Arizona faced 4th and goal at the 7 with one minute left. Skelton hit Larry Fitzgerald, who came up one yard short. 24-3 49ers

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