1pm games:
Atlanta Falcons (1-3) def. Houston Texans (2-2)
Location: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA
Score: 26-16
Okay, maybe I spoke too soon last week when I said the Falcons need to switch their starting QBs. Now that I think about, I didn’t, Joey Harrington still stinks. But he had a hell of a game for the Falcons last Sunday. He was 23 for 29 with 223 passing yards and 2 TDs in leading the Falcons to their first win of the season. The Falcons took the lead in the middle of the 1st quarter on a Morten Anderson 28-yard FG. The Texans answered back with 35-yard TD pass from Matt Schuab to Andre Davis to make the score 7-3 with 5:42 on the clock min the 1st quarter. Harrington answered back with a 5-yard TD pass to WR Michael Jenkins with 1:18 left in the first quarter to take the lead with the score 10-7. After that touchdown, the Texans were playing catch-up for the remainder of the day.
With the Falcons leading 16-23 in the 4th quarter, Morten Anderson kicked a 46-yard FG to give the Falcons a 26-16 lead with 8:21 left on the clock. With 2:10 left on the clock, Texans kicker Kris Brown missed a 25-yard field goal that would have put the Texans within 7 points. The Falcons got the ball back after the missed field goal and ran out the clock for the win. Matt Schuab was 28 for 40 with 317 yards and 1 TD while Texans WR Andre Davis had 5 catches for 117 yards and 1 touchdown in the loss.
Buffalo Bills (1-3) def. NY Jets (1-3)
Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo, NY
Score: 17-14
The rookies stepped it up for the Bills last Sunday. Bills rookie QB Trent Edwards got the start because J.P. Losman sat out today’s game with a sprained left knee. Edwards was 22 for 28 with 234 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. Not bad for his first start. Bills rookie RB, Marshawn Lynch, had 1 TD on 23 carries for 79 yards. A viable candidate for “Rookie of the Year”, Lynch is definitely proving his worth and has helped breath some life in the Bills offense.
The game was scoreless going into the 2nd half after Jets kicker Mike Nugent missed a 37-yard FG with 0:01 left in the first half. With 6:04 on the clock in the 3rd quarter, Lynch ran for 10-yards up the middle for the first TD of the game. The Jets answered backed on the very next drive with a 5-yard TD pass from Chad Pennington to WR Laveranues Coles to tie the game 7-7. With a 10-7 lead in the middle of the 4th quarter, Edwards hit TE Michael Gaines for a 1-yard TD to go up 17-7. The Jets would not die as RB Leon Washington ran in his first TD on the year for 8 yards to make the score 17-14 with 3:07 left in the game. With 1:26 left in the game, the Jets got the ball back on their 26 yard line and charged down to the Bills 39 yard line. With 0:11 left in the game, Bills CB Terrence McGee intercepted Pennington’s pass to TE Chris Baker on the Bills 31 yard line to shut down the comeback and get the win.
Pennington was 32 for 39 with 290 yards passing, 1 TD and 2 INTs. Coles and fellow Jet WR, Jericho Cotchery, each had 8 catches. Coles caught for 65 yards while Cotchery had 106 receiving yards and no touchdowns. The Jets were held to 60 total yards of rushing. RB Thomas Jones had 12 carries for 35 yards and no touchdowns. Jones has been held under 100-yards rushing in 3 of the last 4 games.
Cleveland Browns (2-2) def. Baltimore Ravens (2-2)
Location: Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, OH
Score: 27-13
When the Browns traded QB Charlie Frye to the Seahawks in the beginning of the year, we all thought that was the dumbest move in the world because that left the Browns without a real starting QB. That trade made Derek Anderson the current starting QB. Well we were wrong and it looks like the Browns head coach, Romeo Crennel, will keep his job for now. Anderson had 201 yards on 10 of 18 passes with 2 TDs and 1 interception. Not a bad day’s work. The Browns jumped all over the Ravens like a spider monkey.
The Browns took a 14-0 lead towards the end of the 1st quarter when Anderson hit WR Braylon Edwards with a 78-yard touchdown pass. Edwards had 3 catches for 97-yards and 1 touchdown. The sore was 17-3 when Browns RB Jamal Lewis served up a little vengeance to his old team with a 1-yard touchdown in the middle of 2nd quarter to extend their lead to 24-3. Down 27-6 in the 3rd quarter, Steve “Air” McNair hit TE Quinn Sypniewski with a 4-yard touchdown pass to make the score 27-13 with 7:19 left on the clock. That wasn’t enough as key miscues and penalties stopped the Ravens from scoring again and losing the game. Jamal Lewis had 23 carries for 64 yards and 1 touchdown. McNair threw for 307 yards on 34 of 53 passes. He had 1 touchdown and 1 interception.
Dallas Cowboys (4-0) def. St. Louis Rams (0-4)
Location: Texas Stadium, Irving, TX
Score: 35-7
The injury bug has really taken its toll on a number of teams. The Rams are a perfect example. With Pro-Bowl tackle Orlando Pace out for the year and RB Stephen Jackson out of last Sunday’s game with a pulled groin; the Rams had an icicle’s chance in hell to win. On the good side, the Rams hung in tough with the Cowboys through the entire first half. On the bad side, the Cowboys ripped into the Rams like a fat chick in low rise jean two sizes too small.
The score was tied at zero in the 2nd quarter when Cowboys RB Julius Jones ran in a 2-yard touchdown to make the score 7-0. The Rams tied the game with an 85-yard punt return by Dante Hall with 2:32 left in the first half. With 0:56 left on the clock, Cowboys QB Tony Romo had the play of the day, and arguably the play of the year, on a botched snap that he recovered for the first down. The 3rd quarter saw the Cowboys run away with the game. With 0:16 left in the 3rd, Romo ran 15 yards for a touchdown to take the lead 14-7. On the Cowboy‘s next two possessions, Romo found WR Patrick Crayton for a 59-yard and 37-yard touchdown. Those 2 TDs made the score 28-7. Just when you thought it was safe, he’s back. Romo found TE Jason Whiten for a 17-yard touchdown to make the score 35-7 for the final. Tony Romo was 21 for 33 with 339 yards passing. He had 1 interception with 3 passing TDs and 1 rushing touchdown. Have a game why don’t you. Patrick Crayton had 7 catches for 184 yards and 2 TDs.
Game of the Week: Detroit Lions (3-1) def. Chicago Bears (1-3)
Location: Ford Field, Detroit, MI
Score: 37-27
It’s been said, “Change is good.” I guess the Bears didn’t get that memo. With the miserable playmaking abilities of Rex Grossman, the Bears decided to go to second-string veteran QB Brian Griese to run their offense on the field. Well as you can see from the score, that change was not good for the Bears. Griese was 34 for 52 with 286 yards of passing and 2 TDs. Good look. He also threw 3 INTs. Not a good look.
The Bears started off strong with a 7-3 lead going into the half. They later scored with 5:13 in the 3rd quarter on a Robbie Gould 49-yard field goal to make the score 10-3 and with 0:53 left in the 3rd, Gould hit a 41 yard field to extend the Bears’ lead and make the score 13-3. Then the Lions woke up.
The start of the 4th quarter saw a 4-yard touchdown from Jon Kitna to WR Shaun McDonald that brought the Lions within 3 points with the score 13-10. On the Bears next possession, an interception by Lions CB Keith Smith led to a touchdown and the lead with the score 17-13. The Bears regained the lead with a 97-yard kick return form Devin Hester on the ensuing kick-off making the score 20-17. With 10:12 in the 4th quarter, Kitna hit Troy Walters with a 15-yard touchdown to take the lead 24-20. Lions RB Kevin Jones ran in a 5-yard touchdown to extend the lead to extend the lead to 30-24. Jones had 10 carries for 38 yards and the one touchdown. Hanson’s attempt for the PAT was blocked.
A penalty nullified a Robbie Gould 21-yard field goal and gave the Bears 4th and 1 on the Lions 1 yard line. With 4th and 1 the Bears went for it and Griese threw a 1 yard touchdown to TE Desmond Clark to within a field goal of the Lions with the score 27-30 with 0:55 left on the clock. On the next play, the Bears attempted an on-sides kick that was recovered by TE Casey Fitzsimmons that was returned for a 41-yard touchdown that put it away for the Lions. Kitna was 20 of 24 with 247 yards of passing and 2 TDs.
Oakland Raiders (2-2) def. Miami Dolphins (0-4)
Location: Dolphin Stadium, Miami, FL
Score: 35-17
Hey Dolphins fans, this was what you were supposed to have. That didn’t workout for the Phins. It was time to rebuild, and so Cam Cameron and the Phins did this. Make you wanna smack your head, doesn’t it? The Phins came into last Sunday’s game hoping to get their first win of the season. With the Raiders having a 1-2 record, there was a good chance they may pull it of. Plus, the Raiders starting QB, Josh McCown, was injured and an old friend of the Phin got the start. With friends like these, who needs enemies?
Daunte Culpepper was 5 for 12 for 75 yards and 2 TDs. Not record breaking stats, but what helped the Raiders was the way they ran the ball. RB Justin Fargas had 22 carries for 179 yards. Although he didn’t score a touchdown, those are not bad numbers. Oh, did I mention Culpepper ran in 3 TDs on his surgically repaired knee. On his third rushing touchdown, Culpepper celebrated by pointing to his right knee and showing crowd that he was still on top of his game. What do you think about that? Everybody get your roll on.
The Dolphins had a balanced mix of pass and run with 137 passing yards and 141 rushing yards. It still wasn’t enough for the win. Ronnie Brown had 134 yards of rushing on 15 carries and he scored 1 touchdown. Trent Green was 14 for 25 with 158 yards of passing, 1 touchdown and 2 INTs. Not good at all. And what did that #1 draft pick, Ted Ginn, Jr. do for the Dolphins last Sunday? Nothing. Wished you could turn back time, Cam Cameron?
Green Bay Packers (4-0) def. Minnesota Vikings (1-3)
Location: Metrodome, Minneapolis, MN
Score: 23-16
Brett Farve broke the record for Most Career Touchdowns by a QB. Now we can go on with our lives. Arguably a one of the Top 5 QBs in the history of the NFL, Farve broke the record on a 16-yard pass up the middle to WR Greg Jennings in the middle of the 1st quarter. Farve was 32 for 45 with 344 yards and 2 TDs. If you’re going to set a record, do it in style. The Vikes did get on the board with three field goals by kicker Ryan Longwell and the score was 16-9 when Frave threw his second touchdown to rookie WR James Jones to change the score 23-9.
With 2:00 left in the game, Kelly Holcomb, who started for the injured Tavaris Jackson, found rookie WR Sidney Rice for a 15-yard touchdown to get within 7pts.of the Packers with the score 23-16. The Vikings got the ball back with 1:40 on the clocking looking to tie the game but an interception by Packers Safety Atari Bigby on the Packers 23 yard line put an end to that drive. Game Over. The Packers ran out the clock the remainder of the game for the win. Holcomb was 21 for 39 with 258 passing yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Another Rookie of the Year candidate, Adrian Peterson, ran for 112 yards on 12 carries in the loss.
4pm games:
Seattle Seahawks (3-1) def. San Francisco 49ers (2-2)
Location: Monster Park, San Francisco, CA
Score: 23-3
I thought the Raider/Dolphin game was going to be a snoozer. I was wrong. This was the worst game of the day. This game was terrible from start to finish for the Niners. On the first drive of the game, Seahawks’ DT Rocky Bernard sacked Niners QB Alex Smith and separated his shoulder. Smith would sit out the remainder of the day and the 14 yr. veteran, Trent Dilfer, came in as quarterback. And he wasn’t much help either. Dilfer was 12 for 33 with 128 yards and 2 INTs. He also made a new friend in Seahawks linebacker, and former 49er, Julian Peterson. Peterson had 3 sacks on the day. The Seahawks had a total of 6 sacks last Sunday. Where was the offensive line for the Niners? On a Lunch break? Hanging out with the Eagles offensive line having a smoke? I’ll touch more on that later.
With the score 13-0 in the 3rd quarter, Matt Hasselbeck found TE Marcus Pollard for a 14-yard touchdown to extend their lead to 20-0. The Niners finally got on the board with a Joe Nedney 43-yard field goal to make the score 20-3 in the middle of the 3rd quarter. Josh Brown hit a 25-yard field goal in the start of the 4th quarter and the Seahawks held the Niners scoreless for the remainder of the game. That win gave the Seahawks sole possession of 1st place in the NFC West. Hasselbeck was 23 for 31 with 281 yards of passing, 2 TDs and 1 interception while RB Shaun Alexander 25 carries for 78 yards with a broken left hand. Frank Gore was held to 79 yards on 16 carries and no touchdowns.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1) def. Carolina Panthers (2-2)
Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Score: 20-7
Jon Gruden has something special going on in Tampa and it’s from a former 49er. Thought I would just remind you folks where your QB got his start and how the Niner fans wish they could have him back. On the flip side, Gruden also lost his top running back, Cadillac Williams, with a torn patellar tendon in his right knee. Cadillac and OT Luke Petitgout, who tore his ACL in his right knee, will each have season ending surgery. Maybe things aren’t as sunny as we think they are in Tampa. This I do know, the Bucs gave the Panthers no sunshine in last Sunday’s game.
Jeff Garcia was 15 for 25 with 176 yards of passing. He may have not thrown any touchdowns, but he ran one in. In the middle of the 1st quarter, Garcia scrambled for 3 yards for the touchdown and gave the Bucs the lead 7-0. After Garcia’s scamper, the Bucs just ran the table by scoring thirteen additional points making the score 20-0. The butler couldn’t serve up any points until the 4th quarter. David Carr, his white gloves, and the Panthers offense did not score a point until there was 0:31 left in the game with a 24-yard touchdown pass to DeAngelo Williams to make the score 20-7 which was the final. Carr finished the game 19 for 41 with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Panthers’ WR Steve Smith was held to 5 catches for 32 yards.
Indianapolis Colts (4-0) def. Denver Broncos (2-2)
Location: RCA Dome, Indianapolis, IN
Score: 38-20
The defending Super Bowl Champs proved once again why they are the champs. WR Marvin Harrison, LB Rob Morris, Safety Bob Sanders, and RB Joseph Addai did not finish the game last Sunday due to various injuries. Who was left to play for the Colts? How about RB Kenton Keith, TE Dallas Clark and WR Reggie Wayne? Peyton Manning is like MacGyver, give him a little and he can make it go boom. Manning was 20 for 27 with 193 yards and 3 TDs. He found Dallas Clark twice and Reggie Wayne once. Clark finished the game with 6 catches for 76 yards and Wayne had 5 catches for 38 yards.
The game was a back and forth battle that saw the Colts with a 1 point lead going into the half with the score 13-14. Manning had a 1-yard touchdown in the beginning of the 3rd quarter to extend the lead 21-13. He later found Clark for one of his two touchdowns with a 3-yard pass to make the score 28-13. Broncos QB Jay Cutler ran up the middle for 2 yards for a touchdown to make the score 28-20. A Reggie Wayne touchdown for 5 yards and a 22-yard field goal by Adam Viniteri seal it for the win. Cutler was 13 for 21 with 131 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception.
Arizona Cardinals (2-2) def. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1)
Location: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Score: 21-14
Pick a quarterback, any quarterback. That’s Cardinals’ head coach, Ken Whisenhunt, new philosophy. Matt Leinart and Kurt Warner combined on 21 of 35 passes for 225 yards and 1 touchdown. I guess this new, two quarterback system works. Pittsburgh took the lead with 7-0 with a 43-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger to WR Santonio Holmes going into the 2nd quarter and eventually into the 2nd half. The middle of the 3rd quarter saw a 6-yard touchdown pass from Warner to WR Jerheme Urban to tie the score 7-7.
The Cards took the lead with 14:28 on the clock in the 4th quarter with a 73-yard punt return from WR Steve Breaston to make the score 14-7. They then extended their lead 21-7 with an Edgerrin James 2-yard touchdown run. James finished the day with 21 carries for 77 yards and 1 touchdown. The Steelers answered aback with a Roethlisberger hitting Holmes again on a short pass that went 7 yards for the touchdown. The Steelers were behind by a touchdown with the score 21-14 in the 4th quarter with 1:54 left on the clock. The Steelers got the ball back with 0:54 left on the clock. With 0:19 left in the game on the Steelers 32-yard line, Roethlisberger threw an interception to Cards CB Ralph Brown to end the game. Roethlisberger finished the game 17 for 32 with 244 yards of passing, 2 TDs and 2 INTs.
Kansas City Chiefs (2-2) def. San Diego Chargers (1-3)
Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA
Score: 30-16
What in the hell is going on in San Diego? I’ll tell you what’s going on in San Diego; the defense stinks. The score was 3-0 when the Chargers scored their only touchdown of the day with a 5-yard run by LaDainian Tomlinson making the score 10-0. Tomlinson had 20 carries for 132 yards and 1 touchdown. The Chargers had the lead throughout the entire 1st half and the majority of the 3rd quarter.
The score was 16-9 when Damon Huard hit Tony Gonzalez for a 22-yard touchdown with 1:58 left on the clock to tie the game at 16-16 in the 3rd quarter. Huard then threw a 51-yard bomb to rookie WR Dwayne Bowe for a touchdown with 11:55 to play in the 4th quarter. The score was 23-16 when Chargers QB Philip Rivers was sacked by Chiefs LB Derrick Johnson for 11 yards and fumbled the ball. Chiefs’ CB Tyron Brackbridge picked up the fumble and ran it in the end zone for 50 yards to extend their lead 30-16 to cap off the win. Huard was 17 for 29for 284 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs. Larry Johnson finally had a 100-yard rushing game for the Chiefs this season. Johnson had 123 yards on 25 carries with no touchdowns.
Sunday Night Game:
NY Giants (2-2) def. Philadelphia Eagles (1-3)
Location: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Score: 16-3
Defense wins games. That was the case in East Rutherford last Sunday night. Giants DE Osi Umenyiora set the Giants franchise record with 6 sacks and the Giant defense tied a NFL game record of 12 sacks against the Eagles. The Eagles offensive line must have still been on that cigarette break with the Niners O-line.
The Giants had a 7-0 lead after Eli Manning hit Plaxico Burress with a 9-yard touchdown pass in the 2nd quarter. The lead was extended to 10-0 after a 29-yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes in the 3rd quarter with 2:08 on the clock. With 1:42 on the clock, Donovan McNabb fumbled the ball at the Eagles 20 yard line and was recovered by Giants LB Kawika Mitchell for 17 yards and the touchdown. The Eagles finally scored on a 53-yard field goal by David Akers. It wasn’t enough as good defense and bad penalties handed the Eagles their 3rd loss for the season. McNabb was 15 for 31 with 138 yards and no touchdowns. He also had 3 fumbles. Eli was 14 for 26 with135 yards of passing with 1 touchdown and 1 interception.
Monday Night Game:
New England Patriots (4-0) def. Cincinnati Bengals (1-3)
Location: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
Score: 34-13
You see; this is what happens when your defense is being held together with duct tape and chicken wire and your teammates are undisciplined. You don’t win games. The Pats had a total of 404 yards while the Bengals had a total of 283 yards for the Monday night game. That’s a difference of 121 yards. How is that possible? No rushing yards, that’s how it’s possible. The Bengals had 57 total rushing yards compared to the Patriots 173 total rushing yards.
Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 31-yard field goal to give the Pats a 3-0 lead. The Pats then scored the first touchdown of the game with a 1-yard pass from Tom Brady to LB Mike Vrabel to extend the lead 10-0 in the 1st quarter. Carson Palmer hit T.J. “Who’s Your Momma” Houshmandzadeh with a 1-yard touchdown pass to make the score 10-7 with 11:03 left in the 2nd quarter. With 4:17 left in the first half, Brady hit Randy Moss with a 7-yard touchdown pass to extend their lead 17-7. That was the first of Moss’ two touchdown of the night. Moss finished the game with 9 catches for 102 yards and 2 TDs. Beasting.
Pats RB Sammy Morris filled in for the injured Laurence Maroney with 21 carries for 117 yards and 1 touchdown. Morris scored on a 7-yard run on the Bengals 7-yard line with 8:00 to play in the 3rd quarter to make the score 24-7. Shayne Graham kicked a 40-yard goal for the Bengals to make the score 24-10 with 4:17 left to play in the 3rd quarter.
The 4th quarter started with a 36-yard field goal by Gostkowski and the score changed again 27-10. Not to be out done, Graham kicked a 48-yard field goal to change the score 27-13. That would be the last time the Bengals scored. With 3:24 left in the game, Brady found Moss again for a 14-yard touchdown to make the score and the game 34-13. Brady finished the day with 231 yards on 25 0f 31 passes. He also had 3TDs and 1 interception. Palmer was 21 for 35 with 234 passing yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Ocho-Cinco told fans he was going to put on a show this year, well that show was cancelled Monday night. Johnson had 1 catch for 3 yards. Ouch.
The Pats are easily the most complete team in the league right now. Many have them going undefeated for the season and serious Super Bowl contenders. It’s going to be interesting to see if they can pull it off. But for now, circle Week 9 on you calendars. That’s when the Pats meet the Colts in Indy. That may be your Super Bowl right there.
