THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

With Thanksgiving only a few days away, I cannot wait to express how thankful I am to my lord and creator almighty God for the National Football League. With all due respect to atheists, I still do not believe mere mortals could have created or developed this thing.

Then again, I am not sure Paul Tagliabue was mere mortal anyway. Roger Goodell is filling the big shoes ably.

With that, below is the week 11 NFL Recap.

New York Jets @ New England Patriots was the Thursday night game. It is already an NFL Classic that should be replayed decades from now. With Matt Cassell passing for 400 yards on 30 of 51 passes with 3 touchdowns, and Brett Favre playing like he did in his prime with a pair of touchdowns on 26 of 33 passing, the defenses took the night off and let the offenses light it up.

On the opening drive, Favre led the Jets 62 yards in 10 plays in 5 1/2 minutes. A 7 yard touchdown pass to Leon Washington had Gang Green up 7-0. The Patriots moved the ball well in the first half but had their drives bog down. A field goal on their opening drive had them within 7-3. The Jets moved to the New England 5 yard line on their next drive, only to have an easy touchdown pass dropped. The field goal had them up 10-3 as the first quarter ended, but it would be a key play in the game. New England drive down the field again, but again had to settle for a field goal to pull to within 10-6. 12 seconds and 92 yards later, Leon Washington had the kickoff return that had the Jets up 17-6.

After a New England punt, Favre and Jerricho Cothcery put ona clinic. Favre found Cotchery for 16 yards, before hitting him ona 46 yard gain. That set up Favre’s 18 yard touchdown pass to Cotchery. The Jets led 24-6. The changing of the guard had taken place.

No, it did not. Champions do not go down easy, and even with Brett Favre, the Jets need to learn how to finish games. With 2 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Patriots had 4th and 3 at the New York 23. Cassel was sacked for a 7 yard loss, and that should have ended things. Yet the Jets could not run out the clock, and the Patriots were given 1:44 to try again. Cassel made them pay, as a 3rd and 10 from the 19 pass to Jabar Gaffney cut the lead to 24-13 just seconds before the half.

In the 3rd quarter the Patriots tried to lose the game, and the Jets would not accept their generosity. Again, young teams do not finish games, especially when champions are involved. The Patriots fumbled, and the Jets just punted 3 plays later. Then operating out of the shotgun, the bvall was snapped past an unprepared Cassel, resulting in a 23 yard loss. The Jets on their next drive decided to throw on 3rd and 2 despite the fact that Thomas Jones was running very well. One incomplete pass later, and the Jets punted. Yet the Patriots also decided to thrown on 3rd and 1, and their incomplete pass led to a punt. The Jets then on 3rd and 2 tried to pass again, found nobody, and ran for 1 yard followed by a punt. Both of these teams have running backs, and might think about using them.

With 2 1/2 minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter, Cassel finally got the Patriots going. From their own 22, passes to Welker for 8 and 29 yards had New England at the New York 41. Passes to Gaffney for 14 yards and Moss for 8 yards had the Patriots with 2nd and 2 at the Jets 10. Cassel hit Watson for the touchdown and Gaffney for the 2 point conversion to pull the Patriots to within 24-21 on the last play of the 3rd quarter.

A Cotchery fumble had New England starting at their own 40, which led to a field goal. 10 minutes remained in the game, and the 24-6 Jets lead was now a 24-24 tie. The Jets had collapsed, as people in New York began lamenting about the same old Jets. Yet past teams did not have Brett Favre. Despite being in a shell and trying to not lose the game, they had the right guy for trying to win the game. Favre led a staggering 14 play drive that ate up over 7 minutes. On 3rd and 6 from the New England 7, an incomplete pass was nullified by defensive holding. The Patriots were uncharacteristically undisciplined on this night. Jones redeemed himself by going in from one yard out to put the Jets up 31-24 with 3:10 left.

The Patriots went nowhere, and the Jets took over with 2:24 left. All they had to do was run out the clock. Just like in the first half, this team cannot close out games. On 3rd and 2, Jones only picked up one yard. After a punt, with one timeout remaining, the Patriots took over with 1:04 left at their own 38. Cassel simply ripped the Jets secondary to shreds. With 8 seconds remaining, the Patriots faced 4th and 1 from the Jets 16. Cassel threw to Randy Moss, who in case people forgot, is a superstar. Moss made an acrobatic catch in the end zone, somehow dragging his feet with no room to work with. The touchdown catch tied the game with one second remaining. The teams went into overtime tied 31-31. The Patriots had all the momentum, and the Jets were again going to be the same old Jets.

The Jets won the coin toss and began at their own 20. 2 plays later they faced 3rd and 15 at their own 15. One more incomplete pass would lead to the punt that would give the Patriots excellent field position to win it. That punt never came. Favre hit Keller for 16 yards. Keller caught it a yard short of the marker and bulldozed over a tackler for the first down. On 3rd and 1 from the New England 44, Favre again found Keller for the first down. Favre then hit Lavernues Coles for 16 yards. After 14 plays and a ridiculous 8 minutes against a worn out defense, Jay Feely drilled the 34 yard field goal for the shocking upset win.

The New York Jets lead the AFC East at 7-3 ina division where nobody is below .500. This was not the Superbowl, but if the fortunes of these teams are different 3 years form now, it started with this courageous win. Despite being outgained 511 to 375, and being within one coin toss of losing, the Jets are not the same old Jets. They beat their archrival on the road in a series that is as every bit intense as when it was the Tuna Bowl with Bill Parcells battling Pete Carroll. Bill Bellichick and Eric Mangini may detest each other even more, and the rivalry produced one of the best games this year. 34-31 Jets, OT

Denver Broncos @ Atlanta Falcons–After a punt, the Broncos began at their own 45. Hillis ran for a 7 yard touchdown to put the Broncos up 7-0. Former Broncos kicker Jason Elam nailed a pair of field goals to pull the Falcons to within 7-6. After Prater missed a 50 yard field goal for Denver, Atlanta moved 61 yards, with Michael Turner running it in from 9 yards out to give the Falcons the 13-7 halftime lead.

The Broncos began the 2nd half with an 11 play, 5 minute drive that went 77 yards. Peyton Hillis ran it in from 2 yards out to put the Broncos up 14-13. The Broncos moved the ball again late in the 3rd quarter, moving from their own 38. On the last play of the quarter, on 3rd and goal form the one, Hillis was blown up in the backfield. The field goal put the Broncos up 17-13. The Falcons came right back, and a 28 yard run by Michael Turner had the Falcons back on top 20-17 with 10 1/2 minutes left.

Jay Cutler matched Matt Ryan drive for drive. A 47 yard pass to Brandon Marshall had Denver in business. A 14 yard pass to Hillis had the Broncos at the Atlanta 8. Cutler hit Graham for the touchdown to put Denver back in front by 4 points with 5 1/2 minutes left. Ryan calmly moved the Falcons from their own 24 to a 1st and 10 at the Denver 37 at the 2 minute warning. However, the guy they call Matty Ice could not pull out another win. The drive went backwards at that point, and the Falcons turned it over on downs. 24-20 Broncos

Detroit Lions @ Carolina Panthers–The winless Lions took on one of the top teams in the NFC on the road. The Lions actually moved 80 yards on 12 plays over 7 1/2 minutes. Dante Culpepper hit Calvin Johnson for a 29 yard touchdown pass to put the Lions up 7-0. A 13 play, 7 minute drive led to a field goal extended the shocking upset as the Lions led 10-0. Then reality set in in the second quarter.

Jake Delhomme led a 76 yard drive that ended in a 15 yard pass to King to get the Panthers to within 10-7. In an attempt to give the team a spark, the Lions attempted a 56 yard field goal on their next drive. Veteran Jason Hansen nailed it and the Lions led 13-7. Only 4 plays later, the Panthers had the lead as Williams ran straight up the middle for a 56 yard touchdown run. The Lions fumbled on the first play from scrimmage of their next drive, allowing Carolina to start at the Detroit 38. A 22 yard run by Stewart had the Panthers up 21-13. Although only one minute remained in the half, a strong kickoff return had the Lions starting at their own 46, setting up a field goal on the last play of the half. Detroit only trailed 21-16.

A 10 play, 6 1/2 minute drive led to a field goal and a 24-16 Carolina lead to start the second half. With 14 minutes remaining, Culpepper led a 15 play drive that went 70 yards and ate up 8 minutes of clock. Culpepper snuck in the final yard himself, but his attempt to score himself on the 2 point conversion failed. The Lions trailed 24-22 with 6 minutes left. The Panthers went nowhere, and The Lions got the ball back only one minute later at their own 14. Culpepper was intercepted by Godfrey, who returned it to the Detroit 4. These are the Lions. Williams carried it in for the touchdown. Detroit faced miserable field position again, starting at their own 2 yard line, and could not mount a comeback. The Panthers survived to move to 8-2 despite marginal numbers from Delhomme. 267 yards on the ground helped. The Lions remained winless. 31-22 Panthers

Philadelphia Eagles @ Cincinnati Bengals–This hideous game featured the Bengals reaching 1st and goal at the 1, only to kick a field goal. The Eagles added field goal, and seconds before the half, Fitzpatrick hit TJ Houshmanzadeh for a 26 yard touchdown just before the half to put the Bengals up 10-3. After a field goal in the 3rd quarter extended the lead to 13-3, the Eagles came back in only 2 plays. A 57 yard pass from Donovan McNabb to Hank Basket set up a 4 yard touchdown pass to Smith to pull the Eagles to within 13-10. In the 4th quarter, McNabb led a 6 minute drive that went 13 plays. From their own 23, the Eagles moved deep until they faced 4th and 1 at the Cincy 9. Andy Reid played it conservative on the road and kicked the field goal to tie the game 13-13 with 5 minutes remaining.

If ever a game did not deserve overtime, this game was it. However, an entire dreadful extra session left things unsettled. With 52 seconds remaining in an inept overtime, a terrible roughing the passer call practically gave the game to the Bengals. Although it was clearly a legal hit on Fitzpatrick, it was ruled a helmet hit. Nevertheless, with 8 seconds left, a 47 yard field goal attempt was just wide. Donovan McNabb then threw an incomplete Hail Mary to end this miserable game. It was the first tie game since 2002, and it could not end soon enough. 13-13, OT Tie

New Orleans Saints @ Kansas City Chiefs–A Drew Brees interception had the Chiefs beginning their second drive at the New Orleans 47. Tyler Thigpen took 5 minutes with the short field to move the Chiefs, with a 6 yard touchdown pass to Bowe to put the Chiefs up 7-0. The Saints kicked a field goal, got the ball back at the Kansas City 43 on their next possession, and moved the ball again. Brees hit Thomas for 24 yards before Deuce McAllister ran it in from one yard out to put the Saints up 10-7 in the 2nd quarter. The Chiefs then mounted a 14 play drive that ate up 8 minutes of clock. Yet on 1st and goal at the one, the offense went cold. 3 plays lost one yard and the Chiefs kicked the tying field goal to make it a 10-10 game. Brees brought the Saints right back, but got no further than the Kansas City 5 yard line. The field goal had the Saints up 13-10 at intermission.

One minute into the 3rd quarter, Brees hit Moore for a 47 yard touchdown pass to put the Saints up 20-10. Again the Chiefs moved the ball, going 13 plays in over 6 minutes. Again the drive bogged down near the goal line, with 3 plays from the 3 yielding nothing. Another field goal had the Chiefs within 20-13. Yet while the Chiefs were kicking field goals, the Saints were reaching the end zone. A 21 yard pass from Brees to Thomas set up a one yard Thomas run on the next play to put the Saints up 27-13 late in the 3rd quarter. The Chiefs kept fighting, and one minute into the 4th quarter, Thigpen hit Bowe again for a 5 yard touchdown to get the Chiefs within 27-20.

The Chiefs quickly got the ball back, and with 10 minutes left faced 4th and 2 at the Saints 40. They decided to punt and play field position. Brees led the Saints from their own 12 to a 4th and 1 at the Kansas City 17. The field goal with 3 1/2 minutes left locked up the game. The Saints improved to 5-5 while the Chiefs fell to 1-9 with the loss. 30-20 Saints

Baltimore Ravens @ New York Giants–The defending champions jumped all over Baltimore and never let up. A one yard run by bruiser Brandon Jacobs had Big Blue up 7-0. The Ravens best best chance to make it a game came from 4th and 3 at the New York 13. Matt Stover’s field attempt was blocked. Another drive led to another one yard Brandon Jacobs touchdown to put the Giants up 13-0 after a failed attempt at an extra point. It was the only break for Baltimore in the game. The Giants drove 90 yards in 12 plays over a 6:40 span on their next drive. Eli Manning hit Johnson for one yard touchdown pass to put the Giants up 20-0 in the 2nd quarter. They coasted the rest of the way, and improved to 9-1. Baltimore fell to 6-4 with the loss. 30-10 Giants

Minnesota Vikings @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers–The teams traded field goals in the opening quarter, wit Warrick Dunn being stuffed on a 4th and 1 from the Minnesota 37 being the closest thing resembling a highlight. Early in the 2nd quarter, Gus Frerotte hit Wade for a 4 yard touchdown pass to put the Vikings up 10-3. The Vikings led 13-6 at the half. The second half was pure Buc Ball, as the Pirates of Pewter Pants clamped down. An 11 play 80 yard drive ate up 5 1/2 minutes, and Askew scored from one yard out to tie the game at 13-13. 30 seconds into the 4th quarter, Jeff Garcia led a 13 play, 9 minute drive that led to a field goal and a 16-13 Buccaneers lead with 5 1/2 minutes left. Minnesota fumbled the ensuing kickoff, setting up another field goal to put the Buccaneers up by 6 points. Minnesota had 2 more chances, but suffocated under the defense of Monte Kiffin. 19-13 Buccaneers

Oakland Raiders @ Miami Dolphins–The misery on offense continues. The Dolphins managed a 93 yard drive that culminated in a 40 yard run by Ted Ginn to take a 7-0 lead. The Raiders, aided by pass interference call, reached the Miami 3 yard line before naturally settling for a field goal. In the 3rd quarter, Chad Pennington was sacked in the end zone for a safety. The Raiders took the free kick, and moved in range for a 45 yard field goal and the lead. Sebstian Janikowski clanked it off of the upright. Instead of being up 8-7, the Raiders then allowed the Dolphins right down the field. 64 yards later Patrick Cobbs ran it in to put the Dolphins up 14-5 on a team with an offense so dysfunctional that a safety counts as offense.

With 12 minutes remaining, the Dolphins punted rather than kick a field goal or go for it on 4th and 4 at the Oakland 34. The Raiders began at their own 8, and Culpepper moved them all the way to a 3rd and 5 at the Miami 19. One incomplete pass later, and the Raiders kicked a field goal to pull to within 14-8 with 8 minutes left. The Dolphins punted on their next possession, and Johnny Lee Higgins returned the punt 93 yards for a touchdown. Despite not scoring a touchdown on offense in 3 straight games, the Raiders led 15-14 with 4 1/2 minutes left. Perhaps they could pull out a miracle upset.

They could not. Pennington took over at the Miami 20 and went right to work. At the 2 minute warning, the Dolphins faced 4th and 5 at the Oakland 35. Miami passed up the field goal and decided to go for it. All the Raiders needed was one stop to win. They did not get it. Pennington hit Ginn for a 7 yard gain. With 38 seconds remaining, Carpenter hit a 38 yard field goal to win it. The missed field goal by Oakland was decisive, as the Raiders fell to 2-8. They defeated Miami in Miami last year when the Dolphins were 1-15. This year Miami is 6-4. The agony in Oakland continues. 17-15 Dolphins

Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers–Aaron Rodgers found Greg Jennings for a 3 yard touchdown to put the Packers up 7-0. After a Chicago field goal, Rodgers led a 65 drive before the half. An 18 yard run by Ryan Grant set up a 4 yard Grant run for the touchdown to extend the Packers lead to 14-3. The Bears took over at their own 7 with 1:11 left in the half , punted the ball, and allowed the Packers to kick a 53 yard field to put Green Bay up 17-3 at the half. In the 3rd quarter, Aaron Rodgers led an 11 play, 88 yard drive that took 5 minutes. A 5 yard touchdown pass to Lee had the Packers up 24-3. The game became a blowout after that. 37-3 Packers

Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts–Sage Rosenfels again played ably in place of Matt Schaub, but it paled in comparison to Peyton Manning, who lit up Houston with 30 of 46 passing for 320 yards and a pair of touchdown passes. In the first 27 minutes, each team had a pair of field goals. With just under 3 minutes left in the half, Ahman Green broke through from one yard out to put the Texans up 13-6. Adam Vinatieri added his 3rd field goal just before the half as the Colts trailed 13-9 at halftime.

In the 2nd half the offenses flew. Manning hit Joseph Addai for a 23 yard touchdown pass to put the Colts up 16-13. Only 3 plays later, Steve Slaton rambled 71 yards off tckle to put the Teans back on top 20-16. Manning kept firing, and a 24 yard pass to Gonzalez followed by a 15 yarder to Marvin Harrison and an 11 yarder to Reggie Wayne set up Joseph Addai on the ground from 7 yards out. The Colts led 23-20 entering the final quarter. After a punt, Manning kept rifling. On the first play of the 4th quarter, a 10 yard touchdown pass from Manning to Harrison had the Colts up 30-20.

With Rosenfels passing and Slaton picking up big yards on the gorund, the Texans moved 77 yards in 10 plays and 6 minutes. Ahman Green ran it in from 2 yards out to pull the Texans within 30-27 with 9 minutes left. Despite scoring rapidly all game, Manning led a punishing 16 play drive that used up 7 minutes. The Colts moved form their own 18 to the Houston 13, but then th drive bogged down. A field goal had the Colts up by 6 points, giving the Texans life and the ball with 1:52 left at their own 24. Despite playing well all game, Rosenfels was intercepted by Bullitt at the Indy 35 with 32 seconds remaining. It was not easy, but the Colts had survived again against a frustrated Texans team that falls just short. 33-27 Colts

St. Louis Rams @ San Francisco 49ers–Last week the Rams trailed 40-0 at halftime. This week was just as miserable. A punt return had the 49ers starting at the Rams 34. A Frank Gore 5 yard run had the 49ers up 7-0. The 2nd quarter was pure punishment. An 80 yard, 15 play, 8 minute drive led to a field goal to pull the Rams within 7-3. Then the levee broke and the Rams got washed away. Sean Hill hit Johnson for a 42 yard gain to set up a 2 yard touchdown pass to Vernon Davis to put the 49ers up 14-3. Marc Bulger then fumbled, the 49ers started at the Rams 16, and Frank Gore did the rest to make it a 21-3 game. Bulger was then intercepted, allowing the 49ers to being at their own 40. Hill hit Foster for 31 yards, and then Hill took the final yard himself to make it 28-3. Bulger was picked off again, the 49er began at their own 44, and Hill hit Johnson for 2 yards to put the 49ers up 35-3 at halftime. The 49ers slept through the second half, and so did much of the television public. 35-16 49ers

Arizona Cardinals @ Seattle Seahawks–Before the season, not many had the Cardinals at 6-3 and the Seahawks at 2-7. Kurt Warner has the Greatest Show in the Desert, and the Walrus Mike Holmgren finally has the Hasselbeck back from injury. It did not help. Warner led a 13 play, 7 minute drive, but on 4th and 1 from the Seattle 20, Ken Whisenhunt opted for the field goal and a 3-0 Arizona lead. The Cardinals moved 89 yards on their next drive, with Warner hitting Anquon Boldin for 45 yards to set up a 4 yard touchdown run by JJ Arrington. Another field goal had the Cardinals up 13-0, but while cruising to a win, Warner blundered. An interception at his own 19 led to a 13 yard Hasselbeck touchdown to Morris to make it a 13-7 game.

Yet after that it was all Cardinals. Neil Rackers nailed a 3rd field goal before the half and a 4th field goal in the 3rd quarter to have Arizona up 19-7. When Warner hit Arrington for a 6 yard touchdown pass, the Cardinals were coasting 26-7 after three quarters. They forgot to lock the coffin. From the Arizona 3, Hasselbeck was intercepted in the end zone. However, instead of taking the touchback, the ball was brought out, fumbled back, and the Seahawks took over at the Arizona 11. Again, on defense, just stay down! TJ Duckett scored from one yard out to make it 26-13 after a failed 2 point conversion. Warner then fumbled at his own 14, and Seattle recovered. on 4th and 3 from the 7, Hasselbeck ran it himself to the 2. Duckett scored to make it a 26-20 game with 9:41 left. All 3 Seattle touchdown drives were less than 20 yards.

Tennessee Titans @ Jacksonville Jaguars–Even at 9-0, th Titans knew that going into Jacksonville meant this game was going to be a headknocker. Both teams run the ball and play attacking defense, with Jeff Fisher and Jack Del Rio both having disciplined clubs. Yet Kerry Collins needs to stop being referred to as a game manager. The guy is a superstar. This game was expected to be low scoring, and it was.

Trailing 3-0 in the 2nd quarter, David Garrard led an 11 play, 74 yard drive that ate up over 6 minutes. Maurice Jones-Drew ran it in form 2 yards out to put Jacksonville up 7-3. The defenses slugged it out, but with just over one minute left in the half, a punt return set up the Jaguars at the Tennessee 37. Garrard hit Lewis for 19 yards, and Jones-Drew had his second touchdown run, this one from one yard out. The Jaguars led 14-3 at the half.

In the 3rd quarter, it was the Titans that took a punt and began with good field position at their own 45. Collins hit Jones for a 13 yard touchdown to place the Titans within 14-10. After a punt, Collins launched a deep ball that was caught by Justin Gage for a 56 yard touchdown. The Titans led 17-14 entering the 4th quarter. The defenses engaged in a war of attrition, but with 4 minutes remaining Collins went deep to Gage again, this time for a 38 yard touchdown. The Titans improved to 10-0, and the Jaguars fell to a deep hole at 4-6. It was not pretty, but the Titans won another tough one. 24-14 Titans

San Diego Chargers @ Pittsburgh Steelers–Norvelous Norv Turner brought his collapsing Chargers into Pittsburgh with snow coming down. The game was expected to be low scoring, with Mike Tomlin and his defense expected to thrive in the cold weather against the warm weather San Diego Chargers. Both teams knocked each other around for most of the game.

Ladanian Tomlinson started out red hot in the snow, and his 3 yard touchdown run had the Chargers up 7-0. The Chargers then went ice cold, although the Steelers could not reach the end zone. The Steelers had 4th and goal at the one, and Mewelde Moore got blasted backwards. The Chargers had the goal line stand, but their offense just could not accept the present. Philip Rivers was hit in the end zone and fumbled. It was a safety, and the Steelers were within 7-2 as the opening quarter ended. Both offenses were struggling, but Rivers led the Chargers to the Pittsburgh 17 before being intercepted. The ball was returned to the Pittsburgh 43. Pittsburgh reached the San Diego 3, but had t settle for a field goal and a 7-5 game at the half. This might have been the only time in NFL history where 2 games on the same day had a score of 7-5.

The Steelers opened the 2nd half with a 14 play, 6 1/2 minute drive that led to a field goal and an 8-7 lead. The other 7-5 game had the go ahead field goal missed, preventing further boring history. A day that was miserable for the offenses had the Chargers drive down deep, only to settle for another field goal. Nevertheless, they led 10-8 with 6 1/2 minutes remaining in the game.

Roethlisberger took over and led the Steelers from their own 13 to the San Diego 4. On 3rd and goal from the 4 with 15 seconds left, Pittsburgh decided not to bring out the field goal kicker. A touchdown was nullified by a holding penalty, and all of a sudden a gift 21 yard field goal attempt was now 31 yards. Josh Reed nailed it anyway. The STeelers led 11-10 with 5 seconds left. The ensuing kickoff featured some laterals, and the last lateral was broken up and returned by Troy Palomalu for an insurance touchdown. After further review, that touchdown did not count. Nevertheless, despite not reaching the end zone, 3 field goals and a safety gave the NFL its very first 11-10 game in history. The Steelers are gritting and gutting their way to the playoffs as the Chargers fell to 4-6. Marty Schottenheimer, where are you? 11-10 Steelers

Dallas Cowboys @ Washington Redskins was the Sunday night game. With Tony Romo returning, both of these teams were expected to light up the scoreboard. Instead the defenses took over. Jason Campbell made it look easy on the opening drive for Washington, needing 10 plays and 5 minutes to go only 49 yards. Campbell hit Sellers for the 2 yard touchdown that put the Redskins up 7-0. The defenses remained stout, but with one minute left in the half, Romo hit Terrell Ownes for a 25 yard gain, setting up a 2 yard Marion Barber run to tie the game 7-7. Yet a 58 yard kickoff return by Cartwright to the Dallas 37 set up a field goal and a 10-7 Washington lead at the half.

The 3rd quarter was scoreless as the defenses dominated. Campbell led a 7 minute drive, but was intercepted on 3rd and 2 at the Dallas 35. On their next drive Suisham missed a field goal. Seconds into the 4th quarter, Dallas finally mounted a drive as Romo moved the team 67 yards in 10 plays. Romo hit Bennett for a 25 yard touchdown pass to put Dallas up by 4 points with 10 1/2 minutes remaining. Campbell moved the Redskins to a 4th and 4 at the Dallas 37. The Redskins decided to go for it, and an incomplete pass turned the ball over on downs with 6:40 remaining. Marion Barber than took over, and ground Washington into dust. The Redskins never got the ball back, as Dallas avenged an earlier home loss to Washington. Both teams are 6-4, and in the hunt. 14-10 Cowboys

Cleveland Browns @ Buffalo Bills was the Monday night game. What started out as a dreadful game ended up a thriller, as Brady Quinn and Trent Edwards brought back memories of Bernie Kosar and Joe Ferguson. Jim Kelly watched from the sidelines. Edwards had one of the most miserable quarters in Monday Night Football history. He threw 3 interceptions in the opening quarter alone. Yet Quinn and the Browns could not take advantage, and the 3 turnovers produced only a pair of field goals for a 6-0 Browns lead.

In the 2nd quarter Quinn led the Browns on a 96 yard drive that took 12 plays and 6 minutes. Quinn hit Braylon Edwards for gains of 20 and 18 yards. Jamal Lewis had a 16 yard run to set up a 2 yard run by Josh Cribbs to put the Browns up 13-0. A short kickoff had the Bills starting their next drive at their own 41. Marshawn Lynch was a one man wrecking crew in this game, and his 18 yard catch from Edwards had the Bills within 13-7. Buffalo added a field goal on their next drive to trail 13-10 at halftime. Each team had a field goal in the 3rd quarter, and with the Browns leading 16-13, both teams lit up the scoreboard in the 4th quarter.

On the first play on the 4th quarter, from the Cleveland 28, Harrison ripped off a 72 yard run to put the Browns up 23-13. Seconds later, Leo McKelvin had taken the ensuing kickoff back 98 yards to get the Bills right back in it 23-20.  The Browns came right back down the field, but could not get past the 5 yard line. Phil Dawson’s 4th field goal with 11 1/2 minutes remaining had the Browns up 26-20.

After an exchange of punts, the Bills took over at the Cleveland 48 with 5:13 to go. From the 29, Lynch broke through and then dragged tacklers all the way down to the one yard line. Edwards scored himself on the next play, and the Bills led 27-26 with 2:25 remaining. The Browns were on the verge of becoming the first team in NFL history to lose 3 straight games when leading by at least 13 points.

Quinn drove the Browns from the Cleveland 33 to the Buffalo 39, but then threw 3 incomplete passes. Phil Dawson’s 5th field goal attempt wasa 56 yarder, and he leveled it. The Browns led bya  deuce, but they used up only 46 seconds of clock. They still had all of their timeouts, but Buffalo had 1:39 to work with. After a short kickoff, the Bills began at their own 44. Edwards hit Royal for 22 yards down to the Cleveland 34. Although the Bills did not pick up another first down, it was the Browns using their timeouts on defense. This was very smart coaching by Romep Crennel, giving the Browns hope if they fell behind again.

Ryan Lindell came in for a 47 yard field goal with 43 seconds remaining. With Jim Kelly watching, Ryan Lindell missed it just wide right. It was the exact same length and miss as Scott Norwood in the first Buffalo Superbowl loss. This was not the Superbowl, but it was the 4th straight loss for Dick Jauron and the Bills after a 5-1 start. Cleveland is 4-6 and still on life support. 27-26 Bills

eric

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

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

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

Below is the Week 10 NFL Recap.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://www.justblogbaby.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

eric

As lead singer Joey Tempest of Europe would say, “It’s the final countdown.”

As the election of 2008 draws to a close at a glacial pace, the candidates spent last night being interviewed during halftime of Monday Night Football. Uber-announcer Chris Berman of ESPN asked them both enjoyable questions that provided equally if not more enjoyable answers.

Obama was asked what he has learned about himself from this campaign.

He stated that he doesn’t get too high or low. He stays steady on the campaign trail.

He was then asked what bothers him in sports, and what he would change in sports as President.

He stated that we need playoffs in College Football. He is fed up with the computer rankings. On this issue I completely agree.

He was then asked about a sports moment in his life that he learned from.

He spoke of how while playing basketball in high school, he learned on the playgrounds. He learned from a Bobby Knight type of coach. The coach told him that it was not about the individual. It’s about the team. He now understands that it is not about him. He stays focused outside himself.

He concluded by saying that he hopes that everybody votes, regardless of who they are voting for. It was a classy statement.

McCain was next, and Berman had the same questions for the most part.

McCain was asked about what he would change in sports.

He said that he would prevent the spread of performance enhancing substances. We have to stay ahead of the people in the labs. It is bad for the athletes and the sport, and it attacks the integrity of the sport.

He was then asked about an important sports moment in his life.

His high school football coach was also his English teacher, who taught him lessons about life and took an immature young man and taught me about literature, and to do the honorable thing when nobody is listening.

He was then asked about what he wanted the American people to know about him, and he responded with humor, parroting phrases made famous from Chris Berman himself.

He wants the people to think that “he…could…go…all…the…way,” and  “That’s…why they play the games.”

McCain got serious and stated that he has always put his country first, and what an incredible experience it is for a guy who once played jv football not very well to be one step from the White House.

There are a million things I could add, but like everybody else, I will be watching the returns. The Chicago Cannonball will be making the foods of past Presidents, and there will be civility at our election dinner party.

So for now, enjoy the links of those that I feel offer the best coverage in the blogosphere.

Rather than me pick them out, I will simply ask the world to send them to me. So throughout the day, links will be added until your heads are spinning like mine.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/11/an_election_day_note_thanks_pr.html

http://www.texasrainmaker.com/2008/11/04/behind-enemy-lines-part-2/

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122576489699495845.html

http://takeourcountryback-snooper.blogspot.com/2008/11/nation-divided.html
http://takeourcountryback-snooper.blogspot.com/2008/11/e-day-2008-is-upon-us

http://www.thedailyconservative.net/2008/11/04/pray-vote-and-wish-for-the-best/

http://www.thedailyconservative.net/2008/11/03/dont-fear-an-obama-victory/

http://liberalslie.blogtownhall.com/2008/11/03/just_think_before_you_go_to_the_polls.thtml

http://chatterboxchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/10/my-november-4th-2008-ballot.html

http://gipperwagon.blogtownhall.com/

http://www.scoopthis.org

http://edwinleap.com/blog/?p=234

http://doctordeacon.blogtownhall.com/2008/09/03/the_hospital_er;_laboratory_of_social_failures.thtml

http://greencountryvalues.wordpress.com/2008/11/04/ok-gov-brad-henry-attending-the-obama-coronation/

http://www.rightnation.us/forums/blog/mr__naron/index.php?showentry=3110

http://WWW.JennoftheJungle.com

http://thecollegepolitico.com/as-if-pennsylvanians-need-another-reason-to-vote-mccain/

http://michellemalkin.com/2008/11/04/electionday-america-votes/

http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/blog/g/b4a75cb4-fb2e-4f37-a338-0a771d393441

http://seanmalstrom.wordpress.com/2008/11/03/toast/

http://faustasblog.com/?p=7483

http://greatsatansgirlfriend.blogspot.com/2008/11/lection-day.html

No matter who wins, once the election is over the people can get down to the business at hand, that being following the race towards the NFL Playoffs and the Superbowl.

eric

Yes, I am aware that there is a Presidential Election coming up.

Today is Sunday in November, which means the midpoint of the NFL Season.

For those watching Monday Night Football, which should include every red blooded American male in existence, halftime brings a special treat. Uber-announcer Chris Berman of ESPN will be conducting interviews with John McCain and Barack Obama. The interviews will be filmed earlier in the day and shown at the break.

That concludes today’s political coverage. Sundays are about football.

With that, I bring you the Week 9 NFL Recap.

New York Jets @ Buffalo Bills–The Jets began with a field goal on their opening drive, but Buffalo needed only 3 plays to strike back. A strong kickoff return had them at their own 43. Trent Edwards hit Marshawn Lynch for a 42 yard gain, setting up Edwards’s 9 yard touchdown toss to Vine. Leading 7-3, Edwards later fumbled deep in his own territory, and the Jets began at the Buffalo 6 yard line. Buffalo held the Jets to a field goal. On the next Buffalo drive, Edwards had the Bills at first and goal, but disaster struck. He was intercepted by Abram Elam, who raced 92 yards the other way for the touchdown. The Jets led 13-7, and it was still only midway through the first quarter. The rest of the half was quiet, as the Jets missed a field goal just before the half.

Each team added a field goal in the 3rd quarter, but after the Buffalo score, the kickoff went out of bounds. Starting from their own 40, Brett Favre found Jerricho Cotchery for a 35 yard gain. Thomas Jones ran it in from 7 yards out to put the Jets up 23-10. The game seemed in hand, but with Brett Favre, you never know what you will get on any given play. He was intercepted by Greer, who returned it 42 yards to bring the Bills within 23-17. For the second week in a row, a near certain victory turned into a cliffhanger. Nevertheless, Favre stays calm, and that is why he is a winner. With 11 minutes remaining, Favre led the Jets on a 14 play drive that ate 8:41 off of the clock. The 31 yard field goal with 2:12 remaining put the game out of reach. 26-17 Jets

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Cincinnati Bengals–The underachieving Jaguars ran into a desperate winless Cincinnati team. Carson Palmer is out for the season, but backup Fitzpatrick led the Bengals 84 yards in 14 plays, taking almost 8 minutes off of the clock to put the Bengals up 7-0. On their next long drive Fitzpatrick led them 88 yards to another score. Both touchdown passes went to Chad Johnson for 2 and 10 yards, as the Bengals led 14-0. In the 3rd quarter, an interception of David Garrard set up a 30 yard run by Cedric Benson, followed by another Benson run for a 7 yard touchdown. After 3 quarters, the Bengals led 21-3, and were well on their way to their first win, except for one thing. These are the Bengals.

Early in the 4th quarter, the Jaguars faced 4th and goal at the Cincinnati 3. A penalty pushed the Jaguars back to the 8, and they settled for a field goal and a 21-6 deficit. The Bengals fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and it was returned 18 yards for a gift touchdown. The Jaguars now only trailed 21-13. These are the Bengals. With 6 minutes remaining, Garrard moved the ball 73 yards, with Maurice Jones-Drew carrying the final yard for the touchdown. less than 90 seconds remained. These are the Bengals. Yet the 2 point conversion was no good. The onsides kick failed, but the Jaguars got the ball back with 11 seconds remaining. They tried lateraling the ball several times, but did not score. After 8 straight losses, the Bengals had survived. 21-19 Bengals

Baltimore Ravens @ Cleveland Browns–The Ravens began with a field goal, and on their next drive Joe Flacco threw a  47 yard touchdown pass to Clayton for a 10-0 Baltimore lead. The lead lasted only several seconds as Joshua Cribbs took the ensuing kickoff 92 yards for a score to put the Browns within 10-7. In the second quarter Cleveland added a field goal to tie the game 10-10. Matt Stover hit a short field goal with 29 seconds left in the half to put the Ravens up 13-10. Starting at their own 33, Cleveland quickly got in range for Phil Dawson, who nailed a 54 yarder to tie the game 13-13 at halftime.

In the 3rd quarter Cribbs did it again, taking a punt return 32 yards to the Baltimore 28. On the next play, Derek Anderson found Braylon Edwards for the touchdown to put the Browns up 20-13. Anderson led the Browns 72 yards on their next possession, with a 7 yarder to Wright putting the Browns up 27-13. Yet Baltimore was far form done themselves. Flacco led the Ravens 79 yards in 11 plays, with a one yard McClain run pulling the Ravens to within 27-20 after 3 quarters. After a short punt, the Ravens took over at the Cleveland 42. Flacco found Derrick Mason for a 28 yard touchdown pass to tie the game 27-27 only one minute into the 4th quarter.

With 7 1/2 minutes remaining, the Ravens took over at their own 37. Rice ran for a 60 yard gain down to the Cleveland 3 yard line. Yet on 3rd and goal from the 2, the Browns lost 2 yards and settled for the go ahead field goal with 5 1/2 minutes left. With 3 1/2 minutes left, Anderson was intercepted by Terrell Suggs, who returned it 42 yards to lock up the victory. 24 unanswered points turned the game. 37-27 Ravens

Houston Texans @ Minnesota Vikings–Gus Frerotte went right to work, throwing a 55 yard pass to Bernard Berrian, reaching the Houston 11. Adrian Peterson did the rest, as his one yard run had the Vikings up 7-0. However, on the next Minnesota possession, Frerotte was intercepted by Reeves, who raced 44 yards to tie the game 7-7. In the second quarter, a short punt had Minnesota starting at the Houston 47. Even with a short field, Frerotte used up 6 minutes over 13 plays. The drive culminated in Frerotte finding Rice for 8 yards and a 14-7 Minnesota lead. Frerotte kept firing, as a short swing pass to Berrian went for a 49 yard touchdown and a 21-7 lead for the Vikings.

Sage Rosenfels started the second half in place of Matt Schaub. Rosenfels led the Texans 72 yards, with a 3 yard touchdown pass to Anderson to pull the Texans to within 21-14. In the 4th quarter, Frerotte quickly took the Vikings 84 yards, with a 25 yard touchdown pass to Shiancoe putting the Vikings up 28-14 with only 6 1/2 minutes remaining. Rosenfels found Johnson for 14 yards with 3 minutes remaining, but it was too little, too late. The Texans got the ball back deep in their own territory with one minute remaining, but a sack of Rosenfels ended things. 28-21 Vikings

Detroit Lions @ Chicago Bears–A field goal and a 5 yard run by Kyle Orton had the Bears up 10-0 after the first quarter against the winless Lions. Out of nowhere, after 8 1/4 terrible games, the Lions exploded in the second quarter. With John Kitna out for the season, Orlovsky led a 12 play, 6 minute drive that ended when Kevin Smith scored from one yard out. The extra point was blocked, and the Lions trailed 10-6. Devon Hester fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and the Lions began at the Chicago 17. One play later, Orlovsky found Calvin Johnson for the touchdown to put the Lions up 13-10. A short punt had the Lions at their own 45, and Orlovsky led them down the field again. A 14 yard pass to McDonald had the Lions up 20-10, and after an exchange of field goals, Detroit led 23-13 at the break. Kyle Orton was injured at halftime and did not return.

In the second half, working with a short field, Rex Grossman found Davis for a 6 yard touchdown pass to pull the Bears within 23-20. With 8 1/2 minutes left, a 20 yard punt return by Devon Hester with a personal foul tacked on had the Bears starting at their own 46. Grossman took it in himself from one yard out to put the Bears up with 5 1/2 minutes left. The blocked extra point was looming large for Detroit.

After an exchange of punts, the Lions got the ball back on their own 42 with 2:49 left. They then fumbled the ball away. They got the ball back with just over one minute remaining on their own 13. Orlovsky passed them to the Chicago 32 with seconds remaining. Had the extra point not been blocked,a  game tying field goal could have been attempted. Down by 4 points, all Orlovsky could do was throw to the end zone, where the ball fell incomplete. The Lions are now the remaining winless team. 27-23 Bears

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Kansas City Chiefs–Tyler Thigpen led the Chiefs 69 yards on 12 plays in over 6 1/2 minutes to put the Chiefs up 7-0. Thigpen hit Bowe from 7 yards out for the score. Tampa Bay fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and starting at the Tampa 41, Kansas City took advantage. Smith scored from one yard out to put the Chiefs up 14-0. Tampa Bay had a long drive that stalled at the Kansas City 7 yard line, leading toa  field goal. The Chiefs then went to the gadget book. Thigpen lined up, but a direct snap went to Charles, who pitched it to Bradley. Bradley bobbled it, regrouped, and threw a 37 yard touchdown pass to Thigpen for a 21-3 Kansas City lead. Thigpen found Bradley for 56 yards on the next drive to set up a field goal. The Chiefs led 24-3, but a 97 yard kickoff return by Smith made it 24-10. Tampa Bay added a field goal, as the Chiefs led 24-13 at halftime.

After a scoreless 3rd quarter, the Buccaneers drove deep into Kansas City territory before fumbling. It did not matter as the Chiefs fumbled it back on the next play. Starting only 3 yards away, Graham found Smith for the score to pull the Bucs to within 24-19. The Chiefs then went on a 6 minute drive that could have iced the game, but on 4th and 1 from the 4, a delay of game penalty forced a field goal. The Chiefs led 27-19, but the Bucs had life.

The Buccaneers went down the field, and with 3 1/2 minutes left, Tampa Bay faced 1st and goal from the Kansas City 7. They fumbled the ball away, and again the game seemed over. It wasn’t. AFter a punt, the Buccaneers started at midfield with 1:50 remaining. Garcia completed a couple of passes before firing 24 yards to Antonion Bryant for the touchdown. Cincinnati reached a win by stopping the 2 point conversion. Kansas City already has won this year, and they were not about to win another one. The 2 point conversion was good, and the game went into overtime tied 27-27.

The Chiefs never saw the ball again. The Buccaneers won the toss, and Jeff Garcia needed only 4 minutes to take Tampa Bay from their own 26 to field goal range. Matt Bryant nailed it from 34 yards out. Kansas City led 24-3, but they are terrible. 30-27 Buccaneers, OT

Arizona Cardinals @ St. Louis Rams–This was a game of big plays, as Kurt Warner faced off against his former teammate Marc Bulger. Warner led the Cardinals from the 9 yard line to the St Louis 1 yard line, where a 7 minute drive ended up in a goal line stand for the Rams. Later in the quarter, Bulger went deep to Stanley for an 80 yard touchdown. The Rams are not the Greatest Show on Turf, but they led 7-0 after the first quarter before the levee broke.

The Cardinals are the Greatest Show in the Desert. It was the defense that got things going when a Bulger pass was intercepted by Antrell Rolle and brought back 40 yards for the tying score. A field goal put the Cardinals in front, and a 30 yard run by Tim Hightower had Arizona leading 17-7 late in the half. The Rams 2 minute drill was a disaster, and Warner needed only one play to go deep. His pass was underthrown, and should have been intercepted by Wade. Wade juggled the ball, and instead it was caught by Urban, who raced for the 56 yard touchdown to put the Cardinals up 24-7 at intermission.

In the 3rd quarter, Warner fired at will. From his own 18, a 19 yarder to Anquon Boldin was followed by a 33 yard pass to Larry Fitzgerald. A 7 yarder to Boldin put the Cardinals up 31-7, and they coasted from their. A 9 minute drive bled the clock dry in the 4th quarter. The Cardinals finished with 510 yards, 342 by Warner, and almost 39 minutes of possession. The Cardinals at 5-3 lead their weak division. 34-13 Cardinals

Green Bay Packers @ Tennessee Titans–The unbeaten Titans faced off against a decent Green Bay team in a tough game. Early on the game was about field goals as Tennessee added a pair before Green Bay put one on the board. Rodgers led a 71 yard drive that went 6 minutes over 12 plays. A 5 yarder to Donald River had the Packers up 10-6. Lendale White ran 54 yards to set up a 3 yard run by Johnson to put Tennessee back in front 13-10. at the half.

In the 3rd quarter, both teams reached inside the opposing 10 yard line, and both teams had to settle for a field goal as Tennessee maintained a 16-13 lead. With 5 1/2 minutes remaining, Crosby nailed his 3rd field goal to tie the game 16-16. After an exchange of punts, the Titans had the ball at their own 8 yard line with 1:49 left. Coach Jeff Fisher decided to play it safe from near his own goal line, and the Packers used a timeout in the hopes they would get the ball back. After the Titans ran for the first down, Collins was allowed to air it out, completing a 20 yard pass to the Tennessee 40. On the last play of regulation, Rob Bironas was brought in for a 47 yard field goal attempt. He hit the upright, and the ball bounced away no good. The game went into overtime.

The Titans won the coin toss and went straight down the field. From their own 22, 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes was enough to give Bironas a chance to redeem himself. From 41 yards out, Bironas nailed it, and the Titans escaped at home to remain the lone unbeaten team in the league. They got to 8-0 by surviving another defensive slugfest. 19-16 Titans, OT

Miami Dolphins @ Denver Broncos–The Dolphins are only 1 year removed from 1-15, but a Bill Parcells year is a lifetime. The Dolphins jumped all over Denver in the beginning, with a pair of field goals and a 32 yard interception return of Jay Cutler for a Brandon Marshall touchdown. The 13-0 Miami lead did not last long. Eddie Royal returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards to the Miami 5. Royal ran it in himself the final 5 yards on the ground to pull the Broncos within 13-7. The Dolphins led 16-7 at the half and 16-10 late in the 3rd quarter. A missed Denver field goal with 3 minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter was a missed opportunity.

The key play in the game came late in the 3rd quarter when Cutler threw a deep bomb for what appeared to be the go ahead touchdown. Offensive pass interference nullified the score, and instead the Broncos gave the ball back to the Dolphins. Miami added a field goal to lead 19-10. The Broncos needed 3 plays to come back as Cutler went deep again, this time for 47 yards to Hillis. This time the gain stood, and a throw to the end zone on the next play resulted in defensive pass interference. From the one, Cutler found Hillis to cut the gap to 19-17 with 11 minutes remaining.

While players play, this is a Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano team. They are about attitude and statement making. A staggering 15 play, 8 minute drive bled Denver dry. On 4th and 1 from the 35, the Dolphins eschewed the field goal and ran straight up the gut for a gritty first down to keep the drive going. From the Denver 25, Chad Pennington threw to Ricky Williams at the 2 yard line. Ronnie Brown did the rest on the next play, and sealed the win. 26-17 Dolphins

Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants–With Tony Romo still out, the Cowboys have gone from elite to dysfunctional, with Terrell Owens one loss away from ripping the team apart as he does. The Giants are playing like defending champions with chips on their shoulders. The Giants dominated from the start. Eli Manning led the Giants on an 11 play, 75 yard drive that ate over 6 minutes of clock. Manning hit Kevin Boss for the 13 yard touchdown to put New York up 7-0. Late in the 1st quarter, Brad Johnson was intercepted, setting up the Giants at the Dallas 27. Manning found Steve Smith for a 5 yard touchdown to put the Giants up 14-0 after the opening quarter.

In the 2nd quarter, Manning returned the generosity by throwing an interception to Jenkins for a 23 yard Dallas score to make it a 14-7 game. Yet after that it was all Giants. Late in the half, the Giants began at their own 48. Brandon Jacobs rumbled 27 yards to set up Manning’s 3rd touchdown pass of the half, an 11 yarder to Amani Toomer.

Trailing 21-7, Brooks Bollinger came in for Brad Johnson to start the second half. All Bollinger needed was one play to complete a pass to Butler. Butler plays for the Giants. Starting at the Dallas 18, Jacobs picked up 6 yards on one run and the final 12 yards on the next run. The Giants led 28-7, and Jerry Jones asked Coach Wade Phillips to put himself in at quarterback. No, not really. Bollinger did lead a 16 play drive that ate up 8 1/2 minutes of clock, but that is not a smart straegy when down by 21. Bollinger hit T.O. for the 8 yard touchdown to put the Cowboys within 28-14. They got no closer as a 6 minute Giants drive ended i a 17 yard run by Ward to end the blowout. 35-14 Giants

Philadelphia Eagles @ Seattle Seahawks–Koo Koo Ke Choo, all hail the Walrus Bowl between rotund mustachioed coaches Mike Holmgren and Andy Reid. 90 seconds into the game, Holmgren was the happier walrus as Seneca Wallace, again filling in for an injured Matt Hasselbeck, threw a bomb to Koren Robinson that went for a 90 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Seattle lead. In the second quarter Andy Reid was the only smiling walrus. An 80 yard drive ended with Donovan McNabb throwing 22 yards to Reggie Brown to tie the game. After a punt, the Eagles started at their own 45. From the Seattle 27, McNabb found Curtis at the one yard line, setting up a 1 yard toss to Herremann to put the Eagles up 14-7 at the half.

In the second half, David Akers did the rest. He tacked on 4 field goals to extend the Philadelphia lead to a comfortable win. All hail Andy Reid, Koo Koo Ke Choo. Mike Holmgren was an unhappy walrus. 26-7 Eagles

Atlanta Falcons @ Oakland Raiders–For more on the game of the day, go to

http://www.justblogbaby.com

The Raiders are dreadful, but in a league containing Detroit, St Louis, Kansas City and Cincinnati, this often gets overlooked. Today was a day when bad teams played competitive games. Detroit and Kansas City were winning by 10 and 21 points respectively before collapsing late. The Bengals nearly blew an 18 point lead but hung on. The Raiders had no such luck or skill. Michael Vick is in jail for dogfighting, but Matt Ryan, aka Matty Ice, showed that it is the Raiders that have gone to the dogs.

Ryan needed 6 minutes to drive the Falcons 88 yards for a 7-0 lead. Ryan hit Jenkins for the 37 yard touchdown pass. The Raiders went 3 and out, and the Falcons rapidly went 70 yards for another score as Jerrius Norwood ran it in from 12 yards out to put Atlanta up 14-0. Again the Raiders went 3 and out, and again the Falcons went 88 yards. Ryan hit Jenkins for another score, this time from 27 yards out. The Falcons led 21-0, and tacked on a field goal to lead 24-0 at halftime.

I hope that this is rock bottom for the Raiders, because the last 5 years of misery really hit hard today. The Raiders failed to pick up a single first down the entire half. They had negative yardage.

The second half featured flashes of something positive that led to nothing. The Falcons faced 4th and 1 at the Oakland 9 before Atlanta got stoned up the middle. On another drive the Raiders blocked an Atlanta punt. On another drive the Falcons missed a field goal. Yet When Russell did managed to drive the Raiders deep, from the 10 yard line he threw into triple coverage and was intercepted in the end zone.  I still maintain that Russell has talent, but he has no help. Darren McFadden was out injured with turf toe, and Russell has little offensive line help and no mentoring from the coaching staff.

The Raiders defense pitched a shutout in the second half, but the Falcons defense did it in both halves, and possible did not care in the second half. The pain in Oakland continues. 24-0 Falcons

New England Patriots @ Indianapolis Colts was the Sunday night game. For years this was the preview of the expected AFC Title game. last year the Colts were the quietest 14-2 team in league history, overshadowed by the 16-0 Patriots. This was supposed to be the regular season game of the year before the season started.

However, the NFL is not about the best teams, but the best healthiest teams. Tom Brady is out for the season, and the Colts have had an injury wracked offensive line. Peyton Manning missed all pre-season, and Joseph Addai was out for a few games.Nevertheless, Matt Cassell has filled in ably, and the Colts are getting players back. Therefore, this game had the potential to be a shootout just as in years past. The punters were expected to take the night off.

Instead there was a defensive slugfest that began with an exchange of punts. On their second drive, Manning led the Colts on a staggering 91 yard drive that took 15 plays and ate up 9 minutes. Manning’s 12 yard pass to Gonzalez finished the drive. The Colts staggered the rest of the half with the exception of a drive that would have led to a field goal had a false start not led to a 10 second runoff to end the half. New England had a pair of long drives that stalled in the red zone. Notable was the fact that not one pass was thrown to Randy Moss in the entire half. The Patriots settled for field goals, and the Colts took a 7-6 lead into the locker rooms.

In the 3rd quarter, Cassell led a 15 play drive that ate up almost 8 minutes. This time the Patriots finished the drive with a 6 yard touchdown run by Green-Ellis. The 2 point conversion failed, but the Patriots led 12-7. A strong kickoff return by Pierre Garcon had the Colts starting at their own 43. Manning completed passes to Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne before again finding Gonzalez in the end zone, this time from 9 yards out. The 2 point conversion to Wayne was successful, and the Colts were back in the lead at 15-12.

In a game of long drives, the Patriots mounted another one that went into the 4th quarter. The 15 play drive faced what might have been the key play in the game. From the Indy 39, Cassell went deep to a wide open Jabar Gaffney. The ball went right through his hands. It was perfectly thrown, and he dropped it. Although the Patriots are normally well disciplined, they made uncharacteristic critical mistakes. At the start of the 4th quarter, before a single play had been run, Cassell had to use up New England’s 2nd timeout. Then when the Patriots faced 4th and 1 at the Indy 7, confusion reigned. The Patriots lined up to go for it, and Coach Bill Belichick ran onto the field to call a timeout. He decided to kick the field goal. The kick was good, and the game was tied 15-15 with 11 1/2 minutes remaining. However, the Patriots were now out of timeouts.

The Colts took over at their own 18, and Manning tossed passes of 20 yards to Clark and 24 yards to Gonzalez. The drive then stalled, but former Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri nailed the 52 yarder for the Colts. The Colts had their 3 point lead back with 8 minutes remaining.

The Patriots began at their own 19 on their next drive, and were marching right down the field when another mistake occurred. On 2nd and 2 from the Indy 32, Green-Ellis ran very near the first down marker within inches. Yet after the play, a personal foul on the offense pushed them back 15 yards. It was a dumb penalty, and instead of 3rd and 1, it was 3rd and 16. Had the Patriots picked up the 1st down before the penalty, even moving back 15 yards would have left the Patriots at 1st and 10. The run itself might have been worth a challenge, but the Patriots had no timeouts left. Instead, after a short gain, Cassell’s desperation pass was intercepted by Bob Sanders with 4 minutes left. The Patriots did get the ball back at their own 20 with 21 seconds remaining, but it was too much distance to overcome. The game ended with a New England Mistake, as Randy Moss, rather than going out of bounds, tried to go the distance, veered towards the middle, and fumbled the ball away.

Despite the low score, it was a close game, and even though these teams are only a combined 9-7, either one or both of them with a couple breaks could still go deep into the playoffs. A rematcha s in past years would be well anticipated. 18-15 Colts

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Washington Redskins was the Monday night game. Mike Tomlin is a very worthy successor to Bill Cowher, and the Steelers made things exciting by beginning with an onsides kick to start the game. However, it failed, setting up a Washington field goal. Washington tacked on another field goal to lead 6-0 after the first quarter. Unfortunately for the Redskins, their highlights ended at that point. Pittsburgh kicked a field goal in the 2nd quarter. For 28 minutes the game was a defensive slugfest. With just over 2 minutes remaining in the half the Steelers blocked a punt, recovering at the Washington 13. After backing up 10 yards, Ben Roethlisberger found Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward before sneaking over himself from a yard out to put the Steelers up 10-6 at the half. Despite the score, it was costly. Big Ben did not finish the game.

In the second half, the Steelers took the field with Byron Leftiwch. They took thesecond half kickoff and marched 72 yards, with Willie Parker running it in from a yard out. The extra point was no good, but the Steelers led 16-6. The defense then clamped down clamped down. They may not be the Steel Curtain, but they are very good.  A 12 play, 7 minute drive went 77 yards. Leftwich hit Holmes for 5 yards to round out the scoring. The Redskins are much improved, and the Steelers have played some brutal headknockers lately. 23-6 Steelers

eric

Still exulting in triumph from the the Oakland Raiders reaching their first win in the Tom Cable era, I now enthusiastically dive into today’s football games. Forget the hyperbole. Here is the Week 8 NFL Recap.

The Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays, or Devil Rays, or whatever they are, played the Sunday night game. I hate baseball almost as much as golf and soccer, so I refuse to cover this irrelevance. There was no Sunday night NFL game because of this uselessness, so perhaps King of the Hill and American Dad will be watched. Maybe Desperate Housewives or the news will be watched. Either way, this blog is about football on Sundays.

Oakland Raiders @ Baltimore Ravens–For more on the game of the day, go to www.justblogbaby.com

Buddy Ryan was rooting for a 0-0 tie since both his sons are the defensive coordinators of these teams. Rob Ryan runs the defense for the Raiders, and Rex Ryan does it for the Ravens. Early on it looked like buddy would get his wish as neither offense could move the ball. The difference in the game was field position, which was miserable for the Raiders. When they would punt, the Ravens would have good field position, which they would waste.

The difference in the first quarter was a sack on JaMarcus Russell for a safety and a 2-0 Ravens lead. With Darren McFadden out with an injured toe, the Raiders running game ran into a buzzsaw of Ray Lewis and company. The Raiders had -2 yards in the opening quarter.

Late in the quarter, a 39 yard punt return had Baltimore at the Oakland 18. Early in the 2nd quarter, Willis McGahee banged in from one yard out to put the Ravens up 9-0.

With the Oakland running game going nowhere, Cable decided to open it up. After a couple of completions, Russell went for the long ball. He was intercepted, but at least the Ravens began at their own 3 yard line. After converting 3rd and 9 with a run up the middle, the Raiders had an even bigger breakdown on defense. On 3rd and 5, Flacco went deep and found a wide open Williams for a 70 yard touchdown and a 16-0 Ravens lead midway through the 2nd quarter.

The ensuing kickoff would have gone out of bounds, but Johnny lee Higgins fielded it and stepped out of bounds, forcing the Raiders to start at their own 2 yard line. The field position nightmare continued. The Ravens added a field goal to take a 19-0 lead at the break.

The Raiders had a ray of hope when Russell found Schillins for a 60 yard bomb to set up 1st and goal. Yet these are the Raiders, and a 21 yard field goal cut the gap to 19-3. Flacco then handed off to Troy Smith, the backup quarterback. Smith completed a bomb of his own, and Flacco was the wide receiver who caught it. The 43 yard gadget play and the ensuing field goal had the Ravens back up comfortably 22-3.

Russell completed passes of 31 and 25 yards to Zach Miller, and Justin Griffith barely broke the plane of the goal on a 2 yard run to put the Raiders within 22-10 after 3 quarters. Willis McGahee fumbled, an the Raiders began their next drive at the Baltimore 43. A 13 yard run by Russell was followed by a penalty or delay of game, and a sack that led to no points. The Raiders would see the ball again, but at that point the Baltimore pass defense was in jailbreak mode. A 12 yard touchdown run by Joe Flacco with 3 1/2 minutes left ended any hopes for the Raiders, who fell to 2-5. 29-10 Ravens

Arizona Cardinals @ Carolina Panthers–A reverse play went for a long gain to set up a Cardinals field goal. In the 2nd quarter, Jake Delhomme had the ball knocked out of his hand, and the fumble was recovered by Arizona at the Carolina 5 yard line. Kurt Warner threw a touchdown on the next play to put the Cardinals up 10-0. The Panthers responded to the 1 play, 5 second drive with a 14 play drive of their own. Yet Jake Delhomme’s 3rd down pass from the 5 yard line was dropped in the end zone by a wide open receiver. A golden opportunity was missed, as the Saints trailed 10-3 at the half instead of 10-7.

The Cardinals took the second half kickoff, and Warner found Fitzerald for a 27 yard gain. Tim Hightower ended the drive with a 2 yard touchdown run. The Cardinals led 17-3, and seemed to be on their way to a win. Then the game totally changed. Delhomme finally got going, and a 31 yard pass to King set up a 15 yard touchdown run by Williams to put the Panthers within 17-10. Edgerrin James then fumbled, and Carolina had the ball at the Arizona 18. Both teams had fumbled deep in their own territory, and both teams capitalized in one play. Delhomme hit Steve Smith for the touchdown that tied the game 17-17.

Warner then led a 12 play drive from the Arizona 22. He found Steve Breaston, Anquon Boldin, and Larry Fitzgerald on the drive. A 22 yarder to Fitzgerald set up the 2 yard touchdown to Boldin as the Cardinals regained the lead. The extra point was no good. The Cardinals led 23-17, but that missed conversion would haunt them. Delhomme needed less than one minute to throw a 65 yard bomb to Steve Smith for the touchdown. Replays clearly showed Smith stepping out of bounds. The call was challenged, yet the touchdown was upheld. It was a totally blown call, and with the extra point, the Panthers led 24-23. The 21 point 3rd quarter was followed by a defensive 4th quarter.

Warner rapidly led the Cardinals from their own 22 to the Carolina 15. However, Warner was then intercepted by J J Arrington, who returned the ball to midfield with 12 minutes remaining. That led to a 50 yard field goal by John Kasay to put the Panthers up 27-23 with 9 minutes remaining. The Cardinals punted on their next drive from their own 45 with 6 minutes left, and never got the ball back. The Arizona defense could not make a stop. On 3rd and 13 from midfield with 1:51 left, Williams ran straight up the middle to pick up the first down and end things. 27-23 Panthers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Dallas Cowboys–This defensive struggle began with a pair of field goals by the Buccaneers to go up 6-0. After Dallas made a field goal, the Buccaneers had a missed field goal that gave the Cowboys possession on their own 40. A personal foul on Ronde Barber moved them closer. Brad Johnson, filling in for Tony Romo, found Roy Williams for a 2 yard touchdown pass and a 10-6 Dallas lead at the intermission. The second half was even more defense. An exchange of field goals had the Cowboys up by 4 points with 4:15 remaining. Jeff Gracia started at his own 26 and methodically moved the Buccaneers down the field. With 19 seconds remaining, on 4th and 3 from the Dallas 18, Garcia’s pass to Jeremy Stevens fell incomplete. It wasn’t pretty, but Dallas got the win. 13-9 Cowboys

Washington Redskins @ Detroit Lions–Jason Campbell led the Redskins on their opening 7 minute drive down the field, but bogged down at the Detroit 2 yard line. The field goal had the Redskins up 3-0. Later in the quarter, Campbell fumbled at midfield. Orlovsky, filling in for Jon Kitna, found Calvin Johnson for 31 yards. Johnson then ran it in from 11 yards out to put the Lions up 7-3. An exchange of field goals had Detroit up 10-6 at intermission.

After a 3rd field goal had Washington within 10-9, they got the ball back at their own 5. A pass from Campbell to Cooley went for 17 yards, and a defensive penalty had the Redskins at midfield. Campbell went deep to Santana Moss for the second half of the field, putting the Redskins up 16-10. Early in the 4th quarter, the Lions punted, and Moss killed them with an 80 yard return for the touchdown that had the Redskins up 22-10.

The Lions fought back, and a 17 yard touchdown pass form Orlovsky to Johnson had Detroit within 22-17 with 6 1/2 minutes remaining. The Redskins wound down the clock, and added a field goal for an 8 point lead. The Lions got the ball back with 1:51 remaining at their own 23. With 48 seconds remaining, facing 4th and 3 at their own 45, Orlovsky completed a 2 yard pass. Either the West COast Offense, the Lions, or both, should be abolished. Throwing past the marker helps. The Lions remained winless. 25-17 Redskins

Buffalo Bills @ Miami Dolphins–A pair of much improved teams took the field, and Chad Pennington took the Dolphins right down the field on the opening drive. A 2 yard touchdown pass to Anthon Fasano had the Dolphins up 7-0. The Bills could not reach the end zone, but 3 Ryan Lindell field goals, including one on the last play of the half, had the Bills up 9-7.

The first half was early scoring by the Dolphins and then all Bills. The second half was the exact reverse. The Bills took the opening kickoff, and Trent Edwards marched them down the field. A Marshawn Lynch 2 yard touchdown run had Buffalo up 16-7. The rest was all Miami.

A field goal had the Dolphins within 16-10, and after a punt, Pennington led a 69 yard drive. Ricky Williams ran 3 yards for the touchdown that put the Dolphins up 17-16. Buffalo was plagued by turnovers, and an Edwards interception set up a field goal to put Miami up 20-16 early in the 4th quarter. Buffalo began a drive after a punt at their own 3, where Edwards was sacked for a safety. Miami led 22-16 with 8 minutes remaining. Miami took the free kick, which led to a field goal with 4 minutes remaining. The kick gave Miami a 9 point lead, putting the game out of reach. Buffalo did reach the Miami 31, but fumbled the ball away. They got the ball back with seconds remaining, and fumbled again. 4 turnovers do not defeat a disciplined team, and Bill Parcells and Tony Sparano have brought discipline and winning back to Miami. 25-16 Dolphins.

St. Louis Rams @ New England Patriots–This could have been a Superbowl rematch that ended one potential dynasty and launched another one, but Kurt Warner is elsewhere, Tom Brady is out for the year, Adam Vinatieri is elsewhere, and Marshall Faulk is retired. There was a Faulk running the ball, although it was Kevin Faulk for New England. Nevetheless, this was a good game.

Just like in the Superbowl, the Rams went up 3-0, and the Patriots took the lead 7-3. For the Rams, their drive stalled at the 2 yard line, while for the Patriots, the final 2 yards came on the ground by Ellis. In the 2nd quarter, Marc Bulger found Avery for a 69 yard touchdown to put the Rams back on top 10-7. A 12 play drive led to a 30 yard field goal that tied the game at 10-10. Late in the half, the Rams had to punt form deep in their own territory. The Patriots only had 19 seconds, but began at the Rams 46. A swing pass from Matt Cassell to Randy Moss went for 30 yards, setting up the go ahead field goal at halftime.

The second half featured more field goals. The Superbowl was tied 17-17 late. This game was tied 16-16 with 7 minutes remaining. More terrible field position for the Rams led to a punt that had the Patriots starting at their own 47. With the short field, Cassell found Faulk for a 15 yard touchdown pass to put the Patriots up by 7 with 3:13 left. The Rams again started with dreadful field position, this time at their own 10. Bulger did pass them down to the New England 38, but he was intercepted with just over one minute left at the 16 yard line by Deltha Oneal. 23-16 Patriots

San Diego Chargers @ New Orleans Saints–Live from Wembley Stadium, the second annual game in England took place. After a rendition of “God Save the Queen,” to the tune of “My Country tis of thee,” the crowd was treated early on to an exchange of field goals. Even at 3-3 the game was more interesting than any game of soccer ever played. Yet after a quiet first quarter, both offenses exploded.

The second quarter saw the offenses unload. A 12 yard pass to Devery Henderson put the Saints up 9-3, when the extra point clanked off of the upright. On the ensuing kickoff, Darren Sproles had the ball ripped out of his hands, allowing the Saints to start with excellent field position. From the 25, the Saints went right to work, and several plays later Deuce McAllister had a one yard touchdown run to put the Saints up 16-3.

With Drew Brees already firing, his counterpart and former teammate Philip Rivers got going. Rivers found Ladanian Tomlinson for a 12 yard touchdown, cutting the gap to 16-10. Brees came right back with a 30 yard touchdown pass to Moore to put the Saints up 23-10. The aerial show continued as Rivers found Antonio Gates for 30 yards, setting up a 12 yard Rivers to Gates touchdown. The Chargers trailed 23-17 at the half.

The second half featured more fireworks as the offenses moved at will. From his own 13, Brees found Marquis Colston for a 49 yard gain. A horse collar penalty pushed the ball to the San Diego 22. Brees kept firing, and found Campbell for a 1 yard touchdown pass to put the Saints up 30-17. Rivers then led a 12 play, 7 minute drive, but it bogged down at the New Orleans 6 yard line. A field goal had the Chargers within 30-20.

Brees remained ridiculous in the pocket, firing passes at will. On 3rd and 5 from the San Diego 20, a defensive pass interference penalty in the end zone set up a 1 yard touchdown run by Karney seconds into the 4th quarter. The Saints led 37-20, but this game was far from over. Rivers led another 12 play drive, but again the Saints could not reach the end zone. The drive stalled at the 8 yard line, and the field goal with 9 1/2 minutes left had the Chargers within 37-23.

A successful onsides kick had the Chargers beginning at their own 43. A 17 yard toss to Vincent Jackson and a 9 yarder to Chris Chambers set up a 14 yard touchdown pass to Jackson. 7 1/2 minutes remained, and the Chargers were within 37-30. The Chargers got the ball back with 4 minutes left, and after a holding penalty, were at their own 12. Rivers moved them all the way to the New Orleans 32, where his pas was tipped by 2 Saints before being intercepted by Jonathan Vilma with just over one minute left. Vilma smartly went down rather than fumble the ball back, as many defenders do.

Yet the game still was not over. The Saints needed to punt with 14 seconds remaining. Rather than punt facing a heavy rush, Drew Brees came in for the snap. He ran backwards, and took the intentional safety with 8 seconds left. The free kick from the 20 provided drama as Darren Sproles returned it just past midfield. The Saints thought the game was over, but the referees ruled that there was one second left. Rivers threw the hail mary, and with about 12 players in the end zone jumping for it, it landed incomplete.

The people of England got their money’s worth, and Norvelous Norv Turner and the Chargers fell to 3-5. Drew Brees celebrated the win against his former team. I am not sure if he was knighted by the Queen after the game, but it would have been merited. 37-32 Saints

Kansas City Chiefs @ New York Jets–Brett Favre vs Tyler Thigpen. It did not seem fair. That’s why, as Chris Berman says, that they play the games. Favre went right to work, taking the Jets 73 yards in 6 minutes. An 18 yard touchdown pass from Favre to Leon Washington had the Jets up 7-0. Things settled down after that, and an interception of Favre had Kansas City at the New York 38 as the opening quarter ended. Thigpen then hit Tony Gonzalez for the 19 yard touchdown to tie the game. Gonzalez was on the trading block, but Chiefs fans were glad he stayed.

With 2 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Jets were on their own 10. A pass from Favre to Cotchery went for 24 yards. Leon Washington then ran 60 yards for a score to put the Jets up 14-7. Thigpen came right back, and a perfectly executed 2 minute drill led to Thigpen throwing an 11 yard touchdown to Bradley to send the teams to the locker room tied 14-14.

The Chiefs took the lead after a 6 minute drive set up a 30 yard field goal, but Favre matched Thigpen with a 13 play, 6 minute drive that ended with a 1 yard Thomas Jones run, as the Jets led 21-17 after 3 quarters. In the 4th quarter Favre led a long drive that appeared on the verge of salting the game away. On 3rd and 2, with 8 minutes remaining, disaster struck. Favre was intercepted by Flowers, who raced 92 yards the other way. Instead of being up by 11, the Jets trailed 24-21.

With 3 minutes remaining, Washington took a punt return 47 yards, and the Jets began at the Kansas City 46. With just over one minute remaining, Favre found Laverneus Coles for a spectacular 15 yard one handed touchdown catch. The Jets regained the lead. A 35 yard kickoff return had the Chiefs in business. A 3rd and 16 completion by Thigpen set up 4th and 1 at the New York 31 with 21 seconds remaining. Thigpen’s 4th down pass was incomplete, and the Jets had survived. Favre did throw 3 interceptions, but the grizzled veteran is still a warrior that can win when it counts. 28-24 Jets

Atlanta Falcons @ Philadelphia Eagles–The Falcons, with a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback in Matt Ryan, entered the game a surprising 4-1. Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb are the all time leaders for wins between head coaches and quarterbacks starting at the same time. Despite offseason turmoil, they have held the team together at 3-3 in a tough division. The first quarter was scoreless.

4 minutes into the 2nd quarter, Ryan found White for a 55 yard touchdown pass to put the Falcons up 7-0. An exchange of punts gave the field position advantage to the Eagles, who began at their own 40. McNabb found Darrell Jackson for 22 yards, and finished the drive by running it in 3 yards himself to tie the game with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half.

The Eagles got the ball back at their own 12 with 45 seconds left in the half, and sought to just play it safe. Yet when Bryan Westbrook ran 20 yards on 1st down, Reid let McNabb open it up. Several passes, including a 20 yarder to Jackson, set up a 36 yard field goal just before the half to put the Eagles up 10-7.

The Eagles took the second half kickoff and went straight down the field. Bryan Westbrook ran the final 16 yards to put the Eagles up 17-7. After an Atlanta punt, the Eagles moved from their own 45 to the Atlanta one yard line. Yet a pair of plays were stymied, and on 4th and goal from the 1, ultra conservative Reid opted for the field goal to put the Eagles up 20-7. Only 8 minutes remained.

Ryan led the Falcons back with a 14 play drive, finishing it off with an 8 yard touchdown pass to White with 4 minutes remaining. The Falcons were within 6 points again. The Atlanta defense then held, but their final chance to win was snuffed out when the punt was fumbled and recovered by the Eagles. Replays clearly showed that the Atlanta punt returner never actually touched the ball at all. However, the Falcons were out of timeouts, and therefore unable to challenge the horrendous call. A 39 yard touchdown by Westbrook was the icing on the cake. 27-14 Eagles

Cleveland Browns @ Jacksonville Jaguars–This featured a pair of teams with winning records a year ago that play in tough divisions, but are still in the hunt this year. Derek Anderson led the Browns 80 yards on their first drive, with a 3 yard touchdown pass to Dante Stallworth putting the Browns up 7-0. David Garrard responded with a 13 play, 6 1/2 minute drive that tied the game 7-7 when Garrard hit Williams from 5 yards out. Anderson then quickly hit Heiden for 51 yards to set up a 2 yard touchdown run by Jamal Lewis. The Browns added a field goal to go up 17-7 at halftime.

The Jaguars took the second half kickoff and marched 72 yards. Garrard threw the 8 yard toss to Jones for the touchdown that made it a 17-14 game. Josh Scobee nailed a 53 yard field goal to tied the game 17-17 with 9 minutes remaining. Cleveland took over at their own 21, and after several handoffs to Jamal Lewis, were at their own 46. Anderson then went for all the marbles, and the 53 yard completion to Steptoe was ruled out at the one yard line. Although it was worth reviewing to see if the ball broke the plane of the goal, no review occurred. this was costly, because 3 plays from the 1 went straight into a stout Jacksonville defense. With 4 1/2 minutes remaining, facing 4th and goal at the 2, Romeo Crennel decided on the chip shot field goal. Phil Dawson put the Browns up 20-17.

The Jaguars then fumbled the ensuing kickoff. The Browns could not move the ball, but another field goal put them up by 6. Incomplete passes on 2nd and 3rd down meant that only 30 seconds elapsed on the drive.

The Jaguars punted after not moving the ball, but the Browns could not run out the clock. The Jaguars took over on their own 30 with 1:51 remaining. On 4th and 3 from their own 39, Garrard completed a 5 yard pass. However, after the play a personal foul on the offense pushed the Jagurs back 15 yards. They still retained possession, but what was bizarre was that the penalty actually helped them. The clock stopped. The Browns protested that since the penalty was on offense, the Jagaurs should not benefit from the penalty. yet 27 seconds remained, and Garrard hit Jones for a 35 yard gain to the Cleveland 26 with 16 seconds remaining.

Garrard went for the end zone, and twice his passes were tipped, bobbled, and broken up by superb defense. Garrard’s last pass was untouched and incomplete in the end zone. It was a nailbiter, but Cleveland held and won a tough game on the road. 23-17 Browns

Cincinnati Bengals @ Houston Texans–For some reason this game was played. Carson Palmer has now been declared out for the season, and it appears that the entire team has quit on Marvin Lewis. Chad Johnson is still on the field, wishing he was not. A 73 yard touchdown on a punt return by Jones only 2 minutes into the game put the Texans up 7-0. That might have been enough to put the game out of reach for the Bungles. For those who were confused, the Bengals were not the expansion team.

In the 2nd quarter, the Texans began on their own 9. Matt Schaub led a 15 play drive that ate up 9 1/2 minutes of clock. A 6 yard touchdown pass to Anderson had the Texans up 14-3. In the 3rd quarter, Schaub led an 84 yard drive that took another 6 minutes off of the clock. Schaub found Walter for 7 yards to put the Texans up 21-6. Schaub threw a 39 yard touchdown pass to Walter to put the Texans up 28-6. The Bengals remain winless, despite a pair of incredibly exciting field goals inbetween surrendering multiple touchdowns. 35-6 Texans

New York Giants @ Pittsburgh Steelers–These teams coached by Tom Coughlin and Mike Tomlin are about discipline and attitude. The two teams known for hard nosed running and defense played a game featuring both. The game started with offense, as Mewelde Moore ran for a 32 yard touchdown to put the Steelers up 7-0. The game then quickly turned into a defensive bonelock. The Giants kicked a field goal, and in the second quarter reached the Pittsburgh one yard line. Brandon Jacobs scored on 3rd down, but the touchdown was challenged. On further review the touchdown was reversed. On 4th and goal from the 1, Jacobs was stoned by a brick Pittsburgh wall.

Pittsburgh failed to move after the goal line stand, and a punt was returned by Dominic Hixon 28 yards to the Pittsburgh 19. Yet New York could not move either, and a field goal made it a 7-6 game. After a Pittsburgh punt, the Giants again drive deep, but on 4th and 2 form the Pittsburgh 7, settled for a 3rd field goal to take a 9-7 lead into the locker room.

After an exchange of punts in the 3rd quarter, Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning had been struggling. Big Ben stepped back, and needed one play to throw a 65 yard touchdown pass to Nate Washington to put the Steelers back on top 14-9.

Early in the 4th quarter Roethlisberger threw his 3rd interception of the game. The Giants had good field position, and took a timeout on 4th and 1 from the Pittsburgh 29. Manning then got confused, and tried to call another timeout. This led to a delay of game penalty that made it 4th and 6. So Manning redeemed himself by throwing a 31 yard completion to Amani Toomer, setting up 1st and goal at the 4. However, this was a game of defense, and the Giants had to settle for a 4th field by John Carney to pull within 14-12 with just 8:18 remaining.

The game then turned on one special teams play. Pittsburgh set up to punt, and the backup long snapper…yes, teams actually sometimes need backup long snappers…snapped it over the punter’s head out of the back of the end zone for a safety. This might have been one of the strangest ways to reach a 14-14 tie in some time. The Giants took the free kick and began at their own 47 with 7 minutes left. From midfield, Manning hit Steve Smith to cut the distance in half. With 3 minutes left, Manning hit Kevin Boss for the 2 yard touchdown that put the Giants up by 7.

The New York defense that won them a championship last year is still suffocating, and it beat up Big Ben on pair of Pittsburgh drives at the end. Roethlisberger’s desperation hail mary from his own end zone on 4th down resulted in his 4th interception. The Giants had gutted out a tough road win. 21-14 Giants

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