WEEK 6
NFL GAME REVIEWS
Chicago Bears 20 Atlanta Falcons 23 This was a battle of two 3‐2 teams. The Falcons have surprised everybody with a power running game, led by Michael Turner ‐ the Bears have surprised everyone with their interchangeable quarterbacks. The game got off to a surprisingly unexciting start; Jason Elam hit a 29 yard field goal to get the Falcons on the board first. Elam hit another one from 48 yards out, 6‐0 Falcons at the end of the first quarter. It looked like Roddy White had the first touchdown in the second quarter, however it was nullified by a penalty; the Falcons had to settle for another 32 yard Jason Elam field‐goal. Robbie Gould got the Chicago machine rolling before half‐time, his 36 yard field goal made the score 9‐3 Falcons at the half. After a game dominated by the field‐goal unit, it was unsurprising to see that Jason Elam took a 41 yard field goal to kick‐off the third quarter scoring. It looked like the Falcons couldn't do much in the red zone and the Bears capitalised, Matt Forte ran the ball in from 3 yards out to bring the Bears within 2. Fourth‐quarter now and Matt Ryan finally answered back; he struck his favourite target Roddy White from 3 yards out to open up the lead again. This quarter was certainly exciting, Robbie Gould added a 32 yard field goal, and then with seconds left Kyle Orton hit Rashied Davis from 17 yards out to put the Bears up 20‐19. But the game wasn't over yet, after a couple of deep balls from Matt Ryan, Jason Elam had one last chance to win the game – 1 second left on the clock ‐ 48 yards out, it was good! The Falcons score the winning play of the game with one second left on the clock and go to an unexpected 4‐2. Game Notes....
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Reprieve– Jason Elam turned out to be a hero, but he did miss a 33 yard field goal at a game‐winning time. Still... He made the pressure kick when it counted! Hot Rod! – Roddy White has had at least 90 receiving yards in his past four games. After 132 yards receiving last week, he managed 112 this week.
Miami Dolphins 28 Houston Texans 29 They've become known as “The Wildcats”, and boy the Dolphins have surprised us this year. The Texans on the other hand, have been disappointing ‐ one of only four teams who has not yet won a game (along with the Rams, Bengals and Lions). The game started off with a Matt Schaub interception, followed by a second and before you know it Chad Pennington hit Patrick Cobbs from 53 yards out, and the Dolphins were back to their wildcat formation. Kris Brown added a 27 yard field goal to bring the Titans within 4, but Patrick Cobbs wasn't finished yet ‐ Chad Pennington completed a pass to him and he took 80 yards for the touchdown on a monster play! Kris Brown added another 33 yard field goal quickly followed by a reprieve for the Texans – Jakovi Jones takes a punt 70 yards to the end zone; the Dolphins were only up by one point at half‐time. It was Matt Schaub who kicked off the third quarter; he hit Andre Johnson from 12 yards out to give the Texans the lead. Don't forget that Miami also has a running game, Ricky Williams reminded the Texans when he banged it in from 5 yards out, and the lead changes again! In the fourth quarter Kris Brown hit a 42 yard field goal, to give the Texans a ray of hope ‐ but it was Ricky Williams on the ball again, he took it in from 6 yards out to put Miami up by five. The Texans had one last drive...Matt Schaub took the ball into the end zone with his feet and the Texans hold on for the win. The Texans get their first win of the season 29‐28. Game Notes.... o o
Consistency? – Even though they were edged at the end, the Dolphins were a picture of consistency. They scored a touchdown in every quarter. Andre! – Andre Johnson had a monster of a week. He had 10 catches, for 178 yards, 1 touchdown and a 61 yard play.
Baltimore Ravens 3 Indianapolis Colts 31 The Colts are finally starting to get back to their old ways, led by a healthy Peyton Manning and strong receiving core. The game started off with rookie Joe Flacco being intercepted, not a surprising start ‐ neither was it surprising to see Peyton Manning hook up with Marvin Harrison from 67 yards out for a touchdown. Peyton started to get the rhythm going; he went to the other side this time and hit Reggie Wayne from 22 yards out to double the Colts lead. Flacco managed to fumble the ball away again, this setup Adam Vinatieri from 37 yards out ‐ 17 point lead for the Colts. Flacco managed to throw another interception, and Peyton Manning went back to Marvin Harrison from 5 yards out ‐ 24 point lead going into halftime. Anyone remember Dominic Rhodes? Well he banged in from 1 yard out ‐ 31 point lead. Matt Stover finally got the Ravens on the board, a 37 yard field goal turned out to be the only Baltimore score of the game. The Ravens couldn't do anything in the fourth quarter and the Colts beat the Ravens 31‐3. Game Notes.... o o
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Turnover, turnover – Do you know the reason the Ravens couldn't get anything going, it was Joe Flacco's three interceptions and another two fumbles which allowed the Colts to control the game. Back on top – Peyton Manning is back in his comfort zone, Marvin Harrison had three receptions for 83 yards, two of which were touchdowns and one of which was a 67 yard play. Reggie Wayne was also on fire, he had eight receptions for 118 yards and one touchdown. Sack leader – Robert Mathis is this week’s Sack leader, he took down Flacco three times.
Detroit Lions 10 Minnesota Vikings 12 The Lions are in turmoil, same story as the Rams ‐ the players are there but it's just not working together. The Vikings had been disappointing as well a 2‐2 record was a little less than was hoped. With John Kitna out it was left up to Dan Orlovsky to fill his place at quarterback, he didn't get off to a good start ‐ he managed to run out of the end zone without even realising ‐ that's a safety for the Vikings Dan! That turned out to be the only score of the first quarter, with Jason Hanson managed to put the Lions back in the lead with a 40 yard field goal before half‐time. 3‐2 Lions after a penalty ridden half. After a lecture on the basic rules of football, Orlovsky came out fired up; he hit Calvin Johnson from 12 yards out for the touchdown and an eight point lead. After Gus Frerotte was intercepted on the next drive, he came back with a bang ‐ he hit Bernard Berrian 86 yards deep, and the Vikings are back in it. The fourth quarter was full of fumbles, Adrian Peterson fumbled it, Orlovsky fumbled it, Bobby Wade fumbled it, but then after all this commotion ‐ Ryan Longwell nailed a 26 yard game‐winning field goal and the Lions are still without a victory this season. Game Notes.... o o
Bernard Berrian Burning – Bernard Berrian had only five receptions, but for 131 yards and one touchdown. They brought him into the deep threat and today he did just that. Uneven match up– The Vikings have now won 12 of their last 13 meetings with Detroit.
Oakland Raiders 3 New Orleans Saints 34 The NFC south is proving to be one of the hardest divisions in the NFL, and the Saints are currently at the bottom ‐ strange for a team which appears to be putting up such good numbers. Let's see what happens when the Raiders rolled in the town. The visitors got on the board first; Sebastian Janikowski hit a field goal from 24 yards out for the early lead. The Saints could have tied it, but Taylor Metlhaff missed a 31 yard attempt. The Saints really started pumping in the second quarter, Reggie Bush turned the corner from 3 yards out for a touchdown and then Metlhaff hit a 44 yard field goal to give the Saints a seven point lead at half‐time. Drew Brees came out all guns firing after the half; he hit Aaron Stecker from 8 yards out to extend the Saints lead. After Jamarcus Russell was intercepted on the next drive, Brees passed the ball short to Reggie Bush, and with a little magic he scored a touchdown ‐ 15 yards out. Fourth‐quarter now and Taylor Metlhaff added another 3 points from 33yds out, Brees hit Mark Campbell from 6 yards out and the game was over. The Raiders only manage three points and the Saints win 34‐3. Game Notes....
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Accuracy – Drew Brees is known as an accurate NFL passer, and he demonstrated it today ‐ he hit 26 of 30 passes, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
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Bush Magic – Bush tied an NFL record with his 200th career catch in only his 34th game, joining Arizona's Anquan Boldin as the fastest to the total.
Cincinnati Bengals 14 New York Jets 26 Mr Favre Vs Mr Palmer...a clash of two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL...who came out on top ‐ The Gunslinger or the pocket passer? Well Mr Favre did not get off to the best start ‐ he had the ball stripped from him, it was then picked up by Chinedum Ndukwe, who took it 15 yards for the Bengals score. Things didn't start going any smoother for Favre, he had two touchdowns and nullified by penalties, but finally he hit Thomas Jones from 2 yards out for the touchdown. In the second quarter now, Jay Feeley added three points for the Jets ‐ coming from a 38 yard field goal. The Jets just kept scoring, Thomas Jones ran around the left guard from 7 yards out for the touchdown. Ryan Fitzpatrick was out to prove himself, and after a challenge ruled that he did break the plane, is 1 yard touchdown run stood. It was 17‐14 Jets at the half. The second half was a quiet one; Jay Feeley hit a 43 yard field goal which turned out to be the only score of the third quarter. It was bad luck that the Bengals couldn't take advantage of a Brett Favre pick, instead it was Thomas Jones who made the Bengals pay, is 1 yard touchdown run was the final score of the game ‐ even though the two point conversion attempt failed, the Jets went on to win 26‐14, and the Bengals are 0‐6. Game Notes.... o o
Jones zone– This was a career day for Thomas Jones, he scored all three of the Jets touchdowns. And that was the first three touchdown game of his nine year career. Sad but common – This is becoming a sad but common sight in the NFL... The Bengals are 0‐6 for the third time since the year 2000.
Carolina Panthers 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27 This game had the potential to be a very close one, the two NFC South powerhouses, and the two teams most likely to win the division and the two teams with the best play‐off shot... squared off in Raymond James Stadium. Special teams coach is this year are really looking to block more punts, Jason Baker had one blocked by Gino Hayes, he scooped it up and took it 22yds to the house. Jeff Garcia was back, and he got straight to work ‐ he hit Alex Smith in the end zone from 2 yards out for a touchdown ‐ next came the classic NFC South field‐goal exchange, John Casey hit a 20 yarder, then Matt Bryant hit one from 37 yards out. The half‐time score was 17‐3 Bucs. It was surprisingly, Josh Bidwell ‐ the Tampa Bay punter who had the first big play of the second half ‐ he pinned the Panthers at their own 1 yard line. When they couldn't get anything going, the ensuing punt didn't travel very far ‐ this set up Matt Bryant from 49 yards out to give the Bucs a 17 point lead. The scoring ended early in the fourth quarter when, Earnest Graham ran around the left guard from 1 yard out for a touchdown. Delhomme and the Panthers did not have any more chances even close to the red zone, the Bucs defects held the Panthers to a touchdown‐less game. Game Notes.... o
Ball Control– Neither team really put up big numbers, but it was Jake Delhomme’s three interceptions which really cost the Panthers game.
St Louis Rams 19 Washington Redskins 17 Jim Haslett made his coaching debut for the Rams, not an easy task coming up against the powerful Redskins team. The Rams didn't get off to the best start, Stephen Jackson fumbled the ball away and this set up Clinton Portis for a three yard touchdown run. Josh Brown brought the Rams on the board; he hit a 51 yard field goal late in the first quarter. The Rams defence awoke at the end of the second quarter, Tinoisamoa popped Pete Kendall, who coughed up the ball – it was picked up by Oshiomogho Atogwe, who took it 75 yards for the touchdown. Josh Brown kicked off the third quarter with two field goals, the first from 25 yards out, and the second from 44 yards out. Shaun Suisham hit a 38 yard attempt, to bring the Skins to within a touchdown. Clinton Portis thought he had the winner when he ran around the right tackle from 2 yards out, but after a couple of deep passes ‐ the Rams were able to set up a 49 yard Josh Brown field goal...it was on‐line and the Rams get their first win of the season! Game Notes.... o o o
Finally... – This Rams win snaps an eight game losing streak which dates back to last year. Welcome to St Louis– Jim Haslett is now 1‐0 as a Rams head coach. Boring ‐ Neither quarterback threw a touchdown or an interception today.
Jacksonville Jaguars 24 Denver Broncos 17 Two very different climates and two very different football teams. Power defence versus power offense. Jay Cutler put the Broncos up early, with an 11 yard touchdown pass to Brandon Stokely. David Garrard fumbled the ball away, then Jay Cutler fumbled the ball away ‐ this led to a 48 yard Josh Scobee field‐goal. Maurice Jones‐Drew got the Jaguars at their first touchdown of the game, when he ran in from 1 yard out, but their lead could have been extended just before half time ‐ but Garrard fumbled the ball away and allowed the Broncos to run the clock down. After half‐time, Maurice Jones‐Drew did not hang about in scoring his second touchdown of the day, he ran up the middle and 46 yards behind some great blocks ‐ another touchdown adds to the Jacksonville lead. Matt Prater clawed some more points back from a 39 yard field goal, but David Garrard went deep again, hitting Marcedes Lewis from 30 yards out for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter Jay Cutler drilled the ball to Daniel Graham from 11 yards out to bring the Broncos within a touchdown ‐ ball control is essential ‐ and it is what won the game for the Jaguars, who able to run the clock down for a full 5:46 seconds. Jags win 24‐17. Game Notes.... o
Forced Fumble– It’s amazing to know that the Broncos managed to force three fumbles, and still did not win.
Dallas Cowboys 24 Arizona Cardinals 30 A lot of people have picked the Cowboys as the Super Bowl winners already; a strong offence combined it with a defence which gets the job done ‐ why not! Can you ask for a better start than having the opening kickoff return for a touchdown? Well that's exactly what J.J Arrington did – 63yd touchdown return. It turned out to be the only score of a quarter riddled with fumbles and interceptions. It was Tony Romo's turn for a big play; he hit Patrick Crayton from 55 yards out to even the score at half‐time. Romo continued his streak after half‐time; he hit Miles Austin from 14 yards out to give the Cowboys the lead, but on the very next possession Kurt Warner passed to Larry Fitzgerald for a 2 yard, game‐ tying, touchdown. It was all tied up in the fourth quarter, and Kurt Warner hit Steve Breaston from 11 yards out ‐ to give the cards the lead again. Neal Rackers extended the lead to 10 points thanks to a 41 yard field goal, but the Cowboys weren't done yet ‐ Tony Romo hit Marion Barber from 70 yards out to give the Cowboys hope again, then Nick Faulk hit a 52 yard field goal ‐ the game was going to overtime. The Cowboys won the toss and elected to receive, they could do nothing with the ball and punted it away... unfortunately Matt McBriar had his punt blocked by Sean Morey, it was picked up by Monty Beisel who took it 3 yards to the house. The Cardinals win 30‐24 in overtime. Game Notes.... o o
Did you notice...– The Cardinals started and ended the game with a touchdown on special teams – J.J Arrington opened up the game with a kick return, and Monty Beisel ended it with a blocked punt return. Be‐Ware ‐ the Cowboys linebacker Demarcus Ware now has a sack in nine straight games.
Philadelphia Eagles 40 San Francisco 49ers 26 The Eagles have been hit and miss, the 49’ers have just been...miss! Donovan McNabb can have big games against big teams...the 49’ers were hoping he would have a small game against their low powered defence. Jason Nedney hit a 32 yard field goal to put the 49’ers up early. Correll Buckhalter (in for the injured Brian Westbrook) ran up the middle for a 1 yard touchdown, Eagles take the lead. Nedney hit another field goal, this one from 37 yards out. Donovan McNabb opened up the second‐quarter scoring; he put the ball right in Hank’s Baskett for a 2yd touchdown. David Akers finally got his kicking boots going, a 19 yard attempt was his first of the game. Nedney then proceeded to hit a 53 yard attempt. Akers thought “I can go one better” and attempted one from 54 yards out, however it was blocked by the 49’ers; Strickland took it 41 yards for the touchdown. Eagles up 17‐16 at the half. Remember Frank Gore? Well he banged the ball in from 6 yards out, his first rushing touchdown of the day. Nedney added his fourth field goal of the day ‐ this one from 29 yards out. The 49’ers were up 26‐17 at the end of the third. Then came the Eagles stream of 23 points to win the game... it started with a Donovan McNabb touchdown pass to L.J Smith from 2 yards out, David Akers added 3 from 38 yards out, he added another from 25 yards out, and finished with his third from 28 yards out. This scoring drive ended, along with the game, when J.T. O’Sullivan was intercepted by Juqua Parker, who took it all the way to the house – the 55 yard touchdown ended the game. Game Notes.... o o
Juqua Parker– This guy was unknown before the game, in addition to his first interception for a touchdown ‐ Parker also had five tackles and a sack. History in the making – McNabb and Andy Reid earned their 76th career victory together, passing the Joe Montana/Bill Walsh combination for most all‐time.
Green Bay Packers 27 Seattle Seahawks 17 Welcome to sunny Seattle ‐ the Packers were used in the rain ‐ but could they get used to the Seattle defence? Mason Crosby got the only score of the first quarter; he had a field goal from 29 yards out to give the Packers the lead. Orlando Mare squared things up early in the second quarter with a 50 yard field goal. It was time for Charlie Frye to wake up – with Matt Hasslebeck out, he needed to prove himself. He started well, hitting John Carlson from 6 yards out for the touchdown. Aaron Rodgers is a brave man... he ran up the middle for no gain, until the replay assistant ruled that he had broke the goal line plane – it was a touchdown. The game was tied at 10‐10 at the half. The only score of the third quarter was a play which is becoming something of a staple of this year's Packers ‐ Aaron Rodgers putting it up deep‐fried Greg Jennings ‐ that led to a 45 yard touchdown. Rogers also kicked off the fourth‐quarter scoring ‐ he hit John Kuhn from 1 yard out for a touchdown, quickly followed by a 51 yard Mason Crosby field goal. Charles Woodson picked off Charlie Frye, but he still had something to prove ‐ he hit Keary Colbert from 5 yards out. Frye was determined ‐ but he had nothing left to give. The Packers win 27‐17. Game Notes.... o
Ball Control – The Packers had a big fourth quarter, as well as scoring 10 points themselves ‐ their defence also kept Seattle in check. Seattle's first two drives of the fourth‐quarter ended with interceptions.
New England Patriots 10 San Diego Chargers 30 This time last year, this game would have been a nail biter ‐ the two best teams of 2007 ‐ they are however, both having bad years ‐ the Patriots have lost Tom Brady, and the Chargers just can’t get anything going. Nate Kaeding opened the scoring with a 25 yard field goal, swiftly followed by a 49 yard deep pass from Philip Rivers to Malcom Floyd for a 10 point lead. Steve Gostkowski got the Patriots rolling with a 47 yard field goal ‐ but Philip Rivers quickly swung the momentum back the Chargers way, when he hit Vincent Jackson from 4 yards out for another touchdown. The charges were 17‐3 at half‐time. Philip Rivers was getting better and better ‐ after his half‐time rest he hit star tight end Antonio Gates from 1 yard out, and after Matt Cassell was intercepted by Quentin Jammer, Nate Kaeding added a 35 yard field goal to give the charges a 27‐3 lead. Kaeding added another field goal to kick off the fourth‐quarter, 23 yards out. Sammy Morris got the Patriots first and only, touchdown of the game when he ran in from 1 yard out. That play was the last score of the game ‐ Chargers win 30‐10. Game Notes.... o o
Snap! – The Patriots had their 12 game on the road winning streak snapped. Jackson Thriller – Vincent Jackson had a stunning game; he had only five receptions for 134 yards and a touchdown.
New York Giants 14 Cleveland Browns 35 Monday Night football is a time where good teams can become bad and bad teams can become good ‐ that is exactly what happened tonight! The Giants are playing like Super Bowl champs, the Browns are playing like they’re in the dawg pound... but crazy things can happen when the whole of America is watching you. The Browns got off to a positive start; Phil Dawson hit a 28 yard field goal, to cap off a dominating drive by the Browns. There was very little action in the first quarter, apart from Eli Manning throwing only his second interception of the year ‐ however the Browns could not capitalise. After making his presence known all night ‐ Brandon Jacobs banged in the ball from 7 yards out to give the Giants the lead. Don't forget that Jamaal Lewis is also a power back; he barged his way in from 4 yards out to prove he's just as effective as Brandon Jacobs! Derek Anderson was able to get the passing game going again for the Browns; he hit Darnell Dinkins from 22 yards out, extending the Browns lead. Eli Manning was also able to get his weapons out ‐ after returning from a one game suspension – Plaxico Burress caught a 3 yard touchdown, the score was 17‐14 Browns at half‐time. Phil Dawson got the only score the third quarter, that was a 26 yard field goal. The Browns continued their points scoring and were able to sustain drives, Derek Anderson hit Braylon Edwards from 11 yards out for the touchdown, and the game ended when Eli Manning tried to squeeze a pass to Amani Toomer – but was intercepted by Eric Wright who didn't stop, set the ground on fire and blazed 94 yards for the touchdown... Eli's third interception of the year. The Giants are no longer undefeated... crazy things can happen on Monday night! Game Notes.... o o
Snap! – this loss snapped New York's 11 game road winning streak, As well as their undefeated record this season Trent couldn’t even throw that many in a game! – Braylon Edwards had only five catches but managed 154 yards receiving, one touchdown and a huge 70 yard play.