Patriots 34, Steelers 13
Hopefully Anthony Smith learned something this week. Hopefully he learned not to guarantee victories against undefeated teams destined for greatness. Hopefully he learned not to inspire a team that’s sole mission is to destroy opponents on a weekly basis. And hopefully he learned that it might be a good idea not to allow Randy Moss and Jabar Gaffney to get behind him in coverage. The way Tom Brady and the Patriots dissected what’s supposed to be a good Pittsburgh defense was impressive. New England’s offensive line was once again magnificent, giving Brady 10 minutes to throw on every play. Plus, it’s not enough that the defense can’t even sniff Brady’s cologne because of the protection, but the receivers are completely wide open, too. New England is just a well-oiled machine and hopefully Anthony Smith knows that now.
Cowboys 28, Lions 27
What a heartbreaker for the Lions. With 14 minutes remaining in the game, Mr. Relible Jason Hanson missed a 35-yard field goal that would have given Detroit a 30-21 lead. The Cowboys took the gift and marched down the field, but were thwarted when Jason Witten fumbled at the one-yard line. The Lions were able to run the clock down, but eventually had to punt. Tony Romo then led Dallas on an 11 play, 83-yard drive that took only 1:57 and culminated in a 16-yard Witten touchdown reception. Detroit controlled this game for 58 minutes, but the defense couldn’t come up with a big stop in the end. This loss was indicative of the past five weeks for the Lions.
Chargers 23, Titans 17
Tennessee has every right to shout “shanagians!” after this loss. With less than two minutes left in the game and the Titans up 17-10, the Chargers converted a fourth and five when Philip Rivers hit Chris Chambers for a 19-yard play. The ball appeared to hit the ground, but due to poor camera angles, the referees’ call of a catch was upheld and the Chargers held onto the ball. San Diego then marched 56 yards and scored the game-tying touchdown. In overtime, the Titans’ defense was completely exhausted and the Chargers won the game on LT’s 16-yard touchdown run. With Denver’s win over Kansas City, San Diego will have to wait at least another week to clinch the AFC West.
Giants 16, Eagles 13
This was an impressive win by the G-Men and a fantastic performance by Plaxico Burress, especially considering he played on a sore ankle. He caught seven passes for 136 yards and hauled in the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter. With the win, the Giants are virtually locked into the fifth Wild Card spot in the NFC. As for the Eagles, this was just another loss in a forgettable season. David Akers could have tied the game on a last second 57-yard field goal, but the ball hit one of the uprights and bounced off.
Browns 24, Jets 18
This was a snooze fest until the fourth quarter. With the Browns nursing a 17-3 lead with just over five minutes left in the fourth, the Jets put together a nine-play drive that was capped off by a Kellen Clemons one-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion failed, but the Jets recovered an onsides kick and drove to Cleveland’s 20 before settling for a 38-yard field goal. New York attempted another onsides kick, but it failed and the Browns wound up returning the kick to the 37-yard line. Three plays later, Jamal Lewis scampered for a 31-yard touchdown run (breaking 100 tackles in the process), which gave Cleveland a 24-15 lead. The craziness didn’t stop there, however, as the Jets managed to get a field goal with under two minutes remaining in the game to cut the deficit down to six. One final onsides kick attempt failed, however, and the Browns hung on for a well-deserved win. The final five minutes of this game must have lasted six hours.
Packers 38, Raiders 7
This was complete domination by the Packers. They ran well, passed well, played great defense and even returned a punt for a touchdown. With the win, Green Bay clinched a postseason berth and ended a two-year playoff drought. More good news for the Pack was that Brett Favre bounced back nicely after suffering a hand injury in last week’s loss to the Cowboys. He threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns.
Vikings 27, 49ers 7
Question: Other than the Patriots and Cowboys, who’s the hottest team in the NFL right now? Answer: the Minnesota Vikings. If someone didn’t see this game, they’d probably figure, “Wow, Adrian Peterson must have went off again!” Actually, Peterson only finished with three yards on 14 carries, easily his worst game as a pro. Too bad the 49ers didn’t bother to stop Chester Taylor though. He rushed for 101 yards and had a marvelous 84-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to give Minnesota a commanding 27-0 halftime lead. For the third consecutive week, Tarvaris Jackson played well again, throwing for 163 yards and a touchdown. It seems that things are finally clicking for Jackson, which is obviously a great thing for the Vikings, especially considering they still have a shot at the final Wild Card spot in the NFC.
Jaguars 37, Panthers 6
Another game, another fantastic rushing performance by the Jaguars. Fred Taylor rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown and David Garrard had an outstanding day, passing for 230 yards and two touchdowns. There’s nothing unique or special about the Jags, but they run the ball extremely well, have a good defense and a quarterback that doesn’t turn the ball over. Those are three components to a solid team and if they do make the postseason, they’re going to be tough to knock off.
Broncos 41, Chiefs 7
Did the Chiefs arrive at Mile High yet? Maybe they thought the game was scheduled for Monday night, because no member the Kansas City Chief organization showed up in Denver today. Kolby Smith crashed back to earth, rushing for just 12 yards on 13 carries, while Brodie Croyle was so-so again. As for the Broncos, you have to give them credit for continuing to figh. Their playoff hopes look bleak, but today proved that they’re not mailing it in. Jay Cutler was brilliant, throwing for 244 yards and four touchdowns, while rookie Selvin Young gained 156 yards on the ground. Brandon Marshall was excellent again today too, hauling in 10 passes for 115 yards and two touchdowns.
Texans 28, Bucs 14
Houston won the battle of the backup quarterbacks as Sage Rosenfels threw for 203 yards and three touchdowns. Luke McCown was steady, passing for 266 yards, but he lacked the magic that carried Tampa to a win against the Saints last week. Not that their playoff hopes are in trouble, but this loss has to be a bit of a concern for the Bucs, especially with Jeff Garcia not being able to play yet again due to a back injury. Tampa would breathe easier if the Saints fall to the Falcons Monday night.
Seahawks 42, Cardinals 21
The Cardinals are amazing – they beat a good Browns team last week, but get hammered by the Seahawks today when they could gain ground in the division. Now granted, they’re completely beat up on both sides of the ball, but they weren’t in this game from start to finish. Matt Hasselbeck carved Arizona’s defense for 272 yards and four touchdowns. Shaun Alexander (38 yards) still doesn’t look like Shaun Alexander, but then again he only had 10 carries. With the win, the Seahawks have clinched the NFC West and now have an active streak of five consecutive postseason appearances.
Bills 38, Dolphins 17
Listen closely, because no matter where you are, you can probably hear Miami fans complaining about their team passing on Brady Quinn in last April’s draft. Rookie John Beck was a disaster again, losing a fumble that was recovered by Buffalo and returned 20 yards for a touchdown. Even though Beck deserves time to develop, Dolphin fans aren’t going to exercise much patience with their team still winless. As for the Bills, they might not make the playoffs, but at least they’re competitive and have some nice young players in Trent Edwards (11 for 23, 4 touchdowns) and Marshawn Lynch (23 carries for 107 yards).
Bengals 19, Rams 10
Expectedly, this game was brutal. Brock Berlin and Carson Palmer combined for three interceptions and neither of the quarterbacks threw a touchdown pass. Both teams largely kept the ball on the ground, as Steven Jackson rushed for 91 yards and Rudi Johnson for 92 yards and a touchdown. If nothing else, at least Cincinnati showed some fight after seemingly giving up in the second half of last Sunday’s game against the Steelers.
