Sep

30

Romo’s heroics lift Dallas over St. Louis 35-7

Filed Under Dallas Cowboys, St. Louis Rams | 2 Comments

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) reaches to pick up a bad snap in the second quarter as St. Louis Rams defensive end James Hall (96) tries to make the play. Romo got 37 yards on the play, as the Cowboys won, 35-7, over the St. Louis Rams.
The Dallas Cowboys seem to find creative ways to win games these days. Not lost in all of this was a wild scramble by Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo that would remind older Cowboys fans of former QB Roger Staubach. It went like this: Romo chased an errant snap from center, kicking the ball along the way. But Romo, 33 yards behind the line of scrimmage, picked up the ball and somehow managed to recoup those 33 lost yards and 4 additional yards on what was originally a 3rd-and-3 play. That odd play sparked the Cowboys to a 35-7 rout of the punchless and winless St. Louis Rams.

Other than that odd play and a early punt return for a touchdown by Rams kick returner/wide receiver Dante Hall, it was all Dallas. The Cowboys led in every offensive statistical category, outgaining the Rams 502-187. The Cowboys have improved, both offensively and defensively, since Week 1 when they gave up 35 points to the New York Giants. They have widened their margin of victory on a weekly basis and have also given up fewer points on a weekly basis, as well. The Rams are another story.

They were without 6 starters with injuries, 2 to suspensions and lost several more to injuries, including WR Isaac Bruce. QB Marc Bulger played despite 2 broken ribs and what can be considered a patchwork offensive line that couldn’t protect him throughout the game. Bulger was eventually replaced by Gus Frerotte with 2:16 left in the 3rd quarter, with the Cowboys up by 28. The Cowboys were led by Romo (21-for-33, 339 yards, 3 TD’s, 1 INT); also having what can be described as a career game is WR Patrick Crayton. Crayton caught 7 balls for a career-high 184 yards and 2 TD’s. Running back Julius Jones chipped in with 52 rushing yards and a TD.

The Rams’ Marc Bulger went 11-for-24 for 114 yards and 1 INT. RB Brian Leonard led all Rams rushers with 58 yards on 16 carries. The winless Rams host the 2-2 Arizona Cardinals next Sunday while the 4-0 Cowboys play again on Monday, October 8, when they visit the 1-3 Buffalo Bills.

Sep

30

Cards Have Edge in 21-14 Win Over Steelers

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Big Ben Sacked in Sunday's loss 

While I am still not a fan of switching QB’s around like Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt is currently doing with Matt Leinart and Kurt Warner, the stragety worked on Sunday. The Cardinals used both QB’s in key touchdown drives that helped out as Arizona improved to 2-2 with a 21-14 home win over the formerly unbeaten Pittsburgh Steelers. The other play of the game was rookie Steve Breston breaking a punt return 73 yards that gave the Cards a lead they would not lose. The punt came as the Cards had accepted a penalty on the Steelers, making them re-kick, and Breston made them pay.

The Steelers were out of character for their first loss of the 2007 season. They were unable to run the ball much of the day, as top rusher Willie Parker was held to just 37 yards on 19 carries. Parker had started the season with three straight 100+ yard games. The defense was unable to get off the field in key situations, as they allowed the clinching drive to go 82 yards and kill about 7 minutes off the 4th quarter clock. Edgerrin James didn’t go over 100 yards, but did grind out 77 tough yards and scored the TD that put Arizona ahead 21-7.

Warner and Leinart combined to throw 21-35 for 225 yards and one TD. Neither was picked, and the only big mistake was Warner coughing up the ball on the Cards 4-yard line. The turnover didn’t hurt the Cards, as three plays later Ben Roethlisberger threw a huge INT in the end zone that took the Cardinals off the hook. “I thought (Wilson) was gone,” Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “I honestly didn’t see him. I thought (Miller) was wide open. I didn’t see (Wilson) until after he caught it. So he made a great play.” It was a sweet win for Whisenhunt, who stuck it to the team that passed him up as their head coach some eight monhts ago.

The Steelers scored first, as on third-and-26 when Roethlisberger threw 43 yards to Santonio Holmes, who had six catches for 128 yards and two scores. Cards wide out Larry Fitzgerald caught 11 passes for 123 yards.

Sep

30

Anderson’s 2 TD passes lead Browns to 27-13 win over Ravens

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Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow (80) tries to elude Baltimore Ravens safety Dawan Landry (26) on a 49-yard pass reception in the third quarter of the Ravens-Browns game, won by the Browns, 27-13.
The much-maligned Cleveland Browns may have finally gotten the monkey off their back, after all. After years of no respect, the Browns gave the proverbial “black-eye” to one of the AFC North’s perennial powerhouses, or bullies, depending on who you ask. Fueled by Browns quarterback Derek Anderson’s two touchdown passes and a TD run by running back Jamal Lewis, the Browns surprised the Baltimore Ravens, 27-13.

The Browns, unlike in Week 1, looked like a team on the rise. Cleveland struck paydirt early, building a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Lewis exacted some revenge against his former team by scoring what was a disputed 1-yard dive into the end zone; that rushing TD was the first given up by the Ravens all season. The Browns kept Ravens QB Steve McNair in check for most of the game, depsite the Ravens’ statistical advantage thoughout the game. McNair went 34-for 53 for 307 yards with a TD and INT, but he provided what proved to be the deciding factor for the Browns; McNair threw into double coverage and was intercepted by Browns cornerback Leigh Bodden. Nine seconds later, Anderson threw a 78-yard strike to WR Braylon Edwards for a 14-0 lead the Browns would not relinquish. Equally as impressive was the fact that the Browns’ offensive line did not allow a sack by the Ravens.

Besides Anderson’s 204 yards, 2 TD’s and 1 INT, other Browns contributed as well. The aforementioned Lewis ran for 64 yards and a score and Edwards caught 3 passes for 97 yards and a TD. Tight end Kellen Winslow chipped in with 96 yards on 4 receptions. The Ravens, led by McNair’s 307 passing yards and 1 TD and 1 INT, also got a solid contribution from RB Willis McGahee (104 yards on only 14 carries). Cleveland (2-2) will face its toughest test this season they visit the New England Patriots next week while the Ravens (2-2) try to regroup and visit San Francisco to face the 49ers.

Sep

30

24 second-half points lift Indianapolis over Denver 38-20

Filed Under Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts | 1 Comment

Indianapolis Colts tight end Dallas Clark, left, catches a pass for a touchdown in front of Denver Broncos linebacker Ian Gold.
The Indianapolis Colts, once again showing their flawless execution, took the Denver Broncos’ best shot, yet the Broncos couldn’t capitalize on an early 10-0 first quarter lead. Some surprise reinforcements after a slew of injuries and some masterful ball control (the Colts scored on six of their last eight possessions) propelled the Colts to a 38-20 win over the Denver Broncos.

Although the Broncos had an impressive rushing attack, led by running back Travis Henry (26 carries, 131 yards), they couldn’t capitalize. Denver, as previously noted, had an early 10-0 lead which looked even more imposing due to an injury to Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison. Harrison left in the 2nd quarter with a bruised left knee. But as is his custom, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning led the Colts’ charge, going 20-for-27 for 193 yards with 3 touchdown passes while adding a rushing TD in gaining a 14-13 lead for the Colts.

Manning took over in the 2nd half by doing a QB sneak to make it 21-13 Colts, then took advantage of a interception by Colts cornerback Marlin Jackson by throwing a 3-yard TD pass to tight end Dallas Clark for an insurmountable 28-13 lead. Broncos QB Jay Cutler countered with a 2-yard TD run to make it 28-20, but the Colts added another score when Manning threw a 5-yard TD pass to Reggie Wayne to make the score 35-20. But the game proved to be somewhat costly to the Colts.

As mentioned previously, Colts WR Marvin Harrison left the game in the 2nd quarter with a bruised knee. Also leaving the game were Colts linebacker Rob Morris, who was carted off the field with a sprained left knee. Also leaving the game with injuries were Bob Sanders with injured ribs and RB Joseph Addai sitting much of the 4th quarter with an injured shoulder. The Broncos lost Henry briefly with a sprained right ankle.

Besides Manning’s 193 yards and 3 TD passes, Addai rushed 19 times for 136 yards and a TD and Clark caught 6 passes for 76 yards and 2 TD’s. Leading the Broncos was RB Travis Henry with 26 carries for 131 yards; QB Jay Cutler had a subpar day, going 13-for-21 for 131 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. The undefeated Colts go back to the RCA Dome to face the 3-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while the 2-2 Broncos return to Denver to face the 1-3 San Diego Chargers.

Sep

30

Harrington throws 2 TD’s, leads Falcons to 26-16 win over Texans

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Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Michael Jenkins jumps across the goal line.
The Atlanta Falcons for a change won a game without a quarterback named Vick or Schaub. An efficient Joey Harrington threw for two touchdowns, and kicker Morten Andersen kicked 4 field goals as the Falcons won their first game of the year, defeating the visiting Houston Texans 26-16.

The Falcons’ Harrington, who took over as the Falcons starting QB after now-starting Texans QB Matt Schaub was traded to Houston, had another efficient day, going 23-for-29 for 223 yards. Wide receiver Michael Jenkins caught 2 TD passes (5 and 7 yard receptions, respectively), his first 2-TD reception game of his up-and-down career. The Falcons were up on Houston 20-7 in the first half and never relinquished the lead. Meanwhile, Texans QB Schaub went 28-for-40 for 317 yards and a TD to WR Andre Davis giving the Texans a brief 1st quarter lead, but had to settle for 3 Kris Brown FG’s the rest of the way.

The Texans’ final chance came with just over 2 minutes remaining; Schaub ran up the gut in what appeared to be a Texans TD, but after a Falcons challenge and review, the Texans got a third-and-goal at the Falcons 1 yard line. Schaub tried to pitch the ball to running back Ron Dayne, but the ball hit Dayne’s hands and rolled out of bounds at the Falcons’ 7. Brown’s 25-yard FG went wide left, sealing the Falcons’ first win of the season, dating back to December 10 of last year against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In addition to Harrington and Jenkins’ heroics, running back Warren Dunn added 62 yards on 18 carries. The Texans, besides Schaub’s 317 yards and 1 TD pass, got a solid effort from WR Andre Davis, who caught 5 passes for 117 yards and a TD. The 1-3 Falcons next visit Nashville to play the Tennessee Titans, while the 2-2 Texans return home to face the winless Miami Dolphins.

Sep

30

Lynch and Edwards Leads Bills to 17-14 Win over Jets

Filed Under Buffalo Bills, New York Jets | 1 Comment

Lynch scores

The winless streak in Western New York finally came to an end this afternoon as the Bills Defense put 4 quarters of fearless D along with a masterful performance by Rookie Trent Edwards and a late game interception the Bills hung on to a 17-14 win. The first half was played to a draw along both sides of the ball. The Bills and Jets each had 9 first downs in the first half each; with the Bills out gaining the Jets by 4 yards and 2 turnovers. The second turnover towards the end of the first half a touchback with 2 minutes remaining allowed the Jets to come within in 1 second of taking a 3-0 halftime lead. However Jets kicker Mike Nugent hit the right upright as both teams headed into the locker room scoreless.

Rookie QB Trent Edwards was given time to throw all afternoon as he hit Lee Evans and the rest of the Bills receiving core at will. The strategy today was to open up the offense and get the ball downfield.

However the Bills didn’t abandon the running game as Marshawn Lynch ran it up the middle for 11 yards midway through the 3rd quarter to give the Rich Stadium crowd something to cheer about and a 7-0 lead.  The Jets however silenced the crowd as Chad Pennington marched the Jets down the field on a 7 play 78-yard drive which had Chad going 7 for 7 and 72 yards. Chad moved up in the annals of Jets football into fourth place on the all time Jets passing yardage list surpassing Vinny Testaverde.

The Bills play calling kept the Jets on their heels by spreading the ball to multiple receivers while they ran the ball with rookie Marshawn Lynch. On their next drive the Bills on a pivotal 3rd down and 5 on the Jets 27 had a place tipped which led to a Rian Lindell field goal with 10:49 in the 4th quarter to give Buffalo a 10-7 lead.  Chad Pennington at one point completed 15 straight passes as he kept the Jets in the ballgame before 3rd stringer Jabari Greer intercepted pass #16 setting up the Bills next score.

The Bills went to the ground and on second and long Johnathan Vilma was flagged for a facemask call on a 2nd and long sweep by Lynch. The Bills kept it on the ground and on 3rd down and goal from the one Marshawn Lynch was stopped by a determined Jets defense.

It seemed as if Buffalo was going to kick a field goal and Coach Jauron called a timeout and realized that Edwards not JP Losman was his quarterback in the red zone.  The Bills faked the run and Trent Edwards hit a wide open Michael Gaines for his first touchdown of the season and the Bills 3rd score in the red zone in 2 weeks under Trent Edwards. The extra point gave the
Buffalo a 17-7 lead.

The Bills went into a prevent defense and Chad Pennington took advantage as the Jets drove down to the field and Leon Washington sprinted up the middle for an 8 yard touchdown run to cut the Jets deficit to 17-14 with 3:07 to go. The Bills went 3 and out giving the Jets 1:43 on the clock to work with. Penningtons #1 target on the day was Jerrico Cotchery 8 catches for 106 yards. On 4th and 3 Pennington hit Chris Baker for a 1st down at midfield.

With no timeouts and 6 seconds left Terrence McGee sent everyone home happy as he picked off a Chad Pennington pass down the sideline as the Jets were rying to get in field goal range to tie the game.

Trent Edwards capped off a superb afternoon passing for 234 yards on 22 of 28 including 1 TD and 1 INT. The Bills finally got the monkey off their back by keeping their defense of the field as much as they could as they scored both times they were in the red zone.

Chad Pennington coming back to the starting line up had a great game if not for the 2 interception he threw in defeat, 32-39 for 290 yards 1TD/2 INT’S.

The Jets next play the Giants in “The Battle of New Jersey” at 1pm Sunday. The Bills stay at home and play a red hot Dallas Cowboys team on Monday Night Football.

Sep

30

Week 4 Preview, New England at Cincinnati

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New England PatriotsCincinnati Bengals
The New England Patriots enter Paul Brown Stadium with a plethora of offense at their disposal that they intend to use against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night. I think it is safe to say that barring a total collapse of Randy-Moss proportions (pun semi-intended), the PAtriots will visit yet again the postseason. The Bengals, on the other hand, are 1-2 and need this game in the worst way to keep up with the Pittsburgh Steelers and have a chance at a wild-card berth.

The Patriots offense begins and ends with quarterback Tom Brady (70-for-88, 887 yards, 10 TD’s and only 1 INT) and their wide receiver Randy Moss, who is having a career year (22-403-5). Add into the mix WR Wes Welker (20-221-1) and running back Laurence Maroney (54-252) and you have the nucleus of what is easily the most potent offense in the NFL coming into this week. Simply put, their offense (ranked #1) along with their #1 ranked defense, should make this game into an offensive explosion.

The Bengals aren’t exactly slouches on offense, either. Led by their star QB Carson Palmer (80-for-125, 937 yards, 9 TD’s, 4 INT’s), along with the always productive WR Chad Johnson (25-442-3 TD’s), and fellow WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (29-260-4 TD’s), the Bengals are anything but dull on offense. They do have a problem for at least this week – RB Rudi Johnson is out this week (hamstroing), so Kenny Watson takes the majority of carries this week. Their defense is why the team is 1-2 thus far. They’re ranked #29 overall, so with the Bengals so far, you pretty much know what to expect.

If the Bengals expect to win Monday night, they will need a superior performance from Palmer, Johnson and Houshmandzadeh to even have a chance vs. the Patriots. The Patriots just haveto continue doing what they do best – pass the ball, run when necessary and smother the Bengals’ offensive line. Expect that to happen as the end resuly will be yet another Patriots victory along with a 4-0 record.

Sep

30

Week 4 Preview, Philadelphia at New York Giants

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Philadelphia EaglesNew York Giants
The Philadelphia Eagles (1-2)are looking to sustain their momentum, beginning with their 56-21 shellacking of the Detroit Lions last weekend, as they face the New York Giants (1-2) at the Meadowlands tonight, with the winner going to .500 and try to keep up with the NFC East-leading Dallas Cowboys.

The face of the Eagles is yes – you guessed it – quarterback Donovan McNabb. He exploded against the Lions last week (21-for-26, 381 yards and 4 touchdowns) and will look to do more of the same tonight. His outspokenness aside, he has some weapons to complement his passing. Running back Brian Westbrook, who is for all intents and purposes dinged-up but will probably suit up, is up to his usual tricks (51-292-2 TD’s; 19 catches for 223 yards, 1 TD) and will look to do the same in this game. The receiving corps has gotten a pleasant surprise in former St. Louis Ram wide receiver Kevin Curtis (17-302-3 TD’s) and of course the aforementioned Westbrook. While the Eagles’ defense is above-average, their Achilles heel is their pass defense (256 yards allowed – ranked #26). So one would expect the Eagles pass D to step it up a notch.

The Giants have some firepower of their own, led by their often-aligned QB Eli Manning (65-for-106, 755 yards, complemented by their surprising RB, Derrick Ward (54-273). Speaking of which, RB Brandon Jacobs will be returning soon so this is a situation worth checking out over the upcoming weeks. WR Plaxico Burress is having an All-Pro season far (15-262-5 TD’s); however, he has an ankle issue that has been dogging him for some time. But nonetheless, expect him to play tonight. But the defense of the Giants is what’s killing them – subpar all over the board (ranked #25 – yardage allowed, 17th in rushing yardage allowed, 29th in passing yardage allowed and 30th in points allowed). So you can safely assume the Giants have their work cut out for them this week.

The Eagles this week have a tailor-made opponent in the Giants in where they can expose the Giants’ pass defense and probably the run defense, as well. Only a meltdown on offense will make this game closer than it should be. The Giants will probably need to pass early and often as I don’t see the running game being effective vs. the Eagles’ run D. But at the end of the day (or night cause of the starting time of the game), the Eagles’ offense will simply ambush the Giants secondary; expect big numbers from McNabb, Westbrook and Curtis as the Eagles ambush the Giants in their backyard.

Sep

30

Week 4 Preview, Pittsburgh at Arizona

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Pittsburgh SteelersArizona Cardinals
You have to love this matchup, even if on paper, the Pittsburgh Steelers have the edge (no pun intended) in most categories. You could even call this the Whisenhunt Bowl; former Steelers assistant (now head coach of the Arizona Cardinals) Ken Whisenhunt and the Cardinals host the Steelers at University of Phoenix Stadium.

The Steelers’ bread-and-butter is their running game. led by stud running back Willie Parker (74-368-1 TD). Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, while not posting big numbers (46-for-77, 563 yards) is making the key throws (6 TD’s, only 1 INT). Wide receiver Hines Ward is the leader of the receiving corps, but will be absent for at least this week (sprained knee), which means additional responsibility will probably fall into the hands of WR Santonio Holmes (8-157-1 TD). The Steelers’ defense is as advertised (#2 in yards allowed, #7 in rushing yards allowed, #6 in passing yards allowed and #1 in points allowed), led by linebacker James Farrior (2 sacks), cornerback Ike Taylor (1 sack, 1 INT) and LB LaMarr Woodley (2 sacks).

The Cardinals are like the proverbial “girl-with-the-curl” (when they’re good, they’re very good; when they’re bad, they’re very bad). They obviously have the offensive weapons in place, led by RB Edgerrin James (60-277-2 TD’s) and the WR duo of Anquan Boldin (22-286-3 TD’s) and Larry Fitzgerald (15-192). But it is the QB situation that bears watching. It is common knowledge that coach Whisenhunt has been talking about a QB rotation, depending on the ebb and flow of the game. QB Matt Leinart is scheduled to start the game, but if he repeats what he did against Baltimore last week, do not be surprised if Whisenhunt pulls him and brings in QB Kurt Warner. Warner used the “no-huddle” against the Ravens last week and would be expected to do the same vs. the Steelers, should the need arise.

For the Steelers to win today, it is simple: run the ball often, pass efficiently, and get a good effort by their secondary. The Cardinals, on the other hand, may be best served to copy the Steelers “run-first” blueprint. They will also need to get some inspired play from Leinart as he knows there’s a fire lit under his butt to produce – or else. And that’s what I think will happen this week as Leinart will be productive against the Steelers’ secondary, as will Boldin and Fitzgerald and possibly WR Bryant Johnson. These efforts should be enough for the Cardinals to pull out the upset in Glendale.

Sep

30

Week 4 Preview, Kansas City at San Diego

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Kansas City ChiefsSan Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers, as most of you have already figured out, are a team trying to get its groove back while at the same time try to avoid a three-game losing streak. The Kansas City Chiefs are simply attempting to gain some momentum, evidenced by their 13-10 over the Minnesota Vikings last week. They bring identical 1-2 records into Qualcomm Stadium in what can be considered a “must-win” game for both teams.

The San Diego Chargers in seasons past, have been an offensive powerhouse. This year, the team is intact, offense-wise yet they seem to have difficulty scoring points (52 through 3 games). The nucleus is there, with star running back LaDanian Tomlinson (57-130-1, 14 catches, 99 yards, 1 TD; 1 passing TD). Quarterback Philip Rivers is having an OK year (68-for-97, 675 yards, 5 TD’s, 4 INT’s), but the undisputed offensive star at this point of the season is tight end Antonio Gates (27-297-2 TD’s). Their run defense is very good (ranked #8 overall), but it is their pass defense that has gotten them into trouble (249 yards allowed – ranked #22); despite those lofty numbers and rankings, they have a stout linebacking corps, led by Shawne Merriman (2 sacks) and Shaun Phillips (2.5 sacks).

The Chiefs are simply a team in search of offense (ranked #31 in scoring – 8.7 points a game). The only bright spot for the Chiefs is their old standby, TE Tony Gonzalez (16-167). RB Larry Johnson is yet to regain his old form (50-140), but that can be attributed to a degree by his signing a contract late and not participating in training camp. The team, however, does have a very good defense (Ranked #4 in total yards allowed, 5th in passing yards allowed, and 8th in points allowed). But unlike the Chicago Bears who had the luxury of having a defense that could carry them all season, the Chiefs don’t have that distinction. QB Damon Huard will need to step it up very soon, or you can expect to see the entrance of Brodie Croyle, the second-year QB from Alabama.

The Chiefs will need to step up their offense, most preferably on the passing game as this is the Chargers’ weak link. A good effort by Johnson would help towards the passing game opening up. Their defense will need to contain Tomlinson and Gates to have a fighting chance, as well. The Chargers simply need their offensive line to open some holes for Tomlinson and Rivers to be efficient in the passing game (read: get Gates and Tomlinson involved). I expect Tomlinson to eclipse 100 yards rushing against the Chiefs’ defensive line and Gates to have his usual productive game as the Chargers should go to 2-2 woth a win over the Chiefs.

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