NFL WEEK IN REVIEW - WEEK 2

Week 2 - NFL Week In Review

NFL GAME BY GAME SUMMARIES - NFL WEEK IN REVIEW - WEEK 2

NFL Game Summary -

Week 2 - Final Score: Tampa Bay 19, Buffalo 3

Tampa, FL (MySportsbook.com) - Carnell "Cadillac" Williams rushed for 128 yards with a touchdown to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers past the Buffalo Bills, 19-3, at Raymond James Stadium. Brian Griese threw for 136 yards while Michael Clayton hauled in six catches for 84 yards for the Buccaneers (2-0), who have won their first two games of the season for the first time since winning three in a row to open the 2000 campaign. "We knew we had to limit the turnovers," Griese said. "We played close to the vest because of that. But we had to and we knew that our defense was going to play a heck of a game which they did, and we didn't want to make any mistakes." J.P. Losman was horrible on the day, as he completed 12-of-29 passes for 113 yards for Buffalo (1-1), which has lost six of its eight meetings with Tampa Bay.

"They had a good scheme," Losman said. "They knew where we would be and they watched my eyes the whole game. They had a good plan and executed it well by being physical at the right times. That is what makes them tough." Tampa's defense limited the Bills to just six first downs and 105 yards of total offense, while holding running back Willis McGahee to only 34 yards on 13 carries. "It was a good lesson," Bills head coach Mike Mularkey said. "They were more physical and executed better than we did. This is what can happen when you play a good football team. It is a wake-up call. Teams will be prepared when we step on the field." Leading by six, the Buccaneers put the game out of reach with a nine-play, 80- yard drive that culminated with a Williams three-yard touchdown run with 5:09 left in the third. Williams also had a 19-yard scamper on the march, with Clayton hauling in a 34-yard pass as well.

Matt Bryant's 40-yard field goal then pushed Tampa's lead to 19-3 with 9:22 left in the game. Neither team was able to muster much offensively in the first half, but Tampa's defense broke through for the game's first points early in the second quarter. On a 3rd-and-7 from his own four, Losman stepped out of the back of the end zone while trying to get away from a bevy of Tampa defenders for a safety and the Bucs led 2-0. Tampa then went up nine points on the ensuing possession when Mike Alstott punched it in from a yard out with 2:36 to play in the first half. Williams had a 23-yard run on the drive, while Griese set up a 1st-and-goal with a 15- yard strike to Clayton. Rian Lindell finally got the Bills on the board with just over a minute left in the first half with a 40-yard field goal that sliced the deficit to 9-3 heading into the locker room.

Meanwhile, Williams didn't think he would be able to come out for the second half due to a sprained arch, but he convinced the coaching staff he was going to play through pain. "(I was) definitely in pain. In all my years that I've been playing this game of football, you never feel good," Williams said. "Something is always going to hurt. So, therefore, usually (when there?s a) time when something hurts, I'm going to actually play better." Last week, Williams ran for 148 yards on 27 carries in a win at Minnesota. "I would be lying if I said I was coming in expecting that kind of turnout," Williams said. "I owe it all to those guys up front. They worked hard during training camp, and they gave me lanes to run through."

Losman was atrocious through the first 30 minutes, completing just 2-of-9 passes for only 13 yards. As a team, Buffalo was able to manage just 51 yards of total offense with one first down in the half. It got so bad for Losman that he was benched for one series in the fourth quarter, but Kelly Holcomb wasn't any better as he connected on 2-of-3 passes for minus-1 yard. "I am upset. I don't want to share my position, but this is a team game," Losman said. "I realize I am young and the coaches know what's best for me."

Game Notes

Griese completed 16-of-22 passes...Buffalo wideout Eric Moulds had just one reception and is now one shy of 600 for his career, which is second in team history behind Andre Reed's 941...Josh Reed had six catches for 71 yards for the Bills.

Week 2 - Final Score: Indianapolis 10, Jacksonville 3

Indianapolis, IN (MySportsbook.com) - Ran Carthon scored the lone touchdown of the game to cap an 88-yard drive in the fourth quarter, as the Indianapolis Colts outslugged the Jacksonville Jaguars 10-3 in a defensive battle at the RCA Dome. Edgerrin James ran for 128 yards and did most of the work on the scoring drive for the Colts (2-0), who followed up last week's 24-7 victory at Baltimore with another impressive defensive showing. While Peyton Manning failed to throw a touchdown pass and managed only 122 yards on 13-of-28 passing, the Indianapolis defense was dominant. Last week, the Colts allowed only a late touchdown against the Ravens and this week kept the Jaguars out of the end zone. "Great win, this was an important game in the AFC South because both teams were undefeated coming in," said Manning, who also complimented the defense saying, "they have played excellent two weeks in a row."

Byron Leftwich completed 16-of-29 passes for 198 yards to lead the Jaguars (1-1), who were coming off a 26-14 win last week over Seattle. Fred Taylor had 81 yards on 16 carries in defeat. The Colts trailed 3-0 late in the third quarter and took over at their own 12 after a Jacksonville punt, but Manning engineered a 17-play drive for the go- ahead touchdown.

James was the workhorse early, accounting for 63 yards. He left the field with the Colts inside the Jacksonville 10 and Carthon found the end zone from six yards away to finish the nearly nine-minute series as Indianapolis grabbed a 7-3 edge with 8:27 remaining. "His legs were cramping just a little bit," Colts coach Tony Dungy said about the reason James left the field, and he added that his other backs -- James Mungro and Dominic Rhodes -- were hurt. "We don't change what we do. We've got confidence in all the guys that are there." The Colt defense then came up with a big defensive stop, aided by a referee's call. Leftwich appeared to complete a pass on second down as he was being sacked by Montae Reagor, but officials ruled that the quarterback's knee hit the turf before he released the ball.

Leftwich was then sacked on 3rd-and-11 and injured his left knee on the play. Raheem Brock grabbed Leftwich's leg from behind and the knee bent backward. He left the field slowly under his own power. The Colts got the ball back at their own 43 after a Jacksonville punt and Manning threw a pair of passes to Marvin Harrison to help set up a 41-yard field goal by Mike Vanderjagt with 1:50 remaining. Leftwich returned to the field after the kickoff and, with no timeouts, led the Jaguars from their own 28 to the Indianapolis 22. He was drilled by Dwight Freeney while completing a 24-yard pass to Jimmy Smith to convert 3rd-and-18, and another third-down throw resulted in a 25-yard catch by Ernest Wilford.

After spiking the ball with three seconds left, Leftwich threw toward Smith at the goal line but the ball was knocked down by Bob Sanders. Smith also appeared to be tripped on the play, but no flag was thrown. "It was a physical game with a lot of tough hitting," said Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio. "Three points is not enough to win. We are disappointed with our output. We need to shore up things so Byron doesn't get hit so much." Manning marched the Colts from their own 24 to the Jacksonville 22 on the opening possession of the game, but he was picked off by former Colt linebacker Mike Peterson at the six-yard line.

The Jaguars couldn't take advantage of the turnover, but got the ball back after a punt and marched from their own 27 to the Indianapolis 27 with the help of a 27-yard run by Greg Jones. The drive stalled and Josh Scobee, who kicked four field goals in last week's win, missed a 42-yard attempt. The rest of the half featured strong defense and punts. The Colts managed to cross midfield just once on their last five possessions, while the Jaguars couldn't get past the Indianapolis 40 on their final four. Jacksonville finally reached the scoreboard first on its second series of the second half. A 24-yard punt return by Alvin Pearman put the Jaguars at the Colt 33, but the drive stalled at the 10 and Scobee booted a 28-yard field goal to make it 3-0 with 6:59 left in the third.

Game Notes

The Colts last won a game when scoring 10 points or less on September 7, 2003 -- a 9-6 win at Cleveland...James, who carried 27 times, also had four catches for 39 yards...Harrison had just three receptions for 36 yards...Jaguars safety Donovin Darius left the contest in the first half with a knee injury...Smith became the 12th player in NFL history to record 800 career receptions with a catch in the second quarter...Jacksonville was the only team to win at the RCA Dome last year.

Week 2 - Final Score: Carolina 27, New England 17

Charlotte, NC (MySportsbook.com) - Stephen Davis had three short touchdown runs and the Carolina defense forced three New England turnovers as the Panthers earned a 27-17 victory over the Patriots at Bank of America Stadium. Davis finished with 77 yards on 25 carries for the Panthers (1-1), who rebounded strongly from a 23-20 home loss to New Orleans in Week 1. Carolina mustered only 239 yards of total offense and had an off day from quarterback Jake Delhomme, but scored 10 points off a pair of Tom Brady miscues. The Panthers received a 76-yard punt return from Chris Gamble which set up Davis' one-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter that put them up 17-7 at halftime.

Delhomme threw for 154 yards on 11-of-26 passing and had an interception returned 24 yards for a touchdown by Mike Vrabel which brought the Patriots (1-1) within 20-17 in the third quarter. "Numbers might look pretty, but at the end of the day it's all about what happens on the scoreboard," Delhomme remarked. The teams were meeting for the first time since New England's 32-29 victory in Super Bowl XXXVIII two years ago. Brady went 23-of-44 for 270 yards and a score, but was picked off once in Carolina territory and fumbled late in the third quarter which led to Davis' third TD burst of the day. Corey Dillon was held to 36 yards on 14 attempts in an inspired performance from Carolina's D.

"We were focused," said Panthers safety Mike Minter. "We understood that we had the defending Super Bowl Champions coming to our house and it was going to be tough. We had to play great football to beat them, and that's what we did today." Troy Brown had three catches for 87 yards for New England, which also committed 12 penalties totaling 86 yards and lost for just the third time in its last 36 games overall. After Brady's one-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Graham gave New England an early 7-0 lead, the Panthers put up 17 straight points to build a 10-point advantage at intermission. Carolina answered the score by marching 69 yards in five plays to draw even. Delhomme found DeShaun Foster for a 23-yard gain on 3rd-and-6, then delivered a 41-yard deep pass to Ricky Proehl which put the ball on the Patriots' one- yard line. Davis then scored on the next play -- although replays appeared to show him short of the goal line -- to tie the game at 7-7 with 1:13 remaining in the first quarter.

After the teams traded punts, New England marched deep into Panthers' territory before Will Witherspoon picked off Brady's intended pass for Brown at the Carolina 28. Two key completions from Delhomme -- a nine-yarder to Proehl on third down and a 12-yard strike to Kris Mangum -- led to John Kasay's 51-yard field goal at the 3:38 mark of the second quarter. The Panthers would again force a Patriots' punt, and Gamble returned the kick 76 yards to the New England 13 to bring Carolina again in scoring range. After a defensive pass interference call on Eugene Wilson in the end zone set up a first-and-goal, Davis plowed into the end zone from a yard out for a 17-7 advantage with 1:45 left in the half. A 52-yard field goal by Kasay on the Panthers' opening series of the second half extended the margin to 13 points, but New England would close the gap significantly before the end of the third quarter. Brady completed 4-of-5 throws on the ensuing possession, including a screen to Kevin Faulk on 3rd-and-long which went for 22 yards into Carolina territory. The drive then stalled and the Patriots settled for Adam Vinatieri's 45-yard field goal to pull within 20-10 with 6:25 left in the period. Just 17 seconds later, Delhomme floated an ill-advised pass to the near sideline right to Vrabel, who ran untouched into the end zone to trim New England's deficit to three points.

"It was a bad throw by me, absolutely awful," said Delhomme. "Stephen was the check down. I saw him there and took my eyes off him and then went back. It was absolutely on me." Carolina's defense then came up with a big play of its own to stop the Patriots' momentum. Brady had the ball knocked from his grasp by Mike Rucker after dropping back to pass, and Julius Peppers scooped up the fumble and rumbled 10 yards before being brought down on the New England 12. Four plays later, Davis plowed into the end zone to stake Carolina to a 27-17 lead. The Patriots would enter enemy territory late in the game, but Gamble preserved the win after stripping Ben Watson at the Carolina 29, with Dan Morgan falling on the loose ball. The Patriots' lone offensive highlight during the first half came late in the opening quarter, when Brady hit a wide open Brown in the right flat and the veteran wideout raced 71 yards before being pushed out of bounds at the one- yard line. Brady connected with Graham on the following play to put New England up 7-0.

Game Notes

Davis' three rushing touchdowns tied a club record shared by Tim Biakabutuka, Fred Lane and Nick Goings...Kasay now has 28 career field goals of 50 yards or more...Patriots cornerback Randall Gay twisted his left ankle early in the second quarter and did not return.

Week 2 - Final Score: Pittsburgh 27, Houston 7

Houston, TX (MySportsbook.com) - Ben Roethlisberger threw for 254 yards and a pair of touchdowns, as Pittsburgh routed the Houston Texans, 27-7. Willie Parker, filling in for injured running backs Jerome Bettis and Duce Staley, carried the ball 25 times for 111 yards and a touchdown for the Steelers. Hines Ward caught six passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns for the Steelers (2-0), who won their 16th straight regular-season game. That's only two behind New England's (2003-04) league record. That streak was ended by the Steelers October 31 last year, but the Patriots then beat Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship Game. The two teams will hook up next Sunday at Heinz Field. Roethlisberger, starting despite a bone bruise on his knee, connected on 14- of-21 passes for Pittsburgh, which beat Tennessee, 34-7, last week. He has won his first 15 NFL regular season starts for a team that has won eight consecutive road contests. "We came in with a game plan and we were able to execute it," Parker said. "We thought the run game would open up play action. The offense played really well today. We were able to do pretty much what we wanted offensively."

It was another rough day for Houston (0-2) quarterback David Carr as he was sacked eight times and fumbled once. He completed 16-of-26 passes for 167 yards and a touchdown. "I think any time you lose a game like today, it leaves you with an empty feeling," Texans head coach Dom Capers said. "We played a talented team and there is a reason why that team was 15-1 last year. We knew going in that it was going to take excellent execution on our part in all three phases of our team. Unfortunately we did not get that, we turned the ball over early." Houston won the only previous meeting between these teams in upset fashion, 24-6, on December 8, 2002 at Pittsburgh. However, on Sunday the Steelers dominated the opening half, outgaining the Texans, 273-66, and sacking Carr five times and forcing the fourth-year QB to fumble. Troy Polamalu had three sacks on the day. "I think he may have been (confused) a little," Polamalu said of Carr. "He could never get comfortable in there because we gave him so many looks."

The Steelers, who were playing for the first ever time at Reliant Stadium, led 20-0 at the half. They took the ball first and pushed 61 yards down-field before Jeff Reed kicked a 37-yard field goal. Houston's first possession ended quickly, as Clark Haggans sacked Carr on third down, forcing a fumble. Joey Porter recovered the ball at the Houston 22, and Roethlisberger threw 16 yards to Ward for a score with 8:04 left in the quarter. "They had a good blitz package, and they are going to get their share, but what you have to do is throw it away and try to make a positive out of it," Carr said. "They are going to get you. That is why they are a good defense. We hit them on a couple of those plays, we just didn't hit enough." Roethlisberger connected with Ward from 14 yards out on the opening play of the second quarter to boost Pittsburgh to a 17-0 lead. Ward caught four passes for 62 yards during the nine-play, 92-yard march.

Following a Houston punt, the Steelers drove from deep inside their territory to the Houston 17. Roethlisberger threw 54 yards to Antwaan Randle El on the first play to move the ball to Houston's 32. Reed split the uprights from 35 yards to give Pittsburgh a 20-point cushion with 3:58 left in the half. The Texans took the ball to start the second half and drove 78 yards in 14 plays, culminating on Carr's three-yard pass to Domanick Davis for a score. However, the Steelers salted away the victory on the ensuing possession, as Parker ran up the middle 10 yards for a touchdown with 3:51 left in the third quarter. The big play came on a 3rd-and-5 from the Pittsburgh 37, as Roethlisberger scrambled and threw 40 yards to Cedrick Wilson, who got behind the coverage. The problems continued for the Texans in the fourth, as Carr misfired on a fourth down pass from the Pittsburgh 33, and later in the quarter a penalty and a fourth down conversion allowed the Steelers to chew 8:41 off the clock. Antwan Peek roughed punter Chris Gardocki. Parker and Verron Haynes were the workhorses on Pittsburgh's long drive in the final quarter. Parker converted a 4th-and-1 with a one-yard run up the middle. The Steelers finally turned the ball over on downs, but not until there was 1:01 left in the game.

Game Notes

Texans defensive end Gary Walker suffered a separated AC joint in his left shoulder in the first half and didn't return...Ward has caught a pass in 106 straight games...Reed has made 21 consecutive field goal attempts, a new team record. He eclipsed the record set by Gary Anderson (19)...It was Carr's first TD pass of the season...The attendance of 70,742 was the fourth-largest in Texans history...Davis rushed 15 times for 59 yards and caught four passes for 33 yards...This was the Texans' 50th game in franchise history...Pittsburgh's last road loss was September 19, 2004 versus Baltimore.

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