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: Denver 20, San Diego 17

Denver, CO (MySportsbook.com) - Jason Elam atoned for two early misses by booting a 41-yard field goal with five seconds left in the game, as Denver defeated San Diego 20-17 in an AFC West clash at Invesco Field. Elam, who made two field goals, had never missed three kicks in a game, and the veteran made sure it did not occur in this game as he split the uprights. "I'm always nervous," said Elam. "I was really nervous on that last one. You never feel calm. You just have to trust your swing and let it go. If you miss, you miss, you just have to keep your confidence."

Jake Plummer ended 23-of-37 for 248 yards with an interception and Rod Smith caught eight passes for 63 yards for the Broncos (1-1), who have won four of the past five games in the series. Drew Brees finished 15-of-23 for 175 yards with a pick and LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 52 yards and a pair of scores on 19 carries for the Chargers (0-2), who began their season with two straight losses for the first time since 2003. Tomlinson also set an NFL record by rushing for at least one touchdown in 14 straight regular-season games. "We just got outplayed," said Tomlinson. "They made great adjustments and we didn't do very well adjusting ourselves." With the game tied at 17-17, Denver took over at its own 20-yard line with 5:21 left. The Broncos quickly moved to midfield by virtue of several short passes and 21 yards rushing by Ron Dayne. Denver continued to inch closer to Elam's range as Dayne's three-yard run moved the ball to San Diego's 34 with just over one minute left.

On third down, Dayne pushed the pile forward, but fell a yard short of the first down. After failing to draw the defense offsides, the Broncos elected to go for it on fourth down, rather than trying a long field goal. The move worked to perfection as Dayne took a pitch on the left side and rushed for 10 yards to get the ball to the 23-yard line. "There was a lot of time left on the clock and the wind was blowing," said Denver head coach Mike Shanahan about his decision to go for it on fourth down. Dayne ended with 44 rushing yards, including 43 on the decisive drive. After Plummer spiked the ball, Elam came on and drilled the 41-yard kick to put Denver ahead 20-17 with five seconds left. Darren Sproles tried to run the kick back, but was pushed out of bounds at the Chargers' 45-yard line as the game came to an end. San Diego led 14-10 early in the fourth, but got pinned deep and Mike Scifres was forced to punt from his own end zone. Darrent Williams caught the punt and ran it back virtually untouched for an apparent 61-yard touchdown, but the Broncos were whistled for a penalty as they had 12 players on the field after a member of their team ran onto the field to celebrate.

However, the penalty, which placed the ball at the Chargers' 29, did not faze Plummer as he dumped a screen pass on the first play to Mike Anderson. The versatile running back scampered 26 yards before being tackled, and on the next play, Kyle Johnson scored to put Denver ahead 17-14 with 8:46 left in the game. San Diego then drove down the field and was faced with a 3rd-and-9 from the Broncos' 24, but Brees was intercepted. However, the Chargers challenged the play and it was reversed after it was ruled that Williams bobbled the ball. Nate Kaeding then came on and booted a 42-yard field goal to tie the score with 5:21 left. Denver took the game's opening possession and appeared to be on its way to an early touchdown as it had the ball at the Chargers' five-yard line. However, on 3rd-and-goal from the five, Anderson was hit as he ran up the middle and the ball popped loose. Jamal Williams recovered the fumble and San Diego took over, but quickly punted after going three-and-out.

The Broncos then marched 28 yards in seven plays before Elam made it 3-0 by booting a 45-yard field goal with 2:58 left in the first quarter. The Chargers then countered with an 11-play, 80-yard drive that bridged the first and second quarters. On the series, Brees passed for 53 yards, which included a pair of third-down conversions to Antonio Gates. Tomlinson then capped the march with a 16-yard touchdown run on 3rd-and-1 to make it 7-3. The score gave San Diego its first-ever lead in Invesco Field, which opened in 2001. After forcing a Denver punt on the ensuing series, the Chargers put another touchdown on the board. Brees keyed the eight-play march by going 3-of-3 for 51 yards and Tomlinson finished the drive with a short TD run, his second of the game, to widen the gap to 14-3 with 4:55 remaining in the first half. The Broncos got within 14-10 on the first play of the third quarter as Champ Bailey stepped in front of a Brees pass and raced untouched down the left sideline for a 25-yard touchdown.

"There was nothing they were doing why we couldn't make things happen, all we had to do is just play," said Bailey. "We dominated and we never gave up. The offense played well and scoring on defense really helps." San Diego then punted on its next series and gave the Broncos good field position, but Denver could not capitalize as Elam missed a 53-yard field goal. However, Brees fumbled the ball on the next possession and the Broncos were in business again, this time from the Charger 34-yard line. Plummer, though, could not take advantage as he had a pass deflected moments later before it was intercepted by Bhawoh Jue to thwart an excellent scoring chance. Denver appeared to have taken the lead late in the third as Plummer found Jeb Putzier for a 36-yard touchdown, but the play was called back due to an offensive penalty. The Broncos had to eventually settle for a 53-yard field goal try, but Elam was unsuccessful and the score remained 14-10.

Game Notes

Anderson ended with 49 rushing yards and caught three passes for 41...Shanahan is now 18-6 all-time against San Diego...Tomlinson surpassed running backs John Riggins and George Rogers by scoring in his 14th straight game...Gates, who played in his first game following a team-imposed three- game suspension for a contract holdout, caught six passes for 80 yards...Chargers wide receiver Keenan McCardell had four receptions and now has 768 in his career, which passed James Lofton (764) for the 14th-most catches in NFL history...Prior to this game, San Diego had been outscored 79-3 in the first half during four previous contests at Invesco Field...The Chargers have not won in Denver since 1999.

Week 2 - Final Score: Kansas City 23, Oakland 17

Oakland, CA (MySportsbook.com) - Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson each rushed for a touchdown to lead the Kansas City Chiefs over the Oakland Raiders, 23-17, spoiling Randy Moss' home debut at McAfee Stadium. Holmes and Johnson also combined for 116 yards on the ground and Trent Green finished 18-of-28 for 237 yards for the Chiefs (2-0), who have won their last five games against Oakland. Samie Parker hauled in three passes for 86 yards while Eddie Kennison added four catches for 52 yards in the win. Moss had a spectacular game in the loss as he caught five passes for 127 yards, which included a 64-yard touchdown, for the Raiders (0-2), who had won their previous seven home openers. Kerry Collins was solid and threw for 263 yards on 21-of-35 attempts with one score, but he couldn't get Oakland into the end zone on its final drive as his fourth down pass to Jerry Porter fell incomplete. LaMont Jordan was limited to 59 yards on 15 carries with one touchdown in the loss.

The Raiders had tied the game at 17-17 on their second possession of the third quarter when Collins hooked up with Moss on a long TD strike on the first play of the drive. Kansas City then drove the ball to the Raiders nine-yard line, but two offensive holding penalties forced the Chiefs to settle for a 39-yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes to put them up 20-17. The visitors ran 15 plays and used up over nine minutes of clock on the drive, but could only come away with the field goal. Kansas City then continued to eat up the clock on its next possession as it drove 54 yards on 11 plays in 4:39, ending with a 42-yard field goal by Tynes.

Tynes connected on three field goals in the game. Down by six and time running out in the fourth quarter, Charles Woodson then forced a fumble to give the Raiders the ball back with 4:52 left in the game. Then, facing a 3rd-and-5 later on the drive, Collins found Porter for an 18- yard pass, putting Oakland at the Chiefs 28-yard line. Jordan then ran for consecutive seven-yard runs before Collins misfired on a pass. After hitting Jordan with a short four-yard pass, the Raiders were faced with 3rd-and-6 from the 10. However, Collins again was off the mark, which set up the fourth down play. On the play, Collins threw a pass to Porter in the corner of the end zone, but the receiver could not haul it in, giving Kansas City the ball on the 10- yard line with 1:46 left in the game. The Chiefs then ran out the remaining time to seal the win. Porter caught five balls for 68 yards. The Chiefs went three-and-out on their first possession, but Chris Carr could not handle the ensuing punt and the ball was recovered by Gary Stills at the Oakland 17-yard line.

The Raider defense was tough in the red zone, pushing Kansas City to fourth down twice, but the Chiefs converted both times, with the second conversion coming at the goal line when Holmes went over the top for the touchdown. Moss' first catch at home then helped to setup Oakland's first score. The flashy receiver caught an 18-yard pass from Collins, and three plays later, Jordan punched the ball in for a one-yard touchdown run, capping a six play, 49-yard drive. It was Jordan's first touchdown in a Raider uniform. Kansas City wasted no time getting the lead back as it scored on a four-play, 70-yard drive on its following possession. Green hit Parker with a 49-yard pass to put the Chiefs at the Oakland 21-yard line. Three plays later, Johnson found the end zone on a six-yard touchdown rush to put Kansas City up 14-7. ``We knew the yards were going to be hard,'' Johnson said. ``We knew they would try to shut down the run as much as they could. Trent did a good job hitting the receivers on some third-down passes.'' After a six-yard touchdown pass to Moss was negated by offensive pass interference, Oakland had to settle for a 29-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski, making it 14-10 with 8:30 left in the half. Tynes' 31-yard field goal with just over two minutes left in the second quarter put the Chiefs back up by a touchdown. Penalties cancelled two scores late in the second quarter. Jordan broke a 56- yard rush with just over one minute left in the half, but the play was called back because of offensive holding. Then, after Oakland punted, Dante Hall took the kick back 83 yards to the end zone, but an illegal block in the back was called on the play.

Game Notes

Ryan Sims and Willie Roaf were inactive for the game after being listed as doubtful. Sims is expected to miss at least six weeks with a foot injury while Roaf missed the game with a hamstring injury...The Chiefs have won the last five games against the Raiders, all by seven points or less. Oakland last defeated the Chiefs in 2002, winning at home 24-0...Norv Turner is 0-4 against the Chiefs as a head coach...Moss has four touchdowns in his career against Kansas City...Shane Lechler averaged 51 yards on four punts for Oakland...The Raiders were penalized seven times for 84 yards, while Kansas City had nine penalties for 78 yards.

Week 2 - Final Score: New York 27, New Orleans 10

East Rutherford, NJ (MySportsbook.com) - Tiki Barber scored a pair of touchdowns and the Giants forced six turnovers as New York defeated the New Orleans Saints, 27-10, at Giants Stadium. Barber caught a touchdown pass and ran for another, while compiling 83 rushing yards for the Giants (2-0), who are undefeated after two games for the first time since 2000, when the team advanced to the Super Bowl. Eli Manning, a New Orleans native, finished 13-of-24 for 165 yards with a touchdown for New York, which played the game at the Meadowlands but was not considered the home team. This game was originally scheduled to take place at the Superdome. However, the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina made it impossible for the game -- or any Saints game this season for that matter -- to be played in New Orleans. As a result, Giants Stadium hosted the game but gave it a New Orleans flare, painting the Saints name in the end zones and having pre-game festivities that focused on the tradition of the historic city. In addition, the Saints wore their home black jerseys and the Giants wore their away whites.

Aaron Brooks ended 27-of-45 for 375 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. He also lost a fumble for the Saints (1-1), who allowed 17 points off turnovers. Joe Horn added nine catches for 143 yards with a touchdown and Donte Stallworth had 141 yards receiving for New Orleans, which will also play home games in Baton Rouge, LA and San Antonio, TX this season while New Orleans rebuilds itself. "We were in the visiting locker room, on the visiting end of the field. It seemed like an away game for me," said New Orleans head coach Jim Haslett, who was public about his displeasure with the game being played in New York. Deuce McAllister finished with 47 yards on the ground to become the Saints' all-time leading rusher. He ended the game with 4,305 career rushing yards, surpassing George Rogers' 4,267.

The Giants went ahead early, taking advantage of a fumble on the opening kickoff. Attempting a reverse, Michael Lewis handed the ball off to Fred McAfee, who fumbled the ball at the Saints' 10 yard line. From there New York needed only three plays to go ahead by seven points. Brandon Jacobs capped off the drive with a one-yard scoring burst just 1:35 into the game. "That set the tone," said Haslett of the early fumble. "We lost the first possession and they scored." The Giants then went ahead 14-0 on their next possession when Barber capped off an 11-play, 76-yard drive with a six-yard TD catch.

New Orleans answered immediately, taking the ensuing drive 86 yards on eight plays. Horn caught a 21-yard pass from Brooks for the touchdown just 35 seconds into the second quarter. Later in the quarter the Giants went ahead 21-7. After Carlos Emmons picked off a Brooks pass, giving New York the ball at the New Orleans 41 following a taunting penalty, Barber ran it in from 12 yards out to cap the four-play drive. New Orleans was called for an illegal contact penalty on a failed third-down conversion by New York, keeping the drive alive for the Giants. New York then committed a costly mistake, leading to three points for the Saints. On a Saints punt, New York returner Chad Morton was content allowing New Orleans to down the ball. However, New York's James Butler didn't move away and the ball hit his foot. Fred Thomas recovered the ball, giving the Saints the ball on the New York 37 yard line with 1:15 remaining in the half. John Carney would convert the turnover into points, kicking a 21-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 21-10 at the break.

In the third quarter, Jay Feely converted a 39-yard field goal with 7:48 on the clock to extend the lead back to 14 points. The scoring drive was set up when Brooks lost a fumble at the New York 48 yard line. Brooks then threw an interception, which didn't lead to any points for the Giants. However, Carney did miss a relatively easy 29-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter and New York did take advantage of that miscue, converting it into three points of its own when Feely hit a 30-yard field goal. "I look at the flashes tonight and I am excited about it," said New York head coach Tom Coughlin. "But I'm sure when I look back at it I will find the problems." New Orleans had a chance to make it a two-possession game on its ensuing drive. After moving down to the New York 12, Brooks hit Horn with a pass at the five yard line, but in an attempt to dive for the goal line, Horn lost the ball out of the end zone for a New York touchback with 3:40 left. Brooks threw his final interception with 21 seconds left and New York only had to run out the clock. "We did a decent job against the running game and can use some work against the pass," said Coughlin, whose team yielded just 72 rushing yards but 350 through the air.

Game Notes

Jacobs and Barber have each scored a touchdown in both of New York's games this season...Barber, already the team's all-time leading rusher, surpassed the 7,000 yard plateau for his career, ending the game with 7,072 yards...Brooks recorded his ninth 300-yard passing game, tying him with Archie Manning -- Eli's father -- for most in franchise history...New York defensive end Michael Strahan, who was questionable with back spasms, started and recorded a sack...New Orleans wide receiver Michael Lewis suffered a left knee injury which Haslett believed may be serious.

Week 2 - Final Score: Washington 14, Dallas 13

Irving, TX (MySportsbook.com) - Mark Brunell and Santana Moss connected on two long touchdown passes in the final four minutes of the game to lift the Washington Redskins to a 14-13 comeback victory over the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium. Brunell completed 20-of-34 passes for 291 yards for the Redskins (2-0), who are have started a season with two straight wins for the first time since 2003. Washington finished that campaign 5-11.

Moss ended with five catches for 159 yards to help Washington win for just the second time in the last 16 meetings with the Cowboys. It was the Redskins first win overall against the Cowboys since 2002 and their first victory in Dallas since 1995. Drew Bledsoe ended 21-of-36 for 261 yards with one touchdown for the Cowboys (1-1), who blew a 13-0 lead in the last quarter to lose their home opener. Dallas was coming off an opening-week win in San Diego.

Terry Glenn hauled in six balls for 157 yards and a touchdown in the win. Dallas inducted three players into its Ring of Honor during a halftime ceremony, recognizing Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith for their accomplishments. The trio helped the Cowboys win three Super Bowls in a four- year span from 1992-95. (Full Review In our NFL Guide Tuesday Morning)

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