NFL WEEK IN REVIEW - WEEK 3

Week 3 - NFL Week In Review

NFL GAME BY GAME SUMMARIES - NFL WEEK IN REVIEW - WEEK 3

Week 3 - Final Score: Atlanta 24, Buffalo 16

Buffalo, NY (MySportsbook.com) - Michael Vick threw for 167 yards with two touchdowns and added 64 yards on the ground to lead the Atlanta Falcons to a 24-16 victory over the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Vick completed 15-of-27 passes while Warrick Dunn carried 15 times for 97 yards for the Falcons (2-1), who bounced back from a Week 2 setback to Seattle. Backfield mate T.J. Duckett gained 75 yards on 12 carries with a big fourth-quarter touchdown and Michael Jenkins caught four passes for 48 yards and a score in the victory.

Willis McGahee rushed 27 times for 140 yards and a touchdown for the Bills (1-2), who have dropped two straight games following a season-opening victory over Houston. J.P. Losman was not sharp and completed just 10-of-23 passes for 75 yards and an interception for the Bills, who will travel to San Antonio next Sunday to take on the Saints in a game relocated due to Hurricane Katrina. "I don't grade players based on watching it with the naked eye," said Buffalo head coach Mike Mularkey on Losman's effort. "Obviously he has to hit some of the throws that were there." In a contest that featured the Falcons' vaunted rushing attack against a stingy Buffalo defense, the combination of Dunn, Duckett and Vick proved to be too much.

"It was a very nice win for us to be able to come up here, to play against a very, very good football team," said Atlanta head coach Jim Mora. Buffalo opened the scoring with a 36-yard field goal by Rian Lindell at the 9:32 mark of the first quarter, but Atlanta answered with an 84-yard touchdown drive to grab the lead. Vick, who injured his hamstring in last week's loss to Seattle, showed few signs of limitation on the Falcons opening possession and took off for a 14- yard gain on 3rd-and-10. Two plays later, a 15-yard roughing the passer personal foul against Troy Vincent gave the Falcons a first down at their own 45-yard line.

"Mike looked okay," said Mora about Vick. "I don't think he is 100 percent but he's such a great competitor." Buffalo continued to give away yards when, two minutes later on 2nd-and-7, another personal foul allowed the Falcons deeper into Buffalo's end. Following a 21-yard completion from Vick to Jenkins, the 10th and final play of the drive saw Vick and tight end Dwayne Blakley hookup for a nine-yard scoring strike with 3:44 to play in the first. The Bills' next drive bridged the first and second quarters. Aided by two big penalties -- one on a roughing the passer and a 30-yard pass interference call -- Buffalo made it down to the Atlanta 23-yard line, but watched its drive stall before a 41-yard boot by Lindell brought the Bills within 7-6 just 15 seconds into the second.

However, the momentum began to swing in favor of the Falcons during their 10- play, 74-yard drive which culminated with a TD pass from Vick to Jenkins. Dunn gained seven yards on a 3rd-and-7 to keep the drive alive before a 22-yard completion to Alge Crumpler moved the Falcons into Buffalo territory. On 2nd-and-8, a great leaping catch by Brian Finneran along the left sideline put the visitors on the 24-yard line and after three straight runs, Vick and Jenkins connected for a 15-yard touchdown and a 14-6 Atlanta lead. McGahee's first touchdown of the season capped the Bills' 11-play, 80-yard march that made it a one-point game. He played a big part with runs of 21 and 13 yards before his eight-yard scamper with 3:55 remaining in the stanza brought Buffalo within 14-13.

Todd Peterson's 27-yard field goal as time expired in the opening half gave the Falcons a 17-13 lead. In the second half, the Bills took a big step toward taking the lead when defensive end Chris Kelsay's interception gave Buffalo a first down at the Atlanta 35-yard line. But after Losman hit Sam Aiken for 12 yards and a first down at the 19, the Bills did not get much further and had to settle for a 30- yard field goal from Lindell to make it a 17-16 contest at the 10:10 mark. Early in the fourth quarter, the Falcons ground game began to wear down the Buffalo defense and eventually led to the game's final score. Another nice catch by Finneran for 17 yards highlighted the 9-play, 65-yard drive. On first down at the 12-yard line, Duckett took a handoff, bounced off several tackles and rumbled into the end zone for a 24-16 lead with 12:07 to play. On Buffalo's next possession, a 4th-and-inches situation on the Bills' 35-yard line was converted with a Losman sneak. But several plays later, an interception by D'Angelo Hall near midfield gave the ball back to Atlanta.

The Bills defense held and when they got the ball back, Losman could not do much and Buffalo was forced to punt. But a fumble by Atlanta on the punt return was recovered by Buffalo and the Bills seemed to be back in business. This time, though, a fourth down sneak was short and the Falcons took over. "We tried to hurry it up a little," said Losman on the failed sneak play. "I thought we had it." The last chance for the Bills came in the final two minutes, but Rod Coleman forced a fumble and the Falcons ran out the clock.

Game Notes

Buffalo linebacker Takeo Spikes had to be carted off the field due to a right Achilles injury...Hall left the game in the first half for a brief period but returned...The Falcons now lead the all-time series with Buffalo, 5-4...This was Atlanta's first win in Buffalo since 1980...Eric Moulds recorded his 600th career reception...Finneran ended with 57 yards on four catches.

Week 3 - Final Score: Cincinnati 24, Chicago 7

Chicago, IL (MySportsbook.com) - Carson Palmer threw three touchdown passes and the Bengals defense recorded five interceptions for a second straight game, as Cincinnati beat the Chicago Bears, 24-7, at Soldier Field. Palmer finished 16-of-23 for 169 yards with no interceptions for the Bengals (3-0), who have started the season with three straight wins for the first time since their last playoff appearance campaign in 1990. Chad Johnson ended with 77 yards and two touchdowns receiving for Cincinnati, which scored 17 points off turnovers. "The defense made it easy on us offensively," said Palmer. "They got turnovers in the red zone and gave us great field position and opportunities to score. That was a big key against a great defensive team. When the defense can get us the ball it makes things easier for us."

Deltha O'Neal's interception and a fumble recovery led a Bengals defense that became the first NFL team to record five picks in consecutive games since the 1971 Cleveland Browns. The Bengals defense has recorded 13 takeaways in the last two games. "We were fortunate," said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis of the turnovers. "They do come in bunches." Chicago rookie starting quarterback Kyle Orton struggled all afternoon, ending 17-of-39 for 149 yards with a franchise record-tying five interceptions and no touchdowns. Larry Rakestraw also threw five picks for the Bears on September 22, 1968 at Detroit.

"I didn't play well. I didn't make good decisions and I certainly didn't have any luck," said Orton. "You can't play like that, turn the ball over five times and expect to win a football game. I'm not going to put this on me being young. I played like (explicative) today. I had chances to make plays and didn't do it. The result was us losing the game." Thomas Jones had 106 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries for the Bears (1-2), who failed to follow up their lone win of the season with another victory. "Last week we won as a football team and a lot of things went right for us," said Chicago head coach Lovie Smith. "Today it felt like the total opposite, it was a team loss. It doesn't matter what else you do, if you have six turnovers it is going to be a long day for you." The Bengals took advantage of Orton's first interception, turning it into seven points early in the game. Orton was picked off by Brian Simmons on the Bears' first play from scrimmage. Simmons, who made the catch at the Chicago 41-yard line, fumbled the ball and the Bengals' Odell Thurman recovered it and returned it to the 18.

From there, it took Palmer just one play to hit Johnson with a touchdown pass and a 7-0 lead. Orton was intercepted for the second time midway through the first quarter and the Bengals again turned it into points. Keiwan Ratliff came up with the pick at the Bears 36-yard line, setting up a 33-yard Shayne Graham field goal. Cincinnati had a touchdown play called back on the drive. Palmer hit T.J. Houshmandzadeh with a 10-yard pass, but Johnson was called for holding on the play to nullify the seven points. Orton was picked off two more times in the second quarter, but the Bengals couldn't do anything with their ensuing possessions. After his fourth interception, the Bears forced their first turnover of the game when Brian Urlacher stripped Chris Perry of the ball at the end of a 10-yard pass play.

In the third quarter the Bengals continued to take advantage of Orton's miscues. After Orton was picked off by O'Neal, Palmer hit Chris Henry with a 36-yard scoring pass to cap a seven-play, 70-yard drive. "He's our quarterback," Smith said of Orton. It's a long year. Kyle struggled, but quite a few of us struggled today. He needs to go through things like this. That's the life of a quarterback. There's going to be some ups and downs. He'll come back." Chicago drew within 17-7 early in the fourth quarter when Jones ended a 14- play, 70-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run, but the Bengals answered immediately. On their ensuing possession, Palmer hit Johnson with a 40-yard scoring strike to increase the advantage to 24-7. Bengals running back Rudi Johnson ended with 84 yards on 25 carries. He has not scored a touchdown in his last two games.

Game Notes

The Bengals last opened a season 4-0 in 1988 when the club started the campaign 6-0. That team ended the regular season 12-4 and represented the AFC in the Super Bowl...This was the first meeting in Chicago between these teams since 1992, when the Bengals came away with a 31-28 OT win...Chad Johnson left the game late in the second quarter with a calf cramp, but returned in the third quarter...The Bengals have won three of the last four meetings against the Bears...O'Neal, who intercepted Minnesota's Daunte Culpepper three times last week, has four picks this season...Jones has scored six touchdowns in his last four games dating back to last season, recording at least one in each game.

Week 3 - Final Score: Philadelphia 23, Oakland 20

Philadelphia, PA - (MySportsbook.com) - David Akers shrugged off a hamstring injury to kick the game-winning 23-yard field goal with nine seconds left, as the Philadelphia Eagles edged the Oakland Raiders, 23-20, at Lincoln Financial Field. Brian Westbrook finished with two touchdowns and 208 total yards from scrimmage for the Eagles (2-1), who have won two straight after a loss to Atlanta during the opening week. Westbrook caught six passes for 140 yards and rushed for 68 yards on 13 carries. Donovan McNabb fought off chest and groin injuries to complete 30-of-52 passes for 365 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for the Eagles, while Terrell Owens had nine catches for 80 yards and a score. "It feels good. I got a couple of opportunities to make some plays and Donovan did a great job of throwing the ball," said Westbrook.

Kerry Collins connected on 24-of-42 passes for 345 yards with two touchdowns for the Raiders (0-3), who have started a season with three straight defeats for the first time since beginning the 1992 campaign with four consecutive losses. Randy Moss had five catches for 86 yards for the Raiders. Akers strained his right hamstring in last week's win over San Francisco and aggravated the injury on the opening kickoff against the Raiders. Although, he kicks with his left foot, Akers left the game briefly, not coming out for an extra point attempt and the rest of Philadelphia's kickoffs. However, Akers came out for the winning kick, ending an 11-play, 75-yard drive with the 23-yard chip-shot. The All-Pro kicker fell to the turf in obvious pain as his teammates celebrated around him. "I'm honestly most proud of this kick today. I can honestly say that," said Akers.

Philadelphia trailed 10-6 at halftime, but went on an 11-play, 71-yard touchdown drive to start the third quarter. The last three plays on the march were pass completions to Owens, including a four-yard TD strike that gave Philadelphia a 13-10 lead with 10:20 left. The Eagles extended the lead to 20-10 on a five-yard shovel pass from McNabb to Westbrook with 45 seconds left in the third. The drive covered 90 yards in seven plays and also featured a 62-yard reception by Westbrook. Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 26-yard field goal with 12:54 left in the fourth quarter to make it a one-touchdown game. Philadelphia moved into the red zone on its next possession, but L.J. Smith fumbled the ball at the end of a 17-yard catch and Oakland recovered the ball at the two. The Raiders then marched to the Philadelphia 19-yard line, but Janikowski missed a 37-yard field goal attempt.

However, the Eagles went three-and-out and Oakland responded with a game-tying touchdown. Collins was just 3-of-7 on the drive, but all three completions went for big gains, including the 27-yard TD pass to Doug Gabriel which made it 20-20 with 2:17 left. McNabb then connected on 6-of-9 passes for 79 yards on Philadelphia's final drive, setting up the game-winning kick. Chris Carr fielded the ensuing kickoff and ran around looking for a seam before being tackled with no time left. The game got off to a strange start as the Eagles were whistled for back-to- back offside penalties on the opening kick. Akers kicked the first two for Philadelphia, but he aggravated his hamstring injury and tight end Mike Bartrum was forced to kick off the third time. Bartrum kicked the ball out of bounds, marking the third straight penalty to start the game for the Eagles. As a result, the Raiders started their opening drive on the 50 and moved down-field before Collins and LaMont Jordan connected for an eight-yard TD pass with 12:22 left in the opening quarter.

Neither offense was able to get much going and the Raiders held a 7-0 lead until Philadelphia reached the scoreboard late in the second quarter. Westbrook's first touchdown of the game came on an 18-yard run with 4:33 left in the opening half. However, Akers was unable to come out for the extra point and linebacker Mark Simoneau's attempt was no good. Simoneau was forced to kick an extra point in last Sunday's win over San Francisco because of the initial injury to Akers, but he made that try. Akers went 2-of-2 on extra points in the second half. "He showed a lot of heart, gutting it out for us, and we didn't have anyone else," said Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter about Akers. "He looked like a football player to me, especially with the game on the line like that. That's a lot of pressure and you're beat up like that; he really came through for us." Janikowski kicked a 28-yard field goal with 49 seconds remaining in the half to give Oakland a 10-6 edge at the intermission.

Game Notes

The Eagles held Oakland to just 21 yards rushing. Jordan ended with 19 yards on 16 carries...Owens' TD was the 100th of his career (98 receiving, 2 rushing)...Westbrook's 62-yard catch was the longest of his career...The Eagles snapped a two-game losing streak to Oakland. Philadelphia holds a 5-4 advantage in the regular season series, but the Raiders beat the Eagles in Super Bowl XV...Janikowski ended 2-of-4 on field goal attempts.

Week 3 - Final Score: St. Louis 31, Tennessee 27

St. Louis, MO (MySportsbook.com) - Marc Bulger threw three touchdown passes to help lead the St. Louis Rams to a 31-27 victory over the Tennessee Titans at the Edward Jones Dome. Bulger finished 21-of-28 passing for 292 yards and his touchdown pass to Kevin Curtis on the opening play of the fourth quarter proved to be the game winner. Torry Holt had 163 yards receiving and one touchdown for St. Louis (2-1), which has won four of its last five meetings against Tennessee. "Technique and toughness is what I am most excited about," said Rams head coach Mike Martz. "This is a great feeling and a great game for us." Marshall Faulk rushed for 50 yards while compiling 31 yards receiving and a touchdown in the win. St. Louis wide receiver Isaac Bruce left the game with a turf toe after Faulk's touchdown and did not return. "I pushed off a little and felt a little pop in my foot," said Bruce. "I'm optimistic everything is well. I shall be in the mix like I always have been." Steve McNair threw for 261 yards on 24-of-37 passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions, and Ben Troupe and Brandon Jones caught touchdown passes for Tennessee (1-2).

	Chris Brown added 83 yards on 20 carries in the loss. With the game tied at 24, St. Louis took possession with 2:31 left in the third quarter. After driving to the Tennessee 47-yard line, Adam Timmerman was called for a false start, setting up 1st-and-15 with just over one minute left in the quarter.
On the next play, Bulger found Holt on a 27-yard pass, and after an incomplete pass, he hit Holt again on a 15-yard strike to set the Rams up at the Tennessee 10.

On the next play, Bulger found Curtis in the end zone to regain the lead. The Titans would cut into St. Louis's lead after Peter Sirmon recovered a fumble after a Bulger incomplete swing pass was ruled behind the line of scrimmage. Sirmon took the ball to the St. Louis 29, setting up Rob Bironas' 39-yard field goal with 6:02 left.

After forcing the Rams to punt, Tennessee took over with just over two minutes left in the game. McNair drove the Titans to the St. Louis 28, but couldn't find Drew Bennett in the end zone on a 4th-and-7 play with 29 seconds left. Bennett finished with six catches for 96 yards. Tennessee was down 24-10 but would tie the game later in the third quarter. First, McNair found Jones on a four-yard touchdown pass, making it a 24-17 game. On St. Louis' ensuing possession, Bulger fumbled after he was sacked by Kyle Vanden Bosch. Antwan Odom made the recovery and dashed 25 yards for the score. Tennessee held a 10-0 lead in the game after the first quarter when McNair found Troupe on a 16-yard touchdown pass to finish off a six-play, 53-yard drive and Bironas kicked a 41-yard field goal. St. Louis then scored 24 points in a row to take a lead.

Adam Archuleta's 85-yard interception return cut the Tennessee lead to 10-7. and the Rams tied the game after Jeff Wilkins connected on a 46-yard field goal with 7:55 left in the second quarter. Then, with just over two minutes left in the second quarter, Bulger needed only five plays, all of them passes, to reach the end zone. The 61-yard drive began with a 27-yard pass to Holt and ended with a 13-yard TD strike to Faulk. "I think Marshall is just about at full speed, his knees are no longer an issue," said Martz. "He and Steven Jackson make quite a one-two punch." St. Louis would score again in the third quarter when Bulger connected with Holt on a 32-yard touchdown pass with 9:30 left in the quarter.

Game Notes

This was the first matchup between Tennessee and St. Louis since the Rams defeated the Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV, 23-16. Tennessee had defeated St. Louis 24-21 earlier that season...Jackson had x-rays at halftime and was diagnosed with bruised ribs, but did return...Michael Hawthorne left the game with a sprained ankle and did not return...Titans head coach Jeff Fisher was denied his 100th career victory.

Week 3 - Final Score: Miami 27, Carolina 24

Miami, FL (MySportsbook.com) - Olindo Mare kicked a 32-yard field goal with four seconds remaining to lift the Miami Dolphins to a 27-24 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Ronnie Brown ran for 132 yards with a touchdown for the Dolphins (2-1), who last year hadn't won their second game during a dismal 4-12 season until November 28. Miami, which heads into its bye week, has won four straight home games dating back to last year. Gus Frerotte completed just 14-of-33 passes for 171 yards, but two went for touchdowns and he was intercepted once. Jake Delhomme threw for 285 yards on 19-of-35 passing with an interception and three scores for Carolina (1-2), which was coming off an impressive victory against the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots last week.

"We've got to play better and that is my job ultimately," said Panthers head coach John Fox about the loss. "We're going back to the drawing board and get better for next week. We can't change what happened today and we're very disappointed. We'll learn from it in the long run." Steve Smith had a monster game for the Panthers, catching 11 passes for 170 yards and three touchdowns. The Dolphins opened a 24-17 lead midway through the fourth quarter on a 27- yard field goal by Mare, but the Panthers tied it just two plays after the ensuing kickoff when Delhomme hooked up with Smith for a 53-yard touchdown pass.

After Miami went three and out, the Panthers appeared to be driving for the go-ahead score. Delhomme had the Carolina offense at the Miami 43, but Lance Schulters came up with an interception on the first play after the two-minute warning and returned it 37 yards to the Carolina 25. "I was coming over to give my corner some help and I saw the ball," said Schulters about the interception. "All I had to do was catch the ball and run with it." Added Delhomme, "I really lost vision of the guy and it's on me." Brown carried three times for 14 yards and Frerotte took a knee before Mare came on and drilled the winning kick. "This is a great football game against a very good football team," said Dolphins head coach Nick Saban. "A lot of character, a lot of heart out there today on both sides of the ball -- that's what makes it special, when you can persevere and come away with the win."

The Dolphins took the opening kickoff and marched 85 yards in 11 plays for a 7-0 lead. Frerotte completed four of his six passes during the series, including a 25-yard strike to Chris Chambers to convert a short third down. A pass interference penalty on a third-down incomplete pass prolonged the drive and Brown capped it with a one-yard run for a touchdown. "You can't just sit on one game and be happy," Brown said about his effort. "It could just be a fluke if you approach it the wrong way. I have to keep working hard to get better and make sure I have games like this every week." The Panthers answered with a 52-yard field goal from John Kasay, but Miami scored another touchdown late in the first quarter after a Carolina mistake. Smith failed to handle a punt and the Dolphins recovered at the Carolina 16. After a false start penalty and a three-yard run by Brown, Frerotte found Randy McMichael in the end zone from 18 yards away to increase the lead to 14-3. After a series of punts, Smith atoned for his mistake with his first touchdown catch. Delhomme completed key passes of 19 yards to Ricky Proehl and 33 yards to DeShaun Foster during the nine-play march, which ended with a one-yard TD catch by Smith with 5:44 left in the half. A facemask penalty on a sack that would have forced 3rd-and-goal from the 15 aided the Panther drive.

The Dolphins, though, responded with a big play for another touchdown, as Frerotte hooked up with Chambers for a 42-yard score. Chambers made a one- handed catch over Chris Gamble near the goal line and rolled into the end zone. Back came Carolina with an 80-yard drive for a touchdown. Delhomme completed 6-of-9 passes, including three to Smith. A 21-yard connection on 3rd-and-13 set up a first down at the Miami three and Smith also caught the next pass for a touchdown to pull the Panthers within 21-17 in the final minute of the half. After the wild first half, defense took over in the third and neither team managed a scoring threat until Delhomme was sacked and fumbled deep in his own territory. Miami took over at the Carolina 27, but Frerotte was intercepted by Gamble in the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Game Notes

The Dolphins have won all three meetings with the Panthers...Carolina back Stephen Davis was held to just 36 yards rushing on 16 carries...Chambers had six catches for 93 yards...Brown, who carried 23 times, also caught three passes for 15 yards. He became the first Dolphins rookie to rush for 100 yards since November 21, 1999 when J.J. Johnson ran for 106 yards and a TD on 31 carries against New England.

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