NFL WEEK IN REVIEW - WEEK 9

Week 9 - NFL Week In Review

Week 9 REVIEW - Final Score: Atlanta 17, Miami 10

Miami, FL - (MySportsbook.com) - Michael Vick threw for 228 yards with a touchdown to lead the Atlanta Falcons over the Miami Dolphins, 17-10, at Dolphins Stadium. Vick completed 22-of-31 passes and ran the ball eight times for 38 yards for the Falcons (6-2), who have won three in a row and remain in a first-place tie with the Carolina Panthers atop the NFC South. Brian Finneran added eight catches for 92 yards with a score for Atlanta, which never trailed but needed Keion Carpenter to come up with a key interception late in the game to secure the win.

Trailing 17-10 late in the contest, Miami pinned Atlanta deep in its own territory and the Dolphins' defense responded by forcing a three-and-out with Jason Taylor sacking Vick at the Falcons' five-yard line with 6:48 remaining. As a result, Michael Koenen had to punt out of his own end zone and Miami got great field position at Atlanta's 42 yard line. Miami marched the ball down to the Falcons' 14 yard line, with the big play to that point being a five-yard run by Ronnie Brown on 4th-and-inches with 4:12 remaining. However, Gus Frerotte's pass intended for Chris Chambers was intercepted by Carpenter at the Atlanta five with 2:41 left. The Falcons' offense managed to get a first down on an eight-yard run by Warrick Dunn on 3rd-and-6 by the two-minute warning, and they were able to run out the clock from there. "It's a snag route," said Miami head coach Nick Saban of the final Miami play. "There's a guy in the flat, there's a guy running up, and there's a guy running in. Their guy made a good play on the ball. I couldn't tell on the field if we were late throwing it or not. The first look is the flat, which is a safe throw."

Dunn had 88 yards and a TD rushing for the Falcons, winners of five of their last six games. "We got out of here with a win," said Atlanta head coach Jim Mora. "We showed some resilience today. "I thought we were an efficient offensive football team today." Frerotte finished 13-of-22 for 103 yards with a pick for Miami (3-5), which has lost four of its last five games. Brown ran 12 times for 67 yards and Ricky Williams had 52 yards and a score on the ground. Atlanta wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, taking its opening drive 71 yards on just nine plays for a touchdown. A 24-yard third-down completion to Finneran was the big play of the march, which was capped by a one-yard TD plunge by Dunn.

Miami tied the game in the early stages of the second quarter when Williams ran in from 23 yards to highlight a brief five-play, 64-yard drive. The possession was setup after Atlanta's Allen Rossum muffed a punt return. The Falcons responded on their next possession, going 92 yards on 12 plays for another TD and a 14-7 cushion. Vick's third-and-goal 11-yard pass to Finneran ended the drive that took over six minutes off the clock. Olindo Mare did manage to connect on a 28-yard field goal with under two minutes left in the half to send Miami into the locker room down just 14-10. The only scoring of the third quarter saw Todd Peterson connect on a 21-yard field goal to give the Falcons a seven-point lead heading into the final 15 minutes of action.

Game Notes

Atlanta won for just the third time in 10 all-time meetings against the Dolphins...The Falcons' Alge Crumpler had six catches for 65 yards...Chambers ended with three catches for 40 yards...Miami had seven penalties for 60 yards.

Week 9 REVIEW - Final Score: Carolina 34, Tampa Bay 14

Tampa, FL - (MySportsbook.com) - Steve Smith continued his career season with 106 yards receiving and a touchdown as the Carolina Panthers defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 34-14, in a big NFC South matchup at Raymond James Stadium. Jake Delhomme was 11-of-18 for 216 yards passing with a score, while Stephen Davis ran for 48 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Panthers (6-2) have now won five straight and are tied with Atlanta for the top spot in the division. Chris Gamble had two interceptions, one returned 61 yards for a touchdown, for Carolina, which beat the Bucs for a fifth straight time.

Chris Simms was 25-of-42 for 259 yards throwing with a touchdown, but pressure from Julius Peppers and company forced Simms into many off-balance throws and three costly turnovers, including two interceptions. Carnell "Cadillac" Williams ran for only 29 yards and lost a fumble for the Buccaneers (5-3), who have lost two straight without starting quarterback Brian Griese. Griese is out for the season with a knee injury. Joey Galloway caught five passes for 83 yards and a touchdown for the Bucs, who entered the day tied for first place in the NFC South. The Panthers won the turnover battle, 4-0, and sacked Simms five times.

The importance of the takeaways was never more evident than when a solid opening to the second half for the Tampa Bay offense was cut short by a risk-reward interception by Gamble. A bootleg pass from Simms to tight end Alex Smith for 15 yards quickly moved the ball into Carolina territory, at the 49-yard line. After a Williams run, Simms hit Mike Alstott in the flat for nine yards and another first down. However, on the next play, Simms' out pass to the far side of the field was undercut by Gamble, who jumped the route and high stepped 61 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown to extend the lead to 24-7 with just 2:34 gone in the third quarter.

"Watching film is a big key, and I noticed that every time (Michael Clayton) went in motion he would run an out route," said Gamble. "I knew what was coming and I just jumped it and took it to the house." Another Buccaneers fumble soon followed, when Simms was hit by Mike Rucker, who forced the fumble, and Brentson Buckner recovered it at the Tampa Bay 19- yard line. Delhomme threw a wide receiver screen to Smith, who made a move down the left sideline to the three-yard line. The Panthers couldn't punch it in from there, and settled for a John Kasay 20-yard field goal that increased the lead to 27-7 with 4:07 left in the third. Simms knows that the offense needs to be more efficient and hang onto the football. "Fumbles happen. Interceptions happen. You just have to try to limit them. I still think it would have been a whole different game if I didn't throw the interception in the second half," said Simms.

Carolina padded its lead early in the fourth quarter, as Delhomme hit Smith on a fly pattern, a 35-yard scoring strike with 14:07 remaining in the game. Alstott's one-yard plunge ended the scoring with 7:41 left. Simms was straightforward when assessing the reasons behind the defeat. "We just got beat by a better football team," said Simms. Carolina marched down the field on its initial possession to take an early 3-0 lead. Delhomme was 3-of-4 on the drive, including strikes to Smith on a deep stop route for 14 yards and Keary Colbert on a deep in for 18 yards on the next play to the Tampa Bay 20-yard line. Three straight runs didn't yield a first down, and Kasay hooked a 31-yard field goal just inside the left upright with 9:45 remaining in the opening quarter. After Rucker recovered a Williams fumble deep in Buccaneer territory, Delhomme and the Panthers offense took advantage. On 3rd-and-12 from the Tampa Bay 34, Delhomme found the league's leading receiver, Smith, on a square-in for 18 yards. After a DeShaun Foster sprint and a face mask penalty, Davis pounded into the end zone from four yards out to give Carolina a 10-0 lead with 3:05 left in the first.

The Buccaneers faced 3rd-and-10 from their own 21-yard line on the next possession, and when Simms hit Alstott in the flat it appeared he was going to be short of the first down. However, Alstott ran over three Panthers defenders and leaned forward to move the chains. The fullback's hustle paid dividends as later on the seven-play 79-yard march, Simms aired it out long for speedster Galloway. Galloway ran under the deep crossing pattern on the first play of the second quarter for a 50-yard scoring strike cutting the lead to 10-7. The Panthers struck again on a drive that started almost midway through the second quarter. After three Davis runs, one for 17 yards, Delhomme threw deep down the seam to Ricky Proehl for 62 yards, the longest play given up by the Buccaneers defense this season. The long pass set the Panthers up at the 11-yard line, and after a pass interference penalty, Davis plowed into the end zone from one-yard out to increase the lead to 17-7 with 5:59 left in the half. Carolina maintained its 17-7 lead at the break, behind 46 yards rushing and two touchdowns from Davis. Delhomme completed 7-of-11 for 130 yards, while his quarterback counterpart, Simms, was 10-of-13 for 121 yards and a touchdown.

Game Notes

Carolina has won four straight at Tampa Bay...Davis now has 11 touchdowns this season...Smith's touchdown reception was his 13th catch of 20-plus yards this season...This was Simms' first career start in Tampa...Carolina's 34 points came against a defense that had only give up 87 points all season...Carolina hosts the New York Jets next Sunday, while Tampa Bay plays at home versus Washington.Will Witherspoon recorded eight unassisted tackles, nine total for Carolina...Shelton Quarles had 14 total tackles in the defeat...The stat sheet was fairly even as Carolina outgained Tampa Bay 287-270 and Tampa Bay had only three more first downs, 18-15...Each team was ineffective on the ground, with Carolina rushing for 77 yards to Tampa Bay's 44 yards.

Week 9 Review - Final Score: Cincinnati 21, Baltimore 9

Baltimore, MD - (MySportsbook.com) - Carson Palmer threw for 248 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Cincinnati Bengals past the Baltimore Ravens, 21-9, at M&T Bank Stadium. Palmer completed 19-of-26 passes, while Chad Johnson caught five balls for 91 yards for the Bengals (7-2), who have won three of their last four, including two in a row. Rudi Johnson led the ground game with 97 yards on 29 carries. "A lot of people said we weren't physical enough on offense and defense," said Palmer. "We answered it. We're a physical offensive line and we're a physical team." T.J. Houshmandzadeh had 61 yards receiving on five catches, and Chris Henry and Tab Perry each had touchdown receptions in the win.

Anthony Wright completed 19 of his 30 passes for 153 yards and Matt Stover accounted for all of Baltimore's points with three field goals. Jamal Lewis managed only 49 yards on the ground in 15 attempts for the Ravens (2-6), who have lost three straight. Derrick Mason caught his 500th career reception in the second quarter and finished with five catches for 60 yards in the loss. Baltimore took a 3-0 lead after a 34-yard field goal by Stover with 3:33 left in the first quarter. The 11-play, 64-yard drive featured several big plays, including a 22-yard run by Wright. The QB then found Mason for a 19-yard completion on the next play to help lead to the score. Cincinnati would go up for good, however, with 5:56 remaining in the second quarter. With the Bengals starting at their own 20, Palmer helped move the club 80 yards on 12 plays for a touchdown. The drive was also helped by a pass interference call against Baltimore's Bart Scott on a third-down play in the red zone, and it gave Cincinnati new life at the Raven 12.

Rudi Johnson then rushed twice for a total of seven yards before Chris Perry took the ball to the goal line after a four-yard run. Johnson then pounded the ball into the end zone on the following play. Todd Heap would fumble on Baltimore's ensuing drive, giving the Bengals the ball back at the Raven 31. Palmer would finish the short drive with an eight- yard TD pass to Tab Perry for a 14-3 lead. The Ravens would then drive 73 yards in 11 plays and cut the lead to 14-6 on 32-yard field goal by Stover with 11 seconds left in the half. However, Baltimore's momentum was stopped after a big call early in the third went in the Bengals' favor.

On the opening possession of the second half, Palmer completed a pass to Matt Schobel, who fumbled the ball along the left sideline. Baltimore's Will Demps picked up the ball and raced to the end zone for an apparent touchdown. However, it was ruled that a whistle blew after Demps picked up the ball, nullifying the touchdown but giving the Ravens possession. Baltimore would then go three-and-out on the drive. The Ravens would catch a break on the Bengals' following drive, though, as Palmer's 34-yard pass to Henry in the end zone was ruled incomplete after being challenged by the Ravens, and Shayne Graham proceeded to miss a 48-yard field goal. Baltimore attempted to get back in the game with another field goal, but couldn't stop the Bengals late in the game.

With Kordell Stewart on for an injured Wright, Baltimore would make it 14-9. Wright injured his ankle on the first play of the drive after he was tackled from behind, forcing Stewart into action. The Ravens would drive 50 yards on 13 plays, capped by a 31-yard field goal by Stover. Stewart rushed twice for 20 yards during the sequence without throwing a pass. Wright would return to the game on the Ravens' next possession. However, Cincinnati would extend its lead as Palmer's three-yard TD pass to Henry accounted for the final score and capped a 12-play, 91-yard sequence with just over six minutes left in the contest. The key to the drive was a 48- yard pass from Palmer to Chad Johnson that put the Bengals at the home team's four-yard line.

Game Notes

Baltimore Ravens strong safety Ed Reed and middle linebacker Ray Lewis were inactive for the game. Reed has a sprained ankle, while Lewis has a hamstring strain...Henry made three catches in the game for 17 yards...Heap hauled in four passes for 28 yards...Wright rushed for 36 yards on three attempts...Ravens head coach Brian Billick fell to 9-4 in his career against Cincinnati...Stover has 56 career field goals against the Bengals... Jamal Lewis had his streak of seven consecutive 100-yard rushing games against Cincinnati come to an end.

Week 9 Review - Final Score: Minnesota 27, Detroit 14

Minneapolis, MN - (MySportsbook.com) - Brad Johnson threw for a pair of touchdowns as the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Detroit Lions 27-14 at the Metrodome. Johnson, who is filling in for the injured Daunte Culpepper, went 15-of-22 for 136 yards with no interceptions for Minnesota (3-5), which has won two of its last three games. Michael Bennett rushed for 106 yards on 18 carries and also had a receiving touchdown for the Vikings. Mewelde Moore added 49 yards on the ground. "It definitely gives us momentum, but now we have to carry it over, that's the big thing," said Vikings tight end Jermaine Wiggins.

Joey Harrington struggled in this contest, going 28-of-48 for 263 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions for the Lions (3-5), who have dropped three of four. Harrington also lost a fumble in this game. Two of his three turnovers were converted into touchdowns. Lions running back Kevin Jones left the game in the second quarter with a right shoulder injury and did not return. He finished with 15 yards on seven rushes and caught one ball for eight yards. Artose Pinner had 11 yards rushing and a score in Jones' absence, and also caught two balls for 26 yards for Detroit, which has now lost eight straight in Minnesota. The Vikings scored three touchdowns in a span of seven plays to amass a 24-0 lead.

Paul Edinger booted a 21-yard field goal on the team's opening possession, and the Vikings struck paydirt early in the second quarter on nine-play, 44-yard drive to go up 10-0. Johnson connected with Troy Williamson three times for 26 yards on the march before Bennett caught a five-yard TD pass with 7:26 remaining in the first half. Three plays later, Brian Williams sacked Harrington and forced a fumble, which Kevin Williams picked up and returned to the Detroit 14-yard line. A pass from Johnson to Travis Taylor moved the Vikings down to the three and Ciatrick Fason took it in from there with a run off left tackle. Harrington was intercepted on his next pass attempt by Antoine Winfield, who gave his offense a 1st-and-10 at the Lions' 11 yard-line. Minnesota initially went backwards on the drive, but Johnson's up-for-grabs heave on third down was tipped twice and then finally snagged by Nate Burleson just before it reached the ground for a 15-yard touchdown. The Lions got on the board with 52 seconds remaining in the second quarter on a one-yard Pinner TD. Harrington connected with Scottie Vines along the left sideline for a 40-yard reception that set Detroit right in front of the goal line, and Pinner bulldozed his way in on the next play to make 24-7 at the half.

Detroit then cut the lead to 10 points to open the fourth quarter. Harrington went 4-for-5 on the 67-yard drive, including a 23-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Pollard with 14:55 left in the game. Edinger, though, connected on a 40-yard field goal with 7:30 to play and the Lions were shut down the rest of the way.

	"It was a disappointing loss last week against Chicago, and I was hoping we would win this game so we could still have a shot at first place in the division, and just make the playoffs," said Vines.
Game Notes The last time Detroit won in Minnesota was December 14, 1997, by a 14-13 count. At that time, Barry Sanders was still a year away from retirement, Scott Mitchell was the Lions' quarterback and Herman Moore was in the midst of a 104-catch campaign....The Vikings hold a 57-29-2 lead in the all-time series with the Lions, which dates back to the 1961 season.

Week 9 Review - Final Score: Jacksonville 21, Houston 14

Jacksonville, FL - (MySportsbook.com) - Greg Jones' 12-yard touchdown run with just under three minutes left in the fourth quarter gave the Jacksonville Jaguars a come from behind, 21-14 victory over the Houston Texans at Alltel Stadium. Jones was playing in place of Fred Taylor, who left the game with an ankle injury. He finished with 27 yards on seven carries, while Taylor rushed 12 times for 48 yards before the injury. Byron Leftwich threw for 218 yards on 19-of-25 passing with a touchdown for the Jaguars (5-3), who have won three of their last four games. Leftwich also ran for a touchdown in the win. Ernest Wilford caught four passes for 89 yards with a touchdown reception for Jacksonville. "Hugely important win for our football team," said Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio.

David Carr finished 22-of-30 passing for 219 yards and a touchdown for the Texans (1-7), who couldn't build momentum after winning their first game of the season last week against Cleveland. "It was a very disappointing loss. We must take some positives away from today's game," said Carr. Jonathan Wells led the ground game with 56 yards on 13 carries in place of Domanick Davis, who missed the contest with a knee injury. Andre Johnson caught nine passes for 91 yards, while Corey Bradford hauled in five passes for 71 yards and a touchdown. Down 14-7, the Jaguars would run off 14 straight points en route to the win.

Jacksonville would tie the game early in the fourth quarter after a 10-play, 80-yard scoring march. On the second play of the drive, Leftwich hit Wilford with a 39-yard completion to move the Jaguars across midfield. Two plays later, and facing a 2nd-and-19, Leftwich again found Wilford, this time for a 26-yard pass. Jacksonville continued to drive and Leftwich finally found the end zone with an eight-yard quarterback draw up the middle less than five minutes into the fourth. Houston would then punt, setting up Jacksonville's go-ahead drive. Facing 3rd- and-4 from the Houston 40, Leftwich threw a 23-yard pass to Smith for the first down. Derrick Wimbush then fumbled on the Jaguars next play, which the Texans recovered, but Houston's Seth Payne was called for defensive holding so Jacksonville retained possession. "We made too many mistakes today," said Texans head coach Dom Capers. "The defensive holding on the winning drive was just one of them."

Jones would then get to the end zone for the game-winning score on the ensuing play to finish off the nine-play, 82-yard drive as Jacksonville completed the comeback. The Texans then took over at their own 29 as Carr attempted to put together a game-tying drive. A sack, a completion to Bradford, and a false start put Houston in a 3rd-and-10 situation and Carr would find Johnson on an 18-yard completion to keep the drive alive. Later in the drive, Carr was sacked on a third down, giving Houston a 4th- and-9 situation at the Jacksonville 42 with just under one minute left and the Texan QB attempted to hit Bradford up the left sideline. The receiver couldn't haul in the pass though, sealing the win for Jacksonville.

Houston broke a scoreless tie 4:42 into the second quarter. Carr threw a pass to Bradford along the right sideline and the receiver broke some tackles as he raced towards the end zone, stretching the ball across the goal line as he was pushed out of bounds. Carr was solid on the 10-play, 88-yard drive that he kept alive with a 20-yard completion to Wells on an early 3rd-and-8. It was the second week in a row that Houston grabbed an early 7-0 advantage after never holding a lead all season. During Houston's first possession of the third quarter, Carr fumbled as he was sacked by Rob Meier. The loose ball was recovered by Bobby McCray, giving Jacksonville the ball at the Houston 29 and Leftwich would find Wilford for a 12-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7-7 with 8:46 remaining in the third. The Texans responded though and Wells culminated a 13-play, 84-yard sequence with a seven-yard touchdown run with 1:19 left in the third, putting Houston back on top, 14-7.

Game Notes

Pearman made five catches for 34 yards...Wells also had 45 yards receiving on five catches...Carr fumbled three times but two were recovered by the Texans...The last time Houston and Jacksonville played each other, the Texans recorded the first shutout in the franchise's history, a 21-0 win.

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