NFL Week 13 Sunday Recap -- Sunday November 28th

By: Q. Smyth Senior Editor - Wager On Football .com Sportsbook Review

 
(Sunday, December 5th)

Final Score: Cincinnati 27, Baltimore 26

Baltimore, MD (Wager On Football - NFL Football Betting) - Shayne Graham kicked a 24-yard field goal as time expired, lifting the Cincinnati Bengals to a come-from-behind 27-26 victory over Baltimore at M&T Bank Stadium.

Graham's second field goal of the day came after Ravens kicker Matt Stover drilled a 45-yarder to give Baltimore a 26-24 lead with 1:42 remaining. The Bengals (6-6) scored 24 points in the fourth quarter for their fourth win in five games.

"I'd have to say it is the biggest win since I've been here," said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, formally defensive coordinator for the Ravens. "We can play with these teams. We can win these games. I want these guys not to be happy losing by three."

Carson Palmer passed for 382 and three touchdowns to lead the Cincinnati offense. His favorite targets were Chad Johnson, who caught 10 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who also had 10 receptions for a career-high 171 yards and a score.

Chester Taylor rushed for 139 yards and a touchdown to lead the Ravens (7-5), who have lost two straight on the heels of a three-game winning streak. Kyle Boller passed for 172 yards with an interception in the loss, Stover kicked four field goals, and Chris McAlister scored a 64-yard defensive touchdown.

McAlister's TD came after teammate Ed Reed fumbled on an interception return. It gave Baltimore a 20-3 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The Ravens defense held Cincinnati to a three-and-out on the ensuing possession, but B.J. Sams muffed the punt return and the Bengals recovered at the 19-yard line.

That set up Palmer's 13-yard touchdown pass to Johnson, which pulled Cincinnati within 20-10 on the first play of the fourth quarter.

After a Baltimore punt, the Bengals put together an impressive 76-yard drive to pull within 20-17. Houshmandzadeh caught a 32-yard pass and rushed 16 yards on an end-around before Palmer found Johnson in the end zone again for a 12- yard touchdown with 10:39 remaining.

Stover booted a 38-yard field goal at the other end, his third of the day, to give the Ravens a 23-17 lead with 8:34 left. The kick was set up by Taylor's 47-yard run on first down.

It was all Palmer and Houshmandzadeh on the ensuing Bengals possession. They hooked up for 24 yards on first down, for 34 yards on second down and gave Cincinnati a 24-23 lead with a nine-yard TD connection at 5:38.

Houshmandzadeh and Johnson were flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after celebrating with a jumping chest-bump, and the Ravens only needed 27 yards to set up Stover's 45-yard field goal.

"We've been doing it all year," Houshmandzadeh said of the chest-bump. "I don't understand [the penalty], but we'll do it on the sidelines from now on."

But the normally stingy Baltimore defense allowed Palmer to lead the Bengals on the game-winning drive. Palmer was 3-of-3 for 65 yards on the game-winning drive, including a 32-yard completion to Houshmandzadeh on first down and a 22-yard pass to Johnson.

"After the game, you didn't see their defense," said Cincinnati center Rich Braham. "They just left the field. I think they were just stunned."

Cincinnati earned its first road victory over a team with a winning record since beating Pittsburgh on December 2, 1990.

"Give credit to the Bengals," said Baltimore head coach Brian Billick. "They fought back from every situation."

The Bengals were moving well on the game's opening drive until tight end Matt Schobel fumbled near midfield. Reed recovered for the Ravens and returned the ball 22 yards, setting up Stover's 20-yard field goal for a 3-0 Baltimore lead with 9:16 remaining in the first quarter.

Graham came up short on a 53-yard field goal early in the second quarter, but was true on a 41-yard attempt to tied the game at 3-3 with 2:25 left in the first half.

Stover then gave the Ravens a 6-3 lead at the end of the half, capping a 78- yard drive with his 22-yard field goal.

Baltimore drove 85 yards for a touchdown on the first possession of the second half, taking a 13-3 lead on Taylor's one-yard plunge at the 8:13 mark of the third quarter. Boller was 5-of-5 for 46 yards on the 12-play drive, including a 13-yard pass to Taylor on 3rd-and-9 from the Cincinnati 38.

Boller was intercepted at midfield on Baltimore's next possession, but the Ravens defense responded in kind for a touchdown.

Reed intercepted an overthrown pass at the Baltimore 15 and returned it 24 yards before the ball was stripped from his left hand. McAlister picked it up in stride, made a few nice moves near midfield, and sprinted through the Cincinnati offense for a 64-yard TD and 20-3 Ravens lead inside the 3:00 mark of the third.

Game Notes

Taylor picked up his first career 100-yard game...Reed has a franchise-record 358 defensive return yards this season...Baltimore tight end Todd Heap player for the first time since Week 3 (sprained ankle), and he caught three passes for 22 yards...Ravens defensive back Deion Sanders missed his fifth straight game with a hamstring and toe injury...The Ravens still lead the all-time series 12-6, but Cincinnati earned its first win in Baltimore since 1996...Lewis is 2-2 against his former team... Billick is 9-3 all-time against Cincinnati.

Final Score: Kansas City 34, Oakland 27

Oakland, CA (Wager On Football - NFL Football Betting) - Eddie Kennison caught a 70-yard touchdown pass for the go-ahead score with just 2:04 remaining to lead Kansas City over Oakland, 34-27, in an AFC West matchup at Network Associates Coliseum.

Kennison finished with a game-high 149 yards receiving to go along with his eight catches for the Chiefs (4-8), who halted a four-game slide.

Kansas City's Trent Green, playing with bruised ribs, completed 23-of-35 passes for 340 yards with three touchdown passes and an interception.

The Chiefs were once again without running back Priest Holmes, who missed his third straight game with a knee injury. However, Larry Johnson stepped in and rushed for 118 yards and his first NFL touchdown on 20 carries. Johnson also scored a touchdown through the air on three receptions for 56 yards.

Kerry Collins was 27-of-41 for 343 yards with three touchdowns for the Raiders (4-8), who have dropped seven of their last nine. Oakland has lost three straight in the series with its last victory against the Chiefs being a 24-0 home shutout in 2002.

The game was knotted at 27-27 and the Chiefs started the decisive possession at their own 12-yard line with 4:01 left to play. Only five plays later, Kennison caught Green's deep strike for the longest passing touchdown of the season for the Chiefs.

Oakland got the ball back and picked up two first downs to move down to the Kansas City 46. However, they would get no closer as the Raiders actually lost yardage before Collins' pass was incomplete on a 4th-and-19 to seal the win for KC.

The Chiefs won the battle of total offense, 500-364.

Each team scored on its first possession of the game. The Raiders got the ball first and drove it 59 yards before settling for a Sebastian Janikowski 27-yard field goal.

Kansas City did one better on their first possession, reaching the end zone via a 20-yard touchdown catch by Derrick Blaylock. The 10-play, 65-yard drive was also fueled by Blaylock as he caught a 13-yard pass down to the Raider 35.

Before the first quarter ended, Janikowski booted a 36-yard field goal with 1:06 left to trim the Kansas City edge to 7-6.

The Raiders grabbed a 13-7 lead six minutes into the second. Collins completed passes to Amos Zereoue and Doug Gabriel before finding Ronald Curry for a 34- yard touchdown strike that capped a three-play, 52-yard drive

Kansas City went three-and-out on its next possession, and the Raiders responded with another quick three-play scoring drive to push their advantage to 20-7. This time it was Jerry Porter who hauled in a 51-yard touchdown reception with 5:58 left in the first.

With just 14 seconds left before the intermission, Lawrence Tynes kicked a 28- yard field goal to cut the deficit to 20-10 for Kansas City.

Johnson tallied all 14 points in the third to give the Chiefs a 24-20 lead. With 10:23 left in the frame, the Penn State product ran for a five-yard score before catching a 10-yard score from Green with 4:16 to go.

Curry, who tallied two touchdowns and 141 yards through the air before leaving the affair with a leg injury in the fourth, opened up the fourth- quarter scoring to put the Raiders ahead, 27-24. Just 47 seconds into the stanza, Curry caught a 26-yard TD pass from Collins.

With 6:59 remaining, Tynes chipped a 22-yard field goal to tie the game at 27-27 for the Chiefs.

Game Notes

KC owns a 44-42-2 advantage over Oakland in the all-time regular season series...The two teams will meet again in KC on Christmas day...Oakland has not won at home since September 26 vs. Tampa Bay...Green has 300-plus passing yards in six of his past eight games...KC head coach Dick Vermeil grew up 70 miles north of Oakland...Four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Charles Woodson posted his first interception of the season...Oakland also played without its top rusher, Tyrone Wheatley, who had a torn hamstring.

Final Score: Washington 31, NY Giants 7

Landover, MD (Wager On Football - NFL Football Betting) - Clinton Portis rushed for 148 yards and had a pair of touchdowns, while Patrick Ramsey threw for three scores as Washington rolled to a 31-7 victory over the reeling New York Giants at FedEx Field.

Ramsey completed 19-of-22 passes for 174 yards as the Redskins snapped a three-game slide. Portis finished with 31 carries and had both a rushing and receiving score for Washington (4-8), which had not recorded more than 18 points in a single game up to this point.

The Redskins also did their part on the other side of the ball, limiting Eli Manning and the Giants' offense to a meager 145 total yards and seven first downs. New York's only score came on a 92-yard kick return by Derrick Ward in the third quarter.

Manning was just 12-of-25 for 113 yards in his second career start, while Tiki Barber was held to only 38 rushing yards on 15 carries for New York (5-7), which has dropped five straight after a 5-2 beginning.

The Redskins completely dominated the first half, as Washington outgained the Giants 217-57 over the first 30 minutes and owned a 17-3 advantage in first downs to build a 21-0 lead at intermission.

Washington began its initial drive on its own seven-yard line but marched the length of the field to go ahead 7-0. Portis, who ran the first five plays and totaled 31 yards over that stretch, burst for 13 yards to put the ball inside the New York 15, then capped the 13-play series with a one-yard plunge across the goal line with 5:47 left in the first quarter.

The Redskins put together a 91-yard drive in the second period to extend their advantage to 14-0 with 4:44 to play before halftime. Ramsey completed all four of his throws on the possession, including a 13-yard delivery to James Thrash to the Giants' 26 and a 16-yard strike to Rod Gardner which gave Washington first-and-goal. Two plays later, Portis took a shovel pass from Ramsey and scampered into the end zone from four yards out.

A blocked punt by Walt Harris with just over three minutes left in the half led to the Redskins next points, a nine-yard pass from Ramsey to Robert Royal which made it a 21-0 game with 44 seconds left on the clock.

Washington pushed the margin to 24 points on John Hall's 46-yard field goal with 5:38 to go in the third quarter. A 14-yard connection from Ramsey to Thrash in New York territory helped set up the score.

The Giants got their lone highlight on the ensuing kickoff, when Ward took the ball on the eight-yard line, found a seam near the middle of the field, and outraced the opposition to avoid the shutout.

However, the Redskins continued to move the ball and control the clock. Washington consumed nearly nine minutes of time on the following possession, a 14-play march which ended when Ramsey and Chris Cooley hooked up for a six- yard touchdown with 11:48 to play. Ramsey ended the series 5-of-6 for 49 yards.

Game Notes

Portis moved past the 1,000-yard mark during the game and became the first Washington running back since Stephen Davis in 2001 to reach the milestone...The Redskins are 4-0 this year when Portis runs for over 100 yards...New York had won six of the previous eight meetings between the clubs, including a 20-14 triumph on September 19, and defeated the Redskins at FedEx Field in each of the last two years...Washington defensive end Phillip Daniels returned after missing three games due to a groin injury, but left the contest early with a sprained left wrist...Giants linebacker Barrett Green suffered a sprained ankle in the first half and did not return.

Final Score: Chicago 24, Minnesota 14

Chicago, IL (Wager On Football - NFL Football Betting) - Chad Hutchinson threw for a career-high three touchdown passes in his Chicago debut as the Bears downed NFC Central rival Minnesota, 24-14, at Soldier Field.

Hutchinson completed 18-of-30 passes for 213 yards while filling in for Craig Krenzel, who was out with a high ankle sprain. The former Dallas quarterback signed with the Bears in September after starter Rex Grossman went down with a season-ending knee injury.

"We needed to have a guy step up like that," said Bears head coach Lovie Smith on Hutchinson. "We had a good feeling about what he could do. You don't expect efforts like this."

Chicago (5-7), which snapped a two-game slide, intercepted Daunte Culpepper three times, two by cornerback Jerry Azumah, to post its fourth victory in its last six outings.

"Defensively, we really came up big," Smith said. "We talk about how important turnovers are, and they were really huge today."

Culpepper finished 23-of-33 for 279 yards and a pair of scores through the air for Minnesota (7-5), which had a two-game win streak halted and has now lost four of six. Former Bear Marcus Robinson caught six passes for 90 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

"Chicago deserves this victory," said Vikings head coach Mike Tice. "They outplayed us and they outcoached us. You certainly can't turn the ball over on the road and expect to win, not in this league."

Hutchinson gave the Bears a 17-14 lead with a 15-yard TD pass to David Terrell with 22 seconds left in the first half and the Chicago defense kept the Vikings off the board after intermission to seal the team's fourth straight win over Minnesota in the Windy City.

Desmond Clark also caught a touchdown for the Bears and had 58 yards on six receptions.

Onterrio Smith rushed 13 times for 79 yards for Minnesota before leaving in the fourth quarter due to an injured shoulder.

The Vikings moved the ball to the Chicago 25 on their initial series, but Azumah picked off Culpepper's pass intended for Nate Burleson at the 11-yard line and raced 52 yards before being brought down. The turnover led to a six- yard touchdown toss from Hutchinson to Clark on 3rd-and-goal which gave the Bears a 7-0 lead with 4:47 remaining in the first quarter.

Chicago had two other key third-down conversions during the drive. Thomas Jones ran for 16 yards out of the shotgun to the Minnesota 18. Then after the Vikings forced a 3rd-and-16 situation, Hutchinson connected with Justin Gage for 20 yards to put the ball on the four-yard line.

Minnesota answered on the ensuing possession, as the visitors marched 72 yards in seven plays for the tying score. A 39-yard completion to Jermaine Wiggins got the Vikings into enemy territory and Smith later ripped off a 26-yard run to the Bears two. Three plays later, Culpepper hit Burleson for a four-yard touchdown to make it a 7-7 game at the 1:19 mark of the opening period.

Hutchinson would bring Chicago back into scoring range early in the second quarter. The third-year pro delivered a 19-yard strike to Terrell followed by an 11-yarder to Gage which brought the ball to the Minnesota 25. But a sack by Kevin Williams helped kill the drive and made the Bears settle for a 53-yard field goal by Paul Edinger which put the hosts back in front.

Culpepper would throw another interception deep in Chicago territory, as Brian Urlacher picked him off with Minnesota enjoying a 1st-and-goal at the Bears' three-yard line and returned it near midfield. The defense would hold and Edinger hit a 52-yard attempt short to give Minnesota good field position.

Four plays after Edinger's miss, Robinson hauled in a 40-yard bomb from Culpepper and kept his feet in bounds near the back of the end zone to give the Vikings a 14-10 edge with 2:23 to go in the half.

However, Hutchinson engineered an impressive 11-yard drive inside the final two minutes to give the Bears back the lead. He found Bobby Wade down the right sideline for a 31-yard gain into Vikings territory, then put Chicago inside the 20-yard line with under a minute left with consecutive completions to Clark and Terrell. With 22 seconds on the clock, Hutchinson threw a deep fade in the end zone to Terrell, who made a nifty leaping catch for a 15-yard score that sent the Bears into the locker room with a 17-14 lead.

"I definitely had some fun out there today," Hutchinson said. "It was a great opportunity to play again."

The Vikings held the ball for over eight minutes during a 15-play drive in the third quarter, but came away empty. Minnesota got as far as the Chicago 10- yard line, but Alex Brown and Azumah teamed for a third-down sack and a 10- yard loss to force a kick. Morten Andersen's 38-yard attempt with just over two minutes left in the period was then partially blocked and missed its mark.

The Bears responded with an extended series of their own to pad their cushion. Anthony Thomas carried seven times for 39 yards on the 13-play set, including a 17-yard burst to the Minnesota three on 3rd-and-7. On third down, Hutchinson lofted a five-yard touchdown pass to fullback Jason McKie for a 24-14 margin with 10:23 to go.

"It's nice when you see the offense get into a rhythm," said Brown. "We kept trying to get them the ball and they kept rolling with it."

Minnesota failed to gain ground on its final two possessions. The Vikings attempted a fake punt midway through the final period, but upback Brian Russell was stopped a yard short of a first down. Culpepper's final turnover of the day came near the two-minute warning, when Azumah stepped in front of Moe Williams and picked off the throw inside the Bears 15.

Game Notes - Hutchinson saw his first NFL action since October 19, 2003 against Detroit while a member of the Cowboys...Robinson played for Chicago from 1998-2002 and holds the franchise season record of 1,400 receiving yards set in 1999...Urlacher had been out since November 14 due to a lower left leg injury...Terrell's TD catch was his first this season, while McKie's was the first of his career...Chicago's last seven wins in the series all came by eight points or less.

Final Score: NY Jets 29, Houston 7

East Rutherford, NJ (Wager On Football - NFL Football Betting) - Curtis Martin rushed for 134 yards with a touchdown on 23 carries and also added a receiving score to lead the New York Jets to a 29-7 win over the Houston Texans at Giants Stadium.

Chad Pennington returned to the starting lineup and the quarterback ended 20- of-27 for 155 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for the Jets (9-3), who have won three straight and remain right in the thick of the AFC playoff race.

Pennington had missed the last three weeks with a rotator cuff injury after getting hurt in the first quarter of a 22-17 loss to Buffalo on November 7.

"I try to step into the huddle and get those guys to believe in themselves, believe in me and have confidence in what we're doing and right now they are doing a good job of it," said Pennington.

David Carr finished just 12-of-25 for 157 yards with two interceptions for the Texans (5-7), who have lost four of their past five contests.

"We are better than this," said Carr. "We shouldn't get beat like that. We should not lose a football game like that."

Andre Johnson caught seven passes for 125 yards and Domanick Davis ran for a touchdown in the loss.

The Jets trailed by one at the half, but regained the lead midway through the third quarter as Martin's four-yard touchdown scamper made it 13-7. The short two-play drive was aided by a 46-yard punt return by Santana Moss.

New York added to its lead early in the fourth quarter as Pennington found Martin for a five-yard touchdown reception with 13:30 left in the game. The Jets went for two, but failed and led 19-7. On the 12-play, 80-yard drive, Pennington threw for 37 yards and Martin rushed for 38.

"We knew coming into this game that we were going to have to have a balanced attack," said Martin. "We wanted to keep them off the field."

Pennington put the game away later in the fourth quarter as he found Anthony Becht for a two-yard score to extend the gap to 26-7 with 9:05 left. The 40- yard drive was keyed by Erik Coleman's interception.

Doug Brien's 25-yard field goal with 2:09 left capped the scoring.

After Houston failed on 4th-and-10 from the Jets' 33-yard line on the game's opening possession, New York took over and proceeded to move downfield. The Jets moved 44-yards in nine plays before settling for Brien's 41-yard field goal to make it 3-0.

On the Texans' next series, Davis appeared to score on a long run, but it was called back for holding and Houston eventually turned the ball over on downs.

New York again marched down the field, but for the second time, the drive stalled in Texan territory and Brien was called upon. This kick, from 26 yards, made it 6-0 with 10:13 left in the second. Martin accounted for 35 rushing yards on the series.

Houston then took a 7-6 lead on Davis' two-yard touchdown run with 4:45 remaining in the first half. Carr threw for 75 yards on the 10-play drive as he completed a 38-yard pass to Jabar Gaffney and a 37-yard strike to Johnson.

Game Notes

Martin has 10 rushing touchdowns this season and 51 rushing scores with the Jets, one shy of tying Emerson Boozer's team record...Brien's three field goals give him 200 for his career...New York is 5-1 at home this year...Johnson eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in a season for the first time in his career...Davis scored a touchdown for the fifth straight game...New York defensive end John Abraham left the game with a knee sprain and Texans linebacker Jay Foreman injured his ankle and did not return...The Jets lead the all-time series, 2-0.

Final Score: Indianapolis 51, Tennessee 24

Indianapolis, IN (Wager On Football - NFL Football Betting) - Peyton Manning threw for 425 yards with three touchdowns and Edgerrin James ran for 105 yards with a pair of scores, as the Indianapolis Colts shook off a sluggish start and rolled to a 51-24 victory over the Tennessee Titans at the RCA Dome.

The Colts trailed 24-17 after a wild first quarter, but outscored the Titans 34-0 the rest of the way and won their fifth straight game. Indianapolis (9-3), coming off its 41-9 Thanksgiving Day rout at Detroit, remained in firm control of the AFC South.

Manning threw for six scores against the Lions and continued his drive toward the touchdown record. He now has 44 TD passes this season, just four shy of the record of 48 set by Dan Marino in 1984.

The Titans came up with a pair of interceptions, but Manning still completed 25-of-33 passes to record his second 400-yard game of the year and first in a win. He threw for 472 yards in a loss at Kansas City on October 31.

"We have been on a little hot streak here," said Manning. "Our execution has been sound. We had a good month of November. That's kind of how coach Dungy breaks it down to try to keep it going in December. The idea is always to be playing your best football in December and January and I thought, especially, in the second half today our execution was really solid."

Tennessee (4-8), which has lost two straight and three of its last four, played without last year's co-MVP in quarterback Steve McNair, who sat out with a chest injury.

Billy Volek started for the Titans and threw for 269 yards with three scores on 21-of-35 passing, but he was also intercepted twice. Chris Brown ran for 104 yards on 19 carries.

The Colts dominated, outgaining Tennessee 567-340. Brandon Stokley caught eight passes for 153 yards and Marvin Harrison added four catches for 106.

The Indianapolis defense shut the Titans down in the second half, as Tennessee managed only 82 total yards after halftime.

"I thought once we got through the first quarter, we settled down and played better," said Colts head coach Tony Dungy.

The Colts scored first when Mike Vanderjagt kicked a 47-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead early in the first quarter. A 37-yard pass from Manning to Stokley put Indianapolis into Tennessee territory, but tight end Marcus Pollard dropped a sure touchdown pass before the Colts had to settle for three.

The Titans needed just two plays to move in front, as Brown broke off an 18- yard run before Volek hit Drew Bennett with a 48-yard touchdown pass.

Tennessee then recovered an onside kick to set up a 45-yard field goal by Gary Anderson for a 10-3 lead.

The Colts, though, tied it just six plays later when Harrison made an acrobatic catch in the back of the end zone for a 24-yard score. Manning was 4-for-4 on the 66-yard march.

The Titans again struck quickly with a three-play drive for a touchdown. Volek and Derrick Mason hooked up for a 32-yard pass on the first play and Brown ran for four yards on the next before Bennett hauled in a 28-yard touchdown pass to make it 17-10.

Another onside kick followed and the Titans recovered again, but Volek was picked off by Jason David at the Indianapolis 45.

"We felt like our best chance to win this game was to keep their offense off the field," said Titans head coach Jeff Fisher about his onside kick strategy.

Despite a 15-yard penalty that pushed the Colts back, Manning needed only three plays to tie the game. A 59-yard pass to Harrison put the ball at the Tennessee 10 and James did the rest of the work. He carried for a yard, then a penalty for defensive holding set up a first down at the four and James bulled his way into the end zone from there to tie the game at 17-17.

Once again the Titans used a quick strike to move in front, as Bennett hauled in a 48-yard touchdown pass to finish a four-play, 70-yard drive that put Tennessee ahead on the final play of a wild first quarter.

The Colts answered with a nearly six-minute drive to open the second and tied it with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Stokley. Manning recovered a bad snap early in the 13-play series and completed seven of his eight passes during the march.

"It was pretty bizarre," Manning said of the back-and-forth action. "We felt compelled to score with the ball when we got it because their offense was hot and they were taking a lot of chances."

Back came the Titans again, driving to the Indianapolis 25 to set up a field goal attempt. The 43-yard try was blocked by Montae Reagor and the ball bounced off the turf and hit the facemask of Anderson. Rob Morris scooped it up on the way to a 68-yard return for a score to give the Colts a 31-24 lead.

After a Tennessee punt, Manning failed to hand the ball off cleanly to James and the Titans recovered the fumble at the Indianapolis 39.

Volek then found tight end Ben Troupe for a 30-yard touchdown, but the play was nullified by a penalty for illegal use of hands and the Titans turned it over on downs when a 4th-and-11 pass from the 40 came up three yards short.

The Colts then drove from their own 33 to the Tennessee 10, but Manning's third-down pass was picked off in the end zone by Andre Dyson in the closing seconds and Indianapolis went into the break with a 31-24 advantage.

The defenses were nearly non-existent through two quarters, as the Colts outgained the Titans 338-268 and did not punt. Tennessee punted only after going three-and-out on its opening series.

Manning was 19-of-24 for 317 yards in the first half, with Stokley catching six balls for 113 yards and Harrison adding four catches for 106.

Volek connected on 9-of-13 throws for 201 yards in the opening 30 minutes, while Bennett had three catches -- all for touchdowns -- for 124 yards. Bennett did not catch a pass in the second half.

"What we need to get to the Super Bowl is execute, and we didn't execute in the first quarter when they scored 24 points," said Morris about the Colt defensive effort. "We did later and then they scored no points."

The Colts started the second half with a march from their own 24 to the Tennessee five, but Manning couldn't get his team in the end zone and had to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Vanderjagt to make it a 34-24 game.

The Titans took their initial possession of the second half inside the Colt 40, but a 4th-and-7 pass fell incomplete and Indianapolis marched 66 yards the other way for a touchdown.

Manning started it with a 32-yard pass to Stokley and James took over from there. He ran for 17 yards and then five, before a 12-yard scoring jaunt increased the Indianapolis lead to 41-24 with 4:37 left in the third quarter.

Tennessee then faked a punt and Craig Hentrich threw incomplete to give the Colts the ball at the Titan 35, but Manning again couldn't take advantage of the short field and was picked off by Lamont Thompson at the goal line.

Indianapolis finally scored again early in the fourth when a 40-yard pass interference penalty set up a 10-yard touchdown pass from Manning to Reggie Wayne.

A 55-yard run by Dominic Rhodes on the next Colt possession set up a 37-yard field goal by Vanderjagt.

Game Notes

Manning recorded the sixth 400-yard passing game of his career. He has thrown multiple touchdown passes in 12 straight games, matching the NFL record set by Johnny Unitas in 1959...Brown recorded his sixth 100-yard game of the 2004, while James notched his seventh...The Colts tied an NFL record with their fourth straight 40-plus point game. The 2000 Rams and the 1960 Chargers were the only other teams to accomplish the feat.

Final Score: St. Louis 16, San Francisco 6

St. Louis, MO (Wager On Football - NFL Football Betting) - Steven Jackson rushed for 119 yards and Jeff Wilkins booted three field goals to lead the St. Louis Rams to a 16-6 victory over the San Francisco 49ers at the Edward Jones Dome.

"I knew early on that I was getting the start and that I was going to be playing a lot," Jackson said. "I challenged myself to go over 100 yards, and coach (Mike) Martz did a good job of sticking with the run."

Chris Chandler threw a touchdown pass filling in for an injured Marc Bulger as the Rams (6-6) won for just the second time in six games. St. Louis was outscored, 82-34, in its last two games outdoors in Buffalo and Green Bay.

Chandler finished 18-of-27 passing for 216 yards with the touchdown pass to Torry Holt and was intercepted once.

Bulger was sacked by Bryant Young late in the first quarter and was taken for X-rays, which came back negative. He was diagnosed with a shoulder sprain. He completed 3-of-4 passes for 22 yards before the injury.

"He'll be back," Martz said confidently about his starter. "Whether it's this week, we don't know. He won't miss a lot of time."

Holt had 10 receptions for 160 yards with the touchdown in the win.

Todd Peterson kicked two field goals to account for San Francisco's only points. Tim Rattay completed 10-of-21 passes for 121 yards with an interception for the 49ers (1-11).

Jackson carried eight times for 37 yards on the Rams first possession and Wilkins capped the drive with a 29-yard field goal to open the scoring. The 14-play, 63-yard drive took over eight minutes off the first quarter clock.

San Francisco responded quickly as Rattay completed a pass to Brandon Lloyd for a 52-yard gain. The drive, which started at the 49ers' 15, stalled at the Rams' 33 and Peterson booted a 51-yard field goal with 2:23 left in the first quarter.

Bulger was injured during the next series and replaced by Chandler, who completed his first pass to Holt for 19 yards before the Rams were forced to punt.

St. Louis started its next possession at its own 19 and Chandler completed a pass to Jackson for a 21-yard gain on the first play of the drive and followed with a pass to Holt for 40 yards to the San Francisco 20. Jackson lost two yards on the next play, but Chandler found Holt alone in the left corner of the end zone to give the Rams a 10-3 lead with 9:29 remaining in the second quarter.

The Rams began a drive at their own 39 with 2:47 remaining before halftime and Chandler moved the offense into scoring position. Chandler completed 5-of-8 passes for 36 yards to set up a 52-yard field goal by Wilkins to give St. Louis a 13-3 advantage with 45 seconds left in the second quarter.

Rattay drove the 49ers to the Rams' 22 with San Francisco's first possession of the second half and Peterson booted a 40-yard field to cut the St. Louis lead to 13-6.

San Francisco moved to the Rams' 19 early in the fourth quarter after Chandler was sacked and fumbled, but Jerametrius Butler intercepted a Rattay pass intended for Brian Jennings and St. Louis took over at its own seven.

Chandler completed 5-of-6 passes for 53 and Wilkins booted a 52-yard field goal for a 16-6 advantage with 6:16 to play. The 49ers never threatened again.

Game Notes

San Francisco had just 63 yards rushing on 27 carries...49ers running back Kevan Barlow left the game with a concussion...Rattay played despite suffering a sprained foot in the first quarter.

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