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By: Quinton Smyth Senior
Editor - WagerOnFootball.com
PITTSBURGH 13, MIAMI 3
Monday, September 27
MIAMI -- Ben Roethlisberger
had to wait a few more hours and endure a rainy night in
Miami before winning his first NFL start.
In a game originally scheduled to begin
in the afternoon but pushed back to the night to allow Hurricane
Jeanne to blow through, Roethlisberger turned the ball over
just once in a sloppy affair as the Pittsburgh Steelers
posted a 13-3 victory over the Miami Dolphins.
It was Roethlisberger's first start
in place of Tommy Maddox, who is out with an elbow injury.
He started poorly by throwing an interception on his first
throw but settled down as the rain intensified.
A 23-year-old rookie, Roethlisberger
wound up throwing for 163 yards and the game's only touchdown
as the Steelers improved to 2-1 in the mud and rain at Pro
Player Stadium.
"It was muddy, it was wet, but
it was a lot of fun," said Roethlisberger, this year's
11th overall pick out of Miami of Ohio. "Talk about
getting thrown into the fire. To come out playing in a hurricane
and against that type of defense was a challenge, but we
came out and did some good things."
The low-scoring game was still in doubt
until Roethlisberger gave the Steelers a cushion, hitting
Hines Ward on a 7-yard touchdown that made it 13-3 with
4:08 left.
The play demonstrated Roethlisberger's
strong arm. Flushed out of the pocket, he rolled to his
right and fired a bullet to the goal line, just inside the
boundary. Ward managed to keep both feet in bounds and keep
possession of the ball before landing.
The score held up to a challenge by
the Dolphins.
"I was about two seconds from
throwing the ball away," said Roethlisberger, who completed
12-of-22 passes. "I'm learning to get the ball to the
playmakers and let them make the plays."
Ward was the go-to receiver not only
on that play, but throughout the game, finishing with nine
catches for 97 yards.
"I was the last read on that play,"
Ward said. "(Ben) ended up scrambling to the pylon,
and he threw it low and away, and I was able to make the
catch."
Roethlisberger threw for 49 yards on
the Steelers' first scoring drive, capped by Jeff Reed's
40-yard field goal.
The second quarter evolved into a virtual
washout amid torrential downpours, and Pittsburgh gained
a second field goal from Reed midway through the third to
make it 6-0.
The Dolphins (0-3) chopped the deficit
to 6-3 on Olindo Mare's 34-yard field goal with 13:25 left
in the game.
Duce Staley rushed for 101 yards -
83 in the second half - as the Steelers outgained the Dolphins,
314-154.
"The weather was tough,"
Staley said. "I came in at halftime and changed my
spikes to longer ones, and it worked. I couldn't get any
traction in the first half."
Miami appeared shaken by the inclement
weather. The Dolphins fumbled twice and A.J. Feeley threw
a pair of interceptions as they reached Pittsburgh territory
just three times.
Following Ward's touchdown, Feeley
drove Miami to the Steelers 29 but fumbled after being sacked
by linebacker Jerry Porter, ending the Dolphins last chance.
Feeley was 13-of-27 for 137 yards and
fumbled three times as Miami fell to 0-3 for the first time
since 1969.
"If anybody had told me we would
be 0-3 to start the season, there's no way I would believe
them," Dolphins tight end Randy McMichael said. "I'm
at a loss for words, and that's hard for me. I don't know
what to do, and I don't know what to say. We're in a deep
hole, and we had better start digging out."
Miami has scored only two touchdowns
in three games, spoiling the fine play of its defense. To
compound matters, running back Lamar Gordon went out with
a shoulder injury in the first half.
"I have to revisit everything
and see what we can do to get better," Dolphins coach
Dave Wannstedt said. "We've got to look at every position
- special teams, offense, everything."
Oakland 30 Tampa Bay 20
Sunday Sept 27
The Oakland Raiders were able to exact
a bit of revenge on Jon Gruden and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
on Sunday night, but I'm sure owner Al Davis would rather
have won the Super Bowl a few years back instead.
Gruden returned to Oakland for the
first time since leaving the Raiders for Tampa after the
2001 season. Gruden then took the Bucs to the Super Bowl
the following season and was able to post a 48-21 win over
Oakland.
Things have not gone well for either
team since that Super Bowl appearance. Both teams missed
the playoffs last season and after Sunday's loss, the Bucs
have fallen to 0-3 this year.
The Raiders can thank Kerry Collins
for Sunday's victory, as he stepped in for an injured Rich
Gannon and performed strongly. Collins threw for 228 yards
and a touchdown and Tyrone Wheatley ran for 102 yards and
a score on 18 carries to lead Oakland to the 30-20 win at
the Coliseum.
Collins completed 16-of-27 passes for
the Raiders (2-1), who have won two straight overall and
five straight at home.
"When I first went in, there were
a couple of things where I didn't feel in sync," Collins
said. "But as the night wore on I really felt that
I was finding a little bit of a rhythm...The biggest thing
for me tonight was the offensive line -- they gave me incredible
amounts of time."
The Raiders signed Collins, the longtime
New York Giants quarterback, in the offseason and with Gannon
out, he could create a QB controversy in Oakland. Gannon
suffered a broken vertebrae in his neck that will sideline
him at least six weeks.
Another homecoming in Sunday's game
was the return of wide receiver Tim Brown. The veteran wide
receiver played his first 16 seasons with the Raiders franchise,
but was let go after last year. Brown hauled in four passes
for 41 yards and caught his 100th career TD pass.
"Of course, you'd like to think
after 16 seasons, there would be a different ending. But
that's how it went down. I'm glad I landed in a good place
for me," Brown says. "But to say I've put everything
aside and coming back doesn't mean something, that wouldn't
be truthful."
Brown coming home also meant something
to the Oakland faithul. The infamous Raiders' crowd rewarded
Brown with a standing ovation after the touchdown.
Yet another sidestory in this game,
was Oakland defensive lineman Warren Sapp playing against
his former team for the first time. Sapp, who played for
Gruden's Super Bowl winning team, finished with three tackles
against the Bucs.
INJURIES
Gannon suffered his injury after a
helmet-to-helmet hit by linebacker Derrick Brooks. Raiders
coach Norv Turner said that although the broken vertebrae
was serious he didn't believe that the team would lose the
38-year-old Gannon for the remainder of the season.
"He will be out an extended period.
A six-weeks deal, or maybe longer," Turner said. "It's
disappointing."
Gannon missed most of last season after
being placed on injured reserve following shoulder surgery.
UP NEXT
The Raiders will battle the Houston
Texans next Sunday in the first-ever meeting between the
two teams. The Texans are coming off a dramatic victory
over the Kansas City Chiefs.
MINNESOTA
27, CHICAGO 22 Sunday, September 26
MINNEAPOLIS --
Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss exploited the scent of the
wounded Bears.
Culpepper threw for 360 yards, including
a pair of touchdowns to Moss, to lead the Minnesota Vikings
to a 27-22 victory over the Chicago Bears in a battle of
NFC North Division rivals.
The Bears (1-2) played without Pro
Bowl middle linebacker Brian Urlacher and had a depleted
secondary that was missing three starters - safety Mike
Brown and cornerbacks Charles Tillman and Jerry Azumah.
That was made to order for Culpepper, Moss and Onterrio
Smith, who rushed for 94 yards and caught six passes for
104 yards.
"We're going to take whatever
the defense gives us," Smith said. "If they take
away our receivers over the top, we're going to run. Today,
we were successful doing both."
Cornerback R.W. McQuarters was left
with the unenviable task of trying to cover Moss despite
being five inches shorter than the Pro Bowl receiver. Moss
used that height advantage to catch a three-yard touchdown
pass over McQuarters in the second quarter.
"(Randy) always tells me just
throw it up there and that's what I did," Culpepper
said. "You can see it in his eyes how much he wants
the ball."
Moss also caught a 44-yard pass on
a 3rd-and-24 play in the third quarter before Culpepper
scored on a one-yard run and caught a two-yard touchdown
pass with 5:39 left in the fourth quarter to give the Vikings
(2-1) a 27-15 lead. He finished with seven receptions for
119 yards.
"The guys we had today can play
for anyone in the NFL," Bears linebacker Lance Briggs
said. "A win today was the job we were called to do."
Despite the injuries, the Bears battled
back and pulled within 27-22 on a six-yard run by quarterback
Rex Grossman with two minutes remaining. It was the last
play of the game for Grossman, who left the game with an
injured knee.
After forcing the Vikings to punt with
a minute and a half left, backup quarterback Jonathan Quinn
threw three incomplete passes and was sacked on fourth down
by defensive tackle Kevin Williams.
"We made the big plays down the
stretch on the final drive," Williams said. "I
don't think it mattered which quarterback they had in there,
we were going to get after him."
Thomas Jones rushed for 110 yards and
a touchdown and caught eight passes for 71 yards for Chicago.
"I felt like I was in a rhythm,"
Jones said. "When you get that late in the game, you
get into another zone, but we didn't make the plays when
we needed to make them."
Minnesota's Morten Andersen broke George
Blanda's NFL record for games played with 341, spanning
23 seasons. The 44-year-old Andersen made field goals of
42 and 24 yards and missed from 46.
Paul Edinger kicked field goals of
34 and 23 yards to stake the Bears to a 6-0 lead. The second
field goal came after Bears end Adewale Ogunleye returned
a fumble seven yards to the Minnesota 7.
The Vikings then scored the next 17
points. Culpepper hit Kelly Campbell with a 40-yard pass
and connected with Moss on a 15-yard pass before lofting
the three-yard TD to Moss with 8:57 left in the second quarter.
Andersen's 42-yard field goal 3:48
later increased the lead to 10-6.
Culpepper connected with Moss on a
44-yard pass and Smith broke off a 38-yard run before Culpepper
scored on a one-yard run 4:02 into the third quarter.
Jones turned a short pass into a 36-yard
gain before scoring on a one-yard run with 6:20 left in
the fourth quarter to pull the Bears within 20-15.
But the Vikings responded quickly,
needing just four plays to get into the end zone. Culpepper
hit Nate Burleson with a 63-yard pass to the Chicago 4.
Two plays later, Moss caught a two-yard touchdown with 5:39
remaining.
BALTIMORE 23, CINCINNATI 9
Sunday, September 26
CINCINNATI-- Jamal
Lewis' dominance over the Cincinnati Bengals has now reached
historic heights.
Lewis rushed for 186 yards, including
a late touchdown, to lift the Baltimore Ravens to a 23-9
victory in a battle of AFC North rivals.
It was the seventh consecutive game
with 100-plus rushing yards for Lewis against Cincinnati.
The 25-year-old back became the fifth quickest player in
NFL history to surpass 5,000 career yards.
After collecting 50 yards on his first
three carries, Lewis caught a pass in the flat and turned
it up field for a 41-yard gain at the start of the second.
The drive eventually ended when quarterback Kyle Boller
fumbled near the goal line attempting to score on a 20-plus
yard scramble.
"Kyle saw pressure, it wasn't
by design," Lewis said.
"I have things to learn, like
holding onto the ball," Boller said. "I just stretched
for the goal line and he (linebacker Nate Webster) hit me.
I was hoping, I'd crossed the goal line but I don't think
I did."
Two possessions later, the Bengals
drove down into Ravens' territory, but an ill-advised throw
by Carson Palmer was intercepted by safety Ed Reed and returned
43 yards to midfield.
"It was just a matter of doing
my job," Reed said. "It was an overthrow but because
everybody on defense was doing their job I was in the right
place at the right time. Palmer was pressured and had to
throw it early."
Four plays later, Boller, who had a
seven-yard TD run in the first quarter, completed a 38-yard
touchdown pass to Randy Hymes to give Baltimore a 17-0 lead.
Cincinnati rallied to kick a field goal seconds before halftime.
After the Bengals cut their deficit
to 11 points with a third-quarter field goal, Lewis sealed
the Ravens' second win this season with a 75-yard touchdown
run with 8:52 left in the fourth. A failed two-point conversion
kept the score at 23-9.
"Obviously, Jamal is one fine
player and you have to tackle him," said Cincinnati
coach Marvin Lewis, a former Ravens' defensive coordinator.
Boller completed 11-of-17 passes for
126 yards without an interception and Hymes finished with
four receptions for 60 yards.
Palmer threw for 317 yards, but was
intercepted three times, including two by Reed. Cincinnati
has failed to score a touchdown in its last 29 offensive
possessions.
"We made too many critical errors
today," Lewis said. "Carson had some fine throws
on some fine plays but you can't throw the ball in the middle
of the field and try to make something out of nothing."
"I made a couple of dumb decisions,"
Palmer said. "I made one mistake because I got too
greedy and I didn't have anything open. I need to be more
patient and take what the defense gives me."
Helped by injuries, Cincinnati actually
gained more yards than the visitors, 398-380.
Baltimore played without Pro Bowl tight
end Todd Heap, receiver Travis Taylor, nickel back Deion
Sanders, nose tackle Kelly Gregg and defensive tackle Dwan
Edwards.
"It was a great win," Ravens
coach Brian Billick said. "Anytime you can win on the
road, it's huge, particularly in this division. With the
missing parts we had, it's a big, big win."
The physical Ravens defense led by
Ray Lewis was penalized four times for 31 yards in the second
half, including a roughing the passer penalty on a hit by
Lewis in the third quarter.
"They give the quarterback the
flexibility to slide," Lewis said. "If you're
going to slide, slide. If you don't you're going to get
hit. It's football. You expect to draw some penalties."
Lewis denied hitting Palmer in the
head.
"I hit him with my shoulder."
JACKSONVILLE 15, TENNESSEE
12 Sunday, September 26
NASHVILLE, Tennessee --
The late-game magic continues for the unbeaten Jacksonville
Jaguars.
Fred Taylor's one-yard touchdown run
with nine seconds left lifted the Jaguars to a 15-12 victory
over the Tennessee Titans in a battle of AFC South Division
rivals.
It marked the third straight week that
Jacksonville (3-0) made key plays in the final minute to
earn a win.
In a season-opening 13-10 victory at
Buffalo, rookie Ernest Wilford made a leaping catch in the
end zone on the game's final play. Last week, Jaguars linebacker
Akin Ayodele recovered a fumble by Quentin Griffin at the
Jacksonville 21 with 31 seconds left to preserve a 7-6 victory
over the Denver Broncos.
"That's about fighting for the
whole 60 minutes and good things happening," Jaguars
coach Jack Del Rio said.
This time, the Jaguars drove for the
winning touchdown after Chris Brown's 26-yard touchdown
run had given Tennessee (1-2) a 12-7 lead with 5:37 remaining.
The winning drive featured a one-yard
run by rookie Greg Jones on a 4th-and-1 play, a 3rd-and-4
offsides penalty against the Titans and a critical pass
interference call against Tennessee nickel back Lamont Thompson
in the end zone.
With 1st-and-10 at the Tennessee 17
with 46 seconds left, Byron Leftwich fired a pass over the
middle to Jimmy Smith, who was pushed from behind by Thompson
in the end zone. Two plays later, Taylor scored the winning
touchdown.
The victory was especially sweet for
the Jaguars, who had lost their five previous meetings with
Tennessee. One of those was a 10-3 defeat here last November
3.
Despite scoring a total of 35 points,
the Jaguars are off to their first 3-0 start since they
were 5-0 en route to an 11-5 finish in 1998. Of course,
they have allowed just 28 points.
"Our defense is outstanding,"
Taylor said. "They keep us in it and give us a chance
to win."
After opening the season with a win
at Miami, the Titans have lost back-to-back home games against
division rivals Indianapolis and Jacksonville.
Brown has been the biggest bright spot
for Tennessee. He became just the second back in NFL history
to rush for more than 100 yards in his first three starts,
gaining 101 yards on 26 carries. The only other back to
achieve that was Stump Mitchell in his first four starts
for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1980.
Jacksonville had not allowed an opposing
back to rush for 100 yards in 17 straight games. But the
Jaguars defense was tough enough to sack Steve McNair three
times and knock him out in the fourth quarter with a bruised
sternum.
McNair, the NFL's co-Most Valuable
Player in 2003, was injured in Tennessee's last scoring
drive in which he ran twice for 19 yards. But after Brown's
touchdown, McNair overthrew receiver Derrick Mason in the
left corner of the end zone on the two-point conversion
attempt.
"I can't ask Steve not to run,"
Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. "He took the game over
and gave us a chance to put a scoring drive together with
the two runs. That's the risk he takes."
Leftwich then engineered a 13-play,
59-yard drive in the final minutes. After Taylor's touchdown,
Leftwich lofted a pass to rookie Reggie Williams in the
end zone for the two-point conversion.
Gary Anderson, the NFL's all-time leading
scorer, kicked field goals of 26 and 40 yards in the second
quarter to give Tennessee a 6-0 halftime lead.
The Jaguars went three-and-out on four
of their first six possessions before putting together a
seven-play, 73-yard scoring drive in the third quarter.
Leftwich started it with an 18-yard pass to Smith and Taylor
highlighted it with a 25-yard run. On a 3rd-and-6 play at
the Tennessee 7, Leftwich hit tight end George Wrighster,
who hurdled cornerback Samari Rolle as he fell into the
end zone with 3:15 left in the third quarter.
SEATTLE 34, SAN FRANCISCO 0
Sunday, September 26
SEATTLE -- The Seattle
Seahawks put an end to a hallowed streak while extending
a winning run of their own.
Shaun Alexander scored three times
and the Seahawks defense held the San Francisco 49ers scoreless
for the first time in nearly 27 years in a 34-0 rout, Seattle's
10th consecutive win at home.
In stretching the league's second-longest
home winning streak, the Seahawks (3-0) became the first
team to shut out the 49ers since October 9, 1977 when Atlanta
beat San Francisco (0-3), 7-0. The 49ers' NFL-record streak
without being shut out ended at 420 games.
Seattle, which started 3-0 for the
second straight year, forced quarterback Ken Dorsey into
four turnovers, the first two leading to 10 first-half points.
After Josh Brown got the scoring started
with a 35-yard field goal early in the contest, Alexander
scored on consecutive possessions. He made it 10-0 on a
one-yard plunge midway through the opening quarter and then
hauled in a three-yard pass in the back of the end zone
for a 17-point edge.
Before halftime, Alexander added another
one-yard scoring run for a 24-0 advantage. He finished with
52 yards rushing and has six touchdowns through the first
three games.
Matt Hasselbeck completed 21-of-30
passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns. He found eight
different receivers and hit Itula Mili with a one-yard scoring
pass on the first possession of the second half to make
it 31-0.
Making his second career start, Dorsey
was 19-of-32 for 153 yards. He threw two interceptions and
had a pair of fumbles, turning the ball over twice in Seahawks'
territory in the fourth quarter.
Seattle has outscored its opponents,
65-13, through the first three contests. For the first time
in franchise history, it has held its opponent to seven
points or less in three straight games.
INDIANAPOLIS 45, GREEN BAY
31 Sunday, September 26
INDIANAPOLIS -- The
showdown between Peyton Manning and Brett Favre turned into
an Arena Football League spectacle.
Manning threw for 320 yards and five
touchdowns in the first half when the Indianapolis Colts
erupted for 35 points en route to a 45-31 victory over the
Green Bay Packers.
Known for their durability and excellence,
Manning and Favre dueled for just the second time and put
on quite a show.
The reigning NFL co-Most Valuable Player,
Manning was unstoppable in the first half, completing 23-of-31
passes. He hit Brandon Stokley with touchdown passes of
34 and 27 yards, connected with Reggie Wayne and Marvin
Harrison on scoring passes of 36 and 28 yards, respectively,
and also threw a one-yard TD to running back James Mungro.
Manning finished 28-of-40 for 393 yards.
Favre, a three-time MVP from 1995-97,
had some eye-popping numbers of his own, going 30-of-44
for 358 yards and four touchdowns.
The quarterbacks topped their only
previous meeting at Lambeau Field on November 19, 2001.
In that one, Favre threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns
in a 26-24 victory for the Packers. Manning passed for 294
yards and three scores.
Wayne and Javon Walker of the Packers
enjoyed career-highs in this aerial display. Wayne had 11
catches for 184 yards and Walker caught 11 passes for 198
yards and three touchdowns.
The Colts scored touchdowns on five
of their six first-half possessions, building a 35-17 lead.
Favre hit Walker with a 12-yard touchdown
pass in the third quarter and connected with Donald Driver
on a 27-yard scoring play 1:48 into the fourth quarter to
pull the Packers within 38-31.
Green Bay had the ball with a chance
to tie the game, but Walker fumbled after catching a pass
and cornerback Nick Harper recovered for the Colts at the
Green Bay 36.
Indianapolis turned that turnover into
a touchdown when Edgerrin James scored on a one-yard run
with 1:49 left.
NEW ORLEANS 28, ST LOUIS 25
(OT) Sunday, September 26
ST. LOUIS -- John
Carney got his kicks at the expense of the St. Louis Rams.
Carney kicked a team-record five field
goals, including a 38-yarder to force overtime and a 31-yarder
to win it, as the New Orleans Saints edged the Rams, 28-25.
Carney made 5-of-6 field goals, including
thunderous boots of 52 and 53 yards in the first half. His
only miss came from 51 yards and set up a last-gasp drive
by the Rams, who cashed in when Marc Bulger scrambled 19
yards up the middle for a touchdown.
Bulger's conversion pass gave St. Louis
(1-2) a 25-22 lead with just 28 seconds left. Coach Mike
Martz opted to squib the ensuing kickoff, which rookie Will
Smith returned 17 yards to the 42.
"They have a great returner back
there (Michael Lewis) and we were concerned about field
position," Martz said. "We just didn't get it
done."
"I don't know too many people
who will kick to Michael Lewis," Saints coach Jim Haslett
said.
Aaron Brooks found Lewis for 25 yards
and tight end Boo Williams for 13 before Carney drilled
his tying kick with three seconds to go. Brooks completed
24-of-41 passes for 316 yards and a touchdown.
"I think Aaron is playing outstanding,"
Haslett said. "I said this back in training camp that
there is something about him. He feels comfortable with
what we are doing. He's spreading the ball around to everybody."
"I feel great. With the success
I am having, it's not me alone," Brooks said. "It's
the guys around me playing their hearts out. As a team we
continue to play as well as we can and we showed it today."
It looked like Carney might not get
a chance when the Rams won the coin toss, took possession
and converted a fourth down. But the Saints stiffened, and
Brooks again got them into scoring position with passes
of 14 yards to Donte Stallworth and 17 to Williams before
scampering 11 yards on a bootleg.
Carney came on again and sent the Saints
home happy 7:04 into overtime. He tied his own team record
that he shares with Morten Andersen and Charlie Durkee.
"It's a great feeling to win.
It would have been terrible feeling to lose," Carney
said. "It took a little more time than regulation but
we got it done."
Bulger threw for 358 yards - his seventh
career 300-yard game - and a touchdown. He fell to 14-2
in his career at home, with both losses in overtime. The
other came in last season's divisional playoff loss to Carolina.
Playing without injured star running
back Deuce McAllister, the Saints got their offense from
Carney, Brooks and backup running back Aaron Stecker, who
had 106 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Joe Horn added
seven catches for 91 yards.
"I had a lot of motivation this
week," Stecker said. "Anytime I was watching ESPN
or NFL Network or looked at the paper this week, they were
like, 'The season is done. They have a guy named Aaron Stecker,
who's he? He only has two starts in his career. He hasn't
done much. He's not going to do anything.' That's motivation.
It's not like they pulled me out of the front office and
said, 'Deuce is done. Do you know how to play running back?'"
"I think today was a big challenge
for him," Haslett said. "We knew he was a pretty
good running back and I think he took the challenge. He
stepped to the plate on this one."
St. Louis took an early lead on Bulger's
32-yard TD pass to Torry Holt, who caught six passes for
65 yards. Carney and Jeff Wilkins traded field goals of
50-plus yards before Stecker rumbled 42 yards to tie it,
10-10, midway through the second quarter.
Carney's second long kick - his 19th
of 50-plus in his career - gave New Orleans a 13-10 halftime
lead. He added a 39-yarder with 5:16 left in the third quarter.
Marshall Faulk's 99th career rushing
touchdown capped a 76-yard march and gave the Rams a 17-16
lead early in the fourth period. The Saints immediately
answered with an 85-yard drive culminating in Brooks' nine-yard
TD pass to Horn, who corraled a tip by safety Aeneas Williams
for the go-ahead score with 8:23 left.
"I just reacted to the ball,"
Horn said. "He made a great play on it, but he didn't
hang on to it. The last second I saw him bobble it, I turned
around real quick and kept my feet in bounds."
"It's a ball I dropped that I
should have caught," Williams said. "There's no
excuses. It was a huge reason why we ended up in overtime.
I feel responsible to my teammates. I feel I let them down
today."
Isaac Bruce had eight catches for 134
yards for the Rams, who managed just 78 yards on the ground,
committed 12 penalties and lost a fumble.
"Our backs are against the wall,
but we were 1-2 last year and no one thought we could come
out of that hole," Bulger said. "We've been here
before. No one in this locker room is going to give up."
NY GIANTS 27, CLEVELAND 10
Sunday, September 26
EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey
-- Kurt Warner, Tiki Barber and Amani Toomer were
delighted to feast on the injury-riddled Cleveland Browns.
Warner passed for 286 yards and ran
for a score and Barber rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown
to lead the New York Giants to a 27-10 victory over the
Browns in an interconference matchup.
Cleveland (1-2) played without six
starters, including four on defense, due to injuries suffered
in last week's loss at Dallas.
Without defensive end Courtney Brown
and defensive tackle Gerard Warren, the Browns had problems
containing Barber and the secondary was minus both of its
starting cornerbacks - Daylon McCutcheon and Anthony Henry
- and could not handle Toomer, who finished with five catches
for 126 yards.
Warner hit Toomer with passes of 16
and 47 yards before Barber scored on an eight-yard run 5:59
into the game for the Giants (2-1).
"Kurt is super competitive and
has taken everything in stride, which has helped the whole
team," Toomer said. Two wins in a row is big considering
what we went through last year. We're riding high right
now, but we have a tough opponent (Green Bay) coming up
on the road next week. We need to keep moving forward, as
they say."
A 43-yard field goal by Steve Christie
midway through the second quarter increased the lead to
10-0.
The Browns did not cross midfield until
the next-to-last play of the first half. In the third quarter,
Cleveland reached the Giants 5 before quarterback Jeff Garcia
fumbled a snap.
"That was as as good a drive as
we had this season," Browns coach Butch Davis said.
"It would have been good for our confidence to have
scored there."
Warner then completed 4-of-5 passes
for 66 yards on the ensuing 95-yard drive, which consumed
more than six minutes. Not known for his mobility in the
pocket, Warner capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown
run, increasing the lead to 17-0.
"I am feeling more confident with
the offense," Warner said. "This week was my best
week of practice and I felt comfortable with everything
we were doing. That transferred onto the field. We were
able to take shots down field and make some big plays."
Michael Strahan starred on defense
for the Giants, recording two sacks and two fumble recoveries.
Garcia threw for just 58 yards in the
first half after completing only 8-of-27 passes last week.
He hit Quincy Morgan with a three-yard touchdown pass with
3:36 left in the fourth quarter to pull the Browns within
20-10.
"We finally got some points on
the board in the second half, but we needed to do that at
the beginning of the game," said Garcia, who was 21-of-31
for 180 yards and was sacked four times.
After a failed onsides kick by Cleveland,
the Giants went 41 yards in five plays with the help of
a 15-yard facemask penalty against linebacker Andra Davis.
Fullback Mike Cloud, who played for the injured Ron Dayne,
scored on a five-yard run with 2:02 left to cap the drive
and seal the win.
"It was a solid effort on the
part of all three phases today," Giants coach Tom Coughlin
said. "We have put a little streak together with two
wins and winning at home and having our fans involved. Preparation
is the key to success and we had another solid week."
PHILADELPHIA 30, DETROIT 13
Sunday, September 26
DETROIT -- Donovan
McNabb and Terrell Owens showed head coach Steve Mariucci
that the Detroit Lions don't stack up very well against
the "big boys."
McNabb passed for 356 yards and two
touchdowns and Owens had another big day as the Philadelphia
Eagles coasted to a 30-13 victory over the Lions.
After going just 5-11 last season,
the Lions entered the contest 2-0 for the first time since
2000. Mariucci stated earlier in the week that he wanted
to see how his team would stack up against one of the NFL's
best teams.
"If it was a measuring stick,
we know we have a ways to go," Mariucci said. "We
know they're a heck of a team. We know we're in development
and we're building a team here. It adds to our experience
level. A game like this, even if you lose 30-13, it adds
to our experience level. We know what it's like to play
against a blitzing team in a very potent offense with weapons
galore. We can only benefit from it."
McNabb and Owens echoed Mariucci's
conclusion that his team still has a long way to go. McNabb
passed for two touchdowns, including a 29-yard strike to
Owens, and ran for a score in the first half when the Eagles
(3-0) built a 21-7 lead.
"The thing that we take pride
in over here is that we put other guys in position to be
successful," McNabb said. "And in doing that,
that opens up a lot of plays for T.O. That's when you see
him getting touchdown passes or deep balls. But you've got
guys like L. J. Smith and Chad Lewis, Todd Pinkston, Freddie
Mitchell, Brian Westbrook, Reno Mahe came in and made some
big plays, so it's something exciting for this offense.
We haven't played our best game so it's exciting to know
that as well."
In the first half, McNabb completed
17-of-23 passes for 211 yards. He finished 29-of-42 en route
to his second 300-yard game of the season and the seventh
of his career. It was a fitting end to a week that saw him
celebrate the birth of his first child.
"My first main focus is obviously
to make sure my family's healthy," McNabb said. "Secondly,
I have a job to do. It's an exciting event for my family.
I checked to make sure everyone was healthy and then I was
able to go to work and focus in on what I needed to do."
On the season, McNabb has eight touchdown
passes without an interception while also rushing for two
scores.
Owens, who clashed with Mariucci at
times when he played for him in San Francisco, had six catches
for 107 yards. He has five TDs in three games, matching
the total for the Eagles' wide receivers from all of last
season.
"From day one, I knew we could
be explosive and we're being a great offense right now,"
Owens said. "We're trying to weather the storm of everybody
saying we haven't really played anybody, but amongst ourselves,
we know what type of team we have."
Sparked by McNabb and Owens, the Eagles
are 3-0 for the first time since winning their first four
contests in 1993. Last year, the Eagles started 0-2 but
still reached the NFC championship game for the third straight
season.
"I'll take it," Eagles safety
Brian Dawkins said. "I'd rather be 3-0 than 0-3 or
1-2 any day. But at the same time, defensively, there's
a lot where we can still get better. I think that's what's
scary as I think about it is the fact that we can get better."
It was another big day for Lions first-round
pick Roy Williams, who had nine catches for 135 yards and
two touchdowns. He has four touchdowns this season.
"It's going pretty good,"
Williams said of his rookie campaign. "I wish we were
3-0. We're 2-1, we played a great team and all we can do
is go through this bye week and get ready for the week after."
Lions rookie running back Kevin Jones
left the game in the first quarter with an ankle injury.
HOUSTON 24, KANSAS CITY 21
Sunday, September 26
KANSAS CITY, Missouri --
David Carr and Kris Brown gave Dick Vermeil another reason
to cry.
After Carr put his team in position,
Brown drilled a 49-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining
as the Houston Texans rallied for 24-21 victory over the
disappointing Kansas City Chiefs.
One of the favorites to represent the
AFC in the Super Bowl, the Chiefs are 0-3 for the first
time since losing their first four contests in 1980 under
coach Marv Levy. Vermeil, the Chiefs' emotional coach, led
the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl that season.
The Chiefs matched their loss total
from last season, when they went 13-3 and won the AFC West
Division title.
"We're sort of snakebit,"
Vermeil said. "We can't make things go our way. We
had an opportunity here to win the football game and couldn't
take advantage of it. A lot of different things contributed
to it. We just didn't get it done."
"I can just see it. Everybody
will jump off our bandwagon including the national media,
which will make this an even greater story at the end of
the year," said Chiefs Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez,
who had eight catches for 106 yards and a touchdown.
In this one, the Chiefs' much-maligned
defense was not solely responsible for another disappointing
loss. The offense and special teams also contributed.
Leading 14-6 in the third quarter,
Green threw an interception that was returned 102 yards
for a touchdown by safety Marcus Coleman, tying the game.
After Green threw a five-yard TD pass
to tight end Jason Dunn early in the fourth quarter to give
the Chiefs a 21-14 lead, special teams did their part to
give back the lead.
On a 4th-and-1 play from their own
41 with under 10 minutes left, the Texans called a fake
punt and Jason Simmons ran up the middle for a first down.
Carr later capped the 10-play, 68-yard
drive with a nine-yard TD pass to Jabar Gaffney with 5:10
left, tying the game at 21-21. Carr went 13-of-25 for 233
yards, one touchdown and an interception.
After the Texans sacked Green twice
on the Chiefs' next possession, Carr engineered the winning
drive. On a 2nd-and-15 play, Carr drilled a pass over the
middle for 35 yards to Derick Armstrong to the Kansas City
30.
Two plays later, Brown split the uprights,
giving the Texans (1-2) their first win of the season.
"My life peaks when I have a chance
to win a game," Brown said.
"It defines the character of this
team," Texans coach Dom Capers said. "Our backs
were against the wall coming in here to Arrowhead. Not too
many people come into Arrowhead and win."
Priest Holmes became the all-time leading
rusher in Chiefs history, passing Christian Okoye. He rushed
for 134 yards and has 4,941 since joining the club in 2001.
Green went 21-of-30 for 224 yards and
three touchdowns with an interception.
"We had hight expectations coming
and still do," Green said. "We've got 13 (games)
to go. They're not going to change our schedule or bring
in any miracle workers. We just have to get it done."
ATLANTA 6, ARIZONA 3 Sunday,
September 26
ATLANTA -- The Arizona
Cardinals were left feeling blue in the red zone.
The Cardinals committed three turnovers
inside the Atlanta 20, including a fumble by wide receiver
Karl Williams with just over two minutes remaining, allowing
the Falcons to escape with a 6-3 victory.
Despite new coach Dennis Green's boasts
that system-wise and style-wise his club probably has the
NFL's best offense, the Cardinals have managed a mere two
touchdowns in their first three games.
"You can't really have the words
to describe your disappointment when you lose a game and
fumble that many times in a game," Green said. "I
think that for the first time this season we were careless
with the football."
In this one, the Cardinals (0-3) had
numerous opportunities to give Green his first victory,
but repeatedly made critical mistakes.
Josh McCown, in his first season as
the Cardinals' starting quarterback, lost two fumbles deep
in Atlanta territory in the second half. He also lost a
fumble in the first half and went 20-of-26 for 198 yards,
but was pulled in the fourth quarter in favor of Shaun King.
"I understood the situation,"
McCown said. "I put the ball on the ground three times."
After the Cardinals recovered a fumble
by Warrick Dunn at the Falcons 29, Williams made the final
costly mistake for the Cardinals.
On a 2nd-and-4 play from the Atlanta
13, Williams came around on a reverse and fumbled after
getting hit by linebacker Chris Draft. Strong safety Bryan
Scott recovered with 2:26 to go.
The big defensive plays and a pair
of first-half field goals by Jay Feely have the Falcons
off to their first 3-0 start since 1986.
"I'm not sure that I've seen such
an outstanding defensive performance in all my years,"
Falcons rookie coach Jim Mora Jr. said. "I know that
sounds overstated, but to cause three turnovers like we
did in the red zone really says something about the character
of those guys and their will to hang in and make a play."
Atlanta was able to win despite an
unspectacular performance by the electrifying Michael Vick,
who went 10-of-20 for 115 yards with an interception. He
also was sacked five times but did have a 58-yard run to
help the Falcons run out the clock.
"It was the best defensive game
I've seen as a quarterback with the Atlanta Falcons,"
said Vick, who is in his fourth season. "You've got
to give a lot of credit to (defensive coordinator) Ed Donatell
and Jim Mora for putting that scheme together."
"The defense came out and played
really strong," Falcons defensive end Patrick Kerney
said. "It was great. So many people on our defense
made huge plays. It was such a team effort. It's awesome."
Dunn, who was questionable earlier
in the week with a sprained knee, rushed for 91 yards on
14 attempts. He gained 60 yards on one run in the first
quarter.
Neil Rackers kicked a 30-yard field
goal in the fourth quarter for Arizona, which lost its 15th
straight road game.
Williams had six catches for 90 yards.
But the Cardinals got little from their running game as
Emmitt Smith was held to 39 yards on 17 carries..
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