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By: Quin Smyth Senior Editor
- WagerOnFootball.com
ST LOUIS 24, SAN FRANCISCO
14 Sunday, October 03
SAN FRANCISCO -- The St. Louis Rams still have plenty of
offensive firepower. The same could not be said for the
San Francisco 49ers.
Marc Bulger, Marshall Faulk and Isaac
Bruce all had productive games as the Rams coasted to a
24-14 victory over the reeling 49ers.
Off to a 1-2 start for the second straight
season and with pressure mounting on coach Mike Martz, the
Rams (2-2) played their best game of the 2004 campaign on
both sides of the ball.
Bulger engineered scoring drives on
all four first-half possessions, helping the Rams build
a commanding 24-0 lead. He had a six-yard touchdown pass
to Shaun McDonald in the first half and went 17-of-23 for
186 yards.
Faulk topped 100 yards for the second
time this season, rushing for 121 yards on 23 carries. Bruce
went over 100 yards for the fourth straight week, catching
seven passes for 100 yards.
After getting shut out for the first
time in 420 games with last week's 34-0 debacle at Seattle,
the Niners (0-4) were held off the scoreboard for the first
three quarters in this one. The seven scoreless quarters
matched the franchise record set in 1974.
Tim Rattay threw a nine-yard touchdown
pass to Curtis Conway early in the fourth quarter to finally
break the drought for the Niners, who are 0-4 for the first
time since losing their first seven contests in 1979 under
legendary coach Bill Walsh.
Rattay, who had missed the last two
games with a separated shoulder, went 31-of-47 for 299 yards
and an interception. He added an 18-yard touchdown pass
to first-round pick Rashaun Woods with under a minute remaining.
The Niners' offense was responsible
for the huge deficit. They punted twice and committed two
turnovers in the first half.
Joey Goodspeed and first-round pick
Steven Jackson each had two-yard touchdown runs in the first
half for the Rams (2-2). St. Louis outgained San Francisco,
251-82, in the first half.
Martz, criticized for relying too much
on the pass, used a balanced offense, calling 36 of 61 plays
as runs.
Niners tight end Eric Johnson had 10
catches for 113 yards.
ATLANTA 27, CAROLINA 10 Sunday,
October 03
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Michael Vick remained perfect
against the Carolina Panthers. This time, he received plenty
of help from his friends.
Warrick Dunn scored on a 38-yard run
and cornerback Kevin Mathis returned an interception 35
yards for a touchdown to lead the Atlanta Falcons to a 27-10
victory over the Panthers in a battle of NFC South rivals.
Atlanta (4-0) is 4-0 for only the second
time in franchise history. The first was in 1986 when Dan
Henning was the coach. Henning is now the Panthers' offensive
coordinator.
"Obviously this is a nice win
for our team," Falcons rookie coach Jim Mora Jr. said.
"This is an outstanding football team. I have nothing
but respect for the Panthers players and coaching staff.
It was a battle out there, for every yard, on both sides."
The Falcons outscored Carolina, 91-14
in Vick's three previous starts against them. In this one,
Vick threw for just 148 yards and rushed for 35 yards.
But Atlanta was able to establish a
solid running game, intercepted Jake Delhomme twice and
held DeShaun Foster to 51 yards on 19 carries. Meanwhile,
Dunn and T.J. Duckett combined for 139 yards on 29 carries.
"The running game opened up the
passing game downfield," Vick said. "I'm not trying
to do too much. I'm letting the game come to me. We did
a great job of executing."
"We got sidetracked as a team,
as a defensive unit, in thinking we've got to stop one person,"
Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers said. "There's
10 other people out there. If you focus on just one, someone
else will kill you."
The Falcons held a 13-10 lead in the
fourth quarter when Mathis picked off a pass by Delhomme
and raced into the end zone with 12 minutes left.
"It was a fake blitz and he (Delhomme)
never saw me," Mathis said. "You could see the
sidelines and tell the momentum had changed after that."
Last November, Mathis intercepted a
pass by Delhomme on the first play of overtime and raced
32 yards for a touchdown to give Atlanta a 20-14 win.
"Giving them that touchdown really
put us in a bind," said Delhomme, who was 23-of-38
for 308 yards. "They are a very good defense. They're
fast and get to the ball. They caused some turnovers."
Duckett scored on a four-yard run with
4:13 remaining to seal the win.
Carolina (1-2) lost for the second
time in as many home games.
"The turnovers were the difference,"
Panthers coach John Fox said. "I don't like the way
we played physically. It's something we got to clean up
and do a better job with. I take full responsibility for
that."
Panthers receiver Muhsin Muhammad caught
seven passes for 114 yards, but fumbled on the opening drive
at the Atlanta 21. Delhomme was intercepted at the Atlanta
3 to end another threat to start the second half.
"I think this one was was more
of us making mistakes that gave them the win," Muhammad
said.
Falcons defensive end Patrick Kerney,
the NFC Defensive Player of the Month, had two sacks to
raise his league-leading total to seven.
SAN DIEGO 38, TENNESSEE 17
Sunday, October 03
SAN DIEGO -- While most eyes were checking out the Tennessee
Titans quarterback situation, Drew Brees efficiently led
the San Diego Chargers to a rout at home.
Brees threw for three touchdowns as
the Chargers never trailed en route to a 38-17 win over
the Titans.
Tennessee was without reigning co-Most
Valuable Player Steve McNair and turned to Billy Volek at
quarterback. Volek threw for 278 yards but was playing catch-up
from the start.
Brees, who had completed just 54 percent
of his passes in the last two weeks, both losses, was very
accurate vs. a pass defense that ranked 13th in the NFL
entering the game.
"I thought he was outstanding,"
San Diego coach Marty Schottenheimer said. "He has
a QB rating of 149.2 which is pretty good and an 80 percent
completion rate. That's pretty efficient. Not spectacular,
but efficient."
Brees completed three straight passes
- the last a 49-yarder to Reche Caldwell - to lead the Chargers
(2-2) to their first score. LaDainian Tomlinson capped the
drive with a 15-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0.
After the Titans tied it midway through
the second, Brees got it going again. He was 4-of-4 on a
drive that ended with an 11-yard touchdown pass to tight
end Antonio Gates, giving San Diego the lead for good, 14-7.
Brees then finished the half with a
10-yard scoring strike to Justin Peele, providing the Chargers
with a 14-point edge at intermission.
With a 58-yard touchdown pass to Caldwell
in the fourth, the longest catch in Caldwell's career, Brees
finished 16-of-20 and gave San Diego a 31-17 edge.
Jesse Chatman had a 21-yard touchdown
run to cap the scoring for the Chargers, who held the ball
for less than 23 minutes but allowed just one sack and did
not have a turnover.
"It was a huge win for the team,"
Brees said. "We put a lot of points on the board and
our defense played very well considering the amount of times
they were on the field. It's fun to win and fun to win big
(especially at home). It's fun to start fast and get the
fans involved and the crowd going."
"We didn't turn the ball over
and I'm pleased with the way we went out and competed with
the Titans," Schottenheimer said. "In a final
analysis, when the opportunity came to make plays we made
them. And that's the key to winning in the National Football
League."
Tomlinson gained 147 yards to become
the Chargers' all-time leading rusher, passing Paul Lowe,
who had 4,972 yards from 1960-68.
In his second career start, Volek was
39-of-58 and had a pair of touchdown passes for Tennessee,
which has lost three straight for the first time since 2002.
"When you dig yourself a hole
like we have the last couple of weeks against a good football
team, you're going to have to find yourself a way to dig
out of it," Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. "We
didn't do that today."
"It was a long day," Volek
said. "We did some good things, we did some bad things.
They just played better than us today."
Tennessee's Chris Brown was held to
56 yards rushing, the first time in four starts he failed
to reach the 100-yard mark on the ground.
"I don't know what we have to
do," Volek said. "It's back to the drawing board,
I guess. The last three weeks, we've come up short."
Fisher had no choice but to start Volek,
and was not disappointed in the decision. He could not say
the same for his defense.
"The decision on the quarterback
was very simple," Fisher said. "Steve was not
ready to play today. We gave it to Billy and Billy played
well enough for us to win. We just didn't get the help from
the entire team. Not the offense, they did the best they
could."
DENVER 16, TAMPA BAY 13 Sunday,
October 03
TAMPA, Florida -- Jason Elam gave Mike Shanahan another
win over Jon Gruden.
Elam's 24-yard field goal with 9:03
left in the fourth quarter lifted the Denver Broncos to
a 16-13 victory over the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers in
an interconference meeting.
The game matched two Super Bowl-winning
coaches - Shanahan of the Broncos and Gruden of the Buccaneers.
They are former AFC West foes since Gruden coached the Oakland
Raiders from 1998-2001. In that four-year period, Shanahan
won seven of the eight meetings over Gruden.
"We battled back and forth for
four quarters," Shanahan said. "Fortunately, we
made a drive there at the end to keep the ball away from
them."
The Buccaneers (0-4) won the Super
Bowl two years ago under Gruden, but finished 7-9 last season
and are now off to an 0-4 start for the first time since
1996.
After scoring just two offensive touchdowns
in their first three games, the Bucs rallied from a 10-0
deficit. Brad Johnson hit rookie Michael Clayton with a
51-yard touchdown pass and Martin Gramatica kicked field
goals of 28 and 30 yards to tie the game at 13-13.
"We wished the touchdown could
have sparked us a little bit," Clayton said. "We
fell short a couple of drives, but we have to stay positive."
Jake Plummer engineered a 14-play,
84-yard drive which resulted in Elam's go-ahead field goal.
The key play in the drive was a 37-yard pass interference
penalty against safety Dwight Smith.
"You play a good team like Denver,
you can't make many mistakes," Gruden said.
Elam kicked field goals of 49 and 50
yards in the second quarter for Denver (3-1).
Plummer hit former Buc tight end Patrick
Hape with a five-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.
The game also marked the return of
former Buc safety John Lynch, who received a standing ovation
during the pregame introductions.
"Last night, to be honest, I didn't
sleep a wink," Lynch said. "I don't know if I
was that nervous at the Super Bowl. I didn't know what to
expect. But I knew one thing, that it was about coming down
here and winning a football game."
"John had a heck of a game,"
Shanahan said. "Hopefully, he will have many more games
like this."
Actually, Lynch failed to knock down
Clayton, who was getting up off the ground before scoring
Tampa Bay's lone touchdown. Clayton's helmet was knocked
off when his head was hit by Lynch's knee. But Lynch merely
touched Clayton on the back.
Bucs running back Michael Pittman made
his season debut, rushing for 72 yards on 15 carries, after
missing the first three games because of a league suspension.
"It just felt good to be back
out there, but I am disappointed we did not win," Pittman
said. "I was just trying to go my best and help the
offense and supply a spark to this team. I guess I didn't
do enough because we didn't win.
"Some guys are down (about 0-4)
but we're not going to give up. We're going to fight together.
There won't be any finger pointing. We are just going to
keep pressing to get better."
ARIZONA 34, NEW ORLEANS 10
Sunday, October 03
TEMPE, Arizona -- Emmitt Smith used his legs and his arm
as well to help coach Dennis Green get his first win with
the Arizona Cardinals.
Smith rushed for 127 yards and a score
and threw his first career touchdown pass to lead the Cardinals
to a 34-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints.
"We expect to be a pretty good
offense and this was our best offensive output of the year,"
Cardinals coach Dennis Green said. "We are happy we
got a win and now we are going to do everything we can to
get two."
Despite managing just four yards of
total offense in the first quarter, Arizona took a 7-0 lead
when safety Adrian Wilson recovered a botched handoff attempt
by New Orleans running back Aaron Stecker to wide receiver
Donte Stallworth and returned it 24 yards for a score.
Green pulled out his bag of tricks
and fooled the Saints with a trick play as Smith hit fullback
Obafemi Ayanbadejo with a 21-yard touchdown pass with 1:19
left in the second quarter. It was the first touchdown pass
of the season for the Cardinals.
"I don't want to throw the ball
ever again" Smith confessed. "If I throw another
pass it will be to my son. I tried it a couple of times
but tucked it and ran it. It became wide open so quickly
and was easier to read then before. I saw the safeties bite
and let it travel."
On the opening drive of the second
half, safety Steve Gleason blocked an Arizona punt and safety
Mel Mitchell recovered the ball in the end zone to pull
the Saints within 14-10. But New Orleans could not get any
closer.
In the fourth quarter, Smith broke
free for a 29-yard touchdown run with just over five minutes
remaining to post his first 100-yard game since joining
Arizona last season. It was the 77th 100-yard game of Smith's
career, tying the NFL's all-time leading rusher with Walter
Payton.
"How can you explain what it means
to get another 100-yard game or 17,000," Smith said.
"It means more to win now then anything. The old guy
got it this week. The coaches did a wonderful job sticking
to the run. As a running back all you want is an opportunity
to showcase and make things happen."
Backup Troy Hambrick added 79 yards
on 16 carries, including an 11-yard touchdown run with 1:57
remaining. The Cardinals rushed for 211 yards and averted
their first 0-4 start since the franchise relocated to Arizona.
The Saints (2-2) fumbled twice and
failed to find the end zone despite driving inside the 10-yard
line twice in the first quarter. They also had a one-yard
touchdown run by Ki-Jana Carter called back when they were
whistled for holding.
"The stuff that hurt us were the
penalties, the two fumbles especially the one that led to
the touchdown," Saints coach Jim Haslett said. "We
looked sloppy, we couldn't stop the run and we have to learn
how to hold on to the ball."
Stecker had 94 yards of total offense
and Aaron Brooks was 24-of-40 for 242 yards without an interception.
"Their defense was OK, but it
wasn't what everybody thought," Brooks said. "We
just didn't get the points that we needed because of mistakes.
We moved the ball well but it is tough. I am the leader
of all this, but I am tired of it. I have to evaluate my
situation here and keep fighting until a change comes."
NEW ENGLAND 31, BUFFALO 17
Sunday, October 03
ORCHARD PARK, New York -- Drew Bledsoe could not stand in
the way of his former team's streak.
Tom Brady threw for 298 yards and two
touchdowns and the New England Patriots sacked Bledsoe seven
times en route to an NFL record-tying 18th consecutive win,
a 31-17 victory over the Buffalo Bills.
New England (3-0) tied a record streak
that includes playoff games held by five teams - the 1997-98
Denver Broncos, the 1989-90 San Francisco 49ers, the 1972-73
Miami Dolphins, and the 1941-42 and 1933-34 Chicago Bears.
But the Patriots didn't seem to interested
in making history.
"We don't care anything about
a record," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "We
were just trying to win another division game and we have
another one coming up."
"As coach would say, we're looking
forward, we're not looking backward," Brady said. "This
team focuses week to week. That's the only thing you can
focus on. If you look back, teams are going to track you
down and beat you."
The Patriots won their last 12 regular-season
games in 2003, three postseason contests and their first
three games this season to reach 18. They can break the
record at home next Sunday against winless Miami.
Bledsoe, who lost his job to Brady
in New England's first Super Bowl-winning season in 2001,
beat the Patriots here last year and tried his best to end
the streak. But the immobile quarterback had problems escaping
New England's relentless pass rush and was unable to direct
any scoring drives in the second half.
Bledsoe connected with Eric Moulds
on a 41-yard touchdown with 2:43 left in the second quarter
to give the Bills a 17-10 lead.
But Brady hit David Patten with a 30-yard
scoring play just 1:15 later to tie the game at 17-17. Patten
finished with five receptions for 113 yards.
Brady's two-yard touchdown pass to
tight end Daniel Graham 3:43 into the fourth quarter gave
New England the lead for good.
Fittingly, the Patriots sealed the
win when linebacker Tedy Bruschi sacked Bledsoe, forcing
a fumble. Defensive end Richard Seymour recovered the ball
and rambled 68 yards for a touchdown with 2:44 left.
"It was a sigh of relief,"
Seymour said of his touchdown. "It was a crucial point
in the game and it swung the momentum our way. We have a
heck of an attitude and we won't be denied."
The Bills had a 4th-and-3 at the New
England 18 and failed to pick up the blitzing Bruschi, who
raced untouched up the middle before hitting Bledsoe.
"They are a good football team,
point blank period," Bills linebacker Takeo Spikes
said of the Patriots. "I wish we could have done more.
We are not the team we want to be right now."
After scoring just 10 points in each
of their first two games, Buffalo (0-3) has yet to win under
rookie coach Mike Mularkey.
"It's a hole we have to climb
out of," Mularkey said. "We'll find out what we're
made of in the next few weeks. There is a lot of football
left and I believe in these guys and I'll stand by that.
Things will turn and when they turn they'll turn for the
good."
Bledsoe was 18-of-30 for 247 yards
with an interception and directed just two scoring drives.
Travis Henry produced 98 yards on 24 carries and Eric Moulds
caught 10 passes for 126 yards for the Bills.
Buffalo's Terrence McGee returned a
kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown with 1:26 left in the first
quarter, tying the game at 10-10.
Corey Dillon scored on a 15-yard run
for New England and rushed for 79 yards on 19 carries.
NY JETS 17, MIAMI 9 Sunday,
October 03
MIAMI -- Jay Fiedler or A.J. Feeley? It doesn't seem to
matter who plays quarterback for the Miami Dolphins.
Fiedler threw a game-changing interception
early in the third quarter that was returned 66 yards for
a touchdown by cornerback Donnie Abraham as the New York
Jets posted a 17-9 victory over the offensively challenged
Dolphins.
The Jets improved to 3-0 for just the
third time in franchise history. They have home games against
Buffalo and San Francisco the next two weeks.
"This is the goal we set out for
ourselves in training camp," Jets defensive end Jason
Ferguson said. "We're enjoying it, but only for a short
time because we know we have to keep going."
The Jets used an efficient ground game
to keep the clock and field position on their side.
Curtis Martin topped 100 yards rushing
for the third straight game, the first time he has done
that since 1999. He carried 24 times for 110 yards, including
a one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
"We came down here with the mindset
that it wasn't going to be a high-scoring affair,"
Jets coach Herman Edwards said. "We stayed patient
on offense and only turned the ball over once. The best
thing we did was take the ball away, and we've done that
the last three games."
But the Dolphins can't seem to get
out of their own way. They have managed just two touchdowns
in their first four games to go along with 14 turnovers
and are off to their worst start since beginning their inaugural
1966 season with five straight losses.
Miami committed four turnovers and
looked as inept with Fiedler on the field as they had with
Feeley, who started the previous two games.
"The obvious is the turnover problem,"
Miami coach Dave Wannstedt said. "That continues to
kill our opportunities of winning a football game. We've
got to do a better job of protecting the ball. I've never
been around anything like this. This is beyond me from the
standpoint of just giving games away."
Hoping to get the offense going, Wannstedt
went back to Fiedler as his starter in this contest. Fiedler
was benched in favor of Feeley at halftime of the season
opener against Tennessee after going 5-of-13 for 42 yards
and two interceptions.
Fiedler did nothing to get the Dolphins'
sputtering offense going as they failed to score a touchdown
for the second straight week.
Fiedler also made the game's biggest
mistake. With the Dolphins trailing, 10-9, the veteran signal-caller
lofted a pass intended for fullback Rob Konrad that Abraham
stepped in front of and raced untouched down the right sideline.
"We had watched a lot of film
on them and knew what they were going to do in that (offensive)
set," Abraham said. "My eyes opened pretty wide.
I just thought to myself, 'Don't drop it.'"
The Jets' defense didn't give up much.
Leonard Henry popped off a 53-yard run in the second quarter
that led to a field goal, and that was about the only offensive
highlight for the Dolphins.
"We played our style of defense.
We didn't let them breathe,'' said rookie linebacker Jonathan
Vilma, who was returning home after a standout career at
the University of Miami. "They hit us with one big
run, but it didn't end up hurting us."
Fiedler and Feeley have thrown three
interceptions that have been returned for scores. "We
lost, and I'm disappointed," Fiedler said. "We
had some problems in the red zone, unable to capitalize
down in that territory by scoring touchdowns. We came up
with three points a few times when we needed seven."
Fiedler finished 18-of-33 for 206 yards
with two interceptions and lost two fumbles. Olindo Mare,
the Dolphins' biggest offensive weapon, kicked three field
goals.
It was the 50th career 100-yard game
for Martin, who moved past Thurman Thomas and into 10th
place on the NFL's all-time rushing list. Martin has rushed
for 12,094 yards.
"What I'm doing is a byproduct
of what the offensive line is doing," Martin said.
"They did a good job against a terrific defense. As
far as me, physically, I feel as good as I ever have at
any time in my career. I can't explain it other than to
say it's because of hard work that I've put in. It's gratifying
to see it paying off."
INDIANAPOLIS 24, JACKSONVILLE
17 Sunday, October 03
JACKSONVILLE, Florida -- Rob Morris stuffed the late-game
magic out of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Bidding for another late game-tying
drive, Fred Taylor was tackled short of a first down by
Morris on a fourth-down play and the Indianapolis Colts
held on for a 24-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars
in a battle of AFC South rivals.
The win was the third in a row for
Indianapolis (3-1) following a season-opening loss at New
England. It was the first loss of the season for the Jaguars
(3-1).
"They continue to battle back
and we couldn't put them away," Colts coach Tony Dungy
said of the Jaguars. "All in all, it was a good win,
and we feel great about it."
Edgerrin James' three-yard touchdown
run had given Indianapolis (3-1) the lead with 3:33 left
in the fourth quarter.
The Jaguars drove to the Indianapolis
45 at the two-minute warning, but Morris flew in from his
middle linebacker position to stop Taylor on a 4th-and-1
play.
"They lined up in their basic
run formation and we lined up in our basic run defense,"
Morris said. "There were no tricks or fooling anyone.
It was just line up and see what happens."
"We talked over different scenarios,
but ultimately that's (offensive coordinator) Bill Musgrave's
call," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said of the fourth-down
call.
Jacksonville won its previous three
games with late-game heroics.
Last week, Taylor's one-yard run with
nine seconds left lifted the Jaguars to a 15-12 victory
at Tennessee. Two weeks ago, 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.
In a season-opening 13-10 victory at
Buffalo, rookie receiver Ernest Wilford made a leaping catch
in the end zone on the game's final play.
In this one, Byron Leftwich threw a
40-yard touchdown pass down the left sideline to Jimmy Smith
on a 4th-and-1 play and then completed the two-point conversion
to tight end Brian Jones to tie the game at 17-17 with 10:37
left in the fourth quarter.
But Peyton Manning calmly engineered
a 13-play, 74-yard drive, completing 4-of-4 passes for 26
yards. James capped it with his touchdown run.
The NFL's reigning co-Most Valuable
Player, Manning was perfect on Indianapolis' three touchdown
drives, completing 13-of-13 passes for 162 yards. He finished
20-of-29 for 220 yards, including touchdowns of 15 yards
to Marvin Harrison and 16 yards to tight end Marcus Pollard.
Indianapolis held Taylor to 68 yards
on 20 carries. He had 278 rushing yards in two games against
the Colts last season.
Leftwich had his best game of the season,
completing 29-of-41 for 318 yards.
"I'm not looking for a good statistical
game, I'm looking for a good win," Leftwich said. "We
made some plays out there and we'll have an opportunity
to get back at these guys (the Colts) in three weeks."
Jacksonville squandered three scoring
opportunities in the first half. LaBrandon Toefield was
stopped on a 4th-and-1 play at the Indianapolis 24, Taylor
fumbled at the Indianapolis 43 and Josh Scobee missed a
35-yard field goal attempt wide right.
NY GIANTS 14, GREEN BAY 7 Sunday,
October 03
GREEN BAY, Wisconsin -- The New York Giants had to knock
out Brett Favre to win at Lambeau Field for the first time
in 33 years.
Tiki Barber rushed for 182 yards on
23 carries and tight end Jeremy Shockey caught the go-ahead
four-yard touchdown pass with 12:07 left in the fourth quarter
to lead the Giants to a 14-7 victory over the Green Bay
Packers.
The Giants last won here in the 1971
season opener.
Favre extended his NFL-record consecutive
games streak for a quarterback to 193 regular-season games,
but was unable to finish. The three-time Most Valuable Player
appeared to hurt his left shoulder and suffered a concussion
when he was knocked to the turf by defensive tackle William
Joseph after throwing a pass early in the third quarter.
After leaving for two plays, Favre
returned and lofted a 28-yard touchdown pass down the right
sideline to Javon Walker on a 4th-and-5 play to give the
Packers a 7-0 lead with 10:03 left in the third. Walker,
who set career-highs with 11 catches for 198 yards and three
touchdowns last week, made a leaping catch between Frank
Walker and Terry Cousin at the New York 3, then bulled his
way into the end zone.
Favre felt well enough to run into
the end zone and celebrate with Walker. But when he got
to the sideline, Favre felt groggy and did not return.
"Certainly as a coach, I would
have liked to have had him in there but the doctor said
he wasn't 100 percent," Packers coach Mike Sherman
said. "I asked a number of times how he was doing,
they said he was just a little cloudy, which is indicative
of a concussion."
Favre received treatment after the
game and did not speak to reporters. He was 12-of-18 for
110 yards with an interception.
The Giants took advantage of Favre's
absence. On their possession after Green Bay's score, Barber
busted a 52-yard touchdown run up the middle with 9:13 remaining
in the third to tie the game.
Quarterback Kurt Warner had a chance
to run for the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter,
but slid a yard shy of the goal line when he could have
lunged into the end zone. However, Warner made up for it
with his four-yard scoring toss to Shockey on a 3rd-and-goal
play.
Lined up like a wide receiver to the
far right on a 3rd-and-goal play, Shockey juked cornerback
Michael Hawthorne and made a leaping catch in the end zone.
"We were trying to get a matchup
that we wanted and we were praying that it would end up
being single coverage, and it was," said Giants coach
Tom Coughlin, an assistant with the Packers in 1986 and
1987. "They didn't put a safety out there and the ball
was thrown in an excellent spot."
Doug Pedersen struggled in relief of
Favre, completing just 7-of-17 passes for 86 yards and a
touchdown with an interception.
"Doug has very good mobility and
a good arm," Sherman said. "There are some throws
that we don't ask Doug to make, but he has a grasp of everything
we are doing."
The Giants also held Ahman Green to
58 yards on 15 carries. He also fumbled for the third time
this season.
The Packers (1-3) have lost three straight
for the first time under Sherman, who is in his fifth year
as coach. It also marked the first time they lost their
first two games at Lambeau Field since 1988.
Despite three missed field goals by
Steve Christie, the Giants (3-1) won their third consecutive
game after a season-opening loss at Philadelphia.
"If you looked at our schedule
and said that we would be 3-1 after four games, I think
most people would be happy," Warner said. "We
would love to be 4-0, but we are happy at 3-1. We just have
to keep it going."
Christie missed a 33-yard chip shot
with 26 seconds left, giving the Packers one last chance.
Third-string quarterback Craig Nall hit Robert Ferguson
over the middle at the New York 32 as time expired.
The game was scoreless at halftime
- the first time that's happened at Lambeau Field since
October 6, 1980.
The Giants had the best opportunity
to score in the first half, reaching the Green Bay 2. But
Warner threw into triple coverage on a third down play and
safety Darren Sharper picked it off in the end zone.
CLEVELAND 17, WASHINGTON 13
Sunday, October 03
CLEVELAND -- Lee Suggs returned to burn the Washington Redskins.
Suggs scored the go-ahead touchdown
with 6:51 remaining as the Cleveland Browns posted a 17-13
victory over the Washington Redskins, who continued to struggle
under Joe Gibbs.
In his second season out of Virginia
Tech, Suggs battled William Green for the starting job during
training camp, but missed the first three games this season
with a neck stinger.
Finally cleared to play, Suggs made
an impact as he carried 22 times for 82 yards, including
a three-yard touchdown run that gave the Browns (2-2) a
17-13 lead.
"It was the first time I really
ran the ball in a month," Suggs said. "My eyes
were going everywhere and I was real hyped up and excited."
"It wasn't as pretty as you would
have liked," Browns' coach Butch Davis said. "But
it still goes in the left hand column. "(Suggs) got
hot, and we just keep feeding the hot hand."
Their win was a mirror image of the
Browns' season-opening home victory over Baltimore. The
offense sputtered the first half, while the defense was
holding Clinton Portis, one of the NFL's premier backs,
in check.
The Browns generated just 97 yards
of offense in the first two quarters.
"(Suggs) did a great job of finding
creases and exploding through creases, of utilizing his
fullback and utilizing the blocks in front of him and creating
positive runs," Browns quarterback Jeff Garcia said.
"It's just exciting to now be
at full strength in the backfield, having William Green
and Lee Suggs in the backfield to share the load."
Coming in with a league-low 56.5 rating
and struggling in the first half of this game, Garcia, settled
down. He went 14-of-21 for 195 yards and a touchdown, helping
the Browns improve to 2-0 at home.
With Washington leading 10-3, Portis
fumbled on the first play from scrimmage in the second half,
setting up Cleveland's first touchdown.
Facing a 3rd-and-6, Garcia found tight
end Aaron Shea for a 15-yard TD pass, tying the game.
"That (fumble) changed the momentum
big time," Browns defensive end Kenard Lang said.
"I thought I was down, but they
(referees) did not see it that way," Portis said. "I
just have to hold on to the ball."
Gibbs, back on the sidelines as the
Redskins coach after an 11-year absence, watched his team
lose its third straight game.
Famous for his power running game,
Gibbs never saw Portis get untracked. Portis rushed for
58 yards on 20 attempts with a touchdown.
"Right now, it's penalties, mistakes
and turnovers," admitted Gibbs. "We are hurting
ourselves, and because of that we are not consistent."
The Redskins were 1-of-11 on third-down,
but did manage a fourth down conversion which led to their
only touchdown, a one-yard run by Portis with 4:48 left
in the second quarter.
Mark Brunell went 17-of-32 for 192
yards for Washington (1-3).
"There is no one giving up and
nobody is going to point fingers," Brunell said. "We
are going to work our way through this, one game at a time,
and hopefully get back on track."
HOUSTON 30, OAKLAND 17 Sunday,
October 03
HOUSTON -- Rookie Dunta Robinson and Jonathan Wells helped
the Houston Texans go back-to-back for the first time in
club history.
Robinson had two interceptions and
Wells rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown as the Texans
won consecutive games for the first time in club history
with a 30-17 victory over the Oakland Raiders.
Selected 10th overall in April's draft,
Robinson had his best game. The cornerback's first career
interception midway through the third quarter set up a field
goal and his other pick late in the fourth quarter stymied
an Oakland drive.
"It feels like a dream; to come
out here against the Oakland Raiders, having watched Jerry
Rice all my life and to get two picks," Robinson said.
Robinson was part of a defense that
intercepted Kerry Collins three times in the second half.
Linebacker Jamie Sharper also returned a fumble by Collins
16 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.
"We were real aggressive on defense,"
Sharper said. "We wanted to be aggressive. We just
kept coming at them, and we got an all-around attack today
from defense, offense and special teams."
Wells, starting in place of Domanick
Davis, carried 26 times. His one-yard TD late in the second
quarter gave the Texans a 17-10 lead.
David Carr added a 15-yard TD pass
to Andre Johnson 12 seconds into the fourth quarter, giving
the Texans (2-2) a 27-17 lead.
"Obviously, we've never done what
we did today, win two in a row," Carr said. "It's
huge. The focus of our guy, how they came out and played.
The intensity we showed in the first half, we kept it up
in the second half."
"The most important thing right
now is not where we are, but where we're headed," Texans
coach Dom Capers said. "Today was an outstanding win."
Carr went 14-of-23 for 228 yards. Johnson
had six catches for 105 yards.
Making his first start as a Raider,
Collins had an unforgettable game as he went 21-of-38 for
237 yards with three interceptions.
"I forced the ball over trying
to make some big plays," Collins said. "My nature
is to be aggressive. I just have to play smarter. The Texans
came prepared to play today."
"I think he (Collins) got a real
good chemistry," Raiders coach Norv Turner said. "He's
a very experienced guy. Houston put him in some negative
situations. Kerry tried to do a little more than I think
he needs to do."
Amos Zereoue rushed for 117 yards and
two touchdowns for Oakland (2-2).
PHILADELPHIA 19, CHICAGO 9
Sunday, October 03
CHICAGO -- Donovan McNabb's latest homecoming proved to
be quite a workout for Terrell Owens.
McNabb threw a touchdown pass to Owens
and Brian Westbrook also had a big day as the Philadelphia
Eagles continued to roll with a 19-9 victory over the Chicago
Bears.
McNabb grew up in the Chicago suburbs
rooting for the Bears. He went on to star at Mount Carmel
High School and played in a prep championship game at Soldier
Field.
In January 2001, McNabb also played
at Soldier Field, leading the Eagles to a 33-19 victory
over the Bears in a divisional playoff game. He was in for
one play here as a rookie in 1999.
It was another successful outing in
this one as McNabb completed 24-of-38 passes for 237 yards,
including an 11-yard TD pass to Owens in the second quarter
that gave the Eagles a 13-0 lead.
McNabb was honest about the challenges
of returning home.
"Sometimes it's a hassle, there
are different distractions which pull you away from things,"
McNabb said. "I think my family did a great job to
leave some of that out of it. When it was time to focus,
they gave me time to focus. From my mind, it was more of
a business trip."
Known for end zone celebrations, Owens
had another following his sixth TD of the season when he
decided to do some sit-ups following his score.
"I'm trying to get my workout
on a little bit," Owens said.
Though the Bears we're visibly upset
after his celebration, Owens did not seem to care.
"If they're going to be (upset),
then keep me out of the end zone," said Owens, who
finished with eight catches for 110 yards.
Westbrook carried 23 times for 115
yards and added nine receptions for 63 yards for the Eagles,
who are 4-0 for the first time since 1993.
"I'd like to touch the ball as
much as it takes for us to win," Westbrook said.
David Akers added four field goals
for Philadelphia, which has won each of its games by double
digits.
Making his first start since 2001,
Chicago's Jonathan Quinn completed 25-of-42 passes for 202
yards, including a two-yard TD pass to fullback Bryan Johnson
in the fourth quarter.
"I definitely expected to be more
accurate with my passes," Quinn said.
"My expectation would be me talking
about us getting a win and Jonathan leading us to a win,"
Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "He didn't play as well
as he needed to."
Paul Edinger kicked a 25-yard field
goal late in the first half for the Bears (1-3).
PITTSBURGH 28, CINCINNATI 17
Sunday, October 03
PITTSBURGH -- Carson Palmer's first interception came at
an inopportune moment against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Safety Troy Polamalu intercepted Palmer
and ran it back 26 yards for the clinching touchdown just
before the two-minute warning as the Steelers beat the Cincinnati
Bengals, 28-17, in an AFC North Division matchup.
"I was trying to fake a blitz
a little bit. Early in the game I was almost in the right
spot on the very same play on the same defense," Polamalu
said. "Fortunate to run it closer to make that play."
Palmer and Polamalu know each other
well from their days at Southern California. Teammates for
four years and roommates for 2 1/2, both players were first-round
picks in the 2003 draft.
"Troy is just a kid who is getting
better and better. He missed an intercept earlier but that
was an exceptional play," Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher
said.
"(I) just didn't take advantage
of the situation," Palmer said. "That's where
you want to be, on the field with a chance to come back
and win."
Pittsburgh (3-1) trailed, 17-14, before
Jerome Bettis scored on a one-yard run with 9:11 remaining.
The score came two plays after Cincinnati cornerback Tory
James was cited for pass interference on Plaxico Burress
in the end zone, moving the Steelers from the Cincinnati
22 to the 1.
"I felt a couple of plays I went
to make a play on the ball. It's the same thing," James
said. "It was real tough. That was the big play in
the game. I thought it was an easy call for the official.
He just said he didn't see the guy grab me and push me."
Cincinnati (1-3) did nothing on its
next possession but stopped Pittsburgh to get the ball back
with 2:19 remaining. But on the next play, Palmer was picked
off by the second-year safety Polamalu, who broked several
tackles en route to the end zone.
"A disappointing loss," Cincinnati
coach Marvin Lewis said. "We had our opportunities
today to make football plays to win the the football game.
We didn't string enough together to do it."
"We just have to find a way to
minimize our mistakes, Bengals linebacker Kevin Hardy said.
"I'm not sure how you do that."
Palmer, who went 20-of-33 for 164 yards
and a touchdown, was intercepted a second time with 1:06
left when Kelley Washington lost the ball off his hands
on the ground and Pittsburgh cornerback Chad Scott grabbed
it.
Pittsburgh rookie Ben Roethlisberger
was 17-of-25 for 174 yards and a score as he won for the
second time in as many starts.
"I just wanted to make sure I
got the ball to the receivers," Roethlisberger said.
"There was great protection."
Cincinnati running back Rudi Johnson
had 24 carries for 123 yards and a score.
Pittsburgh's Duce Staley had 23 rushes
for 117 yards but fumbled twice.
Bettis gained just nine yards and six
carries but scored twice.
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