Well, the really big game that everyone is talking about was between the visiting Denver Broncos, and the hosting Dallas Cowboys. Denver entered the game undefeated, and with an outstanding offense on record pace, led by star quarterback Peyton Manning. The Cowboys, in the meantime, are a perennially flashy team expected to improve considerably from recent disappointing seasons, with their owner, Jerry Jones, even predicting a Super Bowl victory for his team at the end of this season. They entered the game at 2-2, and in sole possession of first place in the NFC East.
So, this was supposed to be the big game of the week. Rarely, does a game truly live up to it's billing.
This one did. It was a wild shoot out, with both teams showing flashes of brilliance in a back and forth game.
The Cowboys jumped out ahead early, taking a 14-0 lead, before Denver finally began answering. they would outscore the Cowboys during a dominant 28-3 run, before the Cowboys managed a field goal just before the half, to pull within 8 points.
In the second half, Denver got a touchdown to go up 35-20, and it appeared for a while that they might start to take over the game. But to their credit, the Cowboys not only answered, but began to dominate for a while themselves, clearly getting a second wind, going on a 28-6 run, mostly behind the arm of Tony Romo, and an imposing defensive effort that suddenly had the potent Broncos offense settling only for field goals for most of the third quarter, and much of the fourth. By that point, Dallas had earned for itself a 48-41 lead, and time was running out.
But Denver are playing like champions, and many expect them to be just that at the end of the season. They responded accordingly, as well, as Manning led another touchdown drive Knowshon Moreno rushing to the right for a one-yard touchdown, tying the game at 48-48 after the PAT, with 2:39 to play.
Then, came the fateful play. Denver Rightside Linebacker Danny Trevathon intercepted Romo, who really only threw that one truly terrible pass on this day. But it came very late in the fourth quarter, and very deep in Dallas territory, with everything in a very memorable game on the line. Denver was handed a golden opportunity to put this game on ice.
And they capitalized. After getting a crucial first, they were able to run the clock down to mere seconds left, giving themselves the 28-yard field goal opportunity, which Denver Placekicker Matt Preter solidly put through the uprights to clinch the incredible win for Denver.
Despite an incredible, record performance for the Dallas offense, and particularly for quarterback Tony Romo, the team still walked off the field with their heads down after a truly devastating loss. It sank their record to 2-3 on the season, in a tie for first place with the Philadelphia Eagles, in what appears to be a very sub par division.
So how good was this game, exactly? It was the fourth highest scoring game in NFL history. The two teams combined for over a thousand total yards of offense. Tony Romo set a new franchise passing record for the Cowboys, completing 25 of 36 passes for 506 yards and five touchdowns. Yet, his last pass will probably be what most people remember him in this game for - an interception in a tied game late in the fourth quarter that gave the Broncos the chance to ice the game. Dallas never got the ball again.
Still, Romo had an undeniably incredible game, actually statistically outplaying his more famous and esteemed rival on the other team.
Yet, Manning had a pretty memorable game, as well, completing 33 of 42 passes for 414 yards and four touchdowns. he managed to move past Dan Marino for second place on the career passing list with 61,371 yards. His record setting season (at least so far) continues, as he has now passed for 1,884 yards twenty touchdowns in four games, with an incredible average passer rating of 136.4 for those first five games.
His efforts are obviously fruitful for his team, as well. The Broncos managed to score at least fifty points in two consecutive games now, and clearly have the hottest offense in the league at the moment. Just look at their point totals thus far in the season: 49, 41, 37, 52, and 51. That's a total of 230 points after only five games, during which time they have averaged 46 points a game - easily a record to this point!
Denver, with the victory, raised their record to 5-0, and remained one of the three teams that are still unbeaten. The Broncos have now won 16 consecutive regular season games, dating back to last season.
In the end, the memory of this game will probably read something like this: a quarterback duel between a good quarterback, Romo, and a truly great quarterback in Manning. And despite playing an incredible game, and putting up record numbers, Romo will be remembered for blinking first in the showdown, and throwing that very costly interception. It is probably unfair, but probably the truth that Romo's performance today will be best remembered for the one truly bad play that he was entirely responsible for, and which ultimately cost his team any chance to win the game.
As for Manning, this game helped to cement his already stellar reputation and legacy, and perhaps went a long way towards clinching what seems like an inevitable 5th MVP award.
As good as that game was, it was not the only game yesterday. As I already mentioned, there were two other teams that managed to stay unbeaten. I was not entirely surprised by the New Orleans Saints beating Chicago - I suspect the Bears are not as good as their hot 3-0 start would suggest. As for the Chiefs defeating Tennessee on the road, that came as a bit of a surprise! I am truly impressed with them, and think that Andy Reid has to be considered a favorite for coach of the year. Both teams stand with the Denver Broncos at 5-0, with the Chiefs in a first place tie with Denver in the AFC West.
The Saints, meanwhile, are the only unbeaten team remaining in the NFC, as Seattle lost in another epic clash yesterday at Indianapolis. They jumped out ahead, 12-0, and seemed to be floating along quite nicely, thank you very much.
But Indianapolis gave up Manning for a reason, and that reason is Andrew Luck. Yesterday, he once again reminded them of why they placed such strong faith in him, as he led the Colts not just to rally once to come back in a game that they trailed, but twice. Down 12-0, Luck hit Hilton deep for a 73-yard touchdown pass to put the Colts on the board. Then, a blocked field goal attempt resulted, rather amazingly, in a touchdown for Indy, giving them a 14-12 lead.
Seattle, however, responded like the elite team that they have elevated to, and began to dominate again late in the second, and through much of the third quarters, building up another solid lead at 25-17.
Once again, though, Indianapolis rallied behind Luck. Luck hit Hilton again, this time for a 29 yard touchdown, to pull within two points. After a Seattle field goal, the Colts managed to take the lead on a drive orchestrated by Luck, resulting in a 3-yard rushing touchdown by Donald Brown. Luck hit Reggie Wayne for the two-point conversion, and the Colts were up by three. They managed one more field goal late in the fourth quarter, and Seattle was unable to respond, preserving an electrifying victory for the Indianapolis Colts, 34-28. Both teams stand at 4-1 now.
The other unbeaten team to fall was New England, and they lost in a horrible way. Cincinnati held them to 6 points, their lowest total output since 2006, as Cincy improved to 3-2 with a 13-6 home win.
I watched part of the Giants game, and for quite a bit of it, the Giants appeared to be on track for their first win of the season. It looked that way in the first quarter, when they held a 7-3 lead. Then, the Eagles started to take over the game, but the Giants came back to actually retake the lead in the third quarter, finally beginning to resemble the Giants of old.
But an Eli Manning interception in the fourth killed any remaining momentum, and the Eagles scored a very quick touchdown on the very next play, and that after Michael Vick left the game with another knee injury. The Eagles eventually won, 36-21, and they are now tied with Dallas for first place in the NFC East.
For the Giants, this was yet another embarrassment, on a season apparently long with such embarrassments for the franchise. Officially, it is their worst start to a season since the 1987 season, but it should be remembered that that season was a strike shortened season, and three of those games during that terrible start were with scab players, not the regulars. So, the team that had won Super Bowl XXI had lost the first two games of the season, and managed to win after the 0-5 start, once the regular players came back.
These Giants do not have that excuse. They, too, won a Super Bowl recently. But this team bears little resemblance to those champions. Manning still leads the lead in interceptions, and the Giants offense still has not quite clicked like in years past. And the bad news was even worse on defense, where Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck suffered injuries, and the defense allowed over thirty points yet again. Thus far, through five games, they have not held a single opponent to under thirty points. in order, they have allowed 36, 41, 38, 31, and 36 points. That means that in five games, they have allowed 182 points, an average of over 36 points a game. You are not likely to win many games when you allow that many points, and given the troubles the Giants are having on offense, it really is no wonder then that the season is spiraling out of control so quickly.
The Jacksonville Jaguars also remain winless at 0-5, after another defeat, this time at St. Louis. Denver lost their 23rd consecutive game in Wisconsin, as the Packers defeated them, 22-9. Baltimore managed to pull off a big win at Miami with a late field goal for a 26-23 win. The Cardinals managed a 22-6 win against Carolina, and San Francisco crushed the suddenly hapless Texans, 34-3. In the very late game last night, the Oakland Raiders pulled off a rather surprising 27-17 win over San Diego.
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