It was an interesting weekend in the NFL that we just had. Some real good match-ups, including the undefeated Bills hosting the red-hot Chargers, the 49ers visiting the division rival, and also undefeated, Cardinals, and a Super Bowl rematch, as the also unbeaten Denver Broncos went up to Seattle to try and exact a measure of revenge against the Seahawks. Some teams, like the Giants, just trying to right the ship before it was too late, and some trying to remain on top. And, also quite typically, there were some major surprises! Let's take a look:
Atlanta Falcons 56, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14 (Thursday) - Atlanta crushed the Bucs, jumping out early and often, and just overwhelming Tampa Bay from the first, in a game that, astonishingly, was probably not even as close as the ridiculous score indicated. The Falcons raced out to a 56-0 lead behind Matt Ryan's solid performance, as he completed 21 of 24 passes for 286 yards and thee touchdowns. The Falcons enjoyed the luxury of earning more than double the yards that Tampa Bay earned. The Falcons were not perfect, however, committing four turnovers, while the Bucs committed five. An ugly, ugly game for the Bucs, who look like they are in for a very long season, once again. Atlanta rose their record to 2-1, while Tampa Bay dropped to 0-3.
Cincinnati Bengals 33, Tennessee Titans 7 - The Bengals, who are very tough to beat at home, dominated the Titans in almost every way. They built a 33-0 lead by the fourth quarter, before Tennessee finally scored a TD to avoid the shutout. The Bengals defense was really very solid all day, and the Titans just had no answer. Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton did not have a particularly impressive day statistically, completing 15 of 23 passes for 169 yards and 1 interception, while Jake Locker, in a losing effort, threw 17 of 34 passes for 185 yards and 2 interceptions for Tennessee. The Bengals rose their undefeated record to 3-0, while the Titans dropped to 1-2.
Dallas Cowboys 34, St. Louis Rams 31 - As a Giants fan, I watched the score early on with interest and widening eyes. No big deal when it was 7-0 Rams, but I thought it looked cool. Then 14-0, and I thought, to myself, "Wow! They actually have a chance to win this one!". Then, when they were up 21-0, it seemed like they would win. Maybe the Cowboys really were not going to be that great this season,which would help the G-Men out. But, of course, the Rams being the Rams, no lead is safe, and the Cowboys began to score, and claw their way back into the game. Before you knew it, thee game was tight, And of course, in the end, the Cowboys wound up winning, as the Rams snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, rather predictably. At one point when emotions were running particularly high, Rams tight end Jared Cook shoved his own quarterback, Austin Davis, out of the way, and was immediately, and very heatedly, by another teammate. The Rams look like a hot mess right now, after this very tough loss, and they need to pull themselves together! Dallas now enjoys a 2-1 record, while the Rams drop to 1-2.
Indianapolis Colts 44, Jacksonville Jaguars 17 - You knew that this was coming, sooner or later. The Colts had bumbled their way to an 0-2 start, although they had played well at times in both games, and played against some good teams, to boot. Now, even though they were on the road, they finally played a bad team, and desperately needing a win, especially against a divisional rival, the Colts executed very impressively. They jumped ahead of the Jaguars early and never let up, taking a 30-0 lead. They dominated time of possession and just kept their foot to the throats of the Jaguars, who are coming dangerously close to looking like the league's worst team so far, a position that they are all too familiar with in recent years. Luck completed 31 of 37 passes for 370 yards and 4 touchdowns. Blake Bortles came into the game from the bench and was impressive enough to secure the starting spot for next week's game, as he completed 14 of 24 passes for 223 yards and 2 touchdowns, although he also threw two picks. The Colts finally got a much deserved win, and now enter next weekend with a full head of steam! Indianapolis now is 1-2, while Jax has an 0-3 record.
NY Giants 30, Houston Texans 17 - I had predicted the Texans would win this, despite the Giants enjoying home field advantage, because the G-Men had looked like such a mess the first couple of weeks. But not on this day, as the Giants finally put it straight. The defense looked pretty solid, and the offense finally got rolling, helping them to build a 17-0 lead, and shutting the formerly undefeated Texans out in the first half. Eli Manning completed 21 of 28 pass attempts for 234 yards and 2 touchdowns, while the running game for New York helped him out a lot, pounding out 193 yards on the ground. Houston quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick completed 20 of 34 for 289 yards and 1 touchdown, as well as rushing for another touchdown very late in the game, during garbage time, when the outcome was already out of reach. The Giants defense also picked Fitzpatrick off 3 times, as New York finally ended their winless streak to start the season with an impressive showing! The Giants notched their first win to raise their record to 1-2, while Houston was knocked off the ranks of the unbeatens, suffering their fist defeat and dropping to 2-1.
New England Patriots 16, Oakland Raiders 9 - The Raiders, at times, looked capable of pulling off one of the biggest shockers of this young season! On the road in New England, In a see saw battle, the Raiders took an early 3-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Patriots responded with what would prove to be the game's only touchdown in the second quarter, when Patriot quarterback Tom Brady, who completed 24 of 37 passes for 234 yards, notched his only touchdown pass of the contest. It was a field goal shootout the rest of the way. Oakland trailed New England 10-3 at the half, but got two field goals in the third quarter to pull within a single point. But the Pats got two field goals of their own in the fourth quarter, and were able to preserve the important home victory. The Patriots rose their record to 2-1, while Oakland dropped to 0-3.
Baltimore Ravens 23, Cleveland Browns 21 - Another heartbreaking loss to a division rival for the Browns, the second in three weeks! This really was a back and forth game, with seven lead changes. Many of the statistics reflected how evenly matched these two teams were all day, as they were very close in terms of yards gained and time of possession. Baltimore earned more first downs, but also committed the game's only turnover. Brian Hoyer enjoyed a solid day, completing 19 of 25 passes for 290 yards and one touchdown, while Joe Flacco completed 19 of 31 for 217 yards and threw for one touchdown, although he also was picked off once, as well. Lorenzo Taliaferro ran for 91 yards and a touchdown for the Ravens. The game came down to the final play, when Justin Tucker kicked it through the uprights from 32 yards out to give Baltimore the all-important win in a division rivalry game, their second in a row! Baltimore is now 2-1, while the Browns dropped to 1-2.
San Diego Chargers 22, Buffalo Bills 10 - The Chargers went on the road in Buffalo to face the undefeated Bills, and they took control early, and kept the pressure always squarely on the Bills. San Diego's defense looked solid, as the Bills struggled offensively all day - particularly on on the ground, where the running game never got going. Philip Rivers completed 18 of 25 for 256 yards and 2 touchdowns for San Diego, while EJ Manuel completed 23 of 39 for 238 yards and 1 touchdown for the Bills. Both teams now stand with 2-1 records.
New Orleans Saints 20, Minnesota Vikings 9 - The Saints desperately needed to win this game, after starting off a surprising 0-2 after two road losses for the season. New Orleans is usually a tough place to play, and that was the case this weekend, as well, as the Saints jumped out to a 13-0 lead on two first quarter touchdowns. At that point, it looked like the Saints were going to tear the Vikings apart. But Minnesota's defense pulled it together and toughened up, while the offense notched three field goals in the second and third quarters combined to pull within 13-9. before Drew Brees found Marques Colston in the end zone in the fourth quarter to help ice the game. Brees completed 27 of 35 passes fr 293 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Teddy Bridgewater completed 12 of 20 passes for 150 yards in a losing effort for Minnesota.
Detroit Lions 19, Green bay Packers 7 - Uually, when these two teams play, you expect a bit more offense than this! But Detroit won a surprisingly tough defensive battle between these two teams. The Lions showed everyone how to contain Aaron Rodgers, as they held him to an unusually unproductive day with 16 of 27 for 162 yards and 1 touchdown. Matt Stafford went 22 of 34 for 246 yards for the Lions, with no touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Reggie Bush rushed for a 26-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to ice the game for the Lions, who now stand at 2-1, while Green bay sank to 1-2,
Philadelphia Eagles 37, Washington 34 - The Eagles had to overcome a double-digit deficit for the third straight week to notch their third win in a row to start the season. But this one was a real shootout! Washington took control early, building up to a 17-7 lead in the second quarter, although the Eagles battled back to take a 21-20 lead by halftime. Nick Foles completed 27 of 41 passes for 325 yards and 3 touchdowns for the Eagles, while Kirk Cousins completed 30 of 48 pass attempts for a whopping 427 yards and 3 touchdowns, although he also threw an interception. The Eagles remain unbeaten at 3-0, while Washington sank to 1-2 on the year.
Seattle Seahawks 26, Denver Broncos 20 (OT) - This is the game that should have been the Super Bowl, not the 43-8 drubbing in which the Broncos were effectively no shows! This game was tough, physical, yet exciting! It was a low scoring affair early, and the Broncos were matching Seattle physicality for a while, with both teams nodded at 3-3 until late in the second quarter, when the Seahawks scored two quick touchdowns to go up 17-3. But the Broncos toughened up and became the aggressors in the second half, and clawed their way back into the game. 31 of 49 for 303 yards and 2 touchdowns, although he also threw a key interception in the fourth quarter on a drive where the Broncos could have pulled ahead. Marshawn Lynch stood out for Seattle as a multipurpose back, rushing for 88 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries, while also catching 3 balls for 40 yards and a touchdown. Russell Wilson threw 24 of 34 for 258 yards for 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Notably, he caught a pass in the first quarter on a beautifully executed trick play. The Seahawks owned the lead from late in the second until very late in the fourth quarter, when Manning orchestrated a brilliant touchdown drive for the Broncos, who had trailed 20-12, converting on a two-point conversion to tie the game at 20 apiece. But in overtime, the Broncos never touched the ball, as Seattle's offense marched down the field on an 80-yard drive that culminated in Marshawn Lynch scoring the game winning touchdown to finish the Broncos off! Both teams are now 2-1.
Kansas City Chiefs 34, Miami Dolphins 15 - After a tough loss at Denver last week, the Chiefs wanted to notch their first win of the season. And they did so at the expense of the hosting Miami Dolphins, who opened with a solid win, but lost badly to Buffalo last week, which included losing their starting running back. Things did not get much better for them against Kansas City, who jumped out to a 14-0 first quarter lead, and never looked back. Alex Smith completed 19 of 25 for 186 yards and three touchdowns for Kansas City, who never trailed. Ryan Tannehill completed 21 of 43 for 205 yards and 1 touchdown for Miami. Both teams now have matching 1-2 records.
Arizona Cardinals 23, San Francisco 49ers 14 - For a while there in the first half, it looked like the 49ers were going to dominate this game. They scored two touchdowns, compared to only two field goals for Arizona, and took a 14-6 lead into the half. But whatever was said in the Cardinals locker room at that point, it worked, as the Niners were unable to move the ball effectively in the second half, and just looked flat the rest of the way. Arizona's defense looked tough once again, Drew Stanton completed 18 of 33 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns for the Cardinals, while Colin Kaepernick, who had never before in his career lost to the Arizona Cardinals, completed 29 of 37 passes for 245 yards and 1 touchdown in a losing effort. The Cardinals, rather surprisingly, remain undefeated at 3-0 and stayed alone atop the NFC West standings for a second straight week, as they head into a bye week, assuring an undefeated month of September. The 49ers, surprisingly, suffered their second straight loss to drop to 1-2.
Pittsburgh Steelers 37, Carolina Panthers 19 - The Steelers hung onto the ball a lot, and took advantage of their opportunities on the road against the previously unbeaten Panthers, as they pulled off the upset in Carolina, dominating the game. Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown has a particularly prolific day, catching 10 balls for 90 yards and 2 touchdowns! The Panthers offense committed two turnovers and their defense just could not contain Pittsburgh's offense. Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed 22 of 30 for 196 yards and 1 touchdown, while Cam Newton went 24 of 35 for 250 and 1 touchdown, although he also had a fumble. Both teams now have 2-1 records.
No comments:
Post a Comment