So, this was another strange season in which no team survived even four games with an undefeated record still intact.
Two teams entered this weekend with perfect 3-0 records, and they both were coming off byes. The Cardinals were putting their unbeaten record on the line in visiting Denver, never an easy place to play. In the meantime, the red hot Bengals were also heading towards a tough road game at New England for Sunday night.
It seems rare, when we have seasons where not a single team makes it past 3-0 before suffering a loss. But that is exactly what happened in 2011, and that is now also exactly what happened in 2014, as well.
Denver Broncos 41, Arizona Cardinals 20 - The Cardinals were keeping it relatively close, until the very end, there, when the Broncos really began to pull away. But you know that Denver is a tough place to play, with the thin air from the high elevation, to say nothing of having to face legendary quarterbacks like Elway and Manning. Especially on a day when Peyton Manning was aiming to reach truly elite category among quarterbacks, as he was well within reach of becoming only the second quarterback in history to reach the milestone of 50 touchdown passes in his career. He entered the game with 499 career touchdown passes, and everyone knew that it was probable that he would reach 500 on this day. It didn't take too long, either, as he threw his first of four touchdown passes in the first quarter, putting Denver up. the Broncos never relinquished that lead. Still the Cardinals would keep it surprisingly close for a while, managing a touchdown late in the third quarter to pull within four points. But the Broncos burst into life in the fourth, with a 17-0 run that ended all hopes of Arizona's remaining unbeaten. Manning finished the day completing 31 of 47 passes for 479 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, although he did have a touchdown saving tackle on one of those INT's. A solid win for Denver, and Manning may have a chance to eclipse Brett Favre's record of 507 career touchdown passes when the Broncos visit the reeling Jets in the Meadowlands next week.
New England Patriots 43, Cincinnati Bengals 17 - Yes, Cincinnati entered this game as the last remaining unbeaten team in the league, but you knew that they were going to have that seriously tested early in the game, as the Patriots put together a solid touchdown drive to go up in the first five minutes. You sensed that they were on a mission with this game when they were able to add to that when Brady found Tim Wright, who ran 17 yards for the score, to put New England up, 14-0. The Bengals tried to fight back, but it was 20-3 by the half, and the Bengals were reeling. Cincinnati did respond early in the third quarter when Andy Dalton completed a 37-yard touchdown pass to Mohamed Sanu, which closed the margin to 20-10. But that was as close as Cincinnati would get, because minutes later, Tom Brady completed a 16-yard touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski, and the Pats never looked back after that, piling on the points. Brady had his best day of the season so far, completing 23 of 35 for 292 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Dalton, in a losing effort, completed 15 of 24 for 204 yards and two touchdowns. The last remaining unbeaten team fell, as did the premature obituaries for the Patriots season, following their own blowout loss to the Chiefs last Monday Night.
NY Giants 30, Atlanta Falcons 20 - These two teams have an interesting history together. For some reason, they had the strangest streak of any two teams in NFL history - the most consecutive times that the visiting teams won meeting. It was something like twenty years where no team hosting a game in this rivalry actually won a game, with the visiting team always managing to win, for some reason. Strange. More recently, my son and I went to the playoff game between these two teams in January of 2012, which I recall fondly. Sadly, my son does not remember it at all. He was very young. One of the most charmed memories from that game was how he kept referring to the Falcons as the "Atlantic Fountains", which sounded downright poetic! Thinking of that still puts a smile on my face!
Two teams entered this weekend with perfect 3-0 records, and they both were coming off byes. The Cardinals were putting their unbeaten record on the line in visiting Denver, never an easy place to play. In the meantime, the red hot Bengals were also heading towards a tough road game at New England for Sunday night.
It seems rare, when we have seasons where not a single team makes it past 3-0 before suffering a loss. But that is exactly what happened in 2011, and that is now also exactly what happened in 2014, as well.
Denver Broncos 41, Arizona Cardinals 20 - The Cardinals were keeping it relatively close, until the very end, there, when the Broncos really began to pull away. But you know that Denver is a tough place to play, with the thin air from the high elevation, to say nothing of having to face legendary quarterbacks like Elway and Manning. Especially on a day when Peyton Manning was aiming to reach truly elite category among quarterbacks, as he was well within reach of becoming only the second quarterback in history to reach the milestone of 50 touchdown passes in his career. He entered the game with 499 career touchdown passes, and everyone knew that it was probable that he would reach 500 on this day. It didn't take too long, either, as he threw his first of four touchdown passes in the first quarter, putting Denver up. the Broncos never relinquished that lead. Still the Cardinals would keep it surprisingly close for a while, managing a touchdown late in the third quarter to pull within four points. But the Broncos burst into life in the fourth, with a 17-0 run that ended all hopes of Arizona's remaining unbeaten. Manning finished the day completing 31 of 47 passes for 479 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, although he did have a touchdown saving tackle on one of those INT's. A solid win for Denver, and Manning may have a chance to eclipse Brett Favre's record of 507 career touchdown passes when the Broncos visit the reeling Jets in the Meadowlands next week.
New England Patriots 43, Cincinnati Bengals 17 - Yes, Cincinnati entered this game as the last remaining unbeaten team in the league, but you knew that they were going to have that seriously tested early in the game, as the Patriots put together a solid touchdown drive to go up in the first five minutes. You sensed that they were on a mission with this game when they were able to add to that when Brady found Tim Wright, who ran 17 yards for the score, to put New England up, 14-0. The Bengals tried to fight back, but it was 20-3 by the half, and the Bengals were reeling. Cincinnati did respond early in the third quarter when Andy Dalton completed a 37-yard touchdown pass to Mohamed Sanu, which closed the margin to 20-10. But that was as close as Cincinnati would get, because minutes later, Tom Brady completed a 16-yard touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski, and the Pats never looked back after that, piling on the points. Brady had his best day of the season so far, completing 23 of 35 for 292 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Dalton, in a losing effort, completed 15 of 24 for 204 yards and two touchdowns. The last remaining unbeaten team fell, as did the premature obituaries for the Patriots season, following their own blowout loss to the Chiefs last Monday Night.
NY Giants 30, Atlanta Falcons 20 - These two teams have an interesting history together. For some reason, they had the strangest streak of any two teams in NFL history - the most consecutive times that the visiting teams won meeting. It was something like twenty years where no team hosting a game in this rivalry actually won a game, with the visiting team always managing to win, for some reason. Strange. More recently, my son and I went to the playoff game between these two teams in January of 2012, which I recall fondly. Sadly, my son does not remember it at all. He was very young. One of the most charmed memories from that game was how he kept referring to the Falcons as the "Atlantic Fountains", which sounded downright poetic! Thinking of that still puts a smile on my face!
There were other memories, as well. But no regular season contest between these two teams will likely stand out for me as much as the 1988 meeting between the two teams. The Giants had won the Super Bowl in January of 1987, but then had one of the worst title defenses in history, going 6-9 (the scabs went 0-3), and not even coming close to qualifying for the postseason, let alone defending their title. The next season, in 1988, I really wanted the Giants to rise back up to elite status, but they were not playing as well as I'd hoped. They went into Atlanta, a lowly team at that point, and were struggling, losing 16-6 pretty late in the fourth quarter, and it appeared that they were heading for a loss. But they pulled off a pretty epic comeback in mere minutes, overcoming a 10-point deficit on the road, and ultimately, were able to win in regulation, 23-16! It would not be enough for them to qualify for the playoffs (they were eliminated in the final minute of their final game), but that was a very memorable victory, and stuck with me more than most Giants games did.
Well, these two teams renewed their rivalry, and it was a good game. The Falcons seemed to control it, and the Giants just were not getting things done on the offensive end. It was a close contest through the first half, with the Falcons owning a narrow 13-10 lead. That seemed to change in the third quarter when Matt Ryan completed a pass to Antone Smith, who then ran it all the way to the end zone for a 74-yard touchdown play, providing the Falcons with a 20-10 lead, and seemingly on the verge of breaking the game open. But from that point onwards, it would be all Giants the rest of the way. The offense started to click, with the running game proving effective, and Manning on the mark. The Giants were able to get a couple of touchdown drives while holding off Atlanta, to get back the lead, and then added to this with a couple of late field goals for what would prove to be the final margin of 30-20. It was the Giants third win in a row, after an 0-2 start. Eli Manning completed 19 of 30 passes for 200 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Matt Ryan, in a losing effort, 29 of 45 for 316 yards and 1 touchdown, as well as 1 interception.
Dallas Cowboys 20, Houston Texans 17 (Overtime) - A memorable battle of the two Texas teams! The Cowboys threatened to pull away at times, but Houston hung in there, assisted by a strong fan presence from fans that had made the trek from Houston to pull for their team. The Cowboys led 17-7 late in the fourth, but Houston was able to get a field goal to make it a one possession game, then got the ball back. They drove it all the way to the one-yard line, where Arian Foster was able to get it in for the tying score. The Cowboys still had a chance to clinch the win in regulation, but a missed field goal by placekicker Dan Bailey, who had previously made thirty field goal attempts in a row, forced the overtime! Once in overtime, Bailey was given the opportunity to clinch the win for the 'Boys once again, and this time, he split the uprights, and the Cowboys came away with another solid win, their fourth in a row! Tony Romo completed 28 of 41 pass attempts for 421 and 2 touchdowns, with 1 interception. Arian Foster had a very solid day of rushing, with 157 yards rushing on 23 carries, and 2 touchdowns, in a losing cause for the Texans.
Buffalo Bills 17, Detroit Lions 14 - This was one of the results that really surprised me! Not that I think the Bills are bad, but I thought the Lions were playing better this season, and maybe were showing something more than in seasons past, especially at home. Plus, the Lions were able to jump out to a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter, after a pick six by Kyle Orton was run back by Rashean Mathis 41 yards for the touchdown. But the Bills chipped into the lead with a couple of field goals at first to get it to 14-6, and then a fourth quarter touchdown pass from 2 yards out by Orton to Chris Gragg. Buffalo went for the 2-point conversion, and Fred Jackson was able to get it to tie the game. The Lions had a chance for a field goal to retake the lead, but it was missed. Detroit leads the league in the unfortunate category of missed field goals so far this season, with eight! The Bills then got a chance to win it with a long field goal attempt of their own, and Dan Carpenter nailed the game winning, 58- yard field goal for a huge road win for Buffalo!
Cleveland Browns 29, Tennessee Titans 28 - The Browns made history with the greatest comeback win for any road team in NFL history! Looking complete lifeless in the first half, Cleveland found themselves down 28-3, and seemingly headed for yet another loss. But they pulled off a huge comeback, and made history in the process. It was the largest comeback in franchise history, as the Browns handed the Titans a stunning 29-28 loss! And it came against the same franchise that had allowed the largest comeback in NFL history, when the then Houston Oilers wasted a 35-3 lead, and lost to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Wildcard in January of 1993. The Tennessee Titans/Houston Oilers now own the dubious distinction of being on the wrong end of the biggest comeback in playoff history, which is also the biggest one in NFL history overall, and now, the biggest comeback by a road team in NFL history, against the Titans. Brian Hoyer is making a lot of Cleveland fans forget all about Johnny Manziel (also known as "Johnny Football") with some solid play, as he completed 21 of 37 for 292 yards and 3 touchdowns, as well as the one pick six that he had in the first half.
Carolina Panthers 31, Chicago Bears 24 - Jay Cutler could not have done much more than he did, as he enjoyed a monster of a game! He completed 28 of 36 for 289 yards and 2 touchdowns passes, as well as 3 rushes for 22 yards and 1 touchdown, his first rushing TD since 2011. He did also have 1 interception. The Bears jumped out to a 21-7 lead in the first half, but the Panthers kept clawing back. In fact, Carolina dominated the second half, containing the Bears and their dangerous offense, allowing only three points in the second half. It was a sloppy, mistake prone game from both teams, but the Panthers prevailed to take sole possession of first place in the NFC South. The Bears, in the meantime, fell behind both the Packers and the Lions with this tough loss.
New Orleans Saints 37, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31 - Despite the loss, it looks like the Tamp Bay Bucs are showing some real signs of life, all of a sudden! In a very tough environment for any team, the Bucs played the Saints tough in the dome, although New Orleans did themselves no favors in playing sloppily, as well. So far this season, the Saints just do not look as sharp as many expected them to look by this point, which accounts for their struggling to a 2-3 record by this point. It was a strange game, with both teams at different points owning a double-digit lead. The Bucs even owned an 11-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but then the Saints finally came alive with a rather strange 11-0 run to force overtime. Khiry Robinson ran it into the end zone from 17 yards out to clinch the win for the Saints.
Indianapolis Colts 20, Baltimore Ravens 13 - Andrew Luck did not have the kind of monster day that he had the previous two weeks, but he looked solid enough to help his team earn a tough win, as he went 32 of 49 for 312 and 1 touchdown, although he also had 2 interceptions. He also rushed it 6 times for 12 yards and 1 touchdown. It was a tough, defensive contest, rather than the wide open offensive shootout that some surely were expecting, but the Colts managed to outlast the Ravens, to earn their third straight win after an 0-2 start to the season.
Philadelphia Eagles 34, St. Louis Rams 28 - The Eagles have been finding ways to score points without their offense the last few weeks, as they managed to get two rather strange touchdowns. One was from a blocked punt for a touchdown, and the other came when Cedric Thornton recovered a fumble by Rams quarterback Austin Davis. The Eagles owned a 34-14 lead in the fourth quarter, but the Rams began to make a game of it in the fourth quarter, mostly behind the solid play of Austin Davis, who finished the day with 29 of 49 for 375 yards and 3 touchdowns, including 2 td passes in the fourth quarter. Nick Foles completed 24 of 37 passes for 207 yards and 2 touchdowns, as well as one interception. Philly raised their record to 4-1, tied with the Cowboys and Chargers atop the NFL at the moment.
Pittsburgh Steelers 17, Jacksonville Jaguars 9 - In a tough and mistake prone game, the Steelers essentially outlasted the lowly Jaguars on the road. Roethlisberger completed 26 of 36 for 273 and 1 touchdown, while Jax's Blake Bortles completed 22 of 36 for 191 yards and no touchdowns, but 2 interceptions, including the pick six in the fourth quarter that essentially clinched the win for Pittsburgh.
San Francisco 49ers 22, Kansas City Chiefs 17 - In a back and forth game, the 49ers were able to once again shut down their opponents late in the game, as they did last week in another home game against the Eagles. The Chiefs were unable to get anything really going late in the game, and the 49ers were able to keep kicking field goals to first get the lead, and then put some cushion between them and KC, as they held on to win their second straight contest.
San Diego Chargers 31, NY Jets 0 - This is getting embarrassing. I know the Chargers are good, and certainly, it was hard to see any way that the Jets could win this game. But getting blanked offensively, while allowing 31 points, all when you absolutely need to play your best, because you just cannot afford to drop a fourth straight game? Coach Rex Ryan, who a few years ago seemed to make an annual tradition of boasting about how this team was Super Bowl bound (and they never delivered on those promises), was already in the hot seat this season. The consensus seems to be that if the Jets don't really enjoy success this season, he is most likely on his way out. Many thought that he was gone after last season, but here he is, head coach again. And there are the Jets, once again struggling at 1-4, staring down a schedule the next few weeks that includes a home game against Denver next weekend, then a road trip to New England, and then a visit by the surprising Buffalo Bills. In fact, looking at their full schedule, it's almost difficult to see this team getting more than four wins total at this point, unless they turn it around completely, which hardly seems likely. All of that adds up to a very real possibility of ending the month of October with still only one win to their name this season, and that, in turn, most likely adds up to a new head coach in the near future for the Jets. What an embarrassing disaster!
Well, these two teams renewed their rivalry, and it was a good game. The Falcons seemed to control it, and the Giants just were not getting things done on the offensive end. It was a close contest through the first half, with the Falcons owning a narrow 13-10 lead. That seemed to change in the third quarter when Matt Ryan completed a pass to Antone Smith, who then ran it all the way to the end zone for a 74-yard touchdown play, providing the Falcons with a 20-10 lead, and seemingly on the verge of breaking the game open. But from that point onwards, it would be all Giants the rest of the way. The offense started to click, with the running game proving effective, and Manning on the mark. The Giants were able to get a couple of touchdown drives while holding off Atlanta, to get back the lead, and then added to this with a couple of late field goals for what would prove to be the final margin of 30-20. It was the Giants third win in a row, after an 0-2 start. Eli Manning completed 19 of 30 passes for 200 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Matt Ryan, in a losing effort, 29 of 45 for 316 yards and 1 touchdown, as well as 1 interception.
Dallas Cowboys 20, Houston Texans 17 (Overtime) - A memorable battle of the two Texas teams! The Cowboys threatened to pull away at times, but Houston hung in there, assisted by a strong fan presence from fans that had made the trek from Houston to pull for their team. The Cowboys led 17-7 late in the fourth, but Houston was able to get a field goal to make it a one possession game, then got the ball back. They drove it all the way to the one-yard line, where Arian Foster was able to get it in for the tying score. The Cowboys still had a chance to clinch the win in regulation, but a missed field goal by placekicker Dan Bailey, who had previously made thirty field goal attempts in a row, forced the overtime! Once in overtime, Bailey was given the opportunity to clinch the win for the 'Boys once again, and this time, he split the uprights, and the Cowboys came away with another solid win, their fourth in a row! Tony Romo completed 28 of 41 pass attempts for 421 and 2 touchdowns, with 1 interception. Arian Foster had a very solid day of rushing, with 157 yards rushing on 23 carries, and 2 touchdowns, in a losing cause for the Texans.
Buffalo Bills 17, Detroit Lions 14 - This was one of the results that really surprised me! Not that I think the Bills are bad, but I thought the Lions were playing better this season, and maybe were showing something more than in seasons past, especially at home. Plus, the Lions were able to jump out to a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter, after a pick six by Kyle Orton was run back by Rashean Mathis 41 yards for the touchdown. But the Bills chipped into the lead with a couple of field goals at first to get it to 14-6, and then a fourth quarter touchdown pass from 2 yards out by Orton to Chris Gragg. Buffalo went for the 2-point conversion, and Fred Jackson was able to get it to tie the game. The Lions had a chance for a field goal to retake the lead, but it was missed. Detroit leads the league in the unfortunate category of missed field goals so far this season, with eight! The Bills then got a chance to win it with a long field goal attempt of their own, and Dan Carpenter nailed the game winning, 58- yard field goal for a huge road win for Buffalo!
Cleveland Browns 29, Tennessee Titans 28 - The Browns made history with the greatest comeback win for any road team in NFL history! Looking complete lifeless in the first half, Cleveland found themselves down 28-3, and seemingly headed for yet another loss. But they pulled off a huge comeback, and made history in the process. It was the largest comeback in franchise history, as the Browns handed the Titans a stunning 29-28 loss! And it came against the same franchise that had allowed the largest comeback in NFL history, when the then Houston Oilers wasted a 35-3 lead, and lost to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Wildcard in January of 1993. The Tennessee Titans/Houston Oilers now own the dubious distinction of being on the wrong end of the biggest comeback in playoff history, which is also the biggest one in NFL history overall, and now, the biggest comeback by a road team in NFL history, against the Titans. Brian Hoyer is making a lot of Cleveland fans forget all about Johnny Manziel (also known as "Johnny Football") with some solid play, as he completed 21 of 37 for 292 yards and 3 touchdowns, as well as the one pick six that he had in the first half.
Carolina Panthers 31, Chicago Bears 24 - Jay Cutler could not have done much more than he did, as he enjoyed a monster of a game! He completed 28 of 36 for 289 yards and 2 touchdowns passes, as well as 3 rushes for 22 yards and 1 touchdown, his first rushing TD since 2011. He did also have 1 interception. The Bears jumped out to a 21-7 lead in the first half, but the Panthers kept clawing back. In fact, Carolina dominated the second half, containing the Bears and their dangerous offense, allowing only three points in the second half. It was a sloppy, mistake prone game from both teams, but the Panthers prevailed to take sole possession of first place in the NFC South. The Bears, in the meantime, fell behind both the Packers and the Lions with this tough loss.
New Orleans Saints 37, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31 - Despite the loss, it looks like the Tamp Bay Bucs are showing some real signs of life, all of a sudden! In a very tough environment for any team, the Bucs played the Saints tough in the dome, although New Orleans did themselves no favors in playing sloppily, as well. So far this season, the Saints just do not look as sharp as many expected them to look by this point, which accounts for their struggling to a 2-3 record by this point. It was a strange game, with both teams at different points owning a double-digit lead. The Bucs even owned an 11-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but then the Saints finally came alive with a rather strange 11-0 run to force overtime. Khiry Robinson ran it into the end zone from 17 yards out to clinch the win for the Saints.
Indianapolis Colts 20, Baltimore Ravens 13 - Andrew Luck did not have the kind of monster day that he had the previous two weeks, but he looked solid enough to help his team earn a tough win, as he went 32 of 49 for 312 and 1 touchdown, although he also had 2 interceptions. He also rushed it 6 times for 12 yards and 1 touchdown. It was a tough, defensive contest, rather than the wide open offensive shootout that some surely were expecting, but the Colts managed to outlast the Ravens, to earn their third straight win after an 0-2 start to the season.
Philadelphia Eagles 34, St. Louis Rams 28 - The Eagles have been finding ways to score points without their offense the last few weeks, as they managed to get two rather strange touchdowns. One was from a blocked punt for a touchdown, and the other came when Cedric Thornton recovered a fumble by Rams quarterback Austin Davis. The Eagles owned a 34-14 lead in the fourth quarter, but the Rams began to make a game of it in the fourth quarter, mostly behind the solid play of Austin Davis, who finished the day with 29 of 49 for 375 yards and 3 touchdowns, including 2 td passes in the fourth quarter. Nick Foles completed 24 of 37 passes for 207 yards and 2 touchdowns, as well as one interception. Philly raised their record to 4-1, tied with the Cowboys and Chargers atop the NFL at the moment.
Pittsburgh Steelers 17, Jacksonville Jaguars 9 - In a tough and mistake prone game, the Steelers essentially outlasted the lowly Jaguars on the road. Roethlisberger completed 26 of 36 for 273 and 1 touchdown, while Jax's Blake Bortles completed 22 of 36 for 191 yards and no touchdowns, but 2 interceptions, including the pick six in the fourth quarter that essentially clinched the win for Pittsburgh.
San Francisco 49ers 22, Kansas City Chiefs 17 - In a back and forth game, the 49ers were able to once again shut down their opponents late in the game, as they did last week in another home game against the Eagles. The Chiefs were unable to get anything really going late in the game, and the 49ers were able to keep kicking field goals to first get the lead, and then put some cushion between them and KC, as they held on to win their second straight contest.
San Diego Chargers 31, NY Jets 0 - This is getting embarrassing. I know the Chargers are good, and certainly, it was hard to see any way that the Jets could win this game. But getting blanked offensively, while allowing 31 points, all when you absolutely need to play your best, because you just cannot afford to drop a fourth straight game? Coach Rex Ryan, who a few years ago seemed to make an annual tradition of boasting about how this team was Super Bowl bound (and they never delivered on those promises), was already in the hot seat this season. The consensus seems to be that if the Jets don't really enjoy success this season, he is most likely on his way out. Many thought that he was gone after last season, but here he is, head coach again. And there are the Jets, once again struggling at 1-4, staring down a schedule the next few weeks that includes a home game against Denver next weekend, then a road trip to New England, and then a visit by the surprising Buffalo Bills. In fact, looking at their full schedule, it's almost difficult to see this team getting more than four wins total at this point, unless they turn it around completely, which hardly seems likely. All of that adds up to a very real possibility of ending the month of October with still only one win to their name this season, and that, in turn, most likely adds up to a new head coach in the near future for the Jets. What an embarrassing disaster!
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