If you were a replacement official? Well, I'll address that later...
Jaguars 22 Colts 17 - In one of multiple games that came down to the final minutes, Jacksonville was able to overcome a 14-3 halftime deficit to come back and win on the road in Indianapolis. Maurice Jones-Drew officially showed that he is back and at full strength despite his long holdout, as he ran for 177 yards and one touchdown. It seems like the Colts have no problem whatsoever allowing Andrew Luck to throw a ton of passes each week, as he threw 46 of them for 313 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Blaine Gabbert was his usual uninspiring self for the Jags, but he connected with Cecil Shorts for an 80 yard touchdown with 45 seconds left to play to give Jacksonville the win. It wasn't exactly poetry in motion, but the Jaguars got the win and both teams now are 1-2.
Bills 24 Browns 14 - In what was far from a thrilling game, the Bills were able to jump out to an early 14-0 lead that they eventually parlayed into a 10 point win. Ryan Fitzpatrick was excellent, throwing for three touchdowns and zero interceptions to lead Buffalo's offense. After already losing Fred Jackson to injury, the Bills also lost C.J. Spiller in this game. While both will probably not miss more than a few games, Buffalo's running attack will obviously not be at full strength for at least a month. Brandon Weeden completed a high percentage of his passes, but still threw two interceptions and only one touchdown. Trent Richardson scored a touchdown, but had a bad day overall, only rushing for 27 yards. Buffalo is 2-1, while Cleveland is 0-3.
Jets 23 Dolphins 20 - Sadly, this was the only 1:00 game I was able to watch thanks to cable television. In a battle of bad offenses, the Jets proved to be less bad than the Dolphins as they got the win in overtime. Neither Mark Sanchez nor Ryan Tannehill was able to complete half of their attempts, and both threw more interceptions than touchdowns, but Tannehill threw an interception that was run back for a touchdown by LaRon Landry that proved to be very costly. The game went to overtime, where Dan Carpenter missed a potential game-winning field goal. The Jets followed that up by getting their own winning field goal attempt blocked, only to have the play blown dead just prior to the snap thanks to the genius idea that so many coaches have of calling a timeout seconds before the ball is snapped to ice the opposing team's kicker. Rex Ryan and Tony Sparano were ecstatic after seeing Nick Folk's initial attempt blocked, and Folk proceeded to make his second attempt and win the game for the Jets. Thank you Joe Philbin.
The biggest news from this game though was the torn ACL that Darrelle Revis suffered. The Jets lost their best player to a season-ending injury, and now will have to go the next 13 games without one of the best defensive players in the league. The Jets are 2-1, while the Dolphins drop to 1-2.
Chiefs 27 Saints 24 - In the second overtime game of the day, the Chiefs were able to go to New Orleans and win a battle of 0-2 teams. Jamaal Charles answered any questions that might have remained about whether or not he was fully recovered from his season ending knee injury in 2011, as he ran for a 91-yard touchdown in the third quarter on the way to a 233 yard day. In a somewhat odd circumstance, that run was actually Kansas City's only touchdown of the day, as they sacked Drew Brees for a safety and Ryan Succop kicked six field goals (including the game-winner in overtime). The Chiefs got into the win column and now stand at 1-2, while it is looking more and more like the loss of head coach Sean Payton is absolutely having a negative impact on the Saints, as they are now one of only two teams in the league that remain winless.
Bengals 38 Redskins 31 - In what was definitely one of the wilder games of the weekend, the Bengals outscored the Redskins to get the win at home. The first play of the game resulted in a wide receiver throwing a touchdown pass to another wide receiver, and less than four minutes later, a linebacker actually scored on a zero yard interception return to make the score 7-7. Cincinnati then jumped out to a big lead, although the Redskins were able to come back but in the end fell short. Both Andy Dalton and Robert Griffin III had big games, and both of these teams seem to be in good hands with their young quarterbacks. In case anybody was still wondering, A.J. Green is a legitimate stud at receiver for Cincinnati as well. The Bengals move to 2-1 with the win, while the Redskins drop to 1-2 with the loss.
Titans 44 Lions 41 - On most weeks, this game would have easily been the craziest game of the weekend, but on this week, the game between Tennessee and Detroit can only be considered one of a few unbelievable games. The Titans did their best to re-enact the Music City Miracle in the first quarter (and did a very good job I must add), as punt returner Darius Reynaud (Frank Wycheck) fielded a punt and then threw it across the field to Tommie Campbell (Kevin Dyson) who ran 65 yards for a score. Tennessee also scored touchdowns of 61, 105, and 71 yards to add to the insanity. Detroit's backup quarterback, Shaun Hill, even threw two touchdowns to get in on the fun. The fourth quarter of this game alone featured 46 points.
Somehow though, the craziness was far from over. Rob Bironas kicked a field goal on the first possession of overtime (which should mean the END OF THE GAME but now does not), and Detroit got the ball back, drove down inside the 10 yard line with a chance for an easy field goal to extend the game. However, on a play in which no one exactly knows what happened or why it happened, the Lions passed up the field goal attempt and were stopped on fourth and inches to end the game. Defense, special teams, playcalling, and rationale were all optional in this game, but at the end, the Titans and Lions both stand at 1-2.
Vikings 24 49ers 13 - There seems to be a surprise result each weekend in the NFL, and if you only looked at the scoreboard this would be the one that immediately stood out. Between the entire 2011 season and the first two weeks of the 2012 season, San Francisco looked like one of the best teams in the NFL, while the Vikings were nowhere near the top. However, the saying about any team being able to win on any given Sunday held true here, as the Vikings were led to a win at home thanks to a career-best performance from Christian Ponder. Ponder threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, Adrian Peterson was able to grind out 86 yards against a stout 49ers defense, and Minnesota took down the team that many thought was the best in the NFL through the first two weeks.
With the win, Minnesota moved to 2-1 and they will face the Lions in what is now a very intriguing NFC North match up in Week 4. As I said with New England last week, every elite team is entitled a poor performance now and then, and the 49ers can chalk this up into that column for now. They are now 2-1 and face the Jets in Week 4.
Bears 23 Rams 6 - In a game that did not provide much in terms of excitement, the Bears were able to defeat a Rams team that seems to put in far too many inept performances to inspire any confidence in the team. Sam Bradford was again below average for St. Louis, throwing two interceptions and zero touchdowns. Jay Cutler was not a whole lot better for the Bears, but thanks to a Chicago defensive touchdown and a nice day from Robbie Gould, the Bears were able to easily beat a Rams team that seems to be going nowhere.
With the win, the Bears move to 2-1. With the loss, the Rams drop to 1-2.
Cowboys 16 Buccaneers 10 - If nothing else, Greg Schiano has at least managed to shift most of the focus from his team losing games to the way that his team lines up against an opposing team's kneel down in the final seconds of the game. For the second consecutive week, Schiano sent his team on an all-out attack to try to prevent an opposing NFC East team from running out the clock, and for the second week his team failed. This game was much less dramatic and featured a lot less offensive fireworks than Week 2 against the Giants, but Tampa Bay still came out on the short end here, as neither offense could do much, but the Cowboys did enough to win. Dallas now stands at 2-1, while the Bucs stand at 1-2.
Falcons 27 Chargers 3 - In what seemed on paper to be one of the more intriguing games of the week, we saw a completely one-sided affair in San Diego that the Atlanta Falcons easily won. Matt Ryan continued his excellent early season play, as he completed 75% of his passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns. On the other hand, Philip Rivers threw zero touchdowns and two interceptions for a Chargers offense that was unable to get much of anything.
With the win, Atlanta became one of only three 3-0 teams in the NFL. San Diego dropped to 2-1.
Cardinals 27 Eagles 6 - In what the standings say should not be a surprise, we saw a game in Arizona on Sunday that reality said we should be both surprised and enlightened by. When Arizona went to Foxborough, Massachusetts and beat the Patriots in Week 2, most figured that it was an aberration. However, it might be time to re-think that point of view. The Arizona Cardinals came through with another stellar performance in Week 3 that left them as one of only three remaining unbeaten teams in the NFL. As I said last week, Philadelphia's turnover problem finally came back to bite them, and there was no better illustration of that than when the Eagles were in the red zone in the final seconds of the first half.
Down 17-0, Philly was in position to score just before halftime. It seemed as though a field goal would be the worst case scenario, and while the Eagles would still have work to do in the second half, they would have at least gained some momentum by scoring just before the halftime whistle. The Eagles had a chance to take one more shot at the end zone with time winding down in the first half, and they figured that they might as well take one more shot before, at worst, kicking a field goal. However, Michael Vick dropped back to throw, was sacked at the seven yard line, and the Cardinals scooped up his fumble and ran the ball back 93 yards as the first half expired to turn what could have been a 17-7 game into a 24-0 game. A stunned Eagles team was never able to recover any sort of momentum, and they turned into a team that had magically pulled out two one-point wins into a team that has serious questions going into a very important game against a certain divisional rival that lifted the Lombardi Trophy last season.
After the game, as I said, the Cardinals moved to 3-0. The Eagles dropped to 2-1.
Raiders 34 Steelers 31 - In a game that featured a lot of offense, the Pittsburgh Steelers really demonstrated how they have gone from a team based around running the ball and morphed into a team that is completely dependent upon moving the ball through the air. Pittsburgh gained 379 yards passing and only 54 yards on the ground. Ben Roethlisberger threw four touchdowns. However, Pittsburgh still lost. Despite jumping out to 10 point leads multiple times, Pittsburgh's defense was unable to contain the offense of the Raiders. Carson Palmer threw three touchdowns of his own, and Sebastian Jamikowski kicked a field goal as time expired to give the Raiders a 34-31 victory.
With the win, the Raiders moved to 1-2, while the Steelers now have an identical 1-2 record thanks to the loss.
Texans 31 Broncos 25 - In what was an intriguing game on paper coming into the week, the Houston Texans beat the Denver Broncos by six points. However, upon further review, this game was not as close as the final score indicates. The
In the fourth quarter, Peyton Manning was able to throw two touchdowns to bring the Broncos within striking distance, but in the end they were unable to overcome a deficit that was too large against one of the best teams in the NFL. Some are ready to jump all over Manning for the Broncos' 1-2 start, but they have had a tough opening three weeks, so there is still plenty of time for Denver to turn things around.
On the other hand, the Texans move to 3-0, and thus far have definitely lived up to expectations in the eyes of most. They take on the Titans at home this week, and 4-0 is a definite possibility.
Giants 36 Panthers 7 - I know that I would normally save the Giants for the end of my weekly recap, but Week 3 brought about extenuating circumstances.
Going into the game five days ago I was apprehensive, concerned, and a bit unsure about what to expect. What I got was a sure fire reminder of why the Giants are the defending Super Bowl champions, and why the franchise is going through what is arguably its most successful decade in its history.
At this point, it is useless to wonder about why the Giants' organization does not receive nearly as much credit as it deserves. From top to bottom, it is not only one of the most prestigious in the NFL, but it is one of the most prestigious in all of sports. I feel like I should go on and on about how the Mara family has paved the way for the NFL to become what it is today but I won't do that (for a few reasons). Basically what I would like to say is, the notions and beliefs of this organization over the past decade have been nothing other than spectacular.
Despite being without our number one running back and our number one receiver, the team never missed a beat in a complete dominance of the Panthers. Andre Brown and Ramses Barden stepped in to provide more than enough relief, the defense played as well as it has played in about eight months, and Eli Manning again proved why he is on his way to becoming the best quarterback in the history of this franchise.
Brown, Barden, Manning, Martellus Bennett, Prince Amukamara...the list goes on and on. I was proud to be a Giants fan after this game because of the complete team effort that they put forth. We go to 2-1 and the Panthers go to 1-2. Bring on the Eagles!
So, after the 4:00 games on Sunday, that was pretty much it. Nothing especially noteworthy happened in the final two games of the weekend. I'd mention them here, but I actually don't even remember the games well at all. So that's really all there is to say about an exciting NFL Week 3. Until next time, the countdown to Week 4 begins...
No comments:
Post a Comment