Week 11 in the NFL - "That's why they play the games."

Kansas City Chiefs (27) - Pittsburgh Steelers (24)

• A few minutes after Ben Roethlisberger wobbled off the field Sunday with a possible concussion, Ryan Succop kicked a 22-yard field goal with 8:28 left in overtime and the Kansas City Chiefs snapped a team-record 10-game home losing streak with a 27-24 victory over the stunned Pittsburgh Steelers.
• Chris Chambers' ( discarded by the Chargers in early November) 61-yard catch-and-run set up Succop, and "Mr. Irrelevant" (the last player drafted in the 2009 draft) booted through the game-winner for the Chiefs.
• Matt Cassel had a horrendous first half, passing for only 35 yards on four completions. But he came through in the final two quarters and overtime, finishing with 248 yards and two touchdowns.
• It was the second loss in a row for the Steelers, who have fallen twice to division rival Cincinnati and were without injured Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu.
• The Steelers dominated in nearly every offensive category, but this game turned on the mistakes made at quarterback. Cassel did not throw an interception, while Ben Roethlisberger had two.
• In regulation, the Steelers (6-4) had the ball for almost 19 minutes longer than the Chiefs (3-7) and outgained them 463-206. The Chiefs stayed in it with Jamaal Charles' 97-yard return of the opening kickoff and Andy Studebaker's 94-yard return of an interception.
• The Steelers have given up a fumble, interception or kick return for a touchdown in eight consecutive games
• Ben Roethlisberger was 32/42 for 398 yards, 3 TD', 2 INT's -
• These aren't your dad's Steelers. Remember when the Steelers used to have a running game?

Kansas City Chiefs (3-7) Next @ Chargers
Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4) Next @ Ravens

Miami Dolphins (24) - Carolina Panthers (17)

• A day after learning Brown is lost for the season to a foot injury, the Dolphins continued their surge after an 0-3 start behind Williams. Ricky Williams scored all three of Miami's touchdowns. He scored twice in the second quarter -- first on a 14-yard reception, and later on a diving 1-yard run out of the Wildcat. He put the exclamation point on his outstanding performance by scampering 46 yards into the end zone for a fourth-quarter touchdown. Williams, who scored rushing and receiving touchdowns in the same game for the first time in his career, finished with 119 yards on 22 carries and added two catches for 19 yards.
• DeAngelo Williams rushed for 122 yards
• Steve Smith caught seven passes for 87 yards despite getting into a minor car accident on the way to the game.
• Delhomme was sacked a season-high four times, twice by Dolphins LB Joey Porter. Delhomme, who threw the ball 42 times, is now 0-5 when he has 30-plus pass attempts this season, and 4-1 when he has 25 or fewer pass attempts.
• Panthers DE Julius Peppers again played mostly on passing downs only because of a right hand injury
• The Dolphins are 4-0 all-time vs. the Panthers. Carolina is the only team that has never defeated the Dolphins.

Indianapolis Colts (17) - Baltimore Ravens (14)

• Indianapolis overcame three turnovers, including two interceptions by Peyton Manning.
• The Ravens have lost five of seven after a 3-0 start.
• Colts WR Pierre Garcon recorded career highs in receptions (six) and yards (108). His 66-yard reception in the first quarter set up Indianapolis' first touchdown -- a 3-yard, one-handed reception by TE Dallas Clark.
• Peyton Manning was 22/31 for 299 yards, 1TD, 2 INT's
• Ray Rice continues to be the Ravens offence with 71 rushing and 64 receiving
• Kicker Billy Cundiff was the only Ravens player to score, kicking five field goals, including two from 46 and 44 yards. But his 30-yard miss in the third quarter came back to haunt the Ravens.
• The Ravens had a chance to pull this one out but with 2:49LB Gary Brackett intercepted Joe Flacco deep in Colts territory, halting a nine-play Ravens drive
• The Colts' 19-game streak is the second-longest in NFL history behind a 21-game run by the New England Patriots(2006-08). In addition, their eight consecutive 10-win seasons ranks second behind San Francisco's 16 (1983-98).

Indianapolis Colts (10-0) Next @ Texans
Baltimore Ravens (5-5) Next Steelers

Dallas Cowboys (7) - Washington Redskins (6)

• Given a break by a missed field goal, Romo scrambled for a first down, then completed seven straight passes, the last a 10-yarder to Patrick Crayton for a touchdown with 2:41 left that gave the Dallas Cowboys a 7-6 victory over the Washington Redskins on Sunday and preserved their spot atop the NFC East.
• This was the second straight week the Cowboys didn't score until the final minutes.
• The Redskins were able to control Tony Romo for most of the game, but when it mattered most, the quarterback came through. He completed 7-of-8 passes for 60 yards on the winning drive and kept several plays alive by eluding Washington's pass rushers.
• In a defensive battle that featured very few scoring opportunities, the biggest difference was Redskins K Shaun Suisham's inability to convert two big field goals. Entering the game, Suisham was 12-of-12 on the season, but his two missed kicks ultimately allowed Dallas to rally.
• Cowboys DE Anthony Spencer picked off a deflected Jason Campbell pass with just under 2 minutes to play and that was pretty much all she wrote.

Dallas Cowboys (7-3) Next Raiders (Thur.)
Washington Redskins (3-7) @ Eagles

Detroit Lions (38) - Cleveland Browns (37)

• Matthew Stafford threw his fifth touchdown pass from 1 yard to Brandon Pettigrew and Jason Hanson's extra point with no time on the clock gave Detroit a thrilling 38-37 win.
• Detroit was given the untimed play because safety Hank Poteat was called for pass interference in the end zone when Stafford heaved a desperation attempt.
• Stafford was hit after his throw to the end zone injuring his shoulder and replaced by Daunte Culpepper. But he was able to return because the Browns stopped the game with their timeout.
• After throwing six touchdown passes in his first seven games, Stafford nearly matched that total with five against the Browns. He became the first rookie quarterback since 1950 with five touchdown passes in a game.
• No defense in this one, even Brady Quinn got into the act going 21/33 for 304 Yards, 4 TD's and 0 INT's
• Stafford ended the day 26/43 for 422 yards, 5 TD's, 2 INT's and a very sore shoulder
• I hope you had the over!

Detroit Lions (2-8) Next Packers (Thur.)
Cleveland Browns (1-9) @ Bengals

Green Bay Packers (30) - San Francisco 49ers (24)

• Green Bay nearly blew a big lead in the second half, and now might have to hang in the playoff race without two key cogs in the defense: outside linebacker Aaron Kampman and cornerback Al Harris, who sustained potentially serious knee injuries.
• The Packers more than doubled the 49ers' time of possession, 41:39 to 18:21. The Packers managed 26 first downs to San Francisco's 10.
• Green Bay looked like it was in cruise control, holding a 23-3 halftime lead, but the 49ers scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to close the gap to 30-24.
• The Packers took over and never relinquished the ball running out the final 5:56 of the game, thwarting a 49ers rally
• Aaron Rogers was 32/45 for 344 Yards, 2 TD's, 0 INT's
• Ryan Grant rand for 129 Yards on 21 attempts.

Green Bay Packers (6-4) Next @ Lions (Thurs.)
San Francisco 49ers (4-6) Next Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars (18) - Buffalo Bills (15)

• David Garrard had just three game-winning drives in his first 58 career starts and now has two in the last two weeks.
• Garrard threw a touchdown pass to Mike Sims-Walker with 56 seconds remaining and Jacksonville beat the Buffalo Bills 18-15 Sunday, spoiling Perry Fewell's debut as interim coach and giving the Jaguars their first three-game winning streak in nearly two years.
• The Bills bottled up Maurice Jones-Drew, pressured Garrard and managed 300 yards of offense for the first time in two months but it wasn't enough.
• The Bills converted just three of 11 third downs, including three trips inside the red zone where they came away with only field goals.
• And TO shows up at the game.......! TO had 9 catches (including a 98 yard TD) for 197 Yards
• After starting the season 0-2, the Jaguars have won six of their last eight games. Five of the Jaguars' six victories have been decided by seven points or less, including the last four wins by three points or less.

Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4) Next @ 49ers
Buffalo Bills (3-7) Next Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings (35) - Seattle Seahawks (9)

• Not much of a game here, Favre was actually pulled up 28-3 in the 4th.
• Favre is actually having the most efficient year of his career and yesterday was the most performance of his career completing a career-high 88 percent of his passes for 213 yards and four touchdown passes
• The Vikings held the Seahawks to only 4 rushing yards on 12 carries.
• Adrian Peterson had 24 carries for 82 yards.
• Favre now has 21 touchdowns and only three interceptions

Minnesota Vikings (9-1) Next Bears
Seattle Seahawks (3-7) Next @ Rams

New York Giants (34) - Atlanta Falcons (31) (OT)

• The Giants won the coin toss in overtime and drove 49 yards in seven plays to set up Lawrence Tynes' 36-yard field goal.
• Eli Manning threw for a career-high 384 yards and three touchdown passes, including two to Kevin Boss, as New York kept pace with NFC East-leading Dallas
• Manning, who had his first 300-yard passing game at Giants Stadium, set up Lawrence Tynes' winner when he connected with Mario Manningham for a 29-yard pass that put the Giants at the 23. New York hadn't won since beating Oakland 44-7 on Oct. 1.
• The Giants' defense -- without injured linebacker Antonio Pierce indefinitely -- couldn't hold a 31-17 lead against Matt Ryan and the Falcons.
• Matt Ryan threw a 4-yard scoring pass to Eric Weems with 6:01 left in regulation, then found Tony Gonzalez for 11 yards with 28 seconds remaining to tie it.
• Even without the injured Michael Turner, the Falcons still ran the ball 30 times. However, they gained only 90 yards on the ground for a 3-yard average.
• Atlanta has lost four of five after a 4-1 start.
• Matt Ryan snapped his streak of six consecutive games with an interception

New York Giants (6-4) Next @ Broncos (Thurs.)
Atlanta Falcons (5-5) Next Buccaneers

New Orleans Saints (38) - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7)

• No contest here. The Saints shrugged off a slow start defensively, shutting down the Bucs after yielding a long touchdown drive to open the game.
• Tampa Bay drove 95 yards for a touchdown on its first possession. But Freeman had little success after his 18-yard scoring pass to Michael Clayton gave the Bucs a short-lived 7-0 lead.
• The Saints capitalized on numerous mistakes by young Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman.
• Drew Brees completed 19 of 29 passes for 187 yards before being replaced by Mark Brunell late in the fourth quarter. With Reggie Bush out with a knee injury, Pierre Thomas rushed for 92 yards on 11 carries and Bell contributed 75 yards on 13 attempts.
• Brees did not finish with some of the amazing numbers he has tallied at times this year, but he managed the game very effectively and made sure not to put his dominant defense into bad situations.
• The Saints were proficient in the red zone, scoring touchdowns on all five of their possessions inside the 20

New Orleans Saints (10-0) Next Patriots (Mon)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-9) Next @ Falcons

Arizona Cardinals (21) - St. Louis Rams (13)

• The big news here was a blow to the head turned Kurt Warner into a spectator in the second half, still in uniform but shut down for the day.
• Warner threw for 203 yards and two touchdowns while building a 21-3 cushion, and the NFC West leaders hung on late.
• Matt Leinart took over after a late turnover at the end of the half, and Arizona mostly sat on the lead.
• The Cardinals stumbled early when Warner and Wells missed connections on a pitchout for a lost fumble at the Arizona 25, leading to a Rams field goal. The rest of the half was all Arizona, with Hightower gaining 91 yards on eight carries, Anquan Boldin catching seven passes for 96 yards and his first TD since Week 3, and Larry Fitzgerald catching six passes for 71 yards and a score.
• The Rams converted on just 4 of 16 third-down attempts and were successful on just 2 of 5 tries on fourth down.
• Steven Jackson IS the Rams offence. He had another nice day with 24 carriers for 124 yards and a TD. Jackson is now the only running back in Rams history to record five consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
• For those who are interested, Matt Leinart gets to put some stats on his Football card this year as he was 10/14 for 74 yards.

Arizona Cardinals (7-3) Next @ Titans
St. Louis Rams (1-9) Next Seahawks

San Diego Chargers (32) - Denver Broncos (3)

• It didn't matter which quarterback the Denver Broncos threw out there Sunday. The surging San Diego Chargers bottled up both the rusty Chris Simms and the hobbled Kyle Orton.
• The Chargers (7-3) have won five straight and the Broncos (6-4) have dropped four in a row, turning the division race upside-down. Just five weeks ago, the Chargers trailed the Broncos by 3½ games.
• Philip Rivers was a crisp 17 for 22 and he led San Diego to scores on seven of 10 drives. Nate Kaeding kicked four field goals and the Chargers also recovered an onside kick, recorded three sacks and forced three turnovers.
• The Broncos were unsuccessful in their four red-zone chances and three of their six second-half drives ended when they couldn't convert on fourth down.
• Chris Simms started at QB for the Broncos in place of Kyle Orton, who suffered a left ankle injury last week. After three series, Orton entered the game. What was the point of that?

San Diego Chargers (7-3) Next Chiefs
Denver Broncos (6-4) Next Giants (Thurs.)

New England Patriots (31) - New York Jets (14)

• The Patriots defense picked off four of Mark Sanchez's passes and allowed just one touchdown and 226 yards. The victory gave the Patriots a two-game lead in the AFC East and sent the Jets to their sixth loss in seven games.
• Tom Brady completed 28 of 41 passes for 310 yards, his fifth straight game with more than 300. Wes Welker set career highs with 15 receptions for 192 yards. And Laurence Maroney ran for two touchdowns, his fifth consecutive game with at least one.
• Mark Sanchez turned the ball over five times (four interceptions and one fumble). Sanchez now has 10 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
• Thomas Jones is quietly putting together a nice year. Yesterday he ran 21 times for 103 yards and now has 884 on the year and a fantastic 4.6 yard average (not that it matters.... But at least he's get a Pro-Bowl invite.)

New England Patriots (7-3) Next @ Saints (Mon.)
New York Jets (4-6) Next Panthers

Oakland Raiders (20) - Cincinnati Bengals (17)

• Carson Palmer's desperation pass as time expired was intercepted by Nnamdi Asomugha. That play was the culmination of a wild finish that featured the Raiders coming back from a 17-10 deficit in the final minute.
• Bruce Gradkowski threw a 29-yard game-tying touchdown pass to Louis Murphy with 33 seconds left and Brandon Myers forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff to set up Sebastian Janikowski's game-winning 33-yard field goal that gave the Raiders a 20-17. Don't see Jamarcus Russell doing that.
• Gradkowski was far from perfect, but his two-minute drive to tie the game was clinical. He managed the clock well, completed a critical fourth-and-10 pass for 16 yards to keep the drive alive, and then found the right matchup with backup rookie cornerback Morgan Trent covering Murphy on the tying score.
• Oakland rallied from an early 14-point deficit and trailed 17-10 with 2:06 left and the ball at the 20. Gradkowski, who took the starting job from JaMarcus Russell this week, threw a 19-yard pass to Zach Miller, then a 16-yarder to Chaz Schilens on fourth-and-10. After a spike, Gradkowski found Murphy near the goal line. Murphy got loose from Morgan Trent and dived across the goal line for the tying score.
• Palmer completed 14 of 22 passes for 207 yards and became the first Bengals quarterback to run for two touchdowns in a game since Jack Thompson in 1979. Rookie Bernard Scott ran for a season-high 119 yards in place of the injured Cedric Benson.
• Larry Johnson had two carries for 5 yards in his debut for the Bengals.
• The Raiders, who entered the contest with the league's worst scoring offense, tallied more points in the final 41 seconds (10) than they had averaged per game this season (9.8).

Oakland Raiders (3-7) Next @ Cowboys (Thurs.)
Cincinnati Bengals (7-3) Next Browns

Philadelphia Eagles (24) - Chicago Bears (20)

• Donovan McNabb threw for 244 yards against his hometown team, LeSean McCoy scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 10-yard run following Antonio Dixon's block of a field goal attempt.
• Jay Cutler missed wide open receivers and big chances all night. Cutler threw his only interception of the game. With the Bears trailing 24-20, Sean Jones picked off a deflected pass from Cutler at the 50-yard line with 52 seconds remaining.
• Cutler missed wide open receivers and big chances all night.
• The Bears have lost five of their last six games following a 3-1 start.
• Michael Vick had two touches. He completed one pass for no yards and had one rung for 34 yards.

Philadelphia Eagles (6-4) Next Redskins
Chicago Bears (4-6) Next @ Vikings

Tonight's game is a feature's the Titans visiting the Texans and features a number of the NFL's emerging young Stars. Vince Young, Chris Johnson, Steve Slaton, Matt Shaub, Andre Johnson. This one should prove to be very entertaining. -Mike Cardano

Mike is the founder of Around the Horn Baseball Blog & Extra Point Football.

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