Baltimore 30, Arizona 27 Trench Counter: Ravens +6.5, Cardinals -6.5 Trailing 24-6 at halftime, the Baltimore Ravens (5-2) scored 27 of the game's final 30 points to edge the Arizona Cardinals (1-6) on Sunday afternoon. The two teams combined for close to 200 penalty yards and nearly split time of possession. Joe Flacco struggled in the first half, but rallied in the third and fourth quarters to finish 31-for-51 with 336 yards and an interception. His long passes set up Ray Rice, who ran 18 times for 63 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Arizona scored touchdowns on a run by Beanie Wells, punt return by Patrick Peterson and a pass from Kevin Kolb to Early Doucet over a five-minute stretch in the second quarter. For then on, the Cardinals would only score on a 45-yard field goal by Jay Feely to momentarily tie the game with close to nine minutes left in regulation. Arizona had just 207 yards of total offense and went 2-for-11 on third down. Minnesota 24, Carolina 21 Trench Counter: Vikings +3.5, Panthers -3.5 The Minnesota Vikings (2-6) won just their second game of the season as rookie quarterback Christian Ponder got his first NFL victory in a close contest against the Carolina Panthers (2-6). The game featured a pair of rookie quarterbacks as Cam Newton played well yet again and drove Carolina to within range of a game-tying field goal with less than 30 seconds remaining. However, Olindo Mare missed a 31-yard attempt (wide left) to give Minnesota the victory. Newton had 290 passing yards and three touchdowns, but Ponder and the Vikings averaged more yards per pass (8.2 to 7.6). Carolina outrushed Adrian Peterson and Minnesota, averaging 5.2 yards per carry as a team. Newton scrambled six times for 53 yards and wide receiver Steve Smith, who caught seven passes for 100 yards and a touchdown, gained 12 yards on one ground attempt. The Vikings tied the game at fourteen late in the second quarter after Newton fumbled on a sack by Jared Allen. Houston 24, Jacksonville 14 Trench Counter: Texans +10.4, Jaguars -10.4 The Houston Texans (5-3) downed the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6) thanks to timely offense and a fairly strong defensive effort. Arian Foster ran for 112 yards and a touchdown on a workmanlike 33 carries and Houston's defense limited Jacksonville to just 2.8 yards per pass at Reliant Stadium. Jaguars rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert went 10-for-30 with 97 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Foster's lone touchdown run gave the Texans a 21-7 lead early in the fourth quarter and it was his ability to gain yards late that allowed Houston to seal the victory. The Jaguars gained just 174 total yards on offense and came back down to earth after their shocking win over the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football. Maurice Jones-Drew rushed 18 times for 63 yards and a touchdown, his first road score of the 2011 season. N.Y. Giants 20, Miami 17 Trench Counter: Giants +2.2, Dolphins -2.2 The Miami Dolphins (0-7) flirted with their first win of the season but ultimately fell to the favored New York Giants (5-2), who came to life in the fourth quarter. Dan Carpenter hit a 40-yard field goal with 12:17 left in the third period to give Miami a 17-10 lead, but the Dolphins didn't score again and Eli Manning and the Giants moved the ball well in the second half. The Dolphins committed the only turnover of the game, sealing their fate as Matt Moore was intercepted by Corey Webster with little time remaining. Manning attempted twice as many passes as Moore, accumulating 349 yards and two touchdowns, one to Mario Manningham and another to Victor Cruz. The connection with Cruz came on a 25-yard completion and gave New York their first lead of the game with 5:58 left in regulation. Reggie Bush rushed 15 times for 103 yards, his first 100-yard rushing since 2006 and just the second of his NFL career. St. Louis 31, New Orleans 21 Trench Counter: Rams +3.7, Saints -3.7 The St. Louis Rams (1-6) won their first game of the season in impressive fashion, topping the New Orleans Saints (5-3) with A.J. Feeley filling in for Sam Bradford (ankle sprain). The Rams jumped out to a 24-0 lead and held off a late charge by Drew Brees and the Saints at the Edward Jones Dome. St. Louis was led by Steven Jackson, who rushed 25 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns. They had nine first downs on the ground, against just three for New Orleans. The Saints scored three touchdowns in the final 17 minutes of the game, but it wasn't enough after they dug themselves an early hole. Brees threw a pair of interceptions, including one that was returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to give the Rams a 31-14 edge with less than three minutes remaining. New Orleans averaged just 2.8 yards per rush, with Pierre Thomas, Chris Ivory and Darren Sproles struggling against a surprisingly potent Rams defense. Tennessee 27, Indianapolis 10 Trench Counter: Titans +2.3, Colts -2.3 The Indianapolis Colts (0-8) bounced back a bit after their embarrassing loss to the New Orleans Saints last Sunday night, but they remain winless after losing to the Tennessee Titans (4-3). The Colts had more first downs than the Titans (22 to 17), but Indianapolis committed a pair of turnovers while Tennessee didn't give up the football. Delonte Carter and Donald Brown combined to lead the Colts to 6.1 yards per rush and Curtis Painter added 79 yards on seven scrambles, but they were just 6-for-17 on third down and 0-for-2 on fourth. Matt Hasselbeck found Nate Washington for a 14-yard touchdown pass with 5:20 left in regulation to seal the win for Tennessee. Hasselbeck averaged 6.8 yards per pass, totaled 224 yards and threw for the aforementioned touchdown. Chris Johnson struggled yet again, gaining 34 yards on 14 touches, but Javon Ringer padded the team rushing average with 14 carries for 60 yards. The Titans protected Hasselbeck well. He was sacked just once and hit only five times in all. Buffalo 23, Washington 0 Trench Counter: Bills +18.8, Redskins -18.8 The Buffalo Bills (5-2) absolutely dismantled the Washington Redskins (3-4) thanks to a great performance on both sides of the ball. Ryan Fitzpatrick went 21-for-27 with 262 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while Fred Jackson had 194 total yards (26 attempts for 120 rushing yards). The win moved Buffalo into first place in the AFC East with nine games to play. John Beck was ineffective, going 20-for-33 with 208 yards and two interceptions. The Bills defense totaled nine sacks, eight tackles for loss and hit the quarterback 14 times. Washington managed just 178 total yards and was a combined 4-for-16 on third and fourth down. The game marked the first time that Redskins coach Mike Shanahan had been shut out in his coaching career. Detroit 45, Denver 10 Trench Counter: Lions +14.9, Broncos -14.9 The Detroit Lions (6-2) got back in the win column with a drubbing of the Denver Broncos (2-5) and quarterback Tim Tebow. Matthew Stafford, playing despite suffering a foot injury last week, went 21-for-30 with 267 yards and three touchdowns. Stafford threw a touchdown pass in each of the game's first three quarters. Calvin Johnson was his leading receiver with six receptions for 125 yards and a score. Detroit averaged 6.1 yards per play. Tebow, a week after leading a dramatic comeback win over the Dolphins, went 18-for-39 with 172 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He also rushed 10 times for 63 times in just his second start of the 2011 season. Tebow was sacked seven times and hit on seven other occasions. Denver didn't score a touchdown until the 8:19 mark of the fourth quarter when Tebow found Eric Decker for a 14-yard score. Pittsburgh 25, New England 17 Trench Counter: Steelers +6, Patriots -6 The Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) scored the first 10 points of the game and made a defensive stand late to defeat the New England Patriots (5-2) at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh had 10 more first downs than New England, who went three-and-out on their first possessions of both the first and second halves. The Patriots managed just 213 total yards and held the ball for only twenty minutes. Ben Roethlisberger threw the ball early and often, going 36-for-50 with 365 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He averaged 6.6 yards per attempt, while Tom Brady had a 4.9-yard average. Brady went 24-for-35 with 198 yards and two touchdowns, but Pittsburgh used press coverage and swarmed the ball whenever a pass was completed. The Steelers averaged 5.5 yards per play. The Patriots moved an average of just 4.3 yards per offensive snap. San Francisco 20, Cleveland 10 Trench Counter: 49ers +10, Browns -10 The San Francisco 49ers (6-1) remained hot with a nice win over the Cleveland Browns (3-4) at Candlestick Park. The 49ers remained the only team in the NFL with one loss and they have the second-best record in the league behind the Green Bay Packers (7-0). Alex Smith managed a good game, going 15-for-24 with 177 yards and a touchdown, while Frank Gore did the heavy lifting. He rushed 31 times for 134 yards and a score. Colt McCoy had a rough afternoon for Cleveland, tossing an interception and losing one of his four fumbles. He finished 22-for-34 with 241 yards for a decent 7.1 yards per attempt average. The Browns averaged just 2.9 yards per rush attempt and totaled only 66 yards on the ground with Peyton Hillis out. Cincinnati 34, Seattle 12 Trench Counter: Bengals -2.7, Seahawks +2.7 The final score was ugly, but the Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) were close statistically in their victory over the Seattle Seahawks (2-5). Seattle actually had more first downs (20 to 18), total yards (411 to 252), and a higher yard per pass average (7.4 to 5.5). Marshawn Lynch scored on a two-yard touchdown run with 8:55 left in the game to bring the Seahawks to within 17-12, but Cincinnati scored the final 17 points of the game. Ironically, it was their special teams that put the game away with Brandon Tate returning a punt 56 yards for a touchdown and Reggie Nelson returning an interception 75 yards for another seven points in the final four minutes of the game. The AFC North is now loaded at the top with the Bengals and Ravens tied for second place between the Steelers at 5-2. Philadelphia 34, Dallas 7 Trench Counter: Eagles +14.1, Cowboys -14.1 The Philadelphia Eagles (3-4) moved into a three-way tie for second place in the NFC East with an impressive win over the Dallas Cowboys (3-4) on Sunday night. The Eagles jumped out to a 7-0 lead and led 34-0 a few minutes into the fourth quarter. The Cowboys scored their only touchdown on a 70-yard pass from Tony Romo to Laurent Robinson at the 12:44 mark of the final period. Philadelphia had 31 first downs (against Dallas to 12), went 7-for-12 on third down (against 3-for-10 for Dallas) and 495 total yards. The Cowboys gained just 267 yards at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles held the football for 42:09 as they earned their second-straight win after a very poor start to the season.

Carolina 33, Washington 20 Trench Counter: Panthers +6, Redskins -6 John Beck accounted for two of the three turnovers the Washington Redskins (3-3) committed in their loss to the Carolina Panthers (2-5) on Sunday afternoon. Beck was making his first start of the season after he replaced Rex Grossman in last week's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Redskins had more first downs and fewer penalty yards than the Panthers, but Carolina didn't give the ball away. Cam Newton had 256 yards and two total touchdowns as Carolina averaged 10.1 yards per pass. Newton, Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams combined to rush for 162 yards on 34 carries as the Panthers controlled the clock (35:30 time of possession). In addition to their three turnovers, the Redskins were also 0-for-2 on fourth down. Cleveland 6, Seattle 3 Trench Counter: Browns +13, Seahawks -13 The Cleveland Browns (3-3) edged the Seattle Seahawks (2-4) in a game that was marked by offensive ineptitude. Seattle finished the game with 137 total yards and just nine first downs. Cleveland had 298 total yards, 20 first downs and held the ball for almost 43 minutes, but they only managed to put up a pair of field goals, including the game-winner with 11:18 left in the fourth quarter. Charlie Whitehurst, making his first start of 2011, was just 12-for-30 with 97 passing yards and two turnovers (an interception and a fumble). Midway through the third quarter, Seattle’s Leon Washington returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown. However, the return was nullified by an illegal block above the waist. Whitehurst was intercepted on the next play. Cleveland’s Montario Hardesty was the game’s lone offensive star. Starting in place of Peyton Hillis, the second-year back rushed for 95 yards on 33 carries. Atlanta 23, Detroit 16 Trench Counter: Falcons +1.8, Lions -1.8 Matt Ryan threw two interceptions and briefly sat out because of an ankle injury, but the Atlanta Falcons (4-3) were still able to record an impressive win over the Detroit Lions (5-2) at Ford Field. The loss was the second-straight for the Lions, who had their undefeated start ended by the San Francisco 49ers last week. The Atlanta defense limited Detroit’s potent offensive attack, holding the Lions to 13 first downs and just an 8.3% success rate on third down. Ryan accounted for both of Atlanta’s touchdowns, passing for one and running for another. Matt Bryant added three field goals to round out his team’s offense and Michael Turner helped open things up for Ryan by rushing 27 times for 122 times. Despite not having Jahvid Best, Detroit rushed 20 times for 104 yards (5.2 average), but Matthew Stafford had a rough afternoon. He went 15-for-32 with 183 yards and a touchdown, marking the first time this season he hasn’t passed for at least two scores. Denver 18, Miami 15 (OT) Trench Counter: Broncos +2.7, Dolphins -2.7 Trailing 15-0 with just a few minutes left, Tim Tebow shook up the Denver Broncos (2-4) in his first start of the season and led a furious comeback against the Miami Dolphins (0-6) that ended in an overtime win. Tebow, who finished 13-for-27 with 161 passing yards and eight rushes for 65 rushing yards, threw a pair of touchdown passes in the final three minutes to force overtime (he ran in for the two-point conversion on the second with 17 seconds left). The Dolphins won the coin toss, but Matt Moore fumbled as he was sacked on Miami’s second possession of the extra period, immediately putting Denver in field goal range. Broncos coach John Fox oddly opted to run three times (for a total of two yards) with Lance Ball, setting up a deep, 52-yard game-winning field goal for Matt Prater. Leading 12-0 after a 16-yard connection between Moore and tight end Anthony Fasano, the Dolphins opted to go for two. Had they kicked the extra point, the Broncos would have fallen a point shy of forcing overtime. N.Y. Jets 27, San Diego 21 Trench Counter: Jets +9.4, Chargers -9.4 The New York Jets (4-3) scored 17 unanswered points in the second half to notch a comeback win against the San Diego Chargers (4-2) at MetLife Stadium. Trailing 21-10 at halftime, Plaxico Burress scored his second and third touchdowns of the afternoon over a 10-minute span to give New York a lead their defense would not relinquish. The Jets had nine more first downs than the Chargers, including four that were handed to them on penalties. Philip Rivers and the San Diego offense struggled, totaling just 268 yards and 14 points. The first score of the game came on a 37-yard fumble return for a touchdown by linebacker Donald Butler, who also had a team-leading nine tackles. Rivers finished 16-for-32 with 179 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. A week after a controversial 100-yard interception return by Darrelle Revis, the cornerback picked off Rivers and returned the ball 64 yards, setting up the game-winning touchdown drive. Chicago 24, Tampa Bay 18 Trench Counter: Bears +17.4, Buccaneers -17.4 The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3) made things interesting at Wembley Stadium in London after the Chicago Bears (4-3) jumped out to a 21-5 led through three quarters. Josh Freeman led the Buccaneers on a pair of touchdown drives over a five-minute span that pulled the team to within a field goal, but Chicago accumulated 76 yards over more than five minutes on the ensuing drive. A 25-yard Robbie Gould field goal forced Tampa Bay to look for the end zone with less than two minutes remaining in regulation. The Buccaneers moved 43 yards on five plays, but D.J. Moore hauled in Chicago’s fourth interception of the afternoon to ice the game. Freeman’s four picks were twice as many turnovers as the Bears had and Tampa Bay managed just 4.4 yards per offensive play. Chicago rode Matt Forte for 145 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries, including a 32-yard score in the first quarter. Houston 41, Tennessee 7 Trench Counter: Texans +36.8, Titans -36.8 The Houston Texans (4-3) were without Andre Johnson once again, but they didn’t need their elite wide receiver against the Tennessee Titans (3-3) at LP Field. Arian Foster, last season’s NFL rushing leader, was all Houston needed. He rushed 25 times for 115 yards and two touchdowns, while also hauling in five receptions for 119 yards and another score. Tennessee managed 148 total yards, 86 fewer yards than Foster accumulated on his own. Tennessee committed two turnovers, without recording a takeaway, and they were just 2-for-10 on third down. Matt Hasselbeck wasn’t the team’s only problem, but he was replaced with roughly 10 minutes remaining by rookie Jake Locker, who completed his first NFL pass to Lavelle Hawkins for 12 yards. Houston ran 70 offensive plays, averaging 7.4 yards per play against the Titans. Pittsburgh 32, Arizona 20 Trench Counter: Steelers +7.3, Cardinals -7.3 The Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the second quarter and held on to top the Arizona Cardinals (1-5). The Cardinals didn’t score until their fifth possession, after beginning the game with an interception and then three straight punts. After scoring two touchdowns to pull within a field goal, Pittsburgh rattled off 15 straight points, including a safety, to put the game away. Ben Roethlisberger finished 25-for-38 with 340 yards and three touchdowns. Arizona moved the ball well, but their defense allowed 424 total yards and failed to record a takeaway. There were two long scoring plays in the game, with Mike Wallace scoring on a 95-yard pass from Roethlisberger and Kevin Kolb hooking up with Larod Stephens-Howling on a 73-yard score in the third quarter. Kansas City 28, Oakland 0 Trench Counter: Chiefs +11.2, Raiders -11.2 The Kansas City Chiefs (3-3) were far from impressive, but the final score against the Oakland Raiders (4-3) certainly was in California. Kyle Boller started, but was replaced by Carson Palmer in the third quarter after throwing three interceptions. Palmer, who was acquired on Tuesday from the Bengals, then went 8-for-21 with 116 yards and three interceptions of his own. The Raiders had more total yards than the Chiefs, but they were shutout thanks to their turnovers. Oakland lost Darren McFadden to an injury early. Matt Cassel was 15-for-30 with 161 yards and two interceptions of his own, but the Chiefs took care of the ball otherwise to ensure victory. It was Kansas City’s defense that starred as Oakland had eight possessions end in three plays or fewer. In addition to their six interceptions, the Chiefs also had a sack, two tackles for loss, eight pass deflections, six quarterback hits and a pair of touchdowns. Dallas 34, St. Louis 7 Trench Counter: Cowboys +18, Rams -18 DeMarco Murray got things started with a 91-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter and the Dallas Cowboys (3-3) rolled over the St. Louis Rams (0-6). Murray, starting because of an injury to Felix Jones, rushed 25 times for 253 yards and a score. The yardage total was a franchise record. As Dallas leaned on Murray, Tony Romo went 14-for-24 with 166 yards and two touchdowns. The two teams combined for 10 penalties, but the mistakes cost them just 46 total yards. Dallas averaged 8.6 yards per carry on the ground, including 12 rushing first downs. Overall, the Cowboys had 11 more first downs than St. Louis, which was forced to punt five times and went for it unsuccessfully on fourth down twice. Sam Bradford was forced to sit with a high-ankle sprain, leaving the Rams to start A.J. Feeley. Green Bay 33, Minnesota 27 Trench Counter: Packers +10.3, Vikings -10.3 The Minnesota Vikings (1-6) hung with the defending Super Bowl champions, but the Green Bay Packers (7-0) prevailed to preserve their undefeated record. Aaron Rodgers was nearly perfect, going 24-for-30 with 335 yards and three touchdowns, while Vikings rookie Christian Ponder played well in his first NFL start. Ponder went 13-for-32 with 219 yards, two scores and two interceptions. The rookie also rushed four times for 31 yards. James Starks sealed the game late with a number of lengthy runs, but Adrian Peterson was the game’s rushing star. Peterson ran 24 times for 175 yards and a touchdown, including a 54-yard scamper. With Minnesota leading 17-10 with less than a minute left in the first half, Green Bay scored 23 straight points.

The AFC The Buddy Nix Jay Skurski of Buffalo News: “At least for the short term, running back CJ Spiller has a new position on the Buffalo Bills. Spiller, the Bills’ first-round pick in the 2010 draft, played wide receiver in Sunday’s 27-24 loss to the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. That’s where he’ll stay for now, according to coach Chan Gailey.” The Jeff Ireland The South Florida Sun-Sentinel: “The Miami Dolphins running game was one of the lone bright spots in Monday night's game against the Jets. Tailback Reggie Bush entered Monday night averaging 3 yards per carry but increased that with a productive first quarter against the Jets.” The Jonathan Kraft Richard Hill of Pats Pulpit: “Sunday marked the 16th time in the regular season a former Patriots coach under Bill Belichick has returned to face their old team as either a lead coordinator or a head coach. Some names are familiar, such as Romeo Crennel, Eric Mangini, and Josh McDaniels.” The Mike Tannenbaum Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News: “If anybody was frightened by Brandon Marshall's vow to play like a monster, it wasn't Darrelle Revis. The Jets' cornerback embraced the challenge of playing opposite the self-proclaimed beast, and then robbed his Halloween candy.” The Ozzie Newsome Baltimore Beatdown: “There is something about playing your former team. From Pop Warner on up to the NFL there is nothing sweeter than sticking it to the guys that thought they could go on with out you. Bernard Pollard and Vonta Leach did just that on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.” The Mike Brown Ryan Harper of Cincy Jungle: “After six games the Bengals have already matched their win total from last season. They are riding a three-game win streak and currently trail the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North. Andy Dalton and A.J. Green have both made relatively smooth transitions from college to professional football and overall the team has been performing well against their opponents. Everything seems to be falling into place, right?” The Tom Heckert Chris Pokorny of Dawgs By Nature: “There's the panic button! I admit that I was ready to hit it when I did not see running back Peyton Hillis in the game during the second and third quarters yesterday. It seemed like a mystery, and because the cameras showed Hillis standing on the sideline with his helmet in hand, I thought that something had happened between he and head coach Pat Shurmur that put him in the doghouse.” The Kevin Colbert Neal Coolong of Behind The Steel Curtain: “Steelers veteran and captain Hines Ward was on The Jungle on the Jim Rome Show this afternoon. He gave some Hines-like positive sentiment and provided plenty of reasons why Steeler Nation has cheered for him harder and longer than perhaps any other player on the roster. He did admit this contract will be his last. Ward doesn't have any plans to continue playing after his contract expires.” The Rick Smith Battle Red Blog: “The Ravens may end up having one of the better defenses in recent NFL history this season, the Texans played without Andre Johnson or Mario Williams, and a win on the road against a formidable foe would have changed the way people around the NFL see the Texans.” The Chris Polian Stampede Blue: “Before we start clamoring to blow up the team, let's slow down and take a deep breath. Adam Schefter's idea that the Colts should trade Mathis and Wayne is in keeping with the wildly overstated purported demise of the franchise and the panicked nature surrounding the organization.” The Gene Smith Alfie Crow of Big Cat Country: “The Jacksonville Jaguars are the worst passing team in the NFL. They're second to last in the NFL in points per game. Outside of the running game with Maurice Jones-Drew, the Jaguars offense is... well, awful.” The Mike Reinfeldt Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean: “The Titans aren’t sure if Texans receiver Andre Johnson will be back for Sunday’s game at LP Field, but they learned a lesson from their 38-17 loss to the Steelers. “After all the talk about who might play and might not play for the Steelers, whoever lines up we have to be ready,” safety Michael Griffin said. “It doesn’t matter who is playing.” The Steelers were without several starters but whipped the Titans on Oct. 9.” The Brian Xanders Sayre Bedinger of Mile High Report: “It's the beginning of the beginning for the Denver Broncos, and while the timing isn't conventional, they are letting the team know that it's time to step up or you are not going to be part of the future.” The Scott Pioli Joel Thorman of Arrowhead Pride: “It's Oakland Raiders week for the Kansas City Chiefs and, even though both teams have struggled in recent years, it's still a heck of a rivalry, one that still gets us pumped up. It's even better this year now that both teams are (somewhat) competitive and in a meaningful AFC West race.” The Al Davis Rich Langford of Silver And Black Pride: “There is no particular reason to post this, other than the fact I resent Michael Crabtree for laughing when the Raiders selected Darrius Heyward-Bey over him. Well, that and the fact that the selection was widely panned.” The Dean Spanos Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune: “A strained calf and a concussion slowed their assault on the record book, but Chargers running backs Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert returned to practice Monday and, seemingly fully healthy, are still on track to cover more ground through the air than any running back tandem in NFL history.” The NFC The Stephen Jones Blogging The Boys: “Coming into the 2011 season, most Cowboys fans believed the star-studded offense would have to carry the team. The defense was atrocious in 2010 and would also need time to learn the new Rob Ryan scheme.” The Jerry Reese Ebenezer Samuel of The New York Daily News: “We all knew Hakeem Nicks was off to a good start this season. How good? The bye gave us some chance to crunch some numbers. And with 508 receiving yards in six games, the third-year receiver is on pace to finish with 1,354 yards. That would break Amani Toomer's nine-year-old single-season team record for receiving yards (1,343).” The Howie Roseman Bleeding Green Nation: “When the Eagles shuffled Todd Herremans over to LT and started Winston Justice at RT, it looked like a recipe for disaster. As it turned out, it was anything but. In fact, you might even say it was the best performance we've seen from the line all season. When you consider that it was against such a good defensive front, it's all the more impressive.” The Bruce Allen Mike Jones of The Washington Post: “Washington Redskins inside linebacker and defensive captain London Fletcher expects his team to rebound from Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and put together a strong performance against the Carolina Panthers this weekend.” The Jerry Angelo Dan Pompei of The Chicago Tribune: “On the 32 plays when Jay Cutler either dropped back or lined up in shotgun Sunday against the Vikings, the Bears protected him with six or more blockers 75 percent of the time.” The Martin Mayhew Sean Yuille of Pride Of Detroit: “The reason the news about Jahvid Best's latest concussion didn't come until early Monday morning is because he didn't actually experience any symptoms until after the 49ers game, according to Jim Schwartz.” The Mark Murphy Acme Packing Company: “One topic discussed was the game by LB Clay Matthews. I read a couple of "Clay is back" articles on Monday. He was able to tip multiple passes, but I've seen him with a few near deflections this season. He recorded one sack, but that was a coverage sack. He was getting pressure on the quarterback, but he's been doing that over the past few games anyway. Was this his best game of the season, or just another strong game?” The Mark Wilf Shari L. Gross of The Star Tribune: “Jared Allen says when your team is as bad as the Vikings, things have to change and Brian Robison has a special message for players already looking ahead to the 2012 season.” The Thomas Dimitroff D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “After another poor showing on third down, the Falcons defense slipped into last place in the league in third-down efficiency. Teams are converting 49 percent of their third downs against the Falcons.” The Marty Hurney Cat Scratch Reader: “I would have to agree the Panthers were missing some basic fundamentals in stopping [Michael] Turner on those stretch plays to the outside. The DE's were getting sealed off and the LB's were a step too slow to the edge. Throw in a failure to wrap up and you have Run Stopping 101 rules being violated just about every running play.” The Mickey Loomis John DeShazier of The Times-Picayune: “If the lesson learned by the New Orleans Saints from Sunday is that they don't wear flame-retardant uniforms, then falling into second place in the NFC South might have been worth it.” The Mark Dominik Bucs Nation: “The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had won 13 of 21 games over the past year and a half before coming into yesterday's contest against the New Orleans Saints. Amazingly of those 13 wins, only one came against a team that finished the season with a winning record, or that had a winning record going into the game.” The Rod Graves Revenge Of The Birds: “I am sick of hearing the Cardinals are done and garbage and have no chance to win. All these "They suck posts" are really pissing me off. I have been watching the Cardinals football for a long while and at some times it was hard to call it football but some of these fans are ridiculous. "Fire Whisenhunt,” "Kevin Kolb sucks,” "Switch back to a 4-3" and "Start Trading Away Guys" is what I am hearing. I won't begin to dismantle these statements instead here is how the Cardinals can beat the Steelers.” The Billy Devaney Jim Thomas of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “The newest Rams wide receiver, Brandon Lloyd, had 1,448 yards receiving and 11 TDs in just one season — 2010. So, yes, in acquiring Lloyd from the Denver Broncos on Monday, the Rams added much-needed experience and play-making potential to their youthful receiver corps.” The Trent Baalke The San Francisco Chronicle: “One day later, in keeping with NFL custom, the 49ers reflected. They relished their spirited pass rush Sunday in Detroit, savored their game-winning touchdown, bemoaned their barrage of penalties - and vowed (sort of) to work on the post-game handshake.” The John Schneider The Field Gulls: “A couple of weeks ago, some VMAC reporters were asking Pete Carroll about how the NFL has changed in terms of the growth of the passing game since his time in New England. Pete last coached in New England in 1999, sandwiched in between the reigns of Parcells and Belichick. I would be lying to you if I didn't wonder sometimes if Pete's unique philosophies will work in the modern NFL.”

Atlanta 31, Carolina 17 Trench Counter: Falcons +9.7, Panthers -9.7 The Atlanta Falcons (3-3) defeated the Carolina Panthers (1-5) thanks to 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Trailing by a field goal after a 14-yard run by Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, Atlanta's defense held Carolina scoreless over the game's final 21-plus minutes. Matt Ryan went 14-for-22 with 163 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for a 1-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. The team's nearly split the time of possession, but Michael Turner helped the Falcons control the game with 27 carries for 139 yards and two scores. Newton looked human against the Falcons, tossing three interceptions and averaging 6.5 yards per pass at the Georgia Dome. The rookie also rushed six times for 50 yards. Greg Olsen was Newton's top target (10), but he hauled in just five receptions for 42 yards. The Panthers went punt, punt, interception and then ran out of time on their final four possessions. Cincinnati 27, Indianapolis 17 Trench Counter: Bengals +0.8, Colts -0.8 The Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) committed eleven penalties for 111 yards, but the Indianapolis Colts (0-6) turned the ball over three times as they remained winless. With the game tied at seven apiece early in the second quarter, the Bengals reeled off 13 straight points. Carlos Dunlap put the game out of reach with a 35-yard fumble return for a touchdown with 2:22 left in regulation. Curtis Painter, who went 23-for-34 with 188 yards, a touchdown and an interception, didn't get much help from his receivers. Pierre Garcon and Dallas Clark, who combined for 14 catches, 105 yards and a score, each lost a fumble. The Colts ran the ball well without Joseph Addai, averaging 4.1 yards. Andy Dalton looked poised once again, going 25-for-32 with 264 yards and a score, which came on a 11-yard connection with A.J. Green in the first quarter. San Francisco 25, Detroit 19 Trench Counter: 49ers -11.3, Lions +11.3 The Detroit Lions (5-1) controlled the game on the stat sheet, but the San Francisco 49ers (5-1) excelled late to hand the home team their first loss of the season. Detroit had the advantage in first downs (21 to 14), yards per pass (4.9 to 3.5), penalty yards (54 to 120) and turnovers (0 to 2), but San Francisco scored the final 10 points of the game. Frank Gore helped give the 49ers one advantage as they averaged 7.0 yards per carry (against 3.7 for the Lions). Gore tallied 141 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries and they accumulated 203 rushing yards as a team, including seven first downs. After scoring a touchdown on a reviewed catch by Nate Burleson, the Lions punted, punted, lost the ball on downs and ran out of time in their final four possessions at Ford Field. Green Bay 24, St. Louis 3 Trench Counter: Packers +5.9, Rams -5.9 The Green Bay Packers (6-0) remained undefeated by easily beating the St. Louis Rams (0-5) in a game that featured no scoring after halftime. Green Bay led 3-0 after the first period and then scored three straight touchdowns in the second quarter to seize control of the game. Josh Brown kicked a 36-yard field goal with three seconds left in the first half for the Rams’ only points of the game. St. Louis had more first downs, yards per rush, time of possession and total yards, but they couldn’t make timely plays, were forced to punt five times and turned the ball over on downs on three occasions. Aaron Rodgers, who connected with James Jones, Jordy Nelson and Donald Driver for touchdowns, finished with 310 yards on 17-for-28 passing. N.Y. Giants 27, Buffalo 24 Trench Counter: Giants +5.7, Bills -5.7 The New York Giants (4-2) intercepted Ryan Fitzpatrick late in the fourth quarter to setup Lawrence Tynes’ game-winning, 23-yard field goal with less than two minutes remaining. The Buffalo Bills (4-2) had a chance to tie or take the lead, but they turned the ball over on downs after just four plays as time ticked away. The team went back-and-forth as there were only two occasions when either team scored on back-to-back drives. Buffalo took a 14-7 lead into the second quarter after an 80-yard run by Fred Jackson and a 60-yard pass from Fitzpatrick to Naaman Roosevelt, but the Giants answered with a touchdown and a field goal in the second period and Buffalo never led again at MetLife Stadium. Pittsburgh 17, Jacksonville 13 Trench Counter: Steelers +8.2, Jaguars -8.2 The Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) topped the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5) in a game that was much closer than expected on Sunday afternoon. After jumping out to a 17-0 lead with more than 10 minutes left in the second quarter, the Steelers were shutout by the Jaguars, who just didn’t have enough offense to climb all the way back into the game. Josh Scobee hit two field goals of at least 45 yards and Jason Hill caught an 18-yard pass from rookie Blaine Gabbert to make up Jacksonville’s scoring. The two teams combined for 31 first downs and the Jaguars were just 4-for-15 on third down, leading to seven punts. Gabbert was sacked five times and hit six times by Pittsburgh’s defense, which overcome injuries to their unit. Rashard Mendenhall, who sat out last week’s game, rushed 23 times for 146 yards and a score at Heinz Field. Philadelphia 20, Washington 13 Trench Counter: Eagles +14.4, Redskins -14.4 The Philadelphia Eagles (2-4) got a much-needed win on the road against the rival Washington Redskins (3-2) as they were in danger of dropping their fifth-straight contest. Leading 20-3 with a little more than two minutes left in the second quarter, Philadelphia failed to score again, but their defense kept Washington at bay. The Eagles intercepted Rex Grossman four times (three by Kurt Coleman) before the Redskins replaced him with John Beck in the fourth period. Beck ran two yards for his team’s only touchdown of the game with 2:44 left in regulation, but the Eagles ran out the clock to ensure the victory. The Redskins were just 1-for-10 on third down and they held the ball for less than 22 minutes at FedEx Field. Washington had less than 100 yards of total offense in the first half when their only points came on a 50-yard field goal by Graham Gano. Baltimore 29, Houston 14 Trench Counter: Ravens +4, Texans -4 The Baltimore Ravens (4-1) held the Houston Texans (3-3) to just seven points on offense as they ran away from the game in the second half at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens compiled 109 more total yards than the Texans and had six more first downs, which allowed them to overcome two turnovers. Baltimore scored the game’s final 16 points. Houston scored on a fumble recovery in the end zone by Wade Smith and Matt Schaub connected with Jacoby Jones for a 32-yard touchdown in the third quarter to briefly give the team a 14-13 lead. The Ravens answered five minutes later and never trailed again. Houston punted six times, but Baltimore did so just twice. Oakland 24, Cleveland 17 Trench Counter: Raiders +7.1, Browns -7.1 The Oakland Raiders (4-2) beat the Cleveland Browns (2-3) in part because of a gutsy call late in the third quarter on fourth-and-long. Raiders punter Shane Lechler tossed a 35-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kevin Boss on a fake field goal, giving the team a brief 24-7 lead. Oakland didn’t score again, while Cleveland rattled off 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, but the trick play gave them enough of a lead to hold on. Cleveland and Oakland were very close statistically, but the Browns struggled on the ground (16 of their 18 first downs came through the air) and the Raiders averaged more yards per pass (7.4 to 4.5). The Raiders had Kyle Boller under center after Jason Campbell went down with a collarbone injury. Colt McCoy completed just 47% of his passes, but totaled 215 yards and a pair of touchdowns. New England 20, Dallas 16 Trench Counter: Patriots +1.4, Cowboys -1.4 The New England Patriots (5-1) had four turnovers, but they were able to edge the Dallas Cowboys (2-3) thanks to yet another touchdown drive led by Tom Brady in the final moments. Trailing by a field goal, Brady connected with tight end Aaron Hernandez on an eight-yard pass to give New England the lead with just 22 seconds left. On that drive, Brady went eight-for-nine with 78 yards on an 80-yard drive. The Patriots went 8-for-13 on third down, while the Cowboys were just 4-for-12 when facing the possibility of fourth down. Dallas also cost themselves with 10 penalties for 77 yards, which overshadowed their +2 turnover differential. They handed the Patriots two first downs via penalties at Gillette Stadium. After putting up a strong performance over the first 57 minutes, the Dallas defense let Brady march 80 yards in just a little over two minutes. Tampa Bay 26, New Orleans 20 Trench Counter: Buccaneers +9.6, Saints -9.6 The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2) jumped out to a 20-7 lead against the New Orleans Saints (4-2) and held on despite a second-half charge for a key NFC South victory and a first-place tie. In a game that saw head coach Sean Payton essentially break his knee on the sideline, the Saints were sloppy (four turnovers) and unable to record a single takeaway. In addition to their turnovers, New Orleans converted just once in four trips to the red zone. Josh Freeman was superb for the Buccaneers, going 23-for-41 with 303 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover. With LeGarrette Blount out, Earnest Graham stepped in to rush 17 times for 109 yards as Tampa Bay had a slight edge in time of possession. Brees had more yards (383) than Freeman, but he threw three interceptions. After Mark Ingram rushed 12 yards for a touchdown that brought the Saints to within a field goal, they had a three-and-out and Brees committed a turnover at the Tampa Bay four-yard line.

The AFC The Buddy Nix Brian Galliford of Buffalo Rumblings: “If you've caught even a quarter's worth of Buffalo Bills football this season, you don't need to be told that running back Fred Jackson has been, bar none, the team's most valuable player.” The Jeff Ireland The Phinsider: “The Miami Dolphins had this past weekend off, being scheduled for the first week of byes. During that time, the Dolphins, hopefully, used the break to find an answer to several issues the team has had through the first four weeks of the 2011 season.” The Jonathan Kraft Dan Duggan of The Boston Herald: “Turns out even the vaunted Darrelle Revis can’t stop Wes Welker. Round One between the NFL’s leading receiver and its best cover cornerback went to the former, as the Patriots beat the New York Jets, 30-21, at Gillette Stadium.” The Mike Tannenbaum Gang Green Nation: “The Jets have struggled forever finding a guy capable of consistently getting to the quarterback. Maybe Jamaal Westerman can be the guy. Aaron Maybin has a lot of fans, but he is really a situational guy.” The Ozzie Newsome Bruce Raffel of Baltimore Beatdown: “The 2011 NFL season is shaping up to be the most prolific passing year of any in league history. Through five weeks of the season, there have never been as many (10) 400+ yard passing games in NFL history and the most ever in a full season is only a few ahead of that (13).” The Mike Brown Ryan Harper of Cincy Jungle: “If you look up the word awesome in the dictionary you'll see a picture of A.J. Green next to it. Okay, well that technically isn't the case. The Bengals 2011 first round pick is on pace to have one of the most productive seasons by a rookie wide receiver in recent memory. “ The Tom Heckert Chris Pokorny of Dawgs By Nature: “Cleveland Browns head coach Pat Shurmur met with the media Monday afternoon to discuss several things that have happened since the team's bye week. One of the highlights is that Greg Little will be a starting receiver at the "X" position, and tight end Evan Moore should see some more reps” The Kevin Colbert Michael Bean of Behind The Steel Curtain: “Another week, another highlight reel catch for Mike Wallace, the continually improving wide receiving threat for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Wallace's big play of Week 5 didn't come until the later part of the fourth quarter, with the Steelers comfortably ahead of the Titans but still in search of a knockout blow to punctuate what had easily been their best team effort of the 2011 season.” The Rick Smith Battle Red Blog: “Matt Schaub and these current Texans have been such a perfect blend of mediocrity over the past five years that Starbucks could buy the formula and start producing great-smelling java with a bitter aftertaste in all billion of its locations tomorrow.” The Chris Polian Stampede Blue: “Remember that guy Dallas Clark who used to torment opposing secondaries and light up the scoreboards? You know the guy who routinely broke long seam routes for key third down conversions and demoralized opponents with majestic leaping one-handed catches.” The Gene Smith Alfie Crow of Big Cat Country: “The Jacksonville Jaguars players [Monday] held a players only meet to have a heart to heart. I do not have word yet what was discussed in detail in the meeting, but sources have told me that no coaches or upper management were involved.” The Mike Reinfeldt Music City Miracles: “The Tennessee Titans are looking to trade for a wide receiver. I have heard that Mike Reinfeldt has been on the last phone exploring possibilities- including talks with the Green Bay Packers.” The Brian Xanders John Bena of Mile High Report: “Tim Tebow will be the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos - likely in the shot gun - when the team comes back from their by with a trip to Miami to face the Dolphins. Denver has never beaten the Dolphins in South Florida - they did win Super Bowl XXXIII in Miami - but at 0-4, Miami has struggled even more than the Broncos.” The Scott Pioli Joel Thorman of Arrowhead Pride: “Maybe Matt Cassel is taking a similar path as last year. No, this isn't a commentary on how Cassel is now the future of the Chiefs but I'm just pointing out what we're seeing from Cassel. Last year, despite the Chiefs 3-0 start, the early complaints about the Chiefs centered around Cassel.” The Al Davis The San Francisco Chronicle: “It’s hard to think of a more heartfelt Raider Nation memorial than this: an Al Davis tattoo. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first such tribute to Oakland’s fallen leader (the gentleman got inked Sunday).” The Dean Spanos John Gennero of Bolts From The Blue: “The Chargers defense now has two notches in its belt for this season. Last week, they knocked Chad Henne out for the season and probably ended any chance he has of being a starter in the next few years. This week, they made Kyle Orton look so bad that he was benched for Tim Tebow for what will most likely be the rest of the season.” The NFC The Stephen Jones Steven Mullenax of The Landry Hat: “No Cowboy season in the past six years has been so defined by the play of Tony Romo. His epic victories in game two and three, and his colossal breakdowns in game one and four are the stuff of Greek Mythology.” The Jerry Reese Ed Valentine of Big Blue View: “Eli Manning's QBR Rating for this week tells a story not really just for Manning, but for the New York Giants offense in Sunday's 36-25 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Manning's QBR for the week was just an 18.0, 23rd in the league out of 26 quarterbacks rated prior to this week's Monday Night Football game.” The Howie Roseman Bleeding Green Nation: “As it turns out, Vince Young was almost right. He just chose the wrong word. He called the Eagles a Dream Team. What they are, really, is a Fantasy Team. And the problem is, fantasy teams aren't teams at all” The Bruce Allen Hogs Haven: “Hits on Michael Vick -- I want Vick to get hit early and often. Even if they don’t sack him, just get some good licks on him. Get in his head a little bit. I don't want to see Vick hurt, but I want him to feel major discomfort.” The Jerry Angelo Chicago Tribune: “Matt Forte has made it clear he's not happy with his contract situation after excelling through the first quarter of the season and accounting for more than 51 percent of the Bears' offense.” The Martin Mayhew Graham Couch of MLive.com: “Detroit Lions fans spent most of the last dozen years hoping Barry Sanders would take the field again, perhaps show up unannounced at training camp.” The Mark Murphy Acme Packing Company: “While watching players do the Lambeau Leap, I've always wondered how difficult it is for them to get free from the clutching hands of fans. They're being held up by every fan within a 10-seat radius; 22 hands all trying to get a piece of the latest touchdown scorer to jump into the crowd.” The Mark Wilf Christopher Gates of Daily Norseman: “Ho hum, another day, another 122 yards and three more touchdowns for the best running back in the National Football League. There are few players in this league that are as much fun to watch as Adrian Peterson, particularly when things get rolling the way they were on Sunday.” The Thomas Dimitroff Dave Choate of The Falcoholic: “The Falcons are bristling with weaponry. I don't think I have to account for everyone here, but suffice to say they have at least four legitimately good options in the passing game, and a decent supporting cast around them. This is not an offense that should struggle to score 14 points in a game.” The Marty Hurney Cat Scratch Reader: “Almost overshadowed by our abysmal run defense, Carolina's secondary has worked their way into the top 10 in pass defense and is all but knocking the door down to get into the top 5. They started slow, allowing Kevin Kolb to carve us up and look like a pro-bowler week 1 of the season, but have tightened the bolts and came together over the first quarter of the season. It is my hope that I can provide a convincing argument as to why we should all be excited for this group that many consider to be one of our bigger weaknesses.” The Mickey Loomis Kevin Spain of The Times-Picayune: “At his Monday press briefing, New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton said the win against Carolina could turn out to be key because of how they did it.” The Mark Dominik Rodney Page of The St. Petersburg Times: “If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to erase the memory of a 45-point loss to San Francisco, they may have to do it without two of their best players.” The Rod Graves Jess Root of Revenge Of The Birds: “So...yeah. The Arizona Cardinals were embarrassed 31-10 on Sunday. It would be understandable to think that there is not a single thing that we could find that could possibly be seen as a positive. That would be why this is later than normal.” The Billy Devaney Jim Thomas of St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “Rod Hood didn't go home, nor did he go watch his alma mater, Auburn, play over the Rams’ bye weekend. He didn't head for a beach, either, for one last weekend of fun in the sun before the cold weather hits St. Louis.” The Trent Baalke David Fucillo of Niners Nation: “49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh chatted with the media [Monday] and again hit a couple high notes but didn't get into many specifics. He is a hard nut to crack, but the victories are coming by a combination of execution and great game-planning and he more or less said that with his comments. The players and coaches are coming together and taking care of business. It's pretty simple and Harbaugh is not going to give away any game-planning secrets, so we get fairly basic press conferences.” The John Schneider Danny Kelly of Field Gulls: “Remember three weeks ago when everyone thought the Seahawks were the worst team in the NFL? Remember a little while before that when the Seahawks’ failures prompted some national publication to make up rumors that Pete Carroll and John Schneider weren't getting along? Remember when everyone thought that James Carpenter was a bust and that the Seahawks had the worst offensive line in football?”

Houston 17, Pittsburgh 10 Trench Counter: Texans +0.1, Steelers -0.1 Riding Arian Foster in his first full game of the season, the Houston Texans (3-1) topped the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2) at Reliant Stadium. Foster rushed 30 times for 155 yards and a touchdown, including the game-winning score three minutes into the fourth quarter. Houston was whistled for nine penalties, including an illegal block in the back that reversed a blocked field goal for a touchdown as the first half ended. The Steelers had a chance to tie the game on their final possession, but Ben Roethlisberger threw a game-ending interception. Houston had four three-and-outs, but they didn’t turn the ball over. Rashard Mendenhall was limited to just 25 yards on nine carries, but he did cross the goal line for a score in the third quarter that brought Pittsburgh to within three points. Kansas City 22, Minnesota 17 Trench Counter: Chiefs +2.1, Vikings -2.1 The Kansas City Chiefs (1-3) didn’t score a touchdown until the fourth quarter, but they used five field goals to defeat the Minnesota Vikings (0-4). The Chiefs averaged 8.5 yards per pass, while they struggled to post 3.7 yards per rush attempt without the injured Jamaal Charles. Matt Cassel put the game away early in the fourth with a 52-yard connection with Dwayne Bowe for a touchdown that gave Kansas City a 22-10 lead. Donovan McNabb, who was criticized all week, went 18-for-30 with 202 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He averaged 6.3 yards per pass and Minnesota was more successful on the ground (averaging 5.0 yards per rush). Adrian Peterson handled the ball 23 times for 80 yards the game after his father made public statements about his displeasure with a perceived lack of touches. Chicago 34, Carolina 29 Trench Counter: Bears -7.6, Panthers +7.6 Cam Newton lit up the box score again, but the Chicago Bears (2-2) got the victory against the Carolina Panthers (1-3) on Sunday afternoon. Newton averaged 8.1 yards per pass, amassing 374 yards, a touchdown and an interception on 27-for-46 passing. He also ran with the ball eight times for 35 yards and two scores. His interception came in the first half (it was returned for a touchdown), while a key fourth down play with just a few minutes remaining in regulation didn’t go Carolina’s way. After calling just 20 running plays combined in the last two weeks, Chicago rode Matt Forte with 25 carries for 205 yards and a touchdown. Marion Barber got in on the fun as well, scoring on a 3-yard run in the fourth quarter that put the game out of reach. The Bears averaged 7.2 yards per carry as Jay Cutler threw the ball just 17 times for 102 yards. New Orleans 23, Jacksonville 10 Trench Counter: Saints +6.5, Jaguars -6.5 The New Orleans Saints (3-1) pulled away from the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3) in the second half as they outscored the home team 9-0 after halftime. The Saints completed 30 first downs, allowing them to extend drives and hold the football for more than 37 minutes. Drew Brees had 351 passing yards, averaging 7.4 yards per pass, with a touchdown and two interceptions. Jacksonville scored all of their points in the second quarter and they excelled on the ground with 6.1 yards per carry. Unfortunately, rookie Blaine Gabbert struggled in his second start with 196 yards, a touchdown and an interception on 16-for-42 passing. Maurice Jones-Drew was productive, with 11 carries for 84 yards, but the Jaguars were forced to air it out as they trailed for the entire game. Washington 17, St. Louis 10 Trench Counter: Redskins +3, Rams -3 The Washington Redskins (3-1) jumped out to a 17-0 lead and held on against the winless St. Louis Rams (0-4) at the Edward Jones Dome. The St. Louis offensive was awful once again, averaging just three yards per pass and 2.6 yards per rush. They committed just one turnover, but went 6-for-18 on third down. The Rams punted eight times and Sam Bradford was just 20-for-43 with 164 yards and a touchdown. Rex Grossman, meanwhile, managed a very good game. He went 15-for-29 with 143 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Ryan Torain ran 19 times for 135 yards and a score as he got more carries than both Roy Helu and Tim Hightower combined. Grossman’s interceptions could have proved more costly than they did as the Rams returned the miscues for a combined 66 yards. Tennessee 31, Cleveland 13 Trench Counter: Titans +3.9, Browns -3.9 The Tennessee Titans (3-1) continued to impress with a win against the Cleveland Browns (2-2) thanks to quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. The Titans averaged 10.5 yards per pass as Hasselbeck went 10-for-20 with 220 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. With the passing game working, Chris Johnson enjoyed his best game of the season with 101 yards on a workman-like 23 carries. The Titans ran just 50 plays, against 87 for the Browns. Colt McCoy threw the ball 61 times, converting 40 passes for 350 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Peyton Hillis returned from last week’s illness to run 10 times for 46 yards. McCoy targeted twelve different receivers, with eleven hauling in at least one reception. He was sacked four times and hit nine more times by Tennessee’s defense. Detroit 34, Dallas 30 Trench Counter: Lions -6.1, Cowboys +6.1 The Dallas Cowboys (2-2) jumped out a 17-0 lead, but the Detroit Lions (4-0) completed yet another huge comeback to steal a win at Cowboys Stadium. Trailing 27-10 with ten minutes left in the third quarter, the Lions scored 24 of the game’s next 27 points. Dallas averaged more yards per pass (6.8 to 5.6) and yards per rush (4.2 to 3.7), but Tony Romo threw a trio of interceptions as Detroit made their comeback. Bobby Carpenter and Chris Houston each returned a Romo interception for a touchdown in the third quarter, in a matter of five minutes, to bring the Lions back into striking distance. Calvin Johnson was relatively quiet until the final period when he caught two touchdown passes from Matthew Stafford. He finished with eight receptions for 96 yards. Cincinnati 23, Buffalo 20 Trench Counter: Bengals +10, Bills -10 The Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) stormed back to hand the Buffalo Bills (3-1) their first loss of the season thanks to a 43-yard field goal by Mike Nugent as time expired. The Bengals had more than twice as many first downs as the Bills, who scored just three points in the second half. The Cincinnati offense outgained Buffalo by nearly 200 yards on the afternoon. Ryan Fitzpatrick looked human, going 20-for-34 with 199 yards. Fred Jackson scored the only offensive touchdown for Buffalo on a three-year run in the second quarter. Bryan Scott scored the game’s first touchdown on a 43-yard interception return of rookie Andy Dalton. The Bills did not commit a turnover, but they were 4-for-14 on third down. San Francisco 24, Philadelphia 23 Trench Counter: 49ers +7.6, Eagles -7.6 Michael Vick finished the game and had a huge offensive day, but the San Francisco 49ers (3-1) handed the reeling Philadelphia Eagles (1-3) their third-straight loss. The Eagles led 23-3 midway through the third quarter, but Alex Smith led the 49ers on three touchdown drives to complete the comeback. On their last four drives, Philadelphia punted, missed two field goals and fumbled. Vick threw for 416 yards and ran for 75 more on eight carries, but LeSean McCoy struggled with nine carries for 18 yards. Frank Gore, meanwhile, rushed 15 times for 127 yards and a score. He entered the game expecting a limited workload because of an ankle injury. There were even reports prior to the game that Gore might be inactive. The game featured four missed field goals with two by David Akers, a former, long-time Eagle, and a pair by Philadelphia rookie Alex Henery. Green Bay 49, Denver 23 Trench Counter: Packers +10.1, Broncos -10.1 The Green Bay Packers (4-0) enjoyed a relatively easy win over the Denver Broncos (1-3) to maintain their perfect record. The Packers were 9-for-13 on third down, allowing them to score touchdowns on six of their eleven drives. Aaron Rodgers averaged 10.2 yards per pass, going 29-for-38 with 408 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. He also rushed for 36 yards and a pair of scores. Willis McGahee picked up Denver’s rush offense with 15 carries for 103 yards and Kyle Orton threw three touchdown passes, but Green Bay was too good. Orton also threw three interceptions and wide receiver Daniel Fells lost a fumble. Tim Tebow carried the football once, losing a yard on the play. New England 31, Oakland 19 Trench Counter: Patriots +7.3, Raiders -7.3 The New England Patriots (3-1) bounced back after a disappointing loss last week to send a statement to the Oakland Raiders (2-2). The Patriots used a dynamic offensive attack with Tom Brady going 16-for-30 for 226 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 8.8 yards per pass, but they were productive on the ground as well. New England backs carried the ball 30 times for 183 yards (a 6.1 average). Once again, Wes Welker stared. He grabbed nine balls for 158 yards and a score. The Raiders hung with the Patriots until Jason Campbell threw an interception to safety Patrick Chung in the end zone late in the second quarter. New England went on to outscore Oakland 17-9 from then on. Darren McFadden ran all over the Patriots early on, but he finished with 75 yards (14 carries) as Michael Bush ran late. San Diego 26, Miami 16 Trench Counter: Chargers +12.4, Dolphins -12.4 The San Diego Chargers (3-1) knocked Chad Henne out of the game (shoulder) and then proceeded to top the Miami Dolphins (0-4) at Qualcomm Stadium. Philip Rivers was sharp and efficient, averaging 9.5 yards per pass as he totaled 307 yards and a touchdown. Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert combined to rush for 98 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries (a 4.1 team average). San Diego took care of the football, while Miami committed two turnovers. Matt Moore took over the Henne, who attempted just four passes, going 17-for-26 with 167 yards and an interception. With Daniel Thomas out, Reggie Bush was the lead running back and he carried the ball 13 times for 50 yards. Lex Hilliard gained 20 yards and a touchdown on six carries as the No. 2 option. The Dolphins scored a touchdown on their second drive, but managed just three field goals in remaining eight possessions. Atlanta 30, Seattle 28 Trench Counter: Falcons +4.8, Seahawks -4.8 The Atlanta Falcons (2-2) led 27-7 early in the third quarter, but needed a late defensive stop to avoid a collapse against the Seattle Seahawks (1-3) at CenturyLink Field. Matt Ryan played well, throwing for 291 yards and a touchdown while completing 67% of his passes. Michael Turner helped pace the Atlanta offense with two touchdowns and 26 carries for 70 yards. The Falcons had the ball for more than forty minutes as the Seahawks didn’t have a possession that lasted longer than 3:39. Seattle did, however, score on four of their final five drives. Three of those drives resulted in touchdowns as Tarvaris Jackson led the team on a furious comeback. He threw for 319 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Steven Hauschka missed a 61-yard field goal with just a few seconds left on the clock that could have won the game. N.Y. Giants 31, Arizona 27 Trench Counter: Giants +5.1, Cardinals -5.1 Trailing by 10 points with a little more than five minutes remaining, Eli Manning led the New York Giants (3-1) to a comeback win over the Arizona Cardinals (1-3) on the road. New York got 16 of their 24 first downs through the air and averaged 7.7 yards per pass. Manning finished with 321 yards and a pair of scores on 27-for-40 attempts. The Giants struggled mightily on the ground, gaining just 54 yards on 24 attempts but they did punch it in twice in the red zone. After scoring in less than two minutes, the Giants forced a three-and-out by the Arizona offense. They won the game with a touchdown on the next possession. The Cardinals were just 3-for-12 on third down in the game. They also had a disappointing 118 yards on 11 penalties. Beanie Wells exploded in the losing effort, rushing 27 times for 138 yards and three touchdowns. Kolb threw what appeared to be an innocent interception early in the fourth quarter, New York didn’t score, but an extended drive at that point in the game could have put things out of reach. Baltimore 34, N.Y. Jets 17 Trench Counter: Ravens +14.5, Jets -14.5 The Baltimore Ravens (3-1) thumped the New York Jets (2-2) in a game that was highlighted by five defensive/special teams touchdowns. Ray Rice scored the only offensive touchdown of the game on a 3-yard run in the first quarter. Both teams struggled on the ground, averaging less than three yards per carry. The Jets had just 150 total yards and the Ravens scored three touchdowns directly off of their four turnovers. Shonn Greene continued to struggle mightily, carrying the football 10 times for 23 yards. Mark Sanchez had three rushing yards and three fumbles, to go along with his interception. Joe Flacco had two turnovers (a fumble and an interception). Leading 27-7 in the second quarter, the Jets scored 10 straight points to close the gap to 27-17 but they didn't score in the second half. Tampa Bay 24, Indianapolis 17 Trench Counter: Buccaneers +3.7, Colts -3.7 LeGarrette Blount scored on a 35-yard run with 3:15 left in regulation to give the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1) a win over the Indianapolis Colts (0-4). Tampa Bay scored the game's final 14 points after Curtis Painter had led the Colts to a 17-10 with a pair of touchdown passes to Pierre Garcon. The Colts averaged 8.5 yards per pass, but just 3.4 yards per rush. Painter fumbled in the first half before righting the ship. The Buccaneers sacked Painter four times and hit him on six other occasions. Josh Freeman, who went 25-for-39 with 287 yards and a touchdown, led his team on yet another late, game-winning drive in the fourth quarter. Tampa Bay averaged 5.3 yards per rush, with Blount leading the way (25 carries for 127 yards).