RealGM Wiretap
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.
RealGM's Week 8 Rundown
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.