RealGM Wiretap
N.Y. Jets 27, Buffalo 11 Trench Counter: Jets +10.9, Bills -10.9 The New York Jets (5-3) used a tremendous defensive effort to record an impressive road win, their first of the season, against the Buffalo Bulls (5-3). The Bills had the ball for just a little over 22 minutes, went 3-for-11 on third down and had just three points before a touchdown with 3:14 left in regulation and the outcome of the game long decided. Buffalo committed turnovers on three of their first eight possessions and punted on four others. Mark Sanchez went 20-for-28 with 230 yards, a touchdown and an interception, which came on New York's first possession. Shonn Greene, LaDainian Tomlinson and Joe McKnight helped the Jets control the clock (33 carries for 121 yards) and Sanchez was productive through the air with an average of 7.9 pass per pass attempt. Dallas 23, Seattle 13 Trench Counter: Cowboys +9.4, Seahawks -9.4 The Dallas Cowboys (4-4) and Seattle Seahawks (2-6) both recorded 18 first downs and they enjoyed roughly the same amount of production on the ground, but turnovers and third-down issues doomed the Seahawks. Seattle was just 2-for-10 on third down and Tarvaris Jackson threw three interceptions in the second half, including a pair in Dallas territory. With the game tied at six apiece after two quarters, the Cowboys scored the first 17 points of the second half. Tony Romo enjoyed a drama-free afternoon, going 19-for-31 with 279 yards and a pair of touchdown strikes. Dallas also received another standout performance from rookie DeMarco Murray, who rushed 22 times for 139 yards at Cowboys Stadium. Houston 30, Cleveland 12 Trench Counter: Texans +17.6, Browns -17.6 The Houston Texans (6-3) jumped out to an early lead and cruised to an easy win against the Cleveland Browns (3-5) even though they were without wide receiver Andre Johnson once again. The Texans led 14-0 midway through the first quarter and took a 24-3 edge into the second half. Cleveland didn’t find the end zone until there were less than five minutes left in regulation when Colt McCoy found Joshua Cribbs for a two-yard touchdown. The Texans had 11 more first downs than the Browns and they were an outstanding 9-for-14 on third down. The Houston defense was stellar as well, holding Cleveland to 172 total yards and sacking McCoy four times. For the second time this season, Arian Foster and Ben Tate both surpassed the 100-yard mark on the ground. Foster had 19 carries for 124 yards and a touchdown and Tate added 12 touches for 115 yards and a score. Atlanta 31, Indianapolis 7 Trench Counter: Falcons +26.4, Colts -26.4 The Atlanta Falcons (5-3) pummeled the Indianapolis Colts (0-9) to keep them winless on the season. The Falcons scored 21 points in the first twenty minutes to put the game out of reach quickly. Indianapolis didn’t have an offensive score as their seven points came on a six-yard interception return by Jerraud Powers in the second quarter. The Colts had just 186 total yards of offense on 56 plays and had possession for just over 22 minutes at Lucas Oil Stadium. Atlanta rookie wide receiver Julio Jones enjoyed a coming out party, catching three passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns. Jones came into the game without a score, but made his first trip to the end zone on a diving 50-yard grab in the first quarter. Matt Ryan averaged 11.2 yards per pass and his interception was the lone blemish on his record. With the Colts struggling offensively, they pulled Curtis Painter in favor of Dan Orlovsky in the fourth quarter. Neither quarterback was very effective. Miami 31, Kansas City 3 Trench Counter: Dolphins +12.4, Chiefs -12.4 The Miami Dolphins (1-7) earned their first win in impressive fashion, dominating the Kansas City Chiefs (4-4) at home on Sunday afternoon. Matt Moore had a great afternoon, going 17-for-23 with 244 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged 10.6 yards per pass, nearly double what Matt Cassel (5.8) posted for the Chiefs. Miami and Kansas City were close in total yards (351 to 343) and first downs (17 to 20), but the Chiefs punted five times and turned the ball over on downs on four occasions. Reggie Bush had another productive afternoon for the Dolphins, rushing 13 times for 92 yards and a touchdown. He also caught three passes for 50 yards, second only to Brandon Marshall, who had eight catches for 106 yards and a score. Cassel threw for 253 yards, but Kansas City’s running game didn’t provide much help. Jackie Battle carried the ball 14 times for 40 yards and the team averaged 3.4 yards per carry. New Orleans 27, Tampa Bay 16 Trench Counter: Saints +7.5, Buccaneers -7.5 The New Orleans Saints (6-3) remained perfect at home with a big divisional win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4) at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Buccaneers were held to just six points through the first three quarters, while the Saints ranked up 453 yards of total offense against the Tampa Bay defense. Drew Brees had a good afternoon, going 27-for-36 with 258 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, but it was the ground game that led New Orleans to victory. Chris Ivory, Pierre Thomas, Darren Sproles and Brees combined to rush 28 times for 195 yards (a 7.0 average) and a touchdown. The Saints had the game’s only turnover, but the Buccaneers were just 2-for-12 on third down and they turned the ball over on downs on a gutsy call by Raheem Morris in the first quarter. San Francisco 19, Washington 11 Trench Counter: 49ers +8.6, Redskins -8.6 The San Francisco 49ers (7-1) maintained their hot start with a grinding win over the Washington Redskins (3-5) at FedEx Field. Frank Gore rushed 19 times for 107 yards, making him the first running back in franchise history to tally 100 yards in five-straight games. Alex Smith had another very good afternoon, going 17-for-24 with 200 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, John Beck had 254 yards, a touchdown and an interception on 30-for-47 passing for the Redskins. San Francisco’s defense limited Washington to three points until there were just 70 seconds left in the fourth quarter when Beck connected with Jabar Gaffney on a nine-yard touchdown pass. The Redskins have lost four straight after their bye week, which came after an impressive 3-1 start. Washington was forced to punt on four of their first five possessions in the game. Denver 38, Oakland 24 Trench Counter: Broncos +10.9, Raiders -10.9 The Oakland Raiders (4-4) led 17-7 at halftime, but the Denver Broncos (3-5) scored 31 of the game’s next 38 points to seize control of the game. Both teams had more than 400 yards of total offense, 20 or more first downs and double-digit penalties. Oakland had three turnovers, two of which came on interceptions in the second half. After throwing three interceptions in his second-half debut two weeks ago, Carson Palmer went 19-for-35 with 332 yards, three touchdowns and three more picks. Willis McGahee helped Tim Tebow lead the Broncos to their second comeback win in their last three games. Tebow threw for 124 yards and two touchdowns while also scrambling 12 times for 117 yards. Meanwhile, Willis McGahee thrashed the Raiders defense for 163 yards and two scores on 20 carries. His longest dash, a 60-yarder, came on the game-tying touchdown as time expired in the third quarter. Cincinnati 24, Tennessee 17 Trench Counter: Bengals +2.3, Titans -2.3 The Cincinnati Bengals (6-2) rallied to beat the Tennessee Titans (4-4) and earn their fifth straight victory. Trailing 17-7 after two quarters, rookie quarterback Andy Dalton tossed two touchdown passes and Cincinnati scored the final 17 points of the game. The Titans had nine more total yards than the Bengals and averaged more yards per pass and rush, but they punted five times and lost a fumble in the second half. Dalton finished 22-for-39 with 217 yards and three touchdowns, while Matt Hasselbeck went 24-for-41 with 273 yards and two scores. Chris Johnson had 64 yards on 14 carries with Cincinnati struggling to tackle him in the first half. Jared Cook fumbled after hauling in a nine-yard pass from Hasselbeck with four minutes left and the Titans trailing 21-17. Two minutes later, Mike Nugent kicked a 36-yard field goal to give Cincinnati a seven-point edge. Arizona 19, St. Louis 13 (OT) Trench Counter: Cardinals -0.8, Rams +0.8 Patrick Peterson scored on a 99-yard punt return in overtime to give the Arizona Cardinals (2-6) a thrilling win over the St. Louis Rams (1-7) in Glendale. The Rams had close to 400 total yards and held the Cardinals to just 262, but St. Louis committed the game’s lone turnover on a Sam Bradford interception. The game began with five field goals and two safeties before John Skelton hooked up with Larry Fitzgerald for a 13-yard touchdown with 4:51 left in the fourth quarter. St. Louis scored four points in the third quarter by tackling Skelton in the end zone and then watching the quarterback commit his own safety. The Rams were led by Steven Jackson, who rushed 29 times for 130 yards. Not only did Peterson return the game-winning punt, but his also intercepted Bradford. N.Y. Giants 24, New England 20 Trench Counter: Giants +6.1, Patriots -6.1 After it appeared as though Tom Brady had led the New England Patriots (5-3) on yet another game-winning drive in the fourth quarter, Eli Manning engineered his own thrilling drive to lead the New York Giants (6-2) to victory at Gillette Stadium. After a scoreless first half, the Giants jumped out to a 10-0 lead before the Patriots scored 13 straight points to take a 13-10 lead with 7:08 left in the fourth quarter. With a little over three minutes left, there appeared to be three game-winning drives. Manning hooked up with Mario Manningham on a 10-yard pass with 3:03 left to give New York a 17-13 lead. Brady then connected with Rob Gronkowski on a 14-yard pass to give New England a 20-17 edge with 1:36 left. After a costly pass interference call on the Patriots, Manning found Jake Ballard in the end zone for the actual game-winning score. Each of New York’s final two drives were boosted by pass inference calls. Green Bay 45, San Diego 38 Trench Counter: Packers +10.9, Chargers -10.9 The Green Bay Packers (8-0) led 21-7 after the first quarter, but the San Diego Chargers (4-4) made things difficult for the defending champions in the second half. Two of Green Bay’s first three scores came on interception returns (Charlie Peprah, 40 yards and Tramon Williams, 43 yards) in a matter of three minutes. Philip Rivers finished 26-for-46 with 385 yards, four touchdowns and three picks. Rivers found Vincent Jackson for a pair of scores midway through the fourth quarter to pull San Diego to within a touchdown. After forcing a three-and-out, the Chargers punted in Green Bay territory. The San Diego defense then forced another punt, but Rivers threw his third interception in Packers territory with less than 30 seconds remaining in regulation. The Chargers had seven more first downs and 92 more total yards, but the Packers didn’t commit a turnover. Baltimore 23, Pittsburgh 20 Trench Counter: Ravens +1.7, Steelers -1.7 After taking criticism for his play in the first half of the season, Joe Flacco led the Baltimore Ravens (6-2) to a thrilling comeback win over the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) on Sunday night. With 2:17 left in regulation, Flacco led the offense on a 12-play drive that went for 92 yards and ended with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Torrey Smith for the game-winning score. At the 4:59 mark of the fourth quarter, Ben Roethlisberger found Mike Wallace for a 25-yard score that briefly gave Pittsburgh a 20-16 lead. Baltimore led 9-6 at halftime and took a 16-6 edge in the third quarter on a four-yard run by Ray Rice with less than five minutes left in the period. Three touchdowns were scored in the fourth quarter, beginning with a one-yard run by Rashard Mendenhall just a few seconds into the period. The Ravens were an amazing 14-for-21 on third down, while the Steelers averaged more yards per pass (8.7 to 6.1) and per rush (3.5 to 2.5).
RealGM's Week 9 Rundown
N.Y. Jets 27, Buffalo 11 Trench Counter: Jets +10.9, Bills -10.9 The New York Jets (5-3) used a tremendous defensive effort to record an impressive road win, their first of the season, against the Buffalo Bulls (5-3). The Bills had the ball for just a little over 22 minutes, went 3-for-11 on third down and had just three points before a touchdown with 3:14 left in regulation and the outcome of the game long decided. Buffalo committed turnovers on three of their first eight possessions and punted on four others. Mark Sanchez went 20-for-28 with 230 yards, a touchdown and an interception, which came on New York's first possession. Shonn Greene, LaDainian Tomlinson and Joe McKnight helped the Jets control the clock (33 carries for 121 yards) and Sanchez was productive through the air with an average of 7.9 pass per pass attempt. Dallas 23, Seattle 13 Trench Counter: Cowboys +9.4, Seahawks -9.4 The Dallas Cowboys (4-4) and Seattle Seahawks (2-6) both recorded 18 first downs and they enjoyed roughly the same amount of production on the ground, but turnovers and third-down issues doomed the Seahawks. Seattle was just 2-for-10 on third down and Tarvaris Jackson threw three interceptions in the second half, including a pair in Dallas territory. With the game tied at six apiece after two quarters, the Cowboys scored the first 17 points of the second half. Tony Romo enjoyed a drama-free afternoon, going 19-for-31 with 279 yards and a pair of touchdown strikes. Dallas also received another standout performance from rookie DeMarco Murray, who rushed 22 times for 139 yards at Cowboys Stadium. Houston 30, Cleveland 12 Trench Counter: Texans +17.6, Browns -17.6 The Houston Texans (6-3) jumped out to an early lead and cruised to an easy win against the Cleveland Browns (3-5) even though they were without wide receiver Andre Johnson once again. The Texans led 14-0 midway through the first quarter and took a 24-3 edge into the second half. Cleveland didn’t find the end zone until there were less than five minutes left in regulation when Colt McCoy found Joshua Cribbs for a two-yard touchdown. The Texans had 11 more first downs than the Browns and they were an outstanding 9-for-14 on third down. The Houston defense was stellar as well, holding Cleveland to 172 total yards and sacking McCoy four times. For the second time this season, Arian Foster and Ben Tate both surpassed the 100-yard mark on the ground. Foster had 19 carries for 124 yards and a touchdown and Tate added 12 touches for 115 yards and a score. Atlanta 31, Indianapolis 7 Trench Counter: Falcons +26.4, Colts -26.4 The Atlanta Falcons (5-3) pummeled the Indianapolis Colts (0-9) to keep them winless on the season. The Falcons scored 21 points in the first twenty minutes to put the game out of reach quickly. Indianapolis didn’t have an offensive score as their seven points came on a six-yard interception return by Jerraud Powers in the second quarter. The Colts had just 186 total yards of offense on 56 plays and had possession for just over 22 minutes at Lucas Oil Stadium. Atlanta rookie wide receiver Julio Jones enjoyed a coming out party, catching three passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns. Jones came into the game without a score, but made his first trip to the end zone on a diving 50-yard grab in the first quarter. Matt Ryan averaged 11.2 yards per pass and his interception was the lone blemish on his record. With the Colts struggling offensively, they pulled Curtis Painter in favor of Dan Orlovsky in the fourth quarter. Neither quarterback was very effective. Miami 31, Kansas City 3 Trench Counter: Dolphins +12.4, Chiefs -12.4 The Miami Dolphins (1-7) earned their first win in impressive fashion, dominating the Kansas City Chiefs (4-4) at home on Sunday afternoon. Matt Moore had a great afternoon, going 17-for-23 with 244 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged 10.6 yards per pass, nearly double what Matt Cassel (5.8) posted for the Chiefs. Miami and Kansas City were close in total yards (351 to 343) and first downs (17 to 20), but the Chiefs punted five times and turned the ball over on downs on four occasions. Reggie Bush had another productive afternoon for the Dolphins, rushing 13 times for 92 yards and a touchdown. He also caught three passes for 50 yards, second only to Brandon Marshall, who had eight catches for 106 yards and a score. Cassel threw for 253 yards, but Kansas City’s running game didn’t provide much help. Jackie Battle carried the ball 14 times for 40 yards and the team averaged 3.4 yards per carry. New Orleans 27, Tampa Bay 16 Trench Counter: Saints +7.5, Buccaneers -7.5 The New Orleans Saints (6-3) remained perfect at home with a big divisional win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4) at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Buccaneers were held to just six points through the first three quarters, while the Saints ranked up 453 yards of total offense against the Tampa Bay defense. Drew Brees had a good afternoon, going 27-for-36 with 258 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, but it was the ground game that led New Orleans to victory. Chris Ivory, Pierre Thomas, Darren Sproles and Brees combined to rush 28 times for 195 yards (a 7.0 average) and a touchdown. The Saints had the game’s only turnover, but the Buccaneers were just 2-for-12 on third down and they turned the ball over on downs on a gutsy call by Raheem Morris in the first quarter. San Francisco 19, Washington 11 Trench Counter: 49ers +8.6, Redskins -8.6 The San Francisco 49ers (7-1) maintained their hot start with a grinding win over the Washington Redskins (3-5) at FedEx Field. Frank Gore rushed 19 times for 107 yards, making him the first running back in franchise history to tally 100 yards in five-straight games. Alex Smith had another very good afternoon, going 17-for-24 with 200 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, John Beck had 254 yards, a touchdown and an interception on 30-for-47 passing for the Redskins. San Francisco’s defense limited Washington to three points until there were just 70 seconds left in the fourth quarter when Beck connected with Jabar Gaffney on a nine-yard touchdown pass. The Redskins have lost four straight after their bye week, which came after an impressive 3-1 start. Washington was forced to punt on four of their first five possessions in the game. Denver 38, Oakland 24 Trench Counter: Broncos +10.9, Raiders -10.9 The Oakland Raiders (4-4) led 17-7 at halftime, but the Denver Broncos (3-5) scored 31 of the game’s next 38 points to seize control of the game. Both teams had more than 400 yards of total offense, 20 or more first downs and double-digit penalties. Oakland had three turnovers, two of which came on interceptions in the second half. After throwing three interceptions in his second-half debut two weeks ago, Carson Palmer went 19-for-35 with 332 yards, three touchdowns and three more picks. Willis McGahee helped Tim Tebow lead the Broncos to their second comeback win in their last three games. Tebow threw for 124 yards and two touchdowns while also scrambling 12 times for 117 yards. Meanwhile, Willis McGahee thrashed the Raiders defense for 163 yards and two scores on 20 carries. His longest dash, a 60-yarder, came on the game-tying touchdown as time expired in the third quarter. Cincinnati 24, Tennessee 17 Trench Counter: Bengals +2.3, Titans -2.3 The Cincinnati Bengals (6-2) rallied to beat the Tennessee Titans (4-4) and earn their fifth straight victory. Trailing 17-7 after two quarters, rookie quarterback Andy Dalton tossed two touchdown passes and Cincinnati scored the final 17 points of the game. The Titans had nine more total yards than the Bengals and averaged more yards per pass and rush, but they punted five times and lost a fumble in the second half. Dalton finished 22-for-39 with 217 yards and three touchdowns, while Matt Hasselbeck went 24-for-41 with 273 yards and two scores. Chris Johnson had 64 yards on 14 carries with Cincinnati struggling to tackle him in the first half. Jared Cook fumbled after hauling in a nine-yard pass from Hasselbeck with four minutes left and the Titans trailing 21-17. Two minutes later, Mike Nugent kicked a 36-yard field goal to give Cincinnati a seven-point edge. Arizona 19, St. Louis 13 (OT) Trench Counter: Cardinals -0.8, Rams +0.8 Patrick Peterson scored on a 99-yard punt return in overtime to give the Arizona Cardinals (2-6) a thrilling win over the St. Louis Rams (1-7) in Glendale. The Rams had close to 400 total yards and held the Cardinals to just 262, but St. Louis committed the game’s lone turnover on a Sam Bradford interception. The game began with five field goals and two safeties before John Skelton hooked up with Larry Fitzgerald for a 13-yard touchdown with 4:51 left in the fourth quarter. St. Louis scored four points in the third quarter by tackling Skelton in the end zone and then watching the quarterback commit his own safety. The Rams were led by Steven Jackson, who rushed 29 times for 130 yards. Not only did Peterson return the game-winning punt, but his also intercepted Bradford. N.Y. Giants 24, New England 20 Trench Counter: Giants +6.1, Patriots -6.1 After it appeared as though Tom Brady had led the New England Patriots (5-3) on yet another game-winning drive in the fourth quarter, Eli Manning engineered his own thrilling drive to lead the New York Giants (6-2) to victory at Gillette Stadium. After a scoreless first half, the Giants jumped out to a 10-0 lead before the Patriots scored 13 straight points to take a 13-10 lead with 7:08 left in the fourth quarter. With a little over three minutes left, there appeared to be three game-winning drives. Manning hooked up with Mario Manningham on a 10-yard pass with 3:03 left to give New York a 17-13 lead. Brady then connected with Rob Gronkowski on a 14-yard pass to give New England a 20-17 edge with 1:36 left. After a costly pass interference call on the Patriots, Manning found Jake Ballard in the end zone for the actual game-winning score. Each of New York’s final two drives were boosted by pass inference calls. Green Bay 45, San Diego 38 Trench Counter: Packers +10.9, Chargers -10.9 The Green Bay Packers (8-0) led 21-7 after the first quarter, but the San Diego Chargers (4-4) made things difficult for the defending champions in the second half. Two of Green Bay’s first three scores came on interception returns (Charlie Peprah, 40 yards and Tramon Williams, 43 yards) in a matter of three minutes. Philip Rivers finished 26-for-46 with 385 yards, four touchdowns and three picks. Rivers found Vincent Jackson for a pair of scores midway through the fourth quarter to pull San Diego to within a touchdown. After forcing a three-and-out, the Chargers punted in Green Bay territory. The San Diego defense then forced another punt, but Rivers threw his third interception in Packers territory with less than 30 seconds remaining in regulation. The Chargers had seven more first downs and 92 more total yards, but the Packers didn’t commit a turnover. Baltimore 23, Pittsburgh 20 Trench Counter: Ravens +1.7, Steelers -1.7 After taking criticism for his play in the first half of the season, Joe Flacco led the Baltimore Ravens (6-2) to a thrilling comeback win over the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) on Sunday night. With 2:17 left in regulation, Flacco led the offense on a 12-play drive that went for 92 yards and ended with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Torrey Smith for the game-winning score. At the 4:59 mark of the fourth quarter, Ben Roethlisberger found Mike Wallace for a 25-yard score that briefly gave Pittsburgh a 20-16 lead. Baltimore led 9-6 at halftime and took a 16-6 edge in the third quarter on a four-yard run by Ray Rice with less than five minutes left in the period. Three touchdowns were scored in the fourth quarter, beginning with a one-yard run by Rashard Mendenhall just a few seconds into the period. The Ravens were an amazing 14-for-21 on third down, while the Steelers averaged more yards per pass (8.7 to 6.1) and per rush (3.5 to 2.5).