NFL Week 6

As the 2012 regular season nears its halfway point week 6 saw a few upsets and various tightly contested games. We take a look the clash of the titans matchup in the NFC, Sunday night’s high scoring game and Mondays memorable clash between two AFC West rivals as well as a quick review of the other games that took place in the NFL this week.

New York Giants (4-2-0) 26-3 San Francisco 49ers (4-2-0)

In a repeat of last season’s NFC Championship game and quite possibly a preview of this year’s NFC Championship game the New York Giants walked in to and all over the 49ers at Candlestick Park.

At the start of the second quarter San Francisco lead by three but then the nightmare day for quarterback Alex Smith started when he threw a pick to Prince Amukamara. The turnover resulted in a quick drive by the Giants which ended with Eli Manning throwing a 6 yard touchdown pass to Victor Cruz.

New York only lead by 7 at halftime but after Ahmad Bradshaw’s one yard touchdown run on a 3rd & goal there was no looking back by the Giants. The 49ers seemed to have the life sucked out of them after missing out on another key defensive redzone stop. Bradshaw was great for the Giants as he rushed for 116 yards on 27 carries for his one score.

So at 17-3 the 49ers looked to make it a one possession game but Alex Smith was picked off with just over 10 minutes left in the third by Antrel Rolle. Rolle got two interceptions on the day for the Giants meaning that Smith threw 3 interceptions.

Smith came in to the game only throwing one pick on the year and on the back of a big win over Buffalo, the poor performance meant that he had his first three-interception game since 2009. His one highlight and one of the 49ers only positives was when Smith hooked up with Randy Moss downfield for a 55 yard catch.

On the other hand Eli Manning was very efficient for the Giants as he completed 15 out of 28 attempts for 193 yards and the one touchdown play. He managed the clock well and with the teams defense on top of their game everything clicked for New York. At 17-3 the next 9 points came from three more Lawrence Tynes field goals which wrapped up the big 23 point victory.

After a slow start to the season the Giants are now top of the NFC East with a 4-2 record. Next week they face divisional rivals the Washington Redskins who are 3-3 in a big one as Manning faces an unfamiliar opponent in the shape of rookie RGIII who has looked impressive in his first season in the league.

As for the 49ers well their next opponents are the Seattle Seahawks meaning that it’s the clash of two of the NFL’s best defences and it is also a divisional matchup. Seattle got a big 24-23 win over the Patriots this week so the 49ers will need to bounce back and be at their best when they host them in a game which could have big playoff ramifications as the NFC West is tightly contested.

Green Bay Packers (3-3-0) 42-24 Houston Texans (5-1-0)

Going in to week 6 only two teams were still undefeated but after Sunday night’s game the Houston Texans couldn’t boast any more as Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers looked like their old selves in a high scoring game at Reliant Stadium.

Aaron Rodgers put on a phenomenal display as the reigning league MVP tied a franchise record for the Packers by throwing six touchdown passes. He completed 24 of 37 passes for 337 yards as Green Bay bounced back from a tough loss to the Colts in week 5.

The game started when Rodgers completed a 41 yard touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson as the Packers got off to an explosive start. On the next possession Rodgers danced round the pocket to find Randall Cobb before finishing off the drive with a 6 yard touchdown play to James Jones who has 7 TD receptions on the year.

Early in second Arian Foster cut the lead to 7 with a 1 yard touchdown run but the 14 point lead was restored when Rodgers fired a 21 yard bullet in to the end zone for Nelson to haul in for the score. Shayne Graham kicked a field goal for Houston to leave the Texans down 21-10 at the half.

Any chance of Houston comeback was cut short by the Green Bay’s opening second half drive as it took 6.44 off the clock. The 16 play, 80 yard march downfield ended with another Jordy Nelson touchdown reception but to make matters worse the drive could have resulted in just a field goal if the Texans were not penalised for unsportsmanlike conduct on a Green Bay field goal attempt.

Arian Foster got his second rushing touchdown to close the gap to 11 once again. Despite his two TD runs the running back only rushed for a disappointing 29 yards. The Texans didn’t turn the ball over early on but in the end it was as lacklustre for quarterback Matt Schaub as it was for his running back as he threw 2 picks and was sacked 3 times.

The game as a contest ended early in the fourth when Rodgers managed to throw to Tom Crabtree on a 48 yard touchdown play despite taking a big hit whilst throwing the ball. That put Green Bay up 35-17 and a couple of minutes later another touchdown was scored following a Sam Shields pick which set up Rodgers and co in good field position giving him the opportunity for his sixth touchdown pass; a 17 yard play to James Jones.

A late blocked punt return touchdown for the Texans meant that they lost by 18 when full-time came around. The defeat meant that only the Atlanta Falcons stayed unbeaten on the season following their victory earlier in the day against the Raiders taking them to 6-0.

As for the Packers well they were flying on all cylinders. The offense put in an extremely impressive performance and much like the many we saw during last year’s regular season. Aaron Rodgers monster throwing display meant that Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb both racked up over 100 receiving yards.

Green Bay still sits third in the NFC North behind the Vikings and the Bears. They now look forward to a road game against the Rams who also hold a 3-3 record on the season. Meanwhile the Texans look to regroup as they have a huge match against AFC rivals the Baltimore Ravens who are also 5-1 meaning that the two teams in the AFC with the best records so far this season will play each other at Reliant Stadium in week 7.

Denver Broncos (3-3-0) 35-24 San Diego Chargers (3-3-0)

These two AFC West rivals did battle in a Monday Night classic. This game defined a tale of two halves with the Broncos being sluggish all throughout the first half before rallying from 24 points down to win the game by 11.

Denver’s comeback was mainly down to a bit of Manning magic as Peyton put on a master class by completing 24 of 30 passing attempts for 309 yards and three touchdown passes; one interception.

Some poor ball handling and special team’s plays cost Denver early on meaning that the Chargers led 10-0 at the end of the first thanks to a Nick Novak 32 yard field goal and a 15 yard touchdown pass from Phillip Rivers to Antonio Gates.

Despite Rivers throwing an interception to Jim Leonard midway through the second quarter the Chargers returned an interception of their own when Quentin Jammer picked off Manning and got in to the end zone for an 80 yard play giving them a 17-0 lead with 6 minutes left in the half.

The Chargers completed an impressive first half when Rivers found Gates in the end zone again for an 11 yard touchdown play meaning that San Diego led 24-0 at the break leaving the Broncos to dwell on their mistakes.

But dwell for long they did not do, the Broncos received the ball to start the second half and got on the scoreboard with an 8 play, 85 yard drive which resulted in a Demaryius Thomas 29 yard touchdown catch.

San Diego’s downfall started on its next drive. Rivers was sacked at midfield which resulted in a fumble that eventually found its way to Tony Carter who returned it 65 yards for a score bringing Denver within 10 with 4.41 left in the third.

The fourth started with Denver in possession of the ball and still only down by just 10 after the Chargers were forced to punt after their last drive. Manning found Jacob Tamme on a 3rd and 16 for a 25 yard gain to move the ball in to San Diego territory before capping the 9 play drive by hitting Eric Decker on a short 2nd and 3 pass for a 7 yard touchdown to make it a three point contest with plenty of time remaining.

Rivers threw his second interception of the game, this time to Tony Carter who had a big game for the Broncos and his 15 yard return following the pick put Denver at midfield to start their next drive. Manning took advantage of another favourable field position with a 21 yard touchdown pass to Brandon Stokley on the right side of the end zone to put the Broncos on top 28-24.

San Diego looked to make it interesting and moved the ball to the Denver 41 yard line but the drive was cut short when Rivers threw his third pick of the game as Chris Harris made a diving catch to haul in the interception. The resulting drive ended in no score but then Harris got his second pick which meant Rivers threw four interceptions on the day and this time the Denver cornerback returned the ball in to the end zone for a 46 yard touchdown.

The memorable comeback was complete with Denver racking up 35 unanswered points in the second half and the win means that the Broncos are now tied with San Diego at the top of the division with both teams holding a 3-3 record after 6 games as they head in to their bye week.

Roundup of week 6’s other results:

Pittsburgh Steelers (2-3-0) 23-26 Tennessee Titans (2-4-0) – The Titans grabbed a narrow win at LP Field when Rob Bironas kicked a 40 yard field goal as time expired.

Oakland Raiders (1-4-0) 20-23 Atlanta Falcons (6-0-0) – It was closer than many expected but the Falcons remained undefeated with a win at home over Oakland thanks to a 55 yard field goal by kicker Matt Bryant.

Dallas Cowboys (2-3-0) 29-31 Baltimore Ravens (5-1-0) – This win for the Ravens gave them control of the AFC North while defeat for the Cowboys leaves them bottom of the NFC East as they missed out on overtime by failing to convert a 2 point conversion late in the 4th to tie the game.

Cincinnati Bengals (3-3-0) 24-34 Cleveland Browns (1-5-0) – The Bengals had a shot to move to 4-2 but were brought back down to earth as Cleveland won their first game of the season by 10.

St. Louis Rams (3-3-0) 14-17 Miami Dolphins (3-3-0) – Both teams needed to win with both in tightly contested divisions and it was Miami who came out on top as rookie QB Ryan Tannehill stole the show.

Indianapolis Colts (2-3-0) 9-35 New York Jets (3-3-0) – The Colts were brought back down to earth following week 5’s emotional win over Green Bay as the Jets literally ran riot in a blowout.

Detroit Lions (2-3-0) 26-23 Philadelphia Eagles (3-3-0) – A late rally by Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions sent this game to overtime with Jason Hanson kicking the game winning field goal.

Kansas City Chiefs (1-5-0) 10-38 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3-0) – The Chiefs’ tough start to the season continued as they lost heavily on the road to the Bucs by 28.

Buffalo Bills (3-3-0) 19-16 Arizona Cardinals (4-2-0) – This win for the Bills in overtime kept them on track with the other 3 teams in the AFC East as the Cardinals slipped to a second straight defeat.

New England Patriots (3-3-0) 23-24 Seattle Seahawks (3-3-0) – The best offense in the NFL met the best defense and defense prevailed as missed opportunities for the Patriots cost them meaning that a late touchdown for the Seahawks got them a big win leaving New England stunned.

Minnesota Vikings (4-2-0) 26-38 Washington Redskins (3-3-0) – RGIII’s spectacular 76 yard touchdown run late in the fourth killed the Vikings off as the Redskins got a huge home win ahead of a divisional week 7 matchup vs the Giants.

NFL Week 5

Week 5 was another eventful week in the 2012 NFL regular season with exciting games and close matchups. Here is a look at the main games this week with a roundup of the other results.

Green Bay Packers (2-3-0) 27-30 Indianapolis Colts (2-2-0) 

Indianapolis Head Coach Chuck Pagano has been diagnosed with leukaemia but during a time of crisis for the man his team gave him a reason to smile with a win in an emotionally intense game. 

Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne visited Pagano ahead of the game and vowed to bring the game ball back to him after the team got the win. Wayne lived up to his promise by contributing largely in the Colts victory over Green Bay with a career high 212 receiving yards from 13 caught passes and a touchdown.

Wayne made several incredible plays and linked up extremely well with rookie quarterback and number 1 overall pick Andrew Luck. The future hall of famer pulled of a spectacular one handed catch off a 3^rd and 6 play midway through the second quarter.

Wayne is having a phenomenal year especially for a guy in his twelfth year in the NFL; he has scored two touchdowns in 4 games with over 500 receiving yards. The receiver capped off his amazing performance with a fantastic play when he stretched out his arm in to the end zone with 35 seconds to go on a 1^st and goal which proved to be the winning touchdown.

Mason Crosby had a chance to force overtime but he hooked his 51 yard field goal wide left with 8 seconds to go. The Packers only have themselves to blame for this defeat as they led 21-3 at halftime. Green Bay did lose three key players to injury as Cedric Benson, Jermichael Finley and B.J. Raji all left the game injured which contributed to their second half downfall.

Aaron Rodgers did his best to keep his team in the game and personally put in another efficient performance with 20 out of 32 passes completed for 235 yards, 3 touchdowns and one interception. The Green Bay O-line didn’t help at times and the loss of Finley at tight end restricted his options as Rodgers tried his best with what was on offer.

The Colts defense did amazing to restrict the Packers to just 6 points in the second half, they needed some luck which they got but the win was well earned and deserved. Speaking of luck the star player of the day had to be quarterback Andrew Luck as he showed off his skills whilst proving to everyone in Indianapolis that the future is bright for the franchise.

Despite being roughed up early on Luck put on clinic in the fourth quarter with an amazing and game winning performance. Late in the third on 3^rd and goal Luck ran in to the end zone to cut the gap to just two points and get some momentum going as well as kick start the comeback. The Colts went up by 1 thanks to a Vinatieri field goal with just over 8 minutes left in the final quarter

After the Packers took the lead with 4 minutes and 30 seconds left in the game it was time for Luck to show what he was made of. They started the drive with 4 minutes and 30 seconds remaining, on 3^rd and 9 Luck hit Wayne for his first third down completion in 9 attempts. On 3^rd and 12 Luck shrugged off Clay Matthews and hit Reggie Wayne again for a new set of downs and then on a 3^rd and 7 play Luck rushed for a first down to set up the 1^st and goal. With the end zone in sight Luck and Wayne hooked up again on another spectacular play for the touchdown which got the win for the Colts on a memorable day at Lucas Oil stadium.

Andrew Luck finished the game with 2 touchdown passes for 362 yards, one interception throw, and completed 31 out of 55 passing attempts. That win for the Indianapolis Colts leaves them at 2-2 on the season and second in the AFC South, next they go on the road to take on the Jets. Meanwhile Green Bay sits third in the NFC North with a losing 2-3 record ahead of a big Sunday night game in Houston against the Texans who are 5-0.

Denver Broncos (2-3-0) 21-31 New England Patriots (3-2-0)

This matchup saw two of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time face off once again as Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos visited Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. The two renewed their rivalry in a great game which the Pats won by 10 after Denver’s fourth quarter comeback fell short.

Not being able to hold on to the ball cost the Broncos badly, within the opening 3 minutes of the game as Demaryius Thomas appeared to be heading in to the end zone after a deep throw from Manning the ball was stripped then recovered by Patriots defender Sterling Moore.

The game’s first touchdown came with just 3 minutes and 8 seconds left in the first quarter when Tom Brady threw an 8 yard touchdown pass to complete an 84 yard drive on a 1^st and goal play to Wes Welker. Welker had 9 first half catches and finished the game with 13 receptions for 104 receiving yards and the one score.

Denver answered by moving the ball 80 yards in 10 plays which included Manning throwing to Thomas who spectacularly caught the ball with one hand on a 1^st and 10 play to make up for his earlier mistake at the start of the game. The drive ended in a touchdown when Peyton Manning threw short to Joel Dreessen for the score just 55 seconds in to the second quarter.

The Patriots then scored 10 points on their next two possessions to take a 17-7 lead in to halftime. Brady moved the chains with a 14 yard completion to Welker on 3^rd and 10 at their own 20 yard line and Danny Woohead converted a running play on another third down from near midfield. The first scoring possession ended with Shane Vereen’s 1 yard touchdown run and the second with a field goal following a Broncos goal-line stand.

In the third quarter Woodhead again helped New England convert on third down, this time it was on a long 3^rd and 17. The lengthy drive ended with Brady plunging in to the end zone on 3^rd and goal from 1 yard, a fired up Brady spiked the ball following the score as the Patriots went 24-7 ahead.

Denver’s next drive ended on the first play when Manning was then stripped of the ball by Ninkovich and Vince Wilfork recovered it at the Broncos’ 14. Ridley finished off a quick drive for a touchdown with an 8 yard run in to the end zone meaning that the Patriots scored two touchdowns in an 18 second span. Ridley himself racked up 151 rushing yards and the one score on the day.

Despite the Broncos fighting back and coming close in the end it was the Patriots running game that was the difference maker. Willis McGahee’s fumble on a drive which would have cut the lead to 3 in the fourth didn’t exactly help Denver’s cause. Nevertheless Peyton Manning still put in a good performance; he hooked up with Eric Decker on a 2 yard TD play in the third and with Brandon Stokley in the fourth on a 5 yard play. He ended the game with 337 passing yards, 3 touchdowns and 31 completed passes out of 44 yard attempts.

Unfortunately for Manning and Broncos it was another fourth quarter comeback that fell short meaning that the team are 2-3 on the season, they sit second in the AFC West and are a game behind the Chargers. The Patriots on the other hand have gained sole control of the AFC West with their second win in a row and have moved to a 3-2 record.

The win upped Brady’s record in the head-to-head meetings between him and Manning to 9-4. More importantly for Brady and New England was how explosive the offense looked. The first half was about Brady tearing it up in the air; overall he completed 23 out of 31 passing attempts on the day for 1 touchdown meaning that in the Patriots’ first 5 games he has now racked up 10 TD’s for 1450 passing yards and just one interception. The second half was about the running game and all four running backs contributed in the 31-21 win at Gillette stadium. The win also saw the New England Patriots set a new franchise record for the number of first downs in a game, 35, which showed how impressive they were on the day.

In week 6 the Patriots go on the road to CenturyLink Field to take on the Seattle Seahawks who are also 3-2 on the season as they look to make it three wins in a row. The Broncos will face AFC West rivals and divisional leaders the Chargers in a game which could have playoff ramifications even at this early stage in the season with a win for San Diego giving them breathing space whereas a Denver victory would tie up the two teams’ seasonal records.

Roundup of Week 5’s other results:

Arizona Cardinals (4-1-0) 3-17 St. Louis Rams (3-2-0) – The Rams got the home win and ended the Cardinals unbeaten start to the season on Thursday night’s game.

Miami Dolphins (2-3-0) 17-13 Cincinnati Bengals (3-2-0) – A close one at Paul Brown stadium saw the Dolphins come out of Ohio with the win.

Baltimore Ravens (4-1-0) 9-6 Kansas City Chiefs (1-4-0) – In a low scoring game with no touchdowns the Ravens got the win by 3.

Cleveland Browns (0-5-0) 27-41 New York Giants (3-2-0) – The Giants outscored their opponents by 14 in a high scoring contest leaving Cleveland still winless on the season.

Philadelphia Eagles (3-2-0) 14-16 Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2-0) – Shaun Suisham’s 34 yard field goal as time expired got the win for the Steelers at Heinz Field.

Atlanta Falcons (5-0-0) 24-17 Washington Redskins (2-3-0) – The Falcons rallied in the fourth quarter as Matt Ryan and co ensured that Atlanta remained perfect on the season with a 7 point win at FedEx Field.

Seattle Seahawks (3-2-0) 16-12 Carolina Packers (1-4-0) – Carolina’s disappointing start to the season continued as they fell to 1-4 whereas the road win for Seattle moved them to 3-2.

Chicago Bears (4-1-0) 41-3 Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4-0) - Jay Cutler, Chicago’s running game and the defense all impressed as the Bears won in a blowout with 28 points scored in the fourth.

Tennessee Titans (1-4-0) 7-30 Minnesota Vikings (4-1-0) – The Vikings continued to shock the rest of the league with their third win a row as they made it look easy against Tennessee.

Buffalo Bills (2-3-0) 3-45 San Francisco 49ers (4-1-0) – The 49ers dismantled the Bills and secured another big win, this week Alex Smith was leading the charge with three touchdown passes for over 300 passing yards.

San Diego Chargers (3-2-0) 24-31 New Orleans Saints (1-4-0) – The Saints have endured a shocking start to the 2012 regular season but 10 fourth quarter points saw New Orleans come back to grab their first win.

Houston Texans (5-0-0) 23-17 New York Jets (2-3-0) – It was closer than the Texans would have liked and Tebow almost inspired a fight back for the Jets but they fell short as Houston won by 6.

NFL Week 4 review

Week 4 of the NFL regular season saw the return of the leagues officials. The replacements referees’ time was brought to an end following controversial calls in the Baltimore Ravens win over the New England Patriots as well as a game which saw one of the most controversial calls in NFL history meaning that the Seattle Seahawks got the win over the Green Bay Packers.

As usual week 4 saw lots of exciting action in the national football league and with some normality restored it was all about football this week. Here we take a look at the games from week 4 as the season starts to heat up.

Cleveland Browns (0-4-0) 16-23 Baltimore Ravens (3-1-0)

This Thursday night game was when the real officials returned to the field. In what many expected to be an easy win for Baltimore it actually turned out to be a fairly tough night for the Ravens with opposing quarterback Brandon Weeden passing for 320 yards against their defense.

A late drive by Cleveland failed as Baltimore won the game by 7. Despite the defeat the Browns can take positives from week 4 with the likes or rookie running back Trent Richardson impressing with 47 rushing yards off 14 carries with one touchdown.

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was efficient on a night where despite throwing an interception he managed to throw for 356 yards and a touchdown which helped his team to their second straight win. 

With Cleveland now the only team in the AFC who are winless it looks like a long season for all those involved with the franchise whereas Baltimore are now 3-1 and sit first in the AFC North.

Both teams are on the road in week 5 with the Ravens looking ahead to a game against the Chiefs as they look to strengthen their credentials, meanwhile the Browns look to snap their 4 game losing streak against the Giants at MetLife Stadium.

Carolina Panthers (1-3-0) 28-30 Atlanta Falcons (4-0-0)

Following an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Giants the Carolina Panthers almost pulled off an upset at the Georgia Dome. In the end it wasn’t mean to be and following Matt Bryant’s kick with five seconds remaining the Atlanta Falcons stayed perfect by moving to 4-0 with a 30-28 victory.

Atlanta was down by a point when they took over from their own 1 yard line with 59 seconds left. Matt Ryan orchestrated the game winning drive which started with a 59 yard pass to Roddy White before two more completions to set up the field goal following a defense pass interference call.

Ryan himself was brilliant as he threw 3 touchdowns for 369 yards and just one interception, two of his touchdown passes were to White as the pair connected well once again.

The run game was also in full flight as Michael Turner rushed for 103 yards and he also hauled in 68 receiving yards with 60 on those on a play early in the third quarter when Ryan threw a screen pass giving the running back the space to sprint and score.

Cam Newton who threw for two touchdowns, 215 yards, and DeAngelo Williams showed why this Panthers team is young and exciting as they now look to get back to winning ways at home against the Seahawks in their week 5 matchup.

The Falcons will now travel to Washington for a week 5 match-up in the capital against the Redskins as Atlanta look to maintain their impressive start to the regular season with Matt Ryan hoping to put one over opposing rookie quarterback RGIII.

New England Patriots (2-2-0) 52-28 Buffalo Bills (2-2-0)

With an uncharacteristic two early season defeats in a row and the team being 14-7 down at halftime the New England Patriots had their backs against the wall. Roll back a year and it was the Bills who came back to beat the Patriots but this time it was Tom Brady and co who rallied back to get the win on the road for Bill Belichick’s men.

Even at the start of the third quarter the Patriots saw themselves down 21-7 but then suddenly everything clicked and they hit top gear. New England managed to score 6 consecutive touchdown drives in the second half as they went on to win the game by 24 points.

Tom Brady finished the game with 340 passing yards, threw for three touchdowns and also added a 4 yard touchdown run. His receiving corps put in strong performances as Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski both caught for over 100 yards with Gronk getting his third touchdown in four games. Brandon Lloyd showed he is becoming a key part of this offense as he hauled in a few catches which included a touchdown of his own. Danny Woodhead also chipped in with a receiving touchdown when he hooked up with Brady on an impressive 17 yard play.

Stephen Gostkowski missed key field goals which could have proved costly for New England so it was down to Brady once again to get it done. He rose to the occasion with a fantastic as well as vintage performance which saw Brady (41,206 yards) pass Kerry Collins for 11^th place on the NFL’s career passing yardage list.

The highlight of the day for the Patriots was the impressive numbers put up on the ground by rookie free agent Brandon Bolden (137 yards, 1 touchdown) and second year running back Steven Ridley (106 yards, 2 touchdowns). The two carved up the Buffalo defense which was essential to opening up the passing game for Tom Brady.

The Patriots brilliance went hand in hand with the Bills inconstancy as despite some early impressive defense plays by Buffalo that included forced fumbles on Gronkowski and Welker they turned it over a number of times themselves, 6 altogether on the day. They included Vince Wilfork recovering a fumble and their quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick threw four interceptions despite also throwing four touchdowns.

After two close defeats the New England Patriots have got back to winning ways to go top of the AFC East and will now return home to Foxborough for their week 5 match-up where they welcome old nemesis Peyton Manning with the Denver Broncos to Gillette stadium.

Minnesota Vikings (3-1-0) 20-13 Detroit Lions (1-3-0)

The Vikings moved to a surprising 3-1 record and backed up their shock win over the 49ers in week 3 to go on the road and put one over their NFC north rivals by beating the Lions.

Percy Harvin opened the scoring on literally the opening play as he returned the kick-off for an outstanding 105 yard touchdown. It was Harvin’s fifth and longest kick return for a touchdown as he burst through a big hole nearby midfield after cutting to his right to make his way in to the end zone for the score.

The surprise of the season so far for the Vikings, along with the fact that they are 1^st in the NFC North after 4 games, is that running back Adrian Peterson is playing almost as if he never suffered any sort of knee injury. He carried the ball 21 times for 102 yards and added four catches for 20 yards.

Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder also did well by completing 16/26 pass attempts which included him throwing for 111 yards. Minnesota’s other touchdown was when Marcus Sherels returned a punt in to the end zone for 77 yards.

So once again it was special teams that let down the Detroit Lions and even late one yard run for a touchdown by quarterback Matthew Stafford was not enough to inspire a fight back like the dramatic win for the Lions in week 1 over the Rams. They got the ball back with 1.42 on the clock but Stafford who threw for 319 yards in the game was sacked for the fifth time on the final play of the game while trying to set up a hail mary.

Nevertheless it was good to see Stafford back on the field following his recent injury, this young Lions team could be 3-1 but sloppy defensive play against the Titans in week 3 and this week against the Vikings has seen them practically throw 2 games away meaning they now sit 1-3 and bottom of their division.

Detroit now have a bye week to refocus before they go to Lincoln Financial Field to take on the Philadelphia Eagles whereas the Vikings look to beat their total wins from the 2011 season already when they welcome the Titans to the Metrodome this week.

Tennessee Titans (1-3-0) 14-38 Houston Texans (4-0-0)

Many people hyped up this Texans team for a successful season, others questioned if they were the real deal. Well after four games Houston are 4-0 for the first time in franchise history so early signs are good.

As for this game it was effectively over as soon as Titans quarterback Jake Locker went down on Tennessee’s second drive. He grabbed his hand in pain and after the game it was reported that he had separated his shoulder.

With the Titans sitting bottom of the AFC South following this divisional loss it was a major blow to lose their starting quarterback to injury especially after the display he put up when the team beat the Lions in a 44-41 overtime thriller in their week 3 game.

The experienced Matt Hasselbeck came in and threw two touchdowns along with two interceptions. One of the interceptions was returned for six when it was still a one-score game in the third quarter which killed any sort of close contest in this game.

With the Titans enduring bad luck as well as playing some bad football this meant that Houston registered the first 24 points of the second half to give them control of the game. Matt Schaub completed 20 passes out of 28 attempts for 202 yards and two touchdown passes with Adrian Foster contributing on the ground by running for 86 yards and a touchdown.

Schaub and the Texans carved up the opposition as the team showed off their offensive skills but in their next game will be tested by Rex Ryan’s New York Jets when they set off to visit East Rutherford as Houston look to stay perfect in a Monday Night matchup. As for the Titans they also have a road game and will take on the Vikings who have started well in 2012, they have a rejuvenated Adrian Peterson and Tennessee will hope that their running back Chris Johnson takes a leaf out of his book as he looks to build on his performance in week 4 in which he showed shades of the old CJ2K form.

San Diego Chargers (3-1-0) 37-20 Kansas City Chiefs (1-3-0)

In an AFC West divisional match the San Diego Chargers proved too much for the Kansas City Chiefs meaning that the Chargers left Arrowhead stadium as divisional leaders leaving the Chiefs with a losing record after four weeks of the regular season.

San Diego were pretty impressive as Phillip Rivers completed 18 out of 23 passing attempts for two touchdowns, throwing one interception, and then they had the likes of Jackie Battle who had one receiving and one rushing touchdown. Antonio Gates also managed to haul in 3 catches for 59 receiving yards.

Despite that it was the Chiefs who practically beat themselves with a dismal performance. Quarterback Matt Cassel threw 3 interceptions with one being on the teams opening drive. It was a first half meltdown that gave the Chargers a 27-6 lead at one point, Jamaal Charles fumbled twice for Kansas with both being deep in their own territory.

Although Charles rushed for 92 yards on just 17 carries, caught three balls for 23 more yards and scored a pair of touchdowns unfortunately the two fumbles he committed were very costly. Overall it was a bad day at the office for the Chiefs as they now move on to week 5 where they entertain the 3-1 Baltimore Ravens.

As for the Chargers they will be looking to go 4-1 when they travel to the Superdome on Sunday night’s late game. They face the winless New Orleans Saints who have all sorts of problems and are already in a must win situation so early on in the season.

San Francisco 49ers (3-1-0) 34-0 New York Jets (2-2-0)

The Niners were brought back down to earth in week 3 when they were defeated by the Vikings and after having a week to stew over the loss they took it out on the Jets in a 34-0 blowout win.

Even with a healthy Darrelle Revis the Jets would still have had no chance of winning this game because the 49ers grounded and pounded their way to the victory with Alex Smith only throwing 21 times for San Francisco; he completed 12 of those passes for 143 yards.

Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter couldn’t be stopped, both rushed for a touchdown each with Gore going for 62 yards and Hunter for 56 yards meaning the pair racked up over 100 between themselves.

It wasn’t just those two who chipped in though as overall on the day San Francisco had 9 different rushers. The biggest surprise was how often the 49ers ran the wildcat with Colin Kaepernick taking the snap five times; he accumulated 50 yards and a touchdown.

It was the Jets and Tim Tebow who were meant to be the master of the wildcat but Tebow rushed twice for no yardage and completed 1 pass for 9 yards which turned in to a fumble as Dedrick Epps lost the ball following a big hit after the catch. Mark Sanchez was poor and should have been picked off more than once as he only managed to complete 13/29 with the overall stats on the day showing that the Jets went 103 yards for passing and 45 for rushing.

The 49ers defense still deserves credit and appears to be back to its best, head coach Jim Harbaugh will be happy with the manner of the victory as his team now go back home to entertain the Buffalo Bills at Candlestick Park. Meanwhile for the New York Jets it is back to the drawing board and it doesn’t get any easier as they take on the 4-0 Houston Texans in their week 5 matchup.

Seattle Seahawks (2-2-0) 13-19 St. Louis Rams (2-2-0)

Rookie Greg Zuerlein literally kicked the Rams to victory in a 19-13 win over the Seahawks. There were only two touchdowns in the game and both came in the first half meaning that the game turned in to a kicking fest.

Edward Jones Dome witnessed Zuerlein kick four field goals which included a 60 yarder which is a new Rams franchise record. Quarterback Sam Bradford completed just over 50% of his passes for 221 yards and threw a pick.

His opposite number Russell Wilson managed to complete 17 out of 25 attempts but unfortunately 3 of the 8 incompletions were interceptions. The Seahawks and Wilson himself went from being on top of the world after knocking off the Packers in a controversial Monday night thriller to being brought back down to earth by St. Louis.

The Rams will look to get another home win under their belt when they take on the Arizona Cardinals who are surprisingly 4-0 whereas the Seahawks go on the road to the Bank of America Stadium where they take on the Carolina Panthers.

Miami Dolphins (1-3-0) 21-24 Arizona Cardinals (4-0-0)

In a game that went to overtime it was another small margined defeat for the Miami Dolphins. There were many surprises though once the dust settled from this game at the University of Phoenix Stadium.

First of all it was the first time in 38 years that the Arizona Cardinals had started 4-0 and surprisingly they have Kevin Kolb to thank for that. Despite throwing 2 interceptions Kolb through 3 touchdown passes for 324 yards which included a game-tying 15 yard score to Andre Roberts on a fourth down play with 22 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

After that it was Jay Feely who nailed a game-winning 46 yard field goal in overtime for the Cardinals. Despite the pain of another close defeat for the Dolphins their rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill is slowly starting to prove doubters wrong as he threw for a franchise rookie record 431 yards which included 26 completions out of 41 attempts.

Miami had their opportunities to get the win but will now have to regroup as they prepare for a week 5 match in Cincinnati against the Bengals. As for Arizona they take on the St. Louis Rams with their eye on a fifth straight win.

Oakland Raiders (1-3-0) 6-37 Denver Broncos (2-2-0)

Peyton Manning was back to his old self in a convincing 37-6 blowout win for the Denver Broncos over the Oakland Raiders. Denver moved to a 2-2 record ahead of a massive week 5 game against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

Manning will need to be at his best when the Broncos take on the Patriots but after this performance you could say he was back to the Peyton everyone admired in Indianapolis.  He put in a near perfect performance with flawless numbers as Manning threw three touchdown passes for 338 passing yards.

The Broncos erupted by scoring 27 unanswered points in the second half to send the home fans at Mile High home with smiles all round. By completing 30 out of 38 passes it was Manning’s most impressive display since he became a Bronco and when he wasn’t passing on the ground Willis McGahee was tearing up the opposing defense as he rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown. The effectiveness of the run game helped open up the pass and contributed to a win which snapped a 2 game losing streak for Denver.

At halftime the score was only 10-6 but a scoreless second half for the Raiders lead to an embarrassing defeat. Carlson Palmer threw no picks but he also threw no touchdowns and running back Darren McFadden only rushed for 34 yards to cap off a poor day for Oakland who now have a week off before they travel to Atlanta to take on the highflying Falcons.

Cincinnati Bengals (3-1-0) 27-10 Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3-0)

Following a big defeat in the Bengals opening match against the Ravens they have gone on to win their next three games including this fairly straightforward win over the Jags.

Cincinnati’s quarterback Andy Dalton scored a touchdown on the ground and threw two touchdown passes after an early interception to help his team keep pace with Baltimore at the top of the AFC North. Dalton completed 20 out of 31 passes for 244 yards.

The win ensured that the Bengals are off to their best start since 2009. Dalton linked up well once again with receiver A.J. Green who hauled in six passes for 117 yards and scored a touchdown for a third consecutive game.

A good performance by the Bengals was helped by the fact that they restricted Jacksonville’s running game as Maurice Jones-Drew posted just 38 yards on the ground. Blaine Gabbert managed to link up with Mercedes Lewis for a touchdown but a fourth quarter interception by the quarterback meant that a Bengals field goal made it a three score game.

The Jaguars didn’t help themselves by only scoring 3 points in the second half and although unlikely they will hope for improved fortunes when they host the Chicago Bears in week 5. As for the Bengals well they go in to their next game against the Dolphins on a high as they look to make it 4 straight wins against the AFC East’s last placed team.

New Orleans Saints (0-4-0) 27-28 Green Bay Packers (2-2-0)

Once the real refs took to the field all those associated with the Green Bay Packers must have felt a sense of relief following the controversial defeat to the Seattle Seahawks, a game which ended the replacement officials’ time in the NFL.

When the referees took to the field at Lambeau Field a cheer went round the stadium but by the end of the game they had developed in to boos which then turned in to chants of "bulls***”. Thankfully for Green Bay despite 3 calls which should have been overturned in their favour they managed to hold on to the win.

An 11 yard pass from Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to Jordy Nelson gave them a one point lead with 7 minutes left in the fourth quarter. With less than 3 minutes remaining New Orleans’ kicker Garrett Hartley made a 43 yard field goal attempt to give his team the lead but a hold was called and following the 5 yard penalty the kicker then missed from 48 yards. With 2.49 to go Green Bay were able to run out the clock and win to go 2-2 on the season whilst leaving the Saints winless.

The game saw both quarterbacks put on amazing displays, Drew Brees threw 3 touchdown passes whilst completing 35 out of 54 attempts meaning that he threw for a very impressive 446 yards. Brees tied Johnny Unitas’ 47 consecutive game streak of throwing a touchdown pass, which is an all-time NFL record, meaning that if he throws one against the Chargers in the Saints next game he will be the outright record holder.

Aaron Rodgers was extremely efficient as he completed 31 out of 41 passes for the Packers. He threw 4 touchdown passes and 1 interception for 319 yards. Two of Rodgers’ scores went to wide receiver James Jones who managed to haul in 56 yards on the day. Cedric Benson also played his part by rushing for 84 yards which helped take the load off of Rodgers and open up the passing game for him.

Overall in a close game it came down to gutsy calls and although it looked like the whole world was against Green Bay they prevailed in the end. The key call was in the second quarter when head coach Mike McCarthy opted to tell his team to go for it on a 4^th and inches at his own 15 which the Packers made, it resulted in a score which in the end proved to be vital for his team.

In week 5 the Packers travel to Lucas Oil to take on Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts whereas the Saints play later on at home against the San Diego Chargers as Drew Brees and co look to end their 4 game losing streak.

Washington Redskins (2-2-0) 24-22 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3-0)

Billy Cundiff, the man who missed a field goal that would have tied the game for the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game last season against the Patriots, became a hero in Washington as he connected on a 41 yard attempt to lift the Redskins over the Buccaneers 24-22 and help move his side to 2-2 on the season.

Despite being a game winning hero Cundiff had missed kicks of 41, 57 and 31 yards earlier on in the game before drilling home the winner at the end of the match. The win snapped a two game losing streak for the Redskins who are now have tied records with the Cowboys and Giants in the NFC East and are only a game behind division leaders the Eagles.

Robert Griffin put in an efficient performance by completing 26 of 35 passing attempts as he spread the ball out meaning that there were 9 different receivers on the day. Davis, Morgan and Hankerson all caught over 50 yards which meant that Griffin accumulated 323 passing yards.  Griffin also ran for a touchdown and almost had a second but fumbled in the end zone although thankfully for the Redskins Pierre Garcon recovered it for the score.

On the ground Alfred Morris put on an impressive display by rushing for 113 yards for a touchdown for Washington. Defeat for the Bucs left them with a losing 1-3 record, they can take positives from the game though as quarterback Josh Freeman threw for 299 yards and a touchdown, as well as an interception. Mike Williams and Vincent Jackson both hauled in over 100 receiving yards with the latter also adding a touchdown for himself.

Tampa Bay has a bye for week 5 so will have time to prepare for their next game which is at home against the Chiefs. As for the Redskins, they will take on the 4-0 Atlanta Falcons in a game which is set up to be an entertaining one at FedEx Field.

New York Giants (2-2-0) 17-19 Philadelphia Eagles (3-1-0)

Lincoln Financial Field was the setting for this NFC East clash on Sunday night and the New York Giants found themselves defeated again by a divisional rival. The win meant the Eagles gained control at the top of the division leaving the Giants with a 2-2 record and tied with the Redskins and Cowboys.

Philadelphia put in a good team performance to hold out for a win in this close one. Surprisingly the Eagles did not commit a single turnover and after a scoreless first half quarterback Michael Vick found DeSean Jackson on a 19 yard play for a touchdown. It was Vicks only touchdown pass of the game but he threw for 241 yards, rushed for 49 and completed 19 out of 30 attempts.

In the end it was Philadelphia’s kicker, Alex Henery, who proved to be the match winner as his 4th field goal of the game proved to be the decider. Eli Manning had got the Giants in to field goal range with 10 seconds remaining but their kicker, Lawrence Tynes, missed from 54 yards meaning that the Eagles escaped with the win.

Despite Manning throwing for 309 yards and two touchdown passes, Victor Cruz racking up 109 receiving yards and a score and Domenik Hixon also hauling in over 100 yards defeat for the Giants means that it is the first time since 1996 that they have dropped to 0-2 in divisional play.

The star of the game was Eagles running back LeSean McCoy who ran for 123 yards. The improved performance for Philadelphia will give them a newfound belief ahead of a tough trip to Heinz Field against the Steelers in week 5.

As for the Giants well they look to get back to winning ways when they return home to take on the winless Cleveland Browns at MetLife Stadium.

Chicago Bears (3-1-0) 34-18 Dallas Cowboys (2-2-0)

Tony Romo made his way in to the Dallas Cowboys record books, but not for a good reason. He became the second quarterback in franchise history to throw five interceptions twice in his career so he now holds the unwanted record with Eddie LeBaron.

The first quarter was scoreless but following a Robbie Gould field goal which gave the Bears a 3-0 lead Tony Romo threw his first interception on the Cowboys next drive which resulted in a 25 yard return for a touchdown by Charles Tillman.

Jay Cutler was very efficient for Chicago; he threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns. Cutler completed 18 passes out of 24 which included 7 throws to receiver Brandon Marshall who racked up 138 yards and got a score.

The Bears led at halftime 10-7 but in the second half they seized control of the game. Devin Hester was the man who caught the other touchdown pass from Cutler and it was on a 34 yard play-action play on Chicago’s opening series of the second half.

From that moment on the Bears never looked back and Lance Briggs sprinted in to the end zone after picking off Tony Romo to complete a 74 yard interception touchdown return. By the time Dallas scored their second touchdown of the game it was with 34 seconds left in the fourth and backup quarterback Kyle Orton was on the field meaning that the Chicago Bears wrapped up the victory by 16 points and moved on to a 3-1 record to go joint top in the NFC North with Minnesota Vikings.

The Bears will go on the road again in week 5 as they take on the 1-3 Jacksonville Jaguars and will look to put on another good display. Meanwhile the Cowboys, especially Tony Romo, will want to forget about this defeat by regrouping and focusing on their game against the Baltimore Ravens which will take place in week 6 as Dallas has a bye for week 5.