The Chicago Bears kept their playoff hopes alive with their 28-13 victory on the road against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Bears defense put them ahead in the first quarter after Arizona running back Beanie Wells fumbled and cornerback Zack Bowman recovered the fumble and easily got into the end-zone.

Cornerback Charles Tillman extended the Bears’ lead in the third quarter on a 10 yard interception return for a touchdown. All three of Tillman’s interceptions this season have been returned for touchdowns.

Cornerback Kelvin Hayden and safety Anthony Walters both recorded interceptions. The Bears defense also compiled four sacks and were without veteran leader Brian Urlacher.

Quarterback Jay Cutler led the Bears, completing 12 of 26 passes for 146 yards and one touchdown. Cutler and wideout Brandon Marshall connected on an 11 yard pass for pass in the second quarter. Marshall caught six passes for 68 yards along with this touchdown.

On the ground, Matt Forte led the Bears carrying the ball 12 times for 88 yards and punched in a four yard touchdown in the second quarter.

The Arizona Cardinals started quarterback Ryan Lindley. Lindley completed 17 of 30 passes for 141 yards and one interception. Lindley has yet to throw a touchdown pass since becoming a starter and was benched early in the third quarter.

Fourth year player Brian Hoyer entered the game and completed 11 of 19 passes for 105 yards and one interception.

Larry Fitzgerald led all wide receivers with eight receptions for 111 yards surpassing the 100 yard mark for the second time this season.

The Bears will finish their season on the road at Ford Field against NFC North divisional rivals the Detroit Lions and look to sneak into the playoffs. The Cardinals will end their season with a tough match-up against NFC West rivals the San Francisco 49ers.

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The Arizona Cardinals started the season 4-0, and have since been on a nine-game losing skid. The Cardinals finally snapped their losing streak after their 38-10 victory over the Detroit Lions.

The Detroit Lions took a 7-0 lead in the second quarter with a Mikel Leshoure 1-yard touchdown run. Arizona answered back on the ensuing drive and running back Beanie Wells punched in a five yard touchdown to tie the game up.

Arizona’s defense played extraordinarily well and inevitably led the Cardinals to victory. The Cardinals forced four turnovers: three interceptions and one fumble. Arizona picked off Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford for the first time in the second quarter. Cornerback Patrick Peterson intercepted Stafford and returned it 31 yards.

The Cardinals capitalized on that interception and Wells punched in a 1-yard run. Seconds before the end of the first-half safety Rashard Johnson intercepted Stafford and returned it for a 53 yard touchdown to give the Cardinals a 21-7 lead going into halftime.

Cornerback Greg Toler picked off Stafford in the fourth quarter and returned it 102 yards for a score and put the Cardinals comfortably ahead 31-10. Wells put the icing on the cake with a 31-yard run with less than four minutes remaining in the game.

Wells finished the game with 67 yards along with three touchdowns.

Cardinals quarterback Ryan Lindley completed 14 of 21 passes for 104 yards and threw one interception. Lindley has played in five games and has yet to throw his first NFL touchdown.

As for Stafford, he completed 24 of 50 passes for 246 yards. This was Stafford’s third game this season without throwing a touchdown pass, two of those three games resulted in loses.

Star wideout Calvin Johnson may be the only reason why the Lions are still getting some attention despite a six-game losing streak. Johnson hauled in 10 receptions for 121 yards. This was his seventh consecutive game with 100+ receiving yards — he still needs 182 yards to break Jerry Rice’s NFL single season receiving yard record.

Johnson will look to get closer to Rice’s record next week as the Detroit Lions will welcome the Atlanta Falcons to Ford Field. As for the Cardinals, they will welcome the Chicago Bears.

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The Green Bay Packers clinched the NFC North division for a second consecutive season with their 21-13 victory over divisional rivals the Chicago Bears at Solider Field.

Aaron Rodgers helped the Packers continue their 12-game winning streak in the NFC North division by tossing three touchdown passes. Rodgers completed 22 of 36 passes for 291 along with his three touchdown passes.

James Jones was the recipient to all three touchdowns, catching a total of five catches for 60 yards. Also, wideout Randall Cobb caught a game high six reception for 115 yards.

The Packers featured a combination of running backs to help jumpstart the run game. Alex Green, Ryan Grant and DuJuan Harris combined for 94 of Green Bay’s 113 rushing yards. The run game has picked up in the recent weeks due to rotation they have implemented.

Green Bay was ecstatic with the return of linebacker Clay Matthews, who missed the team’s last four games with a hamstring injury. His presence on defense was known, finishing the game with six tackles and two sacks. Matthews has 11 sacks in the 10 games he has played this season. The defensive pressure stepped it up in his return, combining for four total sacks.

The gameplan for Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears was to run the ball, control the clock and keep Rodgers off the field. Their opening drive looked as if it would have been successful but they had trouble moving the ball.

Cutler finished the game after completing 12 of 21 passes for 135 yards one touchdown and one interception. Cutler connected with wide receiver Brandon Marshall on a 15-yard touchdown in the second quarter to give the Bears their early (and only) lead of the game.

The Packers secondary contained Marshall, who leads the league with 107 receptions, to only six receptions for 35 yards along with his score.

As for Chicago’s run game, Matt Forte had 20 carries for 69 yards. Forte also contributed in the pass game catching five passes for 64 yards.

Chicago’s tenacious defense was without Brian Urlacher but was still able to force two turnovers against Green Bay. Grant busted through the defense for a positive gain and was hit by cornerback Charles Tillman, who forced a fumble recovered by linebacker Nick Roach.

With less than eight minutes left, on a punt, returner Cobb attempted to throw a backwards pass to Jeremy Ross which he also fumbled — the Bears regained possession. The Bears were only able to kick a field goal on the horrendous Packers mistake.

With the victory, the Packers are in contention to earn a first-round playoff bye. As for the Bears, they have fallen to 8-6, along with four other teams in the NFC and will have to battle to earn a wild card playoff position. The Packers will be play their final home game of the season next week against the Tennessee Titans. The Bears will head west to take on the Arizona Cardinals.

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A snowy and cold Lambeau Field played a decisive role in the Green Bay Packers 27-20 divisional win over the Detroit Lions, continuing a NFL record 22 consecutive victories over the Lions at Lambeau.

The Detroit Lions, marched down the field on their first drive with ease. The drive was capped off with quarterback Matthew Stafford’s four-yard touchdown run for an early 7-0 lead. On the Packers ensuing drive, Aaron Rodgers brought his offense down to Detroit’s 12 yard-line.

On 2nd and 10, Rodgers was sacked and fumbled the ball. Lion’s linebacker, Stephen Tulloch, recovered the ball. Once again the Lions attacked Green Bay’s weak defense and went ahead 14-0, after Stafford and tight-end Tony Scheffler connected on a 3-yard touchdown pass.

The Packers were able to respond with a Mason Crosby, 49 yard field goal. The Lions slowly started moving down field once again. On 1st and 10 from the Packers 42 yard-line, Stafford dropped back, went to throw and the ball slipped out of his hand. Packers’ defensive end Mike Daniels, recovered the fumble and took it back 72 yards to cut the deficit 14-10.

Rodgers, led the Packers down field on the first drive of the second half. On third and four from Detroit’s 27 yard-line Rodgers bought himself some time, eluding the pass rush and headed for the end-zone giving Green Bay their first lead of the night, 17-14.

Packers’ running back, DuJuan Harris put the finishing touches on the Lions in the fourth quarter, on a 14 yard touchdown run.  Harris finished the game with seven carries for 31 yards along with his touchdown. Also running back Alex Green had 13 carries for 69 yards. Recently signed, Ryan Grant got some action running the ball once for a 13 yards.

Green Bay had a well balanced offense running for a total of 140 yards. Rodgers completed 14-of-24 passes for a 173 yards. Rodgers’s favorite target was Randall Cobb. Cobb caught seven passes for 102 yards.  This was Rodgers second game this season not tossing a touchdown pass. Also he snapped his 30 consecutive home game touchdown streak.

Green Bay welcomed back corner back Sam Shields who has been out with an ankle injury. Shields picked off Stafford in the win.

Stafford finished the game completing 27-of-45 passes for 264 yards one touchdown and one interception. Wideout Calvin Johnson, caught 10 passes for 118 yards and still remains on pace to break Jerry Rice’s receiving yards record.

With the victory the Packers improved to 9-4 and control their own destiny. The Packers have an opportunity to win the NFC North next week, when they travel to Soldier Field to take on rivals the Chicago Bears. As for the Lions, they will be heading west to take on the Arizona Cardinals.

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Green Bay Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdown passes in their 31-17 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

Rodgers, continues his dominance under center throwing at least two touchdown passes in six consecutive games. Rodgers tossed his first touchdown pass in the first quarter to wideout Randall Cobb.

Cobb continues to excel as one of Green Bay’s biggest offensive threats especially with the absence of Greg Jennings. Cobb caught his second touchdown pass of the game in the second quarter, putting the Packers ahead 14-7.

Packers receiver James Jones put Green Bay ahead 21-7 before the half on a 28 yard touchdown pass. Jones finished the game with four receptions for 61 yards along with his touchdown. Jones and Cobb stepped it up especially after wideout Jordy Nelson injured his ankle in the first quarter.

Tight-end Tom Crabtree’s lone catch came in the 4th quarter and resulted in a 72 yard touchdown to finish off the Cardinals. The 72 yard touchdown was Green Bay’s longest play of the season.

The Packers finally effectively ran the ball with the contribution of a few runners. Running back James Starks carried the ball 17 times for 61 yards, his best game this season. Alex Green also contributed with 11 caries for 53 yards. Rodgers, scrambled eight times for 33 yards and wideout Cobb carried the ball three times for 29 yards. They ran for a total of 176 yards, the most since 2009 against the Cleveland Browns.

The injury bug hit Green Bay again this week and hopefully everyone can return healthy after their bye week. Other than losing Nelson, Packers lost tackle Bryan Bulaga and linebacker Clay Matthews. All three exited the game and did not return.

As for the Arizona Cardinals, quarterback John Skelton threw for 306 yards one touchdown and one interception. His 306 yards was the first time Skelton threw for over 300 yards this season. His lone touchdown pass was to star wideout Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald caught six passes for 74 yards along with his 31 yard touchdown catch in the 4th quarter.

Running back LaRod Stephens-Howling carried the ball 17 times for 51 yards and one touchdown in the second quarter.

After starting the season 4-0, the Cardinals are on a five game losing streak, averaging 10.6 points per game in their last five games. The Cardinals will have their bye week next week but will have another tough match-up Sunday, November 18, against the Atlanta Falcons.

Green Bay is on a four game winning streak entering their bye week. Coming off their bye, they will have a tough divisional rival match-up at Ford Field against the Detroit Lions.

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The Green Bay Packers surprisingly struggled against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but were able to hang on to earn themselves a 24-15 victory and improve to 5-3 on the season.

The Packers were without number one and two wideouts Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson. Jennings will miss about six weeks after opting for surgery on his groin. As for Nelson, he was inactive because of a hamstring injury. Lets not forget all of the injury woes the Packers are facing on the defensive side.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 22-of-35 for 186 yards and two touchdowns. Rodgers has thrown at least two touchdowns in the last five games for the Packers. Rodgers connected with wideout Randall Cobb on a five yard touchdown pass in the 1st quarter and veteran wideout Donald Driver in the 4th quarter.

James Jones led the Packers receiving core with seven receptions and 78 yards. Cobb continues to make a name for himself after catching his 4th touchdown pass of the year, already three more than last season. Cobb has already surpassed last seasons yards and receptions totals.

Green Bays running game continues to be non-existent and the absence of Cedric Benson continues to hurt them week after week. Alex Green carried the ball 22 times for an unproductive 54 yards. Green Bays rushing high of the season is held by Benson with 84 yards. Since he went down with a season ending injury, there has not been a single back to run for more than 65 yards.

In the 2nd quarter, Green Bay’s special teams came up with an enormous punt block that was recovered in the end-zone to help put seven points on the board.

Jacksonville quarterback Blaine Gabbert threw a career high 303 yards and tossed one touchdown pass in the defeat. Wideout Cecil Shorts led the receivers eight receptions for 116 yards.

The Jaguars lost star running back Maurice Jones-Drew to a foot injury last week, therefore promoting Rashard Jennings as the starting back. Jennings carried the ball 17 times for 59 yards, including six receptions for 56 yards. Jacksonville will face another NFC North opponent, the Detroit Lions, next week at home.

Green Bay’s victory is their third straight this season, and they have won 16 of their last 17 games at Lambeau Field. The Packers are now tied for second with the Minnesota Vikings. They will be welcoming the Arizona Cardinals to Lambeau next week as they look for a 4th straight win.

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Adrian Peterson carried the load for the Minnesota Vikings, helping them improve to 5-2 after holding off the Arizona Cardinals 21-14 at the Mall of America Field.

Peterson had 23 carries for 153 yards and one touchdown to help the Vikings remain undefeated at home. Peterson continues to be a top 10 running back this season, showing no signs of last years gruesome injury.

The Vikings effective run game could have been the main reason why Minnesota’s pass game was nonexistent. Christian Ponder completed a season low of 8-of-17 passes for 58 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Ponders lone touchdown pass was to wideout Percy Harvin.

Harvin caught four receptions for 37 yards one touchdown. Harvin also carried the ball twice for 10 yards. He continues to be a lethal offensive threat in the passing game. Another big target for the Vikings pass game, tight end Kyle Rudolph, was held without a catch for the first time this season.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback, John  Skelton, started again in place of Kevin Kolb, who is ailing a rib and shoulder injury. Kolb could be out for at least 6-8 weeks. Skelton completed 25-of-36 passes for 262 yards one touchdown, one fumble and one interception. Skelton connected with wideout Andre Roberts in the 4th quarter to pull within a touchdown.

Roberts caught seven receptions for 103 yards along with his 4th quarter touchdown. Roberts surpassed the 100 yard mark for the second time this season. In addition, Roberts out played star wideout Larry Fitzgerald, who only caught four passes for 29 yards. The Cardinals quarterbacks continue to struggle to get the ball in Fitzgeralds’ hands.

The Cardinals run game was very effective against a tough Minnesota defense. LaRod Stephens-Howling carried the ball 20 times for 104 yards and one touchdown. His 20 rushing attempts was a season high and his 104 yards was a career high for the young back. Stephens-Howling also had four receptions for 45 yards.

Minnesota’s pass rush was extremely effective in preserving the lead. The defense forced seven sacks; defensive end Brian Robison led the Vikings with three sacks. Cornerback Antoine Winfield led the Vikings with 11 tackles and one sack. Rookie safety, Harrison Smith recorded his first career interception.

The Minnesota Vikings are still atop the NFC North division with the Chicago Bears, and could jump ahead of the Bears if they lose to the Detroit Lions. Minnesota will attempt to continue to be dominant at home as they welcome the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Mall of America Field next week.

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Robert Griffin III led the Washington Redskins on their first victory at FedEx Field, 38-26 over the Minnesota Vikings, to end an eight-game home losing streak.

RGIII was questionably well enough to play the Vikings, after suffering a concussion last week against the undefeated Atlanta Falcons. RGIII showed no signs of having suffered the concussion with his efficient performance through the air and on the ground. He completed 17 of 22 passes for 182 yards, one touchdown and one interception. His lone touchdown pass came in the second quarter to fullback Darrel Young, for his first touchdown of the season.

Wideout Santana Moss led the Redskins with four receptions for 46 yards. In addition, tight-end Fred Davis caught three passes for 46 yards.

The Redskins’ running game was led by RGIII carrying the ball 13 times for 138 yards, and with two touchdowns. His electrifying 76-yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter put the finishing touches on the Vikings and solidified the victory. RGIII is now atop the NFL, with six rushing touchdowns. Running back Alfred Morris had 47 yards on 16 carries for a touchdown.

This loss for the Vikings may solely be based on their offense’s inability to convert in the red-zone early. On the Vikings’ first three possessions, they had to settle for three field goals, all three less than 30 yards out.

Quarterback Christian Ponder completed 32 of 52 passes for 352 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions and one fumble. This was Ponder’s second career game throwing over 350 yards, and first game this season exceeding 300 yards in the air. Ponder’s 52 pass attempts were also a career high for the two-year quarterback.

Percy Harvin led the Vikings’ receiving core with 11 receptions for 133 yards. Harvin’s 133 yards is a season high, and it is also Harvin’s second consecutive week with 100+ receiving yards.

Harvin has already surpassed last years’ two total 100+ receiving yards game with three, just six weeks in. Tight-end Kyle Rudolph and wideout Michael Jenkins caught touchdown passes.

Adrian Peterson continues to run hard for the Vikings, compiling 79 yards on 17 carries. Peterson also caught seven passes for 50 yards. He had compiled 100 total yards in four consecutive games.

The 4-2 Vikings are in second place in the NFC North Division, behind the Chicago Bears, who had their bye week. The Vikings will be back in action Sunday, October 21 against the Arizona Cardinals. As for the Washington Redskins, they will be heading to MetLife Stadium to take on divisional rivals the New York Giants.

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The annual Hall of Fame game kicked off the beginning of preseason football, featuring the New Orleans Saints defeating the Arizona Cardinals, 17-10.

The Saints have been bashed with unpleasant publicity as a result of the bounty scandal. All playerms and staff members are still facing initial penalties and suspensions. One of the biggest questions entering play will be, how will the Saints respond?

As for the Arizona Cardinals, they are hoping to finish over .500 after last season’s 8-8 record and second place NFC West finish. However, their biggest off-season concern is their quarterback battle. Kevin Kolb was Arizona’s starter last season, but he only played in 9 games because of an injury. Kolb had an 81.1 passer rating, threw for 1,955 yards, and had 9 touchdowns. Arizona is concerned with Kolb’s health and very well should be after his short first performance. Kolb’s first intended pass was intercepted by Saints’ safety, Malcolm Jenkins, and it got worse from there. Kolb only completed 1-of-4 passes for 4 yards and exited the game after suffering rib contusion when he was knocked down by Saints’ defensive tackle, Sedrick Ellis.

John Skelton took over the Cardinals’ offense once Kolb went down. Skelton has been giving Kolb a run for his money for the starting job and was impressive under center. Skelton completed 4-of-6 passes for 32 yards against the Saints first team defense.

Drew Brees played one possession for the Saints, completing 4-of-5 passes for 41 yards. However, back-up, Chase Daniel, had a stellar performance. Daniel completed 15-of-20 passes for 203 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Although Daniel will not see the playing field come regular season, he has shown the potential to step in and play if Brees were to miss some time.

Saints’, Mark Ingram, rushed 4 times for 14 yards and punched in a goal-line touchdown. Also, rookie running back, Travaris Cadet from Appalachian State hands’ shined, catching 8 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown. Although the Saints have deep running back depth, it should be intriguing to see if Cadet can make the roster.

Cardinal, Alfonso Smith, carried the load at running back for Arizona rushing 8 times for 46 yards and one touchdown. As for the Cardinals’ talented receiving core, rookie, Michael Floyd, caught one pass for 15 yards and veteran, Larry Fitzgerald, caught one pass for 10 yards.

However, rookie wideout, LaRon Byrd, led all Cardinal receivers with 4 receptions and 54 yards. Byrd was an undrafted free agent from the University of Miami and signed with the Cardinals in early May. Concern regarding these wideouts is essentially not reaching their full potential because of the lack of a true quarterback presence to distribute the ball.

The Saints will be back in action Thursday, August 9 against the New England Patriots. As for the Cardinals, they will be playing in Kansas City Friday, August 10. Fortunately for both the Saints and Cardinals, they will play an extra preseason game to help prepare for the upcoming season.

Click here to view the rest of the NFL’s preseason schedule.

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The Cincinnati Bengals (9-6) put together a highly impressive performance in their 23-16 victory over the in-form Arizona Cardinals (7-8). The win keeps the Bengals in the hunt for the final wild card slot in the AFC, with the first already taken by either the Baltimore Ravens or Pittsburgh Steelers, depending on which team eventually takes top spot in the AFC North.

The Bengals took control of the game immediately, moving into a 10-point lead by the end of the first quarter. An early field goal gave Cincinnati the lead, then Jermaine Gresham extended it when he collected an 11-yard touchdown pass from rookie quarterback, Andy Dalton.

Cincinnati then doubled their lead before halftime. Jerome Simpson acrobatically jumped over an Arizona defender to complete a 19-yard touchdown pass before Mike Nugent added a field goal, as time ran down in the second quarter. Despite Nugent adding another field goal in the third quarter and extending the Bengals lead to 23 points, the fourth quarter brought a scare for the home fans, with the Cardinals mounting a dangerous comeback. A 30-yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald sparked the Cardinals into life, and soon after, they were celebrating another touchdown after a 2-yard pass to Jeff King in the end zone.

A field goal for Arizona late in the fourth quarter reduced the deficit further and made it a one possession game with time running down. Despite being inside the Cincinnati 20-yard line with two minutes left on the clock, the Cardinals were unable to breach the Bengals defense and succumbed to a disappointing defeat.

Although Arizona fans will be pleased with the two touchdowns and 298-yards thrown by John Skelton, they will look back at the three interceptions given up by the second-year quarterback as arguably the most definitive factors behind their defeat. The Cincinnati defense was suffocating all game long, picking up three interceptions and five sacks, with safety Reggie Nelson picking up one of each, as the Bengals defense did a great job of giving their offense good field position. Dalton put in another efficient performance, throwing for two touchdowns and giving up no interceptions, but may find his hopes of earning the accolade of Offensive Rookie of the Year dashed, due to the more dynamic and explosive performances of Cam Newton.

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After a disheartening loss in Jacksonville on Monday, the Baltimore Ravens (5-2) made a comeback as they edged a 30-27 victory over the visiting Arizona Cardinals (1-6) at the M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens came from a 21-point deficit to win the game, a franchise-record turnaround.

This match-up saw the N.F.L.-leading defense of the Ravens going up against the inconsistent offensive line of the Cardinals, who have already given up 18 sacks so far this season. The game started much as expected, with the linebacker trio of Jarret Johnson, Paul Kruger, and Terrell Suggs all recording sacks on Kevin Kolb early in the first quarter.

The Ravens offense, which had been woeful against the Jaguars six days earlier, appeared equally inept before a home crowd as the Cardinals raced into a surprising 24-6 lead by the end of the second quarter.  With Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco throwing an interception and fumbling in the second quarter, the Cardinals punished the home side, with Beanie Wells recording his seventh rushing touchdown of the season after Darrell Dockett had recovered the ball from Flacco’s fumble.

Patrick Peterson also returned a punt for an 82-yard touchdown, whilst Kolb, looking far more confident in the second quarter, found Earl Doucet for a 10-yard touchdown pass. The Ravens managed to claw back three points with a second field goal after their no-huddle offense seemed to find its rhythm late in the second.

Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron must have been happy with what he saw at the end of the half, and the Ravens continued to utilize the no-huddle offense, with Flacco finding wide receiver Anquan Boldin for a 37-yard reception.

The Ravens then reduced Arizona’s lead to 11 points when running back Ray Rice went over for a one-yard rushing touchdown, with the inclusion of Haloti Ngata at tight end drawing much of the defensive attention and allowing Rice to jog through a large hole. Baltimore’s defense continued to shine, with Chris Carr and Bernard Pollard both picking up sacks on the increasingly ineffective Kolb.

This took the Ravens to a total of six sacks for the game as they began to establish dominance over the Cardinals offense. This pressure resulted in the Ravens regaining possession, and Flacco and Boldin continued to flourish in the second half. Boldin, a former Cardinal, notched 80 yards on four receptions as Flacco lead his side into the redzone.

Rice then went on to collect two more touchdowns, as the running back saw much more of the ball than he had six days previously in Jacksonville.  The Cardinals did kick a field goal to tie the game up, but with just seconds left on the clock, Billy Cundiff kicked a field goal of his own to earn the win for Baltimore.

After a disappointing first half, Flacco, who passed for 336 yards, and Boldin, who earned 145 yards for seven receptions, were dominant, and will need to maintain their form if they are to emerge victorious over the Steelers next week.

Suggs will also be keen to carry on from where he left off, putting in an excellent defensive performance — registering nine tackles, four assists, and a sack — as he continues to show the kind of leadership required when Ray Lewis decides to call it a day.

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The first quarter of the NFL season is in the books. Bye weeks have begun and six teams are off: Baltimore Ravens; Dallas Cowboys; Miami Dolphins; St. Louis Rams; Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Browns. Teams are starting to make identities for themselves as we enter week five.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Buffalo Bills: Eagles have lost three games straight for the first time since 2007. Cincinnati handed the Bills their first loss last week. The Eagles defense should start to come together after a nightmare start. Eagles 28-21

New Orleans Saints @ Carolina Panthers: The Saints travel to Carolina in what seems to be a shootout in the making. Cam Newton has been great but the defense hasn’t helped at all. Saints 31-27          

Oakland Raiders @ Houston Texans: The Raiders have been one of the better 2-2 teams. Their offensive and defensive lines match up with anybody in the league. They look to make the Texans one dimensional after Houston lost Andre Johnson to injury for the next three weeks. Raiders 21-14

Kansas City Chiefs @ Indianapolis Colts: Kansas City picked up their first win of the season last week at home and now are looking for a road victory. Colts have played tough the last two weeks but are still win-less. Colts will break through this week behind Curtis Painter. Colts 17-13

Cincinnati Bengals @ Jacksonville Jaguars: The Bengals have been one of the best pass defenses after a month of play. The Jaguars game plan last week was to have Gabbert throw a bunch and limit their best players, Maurice Jones-Drew, touches. That didn’t really work out for the Jags. Bengals 20-14

Arizona Cardinals @ Minnesota Vikings: The Cardinals head on the road, giving up 12 sacks this season. The Vikings have 12 sacks themselves with DE Jared Allen leading the way. Vikings 23-16

Seattle Seahawks @ N.Y. Giants: The Seahawks will have to make the dreadful west to east coast trip. The Giants are hot and have won three straight. They look to take full advantage. Giants 27-14

Tennessee Titans @ Pittsburgh Steelers: The Titans have been solid on both sides of the ball this year and stand at 3-1. The Steelers are in big trouble after injuries to RB Mendenhall and QB Ben Roethlisberger. Couple that with horrible o-line play. Titans will also look to establish the run and get Chris Johnson going. Pittsburgh will compete tough at home but the edge goes to the Titans. Titans 24-17

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ San Francisco 49ers: The buccs have been on a roll since week one. The 49ers have been good at stopping the run and look to make Josh Freeman beat them Sunday. 49ers 21-17

San Diego Chargers @ Denver Broncos: Vincent Jackson tweaked his hamstring last week but is probable for a week five start. Broncos’ defense has been bad and got lit up for 48 points. Chargers 28-14

N.Y. Jets @ New England Patriots: The Jets are 0-2 on this current three game road trip. They are looking for the keys that got them to two straight title games, the “Ground and Pound”. Patriots get their TE Aaron Hernandez back to add more weapons to Tom Brady’s disposal. Jets should keep the ball out of Brady’s hands long enough. Jets 17-14

Green Bay Packers @ Atlanta Falcons: Aaron Rodgers is making an early case for MVP as he’s been simply amazing thus far. Atlanta has struggled in pass defensive this season and the Packers are second to last in that category. This matchup screams shootout. Matt Ryan has only one career regular season loss at home. Falcons 35-28

Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions: Chicago ran it up on the Panthers for over 200 yards. That probably will not happen against one of the best defensive lines in football. Detroit also adds rookie DT, first round pick, Nick Fairly who has been sidelined with injury. The undefeated Lions just got better. Lions 23-17
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New England Patriots @ Buffalo Bills: Buffalo is 2-0 after coming back from a 21-3 halftime deficit last week against the Raiders. The Patriots are coming to town and have won 15 straight meeting against the Bills. They look to make it 16. Patriots 38-24

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Carolina Panthers: The quarterback carousel continues for the Jaguars. They will now start rookie QB Blaine Gabbert after Luke McGown’s awful performance against the Jets. Panthers found their guy in Cam Newton but he is still searching for his first win. Panthers 27-24

Denver Broncos @ Tennessee Titans: Denver’s defense has been bad over the first two weeks. Gave up 150 yards to McFadden in week one. In week two they allowed two receivers to go over 120 yards. The Titans might finally be able to get the run game going. Titans 24-17

N.Y. Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles: Since last year Vick is 9-2 in the regular season as the Eagles QB when he plays all four quarters. When he stays healthy, they have a good chance of winning. He’s cleared to start after he left last week with a concussion. Eagles 28-14

Houston Texans @ New Orleans Saints: Statistically, the Texans have one of the best pass defenses in the league. They will get their first real test on the road in the Dome when they take on Drew Brees and the Saints. Saints 24-23

Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings: The Lions are off to an amazing start. Detroit has to come back to earth sometime. They haven’t won a divisional road game in years and Adrian Peterson runs well against them in his career. Vikings 23-16

Miami Dolphins @ Cleveland Browns: Dolphins have found their RB in rookie Daniel Thomas. He ran for over 100 yards in his first game last week. Browns had an impressive road victory in Indianapolis for their first win last week. Dolphins have been better on the road. Dolphins 20-14

San Francisco 49ers @ Cincinnati Bengals: The 49ers run defense has been stout during the first two weeks. As good as their run defense has been, their pass defense has been just as bad. Andy Dalton has been a surprise for the Bengals. Dalton and the rookie WR A.J. Green have had a nice connection thus far. Bengals 16-10

N.Y Jets @ Oakland Raiders: The last time these two met at Oakland, the Jets won in a blowout 38-0. One of the storylines ended up being that Mark Sanchez was caught eating a hotdog on the sidelines. Do you mean that this was one of the stories on the side? Reports are the Raiders are using that as motivation. Jets are looking to repeat more of the same of the last meeting. Jets 24-21

Baltimore Ravens @ St. Louis Rams: The Ravens couldn’t stop the pass against the Titans. That seems to be their weakness over the past year. Lucky for them they go into St. Louis and face a struggling QB, and banged up receivers and backs. Ravens 23-10

Kansas City Chiefs @ San Diego Chargers: This could be a trap game for the Chargers. Despite the loss last week and the Chargers desire to win this game, it is a division game. It is also a game in September and these Chargers have struggled early in past seasons. Chiefs have not competed yet this year. Chargers 28-24

Atlanta Falcons @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Falcons take their balanced offensive attack into Tampa Sunday. Tampa had trouble defending the pass in week one and the run in week two. They could struggle with both in week three. Falcons 21-17

Arizona Cardinals @ Seattle Seahawks: Cardinals have played well in the first two games, going 1-1. The same can’t be said for Seattle who’s 0-2. This is the NFL, where unpredictable happens. Seahawks 21-20

Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears: The Packers have had the worst pass defense in the NFL giving up 800 yards in the first two games. Bears don’t have a downfield threat to make that trend stand. Packers 31-17

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Indianapolis Colts: This won’t be pretty. The Steelers showed what happens when they play a bad team. It was a shutout victory for Pittsburgh. The Colts are lifeless without Manning. Steelers 28-7

Washington Redskins @ Dallas Cowboys: Coach Mike Shanahan looks like a genius after letting McNabb go, going with Grossman at QB and trading for Hightower. The Cowboys home openers start on Monday Night Football but comes with a cost. Injuries to Romo (punctured lungs) Dez Ryant (thigh) and Austin (hamstring) will set them back. CB Terrance Newman is back and the defense will keep them in it. Cowboys 24-17

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