Adrian Peterson rushed for 212 yards and one touchdown to help earn the Minnesota Vikings a much needed 36-22 victory over the St. Louis Rams.

Peterson, cut through St. Louis’ defense in the second quarter for an 82-yard touchdown score tying his season long he set just two weeks ago against the Green Bay Packers. This is his eighth consecutive 100+ yard game for the NFL’s leading rusher. With two games to go, Peterson needs 294 yards to break Eric Dickerson’s 2,105 NFL single-season rushing record.

His success on the field not only has him in contention for comeback player of the year but also keeps him in the running for MVP.

Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder completed 17 of 24 passes for 131 yards. On his first offensive drive of the game on 3rd and 5, Ponder scrambled in for a 5-yard touchdown run giving the Vikings an early 7-0 lead. His favorite target was Jerome Simpson, who caught four catches for 27 yards.

Rams quarterback Sam Bradford completed 35 of 55 passes for 377 yards three touchdowns and one interception. Bradford’s first touchdown came in the second quarter when he connected on a 4-yard pass to wideout Brian Quick.

Bradford threw his lone interception in the second quarter to defensive end Everson Griffen, who returned it 29 yards for a touchdown.

Bradford and the Rams started to come back in the fourth quarter. First Bradford connected with wideout Danny Amendola on a 6-yard touchdown pass. The Rams defense was able to force the Vikings to punt  on the following drive. On the Rams ensuing offensive drive, Bradford lead his offense from their own 12-yard line. Bradford connected with tight-end Lance Kendricks for a score and converted a two-point conversion to cut the lead to 33-22.

The Vikings answered back with a 51-yard field goal from kicker Blair Walsh and preserved the lead, earning Minnesota their second consecutive win.

At 8-6, the Vikings are still in contention for a wildcard play-off position, but will need help. They will have a tough match-up on the road next week against the Houston Texans. As for the Rams, they will head to Raymond James Stadium to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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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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The Atlanta Falcons demolished the New York Giants 34-0, to improve to 12-2 and 7-0 at the Georgia Dome.

Falcons quarterback, Matt Ryan completed 23 of 28 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns. His 82.1 completion percentage and 142.6 quarterback rating were both season highs for the five-year starter. This was also Ryan’s sixth game this season throwing at least three touchdown passes.

Wide receiver Julio Jones was tied for a game-high six receptions for 74 yards and hauled in two touchdown catches. Jones has surpassed his eight touchdown rookie season, catching nine with for over 1,000 yards and still two games to go.

Veteran tight-end Tony Gonzalez also caught six receptions for 49 yards and one touchdown. Gonzalez leads the Falcons with 87 receptions.

As for the run game, Michael Turner carried the ball 16 times for 52 yards and punched in a one-yard run on the Falcons first offensive drive.

The Giants were out of sync from the start, opening their first drive with Eli Manning throwing an interception on 2 and 7 from their own 16 yard-line. Manning threw his second interception in the second quarter, resulting in a Falcons field goal.

Manning only completed 13 of 25 passes for 161 yards. His favorite target was wide receiver Domenik Hixon, who caught five passes for 80 yards.

The Giants were without running back Ahmad Bradshaw because of a foot-and-knee injury. Instead, rookie David Wilson got the nod for the start but was not nearly as explosive as last week. Wilson carried the ball 12 times for 55 yards.

With the loss, the Giants have fallen to 8-6 along with four other teams in the NFC. The Giants are currently third in the NFC East division at 8-6 behind the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins, who are all 8-6. However, the Giants still control their own destiny and by winning out they will earn a wildcard playoff position. As for the Falcons, they will head to Ford Field to take on the Detroit Lions and control their own destiny for the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.

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The National Football League Draft is one of the most highly anticipated events on the sporting calendar as the 32 NFL franchises select the best young American Football players from the collegiate leagues to replenish their ranks. Predictably, a large portion of players who go on to become stars in the NFL are selected in the first round, where selections can make or break teams for years to come.

Names such as Ryan Leaf, Tony Mandarich and JaMarcus Russell should serve as cautionary tales to NFL General Managers, but the sheer amount of quality available in the Draft arguably makes it easier to hit, rather than miss, on a player in the first round.

On the flip side, for every Leaf or Russell, there is a Tom Brady or Kurt Warner, players who fall to the later rounds of the Draft or even fail to get drafted at all, but who go on to have stellar careers within the NFL.

With that in mind, we have examined which current NFL rookies (non-first and second rounders) have the potential to stand in the lofty heights created by the likes of Brady and Warner.

1) Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks.

Wilson was selected in the third round by the Seahawks, presumably to learn from the duo vying for the starting jersey, Matt Flynn and Tavaris Jackson. Not even the most optimistic of Seahawks’ fans would have predicted that their young rookie would oust the highly paid acquisition that was Flynn, but he did just that.

Wilson has thrown for 2,051 yards and 17 touchdowns so far this season, despite playing behind an inexperienced offensive line and without an elite receiving corps. With a few decent additions to Seattle over the coming years, Wilson could, and perhaps should, develop into an elite quarterback.

2) Alfred Morris, RB, Washington Redskins.

Understandably, headlines were focused on another Redskins pick at the start of the season, a certain Robert Griffin III but fast forward a few months and, well, they’re still focused on RG3, but running back Morris is also earning some time in the spotlight.

Selected in the sixth round, Morris has perhaps offered more value for money than any other rookie currently in the NFL. Morris has 982 rushing yards (fifth in the NFL), with an average of 4.7 yards-per-carry, further proving that excellent running back prospects can be found towards the end of the draft (honorable mentions also to Daryl Richardson and Bryce Brown).

3) Vontaze Burfict, LB, Cincinnati Bengals.

The former Arizona State University player went undrafted this year, despite entering the 2011 NCAA season as one of the most highly rated prospects in the country. A poor combine workout, personality concerns and testing positive for marijuana all ensured that Burfict slipped off of most teams’ radars.

He has already collected 76 combined tackles this season and would perhaps have more if he had not been moved from inside to outside linebacker. More importantly, Burfict is repaying the faith shown in him by Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis by training hard, playing well and avoiding any off-field controversies. Providing he can continue in this vein, we could well be witnessing the first few steps of the next Ray Lewis.

4) Alfonzo Dennard, CB, New England Patriots.

There was little fanfare in New England when Dennard was selected in the seventh round. Fans were far more focused on defensive counterparts Chandler Jones and Don’t’a Hightower, both of whom were selected in the first round, whilst the secondary was also strengthened in the second and sixth rounds with the acquisitions of Tavon Wilson and Nate Ebner. Although it was safe to say Dennard flew in under the radar, there is nothing under the radar about his play since.

Dennard has three interceptions — one of which was returned for an 87-yard touchdown — in just seven games and already looks at home in the Patriot’s defense. His form has also allowed for Devin McCourty to move back to safety, with a potentially dominant secondary forming among the young defensive backs for New England.

5) Justin Tucker, K, Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens were faced with a conundrum at the beginning of the season: stick with veteran kicker Billy Cundiff or roll the dice on the undrafted Justin Tucker? Tucker eventually won the battle in preseason and neither Tucker nor the Ravens have looked back since.

The kicker has missed just two of his field goal attempts, has 100 percent success rate on extra point attempts and has broken the franchise record with a 56-yard field goal. Although Baltimore was criticized by some for going with the rookie at the start of the season, they have proved their critics wrong as Tucker has arguably outshone all the kickers drafted above him, with perhaps the exception of Greg Zuerlein.

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Seattle Seahawks quarterback, Russell Wilson, led his offense down the field in overtime and connected with wide receiver Sidney Rice for a 13 yard touchdown to defeat the Chicago Bears 23-17.

Wilson, completed 23-of-37 passes for 293 yards and two touchdowns. Wilson’s first touchdown strike came with less than 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter to wide receiver Golden Tate to take a 17-14 lead.

On the ensuing drive, Jay Cutler connected with Brandon Marshall for a 56 yard bomb to help put the Bears into field goal range. Kicker, Robbie Gould nailed a 46-yard field goal to send the game into overtime.

Cutler completed 17-of-26 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns. Cutler and Earl Bennett connected on a 12 yard pass to give the Bears an early 7-0 lead. His second touchdown pass was a 12 yard pass to running back Matt Forte in the third quarter. Forte also had 21 carries for 66 yards.

Wide receiver, Brandon Marshall caught 10 passes for 165 yards. Marshall has caught at least 10 catches in back-to-back games for the first time of the season.

Seattle’s Rice caught six passes for 99 yards along with his game winning touchdown. Also Tate caught five passes for 96 yards along with his touchdown catch.

Running back, Marshawn Lynch had a productive game on the ground with 19 carries for 87 yards and one touchdown. Lynch punched in his sixth touchdown of the season with his second quarter score.

Seattle’s cornerbacks, Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner, played after they were accused for using Adderall earlier in the week. The corners combined for 11 tackles for the Seahawks defense.

The Chicago Bear’s defense lost some key playmakers. Safety Chris Conte was ruled out because of illness, cornerback Tim Jennings left the game with a shoulder injury, and linebacker Brian Urlacher injured his hamstring in overtime. Cornerback, Kelvin Hayden had a fumble recovery for the Bears only takeaway of the game.

With the loss, the Bears fell to 8-4 and are no longer atop the NFC North Division because of the Packers victory against the Minnesota Vikings.  The Bears now hold one of the two NFC wild card positions. Chicago will take on the Minnesota Vikings at Mall of America Field next week. As for the Seahawks, they improved to 7-5 and also hold an NFC wild card position. Seattle will return home next week to take on the Arizona Cardinals.

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On a chilly Sunday evening at MetLife stadium, the New York Giants pummeled the Green Bay Packers on offense and defense to earn a well-deserved 38-10 victory.

Eli Manning, completed 16-of-30 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns in the victory. Manning finally threw a touchdown pass after being held to none in the previous three weeks. He also passed Giants’ great Phil Simms for the most touchdown passes in Giants history.

Hakeem Nicks led the Giants receiving core with five receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown. Wide-outs, Victor Cruz and Rueben Randle each had a touchdown.

Andre Brown led the Giants rushing with 13 carries for 64 yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately, he exited the game in the fourth quarter and has officially been diagnosed with a broken left fibula. Brown could possibly miss the remainder of the season. Ahmad Bradshaw also contributed to the run game, with 10 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown.

The Giants defense was aggressive and on point containing Green Bay’s high powered offense. They were able to break through the Packers fragile offensive line and record five sacks. Cornerback, Corey Webster recorded his fourth interception and defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul had a fumble recovery.

A 31 point first half performance for the Giants was more than enough to put the Packers away.

Aaron Rodgers was flustered the entire night with no time to throw the ball. He completed 14-of-25 passes for 219 yards for one touchdown, one interception and a fumble. His 61-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver, Jordy Nelson to tie the game 7-7 in the first quarter was the Packers best offensive play of the night.

Green Bay’s running attack continues to be very ineffective and trailing the entire evening did not help. James Starks had eight carries for 35 yards and Alex Green had 10 carries for 30 yards. The Packers are at the bottom of the NFL with only two rushing touchdowns.

With the loss, the Packers are now 7-4 and have fell back to second place in the NFC North Division. Green Bay will be home next week against NFC North rivals the Minnesota Vikings. As for the Giants they remain atop the NFC East Division and will head to FedEx Field to take on the Washington Redskins.

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The Chicago Bears improved to 8-3 and 5-1 at Soldier Field with their 28-10 victory over NFC North rival the Minnesota Vikings, snapping a two game losing streak.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler had a quiet yet efficient game returning from injury completing 23-of-31 passes for 188 yards one touchdown and one interception.

His 74.2% completion percentage was a season best thus far for the  seven-year quarterback. Cutler connected with tight-end Matt Spaeth in the second quarter for his first touchdown of the year.

Wide receiver Brandon Marshall continues to be Cutlers favorite target each week. Marshall caught 12 passes for 92 yards in the victory. This was the second time this season Marshall caught 12 passes in a single game. His 81 catches is a team high and there is not another receiver on the team that has more than 30 catches.

In the third quarter, the Bears offense lost playmaking running back Matt Forte. Forte exited the game with a right ankle injury; the same ankle where he suffered a high ankle sprain earlier in the season. Michael Bush took over at running back and had 21 carries for 60 yards and two touchdowns. The Bears also lost wideout Devin Hester, who left the game with an apparent concussion.

The Bears defense bounced back this week after not forcing a single turnover in last weeks loss over the San Francisco 49ers. Safety Chris Conte caught his second interception, safety Major Wright and cornerback Charles Tillman both recovered fumbles.

As for the Vikings, quarterback Christian Ponder completed 22-of-43 passes for 159 yards, one touchdown, one fumble and one interception. Ponder connected with tight-end Kyle Rudolph in the third quarter for his long touchdown toss. Rudolph caught five passes for 55 yards along with his touchdown before exiting the game in the fourth quarter to be evaluated for a concussion.

Adrian Peterson continued his dominance, rushing with 18 carries for 108 yards. Peterson also caught six passes for 30 yards. Peterson’s only mistake against the Bears was a fumble. Peterson has rushed for over 100 yards for the fifth consecutive game and sixth time this season.

The Vikings were without wideout Percy Harvin, who was inactive again, nursing an ankle injury. As a result, rookie Jarius Wright took over the wideout spot. Wright caught seven passes for 49 yards.

The loss for the Vikings pushes them back to 6-5 but still keeps them well in contention in the playoff hunt. The Vikings will be on the road again next week against NFC North rivals the Green Bay Packers. The Vikings continue to struggle away from home, only recording one win this season.  The Bears will host the Seattle Seahawks next week as they fight for first place in the division.

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Colin Kaepernick led the San Francisco 49ers to an easy 32-7 victory over the Chicago Bears to improve to 7-2-1 on the year. Kaepernick completed 16-of-23 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns in his first career start for the Niners.

Starting quarterback, Alex Smith, was inactive for Monday night’s game. Smith received a concussion in last week’s tie against the St. Louis Rams.

Kaepernick connected with tight-end, Vernon Davis, to extend an early 10-0 lead in the first quarter. Davis caught six passes for 83 yards along with his touchdown catch. In the third quarter, Kaepernick connected with wide receiver, Michael Crabtree, to put the 49ers ahead 27-0. Crabtree caught three passes for 31 yards along with his 10 yard touchdown catch.

As for the Chicago Bears, they were without starting quarterback, Jay Cutler. Cutler also received a concussion last week in a losing effort against the Houston Texans. Jason Campbell got the nod, but was not efficient. Campbell completed 14-of-22 passes for 107 yards one touchdown and two interceptions.

Campbell was knocked around the entire night and sacked a total of six times. 49ers defensive end, Aldon Smith, accounted for 5.5 sacks, pummeling through the Bears’ offensive line.

Campbell threw his lone touchdown pass to wide receiver, Brandon Marshall, in the third quarter. Along with his touchdown catch, Marshall recorded two catches for 21 yards.  This was the second time this season that Marshall was held to two catches and under 25 yards. The first time was against the Green Bay Packers in Week two.

The Bears also had trouble running the ball. Matt Forte carried the ball 21 times for 63 yards and back-up running back, Michael Bush, only had five carries for nine yards. Bush has yet to be as effective on the ground, as he was last season in Oakland. He has not scored a rushing touchdown since Week three.

Surprisingly enough, the Bears defense sits atop the NFL with 30 total takeaways and were unable to force a single turnover against the 49ers. As for the 49ers cornerback, Tarell Brown and safety, Dashon Goldson each had interceptions. Linebacker, NaVorro Bowman led the 49ers with 13 total tackles, pushing him to 4^th in the NFL with 94 total tackles.

With the loss, the Bears are now 7-3 and take a step back in the NFC North Division. The Packers are now in first place because they currently own the tiebreaker against the Bears. Chicago will be on the road next week against NFC North rivals, the Minnesota Vikings. As for the 49ers, they will also be on the road against the New Orleans Saints.

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The Minnesota Vikings improved to 6-4 on the year and 5-1 at Mall of America Field, to hold off NFC North rivals the Detroit Lions, securing a pivotal 34-24 divisional victory.

Adrian Peterson continues to carry the Vikings with his tough running each week. Peterson had 27 carries for 171 yards and one touchdown. Peterson’s touchdown came in the fourth quarter on a 61-yard run as he burst through the Lions’ defense. This was Peterson’s fifth game rushing for over 100 yards and his fourth consecutive 120+ yard game on the ground.

Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder finally regained his touch behind center. The two-year player completed 24 of 32 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns. His 75% completion percentage is a season best thus far. Ponder was able to execute and play mistake-free football without throwing an interception for the first time since week four against the Lions.

Ponder connected with rookie wideout Jarius Wright for the first score of the game. Wright caught three passes for 65 yards along with his first career touchdown catch. Ponder was able to get tight end Kyle Rudolph involved again after being nearly irrelevant for the last three weeks for the Vikings’ offense.

Rudolph caught a team-high seven passes for 64 yards, and a touchdown at the start of the fourth quarter to put the Vikings ahead 24-10.

The Vikings were without their main receiving threat Percy Harvin, who was ruled out because of an ankle injury.

The Lions’ Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson connection finally came together but it was not enough. Johnson caught 12 passes for 207 yards and late touchdown to pull within 10 points.

Johnson was questionable coming into this week’s game with a knee injury, but was able to explode for his first 200+ yard game of the season. Johnson finally secured his second touchdown score of the year after being shut down for the previous five weeks.

Stafford completed 28 of 42 passes for 329 yard three touchdowns and one interception. Stafford connected with wide receiver Titus Young in the fourth quarter. Young caught four passes for 35 yards along with his touchdown reception. Tight end Brandon Pettigrew caught three passes for 32 yards and a touchdown in the third quarter.

With the victory, the Vikings hold their ground in third place in the NFC North. As for the Lions, they dropped to 4-5 and are going to need to start winning to become competitive in the division. The Vikings will have their bye week next week. Detroit will face another tough divisional opponent at home, the Green Bay Packers.

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The Chicago Bears dominated on both offense and defense in a crushing 51-20 victory over the Tennessee Titans, improving to 7-1.

Chicago scored quickly and often to take early control at LP Field, scoring 28 points in the first quarter, a franchise record for most points scored in the first quarter. The first score was a result of a blocked punt, defensive end Corey Wootton recovered the ball for a touchdown.

Running back, Matt Forte, gave the Bears a 14-2 lead after his eight-yard rushing touchdown, his third of the year. The Bears’ defense came up with another big play on the ensuing drive. Linebacker, Brian Urlacher, picked off quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and returned the interception 46 yards to extend the lead to 21-2. The final score of the first quarter came thanks to quarterback, Jay Cutler, connecting with wideout, Brandon Marshall, for a 13-yard touchdown pass.

Cutler and Marshall connected two more times in the 4th quarter on a 39-yard touchdown pass and a 5-yard touchdown pass to finish off the Titans. Marshall finished the game with nine receptions for 122 yards, along with his three touchdown passes. This was the first time Marshall caught multiple touchdown passes since his 2009 season.

Cutler was extremely efficient, completing 19 of 26 passes for 229 yards and three touchdown passes. Forte finished the game with 12 carries for 103 yards and one touchdown. Forte also contributed in the pass game catching two passes for 45 yards. Forte’s 8.6 yards per carry was a season best, and it was his second time surpassing 100 yards on the ground this season.

The Bears’ defense is credited with their success this season, and they continue to play a vital role in each week’s victory. They have compiled a total of eight defensive and special team touchdowns, which are tied for the most in NFL history.

Chicago is currently one of the best NFL defenses with 27 takeaways. Cornerback, Charles Tillman, contributed to raising the defenses’ takeaways, with his four forced fumbles along with his team-high nine tackles. Tillman was just named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October, and continues to be a nightmare for offenses across the NFL.

Tennessee Titans’ running back Chris Johnson was their lone star in the crushing defeat. Johnson carried the ball 16 times for 141 yards and one touchdown. This was Johnson’s third game running for over 100 yards.

Hasselbeck finished the game, completing 20 of 35 passes for 194 yards, one touchdown and one interception. His touchdown pass came in the third quarter on a 30 yard pass to wideout, Nate Washington.

The Titans will be back in action next week against the Miami Dolphins. As for the Chicago Bears, they will look to continue their home dominance and take on fellow 7-1 opponents, the Houston Texans.

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Rookie quarterbacks are supposed to simply ensure they’re the reason their team doesn’t lose the game, especially in the fourth quarter.

But halfway through the season, Andrew Luck, who broke Carolina quarterback Cam Newton’s all-time record for passing yards in a single game with 433, has continuously shown no regard for that tradition time and time again.

In his case, he was a huge reason why the Indianapolis Colts (5-3) were able to take a 23-20 lead over the Miami Dolphins (4-4) with less than six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter on Sunday. The defense made two stands the rest of the way, as the Colts held on to win by the same score.

Not only was Indianapolis able to already win its fifth game in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, but they were able to do it in front of head coach Chuck Pagano, who made his way back to the building to watch his team in person for the first time since being diagnosed with a form of leukemia early in the season.

After yet another inspiring victory, he shared some uplifting words with his crew in the locker room.

“I’ve got circumstances. You guys understand it, I understand it,” Pagano told the team. “It’s already beat. It’s already beat. My vision that I’m living is to see two more daughters get married, dance at their weddings and then lift the Lombardi Trophy several times. I’m dancing at two more weddings and we’re hoisting that trophy together, men. Congratulations, I love all of you.”

The two sides went back and forth all day. Reggie Wayne caught a nine-yard touchdown pass from Luck in the back of the end zone on third down, giving the Colts their first lead of the day at 7-3 with less than a minute left in the first.

Third down was Luck’s best friend on Sunday. He converted 13 of 19 third down passes into first downs and kept drives alive all day long.

Ryan Tannehill, who is also a rookie quarterback starting in year one, actually possessed the ball with an opportunity to tie the game or put Miami ahead late. However, Indianapolis’ defense held strong. He threw for 290 yards and one touchdown.

By halftime, Miami led 17-13.

Inside the two-minute mark of the third quarter, still trailing 17-13, Luck threw a long ball 36 yards into double coverage, but receiver T.Y. Hilton outplayed both defenders and came down with it in the end zone to give the Colts a 20-17 lead entering the fourth quarter.

A Dolphins field goal tied the game at 20, with the clock reading 13:19 in the fourth.

Seven minutes and fourteen seconds, and 69 yards later, Luck had led his team down the field, and they knocked through a 43-yard field goal that would eventually be the game-winning score.

“The kid, he continues to amaze,” Wayne said of Luck. “Hopefully I can help, you know, add onto his legacy that he’s about to build.”

Resiliency appears to be something that the Colts have been sharing with Pagano all season, and all of a sudden they now find themselves right in the thick of the AFC playoff picture as a result.

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The Seattle Seahawks improved to 5-4 this year and 4-0 at home after their 30-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Running back, Marshawn Lynch carried the Seahawks to victory with 26 carries for 124 yards and one touchdown. His three yard touchdown run in the third quarter put them ahead of the Vikings 27-17. Lynch also contributed with two catches for 26 yards. Lynch has ran for over 100 yards five times this season and it is his third consecutive game with over 100 yards on the ground.

Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson completed 16-of-24 passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns in the victory. This was the second time Wilson threw three touchdowns in a game this season. Wilson’s first touchdown pass was to wideout Golden Tate in the first quarter to tie the game up 7-7.

Golden Tate caught an 11 yard pass from Wilson for his second touchdown catch of the game, cutting the lead 20-17. Tate finished off the game with four receptions for 28 yards along with his two touchdown passes. Wideout Sidney Rice caught four passes for 54 yards and one touchdown.

Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder struggled to complete 11-of-22 passes for 63 yards and one interception. Ponder has thrown for less than 100 yards in two of the last three games for the Vikings. Wideout Percy Harvin, caught two passes for 10 yards and ran the ball four times for 24 yards.

Harvin exited the game in the third quarter with a left ankle injury. Although, returning he was not effective and was limping.

Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson carried the ball 17 times for 182 yards and two touchdowns. Peterson also caught three passes for 11 yards. He has rushed for over 100 yards and one touchdown in three consecutive games.

The Vikings have dropped their last two games and hold a slim 3rd place lead over the Detroit Lions in the NFC North standings. Minnesota will welcome the Lions to Mall of America Field in a divisional showdown next week. They already defeated the Lions at Ford Field earlier in the year; Minnesota’s lone road victory.

As for the Seattle Seahawks, they will welcome the New York Jets to CenturyLink Field as they look to improve to 5-0 at home this season.

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The Detroit Lions improved to 4-4, after their 31-14 victory on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Lions were led by running back, Mikel Leshoure who had 16 carries for 70 yards and three touchdowns. All three of Leshoure’s touchdowns came inside the 10 yard-line in the second quarter to give the Lions an early 21-0 lead. His three touchdowns was the first time the young back punched in multiple touchdown runs.

Running back, Joique Bell also had an effective game running the ball, with 13 carries for 73 yards and one touchdown. Bell’s 10 yard touchdown run was in the fourth quarter, solidifying the victory.

Quarterback, Matthew Stafford completed 22-of-33 passes for 285 yards. Stafford was held without a touchdown pass for the second time this season, meanwhile he threw at least one touchdown pass in each game he played in last season.

Stafford and star wideout Calvin Johnson were able to connect seven times for 129 yards. Johnson has surpassed the 100 yard mark four times this season, but still only has one touchdown. His seven receptions this week was his best since his 10 catches against Tennessee earlier in the year.

Jaguar quarterback, Blaine Gabbert completed 27-of-38 passes for 220 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Gabbert’s first touchdown pass came in the fourth quarter to wideout Michael Spurlock. Spurlock’s five yard touchdown was his first of the year. He finished off the game with five receptions for 35 yards along with his touchdown.

Gabbert’s second touchdown pass was in the fourth quarter to rookie wideout Justin Blackmon. Blackmon, also caught five passes for 32 yards along with his touchdown. Wide receiver, Laurent Robinson returned from a concussion catching six passes for 41 yards.

Running back, Rashard Jennings continues to be Jacksonville’s number one back after Maurice Jones-Drew’s injury. Jennings carried the ball 12 times for 45 yards and also had three receptions for seven yards. The Jaguars are still unaware about when Jones-Drew will return from the foot injury.

The 1-7 Jaguars remain winless at home and will be back in action on short rest on Thursday against the Indianapolis Colts. As for the Lions, they will have a tough match-up on the road against divisional rivals the Minnesota Vikings.

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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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Last Sunday Wembley stadium in London, England played host to its sixth Regular Season game as the New England Patriots blowout the St Louis Rams, 45-7. Although mentions of a potential franchise being based in the UK were tentatively whispered back in 2007, those whispers are now being echoed by some of the most prominent figures in the sport.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft is one of the most outspoken persons on the issue, claiming “it’s time for you [UK] to have your own NFL franchise”, based in London and cited the way London handled the recent Olympics as proof that the city could host a permanent franchise.

The NFL has also taken significant steps towards finding out if a permanent franchise would be viable in the UK. By securing the Jacksonville Jaguars to repeated appearances from 2013 through 2016 at Wembley, the league will be able to evaluate whether or not a fan base can be built to a level that would sustain a franchise. They have also arranged a second Regular Season fixture in 2013 to be played in London, when the Minnesota Vikings will host the Pittsburgh Steelers. As well as rewarding UK-based NFL fans with an extra game, it will also go a long way to finding out if the consistent sell outs of Wembley are due to novelty, or if it can occur on a more regular basis.

Whilst things are progressing as well as could be expected in regards to the NFL’s international ambitions, there are a number of obstacles which first need to be tackled. League commissioner Roger Goodell has put his weight behind growing the game in the UK over other potential markets such as Germany and Mexico, but feels that the sport needs to be in the top five viewed sports before a franchise could be considered. Given the congested sports market in the UK, American Football will first need to overcome the likes of golf and motorsport, before it sits amongst the national sports of soccer, rugby union and cricket.

Another potential problem is logistics. The distance, and time required, to travel to and from London 16 times a year, not to mention preseason or possible playoff appearances, would certainly be an issue for some teams and owners. It is, however, not an unthinkable proposition. There is not a large difference in distance between London and the NFL teams based on the East Coast than there is between East Coast and West Coast based teams. The Patriots also proved last week that a team can fly into London on the Friday, perform to a high level on the Sunday, and be back at their training facility by the Monday.

Concerns have also been raised over the desire college players would have of joining an overseas based franchise in the NFL Draft, the primary resource NFL teams have for acquiring new players. Whilst this may limit a London-based franchises pool of players to select from, it is not a death sentence to the prospect of an overseas franchise. The creation of a London-based team would do miracles for the game at college level in the UK, something which is currently miles behind their American counterparts, and thus create a larger pool of players who would be willing to play in the UK. In addition to this, London would likely be a desirable location for free agents, as the city could likely rival anything that a New York or Chicago for example, could offer.

For arguably the first time since the inception of the International Series, a franchise in London within 10 years actually seems a realistic option. Many experts have even said that London could likely get a franchise before Los Angeles, given that the infrastructure is already in place, and the huge potential fan base the UK offers if the sports profile can be grown. With television audiences growing swiftly every year in the UK, and the continued success of the International Series, it may be time to start thinking of some potential franchise names. I’m going to put the London Bulldogs on the table.

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The Baltimore Ravens head into their bye week sitting comfortably atop the AFC North and with an enviable 5-2 record. It is therefore surprising that the fervent Baltimore faithful, who usually cannot wait for the bye week to be over, are actually enjoying this brief break from football.

Season ending injuries to defensive star Lardarius Webb and emotional leader Ray Lewis, coupled with a heavy defeat to AFC rivals the Houston Texans in their last match, means that the bye week could not have come at a better time for the banged up Ravens.

The week off will allow the likes of Haloti Ngata and Ed Reed, both of whom have been carrying minor injuries, a much needed chance to recover. It will also give Dannell Ellerbe and Jimmy Smith, the most suitable candidates to replace Lewis and Webb as starters, the time to acclimate to their new found roles.

The trademark Baltimore defense has been poor against both the pass and the run this season, something which was exposed dramatically in their 43-13 defeat by the Texans. A non-existent pass rush has been highlighted as perhaps the most decisive factor in the Ravens’ defenses fall from grace, but a seemingly miraculous return from a torn ACL injury for Defensive Player of the Year Terrell Suggs will have Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees hopeful of an upturn in Baltimore’s fortunes.

Although Suggs’ return to fitness brings much needed leadership and experience to an ailing Baltimore defense, the offense has already begun the process of taking over. Quarterback Joe Flacco has had moments of brilliance so far this season, whilst receivers Torrey Smith, Anquan Boldin and Dennis Pitta have been able to make big plays at critical times.

Running back Ray Rice has also impressed, showing the explosiveness in both the running and the passing game which earned him a new contract in the offseason. Worries that he may not be as effective in the ‘no-huddle’ offense now favored by the Ravens have been dismissed thus far, and many are even calling for Rice to receive more touches within the system.

The biggest problem faced by the Baltimore offense so far this season has been consistency. They have shown that when the ‘no-huddle’ offense is implemented, they can repeatedly march down the field with explosive plays (they lead the NFL in plays of 20 yards plus), but if they start slowly, they then lack the momentum necessary to run their quick offense.

The evolution of the NFL into a truly passing dominated league over recent seasons has necessitated the offensive reinvention currently ongoing in Baltimore, but it is equally important that they do not neglect the running game which has brought them good levels of success over the years. Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron will be eager to incorporate Rice more, especially at the beginnings of drives, as he looks to consistently give his offense momentum, and the bye week offers the perfect opportunity for this.

Failure to develop more consistency on the offensive side of the ball could end Cameron’s career in Baltimore, with former Indianapolis Colts’ Head Coach Jim Caldwell, the Ravens’ quarterbacks coach, a prime candidate for the coordinator position, especially given his knowledge of the no-huddle offense from his time with the Colts.

If the playoffs began today, the Ravens, as just one of the two teams in the AFC to currently have a winning record, would have a home playoff game in the divisional round awaiting them. As such, it is hard to be too critical of the AFC North champions who, despite their poor defense, have been able to find ways to win games even when they haven’t been at their best.

It will be interesting to see how the Ravens emerge from the bye week in their Week 9 match up against divisional rivals the Cleveland Browns. Many experts are already starting to write the Ravens off this season following the losses of Lewis and Webb, but it’s hard to see Baltimore failing to top their division and earn another trip to the playoffs, especially if the new look offense can become more consistent. It may fly in the face of everything we thought we knew about the Ravens since their founding in 1996, but Baltimore is most certainly relying on their offense if they are to genuinely challenge for the Super Bowl in the second half of this season.

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Just a few hours after their head coach, Chuck Pagano, was released from the hospital, the Indianapolis Colts (3-3) took the field and held on for a 17-13 home victory over the Cleveland Browns (1-6) on Sunday.

“He was at the house, and we’re really excited about that,” said interim coach Bruce Arians said Pagano, who is undergoing treatment for a form of adult leukemia. “That’s probably as big as the win today. … I’m sure he’s feeling great right now.”

Rookie quarterback Andrew Luck didn’t have his best day throwing the football, as he tallied a mere 186 yards on 16 of 29 attempts and zero touchdown passes.

But he instead got the job done with his feet, rushing for two touchdowns and becoming the first Colts quarterback to do so since 1988.

Luck ran one in from three yards out on the game’s opening possession to cap off an 11 play, 80 yard drive, putting Indianapolis ahead 7-0 with 7:23 remaining in the first quarter.

Cleveland responded with a drive that was almost just as long the first time they touched the football – 78 yards on 16 plays. Receiver Greg Little made an acrobatic leaping touchdown catch toward the back of the end zone on a 14 yard pass from rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden to finish off the drive.

A botched hold on the extra point by punter and kick holder Reggie Hodges, however, caused the Browns to miss out on the PAT, keeping them behind at 7-6 with 14:01 left in the first half.

That one point would prove costly toward the end of the game, as it left the Browns in a position where they could not tie the game with a field goal.

A play action fake five yards from the goal line on the next possession allowed Luck to scamper into the end zone untouched, extending the Colts lead to 14-6.

Luck’s success on the ground translated to the rest of the team as well. Indianapolis totaled 148 rushing yards on the day. Vick Ballard did the majority of the workload with 84 yards on 20 carries.

Browns rookie receiver Josh Gordon caught a 33 yard strike to bring Cleveland back within one early in the third quarter, but it was a play about midway through the fourth quarter that will haunt him.

Weeden unleashed a perfectly thrown 41 yard ball to the end zone, which Gordon dropped as the sun peered through Lucas Oil Stadium’s open roof just at the point of arrival. Cleveland would have taken its first lead of the day, but instead failed to score for the rest of the game.

“He makes that catch nine times out of 10, so be it, it didn’t happen on this day, but I stay positive with him,” said Weeden. “He’s made a lot of big plays. He’s coming into his own and he’s becoming a really good player.”

Indianapolis tacked on a 38 yard field goal with only 3:19 left on the clock, and the defense stood its ground to seal the victory.

With the win, the Colts now have eclipsed last season’s total victory mark of two. They will hit the road and take on an AFC South rival next week in the Tennessee Titans (3-4), while the Browns will host the San Diego Chargers (3-3).

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After an early 14-0 lead for the Cleveland Browns, the New York Giants prevailed to rout the winless Browns  41-27.

It was a shaky start at MetLife Stadium for the Giants after running back Ahmad Bradshaw fumbled on the first play of the game. The Browns capitalized on the ensuing play with a 15 yard touchdown run by rookie running back Trent Richardson. Bradshaw regained his composure after his fumble, and rushed for a career high 200 yards on a career high 30 carries, along with one touchdown. The Giants were without backup; Andre Brown was ruled out with a concussion. Giants rookie running back David Wilson stepped up and punched in his first career NFL touchdown on two carries for 44 yards.

The Giants were depleted at wide receiver, missing Hakeem Nicks for a third straight week with a knee and foot injury. Furthermore, the Giants were without wide receiver Ramses Barden because of a concussion. This didn’t stop Eli Manning from having a field day against the Browns. Manning threw 259 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

Rookie Rueben Randle stepped up, catching a career high six passes for 82 yards. Victor Cruz caught five passes for 50 yards and all three of Manning’s touchdown passes. Cruz’s three touchdown passes is a career high in a single game.

Browns rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden completed 22-of-35 passes for 291 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Richardson finished off  the game with 17 carries for 81 yards and one touchdown.

Two year wideout Jordan Norwood led the Browns receiving core with nine receptions for 82 yards. In addition, rookie Josh Gordon caught his first career touchdown pass on a 62 yard bomb early in the first quarter. Gordon caught his second touchdown pass in the 4th quarter.

The Browns are 0-5 for the first time since the 1999 NFL season. Additionally, the Browns matched a franchise record 11th straight loss.

The Giants improved to 3-2 on the season, a much needed victory after last weeks gut wrenching loss against the Philadelphia Eagles. Luckily, the Eagles lost against the Pittsburgh Steelers 16-13, the Washington Redskins lost against the undefeated Atlanta Falcons 24-17 and the Dallas Cowboys were on their bye week. The Giants victory keeps them in second behind the Eagles.

New York will have a tough task next week on the road against the San Francisco 49ers. As for the Cleveland Browns, they will be home against division rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals, and hope to snap their losing streak.

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The Chicago Bears forced Tony Romo to throw five interception to improve to 3-1 and defeat  the Dallas Cowboys 34-18.

The Bears defense had a busy evening, forcing turnovers the entire night. Bears safety, Major Wright, had two interceptions giving him a total of three on the season, and the second best in the NFL.  Cornerback, Charles Tillman, picked off Romo in the 1st quarter and ran it back 25 yards for a touchdown. Linebacker, Lance Briggs, picked Romo off in the 3rd quarter and took it back 75 yards for another touchdown. Cornerback, D.J Moore, also had an interception. The Bears lead the NFL with a total of 11 interceptions. Bears Safety, Chris Conte, led the Bears with 11 tackles.

Romo’s five interceptions tied a career high for the Dallas quarterback. Interestingly enough, Romo’s first five interception game was back in 2007, also on Monday night. Four weeks in, and Romo currently leads the NFL with eight interceptions. Romo did throw one touchdown to wide receiver, Miles Austin. Austin finished the game with four receptions for 57 yards.

Romo’s awful performance ended late in the 4th quarter and back-up, Kyle Orton, took over. On Orton’s only drive, he completed 8-of-9 passes for 89 yards and one touchdown. Orton’s lone touchdown was too tight-end, Jason Witten; Witten finished the game with 13 receptions for 112 yards. Cowboys running back, DeMarco Murray, struggled running the ball for a third straight week. Murray had 11 carries for 24 yards. Murray was featured in the pass game, catching seven passes for 57 yards.

Chicago Bears quarterback, Jay Cutler had a season best 75% completion percentage, threw for 275 yards and had two touchdowns. After being contained under 100 receiving yards the last two weeks, Brandon Marshall caught seven passes for 138 yards and one touchdown. Devin Hester caught Cutler’s first touchdown pass of the night, and Hester caught three passes for 38 yards. The Bears were delighted to welcome Matt Forte back after missing last week because of an injury. Forte had 13 carries for 52 yards.

The Bears are currently atop the NFC North Division with the Minnesota Vikings at 3-1. Chicago will be on the road again next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. As for the Dallas Cowboys, they are in a three-way tie at 2-2 in the NFC East Division. Luckily for the Cowboys, they can rebuild and get things together during their bye week. The Cowboys will be back in action in Baltimore to take on the Ravens October 14th.

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The Baltimore Ravens managed to extend their winning streak over the Cleveland Browns to nine straight games Thursday night, when they recorded a 23-16 victory at the M&T Bank Stadium. The game ends a period that saw the Ravens play four games in just 17 days, and Head Coach John Harbaugh will likely be satisfied to have escaped the game with a victory, albeit a hard fought one, and allow his players some much needed time to rest.

The first quarter was fairly uneventful as neither team’s offense got themselves into rhythm, allowing defenses to dominate the game. Two notable plays came late in the quarter when a huge hit on Josh Cribbs on a punt return dislodged both his helmet and the ball, allowing the Ravens to dive on the ball and regain possession. Unfortunately for the home side however, their subsequent drive ended in quarterback Joe Flacco throwing an interception in the end zone by Craig Robertson.

Fortunately for fans of both sides, the game exploded into action in the second quarter. Flacco lead an excellent drive down the field, finding multiple receivers before linking up with Torrey Smith in the end zone for the opening score of the game. The score remained at 6-0 as holder Sam Koch could not take the ball cleanly on the extra point opportunity and the play collapsed.

Ravens kicker Justin Tucker added a 45-yard field goal later in the quarter before rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden took Cleveland on a 94-yard drive, which culminated in a 1-yard touchdown run by Trent Richardson.

If Flacco had been responsible for the Ravens first touchdown drive, then wide receiver Anquan Boldin was responsible for their second. Boldin was targeted successfully four times on the 89-yard drive, before Flacco ran into the end zone himself to re-establish Baltimore’s nine point lead.

Cleveland pulled back to within one score of Baltimore with a 51-yard field goal, but then gave momentum back to the Ravens at the end of the third quarter. Weeden threw an interception, which cornerback Cary Williams returned for a 61-yard touchdown, giving Baltimore a 23-10 lead heading into the final quarter.

The Browns cut the deficit to just seven points with two successful field goals, but the visiting fans were left wondering what could have been when wide receiver Greg Little was unable to connect with a Weeden pass in the end zone, as the ball seemed to slip through his outstretched hands.

An almost perfectly orchestrated drive from Weeden with just over a minute left on the clock came close to tying the game up and sending it to overtime, but clutch defensive moments from the likes of Ed Reed did enough to ensure Baltimore would emerge victorious with a score line of 23-16.

Cleveland put in a performance which belied their 0-4 record, and there were certainly positives for the Browns, even if it will be hard to take for their frustrated fans. Weeden looked calm and composed, and had his offensive line and receivers shown more consistency, then the game could quite easily have finished with a different result.

The Ravens will be pleased with the victory as they move to 3-1, especially with such a short turnover since their previous game against the New England Patriots. There are still concerns about both their pass rush and their pass defense. Whilst their secondary has not been diminished at all since last season, there is a general consensus that if Baltimore can improve their pass rush, the secondary will also improve as a result. Needless to say, the Ravens are praying for a swift return for 2011 Defensive Player of the Year Terrell Suggs, especially given the destruction Haloti Ngata is causing amongst interior offensive linesmen.

Both teams will now have a lengthy break till their next games, allowing their injured players extra time to recover from their knocks. Cleveland will visit current Super Bowl champions the New York Giants, whilst the Ravens head west to play the Kansas City Chiefs, with both games on October 7.

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Monday night’s showdown between the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers was a defensive gridlock, but the final score was dictated by the officials’ divisive decision to grant the Seahawks the 14-12 victory at CentruyLink Field.

Green Bay was able to drive down the field in the 4th quarter starting at their own 19, and Cedric Benson punched in a score from the one yard line to go up 12-7. They did not convert the two point conversion. On that drive, on 3rd and 2 from Seattle’s 47 yard line the officials called a pass interference on Kam Chancellor against Jermichael Finely, which extended the Packers drive, and did not seem to be a penalty.

The Packers were able to maintain the Seahawks on the ensuing drive. Green Bay regained possession after a failed 4th and 3rd conversion on Green Bay’s seven yard line. On the first play,  Cedric Benson was pushed backwards, and fumbled the ball. Packers center Jeff Saturday recovered the ball. Green Bay was only able to kill 57 seconds and punted the ball back to Seattle around midfield.

Russell Wilson drove the Seahawks to Green Bay’s 24 yard line. On 4th and 10, Wilson chucked the ball in the end-zone to Golden Tate, but cornerback M.D Jennings seemed to have intercepted the ball and had possession. However, the official ran over and called it a touchdown. The play was reviewed and stood, granting the Seahawks the victory. Beyond frustrated, the Packers left the field. However, 11 players needed to come back on the field to line up for the extra point conversion.

This catch has spurred a vast amount of controversy, especially because it was the obvious wrong call and the replacement officials are dictating the results of key games. According to the NFL rule book, Rule 8, Section 1, Article 3, Item 5: Simultaneous Catch states:

“ If a pass is caught simultaneously by two eligible opponents, and both players retain it, the ball belongs to the passers. It is not a simultaneous catch if a player gains control first and an opponent subsequently gains joint control.”

While looking at the review, its is clear that Jennings had possession of the ball and brought the ball to his chest, while Tate only had one hand on it. Furthermore before Tate made a play on the ball he blatantly pushed Sam Shields down to the ground, another missed call.

Several NFL, and sports analysts tweeted there reactions regarding the call. Steven A. Smith tweeted, “If the NFL wants to maintain any credibility whatsoever, it should OVERTURN this decision IMMEDIATELY. This game should be awarded to GB.” Prior to that Smith tweeted on the officiating saying, “That’s it! I’m done. CLEARLY AN INTERCEPTION. The NFL should be ashamed of itself for allowing this officiating to regress to this point.”

This has been the most controversial call of the season, and brings up the question, when will the NFL reach into their pockets and bring back the real officials?

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The Chicago Bears improved to 2-1 on the season, after defeating the St. Louis Rams 23-6 at Soldier Field. The Bears’ offense struggled last week against rivals Green Bay Packers, and their offense still seemed out of sync against the Rams.

Jay Cutler completed 17 of 31 pass attempts for only 183 yards, and threw one interception. Cutler had a passed rating of 58.9, and did not throw a touchdown pass for the first time since week 9 of last season. The Bears’ offensive line protected Cutler much better, only giving up two sacks. Wide receiver Brandon Marshall caught five passes for 71 yards, compared to his two receptions last week. Alshon Jeffery had five receptions for 45 yards. With running back Matt Forte still out due to an injury, Michael Bush led the Bears with 18 carries for 55 yards and one touchdown. Bush also caught two passes for 18 yards.

As for the the St. Louis Rams their points were produced by rookie kicker, Greg Zuerlein. Zuerlein booted a 56 yard field goal, and a 46 yard field goal. Zuerlein is now 6-6 on the season.  Rams quarterback Sam Bradford had a rough game, only completing 18 of 35 passes for 152 yards and two interceptions. Bradford was knocked around all of the game, and was sacked six times. Furthermore, Bradford had a career low of  39.2 quarterback rating. Danny Amendola was Bradford’s favorite receiver again, catching five passes for 66 yards. Running back Steven Jackson was limited to 11 carries for 29 yards. Jackson wasn’t 100 percent as he proclaimed to be, however he did not further injure himself. Daryl Richardson carried the ball four times for 16 yards.

The Bears’ defense was lead by linebacker Lance Briggs, who had seven tackles. Also Bears, cornerback, Tim Jennings recored his 4th interception of the year. In addition, safety Major Wright caught his first interception and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

The Rams’ defense was led by linebacker James Laurinaitis, who recorded a season high 11 tackles. Cornerback Cortland Finnegan caught his third interception of the year in the the 1st quarter.

Chicago is 2-0 at home this season, and will be back in action next Monday, October 1st, on the road against the Dallas Cowboys. As for the Rams they will be home against division rivals, Seattle Seahawks on September 30th.

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The Minnesota Vikings pulled off the unthinkable, upsetting the 2-0 San Francisco 49ers 24-13 at the Mall of America Field.

Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder continues to play well for Minnesota, completing 21 of 35 passes for 198 yards, and two touchdowns in their upset victory. Percy Harvin led the Vikings in receiving, catching nine passes for 89 yards. Harvin was also featured in the backfield, having one carry for nine yards. Minnesota had an effective day running the ball against one of the NFL’s best defenses. The Vikings ran for a total of 146 yards and scored once on the ground. This was the first time the 49ers gave up over 100 yards rushing this season.

Adrian Peterson led the running attack with 25 carries for 86 yards. Quarterback Christian Ponder scrambled seven times for 33 yards, including his 23 yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph caught five passes for 36 yards and two touchdowns. Rudolph has already matched last seasons’ three touchdown total just three games into the 2012 season, and seems to be a key target for Christian Ponder and the Minnesota offense. The Vikings’ offensive line contained the ferocious 49ers blitz and did not allow them to sack Ponder once.

Alex Smith completed 24 of 35 passes for 204 yards, one touchdown, one fumble and one interception in Sunday’s loss. Smith’s lone interception ended his franchise record 249-throw streak without an interception. Smith’s favorite receiver was Mario Manningham, who caught five passes for 56 yards. Tight end Vernon Davis also caught five passes for 53 yards. In addition, 49ers veteran wide receiver Randy Moss caught three passes for 27 yards against his old squad. Frank Gore led the 49ers in rushing with 12 carries for 63 yards, and caught one pass for nine yards along with one fumble loss.

Although not being able to stop Christian Ponder, the 49ers’ defense was well led by linebacker NaVorro Bowman. Bowman had a career-high 18 tackles. Patrick Willis also contributed, with 10 tackles.  The 49ers will look to bounce back from this shocking upset next week against the New York Jets. The Vikings are looking to continue playing well, and will be on the road against division rival the Detroit Lions.

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In what was expected to be a tough match-up on the road for the New York Giants, especially while missing key members on offense such as Hakeem Nicks, Ahmad Bradshaw, David Diehl and Domenik Hixon, turned into the Giants defeating the Carolina Panthers 36-7.

Giants running back Andre Brown continues to make a name for himself  after his performance last night against the Panthers. The Giants could not have asked for more from their back up running back. Brown had 20 carries for 113 yards and two touchdowns.

At wide receiver, four-year player Ramses Barden started in place for the injured Nicks. Barden lead all receivers, with 9 receptions for 138 yards. Barden’s performance could have landed him a spot to see the field more often.

Giants tight-end Martellus Bennett caught 6 receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown. This is Bennett’s third consecutive game with at least one touchdown. Astonishing enough, the last time Bennett scored a touchdown in three consecutive games was back in 2008 when he was with the Dallas Cowboys.

Eli Manning was extremely efficient Thursday night, completing 27 of 35 passes for 288 yards and one touchdown. Eli had a quarterback ratting of 110.2, his highest rating of the season. His 77.1% completion percentage was a season best thus far. Manning was able to enjoy the victory and watch the final minutes of the game from the sideline.

Another key factor in Thursday’s victory was the Giants defense. Although struggling in the secondary because of injury, they were able to force Cam Newton to throw three interceptions. In addition, the Panthers put the ball on the ground two times; both times, the Giants were able to recover and regain possession. The Giants limited Newton to 242 passing yards and only 6 carries for 6 yards on the ground. Newton had a quarterback rating of 40.6, a career worst for the 2nd year star. The Giants were also able to maintain the rest of the Panthers high powered running threats, only giving up 60 yards on 20 attempts.

Panthers back-up quarterback Derek Anderson took over when the game was out of reach, with less than a minute to play.

The Giants have some much needed rest to catch up on with their upcoming schedule. New York will be traveling to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles Sunday September 30.

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After kicking off the season on the road against the Green Bay Packers, the 49ers played their first home game of the season against another NFC North opponent, the Detroit Lions. The 49ers defeated the Lions 27-19, to improve 2-0 on the season and have many analyst debating are the 49ers the best team in football?

Quarterback Alex Smith; lead the Niners, completing 20 of 31 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns. Both touchdowns were caught by athletic tight-end, Vernon Davis; who also had 5 receptions for 73 yards. San Fran’s running back, Frank Gore also contributed to the victory with his 17 carries for 89 yards and a touchdown. Fourth year wide receiver, Michael Crabtree had a solid game catching 6 passes for 67 yards. Smith has been very impressive lately and has shown a vast amount of improvement since his earlier years in the NFL. Even though, starting off the season 2-0, Smith stated in the post-game press conference, “There is a lot of room for improvement.”

San Francisco’s tenacious, hard-hitting defense was led by linebacker Patrick Willis, who tallied up a total of 9 tackles. 49ers defense also forced Lions quarterback, Matthew Stafford to throw his 4th interception of the year. Stafford struggled against the Niners secondary and only completed 19 of 32 passes for 230 yards and one touchdown. Stafford’s lone touchdown pass was too tight end Brandon Pettigrew. Star receiver Calvin Johnson was held to 8 receptions and 94 yards.

This is Johnson’s 2nd consecutive game without a touchdown. Kevin Smith was the Lions main running threat in Sunday night’s performance carrying the ball 16 times for 53 yards. Stafford and the Detroit offense have yet to find their rhythm this season and seem to be a bit out of sync. “I don’t think as an offense we’ve hit our stride yet,” Stafford said while addressing the press.

The Niners will be on the road for their next game, Sunday September 23 against another NFC north squad the, Minnesota Vikings. San Francisco will look to continue to take advantage of the mistakes their defense forces upon opponents. As for the Detroit Lions they will be heading south September 23 against a winless Tennessee Titans team and hope to get their offense to finally be as explosive as it was last season.

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The Cincinnati Bengals hosted the Cleveland Browns in what proved to be one of the most exciting games in Week 2 as the Bengals emerged victorious over their AFC North counterparts, 34-27.

Cincinnati got off to the perfect start as cornerback Adam Jones returned a punt for an 81-yard touchdown and gave them the opening score of the game. Both sides seemed tentative in the first quarter and a field goal from Phil Dawson for the Browns was the only other score.

The game exploded into life in the second quarter with Cincinnati striking first, quarterback Andy Dalton finding A. J. Green for a 10-yard touchdown pass. Cleveland struck back quickly, however, with rookie running back Trent Richardson putting his disappointing performance last week against the Philadelphia Eagles behind him and rushed for a 32-yard touchdown.

Mike Nugent then added a field goal for Cincinnati and ensured they took a lead of seven points into the halftime break.

Dalton continued his good form early in the second half, once again throwing a touchdown pass, this time to Brandon Tate for 44 yards as the Bengals threatened to take control of the game. Cleveland needed a quick score to get them back into the game and Richardson stepped up once more. Fellow rookie Brandon Weeden and Richardson connected on a 23-yard touchdown pass, cutting the Bengals’ lead back to seven points.

Both teams shared a touchdown and field goal apiece in the fourth quarter, Cincinnati striking first through a 50-yard touchdown from Andrew Hawkins, followed by a 24-yard touchdown for Greg Little.

Dalton (24/31, 318 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT) looked much more composed this week against the Browns than he did in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens, but it was losing quarterback Weeden (26/37, 322 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INT) who perhaps made the biggest improvement from his performance a week ago, where he had looked abysmal.

Richardson had also disappointed for Cleveland last week, but put on a much improved show this week, rushing for 109 yards and one touchdown from 19 carries, as well as making 36 yards in the passing game and going over for a further touchdown.

The Bengals offense looked impressive in this victory over the Browns, but they will need to replicate this kind of performance against the likes of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Ravens if they are to become a force to be reckoned with in the AFC North.

Cincinnati will look to improve their record to 2-1 next week as they visit the Washington Redskins, whilst Cleveland will be desperate for their first win of the season as they play host to the Buffalo Bills.

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Eli Manning and the New York Giants were at first down by two scores, but a 25 point 4th quarter comeback allowed the Giants to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 41-34.

Manning was off to an extremely shaky start and threw three interceptions in the first half, including his last interception with less than a minute left, resulting in a Buccaneers’ pick six to go ahead 24-13. However, Manning kept his composure and finished off the game, throwing for over 500 yards and three touchdowns.

Giants wideout Hakeem Nicks was questionable for today’s game because of a foot injury, but that did not seem evident in his performance. Nicks caught 10 passes for 199 yards and one touchdown. Giants receiver Victor Cruz had a big day catching 11 passes for 179 yards and one touchdown.

Tampa Bay took advantage of the Giants weak secondary throughout the game. Josh Freeman completed 15 of 28 passes for 243 yards and threw two touchdowns along with two interceptions. Wideout Vincent Jackson caught 5 passes for 128 yards and one touchdown. Wideout Mike Williams caught 3 passes for 59 yards, and scored a touchdown with less than two minutes left to tie the game.

Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw did not see much action after exiting the game in the 2nd quarter with a neck injury. Third year running back Andre Brown handled most of the snaps at running back for the rest of the game. Brown had 13 carries for 71 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown for the Giants with 31 seconds left.

After scoring the go ahead touchdown, the Giants kicked back off to the Buccaneers, giving them an attempt to tie the game. Tampa started their drive on their own 36 yard line, and Freeman and Jackson connected for 19 yards moving up to the Giants 45 yard line. The following play, Freeman connected with Mike Williams all the way down to the Giants’ 16. However, the play was reviewed by officials because Williams did not maintain possession and was overturned, negating the big gain. With about 12 seconds remaining, Freeman dropped back, overthrew intended receiver Dallas Clark and was intercepted by Giants linebacker Michael Boley to end the game.

Eli and the Giants offense came out for one more play to kneel it and solidify the win. At the end of the game, controversy spurred as Giants coach Tom Coughlin confronted Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano evidently upset about something.

The Giants could have easily breezed past the Buccaneers if they would have converted on their red-zone possessions. The Giants settled for four field goals in the red-zone rather than punching in touchdown scores. New York will be back in action this upcoming Thursday against the Carolina Panthers.

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A bad tempered affair at Lincoln Financial Field between the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens ended in a hard fought 24-23 victory for the home side. An explosive passing game from the Eagles was too much for the Baltimore defense to contain, as their offense failed to keep up their form from their Week 1 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Given Michael Vick’s poor performance the previous week against the Cleveland Browns, most people were expecting LeSean McCoy to be used extensively on Philadelphia’s opening drive. Head Coach Andy Reid had different plans, however, and Vick looked in tremendous form early on, finding receivers in space and marching the Eagles down the field. He finally came undone when he had to escape the pocket due to pressure and fired a pass into the hands of safety Bernard Pollard in the end zone.

The Eagles were able to open the scoring shortly after, when Trent Cole stripped the ball from Joe Flacco on the quarterbacks own 15-yard line and regained possession for Philadelphia. This time the Eagles decided to run the football and McCoy went over untouched from one yard out.

Baltimore hit back quickly though, as their new no-huddle offense had the Philadelphia defense on the back foot, with the Eagles unable to substitute their defensive personnel as much as they would like. The drive culminated in a rare rushing touchdown for fullback Vonta Leach after some impressive blocking from his offensive line.

The Ravens took the lead early in the second quarter following another effective drive involving large doses of running back Ray Rice, and Flacco found Jacoby Jones, who ran an excellent route to beat cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha for a 21-yard pass. Rookie kicker Justin Tucker later extended the Baltimore’s lead, knocking over a kick from 56 yards, which ties him for a franchise record as well as bettering any successful kick he made in College Football, leaving the score at 17-7 to Baltimore at the half.

The third quarter saw a Vick-inspired comeback for the Eagles,  as Philadelphia quickly leveled the score at 17-17. Jeremy Maclin was found by Vick in the end zone after the quarterback rolled out of the pocket and showed great composure to still hit the waiting Maclin, and a field goal shortly after tied the game.

The Ravens offense struggled consistently throughout the third and fourth quarters, but two further field goals from Tucker put Baltimore back into the lead as time began to become an issue in the game.

Almost in identical fashion to his performance last week at Cleveland, Vick once again led his team downfield with just under two minutes left in the game, rushed for a 1-yard touchdown himself and give Philadelphia a lead that they would not surrender on Baltimore’s final drive of the game.

It was a game of two halves from the Baltimore offense, who looked in great shape during the first half in their no-huddle offense, but were poor in the second half, failing to utilize their fast paced offense. Flacco’s development towards becoming an elite quarterback certainly took a step backwards in the second half, and the Ravens had to rely on Rice to consistently earn them yards in both the rushing and passing games.

Philadelphia showed flashes of brilliance in the passing game, but Reid will be worried with the amount of turnovers they have committed in their opening two games. A very banged up offensive line will also be a worry as he hopes to hear good news on injuries to both King Dunlap and Jason Kelce.

Baltimore will now face the prospect of avenging their AFC Championship loss to the New England Patriots next week, whilst the Eagles will make the long trip to Arizona to play the Cardinals.

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A highly anticipated offensive shoot-out at Lambeau Field turned into a  defensive gridlock on Thursday night. The Green Bay Packers defense had a huge target on their back following their weak performance in Week 1 against the 49ers. In Thursday nights rivalry game against the Chicago Bears, the Packers defense completely shut down the Bears explosive offense to earn an encouraging 23-10 victory.

The rampant defense of the Packers held the Bears to just 168 total yards. Jay Cutler was completely flustered by Green Bay’s aggressive defense, only throwing for 126 yards and one touchdown, whilst also giving up four interceptions. Cutler was also sacked seven times, and is now 0-3 at Lambeau Field. Green Bay also limited Chicago’s run game, especially after Matt Forte left the game in the 3rd quarter with an ankle injury.

Packers linebacker, Clay Matthews, had seven tackles, and 3.5 sacks. Matthews has already matched the amount of sacks he had last year in the first two games of the season, and should continue to harass quarterbacks all season. The secondary also shone with Tramon Williams picking up two interceptions, whilst Charles Woodson and rookie Jerron McMillian also both picked off Cutler. The Packers secondary was also able to lock-up Bears star wideout Brandon Marshall, and limited him to two receptions for 24 yards. Marshall had a touchdown opportunity in the 3rd quarter however, but was not able to hang onto the ball.

Interestingly enough, Green Bay’s punter, Tim Masthay, threw a touchdown pass before Aaron Rodgers. In the second quarter, on a fake field goal, Masthay pitched the ball to Tom Crabtree who followed his blockers all the way for seven. Rodgers finally threw his first and only touchdown pass of the game in the fourth quarter to veteran wideout Donald Driver. Rodgers finished the game completing 22 of 32 passes for 219 yards, one touchdown and one interception. In addition, the Packers run game proved to be far more effective than in Week 1, as they rushed for a total of 106 yards, and Cedric Benson lead the team with 20 carries for 81 yards. Benson also had four receptions for 35 yards.

Green Bay has now extended their winning streak against the Bears to five games. The Packers handled the pressure of an expectant home crowd extremely well to earn their first win of the season. Green Bay will be on the road for their next game, a tough clash with the Seattle Seahawks on September 24th. The Bears will be back at Soldier Field, September 23rd, against the St.Louis Rams.

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