Week 12 in Review

THANKSGIVING GAMES

Packers 37 --- Lions 26

Brett Favre is no turkey. His 381 yard, 3 touchdown performance on Thanksgiving propelled the Packers to their 10^th win of the year. Ryan Grant ran for 101 yards and a score, while averaging 6.7 yards per carry. Donald Driver had a big game with 10 grabs for 147 yards, but his younger counterpart, Greg Jennings (5-60) reached the endzone twice. Green Bay held off a late comeback by the Lions and will now get ready for a huge NFC showdown with the Dallas Cowboys.

Detroit , now 6-5, could be headed into a tail-spin…if they haven’t already. Three straight losses have now put them into the muck of the last NFC wildcard spot. Their difficult 2^nd half schedule may do them in as they still have to face Dallas, @ San Diego, and @ Green Bay. Jon Kitna threw for 224 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT in the loss. Kevin Jones was very effective on the ground with 20 carries for 93 yards and a score. Calvin Johnson, who was clearly Kitna’s main target on Thursday, caught 7 balls for 83 yards and a TD. Detroit will face Minnesota next weekend and with their luck, Adrian Peterson may be back.

Cowboys 34 --- Jets 3

If you were lucky, the turkey kicked it, and you slept through this one. The Cowboys held their end of the bargain by improving to 10-1, maintaining the matchup of the two 10-1 NFC squads. Marion Barber III and Julius Jones pounded the rock a combined 32 times for 167 yards. Barber finished with 103 and a score, while Jones ran for 64. Tony Romo threw for only 195 yards, but had 2 TDs, and 1 INT. A Cowboy win wouldn’t be fitting if Owens didn’t have a TD catch. With six minutes to go, T.O. caught a 22-yard touchdown pass to cap the Cowboy’ Turkey Day W.

As for the now 2-9 Jets, they failed to produce on the offensive side of the ball. The defense was not bad, sacking Romo 3 times, but when you only score three points, you won’t win any games. Kellen Clemens threw for just 142 yards and a pick while Thomas Jones was shut down, averaging just 2.3 yards per carry. The Jets will travel to Miami next weekend and pending the Pittsburgh game on MNF, the Dolphins will have a good shot to get their first win if the Jets continue this type of play.

Colts 31 --- Falcons 13

It’s too bad for Atlanta that the game is four quarters and not one. The Dirty Birds got out to an early 10-0 lead, but Colts came storming back outscoring the Falcons 31-3 for the rest of the game. Peyton Manning threw for 272 yards, 3 TD’s, and 1 INT. Joseph Addai, who left the game, but then later returned, ran for 44 yards and a TD. Anthony Gonzalez returned to the starting lineup and led all Colt receivers with 105 yards. Reggie Wayne racked up 66 receiving yards and a TD while Dallas Clark had 49 yards and a score. The 9-2 Colts are hopeful that Marvin Harrison will return next weekend when they will host the Jaguars in a key AFC South clash.

The Falcons fell to 3-8 on the year with this Thanksgiving Day loss. Joey Harrington threw for 155 yards, 1 TD, and 2 INT’s while Warrick Dunn eclipsed the 10,000 career rushing yard mark in the game. Roddy White caught 6 balls for 104 yards and a TD, which led all Atlanta receivers. The Falcons will travel to St. Louis in Week 13.

SUNDAY GAMES

Saints 31 --- Panthers 6

The Saints finally got back on track in Carolina by romping the Panthers, putting up 21 points in the 3^rd quarter. Drew Brees led the way with 260 yards, 3 TD’s, and 1 INT. He also had an eight-yard TD run on his big fantasy day. Reggie Bush ran for just 32 yards as he was limited with his injury. Marques Colston caught 7 balls for 93 yards and a TD in the Saints win. New Orleans will host Tampa Bay next weekend in a key NFC South battle.

David Carr and Matt Moore played an ineffective quarterback position for the Panthers while WR Steve Smith led the team in rushing. Smith also had 6 catches for 47 yards in the game. Carolina will host San Francisco next week in an unwatchable game.

Bucs 19 --- Redskins 13

The Redskins were in a position to win this game despite committing six turnovers. Jason Campbell was intercepted in the endzone with less than thirty seconds remaining as the Skins dropped to 5-6 on the year. Jeff Garcia left the game, but later returned after Bruce Gradkowski took his place. Earnest Graham continues to be a bright spot for the Buccaneer offense as he rushed for 75 yards and a score. However, Tampa Bay won this game with their stout defense.

Clinton Portis ran for 68 yards and had 33 receiving yards, but fumbled twice. Chris Cooley led the receiving corps with 96 yards and a TD. The Redskins will host Buffalo in a potential game they need to have to stay in the NFC wildcard hunt next week.

Seahawks 24 --- Rams 19

The Seahawks scored 17 points in the second half while shutting out their opponent in their comeback win over the Rams in St. Louis. Marc Bulger left the game with a concussion and Gus Frerotte replaced him. Frerotte fumbled the snap on a 4^th and goal from the 1 with just seconds remaining in the game, which led to the Seahawks holding on to a win. Matt Hasselbeck threw for 249 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT in the win while Maurice Morris ran for 79 yards on 16 carries. Deion Branch had a big game with 92 yards and a TD, but DJ Hackett left the game early with an injury.

Steven Jackson rumbled for 90 yards and a score while Sir Isaac Bruce had 63 yards and a score. Gus Frerotte threw for 161 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT in place of the injured Bulger. The Rams will face Atlanta next weekend.

Vikings 41 --- Giants 17

BREAKING NEWS : Eli Manning just threw another interception.

Just kidding. He used them all up on Sunday against the Vikings. Chester Taylor (77 yards, 1 TD) averaged just 2.4 yards per carry, Tarvaris Jackson threw for only 129 yards (60 were on the bomb on their first drive of the game), but the Vikings found a way to win. It seemed as if Eli Manning was attracted to the purple and white people on Sunday. He contributed to 28 Minnesota points by throwing 4 interceptions; 3 of which were returned for touchdowns, and the 4^th was returned inside the 10 yard line. The Giants fell to 7-4 on the year and blew a prime opportunity to have a chokehold on the first wildcard spot in the NFC. Reuben Droughns ran for 46 yards and a score in place of the injured Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward. Plaxico Burress padded his stats late and finished with 93 yards and a TD. The Vikings will host the Lions in an NFC North divisional matchup in Week 13.

Raiders 20 --- Chiefs 17

It was a battle of the small-name running backs as Justin Fargas took on Kolby Smith. Smith had a better stat line, but Fargas’ team left Kansas City with the win. Kolby ran for 150 yards and 2 TD’s against the porous Oakland run D while Fargas rumbled for 139 yards and a score. The quarterback play was not impressive as Culpepper and Croyle threw for under 170 yards each. The Chiefs fell to 4-7 while the Raiders improved to 3-8.

Jaguars 36 --- Bills 14

The Jaguars, winners of three straight, are playing great football at the right time. They crushed the Bills at home and will get ready to face the Colts in Indy next weekend. Fred Taylor led the way with 104 yards and a score while Maurice Jones- Drew had 10 yards and a TD. David Garrard threw for 296 yards and a touchdown to Reggie Williams. Jacksonville improved to 8-3 with the victory while Buffalo dropped to 5-6.

JP Losman threw for 211 yards, 1 TD, and 2 INT’s. Anthony Thomas, who started in place of the injured Marshawn Lynch, ran for 46 yards and also had 45 receiving yards and a TD. Buffalo has now likely worked themselves out of playoff contention in the AFC with back-to-back losses.

Browns 27 --- Texans 17

The Browns are now 7-4 and currently in the 6^th playoff spot in the AFC after their win over the Texans. Derek Anderson tossed for 2 TD’s with 253 yards and a pick while Matt Schaub threw for 256 and a pair of touchdowns and interceptions. Jamal Lewis carried the ball 29 times for 134 yards and a TD. Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards each had a touchdown with 107 and 57 yards, respectively.

Ron Dayne ran for 78 yards in the loss while Owen Daniels caught 7 passes for 82 yards and a TD. Andre Johnson was surprisingly held to only 37 receiving yards in the game. Houston dropped to 5-6 on the year and will travel to the slumping Tennessee Titans next week.

Bengals 35 --- Titans 6

Reunited and it feels so good. Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson hooked up 3 times for scores on Sunday in the Bengals blowout of the Titans. Palmer threw for 283 yards, 3 TD’s, and 1 INT while Ocho Cinco had 12 grabs for 103 yards and 3 TD’s. Rudi Johnson also ran well with 25 carries for 88 yards and a TD. The 4-7 Bengals put a dent in the Titans playoff hopes as they fell to 6-5 after being 6-2.

Vince Young threw for 246 yards and an INT and the running game totaled only 55 yards. Tennessee will need to rebound next week vs. Houston to have any aspirations to make the playoffs.

Niners 37 --- Cardinals 31

The Cardinals have to be kicking themselves today. They had the game in their hands, but let it slip away. They had a chance to win the game in regulation at the 1-yard line down by 3, but settled for the FG to tie. In overtime, Neil Rackers nailed a 27-yard GW FG in overtime, but it was called back due to a delay of game. His 32-yarder was wide left and the next time Arizona got the ball back, Kurt Warner lost the ball in the endzone and the Niners recovered for the TD and win in overtime. The Cardinals lost a game they couldn’t lose as they fell to 5-6. Warner had a big day with 484 yards, 2 TD’s, and 2 INT’s. Edgerrin James ran for 78 yards, but Shipp stole one of his touchdowns. Speaking of vulturing TD’s, Tim Rattay came in to throw a goal-line TD since Warner has difficulty with handoffs due to his elbow injury.

The Niners have now snapped their eight game losing streak with their win over the Cards. Trent Dilfer threw for 256 yards and 2 TD’s, but Frank Gore was the story of the day. He ran for 116 yards and 2 scores, but also caught 11 balls for 98 yards. It was by far his best outing of the year and it was very timely in the Niners win. Vernon Davis also caught 6 balls for 45 yards and a TD in the win.

Bears 37 --- Broncos 34

We’re not scared. We’ll kick it to him. 60 minutes later, the Bears were in the winner’s circle thanks to him--- Devin Hester. Hester returned a punt and a kick to the house in the 3^rd quarter, which single-handedly kept the Bears in the game. He deflated the momentum that the Broncos gained immediately. The Bears also scored the final 14 points of the 4^th quarter after trailing 35-21 with over five minutes to go. Robbie Gould would be the overtime hero, kicking a game-winning 39-yarder. It was a huge win for Chicago to stay alive in the NFC wildcard hunt. Cedric Benson left the game early with an injury and did not return. The other Adrian Peterson ran for 45 yards and a TD in his place. The Bears will host the Giants in a crucial NFC battle next week.

As for Denver, this loss is heartbreaking. They played a tough game on the road and had the lead late, but could not hold on. Jay Cutler threw for 302 yards, 2 TD’s, and 1 INT. Andre Hall was very impressive with 98 yards and a TD on the ground (also had 69 receiving yards). Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler each had a TD with 97 and 82 yards, respectively. Denver, now 5-6, will travel to Oakland next week.

Chargers 32 --- Ravens 14

The Chargers are playing the most inconsistent football you will see. On Sunday, they showed why they were the #1 seed in the playoffs last year. However, beating the Ravens is not saying much these days. Philip Rivers had a huge day with 249 yards and 3 TD’s. His favorite target, Antonio Gates, had 105 yards and 2 scores. Tomlinson was held in check for the most part with just 77 rushing yards on 24 carries. The Chargers will travel to Kansas City next weekend.

The Ravens lost their 5^th straight game after starting 4-2. Willis McGahee, though, kept his own streak alive, by rushing for a TD in his 6^th straight game. He totaled 59 yards on the ground as well. Derrick Mason caught 7 balls for 99 yards, but Kyle Boller threw for only 191 yards. Baltimore will look to get back on track next week when they face the…nevermind. The Ravens will host the Pats on Monday night in Week 13.

More on the primetime matchups later…