NFL Week 5

- The New York Giants looked good on both sides of the ball, showing how dangerous this team can be when they put it all together. The Giants jumped out to a 21-0 lead early in the 2nd quarter, forcing Matt Schaub and the Houston Texans to throw the ball all over the field in an attempt to catch up. The Giants held Arian Foster and the Texans to a franchise-low of 24 rushing yards. Eli Manning put up solid numbers, despite throwing two interceptions. Giants' WR Hakeem Nicks was one catch short of the franchise record for receptions in a game, catching 12 balls, two of those for touchdowns. The Giants went on to win 34-10.

- The Buffalo Bills are off to their worst start in 25 years. The Bills are 0-5 after losing 36-26 to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jacksonville run-game proved to be the difference, as the Jaguars ran for over 200 yards. The Jaguars may have committed three turnovers, but it was their ability to move the ball on the ground that led to an 11-minute difference in time-of-possession. Rushing yards and TOP were really the only differences in the box score, but it was enough for the Jaguars to earn the win.

- The Bengals lost again.....to the Tampa Bay Bucs, 24-21. Carson Palmer finished the game with a 58.9 passer rating, throwing for 209 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. One of those interceptions was returned 11 yards for a touchdown by Tampa Bay's Cody Grimm. Palmer looks uncomfortable in the pocket at times, and his accuracy comes and goes. But the Bengals' offensive struggles are not all his fault. The Bengals' receivers are dropping balls. Three of Palmer's passes on third down were dropped by open receivers. Then you have Cedric Benson. He is without a doubt the Bengals' MVP. Benson finished with 144 yards on 23 carries. You would think that when you have a running back as effective as Benson, averaging over 6 yards per carry, you would continue to give him the ball. So Palmer's receivers AND Coach Marvin Lewis deserve some of the blame for this slow start as well. When talking about the Bengals' struggles you also have to mention the absurd amount of penalties (9 penalties for 60 yards). The Bengals continue to lead the league in false start penalties.



- The Detroit Lions destroyed the St. Louis Rams. The previously winless Lions won 44-6, led by QB Shaun Hill. Hill finished with 227 yards and three touchdowns, good enough for a QB rating of 117.6. While Detroit struggled on the ground, they made up for it with the passing game. Stefan Logan added a 105-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. And the Lions finished off the Rams with a 42-yard interception return by Alphonso Smith with only seven minutes left to play.

- The Indianapolis Colts handed the Kansas City Chiefs their first loss. After only five weeks, there are no undefeated teams left in the NFL. Peyton Manning played his worst game in a couple of years, but backup running back Mike Hart came to the rescue. Hart scored the game's only touchdown with four minutes left in the game to give the Colts the 19-12 victory.

- The Washington Redskins kicked their way to an overtime victory against the Green Bay Packers. The Redskins scored 10 unanswered points in the 4th quarter, including a Graham Gano field goal with a minute left, to send the game into overtime. Packers' kicker Mason Crosby missed a field goal from 53 yards out that would've won the game for Green Bay in regulation. In overtime, Graham Gano kicked a 33-yard field goal to give the Redskins the win, 13-10. The Packers not only lost the game, but they lost starting tight end Jermichael Finley to a knee injury, which will sideline him for several weeks. And quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a concussion that could keep him out next week as well.


- You don't need a quarterback to win in Chicago. All you need is Matt Forte. Bears' quarterback Todd Collins threw for 32 yards and four interceptions...22 of those yards to running back Matt Forte. Forte dominated the Carolina Panthers defense, racking up 166 yards on the ground, including two touchdowns. Forte and the Bears' defense led Chicago to a 23-6 victory over the winless Carolina Panthers.



- Ray Rice ran over the Denver Broncos. Rice ran for 133 yards and two touchdowns. Willis McGahee added another 67 yards on the ground and a touchdown of his own. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco didn't need to have a big game, and he didn't. But Flacco managed the game and did just enough (14/25 for 196 yards) for the Ravens to beat the Denver Broncos, 31-17. Broncos' quarterback Kyle Orton had a big day (22/38 for 314 yards, 2 TDs) in a losing effort. Wide receiver Brandon Lloyd was the beneficiary of Orton's big day, catching five balls for 135 yards and two touchdowns.


- Undrafted rookie quarterback Max Hall led the Arizona Cardinals to a victory over the defending champs. Hall and the Cardinals took advantage of the Saints' four turnovers to win, 30-20. The Cardinals scored 30 points without a passing or rushing touchdown, becoming only the second team in NFL history to do so. Arizona score three times on defense, accounting for all three of the Cardinals' touchdowns. Levi Brown returned a fumble 2 yards for a touchdown in the opening quarter. Kerry Rhodes returned a fumble 27 yards for a touchdown, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie returned an interception 28 yards for a touchdown, both in the fourth quarter, to seal the victory.

- The Atlanta Falcons beat the battered Cleveland Browns, 20-10. The Falcons scored a go-ahead touchdown with four minutes left in the game, sealing the victory. Atlanta defensive end Kroy Biermann intercepted a pass and rumbled 41 yards for the touchdown. The Browns' tarting running back Peyton Hillis has a pulled quadriceps muscle. And the Cleveland quarterbacks are beat up as well. Seneca Wallace left the game with an ankle injury, and Jake Delhomme has had his own ankle issues. Coly McCoy is the only other quarterback on the roster, so the Browns could be in bad shape if Wallace or Delhomme aren't healthy going forward.




- The Cowboys essentially gave away the game against the Tennessee Titans. Tony Romo threw for 406 yards and three touchdowns, but he also threw three interceptions. With three turnovers and 12 penalties for 133 yards the Cowboys may have been lucky to be in the game against the Titans. After Romo hit Jason Witten for a game-tying touchdown with a little over four minutes left, the Cowboys were hit with a penalty for excessive celebration. In my opinion, the penalty was ridiculous, but in late-game situations, you shouldn't put yourself in that position in the first place. Hand the ball to the referee and go on. That penalty pushed back the kickoff. After a long return the Titans were in a good position to regain the lead. And they did so after Chris Johnson scored a 1-yard touchdown with 3:28 left on the clock. Romo threw his third pick of the game on the ensuing drive, and the Titans hung on to win, 34-27. The Cowboys, at 1-3, are off to their worst start in nine years. The Titans' Chris Johnson finished with 2 touchdowns and 131 yard on the ground.

- The Oakland Raiders needed everything they could get to beat the San Diego Chargers. The Raiders began the afternoon with a safety. Then kicker Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 50-yard field goal. Later in the first quarter the Raiders blocked a punt and Hiram Eugene returned it for a touchdown. After scoring in a more conventional manner the next two quarters (another Janikowski field goal, Zach Miller reception, Michael Bush run) the Raiders added a 64-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. San Diego lost 35-27 despite quarterback Philip Rivers' 431 yards passing and two touchdowns. It was the second time in Rivers' career he has thrown for over 430 yards and lost. Chargers' wide receiver Malcolm Floyd had a huge day, with 213 receiving yards a touchdown. Floyd became the second receiver this year to go over 200 yards. The other being the Bengals' Terrell Owens.

- The 49ers remain winless. The Philadelphia Eagles took advantage of San Francisco's five turnovers and ten penalties to win 27-24. The 49ers were a trendy pick to win the NFC West before the season began. Now at 0-5 that seems like a lost cause. But there is time to turn it around, especially in a weak division.

- The New York Jets spoiled Randy Moss's return to Minnesota. Moss caught 4 balls for 81 yards in his first game back with the Vikings. One catch was a 37-yard touchdown pass from Brett Favre. Favre threw another two touchdown passes to receiver Percy Harvin. But the Vikings were down by two late in the fourth quarter, when Favre threw his only interception of the game. The Jets' Dwight Lowery returned the interception 26-yards for a touchdown, giving New York a 9-point lead. The Jets held on to win, 29-20.