"Holy Crap" Bengals Win Total Already at 3
Sunday was another, "Great day to be a Bengals fan." It was the kind of game Bengals fans are use to seeing this team lose. It was a game last year's team lost seemingly every week. But not this team. It was the second straight come from behind victory for the Bengals, as they improved to 3-2 on the year with a win over Jacksonville Sunday.
After getting gashed on the first drive of the game ending in a 6-yard touchdown run by Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew, the Cincinnati defense stepped it up a notch and proved that they are deserving of being the league's top rated unit.
Jones-Drew had 42-yards rushing on that first drive and he ended the game with only 85-yards on the ground. A blown coverage by Reggie Nelson in the third quarter, led to a 74-yard touchdown, but that was the only real blemish by the defense the rest of the day. Two key stops by the defense in the red zone forced Jacksonville to kick field goals and it kept Cincinnati in the game, while the offense struggled.
Bengals QB Andy Dalton found WR A.J. Green for a 37-yard touchdown on the opening drive, but the offense was never able to get the running game going. Dalton overthrew A.J. that resulted in an interception, but Dalton made the tackle at the two yard line ultimately saving a touchdown. The defense was able to hold Jacksonville to one of their two field goals and Dalton found tight end Jermaine Gresham in the end zone with 14 seconds to go in the first half. Mike Nugent kicked the point after attempt off the right upright, tying the game at 13 to end the half.
The third quarter was rather boring, but things picked up in the fourth quarter. After the Cincinnati defense forced a three and out late in the fourth quarter, Jaguars punter Matt Turk had a terrible 22-yard punt that gave the Bengals great field position at the 23-yard line.
The drive stalled and on 4th and 6, head coach Marvin Lewis decided to go for it and Jermaine Gresham made a leaping catch, at least 10 feet in the air, keeping the drive alive. Bernard Scott would score three plays later and a Geno Atkins fumble return at the end of the game resulted in a 30-20 victory for the Bengals.
It was by no means the prettiest game the Bengals have played this season and the performances from the offense and defense were anything but perfect. As, Andy Dalton said, "We just need to put ourselves in position in the fourth quarter to win the game. We were able to do that." The Bengals have been in all five games this season in the fourth quarter and if they continue to do that, more games can result in wins.
With Baltimore 3-1 and Pittsburgh 3-2, the Bengals are still in the thick of things in the division and they get a 0-5 Indianapolis team at Paul Brown next week before the bye. The Bengals have not fared well against the Colts, but that was with Peyton Manning on the field.
A 4-2 record going into the bye looks like a distinct possibility and although the Bengals are young and are led by a rookie quarterback, this is a good football team. If the defense continues to play like they have been, it's going to be hard to beat the Cincinnati Bengals this season.
"HOLY CRAP" PERFORMERS
RB Fred Jackson, Bills: 26 car, 111-yds, TD; 6 rec, 85-yds. Jackson and the Bills have defeated Philadelphia and New England and the season is only five weeks old.
"Holy Crap" Performer of the Week:
RB Adrian Peterson, Vikings: 29 car, 122-yds, and 3 TD from Peterson helped the Vikings actually hold on to a lead to get their first win of the season.
QB Matt Cassel and WR Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs: Cassel was 21/29 for 257-yds and he threw 4 TD passes, two of them to WR Dwayne Bowe, who caught 7 balls on the day for 128-yds in the Chiefs second win of the season.
WR Pierre Garcon, Colts: The French waiter has become QB Curtis Painter's favorite target after a 100-yd, two touchdown performance last week, Garon had 5 receptions for 125-yds and 2 more TD this week.
WR Doug Baldwin, Seahawks: 8 rec, 136-yds, TD. Nice game from the rookie out of Stanford.
QB Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers: 24/34, 228-yds, 5 TD. Roethlisberger tied a career high and a Steeler record with 5 TD passes Sunday against the Titans in a game Pittsburgh desperately needed to win.
K Sebastian Janikowski and the Oakland Raiders: "Just Win Baby." The Raiders did exactly that on Sunday after the passing of long-time owner Al Davis on Saturday. Despite Oakland being outgained 473 to 278 in total offense, having the ball for only 25 minutes, only converting three first downs, and committing 11 penalties for 89-yds, they still managed to win the football game.
Kicker Sebastian Janikowski connected on field goals from 42, 50, 54 and 55, which is just ridiculous, and Oakland improved to 3-2.
San Francisco 49ers: Did you know the 49ers are 4-1? Probably not, since no one is talking about what Jim Harbaugh is doing in San Francisco. The 49ers, who were coming off back-to-back east coast road wins, destroyed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48-3 Sunday.
QB Alex Smith threw 3 TD; two of them to tight end Vernon Davis and RB Frank Gore rushed for 125-yds and had a TD of his own. Just how good are the 49ers? Well, they visit the Motor City next week to face the undefeated Lions, where both teams come in a combined 9-1. "Holy Crap."
RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Patriots: Law firm, as he's sometimes called, had 27 car for 136-yds and 2 TD in a Patriots win over the rival Jets.
QB Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers: Week in and week out, the Packers continue to prove why they are the best team in football. Down 14-0 in the second quarter and 14-6 at halftime, Green Bay scored 25 unanswered points, 19 of them in the second half, as they beat the Atlanta Falcons to remain undefeated.
QB Aaron Rodgers just continues to spoil football fans with his flawless play, 26/39 for 396-yds and 2 TD; and after five weeks, the Packers are well on their way to making another Super Bowl run.
RB Jahvid Best and WR Calvin Johnson, Lions: Best and Megatron gave Lions fans a lot to cheer about in the first "Monday Night Football" game for Detroit in ten years. Johnson caught 5 balls for 130-yds and he made his league leading 9th touchdown catch of the season. Best set a career high in rushing yards with 163-yds on 12 carries and scored on an 88-yard touchdown run, as the Lions stayed undefeated.
"C'MON MAN" PERFORMANCES
QB Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles: It was a game the Eagles could not afford to lose, but with a 31-24 defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia's season just continues to get worse. QB Michael Vick was 26/40 for 315-yds, 2 TD and he ran the ball 5 times for 90-yds, but his 4 INT were costly. Two of them weren't really his fault, but Bills LB Nick Barnett did return one of them 31-yds for a touchdown. WR Jason Avant played well, 9 rec for 139-yds, but had a costly fumble with the Eagles driving.
Philadelphia was going to get the ball back late in the fourth quarter with a chance to come back and tie it, but DT Juqua Parker jumped offsides. The Bills having no intention of running a play and they were just trying to get the Eagles to jump offside. All the Eagles had to do was not jump offsides, but that's easier said than done. The play resulted in a Bills first down and with Philadelphia having no timeouts, the Bills were able to run the clock out.
Some could say the "Dream Team's" season is over at 1-4, but they could still pull off 10 wins and finish 11-5. Can the Eagles do it? I think they can, but will they, is a different story. Philly heads to Washington next week and a win is the only thing that can keep their season alive, lose and you can probably kiss the season good-bye.
QB Kevin Kolb, Cardinals: A 21/42 performance for 232-yds and 2 INT won't get it done in the NFL, as Kolb has struggled in his first season in the desert. Kolb could still be with the Eagles, so things could be worse.
Indianapolis Colts: With a 24-7 lead in the second quarter, it looked like the Colts were going to get their first of the season. That was not the case, however, as the Chiefs stormed back with 21 unanswered points and the Colts fell to 0-5.
New York Giants: It was not a good day for Eli and the G-Men. Giants WR Victor Cruz, 8 receptions for 161-yds and a TD had a nice game, but that was it. New York committed five turnovers, two fumbles and three Eli Manning interceptions, and they committed seven penalties for 52 yards.
Despite knocking Seattle starting QB Tarvaris Jackson out of the game, the Giants could not put Seattle away. A 94-yd interception return by CB Brandon Browner, who was in the right place at the right time, gave the Seahawks the lead for good with 1:08 to go. This was a game the Giants were suppose to win and this loss could come back to bite them when the season ends.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: A 48-3 defeated at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers speaks for itself. This is one QB Josh Freeman, who was 17/33 for 187-yds and two interceptions, and the young Buccaneers can learn from. But they better learn fast because the New Orleans Saints come to town next week.
QB Kyle Orton, Broncos: Orton did not play well Sunday against San Diego, going 6/13 for 34-yds and one interception in the first half, before being pulled for Tim Tebow. With the Broncos 1-4, and Tebow leading Denver to two second half touchdowns and almost getting a come from behind win, Orton will find himself on the sideline next week holding a clipboard.
Atlanta Falcons: Atlanta is 2-3; they could be 0-5, but still not the way many people foresaw the Falcons starting the season. With the addition of rookie WR Julio Jones, the offense was supposed to be unstoppable, yet they've struggled and are 23rd in the league in rushing. The defense is also struggling to stop the pass, ranking 28th in the league and they get to face Cam Newton and Steve Smith next week. Atlanta was suppose to make a run at the Super Bowl, but right now they just need to win a game before New Orleans runs away with the division.
"C'mon Man" Performance of the Week:
C Brad Meester and P Matt Turk, Jaguars: Seasoned veterans Matt Turk and Brad Meester, 16 years and 12 years in the league respectively, had big "C'mon Man" moments on Sunday. Meester's snap late in the fourth quarter went right by quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who was not even looking for the ball to be snapped, and was recover by the Bengals.
Punter Matt Turk had a terrible 22-yard punt in the fourth quarter that gave the Bengals the ball on the 28-yard line and later the 23-yard line after a Jacksonville penalty added on five more yards. With the great field position the Bengals' Bernard Scott would eventually score giving the Bengals the lead for good sending Jacksonville to 1-4.
After getting gashed on the first drive of the game ending in a 6-yard touchdown run by Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew, the Cincinnati defense stepped it up a notch and proved that they are deserving of being the league's top rated unit.
Jones-Drew had 42-yards rushing on that first drive and he ended the game with only 85-yards on the ground. A blown coverage by Reggie Nelson in the third quarter, led to a 74-yard touchdown, but that was the only real blemish by the defense the rest of the day. Two key stops by the defense in the red zone forced Jacksonville to kick field goals and it kept Cincinnati in the game, while the offense struggled.
Bengals QB Andy Dalton found WR A.J. Green for a 37-yard touchdown on the opening drive, but the offense was never able to get the running game going. Dalton overthrew A.J. that resulted in an interception, but Dalton made the tackle at the two yard line ultimately saving a touchdown. The defense was able to hold Jacksonville to one of their two field goals and Dalton found tight end Jermaine Gresham in the end zone with 14 seconds to go in the first half. Mike Nugent kicked the point after attempt off the right upright, tying the game at 13 to end the half.
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| RB Bernard Scott goes in for the go ahead score late in the fourth quarter Sunday in Jacksonville. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Edenhack) |
The drive stalled and on 4th and 6, head coach Marvin Lewis decided to go for it and Jermaine Gresham made a leaping catch, at least 10 feet in the air, keeping the drive alive. Bernard Scott would score three plays later and a Geno Atkins fumble return at the end of the game resulted in a 30-20 victory for the Bengals.
It was by no means the prettiest game the Bengals have played this season and the performances from the offense and defense were anything but perfect. As, Andy Dalton said, "We just need to put ourselves in position in the fourth quarter to win the game. We were able to do that." The Bengals have been in all five games this season in the fourth quarter and if they continue to do that, more games can result in wins.
With Baltimore 3-1 and Pittsburgh 3-2, the Bengals are still in the thick of things in the division and they get a 0-5 Indianapolis team at Paul Brown next week before the bye. The Bengals have not fared well against the Colts, but that was with Peyton Manning on the field.
A 4-2 record going into the bye looks like a distinct possibility and although the Bengals are young and are led by a rookie quarterback, this is a good football team. If the defense continues to play like they have been, it's going to be hard to beat the Cincinnati Bengals this season.
"HOLY CRAP" PERFORMERS
RB Fred Jackson, Bills: 26 car, 111-yds, TD; 6 rec, 85-yds. Jackson and the Bills have defeated Philadelphia and New England and the season is only five weeks old.
"Holy Crap" Performer of the Week:
RB Adrian Peterson, Vikings: 29 car, 122-yds, and 3 TD from Peterson helped the Vikings actually hold on to a lead to get their first win of the season.
QB Matt Cassel and WR Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs: Cassel was 21/29 for 257-yds and he threw 4 TD passes, two of them to WR Dwayne Bowe, who caught 7 balls on the day for 128-yds in the Chiefs second win of the season.
WR Pierre Garcon, Colts: The French waiter has become QB Curtis Painter's favorite target after a 100-yd, two touchdown performance last week, Garon had 5 receptions for 125-yds and 2 more TD this week.
WR Doug Baldwin, Seahawks: 8 rec, 136-yds, TD. Nice game from the rookie out of Stanford.
QB Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers: 24/34, 228-yds, 5 TD. Roethlisberger tied a career high and a Steeler record with 5 TD passes Sunday against the Titans in a game Pittsburgh desperately needed to win.
K Sebastian Janikowski and the Oakland Raiders: "Just Win Baby." The Raiders did exactly that on Sunday after the passing of long-time owner Al Davis on Saturday. Despite Oakland being outgained 473 to 278 in total offense, having the ball for only 25 minutes, only converting three first downs, and committing 11 penalties for 89-yds, they still managed to win the football game.
Kicker Sebastian Janikowski connected on field goals from 42, 50, 54 and 55, which is just ridiculous, and Oakland improved to 3-2.
San Francisco 49ers: Did you know the 49ers are 4-1? Probably not, since no one is talking about what Jim Harbaugh is doing in San Francisco. The 49ers, who were coming off back-to-back east coast road wins, destroyed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48-3 Sunday.
QB Alex Smith threw 3 TD; two of them to tight end Vernon Davis and RB Frank Gore rushed for 125-yds and had a TD of his own. Just how good are the 49ers? Well, they visit the Motor City next week to face the undefeated Lions, where both teams come in a combined 9-1. "Holy Crap."
RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Patriots: Law firm, as he's sometimes called, had 27 car for 136-yds and 2 TD in a Patriots win over the rival Jets.
QB Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers: Week in and week out, the Packers continue to prove why they are the best team in football. Down 14-0 in the second quarter and 14-6 at halftime, Green Bay scored 25 unanswered points, 19 of them in the second half, as they beat the Atlanta Falcons to remain undefeated.
QB Aaron Rodgers just continues to spoil football fans with his flawless play, 26/39 for 396-yds and 2 TD; and after five weeks, the Packers are well on their way to making another Super Bowl run.
RB Jahvid Best and WR Calvin Johnson, Lions: Best and Megatron gave Lions fans a lot to cheer about in the first "Monday Night Football" game for Detroit in ten years. Johnson caught 5 balls for 130-yds and he made his league leading 9th touchdown catch of the season. Best set a career high in rushing yards with 163-yds on 12 carries and scored on an 88-yard touchdown run, as the Lions stayed undefeated.
"C'MON MAN" PERFORMANCES
QB Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles: It was a game the Eagles could not afford to lose, but with a 31-24 defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia's season just continues to get worse. QB Michael Vick was 26/40 for 315-yds, 2 TD and he ran the ball 5 times for 90-yds, but his 4 INT were costly. Two of them weren't really his fault, but Bills LB Nick Barnett did return one of them 31-yds for a touchdown. WR Jason Avant played well, 9 rec for 139-yds, but had a costly fumble with the Eagles driving.
Philadelphia was going to get the ball back late in the fourth quarter with a chance to come back and tie it, but DT Juqua Parker jumped offsides. The Bills having no intention of running a play and they were just trying to get the Eagles to jump offside. All the Eagles had to do was not jump offsides, but that's easier said than done. The play resulted in a Bills first down and with Philadelphia having no timeouts, the Bills were able to run the clock out.
Some could say the "Dream Team's" season is over at 1-4, but they could still pull off 10 wins and finish 11-5. Can the Eagles do it? I think they can, but will they, is a different story. Philly heads to Washington next week and a win is the only thing that can keep their season alive, lose and you can probably kiss the season good-bye.
QB Kevin Kolb, Cardinals: A 21/42 performance for 232-yds and 2 INT won't get it done in the NFL, as Kolb has struggled in his first season in the desert. Kolb could still be with the Eagles, so things could be worse.
Indianapolis Colts: With a 24-7 lead in the second quarter, it looked like the Colts were going to get their first of the season. That was not the case, however, as the Chiefs stormed back with 21 unanswered points and the Colts fell to 0-5.
New York Giants: It was not a good day for Eli and the G-Men. Giants WR Victor Cruz, 8 receptions for 161-yds and a TD had a nice game, but that was it. New York committed five turnovers, two fumbles and three Eli Manning interceptions, and they committed seven penalties for 52 yards.
Despite knocking Seattle starting QB Tarvaris Jackson out of the game, the Giants could not put Seattle away. A 94-yd interception return by CB Brandon Browner, who was in the right place at the right time, gave the Seahawks the lead for good with 1:08 to go. This was a game the Giants were suppose to win and this loss could come back to bite them when the season ends.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: A 48-3 defeated at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers speaks for itself. This is one QB Josh Freeman, who was 17/33 for 187-yds and two interceptions, and the young Buccaneers can learn from. But they better learn fast because the New Orleans Saints come to town next week.
QB Kyle Orton, Broncos: Orton did not play well Sunday against San Diego, going 6/13 for 34-yds and one interception in the first half, before being pulled for Tim Tebow. With the Broncos 1-4, and Tebow leading Denver to two second half touchdowns and almost getting a come from behind win, Orton will find himself on the sideline next week holding a clipboard.
Atlanta Falcons: Atlanta is 2-3; they could be 0-5, but still not the way many people foresaw the Falcons starting the season. With the addition of rookie WR Julio Jones, the offense was supposed to be unstoppable, yet they've struggled and are 23rd in the league in rushing. The defense is also struggling to stop the pass, ranking 28th in the league and they get to face Cam Newton and Steve Smith next week. Atlanta was suppose to make a run at the Super Bowl, but right now they just need to win a game before New Orleans runs away with the division.
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| Jaguars QB Blaine Gabbert could not recover an errant snap late in the fourth quarter Sunday against the Bengals. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack) |
C Brad Meester and P Matt Turk, Jaguars: Seasoned veterans Matt Turk and Brad Meester, 16 years and 12 years in the league respectively, had big "C'mon Man" moments on Sunday. Meester's snap late in the fourth quarter went right by quarterback Blaine Gabbert, who was not even looking for the ball to be snapped, and was recover by the Bengals.
Punter Matt Turk had a terrible 22-yard punt in the fourth quarter that gave the Bengals the ball on the 28-yard line and later the 23-yard line after a Jacksonville penalty added on five more yards. With the great field position the Bengals' Bernard Scott would eventually score giving the Bengals the lead for good sending Jacksonville to 1-4.
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