New Orleans Saints Roundup
The 8-8 Saints were 0-5 in games decided by a field goal or less. Four NFL teams pulled out tight games to gain playoff berths. Carolina and Atlanta were each 3-0 in games decided by three points or less, Indianapolis was 3-1 and Minnesota 4-1.
Saints coach Sean Payton said in his post-season news conference, "We had three our four games where it got close, and we couldn't hold on the lead. Everybody on this team works so hard for the postseason, toward an opportunity to get in the playoffs. It's hard when you don't meet those expectations. That's the easiest way to say it wasn't good enough.
"We talked about in our final meeting, where each one of us has to do a better job of putting ourselves in a position to win.. So a year from now we're not packing up. We're preparing to play in the playoffs."
Six of the Saints' losses came by a total of 18 points. Games that got away early in the season eventually meant the difference in being and perhaps 12-4.
The reasons for the closes were equally distributed among he offense, defense and special teams. Missed field goals, the inability to convert on third down and keep drives alive as well as turnovers, and long pass plays against the defense all played a part in the Saints missing the playoffs for the second straight season.
"You have to understand that most NFL games, or least half of them, come down to the last two minutes of the game so you want to put yourself in the best position to win the game," said Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
"When that time comes around, it's just about guys stepping up and making plays. No game is ever going to be perfect, but when it gets inside two minutes, guys have to make the plays."
Brees received zero votes for the NFL's MVP award. Of the 50 sportswriters who have a voice in the process, not one voted for Brees.
Brees maybe didn't deserve the award, primarily because he didn't take the Saints to the playoffs, but he at least deserved some recognition.
Peyton Manning won the award for the third time, tying Brent Favre's three MVPs.
Manning overcame two knee surgeries that sidelined him the the preseason to lead the Colts to a nine-game winning streak and a 12-win season. He guided his team to six comeback victories in the fourth quarter.
How much damage did Favre do to his reputation by coming out of retirement to quarterback the Jets? Listen to Jets running back Thomas Jones. during an interview with New York radio station WQHT-FM.
"We're a team and we win together...but at the same time, you can't turn the ball over and expect to win.," said Jones. The three interceptions (in the season-ending loss to the Dolphins) really hurt us....If I were to sit here and say, 'Oh, man it's OK,' that's not reality. The reality is, you throw interceptions, I'm ticked off. I don't like it."
That's what happens when you win one of five games in December.
(c)2006-2007 BAYOUBUZZ.COM
Lions not expected to flirt with Pioli, Parcells; head-coaching search will start soon
The Lions desperately need to give something to the fans to be excited about following the NFL's first 0-16 season, but a rock-star general manager doesn't appear to be on the holiday shopping list. By promoting Tom Lewand to CEO and Martin Mayhew to general manager, owner William Clay Ford has sent a clear message that he likes the basic structure of the front office and would rather focus his efforts on improving the coaching for the next staff to replace Rod Marinelli's outgoing group. Following Sunday's 31-21 loss to the Packers, the Lions now have lost 23 of their past 24 games with only a win over the Chiefs late in the 2007 season in that stretch.
The PFW spin
First things first. The Lions are not going after Patriots VP of player personnel Scott Pioli or Dolphins executive vice president of football operations Bill Parcells, who reportedly is at odds with owner Stephen Ross and who could opt out of his contract within the month. They have settled on two-thirds of the front-office cogs but likely will want to hire an experienced personnel guy to head up the staff.
As for how picking Marinelli's replacement goes, the team will move quickly this week to contact candidates from around the league, starting with teams who are on playoff byes or are out of the postseason and can be interviewed immediately. That list is likely to include such names as Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger. The Lions also are believed to have requested permission to speak with Redskins secondary coach Jerry Gray, who has connections to Mayhew, for an unknown role with the team.
Although the team is moving quickly to start the interview process, they are believed to be committed to a thorough process that could take weeks. Team insiders have suggested for weeks that the Lions know they might be at a disadvantage when choosing a coach, considering the team's current state and the condition of the Detroit auto market affecting the team's and the Ford family's well being.
(c)2002-2008 by Pro Football Weekly LLC
The Football Gods Must Be Crazy
Has everyone picked up the pieces yet? Good lord, Sundays like yesterday almost make me glad my San Francisco 49ers have been awful for so long. Really. A come-from-behind, 17-16 win over the 2-13 St. Louis Rams that was too ugly to watch made Niner fans one of the few such bases smiling when the dust settled.
SF sits at 6-9, and it looks like even the Yorks can't scuttle the ship that Mike Singletary seems to have righted. No playoffs this year, but things finally look to be headed in the right direction at Candlestick.
The rest of the National Football League, though? That's where the gods went to work.
They reached down and absolved Bill Belichick of his past sins while confirming Brett Favre's. By sending a snowstorm to Seattle in Ol' Bert's luggage, they opened the postseason door for the New England Patriots and virtually slammed it shut on the New York Jets.
If you believe that truth outs, the football gods just said Spygate was much ado about nothing. Why?
Because there was a snowstorm in Seattle in December. Because Brett Favre has not won on the West Coast in 2008 against the offal of the NFL. Because the Pats only need a Miami loss in New Jersey in December and a win against the lowly Buffalo Bills (a team that has yet to win in its division) to cartwheel into the playoffs. Because the Pats might just qualify for the second season after losing Tom Brady in game one. Because New England has done it while relying on a quarterback who hadn't started since high school.
Hey, I'm with the football gods on this one.
My coaches always told us that, in sports, if you're not cheating, you're not trying hard enough. Obviously, this is a bit tongue in cheek. No one would advocate the substance abuse and other extremes to which some athletes take this maxim, but there is a kernel of truth. This is SPORTS, not life or death.
The man was looking for an advantage in a GAME and got caught. Oops. And it's not like whatever info that was on the tape was the sole reason for the win. It certainly helped, but not as much as players' effort.
Furthermore, if you think all these games are decided on the complete level, you don't know very much about the competitive drive that powers these athletic juggernauts. Most of the owners, general managers, coaches, and players want to win at all costs. That includes bending a rule here or there.
What was I talking about? Oh yeah, the football gods.
The Jets, on the other hand, found themselves on the opposite end of the gods' favor. And they can thank the OLD Gunslinger.
Ol' Bert has almost completed his total regression from midseason hero. It started with several inexplicable losses, gathered momentum (or rather Favre gave it some) when the annual retirement talk surfaced, and reached a crescendo against the Seahawks. He got thoroughly outplayed by Seneca Wallace in conditions that Favre supposedly lives for.
Now, only a win over Miami at home can give New York even a glimmer of hope. But it's a really, really faint glimmer.
They'd need the Pats to lose in Buffalo, which is possible and highly unlikely. Or they'd need the Baltimore Ravens to lose at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars with a trip to the playoffs on the line. Raise your hand if you think Ray Lewis and Ed Reed allow that to happen.
Me neither.
I bet Favre ends the season on a high note at home to deliver his adoring (and somewhat delusional) fans another winning season full of pretty numbers to worship. Another totally empty winning season full of pretty numbers where he choked away the things of real importance to a team.
The football gods were not through.
Before leaving the American Football Conference, they cursed the Denver Broncos at home with a loss to those Bills in a battle that saw Jay Cutler and company holding a 13-0 lead at one point. In Tampa Bay, they blessed the San Diego Chargers with a win against a Buccaneers team that had not lost a game at home in 2008. Their handiwork set up a pillow fight in San Diego for all the marbles in the AFC West and a first-round playoff exit.
The Tampa Bay-San Diego game must have tickled the football gods, must have showed them all the mischievous potential of the National Football Conference.
When the country went to sleep Saturday night, the Dallas Cowboys were a cooked Christmas goose, complete with fork.
When we went to sleep Sunday night, the Dallas Cowboys were back behind the wheel of their playoff destiny. Wait, what?
It took the aforementioned and improbable win by San Diego on the road in Tampa. It took an equally inexplicable loss by the white-hot Philadelphia Eagles against a bumbling Washington Redskins squad. What's more, that Eagle loss required a game-saving tackle at the goal line as the final seconds ticked away and the Iggles' postseason life flat-lined.
The result was a blessing for the 'Pokes, who had just sent Texas Stadium into the sunset by beating the arena to spectacular implosion.
There were also the Atlanta Falcons, who went on the road to beat the Minnesota Vikings in a game that saw a Matt Ryan fumble become an Atlanta touchdown. That's not so remarkable except the game also saw the Vikings fumble seven times—SEVEN!
Whew.
And there's still another week of the regular season.
So put on your hardhats, NFL fans. If yesterday was any indication, this Sunday should be raining Coke bottles.
Copyright (c) 2008 Bleacher Report, Inc
Top 10 players to watch in early bowl games
I'm excited for the start of bowl season. It's a chance to get a better look at some great, under-the-radar players. Last winter, we all got to see East Carolina's Chris Johnson run wild against No. 24 Boise State. This week's top 10 list is made up of the most intriguing players to watch in the pre-Jan. 1 bowl games:
1. Aaron Curry, Wake Forest, LB: Navy has the nation's No. 1 ground game, averaging 298 rushing yards per game, but it will face a defense led by a guy who many NFL scouts say is the best linebacker prospect in the country. Curry is smart, quick and very instinctive. His ability to shed blocks and change direction will be key against the Middies. Scouts say is he the one linebacker coming out in April who could play any linebacker spot in any scheme. He's that good. Against Navy's attack, he might make 25 tackles.
2. Larry English, No. Illinois, DE: As great as Ball State's Nate Davis has been, this is the guy who has won the league's MVP award in both 2007 and '08. This year, English (15 TFLs, 8 sacks) was probably even more impressive, especially when you factor in that he played most of the 2008 season with a cast on his right hand after breaking his thumb in NIU's opener. The 6-foot-3, 255-pounder, who thrives off a great first step and a non-stop motor, almost went to Iowa out of high school, but instead opted for the MAC. A league coach I spoke with said English may be "a Robert Mathis-type DE: an edge rusher, a bit undersized, but well-schooled with the use of his hands to defeat pass blockers."
Keeping English out of the Louisiana Tech backfield will be a huge test for the Bulldogs in the Independence Bowl. English will have to deal with Tech's tackling-busting, keg-of-dynamite running back Daniel Porter.
3. Kellen Moore, Boise State, QB: This guy has been phenomenal all season. The undersized redshirt freshman is so heady and tough, and has done things few first-year QBs could imagine. He's led such a young team, including winning at Autzen Stadium against a dangerous Oregon team and sustaining a high level throughout an undefeated season. Now Moore faces the nation's No. 2 defense in TCU. The Horned Frogs put tremendous heat on rival QBs, sparked by speedy DE Jerry Hughes, and they have a variety of pressure packages to contend with.
4. DeAndre Brown, Southern Miss, WR: Of all the freakish first-year wideouts in college football, this is the freakiest of all. Brown is 6-6, almost 230 pounds and runs a 4.5 forty. He doesn't have quite as much speed as Calvin Johnson, but he is even bigger. Brown feasted on defenses, especially in the second half of the season. His 66 receptions for 1,108 yards and 12 touchdowns, put him within striking distance of every noteworthy single-season receiving record in Golden Eagle history. Even though Troy had two DBs make first-team all-conference, the Trojans' best hope may be for their salty defensive front to get a lot of heat on freshman QB Austin Davis and not allow Brown to get rolling.
5. Jahvid Best, Cal, RB: Miami: No one finished the season any hotter than Jahvid the Jet, who ran for 512 yards in Cal's final two games of the regular season, averaging almost 14 yards per rush. Now the sophomore will face a fast, but inexperienced 'Canes defense that struggled with its focus and gave up a ridiculous amount of rushing yards (691) in its final two games of the season. This could be the game that gives Best a big boost into the 2009 Heisman Trophy race.
6. Louis Delmas, Western Michigan, safety: This guy doesn't have the size or flat-out speed of a Taylor Mays, but at 5-11, 195 pounds, Delmas is just a playmaking machine. One scout I spoke with said he is as pure a football player as he's seen all season. Despite not having prototype size Delmas might just play himself into the first round of April's draft. Delmas, a Miami native, even long-snapped in high school before starting his college career as a cornerback. This season, he picked off four passes and also led the Broncos in tackles with 100. His challenge in the Texas Bowl will be slowing down the Rice passing attack and the Owls' versatile big receiver James Casey.
7. Russell Okung, Oklahoma State, OT: Okung is a smooth offensive tackle who is considering jumping into the NFL draft after this season. Mel Kiper rates the 6-5, 300-pounder as the draft's No. 2 tackle prospect behind Alabama's Andre Smith, if they both were to leave early. Okung's challenge in the Holiday Bowl will be containing some very gifted edge rushers. Oregon's Nick Reed led the Pac-10 with 13 sacks and has given linemen fits the past two seasons.
8. Rob Gronkowski, Arizona TE: BYU's Dennis Pitta is a terrific tight end, but the 6-6, 262-pound sophomore for Arizona is the guy who likely will bring NFL scouts out of their seats. The 19-year-old Gronkowski is physical and runs well for his size. He snagged 10 TD passes this season even though he missed the first three games of the season. He also averaged 15 yards per catch, which is terrific for a tight end.
9. Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech, DE: Michael Johnson, the towering DE on the other side of the Tech line, gets more of the spotlight, but inside the Jackets' program people rave about Morgan, a 6-4, 270-pound sophomore who might just get pre-season all-American honors going into next year. Morgan had 48 tackles and tied Johnson with a team-high seven sacks. Tech's D-line is as good as there is in college football this season and they'll face a very experienced bunch from LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
10. Jay Valai, Wisconsin, strong safety: Here is a mini Rey Maualuga, blasting ball carriers every shot he gets. Florida State's lanky receivers probably know all about the aggressive 5-9 DB. According to this Wisconsin State Journal story, Valai has made four hits this season that have knocked players out of games, although the Badger staff says two of those were questionable helmet-to-helmet hits. Another reason to keep an eye on Valai is that one of the guys in his sights in the Champs Sports Bowl will be Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder, his high school teammate in Euless, Texas, and a guy he's been friends with since the sixth grade.
(c)2008 ESPN Internet Ventures
Bills in Canada draws harsh reviews
Hello, Jason Peters. You're a 340-pound offensive lineman, so why don't we give you the first word about what it was like for the Buffalo Bills to play a home game at Rogers Centre, in Toronto?
"It felt like we were on the road," he said.
How so?
"When you've got a home game and the crowd is supposed to cheer, they were cheering more for the Dolphins," Peters told The Buffalo News. "I wasn't here in the preseason, so I don't know how it was then. But that stunned me. They're not even cheering on third down. They're not cheering when we do get a first down. They're just sitting there like they don't know what's going on. I hate the idea of us playing here. It's crazy."
The Bills lost 16-3 to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, the first National Football League regular season game ever staged on Canadian soil. It was an intriguing game, but without obvious appeal, and without obvious fan support of the Bills.
Rogers Communications Inc. has leased eight games from the team for $78-million, with six left on the deal. Here is a sampling of the reviews after game No. 2:
"This was not a home game. That was quickly apparent when you looked around this antiseptic dome and saw that more fans were clad in Dolphins jerseys than in Bills gear. Once the game got under way, it was impossible to tell which team was supposed to be at home" -- Buffalo News columnist Jerry Sullivan.
"The first-ever regular season NFL game in Canada was an unmitigated disaster if you're a Bills fan. A worst-case scenario. Nearly every section had pockets of empty seats. Half of the crowd that did fork over big bucks wore orange. And when [Dolphins tight end] Anthony Fasano hauled in a touchdown pass midway through the first quarter, nearly everybody in the end zone seats jumped and cheered wildly" -- Tim Schmitt, columnist with the Niagara Gazette.
"The Bills, strangers in a strange land, were nominally the home team, and a majority of fans rooted for them, but the Dolphins gave their vocal minority more to cheer about" -- Erik Brady, in USA Today.
"It was crazy because we heard cheering for Buffalo and then we heard a lot of cheering for us... I didn't really know what the fans were doing. I would definitely play here over Buffalo any day" -- Miami Dolphins cornerback Will Allen, in The Buffalo News.
"Be serious. Yeah, we could've played in the cold in front of screaming fans, but would that really have changed anything? They just beat us. They were better" -- Bills offensive lineman Langston Walker, to Michael Silver, Yahoo! Sports.
"Obviously, the NFL is about making money. If that is what they are doing, that's what they are doing. Other than that, as long as they are making money, I am getting paid" -- Bills linebacker Kawika Mitchell.
"Home sweet dome for Dolphins in win over Bills" -- Headline in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
(c) 2008 The National Post Company. All rights reserved
Out in the cold
BUFFALO -- Fans of the Bills are not bullish about their beloved team playing in Toronto next Sunday.
And not just because the team all but eliminated itself from post-season play with a 10-3 loss to the hapless San Francisco 49ers at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Sunday, falling to 6-6.
A straw poll of ticket holders surveyed prior to the start of the game between the Bills and 49ers indicated few people will be crossing the border to see the Bills play host to the rival Miami Dolphins at Rogers Centre.
The game, which is not included in the Bills' season-ticket package, is financially taxing relative to the cost at the Ralph. Tickets range from $53 to $295, an average of $183. By comparison, the average ticket price for a game in Buffalo is $51.
However, there are some VIP tickets at this Sunday's game that sell for a whopping $550.
Combined with travelling to Toronto and the hassles of crossing the border, Bills fans are simply not interested in attending the first-ever, regular-season National Football League game in Canada.
Roberta Snyder, a three-year season-ticket holder, said she isn't going to the game because it's too expensive to buy the seats and to attend the whole event.
"It's too much trouble to do all that," she said.
An individual who only wanted to identify himself as Ed said he won't be attending the game for similar financial reasons.
"You just can't go on a Sunday and show up," he said. "If you're going to go, you've got to show up on a Saturday. You've got to make it a weekend. But it is different over there. Here in Buffalo it's a big party-type atmosphere in the parking lot. In Toronto, I know it's different. They don't have the same atmosphere as far as the tailgating parties go. You're not partying like you do here."
Ed's friend John said Bills fans are miffed that playing the game in the Toronto will take away the advantage their team has playing outdoors.
"To give (the Dolphins) a dome, we kind of lose our field advantage," John said. "I think Miami will love it. I'm sure the people that are going there will have a good time, but I think it’s going to benefit Miami more than it will us. It will make it more of a neutral game."
That was a story that developed earlier this week from fans concerned about the fact the retractable roof at Rogers Centre will be locked. It is shut tight after the baseball season.
John believes the decision to play eight games, including five regular season, from 2008-2012, is the beginning of the Bills' full-time relocation to Toronto.
"I think the plan's already in the works and I think (Toronto) will eventually get it rather than Los Angeles," he said. "The way they've thought this thing through is if they can obviously get over the CFL problem they can sell it as, 'This is your home team' because for a lot of years Canadians come down to Buffalo to support the team. They'll just flip that over and say, 'You can still support the team. They're still in the TV market.' That's how they'll do it. It would be the best of probably a bad situation. There are no corporations around here to support it -- not enough -- so from a marketing standpoint it makes sense to do that. It's probably the best we could hope for down here."
Snyder is optimistic the Bills aren't leaving Buffalo any time soon.
"The Bills are on their way to the end forever. I think they'll stay here," she said.
Dan Matychak, who lives in Central New York, said he hopes the games in Toronto are merely a move to broaden the marketplace.
"I think a lot of the times it is the affordability of having an NFL stadium that close that you get so many people from across the border," he said. "You're not going to get the same pull from this side, I don't think."
Chris Scharping, a 30-year season-ticket holder who lives in Syracuse, said the travel and the cost are simply too prohibitive. But he said the game is good for Canadians.
"I kind of (will) miss the Miami game here because we've always played them and it's kind of a rivalry, but one game up there is okay. I don't have a real problem with that," he said.
Scharping is hoping the Bills don't relocate to Toronto at some point because he figures he won't attend many, if any, games.
"Personally I'm not overly worried because there's not much I can do about it either way," he said. "I'm hoping they don't go up (to play full-time in Toronto), but to play a game now and then, I can live with that."
Frank Duggan, a Port Dover Huron resident who has been a season-ticket holder since 1992 and was attending the game with his son Daniel, who lives in London, Ontario, stated a very simple reason for not attending the game.
"I hate Toronto," he said. "I went to one Canadian Football League game about 20 years ago. The parking sucks."
Daniel Duggan said when he heard some of the games were being relocated to Toronto, in particular the annual home game between the Bills and Miami, he felt something traditional had been taken away.
"I'm going to miss the Miami game. It's always a fun game, but at the same time I don't like going to Toronto for football games," he said.
But both Duggans are not concerned about the possibility of the Bills leaving Buffalo for Toronto.
"Toronto will never support the Bills, Daniel Duggan added. "Unless you're the Leafs you've got to win in Toronto."
"It would never fly in Toronto," Frank Duggan added. "Football is a party. Buffalo is noted for one of the best tailgate parties."
Copyright 2008 Rogers Sportsnet. All Rights Reserved.
Favre leads Jets destruction of unbeaten Titans
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AFP) -- Brett Favre threw two touchdown passes and Leon Washington ran for two touchdowns to give the New York Jets a 34-13 American football victory over previously unbeaten Tennessee here Sunday.
The Titans, who were off to a 10-0 start, were the National Football League's lone remaining undefeated team until 39-year-old Favre masterminded an impressive performance by the Jets against the NFL's stingiest scoring defense.
"I'm not going to sit here and say that we've established ourselves as the best team in football," Favre said.
"All it says is that we beat the best team in football today. Definitely if you go by record and the way that they've played, they have been the best."
Tennessee, off to the best start in the team's 49-year history, fell to 10-1 while the Jets improved to 8-3 in the matchup of division leaders.
"We got embarrassed at home," Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck said. "Our defense was on the field for a long time."
Favre, an 18-year legend with Green Bay, completed 25-of-32 passes for 224 yards in leading the Jets to their fifth victory in a row. New York's offensive unit controlled the ball from more than 40 of the 60 minutes.
"Any time you allow Brett Favre to stay under center for 40 minutes, it's going to be a long day defensively and that is basically the bottom line as far as this game is concerned," Titans coach Jeff Fisher said.
"We made too many mistakes and they made too many plays for us to win."
Favre flipped a 10-yard touchdown pass to Thomas Jones in the first quarter and New York took advantage of a Titans turnover early in the third quarter when Favre threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Laveranues Coles for a 20-3 lead.
Washington scampered 61 yards for a touchdown with 11:07 to go. The run down the right sideline to give New York a 27-6 lead was the longest Jets touchdown run in six years, their longest play of this season and the longest play allowed by the Titans defensive unit this year.
Tennessee responded with Kerry Collins connecting with Ahmard Hall on a six-yard touchdown pass with 9:43 to go but the Jets marched again and Washington reached the end zone on a four-yard run to seal the victory.
The reigning Super Bowl champion New York Giants matched Tennessee with the NFL's best mark by beating Arizona 37-29, preventing the Cardinals from taking their first division title since 1975 and first playoff spot in 10 years.
Matt Cassel completed 30-of-43 passes for 415 yards, with Randy Moss making three touchdown catches, and the New England Patriots ripped Miami 48-28. Cassel had the NFL's first back-to-back 400-yard passing games since 2004.
"I'm happy about it, there's no doubt," Cassel said. "I'm just happy about the fact that we were able to win and put together a great outing. I think the production is starting to come around and that's a good thing for us."
Moss caught eight passes for 125 yards while Wes Welker added eight for 120 yards and Jabar Gaffney had 88 receving yards as New England avenged a 38-13 loss to Miami in September.
Tony Romo, still wearing a protective splint on his broken right pinkie, completed 23-of-39 passes for 341 yards and three touchdowns to spark the Dallas Cowboys over San Francisco 35-22.
"It was pretty good. I was able to control the ball in the hand," Romo said. "I don't know that I can go without the splint yet. I will probably use it one more game."
Terrell Owens caught seven passes for 213 yards and a touchdown as the Cowboys, 7-4, won their second game since Romo's return after missing three games. The 49ers, 3-8, lost for the seventh time in eight games.
Baltimore's Ed Reed ran back an interception for a record 108 yards for a touchdown as the Ravens routed Philadelphia 36-7, winning for the fifth time in six games and pulling within a game of AFC North division-leader Pittsburgh.
"Everybody did their job on that play," Reed said. "The quarterback never even saw me."
Tampa Bay also won for the fifth time in six games, spotting winless Detroit a 17-0 lead before roraring back to beat the Lions 38-20. Jeff Garcia threw two touchdowns and Warrick Dunn ran for 90 yards to spark the Buccaneers.
Trent Edwards ran for two touchdowns and completed 24-of-32 passes for 273 yards and two more touchdowns as Buffalo snapped a four-game losing streak with a 54-31 rout of Kansas City.
Michael Turner ran for 117 yards four touchdowns to lead Atlanta past Carolina 45-28.
In other games, Chicago ripped St. Louis 27-3, Minnesota mauled Jacksonville 30-12, Houston beat Cleveland 16-6, Washington edged Seattle 20-17 and Oakland dumped Denver 31-10.
Copyright (c) 2008 AFP. All rights reserved
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