NFL Roundup: Week 11

Some observations, comments and opinions about last weeks NFL games.

Dallas 21, Indianapolis 14
The Indianapolis Colts are perfect no more. A week after becoming the first team to start 9-0 in consecutive seasons, Indianapolis fell shy in its bid to match last year's 13-0 run, much less the perfect season by the 1972 Miami Dolphins. Marion Barber scored two touchdowns as the Cowboys took over first-place in the NFC East at 6-4.

San Francisco 20, Seattle 14
Frank Gore rushed for a franchise-record 212 yards and the 49ers (5-5) defense stopped the Seahawks repeatedly in the final minutes of the game to win their third straight game and move within a game of Seattle (6-4).

Arizona 17, Detroit 10
Matt Leinart won his first game as a NFL starter, passing for 239 yards and a touchdown and rushing for another. Edgerrin James gained 96 yards in 22 carries, his best day since coming to the Cardinals (2-8) this season. The Lions (2-8) lost RB Kevin Jones to an ankle injury.

Tennessee 31, Philadelphia 13
The Eagles lost Donovan McNabb for the rest of the season with a torn knee ligament in the loss to the Titans (3-7), who got 143 yards rushing and a touchdown from Travis Henry. Jeff Garcia was 26-for-48 for 189 yards and one TD filling in for McNabb. Philadelphia fell to 5-5 on the season.

New England 35, Green Bay 0
The Patriots forced Brett Favre out of the game, then snapped its first losing streak in nearly four years. New England (7-3) had lost two straight games at home - its first losing streak since the end of the 2002 season - but is 5-0 on the road this year. Tom Brady threw for 244 yards and four touchdowns. The Packers dropped to 4-6 on the year.

Kansas City 17, Oakland 13
Larry Johnson ran for 159 yards and two touchdowns, and QB Trent Green made his first start after missing nine games to lead the Chiefs (6-4) to the win over the division rival Raiders (2-8). Oakland's NFL-worst offense suffered two key injuries, losing starting running back Lamont Jordan to a knee injury in the first quarter and left tackle Robert Gallery to a dislocated elbow in the third.

Cincinnati 31, New Orleans 16
Carson Palmer threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns, all to Chad Johnson, who finished with six catches for 190 yards. The Bengals (5-5) also received 111 yards rushing from Rudi Johnson. Drew Brees threw for a franchise record 510 yards in a losing effort for the Saints (6-4).

Pittsburgh 24, Cleveland 20
Ben Roethlisberger shoveled a 4-yard touchdown pass to Willie Parker with 32 seconds left, rallying the Steelers (4-6) over the Browns (3-7), who were minutes away from kicking the defending Super Bowl champions into the AFC North basement.

Baltimore 24, Atlanta 10
B.J. Sams returned six kicks for 212 yards, Jamal Lewis scored three touchdowns and the Ravens wore down the Falcons in the second half. It was the fourth straight victory for the Ravens (8-2), while the Falcons (5-5) have lost three straight.

Chicago 10, New York Jets 0
Mark Bradley turned a short completion into a 57-yard touchdown 10 seconds into the final quarter, and the Bears never looked back. Chicago (9-1) notched its second shutout this season -- the Bears blanked the Packers at Green Bay on Sept. 10. The Bears, coming off a 38-20 victory over the New York Giants, also became the first road team since the 1999 Washington Redskins to win two straight games at the Meadowlands. With the loss, the Jets dropped to 5-5.

Miami 24, Minnesota 20
Renaldo Hill and Jason Taylor returned turnovers for touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and the Dolphins overcame another sputtering offensive performance to beat the Vikings, who lost despite setting a team record by limiting the Dolphins to minus-3 yards rushing in 14 carries. The Dolphins (4-6), who had the NFL's worst record less than a month ago, won their third consecutive game. The Vikings (4-6) lost their fourth in a row.

Buffalo 24, Houston 21
Lee Evans caught six passes for 205 yards and two TDs in the first quarter and J.P. Losman threw for over 300 yards to lead the Bills (4-6) to victory. Evans' performance was a Buffalo record for a period and just shy of the NFL record for yards receiving in a quarter of 210. David Carr tied the NFL record for consecutive completions with 22 in the loss for the Texans (3-7).

Tampa Bay 20, Washington 17
Cadillac Williams ran for 122 yards Bruce Gradkwoski threw two touchdown passes to spoil the debut of Washington QB Jason Campbell. The Buccaneers (3-7) ended a three-game losing streak, while the Redskins fell to 3-7.

Carolina 15, St. Louis 0
The Panthers defense sacked Marc Bulger a franchise-record eight times and held the Rams offense to 111 total yards to come away with the victory. Rookie DeAngelo Williams ran for 114 yards as Carolina (6-4) collected 244 yards rushing in the game. The Rams (4-6), who were shutout for the first time since 1998, have lost five straight.

San Diego 35, Denver 27
LaDainian Tomlinson scored four times and reached 100 touchdowns faster than any player in NFL history Sunday night. Tomlinson, who has scored an NFL-record 19 touchdowns in his last six games, reached 100 TDs in his 89th game, four fewer than it took Hall of Famer Jim Brown and Emmitt Smith. He now has 102 TDs and also topped 1,000 yards rushing for the sixth straight season. It was his first win in six trips to Invesco Field and vaulted the Chargers, who rallied from a 24-7 deficit, into first place in the AFC West at 8-2, a game ahead of Denver.

What have we learned after 11 weeks of the NFL season?

For one, the Bears are the only legitimate Super Bowl team in a very weak NFC this season. That doesn't mean they can't get upset in the playoffs. It just looks highly unlikely.

Except for two games - Arizona and Miami - when Chicago might have been looking elsewhere, the Bears have dominated the competition with an aggressive defense and a ball-control offense. Dallas, New Orleans and Carolina (tied in the NFC South) and Seattle are division leaders who have mediocre 6-4 records. Unless someone steps up late, Chicago is clearly the favorite for Super Bowl XLI.

Over in the AFC, it's a different story.

While the Colts are still the favorite in the conference, the Chargers and Ravens have emerged as solid challengers. Throw in the Patriots and Broncos and you have the makings of a very fun AFC post-season.

The sad fact for NFC fans is that all five of the above mentioned teams could beat any NFC squad, with the exception of Chicago.

The battered New York Giants (6-3) look to stay atop the NFC East with a victory over Jacksonville (5-4) on Monday Night Football.

Easier said then done. The Giants have at least seven players who are out with injuries and a trip to Florida to meet a talented Jaguars defense won't be easy. Jacksonville will be without the services of QB Byron Leftwich again so David Garrard will make his third start.


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