Rapid-fire live blog of the early action, featuring reactions from the TGS writers.
Minnesota @ Carolina
- Vikes with an early 7-0 lead off a Cam Newton fumble
- Carolina not even bothering to try and establish a run game. Deangelo Williams is terrible. But Cam still play-faking and creating holes in secondary. Right out of the Peyton Manning playbook.
- Cam Newton starting to take the game over. Brilliant pass to a tiny window to Steve Smith sets team up at the one. Touchdown shortly afterward. Then on the next drive, a frozen rope over the top to TE Greg Olsen.
- Minnesota not playing with discipline on the road. Stupid personal foul penalty on a fight instigated by Percy Harvin deep in the Carolina sideline negates a gutsy scramble by Ponder.
- Ponder and Newton at halftime: 298 yards combined, 3 TDs.
- All Day starting to assert himself in the second half. Has two TDs, one rushing, one passing.
- Peterson getting heavy usage on the Vikings last two drives, a weapon that Cam Newton wishes he had. Vikes drive for the game-winning field goal as the Panthers are undone by their failure to run the ball.
New Orleans @ St Louis
- With help from a missed field goal, Rams held the Saints scoreless in the first quarter. Linebackers having their best game of the season after not showing up most of the year.
- Brandon Lloyd figuring heavily in the gameplan, but missed on two deep throws. With Sam Bradford, Rams might be leading this game.
- Robert Quinn and Greg Salas having very good games. Quinn with a sack and a blocked punt(!) setting up a touchdown drive. Salas making huge catches with significant YAC, looks like he’s over the rookie jitters and drops.
- Quick halftime comparison: Joe Flacco: 12/23 98 yards, 1 INT. … AJ Feeley: 12/26 127 yards, 1 TD. Arguably Feeley has better weapons to throw to.
Saints come back with 14 points, on a defensive and offensive score.
- New Orleans adjusting. More focus on run, hiding Colston by lining him up in the slot. Saints offense starting to click again. But the clock is the Rams’ best friend right now.
From Derek Pease:
- First play of ensuing Saints drive turned into easily the biggest Rams play of the season as Darian Stewart intercepted Drew Breese and took it back for six. Putting the Rams up 17 with under 3 minutes to go and all but wrapping up the biggest or at least most surprising upset on the season.
Arizona @ Baltimore
Ugly game. 3-3 in the 2nd.
- @SigmundBloom: and he just fumbled inside the 10 RT @RavensInsider Joe Flacco 3 for 8 for 30 yards
- Nightmare starting for Baltimore… Arizona jumps out to a 17-3 lead on a TD run off the Flacco fumble… and then a punt return for Patrick Peterson.
- @BlogandTackle: From bad to worse, 1st play after punt return TD, pass bounces off Torrey Smith for Arizona INT. #Ravens
Arizona was up 24-3 … now 24-20 as Baltimore storms back behind Ray Rice.
- nfldraftscout: #Ravens aren’t losing this game. Momentum has completely swung other direction. Amazing to see it happen
Baltimore goes up 27-24 on Ray Rice’s 3rd touchdown. Cardinals tie it, but Joe Flacco makes a brilliant throw to Torrey Smith (remember him?) to set up the game-winning field goal, completing an epic collapse for Arizona, and a franchise record comeback for Baltimore. A Jeckyll and Hyde game for the Ravens. Flacco with 200 second-half passing yards makes up for a horrific first half of play.
Jacksonville @ Houston
After a shot to Gabbert’s ribs after a run:
- @TaniaGanguli: Blaine Gabbert looks like he’s in a lot of pain. Being looked at one the field. Looks like an upper body thing. Walking off ok.
Ribs wrapped, reenters the game.
From Shane Clemons:
- The Texans led the Jaguars 7-0 most of the first half, and they looked like the better team for most of the time. The Jaguars set themselves up for a touchdown on a sack, fumble. The Texans should be leading the game by about 10 points, but the Jaguars’ defense hasn’t disappointed after their showing on Monday night. Arian Foster has certainly been a factor, but going by the eyeball test, he’s not dominating the game.
Miami @ NY Giants
- Miami’s touchdown set up by a PI call in the end zone on Brian Hartline. A sign of the NYG weakness in the secondary. No NFL team has to interfere with Hartline.
As Reggie Bush breaks off a 35-yard run, then Matt Moore with a daring bootleg keeper on fourth down it for a TD…
- @QBKILLA: Dear Giant LB’s U Must Talk Before the Snap As To Who’s Covering The Back!! #Stupid
- @QBKILLA: No Discipline On Defense! #Giants
Giants storm back for a 20-17 lead on a monster catch, breaking multiple tackles for a 25-yard TD. Highlight reel catch.
Indianapolis @ Tennessee
- Chris Johnson: 1 yard rushing on 5 carries. Move over, Larry Johnson.
- @SigmundBloom: Chris Johnson and Javon Ringer pretty much splitting snaps equally. Hasselbeck to Washington for an easy short TD to open up 20 pt lead.
- I thought the Colts had a chance to bounce back and play well after last week’s beatdown. Nope. Not a chance. Looks like Jim Caldwell will be the first NFL coach to be fired.
From Shane Clemons:
- At halftime, the Colts just look terrible. Their offense is non-existent, their defense doesn’t tackle, and their special teams gave up a blocked punt that was recovered by the Titans in the endzone for a touchdown. The Titans caught a break playing the Colts right after getting blown out by the Texans. They’ve looked like a solid team throughout the game.
