Pittsburgh Steelers 24, Cincinnati Bengals 17
The Steelers were left reeling after their heart-breaking loss last weekend to the Baltimore Ravens, but they were able to rebound quickly against the division leading Bengals. This was the first game between the two teams, and this game ups the stakes of their second match-up.
The Bengals, who have been the most positive surprise of the year, took a hit to their post-season aspirations today, but that won’t put them out of the race by any stretch of the imagination. They still get two shots at the Ravens, and as I mentioned above, they get another shot at the Steelers. The important thing here is that they find a way to bounce back next week against the Ravens in another key AFC North match-up.
New Orleans Saints 26, Atlanta Falcons 23 (OT)
Let me ask you, would you go for it on 4th and inches from your own 30 yard line in overtime against the Saints? Well, that’s what the Atlanta Falcons did, and they were stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey. From there, the Saints moved the ball a little closer, and kicked the winning field goal.
Let me be clear here, I have no problem with going for it, especially against the Saints. If you punt it away, the Saints will be getting good field position with one of the most explosive offenses in the league. If the Falcons would have won the game, Mike Smith is a hero.
That’s not what happened, however. The Saints move to 7-3, and the Falcons are now 5-4. With the Buccaneers falling apart, the NFC South is truly a two horse race, and the call to go for it in overtime was as gutsy as you’ll find in the NFL. Regardless, the Saints now have a comfortable 2 1/2 game lead over the Falcons for the division lead.
Arizona Cardinals 21, Philadelphia Eagles 17
The gleam is off the dream in Philadelphia, but that has been the story all year for this bunch. The Eagles aren’t just losing games, they’re losing games to poor football teams like the Cardinals. I’m not trying to put down the Cardinals. On paper, the Eagles should have been the heavy favorite, but the Cards fought back late to take a late lead, and their defense did a great job icing the game by intercepting Michael Vick with under a minute to go. The Cardinals are slowly getting better, and progress is what they wanted to see this season. The same can’t be said for the Eagles, though.
Jacksonville Jaguars 17, Indianapolis Colts 3
The Jaguars’ defense was dominate in their third win of the season. The story here was that the Colts were unable to remain competitive in one of the most winnable games they had left. The Colts will get another shot at the Jaguars in week 17, but that won’t help them feel any better about their current 0-10 record. The disturbing factor about this loss is that I never got the feeling that Colts were going to win the game, even at halftime when it was a 3-3 tie.
Other Games:
Oakland Raiders 24, San Diego Chargers 17 (Thursday)
Tennessee Titans 30, Carolina Panthers 3
St. Louis Rams 13, Cleveland Browns 12
Buffalo Bills 7, Dallas Cowboys 44
Denver Broncos 17, Kansas City Chiefs 10
Washington Redskins 9, Miami Dolphins 20
Houston Texans 37, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9
