NFL 2011 Season – Week 10 Recap
San Francisco 27 – N.Y. Giants 20
Defensive end Justin Smith swatted down an Eli Manning pass to end a potential game-tying drive, as the San Francisco 49ers beat the New York Giants 27-20. Kicker David Akers had four field goals for San Francisco (8-1), which found enough offense to win despite playing most of the game without leading rusher Frank Gore, who suffered a knee injury. The 49ers trailed 13-12 entering the fourth quarter, when Vernon Davis caught a 31-yard pass from Alex Smith, and running back Kendall Hunter scored on a 17-yard run one minute later to make it 27-13. Manning tossed a 32-yard touchdown to Hakeem Nicks with 8:37 left to draw New York (6-3) within seven. Manning finished with 311 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, both to Carlos Rogers. The Giants’ Victor Cruz caught six passes for 84 yards. Smith threw for 242 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception for the 49ers.
Arizona 21 – Philadelphia 17
John Skelton’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Early Doucet with 1:53 left to play gave the Arizona Cardinals a 21-17 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Skelton’s 37-yard pass to Larry Fitzgerald was key in moving the Cardinals (3-6) toward the winning score. Fitzgerald finished with seven receptions for 146 yards and two touchdowns. Skelton, who started for the injured Kevin Kolb, finished with 315 passing yards, three touchdown passes and two interceptions as Arizona recorded its second straight win. The loss marked the fifth time in 2011 that the Eagles (3-6) gave up a fourth-quarter lead. Philadelphia quarterback Michael Vick had just 128 passing yards and two interceptions, including one with 34 seconds left. Asante Samuel’s 20-yard interception return for a touchdown and LeSean McCoy’s 1-yard run for a score gave the Eagles a 14-7 lead at the half. McCoy finished with 81 yards rushing and the touchdown for Philadelphia. Seen as a possible Super Bowl contender because of off-season acquisitions, the Eagles have now lost as many games as they did in the entire 2010 regular season.
Tennessee 30 – Carolina 3
Chris Johnson broke out of a season-long funk by carrying 27 times for 130 yards and a touchdown, as the Tennessee Titans crushed the Carolina Panthers 30-3. Tennessee (5-4) used a 79-yard punt return touchdown from Marc Mariani and a 43-yard touchdown pass from Matt Hasselbeck to Damien Williams to break out to a 17-0 halftime lead. Williams finished with five catches for 107 yards and the score, while Hasselback threw for 219 yards, a touchdown and interception for the Titans. Carolina (2-7) was unable to get into the end zone all day. The Panthers allowed their rookie quarterback Cam Newton to be sacked five times. Newton finished with 212 yards passing and an interception. He ran for another 55 yards from scrimmage.
Houston 37 – Tampa Bay 9
Arian Foster ran for 84 yards and a score to go with his 102 receiving yards and a touchdown catch, and the Houston Texans dominated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 37-9. Houston’s Matt Schaub threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to Jacoby Jones on the first play from scrimmage and a 78-yarder to Foster in the second quarter, as the Texans (7-3) piled up a 30-3 lead. Schaub completed 11 of 15 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns. Ben Tate added 63 rushing yards and a touchdown for Houston. Tampa Bay (4-5) was able to muster only a field goal and a meaningless late touchdown. Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman was sacked four times and threw three interceptions, as he finished with just 170 passing yards and a 31.8 quarterback rating. The Tampa Bay running game was ineffective, gaining just 90 net yards.
Miami 20 – Washington 9
Reggie Bush scored two touchdowns, and the Miami Dolphins beat the Washington Redskins 20-9. The win was Miami’s second in a row and snapped a franchise-record, seven straight home losses for the Dolphins (2-7), who intercepted Washington quarterback Rex Grossman twice. Bush carried 14 times for 47 yards for the Dolphins, who had Brandon Marshall nab seven catches for 98 yards. The Redskins (3-6) managed just three Graham Gano field goals for the game. Leonard Hankerson had eight receptions for 106 yards for Washington, while Grossman finished with 215 passing yards and the two interceptions.
Jacksonville 17– Indianapolis 3
Maurice Jones-Drew ran for 114 yards and a touchdown, as the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Indianapolis Colts 17-3. The Colts (0-10) were tied with Jacksonville 3-3 at halftime, but the Jaguars (3-6) managed two second-half touchdown drives to put the game away and keep Indianapolis winless on the season. Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert completed 14 of 21 passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. Jaguars tight end Jacob Tamme had six catches for 75 yards. Indianapolis finished with just 212 total yards of offense on the day, while committing three turnovers and allowing five sacks. Colts quarterback Curtis Painter, who was eventually benched for Dan Orlovsky, had just 94 yards passing and two interceptions.
Denver 17 – Kansas City 10
Tim Tebow completed a 56-yard touchdown pass to Eric Decker in the fourth quarter, and the Denver Broncos beat the Kansas City Chiefs 17-10. Denver (4-5) won despite losing running backs Willis McGahee and Knowshon Moreno both to injury. Broncos’ backup Lance Ball ran 30 times for 96 yards in place of the injured backs. Tebow ran for 43 yards and a touchdown. He completed just 2 of 8 pass attempts for 69 yards. The stumbling Chiefs offense netted just 258 total yards. Kansas City (4-5) allowed quarterback Matt Cassel to be sacked four times. Cassel finished with just 93 yards passing and a touchdown. Jackie Battle led the Chiefs with 61 rushing yards.
Dallas 44 – Buffalo 7
Tony Romo completed 23 of 26 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns, as the Dallas Cowboys routed the Buffalo Bills 44-7. The Cowboys (5-4) scored touchdowns on each of their first four offensive possessions and led 28-7 at halftime. Dallas’ Terence Newman returned one of his two interceptions of Ryan Fitzpatrick for a touchdown, as Buffalo (5-4) struggled on both sides of the ball. Rookie DeMarco Murray added 135 yards rushing and a touchdown for Dallas. Cowboys’ receiver Dez Bryant had six catches for 74 yards, including a leaping, 34-yard touchdown grab early in the first quarter. Fitzpatrick finished with just 146 passing yards, one touchdown and three interceptions for the Bills. Buffalo’s Fred Jackson had 114 yards rushing. Bills wide receiver David Nelson caught a 3-yard touchdown pass and gave the ball to his girlfriend, Kelsi Reisch, who is a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.
New Orleans 26 – Atlanta 23 (OT)
John Kasay kicked a 26-yard field goal in overtime, and the New Orleans Saints beat the Atlanta Falcons 26-23. New Orleans (7-3) was in position for the field goal thanks to a failed fourth down attempt by Atlanta (5-4) at its own 29-yard line. The Falcons (5-4) had come back from a 10-point, fourth quarter deficit, tying the game when Matt Bryant kicked a 27-yard field goal on the final play of regulation. Saints quarterback Drew Brees finished with 322 passing yards and two touchdowns. Marques Colston was Brees’ favorite target, grabbing eight passes for 113 yards. Tight end Jimmy Graham added 82 receiving yards and a touchdown for New Orleans. Matt Ryan completed 29 of 52 passes for 351 yards, two touchdowns and an interceptions for Atlanta. Harry Douglas had eight catches for 133 yards for the Falcons, who also got 96 yards rushing from Michael Turner. Turner, however, was stopped on the fourth-and-one in overtime which set up the game-winning kick by Kasay.
St. Louis 13 Cleveland 12
Phil Dawson missed a 22-yard field goal with 2:09 left, allowing the St. Louis Rams to edge the Cleveland Browns 13-12. Dawson provided all the points on the day for Cleveland (3-6), which has not scored a touchdown at home in 123 minutes of play. St. Louis (2-7) was led by Steven Jackson, who carried 27 times for 128 yards, his third consecutive 100-yard game. The Rams’ Sam Bradford completed 15 of 26 passes for 155 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Browns quarterback Colt McCoy was 20 of 27 passing for 218 yards. Starting in place of injured backs Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty, Chris Ogbonnaya had 90 yards rushing for Cleveland, which won the yardage and time of possession battles, but could not score when it counted most.
Pittsburgh 24 – Cincinnati 17
Rashard Mendenhall ran for two touchdowns, as the Pittsburgh Steelers held on for a 24-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. Pittsburgh (7-3) snapped Cincinnati’s five-game winning streak. With the game tied at 17 late in the third quarter, Mendenhall’s 9-yard touchdown run gave the Steelers a lead that their defense protected by intercepting Bengals rookie quarterback Andy Dalton twice in the fourth quarter. Dalton finished with 170 yards passing, two touchdowns and the two interceptions for Cincinnati (6-3). Cedric Benson chipped in 57 yards rushing for the Bengals. Ben Roethlisberger completed 21 of 33 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown for the Steelers, who were led in receiving by Antonio Brown’s five catches for 86 yards.
Seattle 22 – Baltimore 17
Marshawn Lynch ran for 109 yards and a touchdown and secured three late first downs, as the Seattle Seahawks beat the Baltimore Ravens 22-17. Kicker Steven Hauschka booted a franchise record-tying, five field goals for Seattle (3-6), which forced three turnovers by Baltimore (6-3). Trailing for most of the game, the Ravens closed to within five points after Joe Flacco hit Ed Dickson with an 11-yard touchdown pass with 5:52 left to play. However, Baltimore was unable to get the ball back, as Lynch caught an 8-yard pass from Tarvaris Jackson on a third down-and-five for one key first down, and he then ran for two more to secure the victory for the Seahawks. Flacco finished with 255 passing yards and two touchdowns for Baltimore, while Dickson had 10 catches for 79 yards and two scores.
Chicago 37 – Detroit 13
The Bears scored 24 points off of six Lions turnovers, as Chicago dominated Detroit 37-13. Chicago (6-3) intercepted Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford four times, including two in the third quarter that Charles Tillman and Major Wright each returned for a touchdown. Devin Hester’s 82-yard punt-return for a touchdown in the second quarter staked the Bears to a 20-0 lead over the Lions (6-3). The return extended Hester’s NFL record for punt-return touchdowns to 12. With so many points scored off returns, the Bears didn’t
need much additional offense. Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler had 123 yards passing, and running back Matt Forte carried 18 times for 64 yards. Stafford finished with 338 passing yards, a touchdown and the four interceptions for the Lions. Titus Young had nine receptions for 83 yards for Detroit.
New England 37– N.Y. Jets 16
Tom Brady threw for 329 yards and three touchdowns, as the New England Patriots beat the New York Jets 37-16. New England (6-3) grabbed three New York turnovers, which led to 17 points, including an interception returned for a touchdown by Rob Ninkovich with 7:45 remaining that all but assured the victory. Tight end Rob Gronkowski had eight receptions for 113 yards and two scores for the Patriots, who did not allow Brady to be sacked during the game. Mark Sanchez had 306 passing yards and a touchdown pass and run for New York (5-4), but his two interceptions were costly. Shonn Greene had 61 rushing yards for the Jets, while Santonio Holmes caught six passes for 93 yards.
Thursday, Nov. 10