Last weekend’s
division games produced another overtime game, another quarterback change while
the Bengals go marching on. It was just another weekend in the AFC North.
Against Arizona, the
Steelers found their backup quarterback Michael Vick being replaced through an
injury. Landry Jones came in never having played a snap in regular season. His
first pass went for a touchdown and he also produced the longest completion in
the NFL this year, one of 88 yards that also went for a touchdown. With his performance that earned the win and a
quarterback rating of 149, I have no hesitation making Jones the headline man
of the weekend in the division.
Cincinnati Bengals
at Buffalo Bills
With the injury to their
starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor, the Bills promoted E J Manuel to lead the
team against Andy Dalton’s Bengals. After Manuel’s opening drive of 80 yards
that finished with his 2-yd touchdown run, the super effective Bengals took
over and dictated the pace of the rest of the game.
Cincinnati’s defense
provided great field position for their offense and they were able to take
advantage of it. Dalton spread his passes around, throwing them to seven
different players with touchdowns to three. "You
take away this guy, you take away that guy," Bills coach Rex Ryan observed.
"Well, this other dude beats you."
After the 34-21 win, the Bengals go 6-0 for
the third time in their history and head into a bye week before travelling to
Pittsburgh, where this writer will be present for that matchup.
Denver Broncos at
Cleveland Browns
The Browns intercepted
Denver’s Peyton Manning on the first series of the game to provide their
offense with good field position. Cleveland used all four downs, but couldn’t
make any progress and memories of the old inefficient Browns came back into
view. Denver went on to kick a 29-yard field goal from the change of
possession.
After Josh McCown’s
first interception was returned 63 yards by Aqib Talib for a touchdown to
enable Denver to increase their lead, those recollections strengthened and talk
of a revitalised Browns faded.
As can happen in football,
it began to change in the third quarter as McCown guided his team to seven
points. When the Browns pulled within two points of their opponents with
McCown’s second touchdown pass, the Dawg Pound was in full voice.
The Browns then took
their first lead with Karlos Dansby’s interception returned 35 yards for a
touchdown, and they chose to go for the two points after, but failed. Manning
replied instantly with a 75-yard touchdown pass to Emmanuel Saunders, but the
Browns forced the game into overtime ruing their decision earlier not to kick a
point after, but to go for the failed two.
At the start of
overtime, Cleveland intercepted Manning for the third time and the game should
have been over, but for the second time Denver kept their opponents to four and
out before kicking a 34-yard field goal to take the win 26-23.
Arizona Cardinals
at Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers quarterback
Michael Vick hadn’t displayed his veteran prowess previously for the Steelers,
and facing the Cardinals that didn’t change. Vick completed just three passes
from eight attempts for a paltry six yards before he went off injured.
The Steelers defense
kept the team in the game, holding the Cardinals to a 10-6 advantage before
Mike Mitchell’s fumble recovery gave replacement quarterback Landry Jones a
chance to turn the game on its head.
Jones’ first ever pass in the NFL regular season went for an 8-yard
touchdown to Martavis Bryant, returning from suspension.
The two points after
attempt failed, but the Steelers had taken a lead they would not
relinquish. With Chris Boswell, a kicker
they can rely on now, Pittsburgh increased their advantage before Jones found
Bryant again with an 88-yard touchdown pass to give the Steelers their 25-13
win.
Baltimore Ravens
at San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco took an
early lead they never surrendered as the Ravens failed to capitalise on the opportunities
presented their way while falling to 1-5 for the worst start in the team’s 20-year
history.
Joe Flacco’s two
interceptions contributed to his team’s failure, but the ex-Baltimore Torrey Smith,
now with San Francisco caught seven passes for 137 yards and a touchdown less
than two weeks after suffering a back injury to help his team to the 25-20 win.
Baltimore appears to
be suffering from the loss of their defensive leader Terrell Suggs.
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