Week 5 - Sunday
Jacksonville vs. Carolina
The '99 Jaguars took on the '15 Panthers in what was almost a 1-sided romp. After receiving the kickoff, the Jaguars scored in just 2 plays with a 39 yard throw to McCardell. This would prove an eerie sign of things to come. Carolina's defense looked strong early on, grabbing even a Safety against Jacksonville. But the Jaguars defense held tight and would not let Carolina score. For the next 3 quarters, Brunell would throw for 200 more yards and 2 TD's while Carolina kept coming up empty. With a 27-2 lead in the 4th quarter, nobody expected anything from Carolina. So Panthers fans likely found it refreshing when Newton found a way to complete his passes, hitting over 65% for 180 yards. And with 7 minutes left, the Panthers got their first TD. But it wasn't until 20 seconds were left on the clock that he Newton was able to find Olson for another score, leaving the Panthers to come up short 27-16. Jacksonville remains undefeated while the Panthers slip to 3-2.
Arizona vs. Cincinnati
The 2-2 Cardinals took on the 2-2 Bengals at Cinergy field in an attempt for each team to gain momentum in their W column. The '88 Bengals would get the first score with a 33 yd FG by Breech, but Palmer would later find Johnson in the end zone for 7. From there, both defenses bulked up as the game turned into a war of FG's. Cincanatti, who did great with their run game all day, got their first after Icky Woods made an impressive 83 yard run to tie the game. With each time waiting for the next FG attempt, who could grab it first? That honor would go to the Cardinals' Catanzaro, who was 4-4 on the day. Breech made all 3 of his attempts as well, but the Arizona defense's 3 INTs against Esiason is what likely prevented him from having a 4th shot. Arizona 19, Cincinatti 16
Houston vs. Atlanta
In another close game, the '98 Falcons traveled to Houston to take on the '12 Texans. After grabbing an early FG, the Falcons found themselves looking for answers after Schaub drove the Texans to pick up 7 with just minutes left in the 1st quarter. They wouldn't have to look long, as Tim Dwight took the follow-up kickoff for a 94 yard answer, putting the game at just 10-7. By halftime, Houston only led 14-13 with a TD from Forsett. And when Houston hit another FG in the 2nd half, it looked like momentum might be favoring them. But the Falcons retaliated with an amazing 77 yard catch for Martin, putting them in the lead. Later an Andersen FG gave Atlanta a 23-17 advantage. But Houston, who say Schaub having an excellent day, got the last score with another run by Forsett. Final score Texans 24, Falcons 23.
Tampa Bay vs. New Orleans
Hot off a blowout win against Dallas last week, the Saints took on the unpredictable '02 Buccaneers. With a TB win, they'd be on top of their division. With a New Orleans win, the Saints will move out of 4th. So with the 1st quarter all about New Orleans hitting 2 FG's, it was tough to determine which way the game would go. The 2nd quarter was all Tampa Bay, getting a Safety against New Orleans, and later setting Gramatica up for 3. In the 3rd quarter, the Buccs tied it up as as Brad Johnson found Dudley for a 21 yard score, but Carney missed the PAT after Brees hit Henderson for 30. So who would walk away with the 4th quarter W? With each team grabbing another TD throw, the game went into overtime to determine. From there, the Saints would grabbed the first score, as a nice pass from Brees put them in the red zone, setting up for a 1 yard run by Bush. Johnson had 347 yards on the day and no picks, with catches from 10 different receivers, but with Gramatica missing 2 of 3 FG attempts, perhaps it's hard to take home a win. Saints 25, Buccs 19
NY Giants vs. Minnesota
The Giants hosted the Vikings , with over 76,000 fans looking to see if they could turn their performances into a Win. Despite both teams putting up great defense and similar numbers on the board, the Saints will have to wait another day as the Giants couldn't bring in any TD's in the 2nd half. Being sacked 4 times by the Purple People Eaters made things more difficult, but so did Tarkenton's 3 big pass plays of 21, 30 and 31 yards, 2 of which were for the TD. Vikings 20, Giants 10
Buffalo vs. Tennessee
Tennessee, after 2 straight losses, hosted the Bills at home, looking to get back on a winning track. The Bills, simply looking for another win. Tennessee simply had an amazing first half, shutting out the Bills 21-0 with 2 rushing TDs and a pass from Collins to Jones. Kelly, even with 300 passing yards threw 3 INT's against the Titans, preventing them from scoring on several opportunities. Both teams rushed for over 150 yards, but Tennesse's efforts on Defense proved too much, gaining 4 sacks in addition to the 3 INT's. Tennessee wins 27-10 over Buffalo.
NY Jets vs. Philadelphia
It was a high scoring shootout at Lincoln Financial Field, with 65,700 in attendance as the Eagles took on the Jets. Both teams had over 350 passing yards on the day, but those numbers don't tell the whole story. Wentz found 10 different receivers, 69% completion from 30 catches with an 11.9 ypc average and 2 TD's. While those are numbers any QB would dream of, it was Namath who found himself in the clouds,. With his 357 yards coming from just 16 catches and 3 receivers, for 4 TD's, he shows why he's still one of the greatest ever. Sauer and Maynard both had big plays of 67 and 71 yards, respectively, but Maynard totaled over 200 yards and had 2 TDs. Sauer's 147 yards were averaged at almost 37 per catch with 1 TD. With the Jets up 34-28 at the 4th quarter, a win was still in Philadelphia's grasp. But where Namath came up short, J. Turner was able hit 3 FG's to help the Jets edge out the Eagles 41-30.
Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh
The top 2 teams in the AFC North battled it out at Heinz Field, with the undefeated Ravens looking to stay on top of the league. And what a close game it was. The Ravens took an early lead with a FG by Stover from 27 yards out. Minutes later, Bradshaw put 7 on the board after 6 yard keeper in the red zone. The Steelers went up 10-3 after Gerela nailed a 48 yarder in the 2nd quarter. Baltimore would come right back to grab the lead 13-10 after Jamal Lewis picked up a crucial 7 yard TD. So with just 2 minutes in the first half, Bradshaw found an open hole again, leaving the pocket for a 7 yard TD. Up 17-13 at the half, Pittsburgh would stay in the lead as the 2nd half was mostly scoreless. The Steel Curtain got the only 2 points of the half on a safety. Bradshaw looked great on the day hitting 62% for 235 yards and running for 53 of his own, almost matching Bleier and Harris who had over 50 on the day as well. Pittsburgh wins 19-13 over the Ravens.
Chicago vs. Oakland
New England vs. Washington
The Redskins and Patriots, both off big wins last week, met at RFK Stadium. With two of the best Super Bowl teams in history at each other, more than just records were on the line. In the 1st half, Rypien would hit 3 TD passes, 2 to Monk and 1 to Clark, while New England would be held by Big Red to just 2 FGs. Down 24-6 at halftime, New England found their groove in the 3rd quarter as Brady drove into the red zone and found Welker on a 1 yarder . With the Patriots hampering the 'Skins passing game, Rypien simply let Byner take the lead, as he brought in an impressive 6 points after a tough fought 29 yarder. New England continued to struggle, but Brady did find Welker for another 7 points.Washington wins 34-20 over New England. Rypien had 284 yards on the day with 70% completion, and Byner + Ervins ran for over 150 yards total.
Denver vs. San Diego
The 1-3 Broncos take on the 3-1 Chargers team at LA Memorial Coliseum in a divisional match. The Chargers, on the rebound against their 1st loss last week, found themselves in an early 14-7 lead in the 1st half. Both TD's for the Chargers came from the run attack, while Elway hit Sharpe for 25 yards. As the 3rd quarter opened, both defenses kicked in gear, but San Diego grabbed the first FG to go up 17-7. From there, Elway, known for his great comebacks, started finding progress come a bit easier, but the Chargers forced the Broncos to rely on Elam. Elam would deliver 2 of 2 to bring the Broncos within 4 points, but the Chargers won over the Broncos by a final score of 17-13. The Chargers had an impressive day on offense, racking up over 200 yards passing and 163 yards rushing. Fouts hit 24/30 and was only picked once.
Green Bay vs. Dallas
Texas Stadium was host to a hot Packers team, as the Cowboys looked to get out of the bottom spot in the NFC East. And the Cowboys got off to a great start. Despite both teams struggling on offense, Elliot managed to hit one between the posts from 35 yards out. Later in the 2nd quarter, Martin would take a punt 80 yards for a TD to go up 10-0 on the Packers. It was from there that Bart Starr ran the show, completing 22 of 30 on the day for 262 yards. The Packers would setup Hornung for a run on twice, and also got close enough for 2 FG's from Kramer. Starr even found McGee on a 29 yard pass. So the Packers, who looked worn out in the 1st half, explode in the 2nd half to win 27-10 over the Cowboys. Let's be clear about the numbers Aikman hit 21 passes of his own, but only came up with 82 passing yards on the day. This Packers defense was just not letting him get the big plays off.
Baltimore vs. Kansas City
The winless Baltimore Colts traveled to Kansas City to take on a similarly struggling Chiefs team. And with 31,000 in attendance, clearly nobody expected a good show. But a good show is just what everyone got. Both defenses were in high gear, but Garrett grabbed the first 6 points of the game in the 1st quarter after a nice drive by the Chiefs. From there, both teams seemed well matched. Just as the 2 minute warning approached, Morrall found a rhythm, and just as he neared the red zone he hit Orr on a 21 yard pass to go up 7-6 at the half. As the the 3rd quarter came around, both teams showed more of the same effort. But on a messy punt, the Chiefs got a block and took the ball all the way, taking a 14-6 lead. But all was not lost, as Morrall kept his cool and started breaking down the Chiefs. Halfway through the 4th quarter, Michaels would get another chance and drive home a 45 yarder, but the Colts would still need a TD. But that was no problem for Morrall, who drove down to nail Matte for 4 on a TD throw.
Morrall's cool demeanor didn't just give the Colts the W, it helped him find a way to still get 264 yards with just 51% completion in a game where defense was king. While he had 2 INT's to match his 2 TD's, it was Dawson who got picked an amazing 4 times and just put together 151 yards. Again on sacks, Morrall was knocked down 3 times but Dawson had 5 against him.
Colts grab their first win on the Chiefs, 16-14
Wrap-Up
And that wraps up most of another week of LFL action. We have 1 more game tomorrow night as the Browns take on the 49ers, with each team fighting for their first win. And just 5 weeks in, only 1 team remain undefeated - the 99 Jaguars. With competition this tough, you never know what will happen next in the LFL!
The '99 Jaguars took on the '15 Panthers in what was almost a 1-sided romp. After receiving the kickoff, the Jaguars scored in just 2 plays with a 39 yard throw to McCardell. This would prove an eerie sign of things to come. Carolina's defense looked strong early on, grabbing even a Safety against Jacksonville. But the Jaguars defense held tight and would not let Carolina score. For the next 3 quarters, Brunell would throw for 200 more yards and 2 TD's while Carolina kept coming up empty. With a 27-2 lead in the 4th quarter, nobody expected anything from Carolina. So Panthers fans likely found it refreshing when Newton found a way to complete his passes, hitting over 65% for 180 yards. And with 7 minutes left, the Panthers got their first TD. But it wasn't until 20 seconds were left on the clock that he Newton was able to find Olson for another score, leaving the Panthers to come up short 27-16. Jacksonville remains undefeated while the Panthers slip to 3-2.
Arizona vs. Cincinnati
The 2-2 Cardinals took on the 2-2 Bengals at Cinergy field in an attempt for each team to gain momentum in their W column. The '88 Bengals would get the first score with a 33 yd FG by Breech, but Palmer would later find Johnson in the end zone for 7. From there, both defenses bulked up as the game turned into a war of FG's. Cincanatti, who did great with their run game all day, got their first after Icky Woods made an impressive 83 yard run to tie the game. With each time waiting for the next FG attempt, who could grab it first? That honor would go to the Cardinals' Catanzaro, who was 4-4 on the day. Breech made all 3 of his attempts as well, but the Arizona defense's 3 INTs against Esiason is what likely prevented him from having a 4th shot. Arizona 19, Cincinatti 16
Houston vs. Atlanta
In another close game, the '98 Falcons traveled to Houston to take on the '12 Texans. After grabbing an early FG, the Falcons found themselves looking for answers after Schaub drove the Texans to pick up 7 with just minutes left in the 1st quarter. They wouldn't have to look long, as Tim Dwight took the follow-up kickoff for a 94 yard answer, putting the game at just 10-7. By halftime, Houston only led 14-13 with a TD from Forsett. And when Houston hit another FG in the 2nd half, it looked like momentum might be favoring them. But the Falcons retaliated with an amazing 77 yard catch for Martin, putting them in the lead. Later an Andersen FG gave Atlanta a 23-17 advantage. But Houston, who say Schaub having an excellent day, got the last score with another run by Forsett. Final score Texans 24, Falcons 23.
Tampa Bay vs. New Orleans
Hot off a blowout win against Dallas last week, the Saints took on the unpredictable '02 Buccaneers. With a TB win, they'd be on top of their division. With a New Orleans win, the Saints will move out of 4th. So with the 1st quarter all about New Orleans hitting 2 FG's, it was tough to determine which way the game would go. The 2nd quarter was all Tampa Bay, getting a Safety against New Orleans, and later setting Gramatica up for 3. In the 3rd quarter, the Buccs tied it up as as Brad Johnson found Dudley for a 21 yard score, but Carney missed the PAT after Brees hit Henderson for 30. So who would walk away with the 4th quarter W? With each team grabbing another TD throw, the game went into overtime to determine. From there, the Saints would grabbed the first score, as a nice pass from Brees put them in the red zone, setting up for a 1 yard run by Bush. Johnson had 347 yards on the day and no picks, with catches from 10 different receivers, but with Gramatica missing 2 of 3 FG attempts, perhaps it's hard to take home a win. Saints 25, Buccs 19
NY Giants vs. Minnesota
The Giants hosted the Vikings , with over 76,000 fans looking to see if they could turn their performances into a Win. Despite both teams putting up great defense and similar numbers on the board, the Saints will have to wait another day as the Giants couldn't bring in any TD's in the 2nd half. Being sacked 4 times by the Purple People Eaters made things more difficult, but so did Tarkenton's 3 big pass plays of 21, 30 and 31 yards, 2 of which were for the TD. Vikings 20, Giants 10
Buffalo vs. Tennessee
Tennessee, after 2 straight losses, hosted the Bills at home, looking to get back on a winning track. The Bills, simply looking for another win. Tennessee simply had an amazing first half, shutting out the Bills 21-0 with 2 rushing TDs and a pass from Collins to Jones. Kelly, even with 300 passing yards threw 3 INT's against the Titans, preventing them from scoring on several opportunities. Both teams rushed for over 150 yards, but Tennesse's efforts on Defense proved too much, gaining 4 sacks in addition to the 3 INT's. Tennessee wins 27-10 over Buffalo.
NY Jets vs. Philadelphia
It was a high scoring shootout at Lincoln Financial Field, with 65,700 in attendance as the Eagles took on the Jets. Both teams had over 350 passing yards on the day, but those numbers don't tell the whole story. Wentz found 10 different receivers, 69% completion from 30 catches with an 11.9 ypc average and 2 TD's. While those are numbers any QB would dream of, it was Namath who found himself in the clouds,. With his 357 yards coming from just 16 catches and 3 receivers, for 4 TD's, he shows why he's still one of the greatest ever. Sauer and Maynard both had big plays of 67 and 71 yards, respectively, but Maynard totaled over 200 yards and had 2 TDs. Sauer's 147 yards were averaged at almost 37 per catch with 1 TD. With the Jets up 34-28 at the 4th quarter, a win was still in Philadelphia's grasp. But where Namath came up short, J. Turner was able hit 3 FG's to help the Jets edge out the Eagles 41-30.
Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh
The top 2 teams in the AFC North battled it out at Heinz Field, with the undefeated Ravens looking to stay on top of the league. And what a close game it was. The Ravens took an early lead with a FG by Stover from 27 yards out. Minutes later, Bradshaw put 7 on the board after 6 yard keeper in the red zone. The Steelers went up 10-3 after Gerela nailed a 48 yarder in the 2nd quarter. Baltimore would come right back to grab the lead 13-10 after Jamal Lewis picked up a crucial 7 yard TD. So with just 2 minutes in the first half, Bradshaw found an open hole again, leaving the pocket for a 7 yard TD. Up 17-13 at the half, Pittsburgh would stay in the lead as the 2nd half was mostly scoreless. The Steel Curtain got the only 2 points of the half on a safety. Bradshaw looked great on the day hitting 62% for 235 yards and running for 53 of his own, almost matching Bleier and Harris who had over 50 on the day as well. Pittsburgh wins 19-13 over the Ravens.
Chicago vs. Oakland
The Raiders, hot off a win last week after an impressive performance from Stabler, hosted the undefeated Bears at Oakland Coliseum. And with the game's first score going to the Bears defense with a Safety, it looked like things were running as normal. But Oakland would grab 2 TD's in the 2nd quarter, one on a 60 yard throw to Branch, shaking up the Bears. Chicago, for their efforts, went down at the half 14-5. Would McMahon be able to get his team together for the 2nd half? If there was any question, it was settled when the Oakland defense picked up a Safety on their own. Hart took the subsequent kickoff 76 yards for another TD, to put Stabler's team up 23-5. From there, Oakland held strong against the Bears, dealing them their 1st loss. Stabler had 291 yards on the day with 65% completion. Oakland 26, Chicago 5
New England vs. Washington
The Redskins and Patriots, both off big wins last week, met at RFK Stadium. With two of the best Super Bowl teams in history at each other, more than just records were on the line. In the 1st half, Rypien would hit 3 TD passes, 2 to Monk and 1 to Clark, while New England would be held by Big Red to just 2 FGs. Down 24-6 at halftime, New England found their groove in the 3rd quarter as Brady drove into the red zone and found Welker on a 1 yarder . With the Patriots hampering the 'Skins passing game, Rypien simply let Byner take the lead, as he brought in an impressive 6 points after a tough fought 29 yarder. New England continued to struggle, but Brady did find Welker for another 7 points.Washington wins 34-20 over New England. Rypien had 284 yards on the day with 70% completion, and Byner + Ervins ran for over 150 yards total.
Denver vs. San Diego
The 1-3 Broncos take on the 3-1 Chargers team at LA Memorial Coliseum in a divisional match. The Chargers, on the rebound against their 1st loss last week, found themselves in an early 14-7 lead in the 1st half. Both TD's for the Chargers came from the run attack, while Elway hit Sharpe for 25 yards. As the 3rd quarter opened, both defenses kicked in gear, but San Diego grabbed the first FG to go up 17-7. From there, Elway, known for his great comebacks, started finding progress come a bit easier, but the Chargers forced the Broncos to rely on Elam. Elam would deliver 2 of 2 to bring the Broncos within 4 points, but the Chargers won over the Broncos by a final score of 17-13. The Chargers had an impressive day on offense, racking up over 200 yards passing and 163 yards rushing. Fouts hit 24/30 and was only picked once.
Green Bay vs. Dallas
Texas Stadium was host to a hot Packers team, as the Cowboys looked to get out of the bottom spot in the NFC East. And the Cowboys got off to a great start. Despite both teams struggling on offense, Elliot managed to hit one between the posts from 35 yards out. Later in the 2nd quarter, Martin would take a punt 80 yards for a TD to go up 10-0 on the Packers. It was from there that Bart Starr ran the show, completing 22 of 30 on the day for 262 yards. The Packers would setup Hornung for a run on twice, and also got close enough for 2 FG's from Kramer. Starr even found McGee on a 29 yard pass. So the Packers, who looked worn out in the 1st half, explode in the 2nd half to win 27-10 over the Cowboys. Let's be clear about the numbers Aikman hit 21 passes of his own, but only came up with 82 passing yards on the day. This Packers defense was just not letting him get the big plays off.
Baltimore vs. Kansas City
The winless Baltimore Colts traveled to Kansas City to take on a similarly struggling Chiefs team. And with 31,000 in attendance, clearly nobody expected a good show. But a good show is just what everyone got. Both defenses were in high gear, but Garrett grabbed the first 6 points of the game in the 1st quarter after a nice drive by the Chiefs. From there, both teams seemed well matched. Just as the 2 minute warning approached, Morrall found a rhythm, and just as he neared the red zone he hit Orr on a 21 yard pass to go up 7-6 at the half. As the the 3rd quarter came around, both teams showed more of the same effort. But on a messy punt, the Chiefs got a block and took the ball all the way, taking a 14-6 lead. But all was not lost, as Morrall kept his cool and started breaking down the Chiefs. Halfway through the 4th quarter, Michaels would get another chance and drive home a 45 yarder, but the Colts would still need a TD. But that was no problem for Morrall, who drove down to nail Matte for 4 on a TD throw.
Morrall's cool demeanor didn't just give the Colts the W, it helped him find a way to still get 264 yards with just 51% completion in a game where defense was king. While he had 2 INT's to match his 2 TD's, it was Dawson who got picked an amazing 4 times and just put together 151 yards. Again on sacks, Morrall was knocked down 3 times but Dawson had 5 against him.
Colts grab their first win on the Chiefs, 16-14
Wrap-Up
And that wraps up most of another week of LFL action. We have 1 more game tomorrow night as the Browns take on the 49ers, with each team fighting for their first win. And just 5 weeks in, only 1 team remain undefeated - the 99 Jaguars. With competition this tough, you never know what will happen next in the LFL!
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