Week 10 Results [GFL]

  

'07 Colts vs. '93 Oilers

In a division as bad of shape as the AFC South is, the Oilers, though in last place, are just 2 wins away from having as much shot at the top as any other. So a win for them at home would be big. But how would they do against Manning and crew?

After a scoreless first quarter, it was clear both teams were in tough competition. The 2nd quarter would see each team settle for a FG. By 3rd quarter, Houston took the lead with another FG, and seemed to start taking charge. A few possessions later, they'd score on a run by Lorenzo White to go up 13-3. 

With the slow pace of the game, and the Colts struggling for a TD of their own, it would seem to be just the edge Houston needed. The Colts would go on to eventually make up the 10 points with the help of a late Manning TD pass, but not before Houston's running game would help them break the spread. Oilers win 20-12.

There are no standout stats with both teams struggling for big plays. Both teams broke 350 yards offense, with Houston faring higher in rushing yards. Lorenzo White averaged 5.9 yards / carry. Indy was just slightly higher in passing yards; Addai had 8 catches for 83 yards for the Colts. Several other players had 2 catches each. Houston had 3 receivers with 5 or more catches. Both QB's also gave up the ball 3 times to the other team; only Manning was able to muster a TD throw.

'83 Washington vs. '70 Detroit

Detroit has played several games at home this year, but with the Redskin's paying a visit, something different would be in the air. The 'Skins would be the only team to score in the first quarter on a FG. But early in the 2nd quarter, Detroit would pick up a TD. From there, they'd do something they've struggled to do all year - hold a team from scoring for more than half a quarter. Theisman would get just outside the red zone before the half, but Washington would settle for another FG to be down just 1 point, 7-6.

And then it happened again. For almost the entire 2nd half, the Detroit D held off Theisman and crew from even reaching FG range. The time on offense gave Munson a chance to hit the red zone, but a strong goal-line stand from Washington made the Lions settle for 3. But with a continued effort on behalf of the defense, Washington would only muster 1 more FG. Moseley, having missed one earlier in the game, would be good. Detroit picks up their first win of the season 10-9, breaking their 8-game losing streak.

For once Detroit showed up better on offense than their opponent, but mostly on the efforts of their ground game. Farr and Taylor would total for 100 yards of their own, where Riggins was just 84 yards on the day. Both teams had similar performances in the air, but Detroit's success is mostly to splitting up snaps between Munson and Landry. Landry was 7/9 for 119 yards; Munson had 97 yards in 8 completions. Theisman was 19/23 for 215 yards. 

'05 Jacksonville vs. '01 Green Bay

Over 54,800 fans packed Lambeau Stadium to see the Packers take on the Jaguars in what would turn out to be a very explosive first half game. Just about each possession would turn into some kind of score for each team, and just 1 score would separate them by half-time.

Green Bay scored on the opening drive with a 45 yard pass to Bradford. Jacksonville would soon retaliate. They would quickly take the lead a minute later, with Cooper capitalizing on a Favre mistake and going 41 yards for the TD. But before the 2nd quarter would even start, Favre would make up for it on a 23 yarder to Schroeder. Favre would go on to throw 2 more TD passes in the next 7 minutes of game time, putting the Pack up by 14. The Jags offense continued struggling, but after their Defense held Favre for the first time, Pearman fielded a deep punt and went 61 yards to get within 7.

As the 2nd half went on, Jacksonville continued slowly moving their offense, hitting 2 more FG's to come within a point of Green Bay. And with the Jacksonville defense covering Favre's weapons like glue, Green Bay was stunned and shut out for 2 quarters straight. But their next FG opportunity would end up a miss, sending Green Bay home with the final victory. Packers 28, Jaguars 27.

At 526 yards, Green Bay surpassed Jacksonville on offense by over 160 yards. Green alone ran for over 100 yards in Green Bay, averaging 5 / carry. Favre threw for 354 yards, completing 25/44 for 4 TD's. He had 5 INT's to show for his efforts also, leading to several of Jacksonville's opportunities. Leftwich had similar completion % and yards/catch, but far fewer big plays like Big Brett. The Packers also converted several more 3rd downs.

'80 Philadelphia vs. '08 NY Giants

Giants Stadium was packed to see Manning and crew take on Jaworski's Eagles. The Giants remain on top of the division, but Philadelphia threatens that with a few good division wins. And the Eagles would remain a threat for most of the first half. The Giants found themselves unable to score against Philly's stellar defensive efforts. Jaworski would have his own troubles, putting up just 1 TD against the Giants before halftime.

The 3rd quarter saw the Giants holdout and tie the game on a TD throw to Moss. But with a whole extra quarter of game time, things could still go either way. Jaworski would hit Carmichael early in the 4th quarter, putting Philly up by 7. But the Giants would soon start opening up their offense more, and with under 5 minutes left, would tie the game again.  As time ticked off, a crucial hold for the Giants would give them the ball again. But as Manning and crew moved closer to Eagles territory, the clock moved closer to 0. With just 5 seconds of clock time left, NY left the game up to Carney. From 40 yards out, the ball sailed straight through the uprights. Giants win 17-14.

One thing hurting the Eagles was their rushing game. Struggling just to get their main backs yardage, the 28 yards total amongst them was only half as awful as Jaworski's -40 yards. With 28 rushing attempts, Philly didn't even have positive yards to show for the effort. They had several positive yards passing, with Jaworski completing 24/40 for 329. His longest was a 70-yarder to Carmichael, who had 120 yards total in just 4 catches. Smith was the lead receiver with 10 catches for 144. Manning, who was only 29/53, with 1 TD to 3 INTs, did not impress anyone on either side of the field. But with the win, the Giants will stay on top of the NFC East.

'18 Texans vs. '87 Browns

The Browns, looking for any kind of win at this point to help their record, hosted the Texans at Cleveland Stadium. They would find themselves performing very well against a Houston team that has been holding up well in the AFC.

The Texans took a 6-0 lead in the first quarter after settling for 2 FGs, but the 2nd quarter was almost all about the Browns. Cleveland would put up 2 FGs of their own, but also score the game's first TD on the ground. Up by 7 with 3 minutes before the half, the Texans just squeezed in a last second FG to trail 13-9 at half. 

The 3rd quarter would be a stalemate, and both offenses still struggled to hit the red zone. However, Ervin would field a punt for Houston and run 80 yards to grab the lead. Up by just 3, the Browns would cover enough ground in the final minutes to tie the game 16-16. Nobody could score from there, and the game ended a tie. A missed FG from Fairbairn earlier would be the talk of Texas all day.

With their only TD on special teams, Houston's offense was pale compared to Cleveland, totaling just 183. The Browns seemed to stop Watson at every turn. Watson still completed 24/38 but had no big plays, averaging just 7 yards / catch. Kosar was 30/52 for 276 yards. Hopkins was his only reliable receiver with 10 catches. Leading his receivers was Slaughter with 8 catches on the day for 129 yards and Byner with 10 grabs.

'79 Tampa Bay vs. '08 Carolina

Because I had forgotten to set any kind of overtime rules for the league games, this Bucs reached the 2nd tie of the day with the Panthers. Over 68,000 fans showed up at Bank of America for the competition, but a consistent effort from Carolina offset a good 2nd quarter performance for Tampa.

The Panthers started the game with the ball, but the Bucs grabbed the first score on a Safety. They'd make a FG off the return effort, only for Stewart to later grab the game's first TD, putting Carolina up 6-5. After getting the ball again, Williams would put the Bucs ahead with a 54-yard throw to Hagins. Delhomme was shocked, but answered back with a scoring drive of his own.

The Bucs were able to still lead at halftime after scoring on their next possession - showing some of the most explosion from the team all year. With a 2-point conversion, their 20-13 lead at half. Everything seemed to continue going Tampa's way in the 3rd quarter, after blocking a punt from Carolina and picking up the ball in the end zone. 

Down 26-13, Carolina seemed to be out of sorts. But Delhomme bounced back, hitting Smith for a 20-yard TD pass to come within 6 points. The rest of the game would play out with FG attempts. All sailed true, but Carolina was the team threatening more often, and they tied up the game 29-29.

Both teams did great on the ground, but Delhomme's 274 passing yards doubled Williams' effort for Tampa Bay. Williams was just 10-34 with 3 picks; Delhomme completed 2/3 of his throws and had 2 TD's.

'81 Cincinnati vs. '04 Pittsburgh

The Bengals fell to Pittsburgh 37-7, leaving the Black and Yellow on top of the division. Despite 300 yards total offense, with just 23 minutes possession Anderson threw 3 interceptions, giving up several points to Pittsburgh that might have otherwise made the game more even.

The Steelers were able to do well on the ground, with Bettis averaging 6 yards / carry for 129 yards total and 2 TDs. But Roethlisberger also hit a cool 20/27 for 281 yards, setting up several great scoring opportunities. Pittsburgh scored 10 or more points in the 1st, 2nd and 4th quarters.  

'80 Bills vs. '74 Cardinals

The may be scraping the bottom of their divisions, but both offenses are well matched, and with several weeks of games left, wildcard spots are still in view for either team.

With the Cardinals and Bills both mustering over 400 yards offense, the matchup in St. Louis proved to be one everyone could get into. But the outcome would only favor one side. With there being only successful score each quarter, it was a while before everyone would know who that was.

St. Louis grabbed a 1st quarter TD and a pass from Hart. And with just 33 seconds left before halftime, an exciting 53 yard pass from Ferguson to Jessie helped Buffalo tie things up. But after the half, the Cardinals would shut down every other effort from the Bills, grabbing the win 17-7.

Both teams had over 100 yards rushing, with Metcalf, Otis, Cribbs and Brown all sharing the load for each side. But even Buffalos 300 passing yards didn't come easy, with Cribbs having only 91 yards for his 9 receptions. Most players just had 1 or 2 catches. Hart fared slightly lower with 20 completions for 262 yards.

'15 Denver vs. '00 Oakland

Oakland kicker Sebastian Janikowski got a real workout for his leg when the Broncos showed up at Network Associates Stadium looking to snag an edge for a playoff spot. He would end up attempting 8 FG's for the day, successfully converting 7. It seemed to be all Oakland could do to score, but it was more than Denver could muster.

The Broncos, scoring early in the game on a Safety, were only able to make it far enough for a scoring attempt later that quarter. With a FG by McManus sailing true, they had 5 points at the time to challenge Oakland's first (and only) TD. But as the game went on, Oakland's D stopped Manning cold. Denver clearly tried it's best, and most of his attempts were under 40 yards. But Oakland kept finding a way to get it done, winning by a final score of 28-5.

Denver's rushing game had been shut down, but even Wheatley needed some help from Kaufman to help Oakland out on the ground. They'd total almost 160 yards. Gannon and Manning both fared similar, just throwing for 160 yards on 38 and 36 attempts, respectively. But whereas Janikowski seemed to be trying to make a FG record, Manning seemed to be aiming for one with INT's, having been picked off 6 times along the way.

'98 NY Jets vs. '84 Miami

The Jets scrambled to make anything happen against the Dolphins. Within the first minute of game time, Marino had hit Duper for a 50 yard bomb, which ended up setting the pace for the whole show. NY would get a FG on their first possession following, but the Dolphins' strong backs shut down Testaverde and crew.

In a bit of a twist that helped Miami's success on offense, it was Miami's rushing game that would almost match the Dolphins' passing yardage. They would put up 3 rushing TD's with 185 yards total between their entire core. Even Carter and Johnson got 8 carries, and made an easy 30 yards a piece.

In addition to a punt return for TD during the opening of the 2nd half, the Dolphins grab an easy W by a final score of 35-3. Marino was 17/29 for 259 yards. Testaverde, despite making almost twice as many throws, completed just 22 for 200 yards. 

'94 San Francisco vs. '92 New Orleans

In a unique turn events in New Orleans, the 49'ers offense would find itself trying to keep pace more with Morten Anderson than Bobby Hebert. After grabbing the first TD on a Young-Jones pass, the Saints would dominate the 2nd quarter. Their offense would put up 3 FG's in just 1 quarter. Up 9-7 with a minute left in the first half, the Niners would have a quick drive and squeeze in 3 of their own before the bell rang for halftime.

The Saints would cover that gap midway through the 3rd quarter, leading 12-10. The Niners, still moving the ball well on offense, finally took lead again after settling for a FG early in 4th quarter. At this point their defense would hold tight, keeping Hebert out of range for Anderson to do any more damage. Adding another late TD pass to Rice for their efforts, the Niners were able to take home the win, 20-12.    

Both teams cracked 100 yards rushing, despite no particular carrier grabbing more than 60 yards. Bitg teams also had 230+ passing yards, but only Steve Young stayed unblemished by a defender; Hebert had 3 INT's for the day. Young was an astonishing 20/25 with 2 TDs; Hebert was just 23/36.

'05 Seahawks vs. '99 Rams

The Seahawks traveled to the Trans World dome to take on the Greatest Show on Turf. But with Seattle having just beaten 2 teams so far this year, they would have to try hard to beat the Rams. St. Louis' rushing game was in full force, and racked up more yards than Warner did in the air!

After the first half, a pair of Seattle TD's would put the 'Hawks 2 points ahead of the Rams. But in the 2nd half, the Seahawks would come up looking more than unprepared. They scored only 10 more points, but couldn't outpace Warner and company. The Rams scored 5 2nd-half TD', with Warner throwing 3 TD throws and Holcombe with a crazy 56 yard run. In the end, the Rams keep their 1-loss record by a 47-24 score.

In a tremendous display of offense, both teams put up just 500 yards or more offense, with the rams rushing for, not 100 or 200 yards, but 314 yards total! After Faulk broke 200 yards, Holcombe got several carries for 79 yards more. Warner was just 18/34. Seattle flipped that effort with 385 yards passing. Engram and Jurevicious caught 6 or more balls for almost 90 yards each. Stevens and Jackson caught 4 each for 50 or more yards.

'06 Baltimore vs. '16 New England

The Ravens and Patriots went head-to-head in New England. The Ravens coming at 4-5 are just 1 win shy of the Pats themselves at 5-4. But after a first half in which Brady had 3 TD passes to McNair's one, it was clear the Ravens were in for a long battle.

Down 30-14 at half already, a solid 2nd quarter performance from McNair had Ravens fans hoping for the best. But their momentum was slowed down by New England's efforts on defense, while New England switched to some success on the run after Baltimore put more pressure on Brady. With the game at 34-14 for the 4th quarter, most fans knew where things were heading. Baltimore put on a good show, grabbing another TD in the air. But Brady and company were not deterred in the least. Patriots win by a final score of 58-21.

With over 446 passing yards, Brady was on fire for one of his best career performances. Completing 32/48 with 4 TDs and 0 picks, he averaged 14 yards / catch. Edelman was his main target with 12 catches for 149 yards for the day. Several other receivers had 4 catches, but only Bennett and Hogan made over 80 yards each for their efforts. Heap for Baltimore also had over 100 yards receiving in just 6 catches. 

'98 Minnesota vs. '06 Chicago

At 5 wins each, the Vikings and Bears faced off at Soldier Field for a shot at the 2nd-place spot in the NFC North. It was a close matchup, with both teams tied at the 1st half. But by the 3rd quarter, Chicago's first drive would end with a 52-yard pass from Grossman to Berrian. At this point, despite fumbling the ball several times, momentum shifted in their favor. Minnesota would bounce back with 9 more points, but not before the Bears calmly added another TD to their tally. Bears win 24-19.

Chicago recovered every one of their FIVE fumbles, and still managed over 400 yards offense much as the Vikings did. With almost 300 or more passing yards each, Grossman's edge over Cunningham was mostly a result of his receivers picking up far more yards-after-catch than Minnesota - averaging 15/completion overall. Chicago also had a stronger rushing game, being able to move not just Jones for 77 yards, but also getting 48 yards for Benson in just 7 carries.