The game of the week in Pittsburgh did not disappoint, nor did the return of the NFL to London, or the return of Brian Westbrook to the Eagles' backfield. The Bengals, Lions, Chiefs and 49ers however, are another story completely!
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
New York Giants (6-1) 21
Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) 14
The game billed as the best game of the first half of the season, a possible Super Bowl XLIII preview, and the battle of the 2004 draft class lived up to its billing. Eli Manning's Giants dominated the first half but couldn't find the end zone and Ben Roethlisberger's Steelers dominated the second half but couldn't put the Giants away. A fantastic, hard-hitting game turned on a dime in the fourth quarter when the Steelers went for it on fourth-and-five and Roethlisberger's pass was picked off. The Giants then reversed the second-half momentum and rattled off 12-straight points to win a huge game on the road against an elite opponent, silencing critics. Manning had 199 yards and one touchdown while Roethlisberger had 189 yards, one touchdown and four costly picks.
Dallas Cowboys (5-3) 13
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-3) 9
Dallas' defense woke up after taking a few weeks off and their performance was enough to keep Brad Johnson and the offense in the game long enough to win it. The Cowboys are 1-1 without Tony Romo, and so far, it's been harder to watch than Jessica Simpson's acting. Tampa Bay reaches the season's half-way point 1 game out of the lead in the NFC South, and now out of the Wild Card spot after losing this would-be tie-breaker to Dallas.
Washington Redskins (6-2) 25
Detroit Lions (0-7) 17
The winless Lions might feel hopeless after losing this one. Detroit allowed Santana Moss to rack up 140 receiving yards and a touchdown, but the crushing blow came early in the fourth quarter when Moss took only his second punt return of the season to the house for what wound up being the game-winner. Washington finds themselves in a prime position to make the postseason, with the second best record in the Conference and wins at both NFC East rivals Dallas and Philadelphia under their belts.
Miami Dolphins (3-4) 25
Buffalo Bills (5-2) 16
The "wildcat" strikes again! It is difficult to predict where Miami will get its offense from with their unconventional offense, and this week it was Ted Ginn Jr. who shouldered the load. Ginn had seven catches for a career-high 175 yards. Buffalo squandered a nine-point lead and watched Miami score the game's last 18-points, including one of three safeties that occurred around the league in Week 8. Buffalo falls into a tie for the AFC East lead with the loss, but is still well-placed with only the Titans holding a better record.
New England Patriots (5-2) 23
St. Louis Rams (2-5) 16
Jim Haslett's Rams almost did it again. After an 0-4 start and a coaching change, the Rams had won two in-a-row and led the Patriots in the fourth quarter in Foxborough. But quarterback Matt Cassel steadily led the Patriots to two fourth-quarter scorings drives to steal the win. Don't look now, but the once dead-in-the-water Pats are in first place in the AFC East again.
New Orleans Saints (4-4) 37
San Diego Chargers (3-5) 32
The Chargers defense hasn't been able to stop anyone all season, and as it turns out, playing on another continent wasn't the answer. Drew Brees and the Saints marched into Wembley Stadium and found their swagger after a tough Week 7. Brees and the Chargers' Philip Rivers threw for a combined 680 yards and six touchdowns, putting on quite a show for the British crowd as the Saints outlasted the Chargers and withstood a 12-point San Diego run to end the game.
New York Jets (4-3) 28
Kansas City Chiefs (1-6) 24
Brett Favre wasn't exactly precise, but it worked. Favre threw three interceptions, but led the Jets to the win and kept their playoff hopes high. The honeymoon appeared over though, as Jets fans loudly booed Favre after his third interception. But as he said himself, "it was a little premature," as he then hit Lavernues Coles with a game-winning 15-yard touchdown pass touchdown with 1:00 in the fourth quarter. New York is just one-game out of the AFC East lead, but trails New England (who they already lost to once) and Buffalo (who they face in week 9).
Philadelphia Eagles (4-3) 27
Atlanta Falcons (4-3) 14
In a battle of two very good teams cursed with being at the bottom of two very good divisions, the Eagles kept their playoff hopes alive with a win thanks to the return of Michael Westbrook. The Swiss Army knife of running backs returned after two weeks off with a bad ankle and broken ribs, but still rushed for 167 yards and two touchdowns, including the third-quarter game-winner and a fourth quarter exclamation point. Both teams will need huge second halves, with Atlanta in 3rd and New Orleans in 4th and a combined 0-4 in their respective divisions.
Carolina Panthers (6-2) 27
Arizona Cardinals (4-3) 23
The Cardinals are going to have to find a way to win on the road (1-3) if they hope to be taken seriously as a contender. Carolina's Jake Delhomme continued his fantastic return from Tommy John surgery as he led the Panthers' second half comeback. Carolina found themselves down 17-3 in the third quarter before their offense erupted for a 24-6 run to end the game. Carolina now leads the NFC South by a game as Arizona's lead in the NFC West dropped to two games.
Baltimore Ravens (4-3) 29
Oakland Raiders (2-5) 10
After an encouraging game last week for Jamarcus Russell, the Ravens defense put the rookie quarterback in his place in Week 8. The Raiders managed just 234 yards of offense on the day as they found themselves down 19 at half before finally scoring in the third quarter for the first time. Ravens' rookie quarterback Joe Flacco's numbers weren't impressive (140 yards), but he threw for a touchdown, ran in a touchdown and nearly caught a touchdown pass from Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith (Flacco stumbled and fell near the goal line after making the catch).
Cleveland Browns (3-4) 23
Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4) 17
David Garrard outgunned Derek Anderson, throwing 283 yards and two touchdowns for Jacksonville, but it was Anderson who got the last laugh. After an 0-3 start, the Browns are now looking like the team they were expected to be, winning three of their last four contests, including wins against good teams like the New York Giants and Jaguars in Jacksonville. The Jags had a chance to tie the game up in the final minute as wide receiver Matt Jones tipped a ball twice in the end zone before safety Nick Sorenson knocked it out of reach with his helmet.
Houston Texans (3-4) 35
Cincinnati Bengals (0-8) 6
Texans quarterback Matt Schaub made sure there would be no let-down against the winless Bengals as he lit the beleaguered Cincinnati secondary for 280 yards and three touchdowns. The win is the Texans third in-a-row as they battered Ryan Fitzpatrick, who only managed 155 yards in the air, threw two interceptions, lost a fumble and was sacked twice. While Cincinnati fell to 0-8 for the fifth time in franchise history, the Texans hold the league's second longest winning streak, but are still looking up at all three teams in the AFC South.
Seattle Seahawks (2-5) 34
San Francisco 49ers (2-6) 13
The season has not gone how either of these NFC West rivals had planned, and even with a win in Week 8 for Seattle, it doesn't look like either has much to look forward to in the second half. Frank Gore got back on track after gaining 11 yards against the Giants last week, but he was kept out of the end zone again. Interim head coach Mike Singletary put his signature on the 49ers, sending tight end Vernon Davis to the locker room early, and benching starting quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan in favor of Shaun Hill. Seneca Wallace was solid for Seattle, throwing for 222 yards and two touchdowns, although Seattle was held to just 39 rushing yards. San Francisco has lost five straight.
Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) 14
The game billed as the best game of the first half of the season, a possible Super Bowl XLIII preview, and the battle of the 2004 draft class lived up to its billing. Eli Manning's Giants dominated the first half but couldn't find the end zone and Ben Roethlisberger's Steelers dominated the second half but couldn't put the Giants away. A fantastic, hard-hitting game turned on a dime in the fourth quarter when the Steelers went for it on fourth-and-five and Roethlisberger's pass was picked off. The Giants then reversed the second-half momentum and rattled off 12-straight points to win a huge game on the road against an elite opponent, silencing critics. Manning had 199 yards and one touchdown while Roethlisberger had 189 yards, one touchdown and four costly picks.
Dallas Cowboys (5-3) 13
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-3) 9
Dallas' defense woke up after taking a few weeks off and their performance was enough to keep Brad Johnson and the offense in the game long enough to win it. The Cowboys are 1-1 without Tony Romo, and so far, it's been harder to watch than Jessica Simpson's acting. Tampa Bay reaches the season's half-way point 1 game out of the lead in the NFC South, and now out of the Wild Card spot after losing this would-be tie-breaker to Dallas.
Washington Redskins (6-2) 25
Detroit Lions (0-7) 17
The winless Lions might feel hopeless after losing this one. Detroit allowed Santana Moss to rack up 140 receiving yards and a touchdown, but the crushing blow came early in the fourth quarter when Moss took only his second punt return of the season to the house for what wound up being the game-winner. Washington finds themselves in a prime position to make the postseason, with the second best record in the Conference and wins at both NFC East rivals Dallas and Philadelphia under their belts.
Miami Dolphins (3-4) 25
Buffalo Bills (5-2) 16
The "wildcat" strikes again! It is difficult to predict where Miami will get its offense from with their unconventional offense, and this week it was Ted Ginn Jr. who shouldered the load. Ginn had seven catches for a career-high 175 yards. Buffalo squandered a nine-point lead and watched Miami score the game's last 18-points, including one of three safeties that occurred around the league in Week 8. Buffalo falls into a tie for the AFC East lead with the loss, but is still well-placed with only the Titans holding a better record.
New England Patriots (5-2) 23
St. Louis Rams (2-5) 16
Jim Haslett's Rams almost did it again. After an 0-4 start and a coaching change, the Rams had won two in-a-row and led the Patriots in the fourth quarter in Foxborough. But quarterback Matt Cassel steadily led the Patriots to two fourth-quarter scorings drives to steal the win. Don't look now, but the once dead-in-the-water Pats are in first place in the AFC East again.
New Orleans Saints (4-4) 37
San Diego Chargers (3-5) 32
The Chargers defense hasn't been able to stop anyone all season, and as it turns out, playing on another continent wasn't the answer. Drew Brees and the Saints marched into Wembley Stadium and found their swagger after a tough Week 7. Brees and the Chargers' Philip Rivers threw for a combined 680 yards and six touchdowns, putting on quite a show for the British crowd as the Saints outlasted the Chargers and withstood a 12-point San Diego run to end the game.
New York Jets (4-3) 28
Kansas City Chiefs (1-6) 24
Brett Favre wasn't exactly precise, but it worked. Favre threw three interceptions, but led the Jets to the win and kept their playoff hopes high. The honeymoon appeared over though, as Jets fans loudly booed Favre after his third interception. But as he said himself, "it was a little premature," as he then hit Lavernues Coles with a game-winning 15-yard touchdown pass touchdown with 1:00 in the fourth quarter. New York is just one-game out of the AFC East lead, but trails New England (who they already lost to once) and Buffalo (who they face in week 9).
Philadelphia Eagles (4-3) 27
Atlanta Falcons (4-3) 14
In a battle of two very good teams cursed with being at the bottom of two very good divisions, the Eagles kept their playoff hopes alive with a win thanks to the return of Michael Westbrook. The Swiss Army knife of running backs returned after two weeks off with a bad ankle and broken ribs, but still rushed for 167 yards and two touchdowns, including the third-quarter game-winner and a fourth quarter exclamation point. Both teams will need huge second halves, with Atlanta in 3rd and New Orleans in 4th and a combined 0-4 in their respective divisions.
Carolina Panthers (6-2) 27
Arizona Cardinals (4-3) 23
The Cardinals are going to have to find a way to win on the road (1-3) if they hope to be taken seriously as a contender. Carolina's Jake Delhomme continued his fantastic return from Tommy John surgery as he led the Panthers' second half comeback. Carolina found themselves down 17-3 in the third quarter before their offense erupted for a 24-6 run to end the game. Carolina now leads the NFC South by a game as Arizona's lead in the NFC West dropped to two games.
Baltimore Ravens (4-3) 29
Oakland Raiders (2-5) 10
After an encouraging game last week for Jamarcus Russell, the Ravens defense put the rookie quarterback in his place in Week 8. The Raiders managed just 234 yards of offense on the day as they found themselves down 19 at half before finally scoring in the third quarter for the first time. Ravens' rookie quarterback Joe Flacco's numbers weren't impressive (140 yards), but he threw for a touchdown, ran in a touchdown and nearly caught a touchdown pass from Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith (Flacco stumbled and fell near the goal line after making the catch).
Cleveland Browns (3-4) 23
Jacksonville Jaguars (3-4) 17
David Garrard outgunned Derek Anderson, throwing 283 yards and two touchdowns for Jacksonville, but it was Anderson who got the last laugh. After an 0-3 start, the Browns are now looking like the team they were expected to be, winning three of their last four contests, including wins against good teams like the New York Giants and Jaguars in Jacksonville. The Jags had a chance to tie the game up in the final minute as wide receiver Matt Jones tipped a ball twice in the end zone before safety Nick Sorenson knocked it out of reach with his helmet.
Houston Texans (3-4) 35
Cincinnati Bengals (0-8) 6
Texans quarterback Matt Schaub made sure there would be no let-down against the winless Bengals as he lit the beleaguered Cincinnati secondary for 280 yards and three touchdowns. The win is the Texans third in-a-row as they battered Ryan Fitzpatrick, who only managed 155 yards in the air, threw two interceptions, lost a fumble and was sacked twice. While Cincinnati fell to 0-8 for the fifth time in franchise history, the Texans hold the league's second longest winning streak, but are still looking up at all three teams in the AFC South.
Seattle Seahawks (2-5) 34
San Francisco 49ers (2-6) 13
The season has not gone how either of these NFC West rivals had planned, and even with a win in Week 8 for Seattle, it doesn't look like either has much to look forward to in the second half. Frank Gore got back on track after gaining 11 yards against the Giants last week, but he was kept out of the end zone again. Interim head coach Mike Singletary put his signature on the 49ers, sending tight end Vernon Davis to the locker room early, and benching starting quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan in favor of Shaun Hill. Seneca Wallace was solid for Seattle, throwing for 222 yards and two touchdowns, although Seattle was held to just 39 rushing yards. San Francisco has lost five straight.
