Category: In The News

Garrard and Jaguars Add to Cowboys’ Woes

Garrard tied a club record with four touchdown passes and ran for another while narrowly missing a perfect quarterback rating, leading the Jaguars to a 35-17 victory over the Cowboys on Sunday.

Tony Romo could only watch from the sideline, his left arm in a sling because of a broken collarbone, as the Cowboys (1-6) continued their worst start since 1989. The disturbing part for Dallas is that this one was not even close; all previous losses were by a touchdown or less. It was not even as close as the final score suggests.

“I’m dumbfounded,” owner said.

Coach Wade Phillips normally can find a silver lining in anything, no matter how meaningless, such his new starting quarterback, Jon Kitna, throwing for 379 yards or Dallas scoring two fourth-quarter touchdowns. He was absolutely deflated this time, his voice lacking any energy.

“I’m distraught, to say the least,” Phillips said. “I’ve got talented players and I’m not getting them to play well enough. To me, that’s the root of the problem.”

The Cowboys trailed by 14-3 and were inside the 1-yard line just before halftime when Kitna turned right and Marion Barber went left. There was a handoff, a collision and an easy goal-line stand for Jacksonville (4-4). Garrard opened the second half with touchdowns on his first two drives, making it 28-3, and the result never was in doubt again.

The Jaguars were coming off losses by 22 and 27 points, with Garrard having missed the last game recovering from a concussion. He completed his first 12 passes, finally misfiring early in the third quarter only to avoid a sack. He threw his third touchdown on the next snap. He finished 17 of 21 for 260 yards. Even with three sacks and a lost fumble, his rating was 157.8; perfect is 158.3.

¶ passed for 305 yards and 2 touchdowns and the host beat the , 20-10.

Brees was 20 of 22 for 191 yards in the second half, breaking open a defensive struggle in which no team scored a touchdown through the first three quarters.

Brees’s first touchdown pass went to Marques Colston for 16 yards and the second went for 8 yards to Lance Moore with 2 minutes 37 seconds left.

Leigh Torrence then intercepted to seal it for the Saints (5-3).

Roethlisberger was 17 of 28 for 195 yards for the Steelers (5-2).

Kickers Save the Day

Dan Carpenter kicked five field goals for the second straight game, and the visiting made them stand up in beating the , 22-14, to remain perfect on the road. Last week, the Dolphins (4-3) lost after a disputed play. Ben Roethlisberger’s touchdown was ruled a fumble on review, but the Steelers kept the ball and kicked a field goal for a 23-22 win, offsetting Carpenter’s five field goals.

The Bengals (2-5) failed to get a first down in the third quarter and were shut out in the second half. Their final chance ended with ’s interception with 2:43 to go.

¶Ryan Succop kicked a 34-yard field goal as time expired in overtime to lift the host over the winless , 13-10.

Succop had a chance to win the game with 3:38 to go in overtime, but his 39-yard attempt with 3:38 to go hooked left at the last instant.

Buffalo’s Rian Lindell hit what would have been a 53-yard winner earlier in the overtime, but the kick was nullified because the Chiefs (5-2) had called their last time out. Forced to do it again, Lindell kicked a wobbler that hit the right upright.

The Bills (0-7)are off to the third-worst start in franchise history.

Finding a Rhythm

Matthew Stafford made the most of his return. He threw four touchdown passes, including a 10-yarder to Calvin Johnson with 3 minutes 12 seconds left, and the host went on to score 9 points in 14 seconds to turn a close game into a 37-25 win over the .

The Redskins (4-4) turned the ball over on downs after Johnson’s career-high third score. Washington Coach then put Rex Grossman in for an apparently healthy , and he fumbled on his first play with Ndamukong Suh returning it for a touchdown.

The Lions (2-5) were trailing late in the game with Alphonso Smith stepped in front of McNabb’s pass at the Redskins’ 26 to set up the go-ahead touchdown.

Stafford played for the first time since Week 1, when he separated his right shoulder on a sack at Chicago. He finished 26 of 45 for 212 yards and had an interception.

¶Troy Smith needed three quarters to find his range in his first start as a 49er. Once he did, San Francisco rallied to victory in the ’s fourth regular-season game in London.

He completed three long passes in the fourth quarter to lead the 49ers (2-6) to a 24-16 win over the (2-6).

¶Philip Rivers threw a go-ahead, 48-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Gates midway through the third quarter and the host rallied for a 33-25 win against the , who lost quarterback Vince Young to another injury.

San Diego (3-5) snapped a three-game losing streak and won its eighth straight game against Tennessee dating to 1993. The Titans (5-3) had their three-game winning streak snapped. San Diego is the only team Titans Coach Steve Fisher has not beaten.

Young was hurt while scrambling with less than six minutes to play and had to be helped off the field.

Around the League

Sam Bradford threw two touchdown passes and the ’ defense forced four turnovers in a 20-10 victory against the visiting .

Bradford threw a 2-yard scoring pass to Danny Amendola in the second quarter and a 23-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Fells in the fourth as the Rams — an N.F.L.-worst 1-15 last season — reached the midway point at 4-4.

¶Jason Campbell threw for 310 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Oakland’s defense delivered helped the host to a 33-3 victory against the . Oakland (4-4) did not allow a first down until more than 27 minutes into the game and gave up just 162 yards of offense to the Seahawks (4-3).

¶Aqib Talib intercepted two passes, returning one 45 yards for a touchdown and saving the game with the other, and the Buccaneers (5-2) rallied from a fourth-quarter deficit for the fourth time this season to secure a 38-35 victory against the host Cardinals (3-4).

Correction: November 3, 2010

An Associated Press report on Monday about Sunday’s N.F.L. games misstated, in some editions, the Dallas Cowboys’ record after a 35-17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. That loss made them 1-6, not 1-5. The error was repeated in a picture caption.

Bills Storm Back to Beat Bengals

Angry at the officials for giving host Cincinnati another play to kick a field goal. Angry at themselves for getting in such a big hole in front of such a small crowd.

Angry enough to pull off their best comeback in 13 years.

Ryan Fitzpatrick matched his career high with four touchdown passes, and the Bills rallied for their second straight win, 49-31 over the bumbling on Sunday.

“We could’ve easily folded our tent,” said cornerback Drayton Florence, who returned a fumble 27 yards for a touchdown during the comeback. “It looked like they folded their tents.”

Buffalo (2-8) took advantage of Cincinnati’s depleted secondary for its biggest comeback since it overcame a 26-0 deficit and beat the , 37-35, on Sept. 21, 1997. The turning point came at the end of the first half, when the clock ran out but the officials ruled Cincinnati had called timeout with one second left.

The Bengals (2-8) used that restored second to kick a field goal for a 17-point cushion. But Fitzpatrick and Buffalo took advantage of a defense down to four healthy defensive backs by game’s end. Steve Johnson caught three of Fitzpatrick’s touchdown passes, including an 11-yarder that put Buffalo ahead, 35-31, early in the fourth quarter.

“We are terrible,” receiver said. “And I don’t blame the fans for booing us. I don’t blame people for not wanting to come and see the performance we’ve put up” in the last seven games.

Win in Overtime

Graham Gano kicked a 48-yard field goal in overtime as the Redskins kept their faint playoff hopes alive with a 19-16 victory over the , who self-destructed so thoroughly on their home field that the fans booed repeatedly and Vince Young left without speaking with reporters after being knocked out of the game with an injured thumb. Young was 12 of 16 for 165 yards but left after his hand slammed into a helmet while completing a pass. Coach Jeff Fisher said Young, who threw his jersey and his shoulder pads into the stands as he left the field, had a torn flexor tendon in his right thumb that may need season-ending surgery. Either way, Fisher said the rookie Rusty Smith was now Tennessee’s starter. Young wrote on three hours later that he was fine and “sorry to my teammates.” He then tweeted, “Just want to play.”

Wins for A.F.C. Leaders

After spotting the visiting a 3-0 lead, threw three touchdown passes and ran for a fourth as the rolled at home, 35-3. The Steelers (7-3) made Oakland (5-5) one-dimensional by limiting Darren McFadden to 14 yards on 10 carries. Richard Seymour, long one of the league’s top defensive players, displayed Oakland’s frustration by punching Roethlisberger in the face as Roethlisberger celebrated a touchdown pass late in the second quarter. Seymour was ejected.

¶Dwayne Bowe caught two touchdown passes to help the remain unbeaten at home with a 31-13 victory over the fading Cardinals. Bowe set a team record with at least one score in six straight games; he has 563 yards receiving and 10 touchdown catches during the span. Kansas City (6-4) took sole possession of first place in the A.F.C. West. The Cardinals (3-7) lost their fifth straight.

Win Again

The Cowboys beat the visiting , 35-19, after Jon Kitna put the game away by throwing two short touchdown passes to Miles Austin and surprising everyone with a 29-yard touchdown run, the longest of his 14-year career. The win was the second straight, and the first at home this season, for Dallas (3-7) since Jason Garrett replaced Wade Phillips as coach. The Lions (2-8) lost their 26th straight on the road.

¶Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdown passes — three to Greg Jennings — as the beat the host , 31-3. threw his 17th interception and looked ready for retirement, with six seemingly meaningless games left for Minnesota (3-7) in the epilogue of his 20-year career. “This has got me at a loss for words,” he said. The Packers (7-3) kept pace in the N.F.C. North race with the Bears (7-3).

In Other Games

Maurice Jones-Drew followed a 75-yard reception with a 1-yard touchdown dive, and the host Jaguars overcame six turnovers to beat the banged-up , 24-20. Jones-Drew broke four tackles on a screen pass from David Garrard and weaved his way toward the end zone, with the rookie Joe Haden making a touchdown-saving tackle that ended up taking precious seconds off the clock. Jones-Drew scored two plays later, with 1 minute 16 seconds left.

¶Matt Ryan threw two scoring passes and directed an offense so dominant that three St. Louis defenders left with cramps in the Falcons’ 34-17 win over the host .

¶Marques Colston and Robert Meachem each caught two touchdown passes from in the ’ 34-19 win over the visiting . New Orleans (7-3) remained one game behind Atlanta in the N.F.C. South.

¶Baltimore’s defense returned consecutive interceptions for touchdowns in the fourth quarter and Joe Flacco threw for 301 yards as the visiting beat the , 37-13. The Ravens (7-3) finally rattled Carolina’s fill-in quarterback, Brian St. Pierre, to break it open. St. Pierre was given the starting job by Carolina (1-9) after Matt Moore (shoulder) and Jimmy Clausen (concussion) were hurt.

¶Josh Freeman threw two touchdown passes and the Buccaneers beat the stagnant , 21-0, for their first win at Candlestick Park since 1980. Tampa Bay is 7-3; San Francisco dropped to 3-7.

Giants’ Defense Makes Stand With Three Straight Sacks

In those moments late Sunday afternoon, Garrard became a snapshot of the latest victim of the Giants’ pass rush, turning into a human punching bag at the end of at New Meadowlands Stadium.

In a defensive stand that saved a win — and perhaps a teetering season — the Giants sacked Garrard three consecutive times on the Jaguars’ final possession after Jacksonville moved deep into Giants territory.

On third down, cornerback Terrell Thomas provided the punctuation mark by forcing a fumble that was recovered by safety Antrel Rolle. After that, the Giants (7-4) knelt to victory to stay afloat in the National Football Conference and move into a after .

After the Giants took the lead on a 32-yard touchdown reception by Kevin Boss with 3 minutes 15 seconds to play, the Jaguars (6-5) got the ball back 73 yards from the end zone. The members of the Giants’ defense realized the season was on the line.

“I think there was some of that,” defensive tackle Barry Cofield said. “There was some of that at halftime. We realized we were about to let the season go down the drain.”

In the first half, the Giants did not have answers for Garrard or the diminutive running back Maurice Jones-Drew.

The Jaguars built a 17-6 halftime lead thanks to Garrard, who ran through the grasp of more than one defender (including the outstretched arms of end Osi Umenyiora en route to a second-quarter touchdown). Jones-Drew helped to keep the Giants off balance by rushing for 73 yards in the first two quarters.

At halftime, the captain and Umenyiora each made a speech so impassioned, Cofield said, he was nearly brought to tears. Tuck preached about protecting their home turf. Umenyiora, usually reserved even around his teammates, grew so intense that he was screaming.

Rolle described the overriding emotion in the locker room as anger.

“We weren’t playing ball the way we needed to play ball,” Rolle said. “We weren’t physical. We weren’t playing disciplined football. We allowed things to happen to us that shouldn’t have happened.”

In back-to-back losses before Sunday, the Giants’ defense showed holes. Though the Giants were soft in the first half against Jacksonville, they stiffened later as a result of the halftime speeches and a heightened focus on execution.

The Jaguars accumulated only 92 yards of offense in the second half and went 5 for 10 on third-down conversions after converting 5 of 6 in the first half. Thomas intercepted Garrard at the Jaguars’ 39 on the first offensive play of the third quarter, which help set a tempo for the Giants’ defense.

The game, though, came down to the Jaguars’ last possession. Garrard moved the Jaguars 39 yards to the Giants’ 34 by completing 3 of 6 passes, all but one out of the shotgun formation. The Jaguars reached the Giants’ 29 when cornerback Aaron Ross was flagged for defensive holding, giving Garrard just under two minutes to move Jacksonville in for the go-ahead touchdown.

“That was the game,” Rolle said. “It was put on our backs, which is something we don’t mind. We have guys that have extreme measures of heart. If the game is on the line and our backs are against the wall, we’ll respond to that.”

With the Jaguars threatening, Perry Fewell, the Giants’ first-year defensive coordinator, called . Instead of having the Giants play conservatively, though they were in a cover 2, Fewell sent pressure at Garrard. It worked.

On first down, a sack by Rolle and Tuck.

On second down, a sack by end Jason Pierre-Paul.

On third down, a sack by Thomas.

After each of the first two sacks, the Jaguars called time out, and Garrard walked gingerly back to the huddle. He needed time to rouse himself while prone on the turf. The Giants put an exclamation point on the third sack with a fumble recovery.

The Giants’ game-ending beating of Garrard put a stamp on the victory, but it also strengthened their playoff hopes.