Week 11

PurpleHaze

Game of the week: Miami vs Minnesota, hehe

The simple reason for my choosing is that the Fin's have been living on the edge with the hottest defense in all of football, also the Vikings are too on the verge of loosing their spot. I look to see a game highlighted by turnovers with both teams having an inconsistent quarterback in both Joey Harrington and Brad johnson/Brooks Bollinger. The key factor in this game, the matchup between Ronnie Brown and Chester Taylor.

2Slick

Patriots end skid with rout of Packers; Favre leaves injured

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Brett Favre wasn't around to finish the game.

Vinny Testaverde was.

The New England Patriots forced the Green Bay Packers' three-time MVP off the field with an elbow injury near the end of the first half, then snapped their first losing streak in nearly four years with a 35-0 victory at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

"It was just one of those days where a lot of things went right for us and not too many went right for Green Bay," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said.

Tom Brady threw for 244 yards and four touchdowns before he was replaced by backup Matt Cassel late in the fourth quarter. Testaverde, who was signed by New England earlier this week, then came in to run out the clock.

"There is not a whole lot of stuff out there that we did poorly," Brady said. "Now you just have to try to carry it over to next week. But there is a not a whole lot of carryover, just like last week didn't mean a whole lot to this week."

New England (7-3) had lost two straight games at home -- its first losing streak since the end of the 2002 season -- but is 5-0 on the road this year.

The Patriots had Sunday's game well under control even before Favre was injured.

New England had run up a 21-0 lead with under two minutes left in the first half when linebacker Tully Banta-Cain wrapped Favre up in the backfield and Tedy Bruschi jumped in to finish the sack. Bruschi's hit slammed Favre to the ground on his throwing arm, and the three-time MVP got up wincing.

"It doesn't matter if he's a quarterback or not, he's one of the toughest guys in the league," Bruschi said. "You know when he can't come back like that something's probably up."

Favre, who made his 251st consecutive start on Sunday including playoff games, was replaced by second-year player Aaron Rodgers. Favre walked back out of the locker room shortly after halftime, but Rodgers played the remainder of the game.

"It was a surprise when Brett couldn't come back in, because he's always been the iron man of the NFL," Packers rookie linebacker A.J. Hawk said.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Favre likely injured a nerve in his elbow. McCarthy said Favre wasn't in pain, but was unable to muster enough strength in his hand to grip the football properly after halftime.

McCarthy said he did not know whether Favre would be able to play in the Packers' next game.

To make matters even worse for Green Bay, Rodgers was limping through the locker room after the game.

"I ain't talking," Rodgers said.

Favre also did not speak to reporters. He struggled with his accuracy before the injury, going 5-for-15 for 73 yards and leading the Packers to only two first downs in the first half. Rodgers didn't fare much better, as the Packers finished the game with only five first downs.

"When you can count the number of first downs on one hand, it's embarrassing," center Scott Wells said.

Brady didn't have any such problems, taking advantage of strong pass protection.

"They were great, they were great," Brady said.

The Packers (4-6) couldn't take advantage of a chance to reach .500 under McCarthy, but he will likely have bigger problems on his mind this week after the Packers' second shutout loss at Lambeau this season.

McCarthy said he didn't see it coming after the Packers had won three of their last four games.

"We can't jump on that roller coaster that exists," McCarthy said. "We took a step back today, but there's a lot of positive things over the last four to five weeks that we need to help move forward."

The last time Favre left a game with an injury and failed to return was Oct. 3, 2004, when the New York Giants knocked him out of the game with a concussion. He will have an extra day of rest before the Packers' next game, at Seattle next Monday night.

The Patriots successfully converted fourth downs on their first two scoring drives, including one for a touchdown on their first possession. They went for it on fourth-and-1 at the Green Bay 2. Brady faked a handoff, then threw to tight end Daniel Graham for a touchdown in the back of the end zone.
Notes

* With the Patriots missing three defensive backs because of injuries, wide receiver Troy Brown played at nickelback and was flagged for defensive holding near the end of the first half. The penalty was declined.
* Packers tight end David Martin injured his ribs, but McCarthy said X-rays were negative.
* Dillon hurt his arm on the touchdown run but returned later in the game.

2Slick

Big Ben's shovel digs Steelers out of hole late

CLEVELAND -- Once again, Big Ben struck right on time.

Ben Roethlisberger shoveled a 4-yard touchdown pass to Willie Parker with 32 seconds left, rallying the Steelers to a 24-20 win over the Cleveland Browns, who were minutes away from kicking the defending Super Bowl champions into the AFC North basement.

Roethlisberger, intercepted three times in the first half, threw for 272 yards -- 224 in the fourth quarter -- as the Steelers (4-6) scored 21 points in the final period, avoiding a defeat that would have made it almost impossible to get into the playoffs.

"People put us down and out, but we're not going to quit," said Roethlisberger, who brought Pittsburgh back a week ago to beat New Orleans and shook off a sore shoulder in the fourth period. "We stayed together and came back to win."

Roethlisberger made his impromptu flick to Parker after avoiding Browns rookie Kamerion Wimbley, who pressured the QB throughout the second half and drilled him several times on the Steelers' game-winning drive.

"I scrambled and saw Willie," said Roethlisberger, 18-for-29 in the final 15 minutes. "I told him later I thought about giving it to him. He didn't like that, but I was joking. I knew he'd get in."

Parker, whose 1-yard TD run with 4:14 left brought the Steelers within 20-17, gave all the credit to his quarterback.

"It was completely improvised by Ben," Parker said. "It was a great play. He's our leader. We came back when he did it all."

The victory was the Steelers' first in five road games and Pittsburgh's first away from Heinz Field since humiliating the Browns 41-0 on Christmas Eve last season.

The Browns (3-7) spent all week talking about getting revenge, and for most of the rainy afternoon it looked like they would get it.

But Cleveland's defense couldn't stop Roethlisberger when it mattered most, and the Browns dropped their sixth consecutive game to their bitter rivals, who have won 12 of the past 13 between the teams.

"We had them," said tight end Kellen Winslow, who engaged in some serious pregame trash talking with Pittsburgh's Joey Porter. "We're in every single game. We just have to find a way to pull it out at the end."

Porter had no sympathy.

"If you talk and lose, you're still losers," he said. "They talk like a different team, but in reality they are not. They had all the breaks, all the bounces. But when it was nail-biting time and you've got to make plays, who made them?

After Roethlisberger's hookup with Parker, the Browns drove to Pittsburgh's 22. With 3 seconds left, Charlie Frye threw a jump ball to the back of the end zone that Braylon Edwards nearly grabbed in a crowd.

But when the ball fell to the ground, several of the Steelers dropped to their knees in relief. Edwards, Winslow and other Cleveland players consoled each other after another tough loss.

"This is very disappointing, especially after that 41-0 loss last year," linebacker Andra Davis said. "We've been looking forward to this one since that clock went to zeroes."

The Browns, who led 10-0 at halftime, were up 13-10 after Roethlisberger connected for a 20-yard TD pass to rookie Santonio Holmes with 9:33 left.

But Cleveland's Joshua Cribbs returned the ensuing kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown, and it looked as if the Browns, who haven't won two consecutive games since 2003, might hang on.

Roethlisberger, though, refused to let the Steelers down.

Finally finding his touch, he completed three third-down passes as Pittsburgh drove 79 yards and pulled within 20-17 on Parker's 1-yard run.

Cleveland's offense had a chance to run time off the clock, but after two running plays gained just 2 yards, Frye's third-down pass was batted down at the line by leaping Steelers safety Troy Polamalu.

The Steelers got the ball back with 3:06 left, and Roethlisberger hit passes of 13, 15 and 21 yards to get Pittsburgh in range for a possible tying field goal. He then hooked up with Holmes for a first down at Cleveland's 16. Two plays later, he bought himself just enough time from Cleveland's rush to flip the ball to Parker.

"Ben's got eyes to find you, so you better stay ready all the time," Parker said. "He'll make something out of nothing. And he got us this win."

Roethlisberger finished 25-of-44 for 272 yards and two TDs. Frye was 17-of-27 for 224 yards.

Cleveland's offense wasted two scoring chances in the first quarter, but the defense gave the Browns a 7-0 lead as cornerback Daven Holly returned a tipped pass 57 yards to make it 7-0.

Notes

* Wimbley's 6½ sacks are the most by a Browns rookie. Michael Dean Perry had six sacks in 1988.
* Browns RB Reuben Droughns sat out with a sprained right foot. His replacement, Jason Wright, had 74 yards on 18 carries.
* The Steelers picked up 19 first down in the fourth quarter.

2Slick

Panthers unleash D on Pace-less, punchless Rams

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Who knew that weekly steak dinners would be the cure to Carolina's defensive struggles?

The Panthers sacked Marc Bulger seven times and shut out St. Louis 15-0 on Sunday, the fifth straight loss for the Rams. Jake Delhomme threw a 62-yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith, and the Panthers' dominating defense made it stand up.

The Panthers came into the season feeling they had the best defense in the league. But Carolina struggled with injuries and chemistry. The problems magnified when Dallas scored 25 fourth-quarter points in a game three weeks ago.

Safety Mike Minter called a players-only meeting a few days later, suggesting all defensive players meet for dinner each Thursday night.

Since then the Panthers have allowed 10 points in two games. The Rams, devastated by the loss of Pro Bowl tackle Orlando Pace in last week's game, were shut out for the first time since 1998.

Mike Rucker had two sacks, including one for a safety with 2:24 left, while former Ram Damione Lewis and Chris Draft each had 1 1/2 sacks for Carolina, which tied a team record for sacks in a game.

"I don't know if (the dinners) are the magic formula, but they are a piece of the puzzle," Rucker said. "It's harder for me to shut down on you if I know you personally. I think it makes me play harder if I know you personally."

Rookie DeAngelo Williams took over for injured running back DeShaun Foster and rushed for 114 yards on 20 carries as the Panthers (6-4) won their second straight game and moved into a first-place tie with New Orleans in the NFC South.

The Panthers, coming in ranked 28th in the league in rushing, had a team-record 244 yards on the ground against the Rams, who have allowed seven different running back to rush for over 100 yards.

"Any back in the country that was in the backfield could have been in the backfield for us today would have rushed for 100 yards," Williams said. "They were just doing that good of a job up front."

Bulger was 19-of-34 for 142 yards and two interceptions, while the Rams (4-6) dropped five passes -- three by Isaac Bruce, who left in the fourth quarter with blurry vision.

On 12 possessions, the Rams had nine punts, an interception, a fumble and a safety as they finished with 111 yards. All from a team that was averaging more than 22 points a game.

"For us to come in and put up a dismal performance like that is very humbling," said running back Steven Jackson, who was held to 27 yards on seven carries.

The Rams, forced to shuffle their offensive line after losing Pace, had no answer to the Panthers' pass rush. Carolina, sending six or seven defenders on nearly every play, sacked Bulger five times in the first half.

Carolina's banged up secondary was never threatened despite being without starting cornerback Ken Lucas (thigh). Rookie Richard Marshall started opposite Chris Gamble.

Christian Morton, signed off the practice squad less than a month ago, intercepted Bulger deep in Rams' territory late in the third quarter. It led to John Kasay's 34-yard field goal that put the Panthers head 13-0 heading into the fourth quarter.

With just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Dion Byrum, signed on Thursday off Tampa Bay's practice squad, ripped the ball away from Torry Holt to end the Rams chances.

"We held a team like that, with all their weapons, to 15 points. You would think you could win a game, but we came out and pitched a goose egg," Holt said.

The Panthers led 3-0 late in the second quarter when Delhomme lofted a deep pass down the left sideline. Smith extended his arm to create some space against Oshiomogho Atogwe, caught the ball at the 15, and beat Corey Chavous to the end zone for a 62-yard touchdown.

Smith appeared to injure his left shoulder early in the third quarter. After being helped off the field, Smith vomited in the trash can -- the second straight week he was sick during a game. Smith returned on the next series, had four catches for 90 yards.

The Panthers, who came in averaging 92.3 yards rushing per game, dominated despite losing Foster in the second quarter to an elbow injury. X-rays were negative but Foster, who had nine carries for 63 yards, did not return.

Delhomme was 13-of-25 for 191 yards and an interception. He was sacked twice by La'Roi Glover.
Notes

* Keyshawn Johnson had eventful back-to-back plays in the fourth quarter. After catching a pass over the middle, Johnson tried to stiff arm rookie cornerback Tye Hill, but ripped off his helmet and was called for a 15-yard face mask penalty. On the next play the Panthers tried a trick play, but Johnson's pass for Smith was badly underthrown and intercepted -- by Hill.
* The Rams' last shutout loss was 14-0 Miami in Oct. 1998.
* The Rams wore white pants for the first time since they moved from Los Angeles.

2Slick

Ravens ride return maven Sams, Lewis, rally past Falcons

BALTIMORE -- For 30 minutes, the Baltimore Ravens' rejuvenated offense was rendered powerless by the depleted Atlanta Falcons.

Then B.J. Sams kick-started the Baltimore attack with two long returns, and the Ravens pulled away to a 24-10 victory Sunday.

Sams returned six kicks for 212 yards and Jamal Lewis tied a career high with three touchdowns to lead the Ravens (8-2) to their fourth straight win.

"Huge," Baltimore coach Brian Billick said of Sams' returns. "B.J. Sams put us in position time and time again."

After being held scoreless in the first half, the Ravens trailed 7-3 early in the third quarter before forcing an Atlanta punt. Sams juked, stutter-stepped and spun his way 59 yards to the Atlanta 17.

"I started to my left and hit the seam up the middle and my blockers were there," Sams said. "It came out perfect."

Lewis caught a swing pass for 5 yards on a fourth-and-1, then scored from the 2 on third down to give Baltimore its first lead.

Morten Andersen answered with a 21-yard field goal to tie it at 10, but Sams took the ensuing kickoff 59 yards to the Atlanta 37. Three plays later, Lewis backed into the end zone to end a 16-yard run that put Baltimore ahead for good.

"You get that kind of field position, you win," Ravens center Mike Flynn said. "We didn't have to drive the length of the field the way they did."

The Ravens clinched it with an 87-yard drive that lasted more than eight minutes. Lewis finished the 15-play march with a 5-yard touchdown run with 3:02 left.

Lewis ran for 91 yards on 22 carries.

"A couple of times out there, it kind of felt like old times," said Lewis, who amassed 2,066 yards rushing in 2003. "It's really not me, just the offensive line pushing guys down the field. Their defense was tired and we kind of took advantage of that in the fourth quarter."

Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick ran for 54 yards on six carries, but was sacked five times for 45 yards in losses and completed only 11 of 27 passes for 127 yards. The performance came against a Baltimore defense that played a second straight game without injured middle linebacker Ray Lewis (back).

"They give pressure to the quarterback and I think that's the thing they take pride in, especially without their leader out there on the field," Vick said. "I think that was their main goal, to put pressure on me, make us try to beat them through the air and put us in third-and-long situations -- which they did."

The Falcons (5-5) have lost three in a row. Atlanta's defense was without injured ends John Abraham and Patrick Kerney, linebacker Edgerton Hartwell, and cornerbacks Jimmy Williams and Jason Webster.

"We played great first-half defense. We shut down their running game and forced them to throw the ball. We were getting to the quarterback a couple of times," Falcons defensive end Paul Carrington said. "But basically, in the fourth quarter, they kind of started pounding it, pounding it. The defense kind of wore down."

Down 7-0 at halftime, the Ravens' slumbering offense finally stirred during the opening series of the third quarter. A 42-yard pass from Steve McNair to Mark Clayton set up a 29-yard field goal by Matt Stover, who earlier had his run of 36 straight field goals end with a misfire from 42 yards out.

McNair went 24-for-34 for 236 yards.

Falcons coach Jim Mora gambled on the game's first series, keeping his offense on the field on a fourth-and-1 from the Atlanta 39. Warrick Dunn was stuffed for a loss, but it didn't cost the Falcons because Stover followed with his first miss since Oct. 31, 2005.

It foreshadowed a miserable half for the Ravens, who left the field to a chorus of jeers. Baltimore received four false-start penalties, gained 7 yards on nine rushing attempts and blew another chance to score when McNair followed a 65-yard punt return by Sams with a fumble at the Atlanta 14.

"Special teams were huge," Billick said. "We didn't take as much advantage as we should have, but it kept us in position where we could just keep chipping away."

The only first-half score came late in the first quarter, when a 36-yard punt return by Allen Rossum set up a 13-yard touchdown pass from Vick to Michael Jenkins.

Rossum, however, was outdone by Sams.

"He's a great returner," Rossum said. "He definitely came out and showed us what we've seen on the films."
Notes

* Ravens TE Daniel Wilcox left with a hamstring injury and did not return.
* Andersen played in his NFL-record 362nd game. He needs eight more PATs to pass Gary Anderson for second-most in league history.
* Jenkins has scored four TDs in a five-game stretch.

2Slick

Bucs, Williams spoil Campbell's Redskins debut

TAMPA, Fla. -- Instead of sulking this season, a frustrated Carnell "Cadillac" Williams vowed to keep on running.

Last year's NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year broke a slump with his most productive game of the season Sunday, rushing for 122 yards to help Tampa Bay beat Washington 20-17 and spoil the debut of Redskins quarterback and former college teammate Jason Campbell.

"It really has been a while," Williams said after topping 100 yards for only the second time this season.

"First of all, it's good to get a win. And for me to go over 100 yards, for me to get 20-plus carries, it's just a big day."

Campbell looked poised and confident in his first regular season action for Washington, but the second-year pro might have fared better if he still had a player like Williams behind him to make his job easier.

The Redskins, who lost running back Clinton Portis for the season last week, were held to 64 yards rushing -- placing the burden on Campbell to carry an offense that's sputtered all year.

"When I went out there I didn't know what to expect, but a lot of guys were telling me it's just like riding a bicycle. You never forget," Campbell said.

"It's just a matter of getting back in to the rhythm. Once I got into the flow of the game, everything seemed to come naturally to me."

Rookie Bruce Gradkowski, making his seventh start, threw touchdown passes of 2 yards to Anthony Becht and 34 yards to Joey Galloway, the latter snapping a 10-all tie midway through the fourth quarter.

Williams' 26-yard run set up Matt Bryant's 31-yard field goal, giving the Buccaneers (3-7) a 10-point lead with less than four minutes remaining.

But Campbell and the Redskins (3-7) weren't finished.

Showing why coach Joe Gibbs drafted him in the first round and benched veteran starter Mark Brunell this week, Campbell led a 14-play, 80-yard drive that he capped with his second TD pass, a 4-yarder to Todd Yoder.

"He showed a lot of poise. He's got a big arm. He showed good command," Bucs coach Jon Gruden said. "I thought the Redskins rallied around him, too. I was impressed."

Gibbs, too.

"I wish we could have found a way to win it for him," the Hall of Fame coach said. "But there just wasn't something there to get it done today."

Tampa Bay ran out the clock after Michael Clayton recovered an onside kick with 32 seconds left.

Campbell completed 19 of 34 passes for 196 yards and no interceptions. He threw a 3-yard TD pass to tight end Chris Cooley for a 10-3 Washington lead in the third quarter.

Williams amassed his season-high rushing total on 27 carries and also caught two passes for 34 yards.

Tampa Bay has fallen behind early in most of its games, reducing Williams' role in the offense. His anxiety mounted when he carried a total of 35 times for 103 yards the previous three weeks.

"I told him: 'You're not the Lone Ranger of frustration. You're not the only guy frustrated,'" Gruden said. "He's a great back, and we hope he's on schedule to get another 1,000 yards."

Gradkowski was 14-of-21 for 178 yards and one interception, one of two turnovers the Redskins forced after going five games without causing any.

Campbell, the 25th player selected in the 2005 draft, took a snap in a regular-season game for the first time since leading Auburn to a victory in the Sugar Bowl to finish the Tigers' 2004 unbeaten season. Williams and Miami's Ronnie Brown were the star running backs on that team.

While many of the young quarterbacks selected before -- and after -- him got a chance to play in the season and a half that he rode the bench, Campbell patiently waited his turn. Brunell led the Redskins to the playoffs in 2005 and was given nine games to get the offense on track this year.

"Being able to sit for a year and a half, that helped me a lot," Campbell said. "I didn't feel like I was rushed into a situation."

Arm strength is one of Campbell's strongest attributes, and the Redskins tried to exploit it on their first play from scrimmage. Campbell's deep throw to Brandon Lloyd was on target, but the receiver dropped the pass racing up the sideline just ahead of cornerback Ronde Barber.

Campbell was sacked twice, but for the most part handled Tampa Bay's pass rush fairly well. He was hurt by the absence of two of Washington's biggest offensive weapons, Portis and receiver Santana Moss.

Portis broke his hand last week. With Moss sidelined with a hamstring injury, Cooley and running back Ladell Betts were Campbell's leading receivers with five catches apiece.

Notes:

* T.J. Duckett led the Redskins in rushing with 26 yards on five carries. His 18-yard run helped set up Campbell's first TD pass.
* Bucs TE Alex Smith and CB Juran Bolden left with ankle injuries.
* Washington's Troy Vincent suffered a hamstring injury in the first half and did not return.

2Slick

Eagles lose McNabb for season; Titans roll to victory

PHILADELPHIA -- Donovan McNabb's season is over early -- again.

The Philadelphia Eagles lost their star quarterback for the rest of the year with a torn knee ligament in a 31-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

McNabb will have surgery to repair the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and is expected to be sidelined from eight months to one year. It's the third time in five years McNabb has gone down with six or more games remaining in the regular season.

"It's an unfortunate thing," said Jeff Garcia, who replaced McNabb. "Donovan is a competitor, a leader and he was having a great season. He'll be missed."

McNabb was injured on the second play of the second quarter on a seemingly harmless play. He was rolling to his right near the Tennessee sideline and was bumped out of bounds by Kyle Vanden Bosch after throwing an incomplete pass. He grabbed his right knee and was immediately tended to by trainers before being carted off the field.

"If he was running to the sideline trying to get out of bounds, I don't take that shot, but he reared up and tried to throw it and I was trying to get a hand in his face," Vanden Bosch said. "I never play with the intent to get anybody hurt. It's a freak deal."

Without McNabb, the Eagles were no match for the lowly Titans.

Travis Henry had a 70-yard touchdown run, Adam "Pacman" Jones returned a punt 90 yards for a score and Vince Young was efficient.

Garcia was 26-for-48 for 189 yards and one TD filling in for McNabb, who threw an interception in the end zone in the first quarter.

Eagles coach Andy Reid wouldn't say whether Garcia or third-stringer A.J. Feeley would start at Indianapolis next week.

"We didn't take advantage of opportunities, even with Donovan in there," Reid said.

Young, the No. 3 overall pick in this year's draft, did more damage with his legs than his arm while helping the Titans (3-7) to their third win in his seven starts. The rookie ran for 49 yards and threw for 101 more and one TD. He completed just 8 of 22 passes.

Henry ran for 143 yards on 18 carries, and Tennessee finished with 209 yards on the ground.

"Just managing the game, that's basically it," Young said.

Young missed the team flight to Philadelphia on Saturday night and had to pay for his own flight. He said he got stuck in traffic behind a funeral procession.

"There will be no extraordinary disciplinary action taken," Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. "There will be a little fine and we'll move on."

The Titans went ahead 17-6 on their first play of the third quarter. From the Tennessee 30, Henry took a handoff, burst through the line, broke a few tackles and sprinted into the end zone for his longest career run.

Jones, suspended for one game by the team earlier this month, made it 24-6 when he broke at least five tackles on his punt return a few minutes later.

Garcia tossed a 5-yard TD pass to L.J. Smith to cut it to 24-13 with 9:11 left, but the Eagles couldn't rally against the worst-ranked defense in the NFL.

Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck scored on a lateral on a fumble return by Randy Starks in the final minute for the final margin.

With McNabb out, the Eagles (5-5) will have a difficult time staying in the playoff chase. McNabb, a five-time Pro Bowler, entered the game tied with Peyton Manning for the league lead with 18 TD passes and was second with 2,569 yards passing.

McNabb had surgery for a sports hernia and missed the final seven games last season when Philadelphia finished 6-10 a year after going to the Super Bowl. McNabb also sat out the final six regular-season games of the 2002 season with a broken ankle before returning for the playoffs.

The Eagles were 2-5 with Mike McMahon filling in for McNabb last year and went 5-1 with Koy Detmer and Feeley starting the last six games in '02.

"I've been in this game long enough. I have familiarity with the offense. It's just a matter of catching up to speed," said Garcia, who was a three-time Pro Bowl selection in five seasons with San Francisco earlier this decade.

Even with McNabb, the Eagles struggled at the start. Tennessee scored on its opening drive to take a 7-0 lead. Young stepped away from Darren Howard and tossed a 14-yard TD pass to Ben Troupe two plays after Henry ran 43 yards to the Eagles 16.

The Eagles wasted an opportunity after Mike Patterson recovered a fumble at Tennessee's 12. Drew Bennett caught a short pass but lost the ball after he ran into a teammate.

It appeared Philadelphia scored on a 5-yard pass from McNabb to Brian Westbrook, but the Titans challenged the play and the officials ruled Westbrook's knee was down at the half-yard line.

On the next play, McNabb underthrew an open Smith and Stephen Tulloch intercepted it end zone.

Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth played his first game since returning from a five-game suspension for kicking Dallas center Andre Gurode in the face with his cleats in a loss to Dallas on Oct. 1.

The Eagles had chances for big plays on defense, but Brian Dawkins and Lito Sheppard each dropped interceptions that could have been returned for TDs.
Notes

* Westbrook ran for 102 yards, reaching triple digits for the second straight game for the first time in his career. He also had a career-best 12 catches for 46 yards.
* Eagles cornerback Rod Hood was a surprise on the inactive list. Hood has been a valuable nickel back, but his role has been reduced since the arrival of William James.

2Slick

Bears make Jets offense disappear with second shutout

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Mark Bradley turned and caught the short pass from Rex Grossman, and then realized Drew Coleman was the only thing standing between him and the end zone.

"Every receiver loves a one-on-one situation," the Chicago Bears' second-year standout said. "It's just you and the DB on the island, and may the best man win.

On this play, it was no contest. Coleman slipped and Bradley turned the completion into a 57-yard touchdown 10 seconds into the final quarter, and the Bears beat the Jets 10-0 on Sunday.

"He threw the ball based on where the corner was," Bradley said. "I turned up inside and there was a lot of daylight. The safeties came down and rolled back to the strong side. That's why it was wide open."

The Jets blitzed on the play in an attempt to fluster Grossman, but it backfired.

"He made a good move," Coleman said of Bradley. "It hurt, but we were still in the game."

Well, not really. Chicago (9-1) notched its second shutout this season -- the Bears blanked the Packers at Green Bay on Sept. 10. The Bears, coming off a 38-20 victory over the New York Giants, also became the first road team since the 1999 Washington Redskins to win two straight at the Meadowlands

"New York has been good to us," Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "Coming here, a tough place to play, and getting two wins is big."

Next up is another tough road matchup against New England.

"Three weeks ago, we had a three-game stretch that looked pretty tough," Smith said. "Now we're down to one game and we're anxious to play a good New England Patriots team next."

Thomas Jones had 121 yards on 23 carries, and Grossman overcame an unproductive first half to go 11-of-22 for 119 yards and a touchdown.

"I never felt like we got into a rhythm," Grossman said. "But we didn't let them score, we ran the football well and we are going to win a lot of games doing that."

The Jets (5-5), who came in off a big win against New England last week, had two long drives end on interceptions thrown by Chad Pennington against the NFL's top-rated defense. The Bears entered having caused a league-leading 27 turnovers.

"We knew going into the game that we couldn't turn the ball over," Pennington said. "That was key, and we ended up having two turnovers that set us back a bit."

The game was supposed to be a measuring stick of whether the Jets are real playoff contenders. They might have to think twice about making postseason plans if this performance - their second shutout of the season - was any indication.

"None of us are shaking," receiver Laveranues Coles said. "We feel good about what we've been doing all year."

New York opened the second half by trying to catch the Bears off guard with an onside kick by Mike Nugent, but Chris Harris was able to recover at New York's 44.

"We kind of had a hunch that they might do something," Harris said. "That's this coach. That's his style. He does trick plays. We were kind of prepared for it."

Jones ran the ball on the next seven plays, setting up Robbie Gould's 20-yard field goal that gave Chicago a 3-0 lead 4:21 into the third quarter.

The teams were scoreless through the first half, but the Jets had the best scoring chance early in the second quarter.

After starting on their own 24, the Jets marched down the field and got down to the Bears 6. On New York's 13th play of the drive, Brian Urlacher stepped in front of a throw by Pennington in the end zone and returned the interception 36 yards.

"I was just reading his eyes," Urlacher said. "I don't think he saw me."

It was the second interception of Pennington's career in the red zone, and the first of two poor decisions that resulted in turnovers.

The Jets moved to the Bears 30 late in the third quarter when Alex Brown put heavy pressure on Pennington, who lobbed a pass to Chris Baker that was easily picked off by Nathan Vasher.

"Where he came from, I don't know," said Pennington, who wanted to throw it away.

Pennington finished 19-of-35 for 162 yards passing and the two interceptions.

The Jets nearly doubled the Bears in first-half yardage -- 156-80 -- and Grossman had just 7 yards on 5-of-12 passing. The Bears quarterback didn't complete another pass until he connected with Muhsin Muhammad for a 28-yard gain on third down with 4:31 left in the third quarter.
Notes

* Chicago DE Odewale Ogunleye left late with an apparent injury, but Smith said it wasn't serious.
* WR Tim Dwight had a 28-yard run off a reverse on New York's third play from scrimmage, the Jets' longest rushing play of the season.
* RB Cedric Houston led the Jets with 50 yards rushing after missing the last five games with a knee injury.

2Slick

Palmer, Johnson help Bengals overcome Brees' 510 passing yards

NEW ORLEANS -- If anyone doubted how seriously Chad Johnson takes his role on the Cincinnati Bengals, consider this: He was too hurt to perform his trademark end zone celebrations.

He retained the will to score game-breaking touchdowns.

For a second Sunday in a row, Johnson and quarterback Carson Palmer terrorized an opposing defense, connecting for 190 yards and three touchdowns. This time, however, it resulted in a 31-16 victory over the New Orleans Saints that halted a three-game losing skid and renewed hope of a playoff run in the Bengals' locker room.

"I'm trying to be as consistent as possible, trying to make sure I do all I can to make sure we come up out of this hole and make this run," said Johnson, who limped into the end zone at the end of a 60-yard touchdown reception that gave the Bengals a 17-10 lead in the fourth quarter. "It was a necessary victory. A must win."

Johnson said he was hurting, but he returned on the next series and caught a 48-yard pass, followed by a 4-yard TD catch on a quick slant as the Bengals (5-5) pulled away.

"I knew Chad was going to come back in the game," Palmer said. "He had been playing so well. He's a tough guy."

New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees lost top receiver Marques Colston, who left with an ankle injury in the first offensive series. That didn't slow down Brees, who went on to throw for more than 500 yards and two TDs.

Saints coach Sean Payton said Colston has a sprained left ankle, and did not yet know his status for next week.

The Saints (6-4) couldn't overcome Brees' three interceptions.

"Our guys are playing with a tremendous amount of energy, but they're making too many mistakes," Payton said.

Palmer and Johnson had combined 260 yards and two touchdowns last week against San Diego, but it was all for naught in a 49-41 loss. This week, they got some help from the defense, which thwarted four Saints drives with turnovers.

Palmer was 14-of-22 passing for 275 yards and benefited from the balance provided by Rudi Johnson's 111 yards rushing for the Bengals (5-5).

Palmer was intercepted once, but made the Saints pay when they blew coverages on play-action fakes. On the Bengals' first touchdown, Johnson changed his route, sprinting past cornerback Fred Thomas and raising his hand when he saw Saints safety Josh Bullocks wasn't deep enough. Palmer saw it and lofted a 41-yarder on target.

"That's nothing more than Chad and I just making eye contact through a route and the defense not even being around him because they're out of position," Palmer said. "Chad and I have worked together a lot, not just during the season. ... We understand each other. I understand how Chad runs certain routes and know he's always looking for that big play if he can get behind the defense."

New Orleans looked like the better team for much of the game, but as it was in its two previous losses to Pittsburgh and Baltimore, turnovers were costly.

"We can move the ball at will, any time, any place ... through the air, on the ground, whatever it takes," Brees said. "But when it really comes down to it, you have to take care of the football, you have to convert on third down. We can be as good as we want to be as long as we take care of the football."

Two promising drives ended with interceptions in the end zone.

Brees also had an interception returned 52 yards for a touchdown by Ethan Kilmer that gave the Bengals a 31-10 lead with 6:14 to go.

Cincinnati's defense also made an important stand early in the fourth quarter, stopping Deuce McAllister on a third-and-1 at the Bengals' 5-yard line. A touchdown could have put New Orleans ahead and changed the complexion of the game. Instead, John Carney 's short field goal tied the game at 10.

Brees was 37-of-52 for 510 yards passing, his fourth consecutive game with more than 300 yards. But New Orleans (6-4) has lost three of those four games, including two in a row.

Reggie Bush and McAllister combined for 91 yards rushing, with Bush accounting for 51.

Brees' touchdown passes went for 72 yards to Joe Horn in the first quarter and 27 yards to Terrance Copper late in the game.
Notes

* Horn's touchdown in the first quarter was his 50th for the Saints. He became one of only two players to ever reach 50 in New Orleans. The other was Dalton Hilliard, who had 53 from 1986-93.
* Kevin Kaesviharn, inserted as a starter at safety for injured Dexter Jackson (Achilles' tendon) had 10 tackles, including two sacks, and an interception.
* Brees' passing yardage total was sixth-highest in NFL history. The most is 554 by Norm Van Brocklin with the Los Angeles Rams in 1951.

Mr NFL

It a great night last night every match were so good. Cant wait to tonights match on ESPN.