By Paul Casey Gotham
Take off to the Great White North
Heading to their home away from home has not been so welcoming for the Buffalo Bills. That is until yesterday. Mike Shanahan would rather not play again in the “Truth North.”
The Bills dominated the Washington Redskins in every way possible winning 23-0. Buffalo’s 390 yards of offense trumped Washington’s 178, and the remaining numbers fell in line. Buffalo’s offense moved the chains 17 times in nearly 35 minutes of possession to the ‘Skins 10 first downs while holding the ball for 25 minutes.
Buffalo’s defense made Donovan McNabb happy he was holding a clipboard…for the Minnesota Vikings. The Bills sacked Washington QB John Beck nine times and picked off two of his passes.
Tight end Scott Chandler had his second two-touchdown performance of the season catching Ryan Fitzpatrick strikes from 15 and 20 yards. Prior to this season, Chandler accounted for exactly zero touchdowns. The Iowa Hawkeye is putting the tight end back into the Bills offense with 15 receptions and six touchdowns.
Fred Jackson accounted for 194 yards from scrimmage – 120 on the ground and 74 through the air including a 46-scamper after a dropoff over the line.
It was Buffalo’s first win in four games played in Toronto and it came at the expense of Mike Shanahan. The shutout was the first endured by the two-time Super Bowl winning coach in his 24 years as head coach.
Color Me Impressed
Rookie quarterbacks squared off in Charlotte when Cam Newton went under center for the Carolina Panthers and Christian Ponder called signals for the Minnesota Vikings. The freshmen didn’t look so green behind the ears. Newton connected on 22-35 with three touchdowns, but lost to Ponder who completed 18 of 28 and one touchdown.
Ponder had more help on both sides of the ball. Adrian Peterson rushed for 162 yards and two touchdowns. Jared Allen had five tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and fumble recovery. Allen has a sack in 10 straight games for the Vikes.
Radar Love
The City of Brotherly Love has moved past REM state. Green Bay is undefeated. Cam Newton is a shooting star. Diarrhea of the mouth runs in the Ryan family, and the Broncos quarterback is seeking to gain entry into the dictionary as a verb. All these and more grab the NFL headlines.
Quietly getting the job done in the AFC North the Cincinnati Bengals have stayed off the radar, but are in position to make a run at the playoffs.
The Bengals are 5-2 for the fourth time in the last 21 years. The previous three occasions ended in the playoffs.
Rookie Andy Dalton threw a pair of first half touchdowns including one to fellow first-year player, A.J. Green. Reggie Nelson returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown, and Brandon Tate returned a punt for a touchdown as the Bengals won their fourth straight with a victory over Seattle, 34-12.
Your own worst enemy has come to town
Pennsylvania’s football teams limped into the weekend. Critics called the Steelers defense slow, and the Eagles were trapped by their own hype. Enter their worst enemies.
Tom Brady and his New England Patriots went to Steel Town with a chance to put the Steelers under their thumb. Instead the Pittsburgh D dictated. The Steelers held the Pats to just 213 net yards in a 25-17 victory. The Pats converted on third down on just 3 of 10 opportunities.
Meanwhile, Ben Roethlisberger exposed the New England defense connecting on 36 of 50 passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns.
Post-game press conferences for the Philadelphia Eagles have been an exercise in rationalization to break the tension. That tension broke when the Eagles took a 34-0 lead on divisional rival, the Dallas Cowboys.
Michael Vick completed 21 of 28 passes for 279 yards. LeSean McCoy ran for 185 yards, and the Eagle defense held the Cowboys to 267 net yards.
Man of constant sorrow
NFL fans were introduced to Curtis Painter two years ago. He entered the 15th game of the season with Indianapolis leading by five in the third quarter. Painter completed 4 of 11 passes and threw one interception. Indy lost the game and a chance at an undefeated season.
Two years later and Painter has inherited Peyton Manning’s team, and he is not finding his way any easier than two years ago when an undefeated season went by the wayside under his watch. Now, his watch has the Colts winless. It’s not his fault, but hit it boys:
A round of cold ones
These guys get some liquid refreshment from the Pine.
The Buffalo Bills defense for 9 sacks.
Detroit’s Matthew Stafford for QB rating of 130.
Philadelphia’s LeSean McCoy for 185 rushing yards.
Buffalo’s Fred Jackson for 194 yards from scrimmage.
Got any NFL splinters? Share them here.
*9 sacks for the Bills
Why does it seem that every game played outside of the US just isn’t that great of a game. The Bucs/Bears played an ugly one in London, and the Bills game wasn’t exactly a showcase of the NFL. The London games have been weak examples of American football the past few years, any logical reason?
I stand corrected. Yes, it is 9 sacks for the Bills.
As for games on foreign shores – going to England has a built in excuse: jet lag and guys MIGHT use the opportunity to sight see. As I write this, it reeks of rationalization.
As for playing in Toronto? That atmosphere is pretty sedate. 51,000 in attendance? That game would get blacked out if it was played in Buffalo. That is probably another rationalization.
Fly Eagles Fly.
I’m still confused as to why everyone was so quick to hate drew’s Birds. Didn’t we learn anything from the Heat this past year? They went through a tough start, and were fine by seasons end. Having said that, I don’t have the Eagles making the Superbowl (essentially what the Heat did), but talent wins games, and the eagles have plenty. They will play more than 16 games …. book it