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CNNSI.com's Jon A. Dolezar reviews the Week 14 games.
| Week 14 |
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New York 17 |
at East Rutherford, N.J. |
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Arizona 13 |
• Recap
• Game Summary
|
| Key Stat |
16 -- Total tackles by Giants linebacker Jessie Armstead.
|
Player of
the Game |
Kerry Collins, QB, New York: Completed only 14 of 32 passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns, but hit 6 of 9 on the final drive which culminated with his 4-yard scoring strike to Amani Toomer with 25 seconds left. |
| Breakdown |
The Giants and Cardinals weren't just boring fans at Giants Stadium, they looked like they were bored themselves for most of the game. But Jake Plummer woke up in the fourth quarter (doesn't he always?) and put the Cards in a position to steal the road win, only to have it swiped back by a timely Giants scoring drive. The loss almost assures that Arizona won't make the postseason, while the 6-7 Giants still have a glimmer of hope. |
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Oakland 13 |
at San Diego |
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San Diego 6 |
• Recap
• Game Summary
|
| Key Stat |
3.46 -- Yards per carry for LaDainian Tomlinson in the past 10 games since his last 100-yard rushing game in Week 4. |
Player of
the Game |
William Thomas, LB, Oakland: Finished with seven total tackles and picked off two Doug Flutie passes. |
| Breakdown |
The Raiders haven't been playing pretty football during the past month, but they have been getting the job done enough to win games. And their third ugly win in the past five games gave them their second consecutive AFC West title, something they hadn't achieved since 1982-83. Rich Gannon completed 20 of 28 for 221 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while Jerry Rice caught six passes for 93 yards and a touchdown to pace Oakland's offense. Flutie's terrible slump continued, as he has thrown only three TDs against 13 interceptions during the Chargers' seven-game losing skid. |
|
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Kansas City 26 |
at Kansas City, Mo. |
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Denver 23 (OT) |
• Recap
• Game Summary
|
| Key Stat |
80.8 -- Field-goal percentage this season for Kansas City's Todd Peterson after hitting 4 of 6 against the Broncos. Peterseon hit the game-winning 32-yarder after having one potential game-winner nullified by penalty and then missing the subsequent 41-yard try.
|
Player of
the Game |
Trent Green, QB, Kansas City: Completed 17 of 21 (81 percent completion rate) for 292 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
|
| Breakdown |
The Chiefs severely damaged the Broncos' playoff hopes with the win, sending Denver to 7-7 with games remaining against Oakland and at Indianapolis following their Week 15 bye. The Broncos couldn't get an off week at a better time, as third-string quarterback Jarious Jackson had to finish the game once Gus Frerotte was knocked out with a shoulder injury. Priest Holmes continued his amazing play for the Chiefs, rushing for 121 yards on 29 carries to give him an NFL-leading 1,267 yards this season.
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Chicago 27 |
at Chicago |
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Tampa Bay 3 |
• Recap
• Game Summary
|
| Key Stat |
36:01 -- Time of possession for the Bears, who rushed 40 times for 207 yards.
|
Player of
the Game |
Anthony Thomas, RB, Chicago: Rushed 31 times for 173 yards and one touchdown, giving him 862 rushing yards and six touchdowns in 11 games this season. |
| Breakdown |
The Bears sewed up their first playoff berth in seven years by beating a Bucs team that isn't going anywhere unless they shape up in a hurry in the final three weeks. Marty Booker caught only three passes for 19 yards, but one of them was a 2-yard score that was his fourth touchdown against the Bucs this season. Chicago held Tampa Bay to 61 yards rushing. Keyshawn Johnson caught seven passes for 119 yards, but his fumble after a long catch and run while down only 10-3 in the second quarter turned the tide of the game.
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Indianapolis 41 |
at Indianapolis |
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Atlanta 27 |
• Recap
• Game Summary
|
| Key Stat |
196 -- Difference in total yards between the Colts (512) and Falcons (316).
|
Player of
the Game |
Dominic Rhodes, RB, Indianpolis: Rushed 29 times for 177 yards and two touchdowns, his third 100-yard rushing game since replacing injured Edgerrin James as the starter seven games ago. |
| Breakdown |
The Colts got their offense back in gear for the first time in more than a month as they ended their five-game losing streak. Peyton Manning completed 23 of 35 for 325 yards and three touchdowns, while throwing only one pick. Indianapolis sacked Chris Chandler six times and the Falcons averaged only 6.3 yards per pass attempt as the Colts' defense stepped up and matched the rejuvenated offensive effort. |
|
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Jacksonville 15 |
at Cleveland |
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Cleveland 10 |
• Recap
• Game Summary
|
| Key Stat |
76 -- Offensive plays ran by the Jaguars compared to only 48 for the Browns.
|
Player of
the Game |
Stacey Mack, RB, Jacksonville: Ran for 115 yards on 28 carries, his first 100-yard game of the season. |
| Breakdown |
Little else will be remembered about this game besides the boorish behavior of the fans after the controversial replay reversal by the officials. The Browns sacked Mark Brunell eight times, with Jamir Miller getting three and cornerback Daylon McCutcheon getting his first two of the season. Jacksonville held Cleveland to 11 first downs and 47 rushing yards.
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New York 15 |
at East Rutherford, N.J. |
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Cincinnati 14 |
• Recap
• Game Summary
|
| Key Stat |
1,218 -- Rushing yards this season for Curtis Martin, good for his fifth 1,200-yard season in his seven years in the league. |
Player of
the Game |
Vinny Testaverde, QB, New York: Completed 17 of 28 for 196 yards and two touchdowns for only his fourth mutlitouchdown game this season. |
| Breakdown |
The Jets won for only the third time at home to keep their wild-card hopes alive in the tightly packed AFC. Martin gained only 78 yards on 24 carries, but Testaverde was very efficient in the passing game. Corey Dillon ran 22 times for 85 yards and two touchdowns, but got little help on offense. Jon Kitna completed 10 of 17 for 93 yards and three interceptions after replacing the injured Akili Smith.
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New England 12 |
at Orchard Park, N.Y. |
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Buffalo 9 (OT) |
• Recap
• Game Summary
|
| Key Stat |
41.2 -- Third-down completion percentage for the Patriosts (7 of 17), compared to only a 20 percent success rate (3 of 15) for the Bills. |
Player of
the Game |
Adam Vinatieri, K, New England: Hit all four of his field goals, including the game-winning 23-yarder in overtime. |
| Breakdown |
The Patriots prevailed in a battle of field goals, as neither team got its offense on track and could move the ball consistently. Tom Brady hit on 19 of 35 for 237 yards to improve to 9-3 as a starter and tie Babe Parilli for the best record in team history after 12 starts. Antowain Smith carried 20 times for 95 yards to give him 195 rushing yards in two games against his former team this season.
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Detroit 27 |
at Pontiac, Mich. |
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Minnesota 24 |
• Recap
• Game Summary
|
| Key Stat |
1986 -- Last season a team started 0-13, as the Colts lost their first 13 before closing with three wins in a row.
|
Player of
the Game |
Mike McMahon, QB, Detroit: Rookie signal-caller hit 15 of 28 for 241 yards and also rushed 12 times for 74 yards and a score. |
| Breakdown |
The Lions had been playing close games for the past nine weeks, so it shouldn't be that surprising that their first win came against the disappointing Vikings. Randy Moss caught seven passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns, but Minnesota gave him little support on the ground with only 80 rushing yards. In addition to McMahon's scrambling prowess, Detroit got 91 yards on the ground from James Stewart. |
|
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San Francisco 21 |
at San Francisco |
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Miami 0 |
• Recap
• Game Summary
|
| Key Stat |
13.85 -- Average points allowed by the 49ers in home games this season, helped out by their second consecutive home shutout. |
Player of
the Game |
Kevan Barlow, RB, San Francisco: Rushed 14 times for only 39 yards but scored two touchdowns to match his previous season total. |
| Breakdown |
The 49ers have won six in a row for the first time since their 11-game winning streak in 1997. Garrison Hearst led San Francisco's offense with 26 carries for 103 yards. Jeff Garcia cooled off from his recent torrid play, throwing for only 133 yards and one touchdown. Jay Fiedler passed for just 149 yards and was picked off three times, as the 49ers were able to sit back and play the pass after jumping out to a quick 14-0 first-quarter lead.
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Seattle 29 |
at Seattle |
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Dallas 3 |
• Recap
• Game Summary
|
| Key Stat |
22 -- First downs for the Seahawks, while the Cowboys moved the chains only 10 times.
|
Player of
the Game |
Ricky Watters, RB, Seattle: Carried 28 times for 104 yards and one touchdown and added five catches for 34 yards before leaving with an ankle injury.
|
| Breakdown |
The Seahawks opted to go with the running game due to the rainy conditions and the tandem of Watters and Shaun Alexander didn't disappoint. Matt Hasselbeck completed only 13 of 25 passes for 152 yards, but Seattle rushed for 173 yards. Quincy Carter was miserable yet again, completing only 14 of 33 for 135 yards and a pick, and Emmitt Smith was held to 39 yards on 12 carries. |
|
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Tennessee 26 |
at Nashville, Tenn. |
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Green Bay 20 |
• Recap
• Game Summary
|
| Key Stat |
198 -- Yards by which the Titans (423) outgained the Packers (225).
|
Player of
the Game |
Skip Hicks, RB, Tennessee: Eddie George's backup rushed 17 times for a career-high 142 yards and one touchdown.
|
| Breakdown |
The Titans dominated the time of possession 37:23-22:37 by outrushing the Packers 167-29. Tennessee held NFC-leading rusher Ahman Green to 9 yards on 9 carries, both season lows. In addition to Hicks' heroics, Steve McNair was accurate through the air, completing 25 of 35 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns. Derrick Mason was McNair's big target through the air with eight catches for 107 yards and one touchdown. |
|
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Philadelphia 20 |
at Landover, Md. |
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Washington 6 |
• Recap
• Game Summary
|
| Key Stat |
11 -- Difference in punting average between the Eagles (48.8) and Redskins (37.8), as Philadelphia controled the field position with Sean Landeta's clutch punting. |
Player of
the Game |
Brian Dawkins, FS, Philadelphia: Made six tackles and picked off two Tony Banks passes.
|
| Breakdown |
The Eagles toughed out an ugly game to bring themselves to within one game of their first division title in 13 years. Philadelphia overcame four turnovers and six penalties to get its third win in a row. Donovan McNabb threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns but he was also picked off three times. But Banks was even worse, completing just 17 of 36 for 213 yards with two interceptions. |
|
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Pittsburgh 26 |
at Baltimore |
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Baltimore 21 |
• Recap
• Game Summary
|
| Key Stat |
269 -- Yards by which the Steelers (476) outgained the Ravens (207).
|
Player of
the Game |
Kordell Stewart, QB, Pittsburgh: Completed 20 of 31 for a career-high 333 yards and two touchdowns and also added 55 rushing yards on 10 carries. |
| Breakdown |
Pittsburgh out-Ravensed Baltimore to clinch the AFC Central title with its own brand of ball-control football and punishing defense. Stewart played perhaps the best game of his career in one of the biggest games of his career. And Plaxico Burress answered the Ravens' catcalls of "Plexiglas" by catching eight passes for 164 yards and one touchdown. Pittsburgh held the ball for 41:05 158 on 39 compared to only 58 yards on 13 carries for Baltimore. The Ravens will now have to play an extra game in the postseason if they want to repeat as champs, though they won the Super Bowl as a wild-card team last season after finishing as the fourth seed in the AFC. |
|
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St. Louis 34 |
at New Orleans |
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New Orleans 21 |
• Recap
• Game Summary
|
| Key Stat |
0 -- Interceptions by Rams QB Kurt Warner after throwing four in a Week 7 loss to the Saints. |
Player of
the Game |
Kurt Warner, QB, St. Louis: Threw for 338 yards and four touchdowns. |
| Breakdown |
St. Louis clinched a playoff berth for itself and division rival San Francisco with the win. New Orleans remains in wild-card contention, and has a big game next week at Tampa Bay. Both teams are tied for the last playoff spot with 7-6 records. It was a sloppy game, with four turnovers and 27 penalties for 217 yards. |
