The Tampa Bay Buccaneers gave the Minnesota Vikings a history lesson on Sunday.
Simply put, undefeated teams in the NFL are history after Week 9.
The members of the 1972 Dolphins can breathe a sigh of relief as their standing as the lone undefeated team in league history will live to see another season.
The Buccaneers' blowout win against the Vikings ended a heartbreaking four-game losing streak, and leaves them with the identical 4-4 record after eight games that they had last season when they eventually advanced to the NFC Championship.
A loss to Minnesota would have dropped Tampa Bay to five games behind the division leaders, but the win keeps the Bucs within striking distance with eight games to play.
| Week 9 NFL Recap |
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| Falcons 13 (3-6), Panthers 12 (3-5) |
Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
1.5: Average yards per carry for the Panthers, who managed only 30 yards on 20 carries. |
| Player of the Game |
| Jamal Anderson, RB, Atlanta: Scored the only touchdown of the game in a battle of the kickers, finishing with 90 yards on 25 carries. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| Panthers kicker Joe Nedney and Falcons kicker Morten Andersen engaged in a thrilling mano a mano (or in this case pie a pie [Spanish for foot-to-foot]) field-goal battle. Panthers quarterback Steve Beuerlein played his worst game of the season, throwing three interceptions after passing for five touchdowns and only two interceptions the past three weeks. Falcons cornerback Ray Buchanan corralled two of the interceptions, while Atlanta's front seven did its part with four sacks. |
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| Bengals 12 (2-6), Browns 3 (2-7) |
Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
179: Rushing yards by the Bengals, one week after setting their team mark with 407 against the Broncos. |
| Player of the Game |
| Corey Dillon, RB, Cincinnati: Followed up his record-setting individual effort last week with 27 carries for 137 yards and one touchdown. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| The Bengals beat the struggling Browns by keeping the ball on the ground as they promised they would. Cincinnati held the ball for 36 minutes and 42 seconds by running 52 times for a decent average of 3.5 yards per carry. Even another subpar game by Bengals quarterback Akili Smith (7-of-20 for 84 yards and an interception) didn't help the Browns. Browns head coach Chris Palmer's quarterback rotation of journeyman Doug Pederson and rookie Spergon Wynn didn't work, as neither of them found a rhythm. They combined to go 13-of-32 for 147 yards and one interception. |
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| Steelers 9 (5-2), Ravens 6 (2-6) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
18,399: Seconds since the Ravens last scored an offensive touchdown. |
| Player of the Game |
| Joey Porter, LB, Pittsburgh: Finished with eight total tackles and two sacks, giving him seven sacks in October. |
CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| The Steelers won their fifth in a row by keeping the Ravens out of the end zone for a fifth consecutive game. Baltimore's offensive woes continued with Trent Dilfer as the starting quarterback, as the former Buccaneer completed only 11-of-24 for 152 yards and an interception. Quarterback Kordell Stewart wasn't great for Pittsburgh, but he didn't throw an interception and completed 50 percent of his passes (9-of-18). The Ravens managed to hold Steelers running back Jerome Bettis to 65 yards on 18 carries, the first time "The Bus" didn't crack the 100-yard plateau since a 97-yard outing in Pittsburgh's Week 5 victory against Jacksonville. |
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| Bills 23 (4-4), Jets 20 (6-2) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
1: Difference in total yards (338-337 advantage for Bills) and first downs (19-18 advantage for Jets). |
| Player of the Game |
| Eric Moulds, WR, Buffalo: Continued to post big numbers in big games, catching six passes for 137 yards and extending his totals in the past five games to 42 catches for 605 yards. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| The Jets fell victim to a comeback just six days after shocking the Dolphins on Monday night. Bills quarterback Doug Flutie worked his fourth-quarter magic to lead Buffalo on an 11-play, 57-yard drive that set up Steve Christie's game-winning field goal at the final gun. Bills linebacker Sam Cowart starred again for the defense, making 11 total tackles and scooping up two fumbles. Cowart led the charge as the Bills held Jets running back Curtis Martin to a season-low 46 yards on 18 carries. |
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| Buccaneers 41 (4-4), Vikings 13 (7-1) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
33.5: Average points scored in the Buccaneers' four victories this season, compared to a lowly average of only 17.8 in their four losses. |
| Player of the Game |
| Shaun King, QB, Tampa Bay: Struggling second-year quarterback played the game of his young career, completing 16-of-23 for 267 yards and four touchdowns. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| The Buccaneers proved to the Vikings and the league how dangerous of a team they are when the offense is clicking. Tampa Bay wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson had his best game as a Buc with six catches for 121 yards and a touchdown. Minnesota turned the ball over four times to help nullify its otherwise impressive offensive output of 401 yards and 25 first downs. Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss had a second-quarter touchdown grab, but the Bucs held the Vikings out of the end zone the rest of the game. Moss and Cris Carter combined for 14 catches for 180 yards, but Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper completed only 54.7 percent of his passes, well below his season average of 62.3 going into the game. |
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| Colts 30 (6-2), Lions 18 (5-3) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
962: Receiving yards this season for Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison, putting him on pace for a league-record 1,924 yards. |
| Player of the Game |
| Edgerrin James, RB, Indianapolis: Ran 31 times for 139 yards and a touchdown, giving him 482 yards in the past three games. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| The Colts dominated the Lions in the first half, and for all practical purposes took the second half off, coasting home for a 12-point victory. The Colts outgained the Lions 420-328, but the margin was an ugly 267-93 at halftime. Detroit made it mildly interesting when Charlie Batch hit Herman Moore with a touchdown pass with just more than 2 1/2 minutes to play, but the Colts intercepted the Lions on their next possession and James added a late insurance touchdown for the final margin. |
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| Dolphins 28 (6-2), Packers 20 (3-5) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
9-1: Dolphins' all-time record against the Packers, including a perfect 6-0 mark in Miami. |
| Player of the Game |
| Jay Fiedler, QB, Miami: The numbers may look boring (16-of-25 for 158 yards and one touchdown), but Fiedler was poised in leading the Dolphins back from a 17-0 deficit early in the second quarter. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| After a blazing start, the Packers fell apart midway through the second quarter and couldn't find an offensive groove again. The injury to running back Dorsey Levens didn't limit Green Bay's game plan much as backup Ahman Green filled in admirably with 15 carries for 94 yards. Trace Armstrong had his 11th sack of the season, moving him to within one of his career high. Packers wide receiver Antonio Freeman struggled after two consecutive strong games, catching only two passes for 10 yards.
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| Rams 34 (7-1), 49ers 24 (2-7) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
19: Penalties committed by the Rams (11 for 90 yards) and 49ers (eight for 80 yards). |
| Player of the Game |
| Marshall Faulk, RB, St. Louis: Scored four touchdowns and gained 144 total yards.
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| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| The Rams returned to their winning ways by going to the Marshall plan. Faulk's huge game overcame another ordinary defensive performance, as the 49ers gained 325 yards in Bud Carson's first game as a Rams defensive consultant. Trent Green passed for 310 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in his Rams starting debut, and Isaac Bruce hauled in eight passes for 129 yards. Jeff Garcia threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns, giving him 17 touchdown passes in the past six games. St. Louis extended its own league record for most consecutive games scoring more than 30 points to 14. |
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| Chiefs 24 (5-3), Seahawks 19 (2-7) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
485: Receiving yards for Chiefs wide receiver Derrick Alexander in the past four games, compared to only 187 in Kansas City's first four games. |
| Player of the Game |
| Derrick Alexander, WR, Kansas City: Continued making the big plays, catching two touchdown passes of more than 50 yards, putting him on pace for 72 catches for 1,344 yards and 14 touchdowns. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| The Seahawks continued their mistake-prone ways against the Chiefs, committing 10 penalties, throwing two interceptions and losing one fumble. Chiefs quarterback Elvis Grbac threw three more touchdown passes (but also tossed three picks), giving him 16 touchdowns in the past six games. Kansas City reverted to its struggling ways on the ground with only 76 rushing yards on 26 carries. The Chiefs continue their three-game road trip with games in the Bay Area the next two Sundays, against the Raiders in Week 10 and the 49ers in Week 11. |
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| Saints 21 (5-3), Cardinals 10 (2-6) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
1993: Last season the Saints had a four-game winning streak, when they opened the season with five consecutive victories. |
| Player of the Game |
| Ricky Williams, RB, New Orleans: Saw his 100-yard-game streak come to an end with only 54 yards, but made up for it by catching a career-high nine passes for 92 yards. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| New Orleans head coach Jim Haslett has to be near the top of coach-of-the-year lists after guiding the Saints to their fourth victory in a row. If the season ended after Week 9, New Orleans would be in the playoffs. The Cardinals outgained the Saints 394-247, but four turnovers in the second half cost Arizona a chance at the win. Saints defensive tackle La'roi Glover continued his strong play by recording two more sacks and adding eight total tackles. New Orleans plays host to 2-7 San Francisco next Sunday and travels to 3-5 Carolina in Week 11 to continue its quest to make the playoffs for the first time since 1992. |
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| Jaguars 23 (3-6), Cowboys 17 (3-5) OT |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
249: Receiving yards by Jaguars tight end Kyle Brady in the past two games, after gaining only 229 yards in Jacksonville's first seven games. |
| Player of the Game |
| Mark Brunell, QB, Jacksonville: Completed 20 of 24 passes (83.3 percent) for 231 yards and three touchdowns. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| The Jaguars finally got their offense on track, but they still needed overtime to put away the scrappy Cowboys. Fred Taylor ran for his third consecutive 100-yard game and has gained 343 yards in the past three games. Jacksonville committed eight penalties but didn't turn the ball over. The Jaguars broke their five-game losing streak, which was the team's longest since a seven-game slide in their inaugural season of 1995. |
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| Giants 24 (6-2), Eagles 7 (5-4) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
43:14: Time of possession for the Giants, who also outgained the Eagles on the ground 152-72. |
| Player of the Game |
| Ron Dayne, RB, New York: Giants' rookie gained 93 yards on 25 carries, and now has 201 yards in the past two games after running for only 250 yards in the Giants' first six games. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| The Giants dominated the Eagles for the second time this season by sticking to the same, simple formula: running and defense. New York outgained Philadelphia by 192 total yards, and finished with 25 first downs compared to only eight for the Eagles. Giants wide receiver Amani Toomer caught nine passes for 108 yards and a touchdown, and quarterback Kerry Collins completed 22-of-37 for 253 yards and a touchdown. Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb struggled, completing only 10 of 31 passes for 129 yards, one touchdown and one interception. But McNabb's passing success was greatly diminished by Philadelphia's inability to run the ball. The lone bright spot for the Eagles was Brian Mitchell (3,717) passing Dave Meggett (3,708) for first place on the all-time punt return yardage list thanks to his 57 punt-return yards on Sunday.
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| Raiders 15 (7-1), Chargers 13 (0-8) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
63.6: Field-goal percentage by Raiders rookie kicker Sebastian Janikowski, who has now hit 14-of-22 field-goal attempts in his rookie season. |
| Player of the Game |
| Janikowski, K, Oakland: "The Polish Powderkeg" hit 5-of-6 field goals, accounting for all of the Raiders' points, falling only one point short (19-18) of outscoring the Chargers by himself in the two meetings this season. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| The Raiders' offense looked sluggish, but Janikowski proved his worth as a first-round pick by hitting a game-winning kick for the second time in three weeks. His 24-yarder with 13 seconds left sank the Chargers' bid for the upset at home and dropped the 'Bolts to 0-8. Oakland spent its first-round pick on Janikowski to win the close games after it dropped three games by three points or less last season, and the investment is paying off as the Raiders are now 3-0 in games decided by three points or less. The Chargers got a huge game out of tight end Freddie Jones (10 catches for 111 yards), but 11 penalties, two turnovers and three sacks allowed hurt the cause. The Raiders host the 5-3 Chiefs next Sunday and then travel to Denver to face the archrival Broncos on Monday night in Week 11. |
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| Titans 27 (7-1), Redskins 21 (6-3) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
330: Catches by Titans tight end Frank Wycheck since being released by the Redskins after the 1994 season. |
| Player of the Game |
| Samari Rolle, CB, Tennessee: Broke the game open at the end of the first half with his incredible 81-yard interception return for a touchdown, then added a pick in the fourth quarter for good measure. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| The Tennessee Titans are quietly putting together a very impressive season. While they aren't blowing out their opponents like the Rams, the Titans have shown a knack for winning close games, and their 4-1 road record includes wins at 5-3 Pittsburgh, 5-4 Baltimore and 6-3 Washington. Steve McNair threw for only 96 yards, but his superb 77.8 percent completion rate and his avoidance of interceptions were key in the Titans' win. Brad Johnson was picked off three times, giving him eight interceptions in the Redskins' three losses this season. The Titans did an admirable job against NFL rushing leader Stephen Davis, holding Washington's workhorse back to 62 yards on 21 carries. Tennessee hosts division rivals Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Cleveland the next three weeks at Adelphia Coliseum, where it is a perfect 12-0 counting January's "Music City Miracle" win against Buffalo in the AFC wild-card game. |
