Bears roll over Bills, stay unbeaten
NFL.com wire reports
CHICAGO (Oct. 8, 2006) -- Calling the Chicago Bears an offensive juggernaut might seem to defy logic, tradition and the lineage of gritty defenders from Butkus to Singletary to Urlacher.
Believe it.
Getting a huge boost from their trademark defense, the Bears scored the first five times they had the ball Sunday and ruined the homecoming of former coach Dick Jauron with a 40-7 drubbing of Jauron's Buffalo Bills to go 5-0 for the first time in 20 years.
Rex Grossman threw two touchdown passes, Cedric Benson scored his first two NFL touchdowns and the Bears capitalized on five Buffalo turnovers as they piled up their biggest points total since 1993.
Suddenly, the team that always counted on its defense to make up for an anemic offense in recent seasons is averaging 31 points a game, outscoring even the high-flying Indianapolis Colts through five games.
"That was a fun game," said Grossman, who sat out the fourth quarter after going 15-of-27 for 182 yards and the two touchdowns.
"Anytime you execute like that -- offense, defense, special teams -- anytime you play like that, it's so much fun."
That was the operative word for Brian Urlacher, too, enjoying his team's newly resurgent offense.
"It's fun to watch," he said. "Rex is throwing the ball pretty much wherever he wants to."
Robbie Gould aided the cause with four field goals, improving to 17-for-17 for the season, as the Bears ran their scoring margin to an eye-opening 156 points scored and 36 allowed.
Tough defense was the Bears' hallmark during Jauron's tenure from 1999-2003, but a shaky offense kept Chicago out of the playoffs every season but 2001. His teams managed 30 points just four times in five years, and never more than 37.
The 'D' remains as stingy as ever, or more so. Chicago yielded just 145 total yards to the Bills, and the last-minute touchdown it gave up was only the second TD the defense has allowed all season.
The Bears' offensive showcase included two TDs from Cedric Benson.
But an injury-free Grossman and the high-powered passing game have made the NFC's only unbeaten team more dangerous on offense than it has been in years.
The Bills compounded that by giving the ball away frequently after going three of their first four games without any turnovers.
"It was a long day for us, obviously," Jauron said. "We knew they were an outstanding football team coming into the game. ... All the things that we couldn't have happen, happened."
The outmanned Bills found themselves in trouble early and often against a speedy, aggressive defense. They dug themselves a hole on the opening drive when Brian Moorman fumbled the snap on a fake punt and Brendon Ayanbadejo recovered at the Buffalo 40. Six plays later, Gould kicked a 42-yard field goal to open the scoring.
Following a 43-yard field goal, the Bears blew open the game with three touchdowns in a nine-minute span of the second quarter.
Grossman hit Bernard Berrian for an 8-yard score to make it 13-0 after Thomas Jones carried five times for 35 yards on the scoring drive.
Bills quarterback J.P. Losman was intercepted by Lance Briggs on the ensuing drive. Five plays later, Benson bulled in from 1 yard for his first TD.
"It was really cool, especially on the first one," Benson said. "It's neat stuff."
Following a 62-yard bomb to Berrian on Chicago's next drive, Grossman found Rashied Davis in the end zone for a 15-yard score that made it 27-0 at halftime.
The Bears extended the rout in the second half with Gould's field goals of 32 and 41 yards, and Benson's second 1-yard TD late in the fourth quarter following a fumbled kickoff recovered by Israel Idonije.
Buffalo scored on a 5-yard TD pass from Losman to Lee Evans with 1:06 remaining.
Jones had his first 100-yard game after rushing for 1,335 a year ago, finishing with 109 yards on 22 carries. Benson ran for 48 yards on 14 attempts.
Losman was 14-of-27 for 115 yards and was sacked three times.
Willis McGahee, who came in leading the NFL in rushing, was held to 50 yards on 14 carries.
"We gave them a lot of stuff," cornerback Terrence McGee said. "They are probably one of the best teams in football, if not the best team in football, but I thought we gave them a lot of opportunities and it hurt us."
The bad news for opponents is that coach Lovie Smith thinks they will get better.
"We like what we see right now," he said. "But I don't think you can peak after five games."
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Green Bay Drops One To St. Louis Rams, 23-20 - NFL.com
Rams hold on to win in Green Bay, 23-20
NFL.com wire reports
GREEN BAY, Wis. (Oct. 8, 2006) -- The St. Louis Rams used to be the most stylish team in the NFL. Now they're winning ugly -- to the tune of a surprising 4-1 start.
The Rams staved off a fourth-quarter comeback attempt by Brett Favre and the Packers, walking away with a 23-20 victory at Lambeau Field after a big defensive play in the final minute.
"I don't think anyone would have predicted it," Rams quarterback Marc Bulger said.
What used to be the "Greatest Show on Turf" under former coach Mike Martz isn't much of a show at all under new coach Scott Linehan. But so far, Linehan's more conservative offensive approach is a hit.
"It's still a learning process, but it's working," wide receiver Torry Holt said. "We've got enough pros on the offensive side of the football that understand we want to win. It's not about the stats, the numbers you can put up on a weekly basis or what record chart you're moving up. It's about putting wins in the win column as the season goes."
They might be lacking style points, but the Rams have won three straight close games.
"We've had some emotional rollercoaster-type games, and they are all like that in this league," Linehan said. "Fortunately for us, we have been able to come out on the better end."
The Rams made plenty of mistakes, including a few rare slip ups by Bulger. But the Packers couldn't make them pay until it was too late.
Favre was relatively quiet for three quarters before rallying the Packers for a fourth-quarter touchdown to rookie Greg Jennings that cut the Rams lead to three with 6:42 remaining.
Favre then got the ball back with 2:46 remaining, and drove the Packers to the Rams 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
Jeramatrius Butler seals the win by falling on Brett Favre's fumble with under a minute left.
But Favre was pressured by defensive lineman Jimmy Kennedy, and Leonard Little poked the ball away from Favre. The ball bounced around before landing in the hands of Rams defensive back Jerametrius Butler.
Little, who needed three IVs after the game, was prodded to make a play on the sideline by defensive coordinator Jim Haslett earlier in the game. He finally did, but watched as the ball nearly was recovered by Packers offensive lineman Daryn Colledge.
"It rolled and it seemed like it took forever, like the ball was going in slow motion," Little said. "I was just hoping that someone would jump on it, and hopefully it would be one of our guys, and it ended up being one of our guys."
What looked like another dose of Favre magic instead became another loss for the Packers (1-4).
"This is not a lot of fun," Favre said. "Losing is not a lot of fun. Not that it ever has been, but more so now."
Bulger threw for two first-half touchdowns and extended his league-best interception-free streak to 214 attempts -- thanks in large part to Packers cornerback Al Harris.
With the Rams leading 17-13 and driving late in the third quarter, Bulger threw Harris' way at the Green Bay 14, an errant pass that hit Harris in the numbers. But instead of running 95 yards down a clear path for a go-ahead touchdown, Harris dropped the ball.
Would he have gone all the way?
"You never know," Harris said.
Bulger seemed pretty certain.
"That would have been for 100 yards," he said. "I never would have caught him."
Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Harris' drop was one of several chances the Packers had to make a play, but didn't.
"You need to make those," McCarthy said. "It was an opportunity for us."
Bulger finished 18 of 28 for 220 yards, as Packers defensive back Charles Woodson and linebacker A.J. Hawk also whiffed on potential interceptions to keep his streak alive.
"You can't worry about it," Bulger said. "I've been fortunate. We're not fumbling the ball, either."
Favre was 22 of 39 for 220 yards and didn't throw an interception either. After the game, he said he would be watching the team's young players to see how they respond to a poor start.
"You've got to try to find positives in all these negatives," Favre said. "I wonder, sometimes, what I'm doing here."
The Packers did find one positive in third-string running back Noah Herron, who ran for 106 yards and a touchdown. Starter Ahman Green was inactive for the second straight week for the Packers with sore hamstrings, and second-string back Vernand Morency fumbled twice, losing one, in the Packers' first two series of the game.
NFL.com wire reports
GREEN BAY, Wis. (Oct. 8, 2006) -- The St. Louis Rams used to be the most stylish team in the NFL. Now they're winning ugly -- to the tune of a surprising 4-1 start.
The Rams staved off a fourth-quarter comeback attempt by Brett Favre and the Packers, walking away with a 23-20 victory at Lambeau Field after a big defensive play in the final minute.
"I don't think anyone would have predicted it," Rams quarterback Marc Bulger said.
What used to be the "Greatest Show on Turf" under former coach Mike Martz isn't much of a show at all under new coach Scott Linehan. But so far, Linehan's more conservative offensive approach is a hit.
"It's still a learning process, but it's working," wide receiver Torry Holt said. "We've got enough pros on the offensive side of the football that understand we want to win. It's not about the stats, the numbers you can put up on a weekly basis or what record chart you're moving up. It's about putting wins in the win column as the season goes."
They might be lacking style points, but the Rams have won three straight close games.
"We've had some emotional rollercoaster-type games, and they are all like that in this league," Linehan said. "Fortunately for us, we have been able to come out on the better end."
The Rams made plenty of mistakes, including a few rare slip ups by Bulger. But the Packers couldn't make them pay until it was too late.
Favre was relatively quiet for three quarters before rallying the Packers for a fourth-quarter touchdown to rookie Greg Jennings that cut the Rams lead to three with 6:42 remaining.
Favre then got the ball back with 2:46 remaining, and drove the Packers to the Rams 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
Jeramatrius Butler seals the win by falling on Brett Favre's fumble with under a minute left.
But Favre was pressured by defensive lineman Jimmy Kennedy, and Leonard Little poked the ball away from Favre. The ball bounced around before landing in the hands of Rams defensive back Jerametrius Butler.
Little, who needed three IVs after the game, was prodded to make a play on the sideline by defensive coordinator Jim Haslett earlier in the game. He finally did, but watched as the ball nearly was recovered by Packers offensive lineman Daryn Colledge.
"It rolled and it seemed like it took forever, like the ball was going in slow motion," Little said. "I was just hoping that someone would jump on it, and hopefully it would be one of our guys, and it ended up being one of our guys."
What looked like another dose of Favre magic instead became another loss for the Packers (1-4).
"This is not a lot of fun," Favre said. "Losing is not a lot of fun. Not that it ever has been, but more so now."
Bulger threw for two first-half touchdowns and extended his league-best interception-free streak to 214 attempts -- thanks in large part to Packers cornerback Al Harris.
With the Rams leading 17-13 and driving late in the third quarter, Bulger threw Harris' way at the Green Bay 14, an errant pass that hit Harris in the numbers. But instead of running 95 yards down a clear path for a go-ahead touchdown, Harris dropped the ball.
Would he have gone all the way?
"You never know," Harris said.
Bulger seemed pretty certain.
"That would have been for 100 yards," he said. "I never would have caught him."
Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Harris' drop was one of several chances the Packers had to make a play, but didn't.
"You need to make those," McCarthy said. "It was an opportunity for us."
Bulger finished 18 of 28 for 220 yards, as Packers defensive back Charles Woodson and linebacker A.J. Hawk also whiffed on potential interceptions to keep his streak alive.
"You can't worry about it," Bulger said. "I've been fortunate. We're not fumbling the ball, either."
Favre was 22 of 39 for 220 yards and didn't throw an interception either. After the game, he said he would be watching the team's young players to see how they respond to a poor start.
"You've got to try to find positives in all these negatives," Favre said. "I wonder, sometimes, what I'm doing here."
The Packers did find one positive in third-string running back Noah Herron, who ran for 106 yards and a touchdown. Starter Ahman Green was inactive for the second straight week for the Packers with sore hamstrings, and second-string back Vernand Morency fumbled twice, losing one, in the Packers' first two series of the game.
Vince Young Effective; Titans Scare Colts But Lose 14-13
Colts escape Titans with 14-13 win
NFL.com wire reports
INDIANAPOLIS (Oct. 8, 2006) -- Peyton Manning has mastered the great escape.
Now the Indianapolis Colts want to make things a little easier for their quarterback.
For the third straight week, the two-time MVP led Indianapolis on a late touchdown drive, this time throwing a 2-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne with 5:10 left to give the Colts a 14-13 victory -- and avoid Tennessee's improbable upset bid.
"You can't end up relying on that, falling back on it," coach Tony Dungy said. "We've just got to play better and I think we will."
Manning used an unorthodox strategy, scoring twice on touchdown runs, to beat Jacksonville and the New York Jets the previous two weeks.
Against winless Tennessee (0-5), Manning used a more conventional method. He connected with Marvin Harrison and Wayne for second-half scores that rallied the Colts from a 10-point deficit. The win kept the Colts (5-0) unbeaten and in control of the AFC South, even if it was far from perfect.
Manning finished 20 of 31 for 166 yards with one interception.
When it mattered most, Mr. Reliable pulled another one out.
Indy has won seven straight in this series, 12 straight over division teams and completed another sweep of its three home division games.
"It really just comes down to execution," Manning said. "They executed better than us in the first half, and in the second half, I thought our offense did a better job."
Most expected this one to be a rout.
But with rookie quarterback Vince Young making his second career start, coach Jeff Fisher decided to play it safe by attacking the Colts' porous defense the same way every opponent has this season -- running inside.
As usual, it worked.
By grinding out 214 yards rushing, Manning and Co. spent much of the game on the sideline. It also prevented Young from making any disastrous rookie mistakes.
Young threw only two passes in the first quarter when the Titans piled up 100 yards rushing, and Travis Henry, who was inactive last week against Dallas, carried 19 times for 123 yards, his first 100-yard game with Tennessee.
The Titans finished with 214 yards rushing, and Young even gave fans a glimpse of his mobility on a nifty 19-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
Reggie Wayne caught the game-winning touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.
It was nearly perfect.
"It came down to us executing a play in the fourth quarter," coach Jeff Fisher said. "They did everything we asked during the week and nearly everything we asked today."
Even without defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, who was serving the first game of his five-game suspension, running back Chris Brown, who was inactive and a makeshift offensive line, the Titans looked like they would pull off one of the most shocking upsets in the NFL for three and a half quarters.
Young marched Tennessee 88 yards on its opening possession and finished the drive by eluding several Colts tacklers to make it 7-0.
He took advantage of good field position midway through the second quarter, too, using Keith Bulluck 's fumble recovery near midfield to set up Rob Bironas ' 22-yard field goal.
Meanwhile, the Colts' offense was stuck in neutral with only seven first-downs and Manning out of sync. He couldn't even complete a pass to his favorite target, Marvin Harrison.
"We knew by watching film that we had a lot of creases we could run through," Henry said. "We did that. We still left a lot of plays out on the field."
But Manning produced in the second half, as did Harrison.
After forcing a Tennessee punt, Manning methodically moved the Colts and hooked up with Harrison on a 13-yard TD pass to make it 10-7.
Tennessee answered with a 47-yard field goal from Bironas to make it 13-7 late in the third quarter.
Manning still had too much time to work his magic and eventually rescued the Colts with a 2-yard TD pass to Wayne just inside the end zone with 5:10 left.
Young's final desperation pass was knocked down near the Colts 10.
He finished 10 of 21 for 63 yards with one interception, but Manning got the win.
"To be 5-0 and not playing your best football is a good thing as long as you improve," Manning said. "If you stay the same way and don't improve, it's going to eventually bite you."
NFL.com wire reports
INDIANAPOLIS (Oct. 8, 2006) -- Peyton Manning has mastered the great escape.
Now the Indianapolis Colts want to make things a little easier for their quarterback.
For the third straight week, the two-time MVP led Indianapolis on a late touchdown drive, this time throwing a 2-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne with 5:10 left to give the Colts a 14-13 victory -- and avoid Tennessee's improbable upset bid.
"You can't end up relying on that, falling back on it," coach Tony Dungy said. "We've just got to play better and I think we will."
Manning used an unorthodox strategy, scoring twice on touchdown runs, to beat Jacksonville and the New York Jets the previous two weeks.
Against winless Tennessee (0-5), Manning used a more conventional method. He connected with Marvin Harrison and Wayne for second-half scores that rallied the Colts from a 10-point deficit. The win kept the Colts (5-0) unbeaten and in control of the AFC South, even if it was far from perfect.
Manning finished 20 of 31 for 166 yards with one interception.
When it mattered most, Mr. Reliable pulled another one out.
Indy has won seven straight in this series, 12 straight over division teams and completed another sweep of its three home division games.
"It really just comes down to execution," Manning said. "They executed better than us in the first half, and in the second half, I thought our offense did a better job."
Most expected this one to be a rout.
But with rookie quarterback Vince Young making his second career start, coach Jeff Fisher decided to play it safe by attacking the Colts' porous defense the same way every opponent has this season -- running inside.
As usual, it worked.
By grinding out 214 yards rushing, Manning and Co. spent much of the game on the sideline. It also prevented Young from making any disastrous rookie mistakes.
Young threw only two passes in the first quarter when the Titans piled up 100 yards rushing, and Travis Henry, who was inactive last week against Dallas, carried 19 times for 123 yards, his first 100-yard game with Tennessee.
The Titans finished with 214 yards rushing, and Young even gave fans a glimpse of his mobility on a nifty 19-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
Reggie Wayne caught the game-winning touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.
It was nearly perfect.
"It came down to us executing a play in the fourth quarter," coach Jeff Fisher said. "They did everything we asked during the week and nearly everything we asked today."
Even without defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, who was serving the first game of his five-game suspension, running back Chris Brown, who was inactive and a makeshift offensive line, the Titans looked like they would pull off one of the most shocking upsets in the NFL for three and a half quarters.
Young marched Tennessee 88 yards on its opening possession and finished the drive by eluding several Colts tacklers to make it 7-0.
He took advantage of good field position midway through the second quarter, too, using Keith Bulluck 's fumble recovery near midfield to set up Rob Bironas ' 22-yard field goal.
Meanwhile, the Colts' offense was stuck in neutral with only seven first-downs and Manning out of sync. He couldn't even complete a pass to his favorite target, Marvin Harrison.
"We knew by watching film that we had a lot of creases we could run through," Henry said. "We did that. We still left a lot of plays out on the field."
But Manning produced in the second half, as did Harrison.
After forcing a Tennessee punt, Manning methodically moved the Colts and hooked up with Harrison on a 13-yard TD pass to make it 10-7.
Tennessee answered with a 47-yard field goal from Bironas to make it 13-7 late in the third quarter.
Manning still had too much time to work his magic and eventually rescued the Colts with a 2-yard TD pass to Wayne just inside the end zone with 5:10 left.
Young's final desperation pass was knocked down near the Colts 10.
He finished 10 of 21 for 63 yards with one interception, but Manning got the win.
"To be 5-0 and not playing your best football is a good thing as long as you improve," Manning said. "If you stay the same way and don't improve, it's going to eventually bite you."
Vikings Comeback From 14 Down And Beat Lions 26-17 - NFL.com
Opportunistic fourth quarter lifts Vikings
NFL.com wire reports
MINNEAPOLIS (Oct. 8, 2006) -- Trailing by 14 points to start the fourth quarter against hapless Detroit, somebody on the Minnesota Vikings had to put the ball in the end zone.
The offense sure wasn't having much luck, so the defense took over, delivering an effort that would make the old Purple People Eaters proud.
The Vikings scored two defensive touchdowns in the fourth quarter to rescue the struggling offense, turning a 17-3 deficit into a 26-17 victory.
"Every time we take the field, we try to score or get the ball back," defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin said. "That's our personality. That's how we play defense."
Ben Leber returned Jon Kitna's fumble 1 yard for a touchdown to cut Detroit's lead to 17-16, and Ryan Longwell made a 20-yard field goal to give the Vikings a 19-17 lead with three minutes left.
Kitna, trying to bring Detroit back, was flushed out of the pocket and corralled by Ray Edwards before desperately shoveling the ball toward the line of scrimmage. The pass landed right in E.J. Henderson's hands, and the linebacker raced 45 yards to seal the win.
Minnesota's defense has scored three touchdowns this season, one fewer than the offense through the first five weeks, conjuring memories of the unit that led the Vikings to four Super Bowl appearances in the 1970s.
"That's unbelievable," center Matt Birk said. "They're keeping us in games."
It was a stunning, but not surprising, turnaround that kept the Lions (0-5) winless and continued their misery against the Vikings. They have lost nine straight to Minnesota (3-2), dating to 2001.
Detroit hired coach Rod Marinelli and jettisoned first-round bust Joey Harrington for the steady veteran Kitna in the offseason, hoping the changes would finally turn around a team that has the worst record in the NFL (21-64) since 2001. But the Lions keep finding ways to give away games, and this one was ripe for the taking.
"You've got to be able to do a better job in that fourth quarter to secure and hold the lead, protect the football and do the things I talked about all week," Marinelli said. "We weren't able to do that today, and we've got to go back to work."
Of course it didn't help when receiver Roy Williams (back stinger) and guard Damien Woody (left leg) left the game on the first possession with injuries, but the Lions are used to being on the short end these days.
"We're struggling right now," said Kitna, who sat at his locker with his head down and eyes glazed over, contemplating the latest loss in a season full of them. "We're a beat-up team, but nobody gives a crap. We have to find a way to win."
Jon Kitna's fourth-quarter fumble that was scooped up for a Vikings TD was just one mistake.
In a first half filled with penalties, dropped passes and turnovers, the Lions took a 10-3 lead on the strength of Kitna's 8-yard TD run.
Minnesota's second turnover of the game, a fumble by Travis Taylor close to midfield, set up Kitna's 12-yard touchdown pass to Dan Campbell that gave the Lions a 17-3 lead midway through the third quarter.
With the Lions defense dominating a struggling Vikings offense, the game looked well in hand.
Brad Johnson completed his first eight passes, but most were dinks and dunks in the West Coast offense that got the Vikings nowhere. He was booed heavily through the first three quarters and looked every bit his 38 years of age while one-hopping passes to open receivers.
As they have all season, the Vikings leaned heavily on running back Chester Taylor and a stingy defense to keep things close.
Taylor rushed for 123 yards in another workhorse effort and the Vikings defense sacked Kitna five times, intercepted him on three occasions and held the Lions to 217 total yards, 16 on the ground. The Vikings offense finally got in the end zone at the start of the fourth quarter after a 68-yard drive that was aided by a roughing-the-passer call on Shaun Rogers.
Johnson, 26 of 34 for 201 yards, hit Travis Taylor on a 3-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 17-10.
After a block-in-the-back penalty on Donte Curry nullified Eddie Drummond's kick return for a touchdown, the Lions put the Vikings right back in it. On second-and-6 from the Detroit 14, Pat Williams burst through the line untouched and engulfed Kitna, forcing a fumble that Leber scooped up at the goal line for a touchdown.
Jared DeVries blocked Longwell's extra point to hold the Lions' lead at 17-16, but it was all downhill from there for Detroit.
"It was over for them after that," Williams said. "They basically could've called it quits."
NFL.com wire reports
MINNEAPOLIS (Oct. 8, 2006) -- Trailing by 14 points to start the fourth quarter against hapless Detroit, somebody on the Minnesota Vikings had to put the ball in the end zone.
The offense sure wasn't having much luck, so the defense took over, delivering an effort that would make the old Purple People Eaters proud.
The Vikings scored two defensive touchdowns in the fourth quarter to rescue the struggling offense, turning a 17-3 deficit into a 26-17 victory.
"Every time we take the field, we try to score or get the ball back," defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin said. "That's our personality. That's how we play defense."
Ben Leber returned Jon Kitna's fumble 1 yard for a touchdown to cut Detroit's lead to 17-16, and Ryan Longwell made a 20-yard field goal to give the Vikings a 19-17 lead with three minutes left.
Kitna, trying to bring Detroit back, was flushed out of the pocket and corralled by Ray Edwards before desperately shoveling the ball toward the line of scrimmage. The pass landed right in E.J. Henderson's hands, and the linebacker raced 45 yards to seal the win.
Minnesota's defense has scored three touchdowns this season, one fewer than the offense through the first five weeks, conjuring memories of the unit that led the Vikings to four Super Bowl appearances in the 1970s.
"That's unbelievable," center Matt Birk said. "They're keeping us in games."
It was a stunning, but not surprising, turnaround that kept the Lions (0-5) winless and continued their misery against the Vikings. They have lost nine straight to Minnesota (3-2), dating to 2001.
Detroit hired coach Rod Marinelli and jettisoned first-round bust Joey Harrington for the steady veteran Kitna in the offseason, hoping the changes would finally turn around a team that has the worst record in the NFL (21-64) since 2001. But the Lions keep finding ways to give away games, and this one was ripe for the taking.
"You've got to be able to do a better job in that fourth quarter to secure and hold the lead, protect the football and do the things I talked about all week," Marinelli said. "We weren't able to do that today, and we've got to go back to work."
Of course it didn't help when receiver Roy Williams (back stinger) and guard Damien Woody (left leg) left the game on the first possession with injuries, but the Lions are used to being on the short end these days.
"We're struggling right now," said Kitna, who sat at his locker with his head down and eyes glazed over, contemplating the latest loss in a season full of them. "We're a beat-up team, but nobody gives a crap. We have to find a way to win."
Jon Kitna's fourth-quarter fumble that was scooped up for a Vikings TD was just one mistake.
In a first half filled with penalties, dropped passes and turnovers, the Lions took a 10-3 lead on the strength of Kitna's 8-yard TD run.
Minnesota's second turnover of the game, a fumble by Travis Taylor close to midfield, set up Kitna's 12-yard touchdown pass to Dan Campbell that gave the Lions a 17-3 lead midway through the third quarter.
With the Lions defense dominating a struggling Vikings offense, the game looked well in hand.
Brad Johnson completed his first eight passes, but most were dinks and dunks in the West Coast offense that got the Vikings nowhere. He was booed heavily through the first three quarters and looked every bit his 38 years of age while one-hopping passes to open receivers.
As they have all season, the Vikings leaned heavily on running back Chester Taylor and a stingy defense to keep things close.
Taylor rushed for 123 yards in another workhorse effort and the Vikings defense sacked Kitna five times, intercepted him on three occasions and held the Lions to 217 total yards, 16 on the ground. The Vikings offense finally got in the end zone at the start of the fourth quarter after a 68-yard drive that was aided by a roughing-the-passer call on Shaun Rogers.
Johnson, 26 of 34 for 201 yards, hit Travis Taylor on a 3-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 17-10.
After a block-in-the-back penalty on Donte Curry nullified Eddie Drummond's kick return for a touchdown, the Lions put the Vikings right back in it. On second-and-6 from the Detroit 14, Pat Williams burst through the line untouched and engulfed Kitna, forcing a fumble that Leber scooped up at the goal line for a touchdown.
Jared DeVries blocked Longwell's extra point to hold the Lions' lead at 17-16, but it was all downhill from there for Detroit.
"It was over for them after that," Williams said. "They basically could've called it quits."
Broncos Defense Outplays Ravens 13-3 -- NFL.com
Denver's offense held to under 200 yards, but they win from three interceptions.
Denver's 'D' dominant in win over Ravens
NFL.com wire reports
DENVER (Oct. 9, 2006) -- If being disrespected means Champ Bailey gets more lob passes thrown his way in the end zone, then the Denver Broncos won't complain anymore about their dominant defense being dissed.
The Broncos (3-1) intercepted three of Steve McNair 's passes -- including a leaping end-zone pick by Bailey just before halftime -- to hand the Ravens (4-1) their first loss with a 13-3 win.
Bailey was as surprised as anyone that McNair went after him with a lob pass to wide receiver Clarence Moore in the right corner.
"A little," Bailey said with a smile. "And they paid for it."
All Baltimore coach Brian Billick had to say about the ill-advised call that loomed so large on a cold and rainy night was: "That play was one of the options we had and it didn't turn out for us."
Denver defensive coordinator Larry Coyer was glad to see somebody finally challenge his perennial Pro Bowl cornerback: "I was glad to see them throw one at him. That'll work for me, yeah. Yeah. Yeah."
A cold rain and two stingy defenses turned the Baltimore-Denver showdown into a kicking competition for much of the night, and Jason Elam bested Matt Stover with two long field goals.
But with a 6-3 lead and 1:55 left in the game, Denver put the kick-fest to rest. Deep in Ravens territory, Denver took a chance at the end zone, icing the game on Jake Plummer 's 4-yard touchdown pass to Rod Smith. It was Smith's first touchdown this season and also the first TD the Ravens have surrendered in a second half this year.
"We stuck together tonight," Plummer said. "It was ugly, ugly for a while, but in the end we came and put together some drives when it counted."
The touchdown was set up by Darrent Williams ' interception at midfield with 6:47 left and Tatum Bell 's 12-yard gain on third-and-10 from the 17 in which he carried linebacker Ray Lewis for the final 5 yards.
"It wasn't a big deal," Bell said, "but it was a big deal because it was Ray."
Elam connected from 43 and 44 yards, the second one breaking a 3-3 tie with eight minutes remaining and capping a drive that was set up by Sam Koch's 10-yard punt.
Ravens defensive end Trevor Pryce, who was quiet all week about his return to Denver -- which dumped him and his $10 million salary in the offseason -- was even quieter Monday night, assisting on just one tackle.
"The loss hurts, but I don't really care who it is against," Pryce said. "They are just another football team. The thing is, they are a great football team. They always have been, they were before I got there and they are now that I'm gone."
Steve McNair could hardly find room to roam against Denver's pesky defense.
The teams were tied 3-3 at halftime, and the rain only got heavier during a scoreless third quarter in which the Ravens avoided a big momentum-shifter when center Mike Flynn smothered McNair's fumble at the Baltimore 12.
Flynn saved the touchdown after McNair's third interception, by Domonique Foxworth in the final minute while safety John Lynch (neck) was on the sideline.
The Ravens and the rain combined to limit Denver to 9 yards of offense in the first quarter, tying a franchise low since Mike Shanahan became the Broncos coach in 1995.
The Broncos turned the ball over on their first two possessions.
Denver's first turnover resulted in a 24-yard field goal by Stover that gave Baltimore a 3-0 lead. It followed cornerback Chris McAlister 's nifty tightrope walk along the right sideline after he gathered the loose ball that Terrell Suggs punched out of Bell's hands.
Plummer, wearing a glove on his throwing hand to get a better grip, wildly overthrew Walker on the Broncos' next possession and cornerback Samari Rolle hauled in the long pass at the Baltimore 34.
The Broncos tied it at 3 on Elam's 43-yarder following Williams' 33-yard punt return to the Baltimore 42. It was the second big return by Williams, who ranked dead last in the NFL going into the game with an average of less than a yard per punt return.
The Ravens were driving for the go-ahead score just before halftime when Bailey intercepted McNair's lob pass with 30 seconds left.
"It's always the difference in the game: that red zone," Shanahan said. "What were they, one for two? ... Kept them from getting a field goal, kept them from getting a touchdown. Obviously, that was a big play at the time."
It was a bit of instant redemption for Bailey, who had just been burned for a 26-yard gain on third-and-7 when he appeared to bite on a fake by McNair and Derrick Mason zipped past him and hauled in the pass along the right sideline. Safety Nick Ferguson saved the touchdown by knocking Mason out of bounds at the 11.
"We heard all the hype about them," Bailey said. "We've got a good defense, too, and I think we proved that tonight."
Denver's 'D' dominant in win over Ravens
NFL.com wire reports
DENVER (Oct. 9, 2006) -- If being disrespected means Champ Bailey gets more lob passes thrown his way in the end zone, then the Denver Broncos won't complain anymore about their dominant defense being dissed.
The Broncos (3-1) intercepted three of Steve McNair 's passes -- including a leaping end-zone pick by Bailey just before halftime -- to hand the Ravens (4-1) their first loss with a 13-3 win.
Bailey was as surprised as anyone that McNair went after him with a lob pass to wide receiver Clarence Moore in the right corner.
"A little," Bailey said with a smile. "And they paid for it."
All Baltimore coach Brian Billick had to say about the ill-advised call that loomed so large on a cold and rainy night was: "That play was one of the options we had and it didn't turn out for us."
Denver defensive coordinator Larry Coyer was glad to see somebody finally challenge his perennial Pro Bowl cornerback: "I was glad to see them throw one at him. That'll work for me, yeah. Yeah. Yeah."
A cold rain and two stingy defenses turned the Baltimore-Denver showdown into a kicking competition for much of the night, and Jason Elam bested Matt Stover with two long field goals.
But with a 6-3 lead and 1:55 left in the game, Denver put the kick-fest to rest. Deep in Ravens territory, Denver took a chance at the end zone, icing the game on Jake Plummer 's 4-yard touchdown pass to Rod Smith. It was Smith's first touchdown this season and also the first TD the Ravens have surrendered in a second half this year.
"We stuck together tonight," Plummer said. "It was ugly, ugly for a while, but in the end we came and put together some drives when it counted."
The touchdown was set up by Darrent Williams ' interception at midfield with 6:47 left and Tatum Bell 's 12-yard gain on third-and-10 from the 17 in which he carried linebacker Ray Lewis for the final 5 yards.
"It wasn't a big deal," Bell said, "but it was a big deal because it was Ray."
Elam connected from 43 and 44 yards, the second one breaking a 3-3 tie with eight minutes remaining and capping a drive that was set up by Sam Koch's 10-yard punt.
Ravens defensive end Trevor Pryce, who was quiet all week about his return to Denver -- which dumped him and his $10 million salary in the offseason -- was even quieter Monday night, assisting on just one tackle.
"The loss hurts, but I don't really care who it is against," Pryce said. "They are just another football team. The thing is, they are a great football team. They always have been, they were before I got there and they are now that I'm gone."
Steve McNair could hardly find room to roam against Denver's pesky defense.
The teams were tied 3-3 at halftime, and the rain only got heavier during a scoreless third quarter in which the Ravens avoided a big momentum-shifter when center Mike Flynn smothered McNair's fumble at the Baltimore 12.
Flynn saved the touchdown after McNair's third interception, by Domonique Foxworth in the final minute while safety John Lynch (neck) was on the sideline.
The Ravens and the rain combined to limit Denver to 9 yards of offense in the first quarter, tying a franchise low since Mike Shanahan became the Broncos coach in 1995.
The Broncos turned the ball over on their first two possessions.
Denver's first turnover resulted in a 24-yard field goal by Stover that gave Baltimore a 3-0 lead. It followed cornerback Chris McAlister 's nifty tightrope walk along the right sideline after he gathered the loose ball that Terrell Suggs punched out of Bell's hands.
Plummer, wearing a glove on his throwing hand to get a better grip, wildly overthrew Walker on the Broncos' next possession and cornerback Samari Rolle hauled in the long pass at the Baltimore 34.
The Broncos tied it at 3 on Elam's 43-yarder following Williams' 33-yard punt return to the Baltimore 42. It was the second big return by Williams, who ranked dead last in the NFL going into the game with an average of less than a yard per punt return.
The Ravens were driving for the go-ahead score just before halftime when Bailey intercepted McNair's lob pass with 30 seconds left.
"It's always the difference in the game: that red zone," Shanahan said. "What were they, one for two? ... Kept them from getting a field goal, kept them from getting a touchdown. Obviously, that was a big play at the time."
It was a bit of instant redemption for Bailey, who had just been burned for a 26-yard gain on third-and-7 when he appeared to bite on a fake by McNair and Derrick Mason zipped past him and hauled in the pass along the right sideline. Safety Nick Ferguson saved the touchdown by knocking Mason out of bounds at the 11.
"We heard all the hype about them," Bailey said. "We've got a good defense, too, and I think we proved that tonight."
Monday, October 09, 2006
Webcast and Summary Of The Google Conference Call On Their Purchase Of YouTube
To listen to the full press conference webcast, click:
http://investor.google.com/webcast.html
Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are pictured here.
YouTube's Chad Hurley and Steve Chen video message is here:
The Google / YouTube deal has rocked not just the vlog world, but American Culture. In today's conference call featuring Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Chad Hurley, CEO of YouTube, Google Founder Sergey Brin, the general message was that the media world has shifted to the user. "We're in the middle of a shift in digital media entertainment," said Hurley. "Users are now in control of what they want to watch and when they want to watch it. They decide what rises to the top, what's entertaining."
Also in the press conference was the remark that Google's ad system will be matted with YouTube's distribution process, and that in general the two firms came up with about 30 different ways they could combine their technologies.
Google Press Release Text (Not A Transcript)
Google To Acquire YouTube for $1.65 Billion in Stock
Combination Will Create New Opportunities for Users and Content Owners Everywhere
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., October 9, 2006 - Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) announced today that it has agreed to acquire YouTube, the consumer media company for people to watch and share original videos through a Web experience, for $1.65 billion in a stock-for-stock transaction. Following the acquisition, YouTube will operate independently to preserve its successful brand and passionate community.
The acquisition combines one of the largest and fastest growing online video entertainment communities with Google's expertise in organizing information and creating new models for advertising on the Internet. The combined companies will focus on providing a better, more comprehensive experience for users interested in uploading, watching and sharing videos, and will offer new opportunities for professional content owners to distribute their work to reach a vast new audience.
"The YouTube team has built an exciting and powerful media platform that complements Google's mission to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful," said Eric Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer of Google. "Our companies share similar values; we both always put our users first and are committed to innovating to improve their experience. Together, we are natural partners to offer a compelling media entertainment service to users, content owners and advertisers."
"Our community has played a vital role in changing the way that people consume media, creating a new clip culture. By joining forces with Google, we can benefit from its global reach and technology leadership to deliver a more comprehensive entertainment experience for our users and to create new opportunities for our partners," said Chad Hurley, CEO and Co-Founder of YouTube. "I'm confident that with this partnership we'll have the flexibility and resources needed to pursue our goal of building the next-generation platform for serving media worldwide."
When the acquisition is complete, YouTube will retain its distinct brand identity, strengthening and complementing Google's own fast-growing video business. YouTube will continue to be based in San Bruno, CA, and all YouTube employees will remain with the company. With Google's technology, advertiser relationships and global reach, YouTube will continue to build on its success as one of the world's most popular services for video entertainment.
The number of Google shares to be issued in the transaction will be determined based on the 30-day average closing price two trading days prior to the completion of the acquisition. Both companies have approved the transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2006.
Webcast and Conference Call Information
The company will host a conference call and webcast at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time (4:30 p.m. Eastern Time) today to discuss the acquisition. To access the conference call, please dial 800-289-0572 domestic and 913-981-5543 internationally. A replay of the call will be available until midnight Monday, October 16 at 888-203-1112 domestically and 719-457-0820 internationally. Confirmation code for the replay is 2260624.
A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available at http://investor.google.com/webcast.html.
About Google Inc.
Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.
About YouTube
Founded in February 2005, YouTube is a consumer media company for people to watch and share original videos worldwide through a Web experience. YouTube allows people to easily upload and share video clips on www.YouTube.com and across the Internet through websites, blogs, and e-mail. YouTube currently delivers more than 100 million video views every day with 65,000 new videos uploaded daily and it has quickly become the leading destination on the Internet for video entertainment.
Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This document includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding Google's and YouTube's ability to improve their services, create new business models and content-owner opportunities, integration plans, the expected timing for the closing of the acquisition and the plans to operate YouTube independently. These statements are based on the current expectations or beliefs of management of Google Inc., and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the statements herein due to (1) changes in economic, business, competitive, technological and/or regulatory factors, (2) failure to receive regulatory approval for the acquisition, (3) failure to retain the levels of traffic on the YouTube site, (4) failure to compete successfully in this highly competitive and rapidly changing marketplace, (5) failure to retain key employees, (6) other factors affecting the operation of the respective businesses of Google and YouTube, and (7) the failure of YouTube and Google to work together effectively. More detailed information about these factors may be found in filings by Google, as applicable, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including their respective most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Google is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any such obligation to, update or alter their respective forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Press Contacts:
Google Media:
Jon Murchinson
650.253.4437
jonm@google.com Investors:
Maria Shim
650.253.7663
marias@google.com YouTube Media:
Julie Supan
650.685.6401
press@youtube.com
Google Buys YouTube - Deal Done - What Do You Think Of It?
Yep. The deal's done. It makes sense for this to happen, especially because the two firms are so close in operation and geography. This 15-year old YouTube user has posted an opinion on the deal and expressed his view. He thinks that Google's purchase of YouTube means more costs for the users of both. See this video below:
Google to buy YouTube for $1.65 billion
Search engine leader looks to bulk up in the lucrative online video market.
By Paul R. La Monica, CNNMoney.com editor at large
October 9 2006: 4:42 PM EDT
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Google, the Internet's leading search engine, announced Monday that it is buying popular online video site YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock.
YouTube, which was founded in February 2005, has quickly become the most well-known of several online video sites. More than 100 million videos, many of which are short videos created by the site's users, are downloaded a day on the site.
According to Internet research firm Hitwise, YouTube has about a 46 percent share of the online video market.
For Google (Charts), the purchase of YouTube gives the company the ability to tap into the potentially lucrative online video and social networking markets. Some analysts have criticized Google for relying too much on advertising tied to keyword searches.
The combination of Google and YouTube could further strengthen Google's dominance in online advertising, giving it an edge over rivals such as Yahoo! (Charts), Microsoft's (Charts) MSN and News Corp (Charts)., which owns the social networking site MySpace. Some analysts said Monday that Yahoo, Microsoft and News Corp. also had probably expressed interest in buying YouTube.
In a statement, Google said that YouTube will operate as an independent unit of Google once the deal closes and will retain the YouTube brand name. The companies added that no YouTube workers will lose their jobs as a result of the acquisition and that Google will maintain its own online video business.
Clayton Moran, an analyst with Stanford Group, said after the deal was announced that Google was paying a rich price for YouTube. But he said Google needed to do something to become more competitive with MySpace, which currently ranks in second place in online video market share.
"My sense is that Google is paying a full price considering that YouTube is still unproven in regards to its revenue potential. But considering the success of MySpace it was clearly worthwhile for Google to take this step," Moran said.
Reports of a deal first began to circulate on Friday. Shares of Google rose about 2 percent on the Nasdaq Monday after posting a similar gain on Friday. The stock dipped slightly in after hours trading.
Google to buy YouTube for $1.65 billion
Search engine leader looks to bulk up in the lucrative online video market.
By Paul R. La Monica, CNNMoney.com editor at large
October 9 2006: 4:42 PM EDT
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Google, the Internet's leading search engine, announced Monday that it is buying popular online video site YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock.
YouTube, which was founded in February 2005, has quickly become the most well-known of several online video sites. More than 100 million videos, many of which are short videos created by the site's users, are downloaded a day on the site.
According to Internet research firm Hitwise, YouTube has about a 46 percent share of the online video market.
For Google (Charts), the purchase of YouTube gives the company the ability to tap into the potentially lucrative online video and social networking markets. Some analysts have criticized Google for relying too much on advertising tied to keyword searches.
The combination of Google and YouTube could further strengthen Google's dominance in online advertising, giving it an edge over rivals such as Yahoo! (Charts), Microsoft's (Charts) MSN and News Corp (Charts)., which owns the social networking site MySpace. Some analysts said Monday that Yahoo, Microsoft and News Corp. also had probably expressed interest in buying YouTube.
In a statement, Google said that YouTube will operate as an independent unit of Google once the deal closes and will retain the YouTube brand name. The companies added that no YouTube workers will lose their jobs as a result of the acquisition and that Google will maintain its own online video business.
Clayton Moran, an analyst with Stanford Group, said after the deal was announced that Google was paying a rich price for YouTube. But he said Google needed to do something to become more competitive with MySpace, which currently ranks in second place in online video market share.
"My sense is that Google is paying a full price considering that YouTube is still unproven in regards to its revenue potential. But considering the success of MySpace it was clearly worthwhile for Google to take this step," Moran said.
Reports of a deal first began to circulate on Friday. Shares of Google rose about 2 percent on the Nasdaq Monday after posting a similar gain on Friday. The stock dipped slightly in after hours trading.
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