NFL Late Games Week 2

A much lighter slate in the afternoon, we have four games going. The first is in California...

Where the San Francisco 49ers host the Dallas Cowboys. San Francisco led off the scoring with a second quarter touchdown by Frank Gore, coming from a yard away, and allowing a David Akers extra point, who also had the PAT for the aerial pass from Alex Smith to Kyle Williams for 12 yards and a touchdown. Dallas got on the board before halftime with Tony Romo and Miles Austin connecting on a 53 yard touchdown, and Dan Bailey made the extra point. The score is 14-7 49ers. The Cowboys tied it with Jon Kitna throwing to Austin, good for a 5 yard touchdown, and Bailey added the extra point. The 49ers got the lead back with Smith finding Delanie Walker for 29 yards and a touchdown, followed by another extra point from Akers. San Francisco added a field goal of 55 yards from Akers in the fourth quarter. Dallas pulled closer with Romo passing another 25 yards to find Austin yet again in the end zone, and Bailey added another extra point. The Cowboys tied it on the last play of the game, a Bailey field goal of 48 yards. The score stands at 24 all, and the game will go into overtime, the first of such this year. In overtime, the Cowboys took the game with a 19 yard Bailey field goal, improving themselves to 1-1 and dropping the 49ers to the same mark.

Into the Rockies, the Denver Broncos host the Cincinnati Bengals. Denver drew first blood with a Willis McGahee touchdown run from a yard out, followed up by Matt Prater with the extra point. Cincinnati got on the board with a Mike Nugent 45 yard FG. Prater replied for the Broncos with a 34 yard field goal for a halftime score of 10-3. Denver took control in the third quarter with a Kyle Orton touchdown pass of 25 yards to Eric Decker, with Prater tacking on the extra point. The Bengals got three more points from a Nugent field goal of 37 yards. Cincinnati pushed a little closer to the Broncos with Andy Dalton finding Andre Caldwell for 10 yards and a touchdown, but the two point attempt was a failure, as Dalton's pass to Jerome Simpson was wayward. Nugent later added a 23 yard field goal to pull within two. Denver got back some separation with Orton and Decker hooking up yet again, this time going 52 yards for the touchdown, and Prater was again available to make the extra point. The Bengals shot back with Dalton passing 5 yards for a touchdown to A.J. Green, and Nugent had the extra point. The Broncos held off a storm, and won 24-22, going to 1-1, and dropping Cincinnati to 1-1.

Back much farther east, the New England Patriots host the San Diego Chargers. New England opened with Tom Brady and Aaron Hernandez making magic in the form of a 14 yard touchdown connection, with Stephen Gostkowski doing his part on the extra point. San Diego replied with a Ryan Mathews 10 yard TD rush, and Nick Novak made the extra point with ease. The Patriots retook the lead on a Gostkowski field goal of 22 yards, and he added the extra point when Brady met Rob Gronkowski for a 10 yard touchdown pass. Before the half, Gostkowski nailed a 47 yard field goal, giving New England a lead of 20-7 to take into the locker room. San Diego struck in the fourth quarter with Philip Rivers hitting Vincent Jackson for a 3 yard touchdown, and Novak made the PAT. Brady gave a little breathing room to the Patriots with a 17 yard TD pass to Gronkowski, and they converted the two point attempt on Danny Woodhead run. The Chargers fought back with Rivers and Jackson meeting for 26 yards and a TD, followed by a Novak extra point to put them back seven. New England appeared to have put the nail in the coffin on a 16 yard touchdown run via BenJarvus Green-Ellis, followed by Gostkowski's extra point to make it 35-21. This was a final, giving the Patriots a 2-0 record and San Diego faded to 1-1.

Rounding out the second wave, the Miami Dolphins welcome the Houston Texans. Houston strikes early with two field goals by Neil Rackers, from 23 and 22 yards away. Dan Carpenter replied for Miami with a 42 yard field goal. The Texans pulled to a more comfortable lead when Matt Schaub found Owen Daniels for a 4 yard touchdown, bringing Rackers on for the extra point. Rackers also kicked a field goal before the half to make it 16-3, this final kick being 36 yards. The Dolphins pushed a little closer with a Chad Henne touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall, good for 12 yards and a touchdown, and Carpenter added the PAT. Miami chipped away with a field goal by Carpenter, coming from 34 yards out. Houston extended their lead with Schaub finding Andre Johnson for 23 yards and a touchdown, with Rackers adding on the extra point. The final had the Texans up 23-13, moving them to 2-0 and dropping the Dolphins to 0-2.