NFL Late Games week 9

Five games on in the second wave of kickoffs. Leading us off...

Are the Tennessee Titans against the Cincinnati Bengals. Tennessee drew first blood with Rob Bironas kicking a 43 yard field goal. Cincinnati took the lead in the second quarter on a touchdown from Andy Dalton 1 yard to Colin Cochart, and Mike Nugent handled the extra point. The Titans took the lead back on an 8 yard touchdown connection between Matt Hasselbeck and Damian Williams, iced off by Bironas with the extra point. Tennessee made it 17-7 at halftime with Hasselbeck throwing a 16 yard touchdown to Lavelle Hawkins, and Bironas again made the PAT. The Bengals came roaring back on Dalton's 15 yard touchdown connection with Jerome Simpson, and Nugent had another extra point. Cincinnati grabbed the lead as Dalton threw a 5 yard touchdown to Andre Caldwell, and Nugent's extra point made it 21-17. The Bengals made it 24-17 with a field goal by Nugent from 36 yards away.  This was the final, and Cincinnati improved to 6-2 while Tennessee fell to 4-4.

Following that, the Oakland Raiders welcome the Denver Broncos. Oakland opened the scoring with a 48 yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski. Denver took the lead as Tim Tebow threw 27 yards for a touchdown to Eric Decker, and Matt Prater added the extra point. The Raiders regained the lead in the second quarter on a Carson Palmer touchdown pass of 11 yards to Michael Bush, and Janikowski supplied an extra point. Palmer then threw to Marcel Reece later in the quarter, a 40 yard touchdown capped off with Janikowski making the extra point for 17-7 score at the half. The Broncos got back into scoring in the third quarter with Tebow finding Eddie Royal for 26 yards and a touchdown, with Prater polishing it off on the extra point. Oakland extended the lead with Palmer throwing an 18 yard touchdown pass to Jacoby Ford, and Janikowski supplied another PAT. Denver pulled back within a touchdown as Prater kicked a 43 yard field goal. The Broncos tied it at 24 with a 60 yard touchdown rush by Willis McGahee, and Prater's extra point. The Broncos took the lead when Quan Crosby ran a punt return back 85 yards for a touchdown, and Prater was there to make the extra point. Denver secured a win with a touchdown run of 24 yards for McGahee, and Prater's extra point to make it 38-24. This was a final, improving the Broncos to 3-5 and pushing the Raiders down to 4-4.

The marquee matchup of the afternoon is back east, as the New England Patriots host the New York Giants. The score was 0 all at the half, not what anyone expected from these two teams. New York finally found points with Lawrence Tynes nailing a 22 yard field goal. The Giants continued their quest for control as Brandon Jacobs ran 10 yards for a touchdown, and Tynes supplied another extra point. New England got on the board with a 32 yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski. The Patriots tied it as Tom Brady found Aaron Hernandez in the end zone on a 5 yard touchdown. Gostkowski was there for the extra point. New England gained a lead with Gostkowski nailing a 45 yard field goal. New York retook the lead on an Eli Manning 10 yard touchdown pass to Mario Manningham, and Tynes converted the PAT. The Patriots got the lead back with Brady connecting on a 14 yard pass to Rob Gronkowski, and Gostkowski made the extra point for a 20-17 score. The Giants stole the game on a 1 yard touchdown pass by Manning to Jake Ballard, and Tynes' extra point secured the 24-20 victory. New York goes to 6-2 while New England falls to 5-3.

Back to the southwest, with the Arizona Cardinals hosting the St. Louis Rams. Arizona was first to score on Jay Feely's 27 yard field goal. St. Louis replied with a Josh Brown field goal, good from 48 yards away. The Rams took the lead with Brown kicking a 37 yard field goal in the second quarter. Brown made it 9-3 St. Louis at the half with his 41 yard field goal. The Cardinals repositioned themselves in the third quarter with Feely nailing a 38 yard field goal. The Rams got a safety as James Hall sacked John Skelton. Skelton was later sacked for another safety by St. Louis' C.J. Ah You. Skelton finally showed usefulness in the fourth quarter, throwing a 13 yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald, and Feely tied it with an extra point. The game went into overtime, where Arizona won it on a 99 yard punt return by Patrick Peterson. The Cardinals are now 2-6, while the Rams are 1-7.

Wrapping it up today, the San Diego Chargers host the Green Bay Packers. San Diego was first to score here, as Philip Rivers threw 23 yards and Vincent Jackson took it in his hands to the end zone for a touchdown, allowing a Nick Novak extra point. Green Bay answered with Aaron Rodgers throwing a 5 yard touchdown to Jermichael Finley, and Mason Crosby had the tying extra point. The Packers went defensive on the next touchdown, as Charlie Peprah intercepted Rivers and took it back 40 yards for a touchdown, where Crosby then supplied an extra point. Rivers' nightmare continued as the Green Bay defense got another pick 6 on a 43 yard return by Tramon Williams. The Chargers finally got one back, as Mike Tolbert ran 8 yards to score a touchdown, and Novak made the PAT. Novak put San Diego a little closer on a 52 yard field goal. The score at the half was 28-17 after Rodgers tossed a 16 yard touchdown to Jordy Nelson, and Crosby made one more extra point. The Packers continued applying the pressure on a Crosby field goal in the third quarter from 47 yards out. The Chargers got within a touchdown after a touchdown pass from Rivers 11 yards to Antonio Gates, and Novak was there with the extra point. Green Bay made it 38-24 with Rodgers passing 21 yards for a touchdown to James Jones, and Crosby had another extra point. The Packers continue to pour on the points with Rodgers hooking up a 4 yard touchdown to Greg Jennings, and Crosby had another extra point. San Diego grabbed a few more point back with Rivers tossing a touchdown to Jackson, a 5 yard play with Novak finishing it off on the extra point. The Chargers refused to die as Rivers and Jackson met for another touchdown, a 29 yard connection capped off by a Novak extra point. They would not tie it, losing 45-38, with the Packers moving up to 8-0 and San Diego falling to 4-4.