NFL Early Games week 13

Opening up the football today, we have nine games. First off...

The New England Patriots host the Indianapolis Colts. New England opened with a Stephen Gostkowski field goal of 39 yards. Indianapolis tied it in the second quarter with an Adam Vinatieri field goal from 31 yards. The Patriots took the lead back when Tom Brady threw an 11 yard touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski, and Gostkowski handled the PAT. New England made it 17-3 at halftime with BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushing 1 yard for a touchdown, and Gostkowski adding another extra point. The Patriots added on in the third quarter as Brady passed again to Gronkowski for a 21 yard touchdown, and Gostkowski again made the extra point. New England rolled on with Gronkowski rushing 2 yards for a touchdown, and Gostkowski handled the extra point easily. The Colts got a few points back as Donald Brown ran 5 yards for the touchdown in the fourth quarter, and Vinatieri supplied the extra point. Indianapolis kept coming on late as Dan Orlovsky connected for 33 and 12 yards to Pierre Garcon on two separate touchdowns, and Vinatieri again made the extra points for a 31-24 game, which would be a final. The Patriots improve to 9-3 while dropping Indianapolis to 0-12.

Westward to Minnesota, where the Vikings welcome the Denver Broncos. Minnesota opened as Willis McGahee was stopped in his own end zone for a safety. Denver got going in the right direction with a Mario Haggan interception return of 16 yards for a touchdown, much to the disappointment of Christian Ponder with his errant pass. Matt Prater supplied the extra point. The Vikings pulled back with Ryan Longwell kicking a 40 yard field goal. Minnesota got to 12 the hard way with Ponder completing a touchdown to Kyle Rudoplh for 19 yards, and Longwell supplied the extra point. Longwell made it 15-7 with a 25 yard field goal. The Broncos got a few back with Tim Tebow throwing 21 yards to Demaryius Thomas for a touchdown, and Prater was there with the extra point. The Vikings replied with Ponder throwing to Percy Harvin for a touchdown, a 52 yard play, capped off by a Longwell extra point. Denver pulled back with Tebow finding Thomas again, this time for a 41 yard touchdown, and Prater had the extra point. Minnesota pulled away when Ponder and Harvin met up on a 48 yard touchdown reception, and Longwell made it 29-21 with his extra point in the fourth quarter. The Broncos tied it on a 24 yard touchdown run by McGahee, and a successful two-point attempt by Tebow on the ground. Minnesota regained the lead with a Longwell field goal of 39 yards. Denver tied it at 32 when Prater kicked a 46 yard field goal. Denver won it 35-32 on a Prater field goal of 23 yards, improving to 7-5 while Minnesota falls to 2-10.

Back to the Northeast, with the Buffalo Bills hosting the Tennessee Titans. Tennessee was first to score when Rob Bironas made a 48 yard field goal. Buffalo replied on a C.J. Spiller touchdown run of 35 yards, and Dave Rayner converted the extra point. The Titans got it back with Chris Johnson busting out a 48 yard touchdown run, allowing an extra point from Bironas. Johnson added on for Tennessee with a 4 yard touchdown run, and Bironas supplied the extra point. The Bills got a few back with a Rayner field goal of 27 yards. This made it 17-10, and the teams took this score into the locker rooms. The Titans made it a 10-point lead with Bironas kicking a 27 yard field goal in the third quarter. Bironas also added on in the fourth quarter for Tennessee with a 44 yard field goal. Buffalo got closer with a 2 yard touchdown pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick to Stevie Johnson, and Rayner was good with the PAT. The Titans held on for a 23-17 win, and improved to 7-5 while taking Buffalo down to 5-7.

Down the Atlantic coast to Miami, with the Dolphins hosting the Oakland Raiders. Miami got going with a pair of Dan Carpenter field goals, good from 48 and 33 yards. The Dolphins added on with a second quarter Matt Moore touchdown pass to Davone Bess for 12 yards, and Carpenter added the extra point. This made it 13-0 at halftime. Miami began a stronger attack in the third quarter with Reggie Bush running 1 yard for a touchdown, and Carpenter made the extra point. Moore kept the Dolphins strong with a 6 yard touchdown rush, and Carpenter again made the PAT. Miami went defensive on the next touchdown, as Kevin Burnett intercepted Carson Palmer and returned it 34 yards to score, allowing one more extra point for Carpenter. Oakland got on the board in the fourth quarter as Palmer threw 40 yards to T.J. Houshmandzadeh for a touchdown, and Sebastian Janikowski supplied the extra point. The Raiders got closer despite being far too late with Palmer finding Darrius Heyward-Bey for a 3 yard touchdown pass, and Janikowski again made the extra point for a 34-14 score, the final. Miami jumps up to 4-8 while the Raiders suffer a hurtful blow down to 7-5.

Retracing our steps up to Washington, D.C., where the Redskins welcome the New York Jets. Washington started with Roy Helu running a 2 yard touchdown in, and Graham Gano succeeded in making the extra point. New York tied it with a 1 yard Shonn Greene touchdown run, and a Nick Folk extra point. The Redskins took the lead in the second quarter on a 33 yard Gano field goal. The Jets retied it on a Folk field goal of 45 yards. Washington took the lead again with Gano kicking a field goal good from 23 yards. This brought the score to 13-10, which would last through halftime. New York tied it on a Folk field goal of 51 yards in the third quarter. Gano gave the Redskins a lead in the fourth quarter on a 46 yard field goal. The Jets took the lead when Mark Sanchez found Santonio Holmes for a 30 yard touchdown, and Folk made the PAT. New quickly added a security touchdown as Greene ran in 9 yards to score, and Folk made the extra point. Washington got a few back with Gano kicking a field goal from 43 yards out for a 27-19 score. The Jets put the nail in the coffin with Greene running 25 yards for a touchdown, and Folk making another extra point, leaving the final at 34-19. New York improves to 7-5 while the Redskins fall to 4-8.

Southwest to Texas, where the Houston Texans welcome the Atlanta Falcons. Houston struck first with a 43 yard Neil Rackers field goal. The Texans extended the lead with a T.J. Yates touchdown of 3 yards to Joel Dreessen, and Rackers was there with the extra point. Atlanta got on the board with Matt Bryant nailing a 19 yard field goal. The score would last through halftime at 10-3. The Falcons tied it in the third quarter when Matt Ryan found Roddy White for a 4 yard touchdown, and Bryant supplied the PAT. Houston took the lead in the fourth quarter with Arian Foster running 1 yard for a touchdown, and Rackers made the extra point. The Texans weathered a late drive to win 17-10, and improved to 9-3 while the Falcons fell to 7-5.

Back to the Midwest, where the Chicago Bears host the Kansas City Chiefs. Chicago opened the scoring in the second quarter with Robbie Gould making a 32 yard field goal. Kansas City took a 7-3 lead at halftime with a 38 yard touchdown pass from Tyler Palko to Dexter McCluster, and Ryan Succop handled the extra point. The Chiefs added on in the third quarter when Succop kicked a 21 yard field goal. The fourth quarter was silent, leaving the score at 10-3 in favor of Kansas City. The Chiefs are now 5-7 while taking the Bears down to 7-5.

Into the rust belt, where the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Cincinnati Bengals. Pittsburgh got things going in the second quarter with a 3 yard Rashard Mendenhall tocuhdown run, and Shaun Suisham added the extra point. Mendenhall extended the Steelers lead with a 5 yard touchdown run, allowing another extra point by Suisham. Pittsburgh continued the beatdown with Ben Roethlisberger throwing a 12 yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace, and Suisham again handled the PAT. Cincinnati got on the board with an Andy Dalton touchdown pass of 11 yards to A.J. Green, and Mike Nugent had the extra point. The Steelers got another touchdown on an Antonio Brown punt return of 60 yards, and Suisham stayed true on the extra point. The score was 28-7 at halftime. Pittsburgh answered with Roethlisberger finding Wallace again for a 19 yard touchdown play, and Suisham made yet another extra point. This made it 35-7, the final, pushing the Steelers up to 9-3 and the Bengals down to 7-5.

Wrapping up the morning games by returning to Florida, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Carolina Panthers. Carolina led off with a Cam Newton 1 yard touchdown rush, and Olindo Mare made the extra point. The Panthers added on as Jonathan Stewart mimicked his quarterback with his own 1 yard touchdown rush, and Mare was again true on the extra point. Tampa Bay got going with a Connor Barth field goal of 50 yards. Barth kept pulling the Buccaneers closer in the second quarter with a 47 yard field goal. Carolina quickly answered with a Newton touchdown pass to Legedu Naanee, good for 19 yards and Mare was there to make the extra point. Barth kept kicking for Tampa Bay by adding a 46 yard field goal. Barth and Buccaneers kept kicking with a 44 yard field goal. The Panthers made it 24-12 at halftime with Mare nailing a 43 yard field goal. Carolina extended the lead in the third quarter with Newton rushing 1 yard for a touchdown again, and Mare had the PAT. Newton continued his pattern of a 1 yard touchdown rushes for the Panthers in the fourth quarter, and Mare stayed true with the extra point. Tampa Bay finally got a touchdown as Josh Johnson threw 23 yards to Dezmon Briscoe, and Barth made the extra point to make it 38-19. This would go into the books as the final, knocking the Buccaneers to 4-8 while the Panthers improve to the same mark.