NFL Early Games week 16

This Saturday morning, there are ten games on. We begin with...

The Cincinnati Bengals hosting the Arizona Cardinals. Cincinnati opened with a Mike Nugent field goal of 24 yards. The Bengals added on with Andy Dalton throwing an 11 yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Gresham, and Nugent tacked on the extra point. Cincinnati kept going in the second quarter with Dalton throwing 19 yards to Jerome Simpson, who finished the play with a solid front flip into the end zone, allowing Nugent another extra point. Nugent made it 20-0 at half time for the Bengals with a 41 yard field goal. Nugent kept kicking in the third quarter, adding on a 32 yard field goal for Cincinnati. Arizona got on the board in the fourth quarter when John Skelton tossed a 30 yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald, and Jay Feely made the PAT. The Cardinals pulled closer after Skelton found Jeff King for a 2 yard touchdown connection, but the two point attempt failed on Skelton's run. Feely made it 23-16 with a 29 yard field goal for Arizona. The Bengals would weather the storm from here and hold on to improve to 9-6 while the Cardinals fell to 7-8.

To New Jersey, where the New York Jets host the New York Giants for tri-state supremacy. The Jets got going with a Mark Sanchez touchdown pass to Josh Baker for 5 yards, and Nick Folk kicked the extra point. Lawrence Tynes answered for the Giants by kicking a 21 yard field goal. The Giants took the lead with an impressive Eli Manning touchdown pass, 99 yards on the catch and run by Victor Cruz, and Tynes blasted in the PAT. This left the score at 10-7 for halftime. The Giants added on in the third quarter with a 14 yard touchdown run by Ahmad Bradshaw, and Tynes kicked another extra point. Sanchez got the Jets a little closer again by running 1 yard to find a touchdown, and Folk was there with the extra point. The Giants got back on their game by sacking Sanchez for a safety. Bradshaw put the game out of reach at 29-14 with a 19 yard touchdown run, and Tynes secured victory for the Giants with the extra point. The Giants are now 8-7 and in control of their playoff hopes while the Jets fall to the same mark and lose most of their advantage in determining their fate.

Southwest to Tennessee, where the Titans welcome the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tennessee opened with a Rob Bironas field goal from 51 yards. The Titans added on when Matt Hasselbeck threw 55 yards to Jared Cook for a touchdown, and Bironas tacked on the extra point. Jacksonville got a few back with Maurice Jones-Drew rushing 10 yards for a touchdown, and Josh Scobee added an extra point. In the second quarter, Tennessee extended the lead on a Jamie Harper touchdown run of 1 yard, and Bironas was there with the extra point. The Jaguars cut the score to 17-10 at the half when Scobee nailed a 39 yard field goal. The Titans replied in the third quarter when Bironas made a 51 yard field goal. Bironas kept kicking in the fourth quarter for Tennessee, as he made a 35 yard field goal. Jacksonville pulled back with Greg Jones running 1 yard for a touchdown, allowing Scobee another PAT. This made it 23-17, improving the Titans to 8-7 and knocking the Jaguars down to 4-11.

Back to the Northeast, as the New England Patriots host the Miami Dolphins. Miami led off with a Dan Carpenter field goal from 47 yards out. Matt Moore kept the Dolphins going with a 19 yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall in the second quarter, and Carpenter added on the extra point. Moore continued with a 1 yard touchdown to Charles Clay, and Carpenter's extra point made it 17-0 at the half. New England got on the board in the third quarter with a Stephen Gostkowski field goal of 45 yards. The Patriots kept going with Tom Brady throwing a 1 yard touchdown pass to Deion Branch, and Gostkowski supplied the PAT. New England tied it as Brady took matters in his own hands by rushing a yard for a touchdown, and Gostkowski's extra point tied the game. Gostkowski gave the Patriots the lead in the fourth quarter with a 42 yard field. New England extended the lead with Brady again rushing 1 yard for a touchdown, and Gostkowski successfully made the extra point. Moore tried to rally the Dolphins with a touchdown pass to Davone Bess for 15 yards, followed by a Carpenter extra point to make it 27-24. This would not be enough to win, allowing the Patriots to go to 12-3 while Miami fell to 5-10.

Staying nearby, the Baltimore Ravens hosted the Cleveland Browns. Baltimore got going with Joe Flacco's touchdown pass to Ed Dickson for 5 yards, and Shayne Graham made the extra point. Graham added a 48 yard field goal for the Ravens. Flacco got Baltimore a few more points by passing to Ray Rice, who took the ball 42 yards for a touchdown, and Graham made the extra point again. The score was 17-0 heading into the locker rooms. Graham kicked a 43 yard field goal in the third quarter for the Ravens. Cleveland got on the board as Joshua Cribbs returned a Sam Koch punt for 84 yards and a touchdown, allowing Phil Dawson to make a PAT. The Browns cut it to 20-14 in the fourth quarter as Seneca Wallace threw 6 yards to Evan Moore for a touchdown, and Dawson made another extra point. This would be a final, with Baltimore becoming 11-4 and Cleveland 4-11.

Westward to Kansas City, where the Chiefs fight with the Oakland Raiders to stay alive in the playoff hunt. Oakland struck first with Sebastian Janikowski kicking a 28 yard field goal. Kansas City replied with a 23 yard field goal by Ryan Succop, and the 3-3 tie lasted through the second quarter into halftime. The Raiders gained the lead in the third quarter with Carson Palmer tossing a 61 yard touchdown reception to Denarius Moore, and Janikowski was there with the extra point. The Chiefs got some back with Succop nailing a 20 yard field goal. Janikowski answered for Oakland on a 31 yard field goal. Kansas City tied it when Kyle Orton found Dwayne Bowe on a 3 yard touchdown pass, and Succop's extra point would eventually force an overtime. In the fifth quarter, the Raiders won 16-13 on a Janikowski 36 yard field goal, improving them to 8-7 and knocking the Chiefs out of the playoff picture at 6-9.

Back to the East coast, where the Washington Redskins host the Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota opened on Ryan Longwell's 36 yard field goal. Adrian Peterson added on for the Vikings in the second quarter by rushing 1 yard for a touchdown, and Longwell added an extra point. Washington got on the board with Rex Grossman throwing a 5 yard touchdown pass to Donte' Stallworth, and Graham Gano made the extra point. Gano evened the score at 10 just before halftime with a 26 yard field goal for the Redskins. Washington added on in the third quarter as Gano nailed a 53 yard field goal. Minnesota answered with a Joe Webb rushing touchdown of 9 yards, and Longwell was successful with the PAT. Grossman answered back for the Redskins on a 4 yard touchdown connection with Jabar Gaffney, and Gano made another extra point. The Vikings replied when Webb passed 17 yards to Kyle Rudolph, but Longwell blew the extra point here to leave the score at 23-20. Gano tied it for Washington by kicking a 25 yard field goal. Webb answered back for Minnesota on an 8 yard touchdown pass to Percy Harvin, and Longwell redeemed himself with the extra point. The kickers traded field goals to make it 33-26, with Longwell good at 23 yards and Gano true from 47. Minnesota went to 3-12 while Washington fell to 5-10.

Down south a bit, the Carolina Panthers host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Carolina opened with DeAngelo Williams running 8 yards for a touchdown, and Olindo Mare made the extra point. Mare also added a 21 yard field goal for the Panthers. Tampa Bay got on the board in the second quarter when Josh Freeman lobbed a 4 yard touchdown pass to Arrelious Benn, and Connor Barth made the extra point. Carolina answered on a Cam Newton touchdown pass to Brandon LaFell, a 91 yard play when all said and done, with Mare icing it on an extra point. Barth answered back for the Buccaneers with a 41 yard field goal. The Panthers took a 20-10 lead into the locker rooms as Mare made a 19 yard field goal. Williams got things back on track for Carolina in the third quarter by rushing 22 yards to get a touchdown, and Mare supplied the extra point. Newton helped the Panthers cause when he found Jonathan Stewart on an 11yard touchdown pass, and Mare again made the PAT. Newton took matters in to his own hands when he rushed 49 yards for another Carolina touchdown, and Mare was there with the extra point again. Newton aired it out in the fourth quarter with a touchdown pass to Jeremy Shockey for 8 yards, and Mare again made the extra point for the Panthers. Tampa Bay got a few back when Freeman rushed 1 yard for a touchdown, but they failed on the two point conversion and would lose heavily by a 48-16 score. Carolina is now 6-9 and the Buccaneers are 4-11.

Back to the north, where the Buffalo Bills host the Denver Broncos. Denver led off with a Tim Tebow touchdown run of 1 yard, and Matt Prater made the extra point. Buffalo got going in the second quarter with Dave Rayner kicking a 28 yard field goal. The Bills next touchdown was special, as Leodis McKelvin returned a Britton Colquitt punt for 80 yards and a touchdown, as Rayner blasted in the extra point. C.J. Spiller kept Buffalo strong with a 4 yard touchdown run just before half, and Rayner's extra point made it 17-7 heading into the locker rooms. The Broncos came out of the gate in the third quarter on the arm of Tebow, who threw 173yards to Daniel Fells for a touchdown, and Prater was there wit the extra point. The Bills wiped it out for the most part with a pair of 25 yard field goals by Rayner. Rayner also kicked a 29 yard field goal in the fourth quarter for Buffalo. The Bills ended up winning 40-14 when Jairus Byrd and Spencer Johnson picked Tebow off in rapid succession, as Byrd went 37 yards and Johnson went 17 yards to take each pick back for a touchdown. Rayner made both extra points. The Bills improved to 6-9 while the Broncos playoff chances got more muddled at 8-7.

Finally, the Pittsburgh Steelers hosted the St. Louis Rams. Pittsburgh opened with Shaun Suisham kicking a 21 yard field goal. The Steelers led 10-0 at halftime when John Clay ran 10 yards for a touchdown, and Suisham made the extra point. Pittsburgh kept going in the third quarter with Suisham kicking a 49 yard field goal. The Steelers were unstoppable by the fourth quarter as Rashard Mendenhall ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Suisham made the PAT. Pittsburgh wound up winning 27-0 due to a 2 yard Isaac Redman touchdown run, and Suisham's extra point. The Steelers are now 11-4 while the Rams are 2-13.