NFL Morning Games Week 10 2012

Eight games on early to keep me busy. First up...

The Minnesota Vikings host the Detroit Lions. Minnesota was first to score in the first quarter with a 3 yard touchdown pass by Christian Ponder to Jarius Wright, and Blair Walsh booted in the extra point. The Vikings struck again as Walsh made a 48 yard field goal. Detroit got on the board in the second quarter as Jason Hanson made a 41 yard field goal. Minnesota shot back with a 23 yard field goal from Walsh. The Vikings added on in the third quarter with a Walsh field goal from 23 yards away. The Lions answered with a Matthew Stafford touchdown pass to Brandon Pettigrew for 16 yards, and Hanson made the PAT. Minnesota responded as Ponder threw 20 yards to Kyle Rudolph for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, and Adrian Peterson ran the two-point conversion in. Detroit shot back as Stafford passed 1 yard to Titus Young for a touchdown, and Hanson made the extra point. The Vikings extended their lead as Peterson ran 61 yards for a touchdown, and Walsh made the extra point. Minnesota struck again as Walsh made a 33 yard field goal. The Lions chipped away as Stafford passed 11 yards to Calvin Johnson for a touchdown, and Hanson knocked in the extra point. This was as close as it got, with Minnesota holding for a 34-24 win, improving to 6-4 while Detroit drops to 4-5.

Down in New Orleans, the Saints bring in the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta led off with a first quarter touchdown pass of 1 yard from Matt Ryan to Mike Johnson, and Matt Bryant tacked on the extra point. The Falcons added on with a Bryant field goal from 37 yards away. New Orleans shot back with a 56 yard touchdown run by Chris Ivory, and Garrett Hartley made the PAT. The Saints took the lead with a second quarter Drew Brees touchdown pass of 29 yards to Jimmy Graham, and Hartley made the extra point. Atlanta regained the lead as Ryan found Tony Gonzalez for 2 yards and a touchdown, and Bryant booted the extra point. New Orleans took the lead back as Brees found Graham again, this time for 14 yards and a touchdown, and Hartley again made the extra point. The Saints extended the lead on a third quarter Brees touchdown pass to Marques Colston for 7 yards, and Hartley supplied the extra point. The Falcons answered with a Ryan touchdown pass to Gonzalez, good for 6 yards, and Bryant iced the drive with the extra point. Atlanta pulled closer on a Bryant field goal of 20 yards. New Orleans replied with a Hartley field goal from 31 yards out. This was all they needed for a 31-27 win, with the Saints now at 4-5 and the Falcons falling from perfection to 8-1.

Back north, the Cincinnati Bengals host the New York Giants. Cincinnati started with a 56 yard Andy Dalton touchdown pass to A.J. Green in the first quarter, and Mike Nugent supplied the extra point. The Bengals added on with a Dalton touchdown pass of 11 yard to Andrew Hawkins, followed by another Nugent extra point. New York got on the board as Lawrence Tynes kicked a 23 yard field goal. Cincinnati replied in the second quarter as Nugent made a 28 yard field goal. The Giants got some more as Tynes made a 31 yard field goal. The Bengals extended the lead in the third quarter as Dalton passed 10 yards to Jermaine Gresham for a touchdown, and Nugent tacked on the PAT. Cincinnati kept going as Dalton found Mohamed Sanu for 10 yards and a touchdown, and Nugent made another extra point. New York got some back as Andre Brown ran 2 yards for a touchdown, and Tynes booted the extra point. This was as close as they got, falling 31-13, with Cincinnati going to 4-5 and the Giants dropping to 6-4.

Over in Baltimore, the Ravens host the Oakland Raiders. Baltimore opened with a first quarter Justin Tucker field goal of 48 yards. The Ravens struck again with a 1 yard rush for a touchdown by Joe Flacco, and Tucker handled the extra point. Oakland got on the board as Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 32 yard field goal in the second quarter. Baltimore padded the lead as Flacco passed 5 yards to Dennis Pitta for a touchdown, and Tucker knocked in the extra point. The Ravens struck again as Tucker made a 34 yard field goal. The Raiders answered with a 55 yard touchdown pass from Carson Palmer to Darrius Heyward-Bey, and Janikowski was there with the extra point. Baltimore extended the lead with a 7 yard touchdown run by Ray Rice, and Tucker booted the extra point cleanly. The Ravens kept going in the third quarter with Flacco passing 47 yards to Torrey Smith for a touchdown, and Tucker booted the extra point. Oakland answered on a 30 yard touchdown pass from Palmer to Denarius Moore, and Janikowski was there with the PAT. Baltimore replied as Flacco and Smith met up again, this time for 20 yards and a touchdown, and Tucker finished the drive with an extra point. The Ravens added insult to injury by botching field goal attempt, which led to holder Sam Koch running the ball in 7 yards for a touchdown, and Tucker knocked in the extra point again. The Raiders shot back with a 47 yard Janikowski field goal. Baltimore quickly replied as Jacoby Jones returned the kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown, and Tucker made another extra point. This ended the scoring at 55-20, with the Ravens moving to 7-2 and the Raiders dropping to 3-6.

Up in New England, the Patriots welcome the Buffalo Bills. New England began in the first quarter on a Stephen Gostkowski 43 yard field goal. The Patriots padded the lead as Stevan Ridley ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and Gostkowski made the extra point. Buffalo got on the board in the second quarter as Rian Lindell kicked a 41 yard field goal. New England shot back as Danny Woodhead ran 15 yards for a touchdown, and Gostkowski made the PAT. The Bills answered with a 14 yard touchdown run by Fred Jackson, iced off by a Lindell extra point. The Patriots replied as Tom Brady passed 2 yards to Rob Gronkowski for a touchdown, and Gostkowski handled the extra point. Buffalo clawed back with a Ryan Fitzpatrick touchdown pass of 3 yards to Scott Chandler, and Lindell tacked on the extra point. New England extended the lead as Brady passed 18 yards to Woodhead for a touchdown, and Gostkowski easily made the extra point. The Bills responded with a 1 yard touchdown run by Jackson, and Lindell was there with the extra point. The Patriots got some back in the fourth quarter on a 48 yard field goal by Gostkowski. Buffalo came closer on a Fitzpatrick touchdown pass of 2 yards to Donald Jones, and Lindell supplied the extra point. New England replied as Gostkowski made a 27 yard field goal. They held on for a 37-31 win, with the Patriots now at 6-3 and the Bills at 3-6.

Way south, the Miami Dolphins bring in the Tennessee Titans. Tennessee got going in the first quarter on a Jake Locker touchdown pass to Kendall Wright, good for 9 yards, and Rob Bironas kicked in the extra point. The Titans added on as Chris Johnson ran 17 yards for a touchdown, and Bironas handled the extra point. Tennessee padded the lead in the second quarter as Colin McCarthy picked off Ryan Tannehill and returned the ball 49 yards for a touchdown, allowing a Bironas extra point. Miami got on the board when Dan Carpenter kicked a 40 yard field goal. The Titans responded as Bironas made a 37 yard field goal. Tennessee extended the lead in the third quarter as Locker passed 26 yards for a touchdown to Jared Cook, and Bironas supplied the PAT. The Titans kept going in the fourth quarter as Bironas made a 38 yard field goal. Tennessee rolled along as Bironas made a 53 yard field goal. This produced the 37-3 drubbing of a final, with Tennessee now at 4-6 and the Dolphins falling to 4-5.

Staying in Florida, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the San Diego Chargers. San Diego quickly struck first in the first quarter as Philip Rivers passed 80 yards to Danario Alexander for a touchdown, and Nick Novak tacked on the extra point. Tampa Bay tied it with a 3 yard touchdown pass from Josh Freeman to Dallas Clark, and Connor Barth had the equalizing extra point. The Chargers took the lead as Rivers found Antonio Gates for 13 yards and a touchdown, with Novak making the PAT. The Buccaneers answered in the second quarter as Barth made a 40 yard field goal. Tampa Bay took the lead by blocking a punt, which they recovered as Adam Hayward ran 29 yards for a touchdown, and Barth kicked the extra point. San Diego shot back with Rivers passing 3 yards to Malcom Floyd for a touchdown, and Novak supplied the extra point. The Buccaneers claimed the lead in the third quarter as Freeman passed 15 yards to Tiquan Underwood, and Barth made the extra point. Tampa Bay extended their lead in the fourth quarter as Leonard Johnson picked off Rivers and took the ball 83 yards for a touchdown, allowing another Barth extra point. The Chargers got some back as Novak made a 34 yard field goal. The Buccaneers padded the lead as Barth made a 45 yard field goal. This was good for a 34-24 win, and Tampa Bay now sits at 5-4 while the Chargers are 4-5.

Finally, the Carolina Panthers host the Denver Broncos. Carolina opened in the first quarter as Cam Newton passed 4 yards to Greg Olsen for a touchdown, and Justin Medlock handled the extra point. Denver tied it with a Peyton Manning touchdown pass of 10 yards to Brandon Stokley, and Matt Prater had the equalizing extra point. The Broncos took the lead in the second quarter with a 76 yard punt return for a touchdown by Trindon Holliday, and Prater made the extra point. Denver extended the lead on a Prater 53 yard field goal. The Broncos kept going in the third quarter on a Tony Carter interception of Newton, returned 40 yards for a touchdown, followed by a Prater extra point. Denver extended the lead in the fourth quarter on a 27 yard field goal by Prater. The Broncos got defensive as Mike Adams sacked Newton for a safety. The Panthers shot back with Newton passing 5 yards to Olsen, and Medlock handled the extra point. Denver padded the lead as Ronnie Hillman ran 5 yards for a touchdown, and Prater booted the extra point. This was good enough to win 36-14, with Denver now at 6-3 and Carolina dropping to 2-7.

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