NFL Early Games week 2

There are 10 games on this morning, starting with surprise undefeated teams...

As the Buffalo Bills host the Oakland Raiders. The scoring was opened by Oakland in the second quarter with Michael Bush going via ground across the goal line and Sebastian Janikowski kicking the extra point. The Raiders added some more points as Darren McFadden ran 5 yards into the end zone for a touchdown, and Janikowski nailed the PAT. Buffalo found points late in the second as Rian Lindell nailed a 25 yard field goal. Jason Campbell and Oakland scored another touchdown late in the quarter as the QB kept it for himself and took it in 1 yard, with Janikowski chipping in another extra point. The Raiders will take a comfortable 21-3 lead into the half. The Bills got going in the third quarter with a pair of touchdowns, going to Fred Jackson for 43 yards on the ground and Ryan Fitzpatrick sending the ball airborne to Stevie Johnson for 7 yards, with Lindell getting both extra points. Buffalo kept rolling in the fourth quarter on a 1 yard Jackson TD run, his second of the game, with Lindell adding the extra point. Oakland took the lead back with Campbell passing to McFadden for 12 yards and a touchdown, on which Janikowski added an extra point. The Bills regained the lead with Fitzpatrick passing to Scott Chandler for 6 yards, good for a touchdown as Lindell nailed the extra point. Oakland would not back down, retaking the lead as Campbell found Denarius Moore for 50 yards, and Janikowski made it 35-31 with the extra point. The Bills took the lead on a Fitzpatrick touchdown with 14 seconds left in the game, connecting from 6 yards with David Nelson. Lindell's PAT made it 38-35. This was the final, with Buffalo going to a shocking 2-0 and dropping the Raiders to 1-1.

Moving west, the Detroit Lions host the Kansas City Chiefs. Detroit drew first blood with a touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Calvin Johnson, a 15 yard connection with Jason Hanson adding the seventh point. Kansas City replied with a Ryan Succop field goal from 33 yards away. The Lions answered back with a touchdown from Stafford to Tony Scheffler for 36 yards, polished off by Hanson with the extra point. Hanson also kicked field goals of 51 and 28 yards before halftime, with Detroit leading 20-3. Stafford and Johnson met up again in the third quarter for a 1 yard touchdown, followed by Hanson with the PAT. The Lions grabbed some more points in the fourth, as Stafford picked apart the KC defense again to find Jahvid Best 9 yards away, allowing another Hanson extra point, as well as the extra point on Best's own carry from a yard away for the touchdown. Detroit put salt in the wounds of the Chiefs with a 1 yard rush for a TD by Keiland Williams, with Hanson doing the extra point yet again. The 48-3 score was a final, pushing the Lions to 2-0 and Kansas City fell to 0-2.

Down south, the New Orleans Saints welcome the Chicago Bears to the Big Easy. Chicago struck first with a touchdown pass from Jay Cutler to Dane Sanzenbacher for 8 yards, allowing a Robbie Gould extra point. New Orleans replied with a John Kasay 31 yard field goal. The Saints took the lead on Drew Brees' 79 yard touchdown pass to Devery Henderson, with Kasay supplying the extra point, and also later field goals of 29 and 53 yards. The Bears replied with Gould kicking a field goal of 42 yards, although they trail at the whistle by a 16-10 margin. Gould picked up where he left off with a 38 yard kick for a field goal, promptly erased by New Orleans' 4 yard touchdown pass from Brees to Robert Meachem. Brees and the Saints looked to put the nails in the coffin with a touchdown pass to Darren Sproles for 12 yards, and Kasay made the extra point. New Orleans maintained the 30-13 lead, and won the game, going to 1-1 while Chicago fell to 1-1.

Backtracking to Indianapolis, the Colts will host the Cleveland Browns. Indianapolis opened early with an Adam Vinatieri field goal of 39 yards. Vinatieri also contributed a field goal in the second quarter, this one shorter at 27 yards. Cleveland got the lead with Colt McCoy's 16 yard touchdown pass finding Evan Moore, with Phil Dawson finishing it off with the extra point. Vinatieri replied and took the lead back for the Colts on a 52 yard FG. The Browns took the lead back on a 1 yard Peyton Hillis touchdown run, with Dawson making the extra point afterward, good for a 14-9 halftime lead. The Colts got three back with Vinatieri kicking a 36 yard field goal to open the third quarter. Cleveland got separation in the fourth with a Dawson field goal going 20 yards. The Browns gained a few more with Hillis running 24 yards for a touchdown, and Dawson added another PAT, and a field goal of 23 yards. Indianapolis finally got a touchdown with Kerry Collins passing 6 yards for the score to Dallas Clark, and Vinatieri made the extra point. However, time would expire, and Cleveland took the 27-19 win. The Browns are now 1-1 and the Colts fell to 0-2.

Off to the northwest, the Minnesota Vikings will play host to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Minnesota was on the board late in the first quarter with Adrian Peterson rushing a yard to score a touchdown, and Ryan Longwell provided the extra point. Longwell also knocked in a field goal of 22 yards in the second quarter. Peterson extended the Vikings lead with another rushing touchdown, 9 yards out, with Longwell adding another extra point. The score had Minnesota up 17-0 at the half. Tampa Bay awoke in the third quarter with LeGarrette Blount running 27 yards for a touchdown, allowing Connor Barth to kick an extra point, and also a field goal later, from 36 yards away. Minnesota put a little distance between them and the opposition with a 29 yard field goal from Longwell. The Buccaneers put on a charge with Josh Freeman connecting with Arrelious Benn for 25 yards and a touchdown, allowing a Barth extra point both here and on a 4 yard rushing TD by Blount. Tampa Bay held on for a comeback 24-20 win, going to 1-1 and dropping the Vikings to 0-2.

Back along the East Coast, the Carolina Panthers scrimmage with the Green Bay Packers. Carolina opened an early lead with Cam Newton passing to Brandon LaFell 3 yards away, and Olindo Mare capping off the touchdown. Mare added a 20 yard field goal later in the first quarter, and a 33 yard boot in the second. Green Bay finally got on the board with John Kuhn's one yard run for a touchdown, and Mason Crosby provided the extra point. The score at halftime is a surprising lead of 13-7 for Carolina. The Packers switched gears for the third quarter, as Aaron Rodgers found Greg Jennings on a 49 yard touchdown, followed by Crosby with an extra point and three later field goals from 37, 19, and 34 yards away. Mare added three points to the Panther cause, going through the uprights from 21 yards out. The Packers crushed the dreams here with Rodgers and Jordy Nelson connecting on an aerial 84 yard touchdown, with Crosby's PAT making it 30-16. Newton ran a touchdown in for Carolina, going 4 yards to score, and a Mare extra point put them within seven. Green Bay weather the storm and won 30-23, improving to 2-0 and pushing the Panthers to 0-2.

Into Pennsylvania, with the Pittsburgh Steelers hosting the Seattle Seahawks (with Bill Leavy as Head referee). Pittsburgh struck first late in the opening quarter as Rashard Mendenhall ran a yard into the end zone, and Shaun Suisham added the PAT. The Steelers poured some more on with Isaac Redman running 20 yards to secure a touchdown, and Suisham nailing the extra point. Suisham also kicked a field goal from 20 yards away. Pittsburgh goes into the locker room up 17-0. The Steelers boosted a few more points on the board as Ben Roethlisberger found Mike Wallace for a 2 yard score, and Suisham provided another extra point. The final would be 24-0 Steelers, who go to 1-1 and drop the Seahawks to 0-2.

Backing into the Tennessee, the Titans welcome the Baltimore Ravens. Tennessee gets on the board first, with a second quarter field goal by Rob Bironas, coming from 25 yards away. Baltimore took the lead with Joe Flacco and Ray Rice meeting for 31 yard aerial attack, followed by Billy Cundiff making the extra point. The Titans took a lead with Matt Hasselbeck passing 4 yards to Kenny Britt for a TD, and Bironas adding the PAT, but the lead was matched by Cundiff drilling a 41 yard FG at the buzzer for a 10 all tie. Tennessee got back into the scoring theme with Javon Ringer rushing 10 yards to find paydirt, capped off by Bironas with an extra point, followed by a field goal for the Titans' kicker from 43 yards out. Bironas also had a 39 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Cundiff replied with a 29 yard field goal. Not to be outdone, Bironas replied again with a 33 yard field goal, leaving the score at 26-13 Titans, the final, with both teams shifting to 1-1.

Into the Nation's Capital, with the Washington Redskins hosting the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona was the first to score as Kevin Kolb connected with Jeff King for 21 yards and a touchdown, with Jay Feely adding the extra point. Washington got some back with Graham Gano kicking a field goal of 26 yards. The Redskins got the lead with Rex Grossman finding Fred Lewis for a yard, allowing Gano the extra point. Washington takes a slight 10-7 edge into the locker room. The Cardinals stole the lead away on a 2 yard touchdown run from Beanie Wells, with Feely tacking on the extra point. Gano cut the deficit to 1 point for the Redskins, kicking a 23 yard chip shot of a field goal. Arizona made short work in restoring a sizable lead, with Kolb finding Larry Fitzgerald for 73 yards on a catch and run touchdown. Feely added the PAT. Washington came back with Grossman finding Santana Moss for an 18 yard touchdown, but Grossman failed on the two point conversion attempt the Moss. Gano added a field goal, putting Washington up by 1, coming from 34 yards away. They would hold this lead and ride to a 22-21 win, improving to 2-0 and pushing the Cardinals to 1-1.

Lastly, the New York Jets oppose the Jacksonville Jaguars at the Meadowlands. New York opened quickly with a touchdown from Mark Sanchez to Santonio Holmes for 17 yards, and Nick Folk added the extra point. The Jets added on a safety bu sacking Luke McCown, courtesy of Muhammad Wilkerson. Jacksonville eventually got on the board later in the quarter with a Josh Scobee field goal from a whopping 55 yards away. Folk replied with a 38 yard field goal early in the second quarter, and a 45 yard boot later that same frame. The Jets will take a 15-3 lead into halftime. New York exploded for a two-touchdown third quarter, as Sanchez met up with Dustin Keller for 11 yards, and Shonn Greene ran the ball a yard for a score, with Folk adding both extra points. The Jets allowed Folk another field goal in the fourth, this time from 23 yards. The score stood at 32-3 at the end of the game, putting the Jets at 2-0 and the Jaguars at 1-1.

Monday Night Football week 1

Two games from Monday night, sorry for the delay, just getting back into the groove of the football season. New England traveled to Miami for the first game. Miami got off to a quick start with a rushing touchdown from Chad Henne from 9 yards away, followed by a Dan Carpenter extra point. New England replied quickly with BenJarvus Green-Ellis taking a 4 yard TD rush. Stephen Gostkowski had the PAT, as well as another one on the second quarter touchdown by Tom Brady, who found Rob Gronkowski 10 yards away. The Patriots took a 14-7 lead into the half. Henne did work to tie the game back up in the third quarter with a pass going 10 yards to Brian Hartline for the score, and Carpenter added the tying point. New England took short time to regain the lead as Brady found Wes Welker for a 2 yard score and Gostkowski PAT. The Dolphins got some points back with Carpenter drilling a 20 yard field goal. The Patriots quickly eliminated this with Brady connecting with Aaron Hernandez for a yard a touchdown. Gostkowski converted the extra point and kicked a fourth quarter field goal of 20 yards. Brady added on with some theatrics later as he connected with Welker on a catch and run of 99 yards for a touchdown. Miami made a valiant effort at stopping the bleeding as Henne and Bush got together on a 2 yard touchdown, with Carpenter's extra point leaving the score at 38-24 New England. The Patriots are now 1-0 and the Dolphins sit at 0-1.

The other game is out west, with the Denver Broncos hosting the Oakland Raiders. Denver opened with a first quarter field goal by Matt Prater, 28 yards away. Oakland took the lead on a Jason Campbell touchdown pass to Marcel Reece for 3 yards, followed by Sebastian Janikowski's extra point. Janikowski nailed three straight field goals after that, from 37, 21, and an astonishing 63 yards, a record setting kick. The Broncos got back to work in the third, with a punt return by Eric Decker fro 90 yards, with Prater getting the PAT. later in the quarter, Prater tacked on 3 points with a 30 yard field goal. The Raiders got some separation on a rushing TD by Campbell in the fourth, taking it in a yard and letting Janikowski drill the extra point. Denver pulled within a 23-20 score on Kyle Orton's touchdown pass to Lance Ball for 9 yards and Prater's extra point, but they wouldn't finish the comeback. Oakland goes to 1-0 and Denver drops to 0-1. Check Sunday for more game recaps from week 2!

Fantasy Football All-Stars week 1

This opening week had many different scenarios play out. Here's the best players of the week.

Quarterback: Tom Brady
Wide Receiver: Steve Smith (Carolina)
Running Back: Mike Tolbert
Tight End: Scott Chandler
Kicker: David Akers
Team Defense: San Francisco
Defensive Player: Brian Urlacher

Fantasy Baseball All-stars week 23

The playoffs are now in full force, and these players have either helped you clinch or win your first matchup.

Catcher: Victor Martinez, 6 runs, 7 hits, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 0 SB, .292 average, .346 on base
First Base: Ryan Howard, 7 runs, 6 hits, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 0 SB, .333 average, .478 on base
Second Base: Ian Kinsler, 10 runs, 11 hits, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 1 SB, .423 average, .483 on base
Third Base: Adrian Beltre, 6 runs, 13 hits, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 0 SB, .481 average, .464 on base
Shortstop: Marco Scutaro, 4 runs, 13 hits, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 0 SB, .464 average, .500 on base
Outfield: Justin Upton, 8 runs, 10 hits, 4 HR, 5 RBI, 1 SB, .385 average, .448 on base
Starter1: Doug Fister, 15 IP, 2 wins, 18 K, 0.60 ERA, 0.67 WHIP
Starter2: C.J. Wilson, 17 IP, 2 wins, 17 K, 0.00 ERA, 0.82 WHIP
Reliever: Carlos Marmol, 4 IP, 3 saves, 7 K, 0 holds, 0.00 ERA, 0.50 WHIP

Good luck this week to everyone left in the playoffs. Fantasy Football All-Stars will be out tomorrow, names only.

Afternoon and Sunday Night games

The first on the list of afternoon games has the Washington Redskins hosting the New York Giants. New York opened with Eli Manning rushing 2 yards for a TD, and Lawrence Tynes making the extra point. Washington tied it in the second quarter with Tim Hightower rushing a yard into the end zone, followed by a Graham Gano extra point. The Giants stole the lead back with a 6 yard TD rush from Ahmad Bradshaw, followed by a Tynes PAT. The Redskins evened it up again with Rex Grossman's passing TD to Anthony Armstrong, 6 yards for the score, and Gano made the extra point. The two teams are deadlocked at 14 going into the locker rooms. Washington got defensive in the third quarter, with Ryan Kerrigan intercepting Manning for 9 yards and a score, and Gano providing another extra point. The Redskins kept it up in the fourth quarter with Grossman finding Jabar Gaffney for 4 yards and a score, allowing another PAT by Gano. Washington won it 28-14, going to 1-0 and dropping the Giants to 0-1.

Across the country, the San Diego Chargers host the Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota struck early with Percy Harvin returning the opening kick 103 yards for the touchdown, allowing Ryan Longwell a PAT. San Diego replied quickly as Philip Rivers tossed a one yarder to Mike Tolbert for the touchdown, and Mike Scifres made the extra point. The Vikings took the lead back with Longwell kicking a 33 yard field goal in the second quarter. Minnesota extended the lead as Donovan McNabb found Michael Jenkins for 3 yards and a score , as Longwell provided the extra point. The score had the Vikings up 17-7 at half. The Chargers got a few back on Tolbert's 7 yard TD run, and Scifres extra point. San Diego tied it in the fourth with Scifres field goal from 40 yards away, and he added the extra point for the 7-point San Diego lead after Rivers and Tolbert made a 19 yard connection for a touchdown. They would hold onto this 24-17 lead until the end, giving them a 1-0 record and the Vikings an 0-1 mark.

Eastward, to Arizona, with the Cardinals hosting the Carolina Panthers. Arizona scored first on a Beanie Wells touchdown run of 7 yards and a Jay Feely extra point. Carolina wasted little time in tying, with Cam Newton connecting with Steve Smith for his first NFL touchdown pass, a 77 yard catch and run that was followed up by Olindo Mare's PAT. The Panthers snagged the lead before halftime with another Newton-Smith connection, this time of 26 yards and a touchdown before Mare's extra point. The Cardinals tied it back up with Kevin Kolb connecting with Jeff King for 48 yards, and Feely supplying the extra point. Carolina took the lead back again with Newton himself jogging it in the end zone, the 1 yard run capped off by Mare's extra point. Arizona retied it as Kolb connected with Early Doucet for a 70 yard TD pass, and Feely added the extra point again. The Cardinals took the lead on a punt return of 89 yards by Patrick Peterson, good for a touchdown and extra point by Feely. Arizona weathered the storm to win 28-21, going to 1-0, while the Panthers fell to 0-1.

The last of the second major kickoff wave is the San Francisco 49ers hosting the Seattle Viking outcasts Seahawks. San Francisco first dented the scoreboard with second quarter field goals by David Akers, from 27, 24, and 31 yards away. Just before halftime, the 49ers dinged in a touchdown as Alex Smith ran 1 yard for the score, setting up an Akers extra point, and a 16-0 halftime score. Seattle finally got on the board in the third quarter as Tavaris Jackson connected with Golden Tate for 8 yards, followed by Steve Hauschka with the extra point. The Seahawks added a Hauschka field goal of 39 yards in the fourth. Akers tacked on a field goal in response, from 18 yards out. Seattle pulled within two on a Jackson TD pass to Doug Baldwin, with the PAT by Hauschka, but that was erased eleven seconds later as Ted Ginn, Jr. ran the kickoff back 102 yards, and Akers converted that extra point, and also the one after the Seahawks punt, which Ginn, Jr. returned 55 yards. The 49ers took a 33-17 win, improving to 1-0 and dropping Seattle to 0-1.

The Sunday Night game is between the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys. (As a disclaimer, forgive me if I sound absolutely disgusted with this game, considering the competitors.) Dallas led off with a 3 yard Tony Romo touchdown pass to Dez Bryant, followed by Dan Bailey's extra point. Bailey added a second quarter field goal of 34 yards. New York struck just before the half, making it 10-7 with Mark Sanchez's connection with Dustin Keller for 4 yards, and Nick Folk's subsequent PAT. Dallas opened the second half with Romo finding Miles Austin for 36 yards and the score, followed by Bailey's extra point. Folk replied with a 34 yard field goal. The Cowboys added on again in the fourth quarter with Felix Jones rushing a yard to score a touchdown, and Bailey coming through with the extra point. The Jets pulled back with a Sanchez TD pass to Plaxico Burress, 26 yards away, and Folk made the extra point, and he added the tying point after the Jets blocked a punt and returned it in the hands of Isaiah Trufant 18 yards to the end zone. New York took the lead with a 50 yard field goal by Folk, a 27-24 lead they'd maintain to the very end for the win. They improve to 1-0, while dropping the Cowboys to 0-1.

Sandwich Showdown 2.0

A quick announcement: these will be less frequent from now on, for simplicity. This weekend, we had a battle between a Turkey and Ham on Italian and a Pulled Pork on Garlic. The T&H came out with a good blend and lots of BBQ sauce, which enhanced the flavor. The bread was just about perfect, further benefiting the cause. It was a very satisfying sandwich. The Pulled Pork comes in with a little bit more heft to it, and an equal or greater amount of sauce. The Garlic bread was successful in taste, although it had trouble holding the contents of the large sandwich. Both tasted very good, but the Pulled Pork gets a slight edge this week. Keep checking for these every now and again.

Thursday + Day Games Week 1

Welcome back to Football everybody. The games will be recapped weekly, generally grouped by time started. We begin with...

The Green Bay Packers hosting the New Orleans Saints. Green Bay led off with a pair of touchdown passes by Aaron Rodgers, 7 yards to Greg Jennings and 3 yards to Jordy Nelson, with Mason Crosby converting the extra points. Drew Brees answered with one TD pass, a 31 yard shot to Robert Meachem, followed by John Kasay's extra point. Rodgers restored the 14 point lead with a late first quarter 32 yard pass to Randall Cobb, also good for a touchdown and Crosby extra point. Kasay tacked on a field goal of 30 yards in the second quarter, and the Saints pulled even closer with a 72 yard Darren Sproles punt return TD, providing Kasay another extra point. The Packers made 28-17 at the half with James Starks' 17 yard touchdown rush, and Crosby's extra point. Kasay pushed back with a 38 yard field goal to open the second half scoring, but the ensuing kickoff was returned a whopping 108 yards by Cobb for a touchdown and Crosby extra point. Brees and the Saints avenged this mishap with a 29 yard TD catch by Devery Henderson, followed by Kasay's PAT again. John Kuhn added some points for Green Bay in the fourth quarter with his 1 yard touchdown run and Crosby's PAT. The Saints tried some late heroics, pulling within 8 when Brees found Jimmy Graham on a 5 yard pass and Kasay extra point, but they would come up short and lose 42-34 when the clock ran out. The Packers open 1-0 while the Saints start in an 0-1 hole.

On Sunday, the games begin with the St. Louis Rams hosting the Philadelphia Eagles. Steven Jackson gave St. Louis the early lead with his explosive 47 yard touchdown run, followed by Josh Brown kicking the extra point. Philadelphia answered with Michael Vick passing 7 yards to LeSean McCoy for a touchdown, and Alex Henery made his first NFL PAT. The Eagles struck again with a defensive touchdown in the style of Juqua Parker recovering Sam Bradford's fumble and taking it to the house 56 yards away, followed by a successful Henery extra point kick. The Rams got a few back with Brown's 49 yard field goal in the second quarter. Henery kicked a field goal in response, from 34 yards out, to make it 17-10 Philadelphia at the half. The Eagles extended their lead in the third with Vick's touchdown pass to DeSean Jackson, good for 6 yards and 6 points, as Henery added the seventh extra point. The Rams put another field goal on the board with Brown's 23 yard chip. Philadelphia padded the lead with McCoy rushing 49 yards for a TD, and Henery supplied the extra point. The Eagles took the win 31-13, going to 1-0 and dropping the Rams down to 0-1.

Across the state, the Kansas City Chiefs host the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo drew first blood with a Ryan Fitzpatrick touchdown to Scott Chandler from 4 yards out, and a Rian Lindell extra point. The Bills tacked on another touchdown with Fitzpatrick finding Stevie Johnson for 27 yards, and Lindell's extra point makes it 14-0. Lindell put six more points on the board in the second quarter with his 29 yard and 38 yard field goals. Kansas City finally found the scoreboard with Matt Cassel passing 6 yards to Jamaal Charles for a touchdown, allowing Ryan Succop the extra point. Buffalo took a 20-7 lead into the half, and got back to work in the third with Fitzpatrick and Chandler meeting again, for 11 yards and a touchdown, with Lindell making the PAT. Fitzpatrick went aerial for another touchdown, and he found Donald Jones for 4 yards and a score, followed by Lindell's trusty PAT. The Bills would not quit in the fourth, as C.J. Spiller rushed 9 yards for a touchdown, and Lindell again made the extra point. Buffalo would win by a 41-7 landslide, improving to 1-0 and dropping the Chiefs to 0-1.

Northward to Chicago, where the Bears host the Atlanta Falcons. Robbie Gould got Chicago on the board with his 41 yard field goal, but was promptly answered by Matt Bryant and Atlanta with a 48 yard kick between the uprights. The Bears broke the tie later in the first quarter with Jay Cutler connecting with
Matt Forte for a 56 yard catch and run touchdown, and Gould converted the extra point with ease. Gould added two field goals in the second quarter from 23 and 26 yards away. The Bears take a 16-3 lead into the locker room. The Falcons drew blood in the third with Bryant kicking a 25 yard field goal. Chicago replied with two touchdowns, as Cutler connected with Matt Spaeth for a yard and Brian Urlacher recovered Matt Ryan's fumble and took it 12 yards to the end zone. Gould made both extra points. Atlanta struck again in the fourth, with a defensive touchdown as Cutler was picked off and Kroy Biermann took it back 50 yards, although Ryan was unsuccessful on the two point conversion. The final would have the Bears up 30-12 on the Falcons, improving themselves to 1-0 and dropping the opponent to 0-1.

Down to Florida, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hosting the Detroit Lions. Detroit opened with a Jason Hanson field goal of 23 yards, and Connor Barth traded the barb back by kicknig a 38 yard field goal for Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers took the lead when Aqib Talib intercepted Matthew Stafford and ran 28 yards for the touchdown, which Barth supplemented with the PAT. Hanson cut into the lead for the Lions with a 28 yard field goal. Stafford started throwing touchdowns to his own team in the second, starting with Calvin Johnson, whom he found for 36 yards and a score, with Hanson kicking the extra point. Stafford also connected with Tony Scheffler for 11 yards and score, while Hanson happily kicked the extra point. Barth added a field goal for the Buccaneers at the end of the half, his 31 yard kick making it 20-13 for the Lions at half time. Detroit got back to work in the third as Stafford tossed to Johnson again, the 1 yard pass going for a touchdown, and Hanson added another extra point. Tampa Bay pulled to within seven as Josh Freeman found Mike Williams for a 5 yard touchdown, followed by Barth with the extra point. The Lions would hold on to the 27-20 lead for the win, going to 1-0 while dropping the Buccaneers to 0-1.

Crossing the state to the east, where the Jacksonville Jaguars host the Tennessee Titans. Jacksonville struck open the scoring in the first quarter with a 21 yard touchdown run from Maurice Jones-Drew, and the PAT came from Josh Scobee. The Jaguars made it 10-0 with Scobee kicking a 48 yard field goal. Jacksonville leads 10-0 at the half. Scobee kicked a 21 yard field goal in the third quarter, and was promptly answered by Tennessee's first score, an 80 yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck to Kenny Britt, followed by Rob Bironas' extra point. Jacksonville took another field goal from Scobee, this time 45 yards from the posts. The Titans scored again as Hasselbeck and Britt met for a 2 yard touchdown, followed by Bironas with the PAT. The Jaguars weathered the final onslaught by Tennessee to win 16-14, and improved to 1-0 while dropping their opponents to 0-1.

Up to Ohio, where the Cleveland Browns host the Cincinnati Bengals. Cincinnati came out strong with Mike Nugent kicking a 24 yard field goal and supplying the extra point after the Andy Dalton-Jermaine Gresham 2 yard touchdown connection. Nugent kept it going for the Bengals with a second quarter 47 yard field goal. Cleveland got on the board with Colt McCoy connecting with Benjamin Watson for a 34 yard touchdown, and an extra point came from kicker Phil Dawson, who also tacked on the PAT when McCoy passed 2 yards to Evan Moore. The Browns got a bit of padding on their 14-13 half time lead, with Dawson blasting the pigskin through the uprights at 20 yards away. Cincinnati replied with a Bruce Gradkowski touchdown to rookie A.J. Green, a 41 yard reception, followed by Nugent with the extra point, putting the Bengals in front. The Bengals put the dagger in with Cedric Benson running 39 yards for a TD, with Nugent supplying the extra point for a 27-17 final. Cincinnati goes to 1-0 and the Browns drop to 0-1.

Eastward again to Maryland, with the Baltimore Ravens hosting their fierce rivals from Pittsburgh, the Steelers. Baltimore came out with two first quarter touchdowns, an aerial strike from Joe Flacco to Anquan Boldin for 27 yards and a ground attack by Ray Rice from a yard out and Billy Cundiff making two extra points. Pittsburgh got on the board in the second with Ben Roethlisberger connecting with Emmanuel Sanders for an 11 yard touchdown, and Shaun Suisham had the PAT. Rice and the Ravens worked for another late touchdown in the second quarter, catching a pass from Flacco for 11 yards, with Cundiff making the extra point. Baltimore will go to the showers with a 21-7 lead. Baltimore came out swinging in the third, with Flacco completing an 18 yard TD pass to Ed Dickson, followed by a PAT fake and Sam Koch conversion for two additional points. Cundiff would get his chance to kick shortly after, and he nailed the 29 yard field goal, and he also added a 30 yard boot in the fourth quarter. The final would stand at 35-7, with the Ravens going to 1-0 and dropping the Steelers to 0-1.

Finally, the last of the early games, where the Houston Texans welcome a crippled Indianapolis Colts team. In less than three minutes, Houston put up 17 points with Neil Rackers' 25 yard field goal and extra points on a Derrick Ward 1 yard rush and Ben Tate 2 yard rush, both going for touchdowns. Matt Schaub kept the Texans going in the second with a 4 yard touchdown pass to Andre Johnson, with Rackers again making the extra point. Rackers continued Houston's string of points with a 29 yard field goal kick, and kicked the extra point after Jacoby Jones returned Pat McAfee's punt 79 yards. The Texans can comfortably go to the locker room with a 34-0 lead. After a third quarter of silence, the Colts finally found out what scoring feels like in the fourth, as Kerry Collins connected with Reggie Wayne for a 6 yard touchdown, and Adam Vinatieri made the extra point. The final would put Houston up 34-7, sending them to 1-0 and knocking the Colts to 0-1.