Week 6 Game Notes

Falcons over Panthers

• This is the type of game I came to expect from Atlanta.  Michael Turner goes for 139 yards and two scores, Matt Ryan is efficient, and the Falcons get the win at home.
• The game was a little closer than the scoreboard suggests.  Some weird Cam Newton interceptions, of which he had 3, inflated the Falcons’ point total.

Bengals over Colts

• Don’t look now, but the 4-2 Cincinnati Bengals are in second place in very dangerous AFC North.  Just 7 points away from being unbeaten, Andy Dalton has fans asking “Who dey?” in the season’s first half.
• The Dalton-AJ Green connection was on again.  Green caught his fourth touchdown of the season.

49ers over Lions

• All any one cared to talk about after the game was Hand Shake-Gate, and that’s sad considering the tense, entertaining game that actually preceded it.  The Lions were undefeated and the 49ers were a surprising 4-1.  After taking Detroit down a peg, be surprised no more.
• Behind a surging defense, a turnover-averse Alex Smith, and the fire of rookie head coach Jim Harbaugh, the now 5-1 49ers join the NFL’s elite.
• Prior to Week 6 last year, the Niners and Lions were a combined 1-9.  This year they were 9-1.

Packers over Rams

• Stephen Jackson was a bright spot for the Rams, gaining 125 total yards on 22 touches.
• Al Harris’ return to Green Bay on the other hand?  Not so good.
• The Packers move to 6-0 on the season, the NFL’s last remaining unbeaten.  Green Bay is on a 12-game winning streak, dating back to last season.

Giants over Bills

• It wasn’t easy for Eli Manning and crew, but they beat the Bills with a Lawrence Tynes field goal with 1:32 left to play.
• Also, Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for 3 1-yard touchdowns.
• Buffalo’s two losses have come by a combined six points.

Steelers over Jaguars

• Rashard Mendenhall broke out for 146 yards, by far a season high as he’s battled injury, and he tallied one touchdown as well.

Eagles over Redskins

• Despite 4 interceptions from Rex Grossman, the Eagles still only win by one touchdown.  I will credit the Washington defense for stopping the bleeding, but I don’t consider this a resounding win for Philadelphia at all.  They have a long way to go before we can talk about them as a playoff team.

Ravens over Texans

• Houston has stumbled in Andre Johnson’s absence, going 0-2 since he injured his hamstring.
• Conversely, the Ravens keep the ball rolling and cement their place among the AFC’s upper echelon.

Raiders over Browns

• Oakland took an early lead, and the Browns—not built to play from behind—could not recover.
• As a consequence of falling behind, Peyton Hillis rushed for just 14 yards.
• With Jason Campbell breaking his collarbone, the only Oakland passing touchdown on the day came from punter Shane Lechler.

Patriots over Cowboys

• Dallas’ last 11-straight games have been decided by four points or less.  The number of plays that could make them 0-5 or 5-0 is astoundingly low.

Buccaneers over Saints

• In the loss, Drew Brees became the first player ever to throw for 350+ yards in four consecutive games.

Bears over Vikings

• This was Devin Hester’s night.  He caught a 48-yard touchdown on the Bears’ first possession, and later he returned a kickoff 98 yards for another score.  Unfortuneately, Hester left the game with a chest injury.
• Hester’s 17 total return touchdowns rank second all-time, trailing only Deion Sanders.
• Also notable: the Donovan McNabb era in Minnesota is over.  First round reach Christian Ponder replaced McNabb in the fourth quarter and will make his first start this Sunday against Green Bay.

Jets over Dolphins

• The Jets easily have one of the worst offenses in the league.  If Matt Moore’s favorite receiver hadn’t been Darelle Revis, the outcome of this game may have been completely different.

--from @jeuneski