NFL Week 8: Pats Win As Bruschi Makes Emotional Return
Also: Bears Beat Lions In OT For NFC North Lead
POSTED: 9:35 pm EST October 30, 2005
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Patriots 21, Bills 16
FOXBORO, Mass. -- Corey Dillon rushed for a pair of one-yard scores in the fourth quarter, as New England rallied to beat the Buffalo Bills, 21-16, marking a successful and emotional return to the field for Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi. Bruschi returned to game action Sunday night, nearly 8 1/2 months after he suffered a mild stroke. Bruschi, who was activated from the physically unable to perform list on Saturday, was a defensive force on several plays. Tom Brady completed 14-of-21 passes for 199 yards for the Patriots (4-3), who have won two of their last three games and maintained sole possession of first place in the AFC East. New England has beaten the Bills in nine of the last 10 meetings. Willis McGahee rushed 31 times for 136 yards and Kelly Holcomb connected on 20-of-33 passes for 263 yards with a TD and an interception for Buffalo (3-5), which has lost two in a row. It was a Holcomb fumble that cost the Bills late in the contest at Gillette Stadium.Bears 19, Lions 13 (OT)
DETROIT -- Charles Tillman's 22-yard interception return for a touchdown in overtime put the Chicago Bears in first place in the NFC North with a 19-13 win over the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Rookie quarterback Kyle Orton threw for a career-high 230 yards and a touchdown on 17-of-31 passing in the victory. Thomas Jones ran for 72 yards before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with a rib injury. Rookie Cedric Benson ran for 35 yards in overtime for the Bears (4-3), who have won three straight and play New Orleans next Sunday. Jeff Garcia, starting again in place of Joey Harrington, was 23-of-35 for 197 yards and the key interception for the Lions, and Kevin Jones ran for 66 yards and a touchdown. Scottie Vines, filling in for a depleted Lions (3-4) receiving corps, had five catches for 61 yards.Cowboys 34, Cardinals 13
Marion Barber rushed for 127 yards and scored the first two touchdowns of his career, both on the ground, to lead the Dallas Cowboys over the Arizona Cardinals, 34-13, at Texas Stadium. Barber continued to produce in place of the injured Julius Jones, who missed his third straight game with an ankle injury. Last week against Seattle, the rookie back rushed for 95 yards on 22 attempts. Drew Bledsoe was 19-of-24 passing for 220 yards and one touchdowns for the Cowboys (5-3), who have won three of their last four games and bounced back nicely from their heartbreaking 13-10 loss against the Seahawks. Jason Witten led Dallas in receiving with 71 yards on five catches, while Keyshawn Johnson added 54 yards through the air with a touchdown catch. Josh McCown ended 16-of-33 for 161 yards with one touchdown and a pair of interceptions for the Cardinals (2-5), who have lost two out of their last three.Texans 19, Browns 16
HOUSTON -- Kris Brown's 40-yard field goal with 2:45 remaining in the fourth quarter lifted the Houston Texans to their first win of the season, a 19-16 victory over the Cleveland Browns at Reliant Stadium. David Carr finished 10-of-20 passing for 138 yards and one touchdown for the Texans (1-6), who also beat Cleveland for the first time in franchise history. Domanick Davis rushed for 91 yards on 28 attempts, while Jabar Gaffney caught five passes for 64 yards. Jerome Mathis caught Houston's only touchdown of the game. Trent Dilfer was 12-of-25 passing for the Browns (2-5), who lost their third game in a row. Reuben Droughns rushed for 99 yards on 20 carries, while William Green added 48 yards on the ground.Bengals 21, Packers 14
CINCINNATI -- Carson Palmer threw for 237 yards and three touchdowns and T.J. Houshmandzadeh had 77 yards receiving and a score, as the Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Green Bay Packers, 21-14, at Paul Brown Stadium. Rudi Johnson had 22 carries for 72 yards and Chad Johnson caught five balls for 62 yards for the Bengals (6-2), who won for the second time in their last three games. Brett Favre was 26-of-39 for 279 yards with a touchdown and a regular-season career-high five interceptions for the Packers (1-6), who have lost two straight. Bubba Franks had seven catches for 62 yards with a touchdown and Tony Fisher carried the ball 17 times for 51 yards and a score in defeat.Rams 24, Jaguars 21
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Steven Jackson ran for a career-high 179 yards and caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Jamie Martin for the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter, as the St. Louis Rams earned a 24-21 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars at the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams (4-4) played without quarterback Marc Bulger and receivers Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce because of injuries, but posted their second straight win under interim head coach Joe Vitt. Vitt was given the reins for the remainder of the season earlier this week when it was learned Mike Martz would not return because of health issues. The interim coach is now 2-1 as the Rams head into their bye week. The Jaguars (4-3), meanwhile, were coming off their bye and had a two-game win streak stopped.Panthers 38, Vikings 13
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Steve Smith racked up 201 receiving yards to set a new franchise record, as he led Carolina past Minnesota, 38-13, at Bank of America Stadium. Smith caught 11 balls and got into the end zone once. Jake Delhomme went 21-of-30 for 341 yards and three touchdowns for the Panthers (5-2), who have won four straight. Stephen Davis added 40 rushing yards on the ground and a pair of touchdowns, as Carolina sprinted out to a 24-0 lead by halftime. Daunte Culpepper left with a right knee sprain on the last play of the first quarter and did not return. His replacement, Brad Johnson, finished 13-of-28 for 162 yards and a touchdown. Marcus Robinson caught four balls for 77 yards and a score, and Mewelde Moore had nine rushes for 30 yards and a TD for Minnesota (2-5), which has lost three of its last four.Raiders 34, Titans 25
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Kerry Collins threw for 238 yards and three touchdowns, including a pair of scores to Jerry Porter, as the Oakland Raiders outlasted the Tennessee Titans, 34-25, at The Coliseum. Collins completed 17- of-29 passes with an interception and six of his throws went to Porter, who finished with 123 yards receiving. LaMont Jordan also caught a touchdown pass and added 136 total yards from scrimmage for the Raiders (3-4), who have won two in a row. Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair, after sitting out last week's game against Arizona because of a sore back, was hit repeatedly in this game but threw for 229 yards with a touchdown and ran for 41 yards. He was sacked six times and also lost a pair of fumbles. The Titans (2-6) squandered numerous opportunities with mistakes and penalties on the way to their third straight loss.Giants 36, Redskins 0
EASTH RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Tiki Barber rushed for a career-high 206 yards and a touchdown as the New York Giants pounded the Washington Redskins, 36-0, at Giants Stadium. Barber eclipsed the 200-yard mark for the second time in his career and his rushing total was the second highest in franchise history. During the game, Barber also became the first Giants player to surpass 7,500 rushing yards in his career. Jay Feely kicked a career-high five field goals for the Giants (5-2), who were coming off last week's thrilling 24-23 win over Denver. The Giants were playing their first game since the passing of team president and co-chief executive officer Wellington Mara, who died Tuesday morning at the age of 89. The Redskins (4-3) had four turnovers and lost for the third time in four games. Washington head coach Joe Gibbs was shut out in the regular season for the first time in his career.Chargers 28, Chiefs 20
SAN DIEGO -- Antonio Gates finished with 10 catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns as the San Diego Chargers downed the Kansas City Chiefs, 28-20, at Qualcomm Stadium. The receptions and receiving yards marked career highs for Gates, while the three TDs tied his personal best. Drew Brees completed 25-of-43 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns for the Chargers (4-4), who rebounded from last week's heartbreaking loss in Philadelphia. LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 69 yards and threw his third touchdown pass of the season in the win. Trent Green went 31-of-43 for 347 yards with two touchdown passes for the Chiefs (4-3), who had their winning streak halted at two games.Dolphins 21, Saints 6
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams combined for 188 rushing yards, as the Miami Dolphins defeated the New Orleans Saints 21-6 at Tiger Stadium. This was the first game for the Saints this season in the state of Louisiana, having played their first designated home game at Giants Stadium before playing in San Antonio for three contests. This also marked Dolphins' head coach Nick Saban's return to Tiger Stadium. Saban was the head coach at LSU from 2000-04, going 30-5 on his home turf. Gus Frerotte completed 16-of-28 passes for 168 yards and a score for the Dolphins (3-4), who snapped a three-game losing streak. Aaron Brooks threw for 181 yards on 13-of-31 passing with an interception for New Orleans (2-6), which has lost four straight.Broncos 49, Eagles 21
DENVER -- Jake Plummer threw for 309 yards and tied a career high with four touchdown passes, leading the Denver Broncos to a 49-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles at Invesco Field. Tatum Bell ran for two touchdowns and Mike Anderson added a score for Denver (6-2), which rebounded from last weekend's tough loss at Giants Stadium. Anderson posted 126 yards on 21 carries, while Bell tallied 107 yards on 14 touches on Sunday. Denver racked up 564 total yards to Philadelphia's 351 yards and trotted out to an insurmountable 28-0 lead. Donovan McNabb rectified an awful first half, passing for 283 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. McNabb, who is nursing a myriad of injuries, ended 12-of-34 passing after starting the game 0-for-12. Terrell Owens hauled in three passes for 154 yards and a touchdown and Brian Westbrook contributed 104 total yards and a score for Philadelphia (4-3).49ers 15, Buccaneers 10
SAN FRANCISCO -- Joe Nedney kicked a career-high five field goals, as the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 15-10, at Monster Park. Kevan Barlow rushed for 101 yards and Frank Gore chipped in with 40 yards on the ground for the 49ers (2-5). It was the 49ers' first win since they beat St. Louis on opening day. Ken Dorsey, who started for the injured Alex Smith, was 7-of-18 for 40 yards, and the former Miami Hurricane was taken into the locker room with an ice pack on his knee early in the fourth quarter. Cody Pickett came in as the replacement, but threw just one pass. Chris Simms threw for 264 yards on 21-of-34 passing with a touchdown and two interceptions in his first start of the season for the Buccaneers (5-2), who have lost two of three after starting the season 4-0.Steelers 20, Ravens 19 (Monday night)
PITTSBURGH -- Jeff Reed's 37-yard field goal with 1:36 remaining in the game lifted the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 20-19 win over the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 177 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Heath Miller for the Steelers (5-2), who have won two straight and will travel to Green Bay next Sunday. Hines Ward caught eight passes for 75 yards and Willie Parker chipped in 63 yards on 14 carries in the win. Anthony Wright completed 25 of his 44 attempts for 252 yards and a score, but was intercepted twice for Baltimore, losers of two straight. The Ravens, who got four field goals from Matt Stover, host Cincinnati next weekend. Derrick Mason finished with 91 yards on seven catches, while Jamal Lewis ran 17 times for 61 yards for the Ravens (2-5).
FOXBORO, Mass. -- Corey Dillon rushed for a pair of one-yard scores in the fourth quarter, as New England rallied to beat the Buffalo Bills, 21-16, marking a successful and emotional return to the field for Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi. Bruschi returned to game action Sunday night, nearly 8 1/2 months after he suffered a mild stroke. Bruschi, who was activated from the physically unable to perform list on Saturday, was a defensive force on several plays. Tom Brady completed 14-of-21 passes for 199 yards for the Patriots (4-3), who have won two of their last three games and maintained sole possession of first place in the AFC East. New England has beaten the Bills in nine of the last 10 meetings. Willis McGahee rushed 31 times for 136 yards and Kelly Holcomb connected on 20-of-33 passes for 263 yards with a TD and an interception for Buffalo (3-5), which has lost two in a row. It was a Holcomb fumble that cost the Bills late in the contest at Gillette Stadium.Bears 19, Lions 13 (OT)
DETROIT -- Charles Tillman's 22-yard interception return for a touchdown in overtime put the Chicago Bears in first place in the NFC North with a 19-13 win over the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Rookie quarterback Kyle Orton threw for a career-high 230 yards and a touchdown on 17-of-31 passing in the victory. Thomas Jones ran for 72 yards before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with a rib injury. Rookie Cedric Benson ran for 35 yards in overtime for the Bears (4-3), who have won three straight and play New Orleans next Sunday. Jeff Garcia, starting again in place of Joey Harrington, was 23-of-35 for 197 yards and the key interception for the Lions, and Kevin Jones ran for 66 yards and a touchdown. Scottie Vines, filling in for a depleted Lions (3-4) receiving corps, had five catches for 61 yards.Cowboys 34, Cardinals 13
Marion Barber rushed for 127 yards and scored the first two touchdowns of his career, both on the ground, to lead the Dallas Cowboys over the Arizona Cardinals, 34-13, at Texas Stadium. Barber continued to produce in place of the injured Julius Jones, who missed his third straight game with an ankle injury. Last week against Seattle, the rookie back rushed for 95 yards on 22 attempts. Drew Bledsoe was 19-of-24 passing for 220 yards and one touchdowns for the Cowboys (5-3), who have won three of their last four games and bounced back nicely from their heartbreaking 13-10 loss against the Seahawks. Jason Witten led Dallas in receiving with 71 yards on five catches, while Keyshawn Johnson added 54 yards through the air with a touchdown catch. Josh McCown ended 16-of-33 for 161 yards with one touchdown and a pair of interceptions for the Cardinals (2-5), who have lost two out of their last three.Texans 19, Browns 16
HOUSTON -- Kris Brown's 40-yard field goal with 2:45 remaining in the fourth quarter lifted the Houston Texans to their first win of the season, a 19-16 victory over the Cleveland Browns at Reliant Stadium. David Carr finished 10-of-20 passing for 138 yards and one touchdown for the Texans (1-6), who also beat Cleveland for the first time in franchise history. Domanick Davis rushed for 91 yards on 28 attempts, while Jabar Gaffney caught five passes for 64 yards. Jerome Mathis caught Houston's only touchdown of the game. Trent Dilfer was 12-of-25 passing for the Browns (2-5), who lost their third game in a row. Reuben Droughns rushed for 99 yards on 20 carries, while William Green added 48 yards on the ground.Bengals 21, Packers 14
CINCINNATI -- Carson Palmer threw for 237 yards and three touchdowns and T.J. Houshmandzadeh had 77 yards receiving and a score, as the Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Green Bay Packers, 21-14, at Paul Brown Stadium. Rudi Johnson had 22 carries for 72 yards and Chad Johnson caught five balls for 62 yards for the Bengals (6-2), who won for the second time in their last three games. Brett Favre was 26-of-39 for 279 yards with a touchdown and a regular-season career-high five interceptions for the Packers (1-6), who have lost two straight. Bubba Franks had seven catches for 62 yards with a touchdown and Tony Fisher carried the ball 17 times for 51 yards and a score in defeat.Rams 24, Jaguars 21
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Steven Jackson ran for a career-high 179 yards and caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Jamie Martin for the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter, as the St. Louis Rams earned a 24-21 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars at the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams (4-4) played without quarterback Marc Bulger and receivers Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce because of injuries, but posted their second straight win under interim head coach Joe Vitt. Vitt was given the reins for the remainder of the season earlier this week when it was learned Mike Martz would not return because of health issues. The interim coach is now 2-1 as the Rams head into their bye week. The Jaguars (4-3), meanwhile, were coming off their bye and had a two-game win streak stopped.Panthers 38, Vikings 13
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Steve Smith racked up 201 receiving yards to set a new franchise record, as he led Carolina past Minnesota, 38-13, at Bank of America Stadium. Smith caught 11 balls and got into the end zone once. Jake Delhomme went 21-of-30 for 341 yards and three touchdowns for the Panthers (5-2), who have won four straight. Stephen Davis added 40 rushing yards on the ground and a pair of touchdowns, as Carolina sprinted out to a 24-0 lead by halftime. Daunte Culpepper left with a right knee sprain on the last play of the first quarter and did not return. His replacement, Brad Johnson, finished 13-of-28 for 162 yards and a touchdown. Marcus Robinson caught four balls for 77 yards and a score, and Mewelde Moore had nine rushes for 30 yards and a TD for Minnesota (2-5), which has lost three of its last four.Raiders 34, Titans 25
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Kerry Collins threw for 238 yards and three touchdowns, including a pair of scores to Jerry Porter, as the Oakland Raiders outlasted the Tennessee Titans, 34-25, at The Coliseum. Collins completed 17- of-29 passes with an interception and six of his throws went to Porter, who finished with 123 yards receiving. LaMont Jordan also caught a touchdown pass and added 136 total yards from scrimmage for the Raiders (3-4), who have won two in a row. Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair, after sitting out last week's game against Arizona because of a sore back, was hit repeatedly in this game but threw for 229 yards with a touchdown and ran for 41 yards. He was sacked six times and also lost a pair of fumbles. The Titans (2-6) squandered numerous opportunities with mistakes and penalties on the way to their third straight loss.Giants 36, Redskins 0
EASTH RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Tiki Barber rushed for a career-high 206 yards and a touchdown as the New York Giants pounded the Washington Redskins, 36-0, at Giants Stadium. Barber eclipsed the 200-yard mark for the second time in his career and his rushing total was the second highest in franchise history. During the game, Barber also became the first Giants player to surpass 7,500 rushing yards in his career. Jay Feely kicked a career-high five field goals for the Giants (5-2), who were coming off last week's thrilling 24-23 win over Denver. The Giants were playing their first game since the passing of team president and co-chief executive officer Wellington Mara, who died Tuesday morning at the age of 89. The Redskins (4-3) had four turnovers and lost for the third time in four games. Washington head coach Joe Gibbs was shut out in the regular season for the first time in his career.Chargers 28, Chiefs 20
SAN DIEGO -- Antonio Gates finished with 10 catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns as the San Diego Chargers downed the Kansas City Chiefs, 28-20, at Qualcomm Stadium. The receptions and receiving yards marked career highs for Gates, while the three TDs tied his personal best. Drew Brees completed 25-of-43 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns for the Chargers (4-4), who rebounded from last week's heartbreaking loss in Philadelphia. LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 69 yards and threw his third touchdown pass of the season in the win. Trent Green went 31-of-43 for 347 yards with two touchdown passes for the Chiefs (4-3), who had their winning streak halted at two games.Dolphins 21, Saints 6
BATON ROUGE, La. -- Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams combined for 188 rushing yards, as the Miami Dolphins defeated the New Orleans Saints 21-6 at Tiger Stadium. This was the first game for the Saints this season in the state of Louisiana, having played their first designated home game at Giants Stadium before playing in San Antonio for three contests. This also marked Dolphins' head coach Nick Saban's return to Tiger Stadium. Saban was the head coach at LSU from 2000-04, going 30-5 on his home turf. Gus Frerotte completed 16-of-28 passes for 168 yards and a score for the Dolphins (3-4), who snapped a three-game losing streak. Aaron Brooks threw for 181 yards on 13-of-31 passing with an interception for New Orleans (2-6), which has lost four straight.Broncos 49, Eagles 21
DENVER -- Jake Plummer threw for 309 yards and tied a career high with four touchdown passes, leading the Denver Broncos to a 49-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles at Invesco Field. Tatum Bell ran for two touchdowns and Mike Anderson added a score for Denver (6-2), which rebounded from last weekend's tough loss at Giants Stadium. Anderson posted 126 yards on 21 carries, while Bell tallied 107 yards on 14 touches on Sunday. Denver racked up 564 total yards to Philadelphia's 351 yards and trotted out to an insurmountable 28-0 lead. Donovan McNabb rectified an awful first half, passing for 283 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. McNabb, who is nursing a myriad of injuries, ended 12-of-34 passing after starting the game 0-for-12. Terrell Owens hauled in three passes for 154 yards and a touchdown and Brian Westbrook contributed 104 total yards and a score for Philadelphia (4-3).49ers 15, Buccaneers 10
SAN FRANCISCO -- Joe Nedney kicked a career-high five field goals, as the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 15-10, at Monster Park. Kevan Barlow rushed for 101 yards and Frank Gore chipped in with 40 yards on the ground for the 49ers (2-5). It was the 49ers' first win since they beat St. Louis on opening day. Ken Dorsey, who started for the injured Alex Smith, was 7-of-18 for 40 yards, and the former Miami Hurricane was taken into the locker room with an ice pack on his knee early in the fourth quarter. Cody Pickett came in as the replacement, but threw just one pass. Chris Simms threw for 264 yards on 21-of-34 passing with a touchdown and two interceptions in his first start of the season for the Buccaneers (5-2), who have lost two of three after starting the season 4-0.Steelers 20, Ravens 19 (Monday night)
PITTSBURGH -- Jeff Reed's 37-yard field goal with 1:36 remaining in the game lifted the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 20-19 win over the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 177 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Heath Miller for the Steelers (5-2), who have won two straight and will travel to Green Bay next Sunday. Hines Ward caught eight passes for 75 yards and Willie Parker chipped in 63 yards on 14 carries in the win. Anthony Wright completed 25 of his 44 attempts for 252 yards and a score, but was intercepted twice for Baltimore, losers of two straight. The Ravens, who got four field goals from Matt Stover, host Cincinnati next weekend. Derrick Mason finished with 91 yards on seven catches, while Jamal Lewis ran 17 times for 61 yards for the Ravens (2-5).
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