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NFL Week 3 Roundup

Giants gift-wrap victory for Titans

Turnovers and penalties leave New York reeling

TONY ROMO Regains touch TONY ROMO
Regains touch
Associated Press / September 27, 2010

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The Tennessee Titans wanted a bounce-back game and the New York Giants helped them get it.

A week after Tennessee turned over the ball seven times in a loss to Pittsburgh, Chris Johnson ran for 125 yards and two touchdowns, Vince Young threw for a touchdown, and the Titans didn’t lose the ball once in a 29-10 win yesterday over the error-prone and undisciplined Giants in East Rutherford, N.J.

The Titans (2-1) forced three turnovers, including two inside their 6-yard line, and agitated the Giants (1-2) so much that New York was flagged for five personal fouls.

“This Tennessee defense, we play hard. We play physical,’’ said safety Michael Griffin, who forced a key fumble by Ahmad Bradshaw in the third quarter at the Titans 5. “Look at the stats, they don’t look pretty. Look at that score, it looks very nice. We did get in their heads a little bit.’’

The Giants were their own worst enemy. They missed two field goals; gave Tennessee a safety with a chop block in the end zone; and had the parade of personal fouls, including two by offensive tackle Kareem McKenzie that led to him being yanked from the game. There was also one against Brandon Jacobs that didn’t count because it was offset by one against the Titans.

“All the personal fouls, we took advantage of that today,’’ said linebacker Stephen Tulloch, who had 13 tackles. “They have a good team over there. I know Tom Coughlin will get them right.’’

This was the Giants’ second straight stinker. They were blown out by Indianapolis, 38-14, last Sunday night in the second Manning Bowl.

“The way in which we play between the lines is my responsibility and I’m taking full responsibility,’’ Coughlin said. “This is a game that we should have won we didn’t win.’’

The Giants, who got a 50-yard field goal from Lawrence Tynes and a 10-yard touchdown run by Bradshaw in a 10-10 opening half, outgained the Titans, 471-271.

The go-ahead score came early in the third quarter. On a third and 10 from the Giants 1, Manning found Mario Manningham for a 44-yard pass. But the play was nullified when Bradshaw was flagged for a chop block in the end zone, resulting in a safety.

Cowboys 27, Texans 13
Tony Romo threw two touchdown passes to Roy Williams, Marion Barber ran for another score, and visiting Dallas (1-2) finally turned in a dominating performance after starting 0-2 for the first time since 2001.

Romo went 23 for 30 for 284 yards, and Williams caught five passes for 117 yards.

Arian Foster, the NFL’s leading rusher, ran for 106 yards on 17 carries for the Texans (2-1), who were eager to knock off the Cowboys for reasons beyond earning the franchise’s first 3-0 start.

Houston’s NFL teams have always ranked second in the state to the Cowboys in terms of fans and media attention, even during the best years of the Oilers.

Colts 27, Broncos 13
Peyton Manning (27 for 43, 325 yards) threw for three touchdowns despite the absence of Anthony Gonzalez and Pierre Garcon, and visiting Indianapolis (2-1) beat the Broncos (1-2), who were playing with heavy hearts following the death of teammate Kenny McKinley.

Kyle Orton threw for a career-best 476 yards on 37-of-57 passing and the Broncos outgained the Colts by more than 100 yards. But they failed to get into the end zone on five trips inside the 20-yard line, settling for two field goals and turning over the ball on downs three times.

Colts receiver Austin Collie caught 12 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns in place of Garcon (hamstring), and Blair White, playing because Gonzalez has a high ankle sprain, caught a touchdown pass one day after being promoted from the practice squad.

Steelers 38, Buccaneers 13
No Ben Roethlisberger? No problem for Pittsburgh on this trip back to the city where they won their most recent Super Bowl. Charlie Batch threw for 186 yards and two long touchdowns to Mike Wallace in the 35-year-old quarterback’s first start in nearly three years, helping the Steelers (3-0) hand Tampa Bay (2-1) its first loss.

Wallace (three receptions, 100 yards) scored on catches of 46 and 41 yards during a stretch in which Pittsburgh scored on four straight possessions to build a 28-6 halftime lead.

Tampa Bay’s Aqib Talib intercepted Batch’s first pass of the day to set up a 40-yard field goal, but Bucs fans — seemingly lost in the sea of gold-clad Steeler supporters who gave Raymond James Stadium the look and feel of Heinz Field — had little to cheer about the rest of the way.

Bengals 20, Panthers 7
Carson Palmer (19 of 25, 195 yards) shook off two interceptions to throw a game-clinching touchdown pass to Cedric Benson midway through the fourth quarter, and Benson rushed for another TD as visiting Cincinnati spoiled the NFL debut of Carolina quarterback Jimmy Clausen.

Cincinnati (2-1) snapped a five-game road losing streak despite a mistake-filled performance of turnovers and penalties in drizzly weather that included little explosiveness from the receiving duo of Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens.

But the Panthers (0-3) couldn’t take advantage with Clausen (16 of 33, 1 interception, 1 fumble) throwing for 188 yards and the Panthers committing four more turnovers.

Vikings 24, Lions 10
With Brett Favre again unable to move the ball through the air, Adrian Peterson (160 yards, two TDs) bounced off tacklers all day and ripped off an 80-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that put the game out of reach, delivering Minnesota (1-2) its first victory of a season that began with Super Bowl aspirations.

After showing plenty of feistiness in losses to Chicago and Philadelphia, the Lions (0-3) lost their 13th in a row at the Metrodome. Detroit’s dynamic rookie, Jahvid Best, was held to seven carries for 26 yards and left the game in the third quarter with a toe injury.

Favre was 23 of 34 for 201 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions on another shaky afternoon for the Vikings passing game.

Ravens 24, Browns 17
In his first home game as a Raven, Anquan Boldin caught eight passes for 142 yards and three touchdowns, and Joe Flacco, coming off a four-interception effort last week against Cincinnati, went 22 for 31 for 262 yards, three touchdowns, and no picks.

Flacco’s favorite target was Boldin, playing in his first home game after coming to Baltimore (2-1) in an offseason trade with Arizona. Boldin caught TD passes of 8, 12, and 27 yards. The last one, with 9:13 left, gave the Ravens a 21-17 lead. Billy Cundiff added a 49-yard field goal with 5:29 to go.

Peyton Hillis ran 22 times for a career-high 144 yards and a touchdown for the Browns (0-3). Hillis also caught seven passes for 36 yards.

Chiefs 31, 49ers 10
Matt Cassel’s three touchdown passes included a trick play that caught visiting San Francisco completely flat-footed and surprising Kansas City improved to 3-0 after starting 0-4 a year ago and winning only 10 games the previous three seasons combined.

The offense of the 49ers (0-3), which rolled up 417 yards Monday night against New Orleans, managed only a field goal until the final play from scrimmage.

Cassel was 16 for 27 for 250 yards. He connected with Dexter McCluster on a 31-yard run-and-catch and fired a perfect 45-yard strike to a wide-open Dwayne Bowe off a fake end-around.

Eagles 28, Jaguars 3
Michael Vick, mostly staying in the pocket and picking apart Jacksonville’s beleaguered secondary, threw three touchdown passes, ran for another score, and made coach Andy Reid’s decision to start him look good as visiting Philadelphia improved to 2-1 — 2-0 with Vick as starter.

Vick completed 17 of 31 passes for 291 yards. He found DeSean Jackson for a 61-yard touchdown and hooked up with Jeremy Maclin for two scores. Jackson finished with five catches for 153 yards, and Maclin had four receptions for 83 yards.

David Garrard, who was benched last week after throwing four interceptions against the Chargers, finished 13 of 30 for 105 yards and was sacked six times for the Jaguars (1-2). He finished with a passer rating of 39.

Cardinals 24, Raiders 23
Sebastian Janikowski missed a 32-yard field goal as time expired to allow Arizona (2-1) to escape with a victory over Oakland (1-2) in the Cardinals’ home opener. The kick, after a pass interference call against Arizona’s Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, was wide left. Janikowski missed two others in the game, of 41 and 58 yards.

LaRod Stephens-Howling returned the opening kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown for Arizona and Derek Anderson threw two touchdown passes, including an 8-yarder to Larry Fitzgerald that proved to be the winner.

Rams 30, Redskins 16
Backup running back Kenneth Darby (14 carries, 49 yards) scored the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter, and Sam Bradford was 23 for 37 for 235 yards and one touchdown, spreading the ball to nine receivers, as St. Louis (1-2) snapped a 14-game home losing streak.

Donovan McNabb was 19 for 32 for 236 yards with one touchdown and an interception for the Redskins (1-2).

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