Bucs steal a Vick-tory
YESTERDAY IN THE NFL Tampa Bay forces fumble to set up game- winning FG Strong Brees demolishes Bills in San Diego
Michael Vick and the hometown Falcons looked unstoppable. Then Derrick Brooks, who always seems to save his best for Atlanta, forced a fumble by Vick with just over a minute to go, leading to Matt Bryant’s 45yard field goal that gave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a 30- 27 victory.
Brooks came up with the play after Carnell (Cadillac) Williams scored on a nine- yard run to tie the game at 27 with 1: 55 remaining.
Blitzing up the middle, he leaped over Warrick Dunn’s attempted block and somehow caused Vick to lose the ball as the dropped back to pass.
Vick threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns in just the second 300- yard passing game of his career. PANTHERS at BEARS:
Nathan Vasher didn’t set a record this time — he set the tone. One week after returning a missed field goal a record 108 yards, Vasher intercepted two passes, and the Chicago Bears stamped themselves as a contender in the NFC with a 13- 3 victory over the Carolina Panthers.
After scoring at least 20 points in every game, the Panthers managed 238 yards against the NFL’s No. 1 defence, and quarterback Jake Delhomme was sacked eight times. BILLS at CHARGERS:
Everything was going perfectly for Drew Brees and the San Diego Chargers until Antonio Gates got hurt.
Brees threw for 339 yards and a season- high four touchdowns, including one to Gates, as the Chargers routed the Buffalo Bills 48- 10 for their third straight win.
Gates left the game after hurting his right foot midway through the third quarter. LIONS at COWBOYS:
Taking advantage of 17 penalties for 129 yards against the Detroit Lions, the Dallas Cowboys got two short touchdown runs from Marion Barber III and Billy Cundiff kicked a franchise- record 56- yard field goal for a 20- 7 victory. RAIDERS at REDSKINS:
Sebastian Janikowski’s 19- yard field goal with 1: 08 remaining was the difference as Oakland beat Washington 16- 13 and made a winner of former Redskins coach Norv Turner in his first game back as a Raider. CARDINALS at RAMS:
It was like old times for Kurt Warner. The Rams’ former hero won his first game in St. Louis, throwing three touchdown passes in the Cardinals’ 38- 28 victory. Rams quarterback Marc Bulger, the man who replaced Warner in 2003, left the game with a shoulder bruise late in the third quarter. DOLPHINS at BROWNS:
Once Reuben Droughns got loose, the Cleveland Browns simply ran away from the Miami Dolphins. Droughns scored on a 75- yard run on Cleveland’s first play and finished with 166 yards as the Browns put together their most complete game this season, roughing up the Miami Dolphins 22- 0. JAGUARS at TITANS:
The Tennessee Titans dared Byron Leftwich to beat them. The Jacksonville quarterback responded with a career performance. Leftwich threw for three touchdowns for the first time in his NFL career and ran for a fourth score in the Jaguars’ third straight win, 31- 28 over Tennessee. EAGLES at GIANTS:
Eli Manning threw three touchdown passes, including a 61- yarder to Plaxico Burress late in the fourth quarter, to help New York hold off Philadelphia, missing Terrell Owens and Donovan McNabb, 27- 17. STEELERS at RAVENS:
Matt Stover kicked a 44- yard field goal with 4: 09 left in overtime to help Baltimore beat Pittsburgh 16- 13 and snap the Ravens’ four- game losing streak. SAINTS at PATRIOTS:
Tom Brady’s three touchdown passes led New England to a 24- 17 win despite Aaron Brooks’ 116th touchdown pass that broke Archie Manning’s career record for the Saints. SEAHAWKS at 49ERS:
Shaun Alexander rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns, and the Seattle Seahawks stopped the 49ers’ two- point conversion attempt with 28 seconds left to beat San Francisco 27- 25. JETS at BRONCOS:
Jake Plummer threw for 225 yards, Mike Anderson ran for three scores and the Denver Broncos handled the struggling New York Jets 27- 0, recording their first shutout in eight years.