EAGLES 36, COWBOYS 10
Story line: The Eagles (10-3) won their eighth straight and inch closer to their third straight NFC East title. Philadelphia hasn’t lost since a 23-21 defeat in Dallas (8-5) on Oct. 12.
Star: Donovan McNabb, who threw three touchdown passes, had no interceptions for the fifth time in six games.
Extra point: The Eagles’ winning streak is their longest since winning eight straight in 1980, when they went to the Super Bowl for the only time in franchise history.
Quote: “What you saw today was a team that wanted to defend its territory and move on.”–McNabb.
RAVENS 31, BENGALS 13
Story line: Looking to improve on their remarkable season with a fifth straight win, the Bengals (7-6) committed five turnovers and yielded a season-high six sacks as Baltimore’s punishing Jamal Lewis rushed for TDs of 1, 3 and 13 yards.
Star: Lewis’ three TDs were a career high and he finished with 180 yards–96 in the second half.
Extra point: Bengals have lost last seven in Baltimore (8-5).
Quote: “Yeah, they were riding high, but they had to come into Baltimore sooner or later.”–Ravens LB Ray Lewis.
CHARGERS 14, LIONS 7
Story line: The LaDainian Tomlinson show. Tomlinson caught nine passes for 148 yards, a season-high for running backs, and two TDs. “He is a weapon,” QB Doug Flutie said.
Star: Before halftime, Tomlinson had two TD receptions. He entered the game with only one career TD catch. He also ran for 88 yards to surpass 200 yards offense for the fourth time this year with a season-high 236 yards.
Extra point: The Chargers (3-10) are 2-0 this season when Tomlinson scores at least twice, and 8-0 in his three seasons.
Quote: “Once I hit that seam, I was looking up at the Jumbotron and I figured it was over. I was looking up to see how close they were, and they weren’t close enough for me to look back.”–Tomlinson on his 73-yard, catch-and-run TD.
STEELERS 27, RAIDERS 7
Story line: A week after labeling his team the dumbest in America, coach Bill Callahan offered little criticism after his Raiders reached new depths. “We just didn’t get it done,” he said. The Steelers (5-8) outgained Oakland 399-161 as Jerome Bettis had only his second 100-yard effort in 2 1/2 seasons.
Star: Pittsburgh’s Antwaan Randle El set up three scores with catches of 24 and 15 yards and a 51-yard punt return.
Extra point: Oakland’s 3-10 record is its worst since moving into the NFL in 1970 and is rivaled in team history only by its seasons of 2-12 in 1961 and 1-13 in 1962.
Quote: “In the middle of the third quarter, maybe they gave up. They were ready to go home. It was cold (30 degrees) and they had a long flight home and they’ve had problems with their coach.”–Steelers receiver Hines Ward.
JAGUARS 27, TEXANS 0
Story line: Houston’s offense, without starters Domanick Davis and David Carr, ran into a brick wall in Jacksonville. The Jaguars (4-9) held the Texans (5-8) to 124 yards.
Star: The Jaguars’ Fred Taylor surpassed 100 yards for the fourth time in five games, finishing with a season-high 163.
Extra point: A crowd of 43,363 attended on a calm, 56-degree day in Jacksonville–the worst home attendance in the nine-year history of the club.
Quote: “That was, by far, the most physical defense I’ve ever played against, seen or heard of. I don’t know what the head coach told those boys, but from the first game (in Week 4) to this game, I think they went out and got 11 new guys on defense”–Texans tight end Billy Miller.
BUCCANEERS 14, SAINTS 7
Story line: The Bucs (6-7) scored two touchdowns in the final 1:25 of the first half, including 1-yard reception by defensive tackle Warren Sapp. “I lost it in the lights,” Sapp said. “But if it hits your hands, you’ve got to catch it.”
Star: Tampa Bay’s defense swarmed Saints (6-7) running back Deuce McAllister, holding him to 69 yards rushing to snap his nine-game streak of gaining 100 yards or more.
Extra point: Tampa Bay’s defense has had a takeaway in 54 consecutive games, longest current streak in the NFL.
Quote: “In a minute-forty we had a dropped touchdown, two fumbles, a blocked punt, two penalties, and missed tackles for a touchdown. Twenty-eight minutes before that we played good football.”–Coach Jim Haslett, on the way the Saints closed out the first half.
49ERS 50, CARDINALS 14
Story line: Terrell Owens caught seven passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns on his 30th birthday. Kevan Barlow in his first NFL start, rushed for a career-best 154 yards.
Star: Jeff Garcia, in his second game back from a three-game absence, accounted for six TDs for the 49ers (6-7) for the first time in his career with four TD passes and two TD runs.
Extra point: Arizona (3-10) has lost all seven road games.
Quote: “Wow, that was bad. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to reach the highest in the future.”–Cardinals backup QB Josh McCown, who threw his first two career TDs.
BILLS 17, JETS 6
Story line: Pain couldn’t stop Travis Henry. Neither could the Jets. With a broken bone in his right leg and torn rib cartilage, Henry ran for a career-high 169 yards and a touchdown.
Star: Sam Adams’ two sacks helped Buffalo (6-7) limit the Jets to two field goals–the first time in Chad Pennington’s 18 career starts that New York (5-8) has failed to score a TD.
Extra point: Henry and Cookie Gilchrist are the only other Bills players to run for 10 or more TDs in back-to-back years.
Quote: “He’s a beast. That’s the only thing I’m saying. He’s a bad man.”–Bills center Trey Teague, referring to Henry.
REDSKINS 20, GIANTS 7
Story line: Tim Hasselbeck’s two touchdown passes helped Washington (5-8) snap a three-game losing streak and eliminate the Giants (4-9) from the playoff race.
Stars: Linebackers Jessie Armstead, a former Giant, and LaVar Arrington each had two of the Redskins’ six sacks.
Extra point: The Giants have lost five straight, their longest losing streak since losing seven in 1994.
Quote: “It wasn’t my intention to hurt Kerry. It was my intention to knock the heck out of him.”–Bruce Smith, on his tackle which took Giants quarterback Kerry Collins out of the game in the third quarter with a sprained left ankle.
FALCONS 20, PANTHERS 14
Story line: The Falcons (3-10) won their first home game of the season. Kevin Mathis had an interception at the 32-yard line in OT and dived for the pylon for the winning score.
Star: In his first start of the season, Michael Vick rushed for 141 yards–the third-highest total by a quarterback in NFL history–and a touchdown.
Monday matchup
RAMS (9-3) AT BROWNS (4-8)
Time: 8 p.m., WLS-Ch. 7, WSCR-AM 670.
Line: Rams by 4 1/2.
Last meeting: Rams won 34-3 at St. Louis on Oct. 21, 1999.
Key stat: Marshall Faulk going for fourth straight 100-yard game. Rams are 22-0 when Faulk rushes for 100 yards.
Pick: Rams 24, Browns 17.
