2011 NFL WEEK 3 RECAP

SUPERDOME SHOOTOUT

Mark Ingram (28) celebrates after scoring his first career touchdown.

Many thought that Week 3’s game between the Houston Texans and the New Orleans Saints would be high-scoring and it definitely lived up to the hype once the fourth quarter began.

Houston already led 19-17 through three quarters and when Matt Schaub connected with James Casey on a 26-yard pass just six seconds into the half, the Saints were left trailing by nine.

Then the Saints’ quick scoring ability happened.

After forcing a three-and-out, Jimmy Graham redeemed himself by scoring a touchdown to make it 26-24. New Orleans then picked Schaub off on the next drive and followed that up with a Brees touchdown to Lance Moore to take the lead.

Houston would not give up though as a nine-play, 80-yard drive would be capped off by a bizarre pass that should have been an New Orleans interception ended up being a touchdown reception for Kevin Walter.

Down 33-32 and with plenty of time to take the lead again, the Saints did just that when Mark Ingram scored the go-ahead touchdown to make it 40-33. The defense would hold Houston from scoring and New Orleans won a wild game.

Schaub finished with 373 yards passing and three touchdowns, while Brees matched him in touchdown and had 370 yards through the air.

A TALE OF TWO HALVES IN THE TWIN CITIES

Jason Hanson (4) hits the game-winning field
goal against the Minnesota Vikings (Photo by AP Photo)

For the first 30 minutes, the Detroit Lions looked flat.

They trailed 20-0 at halftime to the Minnesota Vikings and if this were the franchise from the past decade, they would have folded on the spot. Besides, the Lions franchise had never came back trailing more than 18 points and they never won in Minnesota since 1997.

Then again, these are not your older brother’s Detroit Lions.

Matthew Stafford would hook up with Calvin Johnson on two touchdown passes as the Lions put up 23 unanswered points with 2:30 left.

Even when the Vikings tied it up to send the game to overtime, Detroit took care of business during the extra stanza.

Stafford’s 40-yard reception to Johnson set up a 32-yard Jason Hanson field goal, leaving the Lions with their first 3-0 start since 1980.

Stafford has proven to be a good quarterback when healthy as he completed 32 of his 46 passes for 378 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson caught both scores en route to a 108-yard day and Brandon Pettigrew caught 11 passes for 112 yards.

BILLS CIRCLE THE WAGONS, SNAP JINX AGAINST PATRIOTS

The last time the Buffalo Bills defeated the New England Patriots was Sept. 7, 2003.

In that game, Tom Brady threw four interceptions and Lawyer Milloy got revenge on the team that surprisingly cut him just days earlier. Most importantly, the Bills won 31-0 and Drew Bledsoe finally got his first win over the quarterback that took his place in New England.

Fast forward to 15 consecutive Patriot victories later and a 21-0 lead in the game’s first 24 minutes and it seemed as if Buffalo would lose a 16^th.

But then the Bills forced Brady to be erratic and the offense took advantage fully.

For only the sixth time in his 148-game career, Brady threw four picks, including one for a pick six by Drayton Florence that gave Bills a 31-24 lead with 10:22 left in the game.

New England did not give up easily and tied up the game with a Brady pass to Wes Welker with 3:25 remaining. However it gave Buffalo one last chance to win the game.

And that they did, thanks to a Rian Lindell 28-yard field goal as time expired to take sole possession of the AFC East lead.

Bills players Scott Chandler (left), Brian Moorman and
Rian Lindell rejoice after the Bills defeated the Patriots

Despite the four interceptions, Brady threw for four touchdowns and 387 yards. Welker would finish with 16 catches for 217 yards and two touchdowns. For the Bills, Ryan Fitzpatrick went 27-for-40 and threw for 369 passing yards and two touchdowns.

WEEK 3 PREDICTIONS

NEW ENGLAND @ Buffalo
SAN FRANCISCO @ Cincinnati
MIAMI @ Cleveland
Denver @ TENNESSEE
DETROIT @ Minnesota
Houston @ NEW ORLEANS
N.Y. Giants @ PHILADELPHIA
Jacksonville @ CAROLINA
N.Y. JETS @ Oakland
BALTIMORE @ St. Louis
Kansas City @ SAN DIEGO
GREEN BAY @ Chicago
ARIZONA @ Seattle
ATLANTA @ Tampa Bay
PITTSBURGH @ Indianapolis
Washington @ DALLAS

WEEK: 10-6 (.625)
SEASON: 29-19 (.604)

PREDICTIONS FOR WEEK 4

Carolina @ CHICAGO
BUFFALO @ Cincinnati
TENNESSEE @ Cleveland
Detroit @ DALLAS
MINNESOTA @ Kansas City
Washington @ ST. LOUIS
San Francisco @ PHILADELPHIA
NEW ORLEANS @ Jacksonville
PITTSBURGH @ Houston
N. Y. GIANTS @ Arizona
ATLANTA @ Seattle
Denver @ GREEN BAY
NEW ENGLAND @ Oakland
Miami @ SAN DIEGO
N.Y. Jets @ BALTIMORE
Indianapolis @ TAMPA BAY