1 BLACK E11 DAILY 09-15-08 MD RE E11 BLACK The Washington Post R Monday, September 15, 2008 E11 Professional Football LOOKING AHEAD The Slant By Desmond Bieler Carson Palmer did absolutely nothing to make Cincinnati fans happy. It was bad enough the Southern Cal Oakland at Buffalo Titans 24, product was a constant reminder to Ohioans that their beloved Buckeyes got stomped yet again in a big Muhsin Sunday, 1 p.m. Bengals 7 game. Then Palmer went out and did his worst Mark Sanchez impression, throwing for 134 yards with two Muhammad interceptions and no touchdowns. It’s a sad day when Bengals fans want more Sanchez and less Ocho Cinco. Two of the league’s prom- ising young running backs square off. The Ex-Panther-turned-ex-Bear-turned-current-Panther Muhsin Muhammad had claimed last month Chicago was Raiders feature rookie Panthers 20, where “receivers go to die.” The Bears’ Brandon Lloyd, who led all receivers with 66 yards, might take issue Darren McFadden, who Bears 17 with that, but Muhammad did chip in 59 himself, as Bank of America Stadium turned out to be where ran for 164 yards in a vic- Chicago’s hopes of starting the season 2-0 went to die. tory over Kansas City. Buffalo counters with A string of injuries to Jacksonville’s offensive line left the team with less beef than the PETA cafeteria. That Marshawn Lynch, who Bills 20, enabled the Argobills’ defense to commit cruelty to Jaguars, in particular running backs Fred Taylor and had a 59 yards and a Jaguars 17 Maurice Jones-Drew. The duo combined for 66 yards, and with their team off to an 0-2 start, the fur has only touchdown in a 20-16 win just begun to fly in J-town. against Jacksonville. Minnesota let Indy hang around so much, Peyton Manning could have been given a ticket for loitering, but Colts 18, eventually Manning got his team’s act together just in time to avoid a disastrous start to the season. On the Vikings 15 other hand, the way the Vikes wasted tremendous field position, a fine rushing performance by Adrian Peterson and some tough defense was a crime, not a misdemeanor. Jacksonville at Indianapolis Good thing for anyone who appreciates offense that Oakland’s running backs, led by rookie Darren McFadden, Sunday, 4:15 Raiders 23, had a big day (297 combined yards), because this game was to effective quarterbacking what “The Dark The Jaguars are looking Knight” is to romantic comedies. The Chiefs’ Damon Huard got hurt and was replaced by Tyler Thigpen, who Chiefs 8 to avoid an 0-3 start after continues to be best known as the first quarterback in Coastal Carolina history. losing to Buffalo. Jackson- ville was 2 for 11 on third Green Bay’s A-Rodg is not to be confused with the slightly more famous A-Rod; for one thing, A-Rodg has downs against the Bills. Packers 48, shown an early ability to come through under pressure. Not that there was much pressure initially, as the The Colts got their first Aaron Pack got off to a 21-0 start. But when things tightened up later, it was more significant for A-Rodg to not be Lions 25 Rodgers win of the season by rally- confused with Jon Kitna, whose three late picks sealed Detroit’s doom and earned him many Bronx cheers. ing to beat Minnesota, 18- 15, after trailing 9-0 at Marc Bulger had a decidedly modest goal for this game: “I want to prove we’re not that bad,” the Rams halftime and 15-0 in the Giants 41, quarterback had declared. Unfortunately, even that bar was a little too lofty for his bedraggled crew. In second half. Rams 13 fairness to St. Louis, though, the Giants have apparently forgotten how to lose on the road. Gee, you’d almost think they prefer to be somewhere other than northern New Jersey. We knew Jason Campbell had a big arm, we just didn’t know when we’d ever see it put to good use. But what Redskins 29, better use than flinging deep to Santana Moss for a huge, game-winning play? In truth, though, Campbell was Pittsburgh at Philadelphia Saints 24 more impressive on a variety of shorter throws during the Redskins’ previous possession, when he shook off a sack to go 5 for 5 for 82 yards, on a drive that and ended in a Clinton Portis touchdown. Sunday, 4:15 p.m. WUSA-9 The battle of Pennsylva- Remember these Patriots? Jets fans sure do. Tough defense, mistake-free special teams, a conservative but nia takes place at Lincoln Patriots 19, opportunistic offense — so many of the elements familiar from so much of this decade were there. Jets fans Financial Field. The Steel- also remember LaMont Jordan running hard at the Meadowlands, but they liked it better when he did for their Jets 10 ers have a potent offense team. And Packers fans have no trouble recalling killer interceptions thrown by Brett Favre. with QB Ben Roethlis- berger and RB Willie Par- Prior to this game, agent/well-oiled machine Drew Rosenhaus declared his client, disgruntled Cards wideout ker. The Eagles play Dal- Cardinals 31, Anquan Boldin, “wouldn’t mind being in a Dolphins uniform.” Consider yesterday — three touchdowns and las tonight and have one Dolphins 10 140 yards receiving — a nailed audition. But the Fins, as much as they could use Boldin, won’t want to send of the best all-around Arizona a first-round pick for his services; from the way they played, that pick will be very high one, indeed. players in the league in RB Brian Westbrook. If the Raiders-Chiefs game showed the ugly side of AFC West quarterbacking, this one was a thing of beauty. Broncos 39, Jay Cutler and Philip Rivers slung it up and down the field, accounting for 727 yards passing and seven Chargers 38 touchdowns. But the end of the game, with referee Ed Hochuli’s blown whistle, if not blown call, won’t be viewed as quite so pulchritudinous by residents of San Diego. Dallas at Green Bay 49ers 33, A game effort goes for naught for Seattle, which came into the contest thinner at wide receiver than John Waters’s mustache. In the team’s version of “Desperate Living,” it even pressed backup QB Seneca Wallace Sunday, 8:15 p.m. WRC-4, WBAL-11 Seahawks 30 into wideout duty, only to see him get hurt before the game. San Fran was just glad to have Isaac Bruce, (OT) who made like a golfer and shot his age with 153 receiving yards. The teams with the two best regular season rec- ords (13-3) in the NFC The events of this week confirmed what many of us suspected: That it’s not so much the Falcons offense last season meet at histor- Buccaneers 24, “needs to be taken seriously,” as fullback Ovie Mughelli had boasted, but that the Lions defense is a complete ic Lambeau Field. Green joke. Faced with stiffer competition, Atlanta’s newbie starters Matt Ryan and Michael Turner got a serious Falcons 9 Bay beat Detroit, 48-25, dose of reality. yesterday. The Cowboys won last season’s game at This game ended a bit of a rough stretch for Cleveland wideout Braylon Edwards. First he caught flak for Texas Stadium, 37-27, in Steelers at suggesting that LeBron James may not be completely loyal to the Cavaliers, then he received a belated which Brett Favre left Browns, Late speeding ticket for going 120 mph. Edwards’s excuse was he was just showing a friend how fast he thought with an injury and Aaron LeBron wanted to get out of town. Rodgers replaced him. — Gene Wang Kurt Warner threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns. Week 2 Roundup RAIDERS 60710—23 FALCONS 0333— 9 49ERS 310143 3 — 33 CHIEFS 0008— 8 Edwards Leads Buffalo BUCCANEERS 7100 7 — 24 SEAHAWKS 14 6 0 10 0 — 30 Amid escalating reports that Lane Kiffin All it took for Atlanta to dig a hole it Times appear to be changing in the NFC was in trouble with owner Al Davis and To Best Start in 5 Years couldn’t escape against Tampa Bay: two West. could be dismissed almost any time, Oak- early mistakes by Matt Ryan. Joe Nedney shook off a missed field land rushed for 300 yards and handed its Associated Press BILLS 73010—20 The rookie was intercepted twice in the goal as time expired in regulation and harried young coach a victory over mis- JAGUARS 03103—16 first half and the Buccaneers’ Brian Griese kicked a 40-yarder 4 minutes 40 seconds Ion? take-prone Kansas City. Kiffin has only five JACKSONVILLE, Fla., turned the miscues into a touchdown and into overtime, sending San Francisco past wins in 18 games with the Raiders, but Sept. 14 — The Jacksonville field goal that helped Tampa Bay beat its Seattle. Element? two have been at Chiefs’ expense. Jaguars had the lead, the mo- FIRST QUARTER NFC South rival. The loss left the four-time defending di- “I don’t worry about things I can’t con- mentum and the home-field Buffalo: Lynch 11 run (Lindell kick), 8:00. Ryan threw incompletions on his first vision champion 0-2 for the first time SECOND QUARTER trol. That’s not my decision whether I’ll be advantage. None of that mat- Jacksonville: FG Scobee 28, 13:22. nine passes before settling down to keep since 2002.