NFL FOOTBALL - 2010
Pre-season - Cleveland Browns (27) @ (24) Green Bay Packers - The Browns opened up their pre-season with a win in Green Bay thanks to a last play FG. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (12-13-159-1) and new Browns QB Jake Delhomme (6-7-66-0) had good starts, with the Browns taking a 21-14 lead at the half. The game was decided on the final play as Browns kicker Phil Dawson booted a 46 yard FG to take the win. The game also featured the NFL debuts of ex-Big 12 QB's Graham Harrell (3-7-13-0) and Colt McCoy (5-10-25-0) for the Packers and Browns respectively (10, 2 Discs, Packer TV - Harlan/Gannon, NTSC)
Pre-Season - New York Giants (31) v (16) New York Jets - In the first NFL game at the New Meadowlands Stadium, the joint tenants played out their first Pre-Season game. The Jets started the better and QB Mark Sanchez (13-17-119-1) led the Jets to a 16-13 lead at the half. But the Giants re-grouped and scored the final 21 points of the game to take the win. The heroes for the Giants were rookie WR Victor Cruz (6-145-3) and QB Jim Sorgi (8-15-146-2). Starting QB Eli Manning (4-8-77-0) left the game in the 2nd quarter with a badly bleeding head after his helmet was knocked off in a tackle from behind and he fell onto another player (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - Tirico/Jaworksi/Gruden, PAL)
Pre-Season - Houston Texans (16) @ (19) Phoenix Cardinals - The opening pre-season game for both teams went the way of the Cardinals as they rallied from a 16-0 deficit with 19 points in the 4th quarter. Texans QB Matt Schaub led Houston to a 10-0 lead in the 2nd quarter before Cardinals QB Derek Anderson (13-22-88-1) led the comeback. The Texans also featured QB Dan Orlovsky (12 21 129-0) and LB Darryl Sharpton (7 tackles) (9, JIP 2nd Quarter at 11:13 with score 10-0 Houston + low audio, 1 Disc, KTRK - Meyers/Tillman/Allen, NTSC)
Pre-Season - Houston Texans (20) @ (38) New Orleans Saints - The Saints returned to the Superdome for their 1st game since the Superbowl and rewarded their fans with an easy win over the Texans. Superbowl MVP Drew Brees (5-10-36-0 + 1 TD run) helped the Saints to 40 minutes time of possession and 198 yards of rushng Offense as th Saints led 28-10 at the half and never looked back. The Saints also featured QB Chase Daniel, who played the remainder of the game once Brees left in the 1st quarter, and RB Reggie Bush (7-49-1). The Texans were led by QB Matt Schaub (8-10-117-0) and RB Arian Foster (6-28-1) (9, Slight pixellation + low audio, 1 Disc, KTRK - Meyers/Tillman/Allen, NTSC)
Pre-Season - Indianapolis Colts (24) @ (59) Green Bay Packers - A shootout at Lambeau Field went the way of Green Bay as the Packers out-scored the Colts 31-7 in the 2nd half to take the win. The 1st half ended 28-17 to the Packers as Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers (21-29-195-3) and Colts QB Peyton Manning (15-26-214-2) went toe-to-toe, but in the 2nd half the Packers back-ups, led by QB's Matt Flynn (8-13-80-2) and Graham Harrell (4-5-62-0), out-shone the Colts back-ups and also tacked on a 75 yard punt return TD to take an easy win (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - Tirico/Jaworksi/Gruden, PAL)
12/09/10 - Dallas Cowboys (7) @ (13) Washington Redskins - In the season opener, both teams struggled on Offense but the Redskins found just enough to beat their big rivals. New coach Mike Shanahan opened his account with a win while new QB Donovan McNabb (15-32-171-0) had a steady game in his first competitive start for the Skins. Dallas nearly stole the win on the final play as QB Tony Romo (31-47-282-1) threw a 13 yard TD pass as time expired but the play was ruled out for Offensive holding. The Redskins also featuerd RB Clinton Portis (18 63-0). The Cowboys also featured WR's Miles Austin (10-146-1) and Dez Bryant (8-56-0). The broadcast was also the first NFL game broadcast by Channel 4 in 12 years, with Gary Imlach as studio host. This is the Channel 4 broadcast with Gary Imlach and Mike Carlson analysis instead of commercial breaks (10, 2 Discs, NBC - Michaels/Collinsworth, PAL)
12/09/10 - Indianapolis Colts (24) @ (34) Houston Texans - On the opening day of the season, both teams put on an Offensive show, and it was the Texans that came out surprising winners. The 2 big stars were the Texans RB Arian Foster (33-231-3) and the Colts QB Peyton Manning (40-57-433-3) but the Texans defense proved the difference as they stopped a potential Colts comeback in the 4th quarter. The Texans also featured QB Matt Schaub (9-17-107-1). The Colts also featured WR Austin Collie (11-163-1) (10, 1 Disc, CBS - Gumbel/Dierdorf, NTSC)
19/09/10 - Houston Texans (30) @ (27) Washington Redskins - The Texans finally won an Overtime game and they needed all the Offense they could muster to get there and beat the Redskins. The Redskins led 27-10 in the 3rd quarter thanks to a huge game from QB Donovan McNabb (28-38-426-1) but Texans QB Matt Schaub (38-52-497-3) brought his team back and threw the game-tieing 34 yard TD pass with 2 minutes left to force overtime. Kicker Neil Rackers ended the game with his 3rd kick of the game and the Texans claimed the win. Houston also featured WR Andre Johnson (12-158-1). The Redskins also featured WR Santana Moss (10-89-0) (10, 1 Disc, CBS - Eagle/Fouts, NTSC)
20/09/10 - New Orleans Saints (25) @ (22) San Francisco 49ers - On Monday Night Football, the reigning champions New Orleans kept their unbeaten record, but only just, as they needed a last play FG to beat the 49ers. San Francisco played great defense and QB Alex Smith (23-32-275-1) had an inspired game on Offense to keep the 49ers close and he tied the game with 79 secs left, throwing a TD and a 2 point pass. But that left enough time for the Saints, led by QB Drew Brees (28-38-254-2), to march downfield where they kicked the game-winning FG as time expired. The 49ers also featured RB Frank Gore (20-112-1) and LB Patrick Willis (9 tackles, 1 sack). The Saints also featured RB's Pierre Thomas (18-46-0 + 8-57-0) and Reggie Bush (5-4-0 + 4-30-1) although Bush left the game in the 2nd half with a broken leg (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - Tirico/Jaworksi/Gruden, PAL)
10/10/10 - Philadelphia Eagles (27) @ (24) San Francisco 49ers - The 49ers remained winless after another close loss, as a late rally ended in a turnover. Eagles QB Kevin Kolb (21-31-253-1), RB LeSean McCoy (18-92-1) and the Defense (2 interceptions, 3 fumbles) all had big games. Despite a slow start, 49ers QB Alex Smith (25-39-309-3) ended with a big game but his 2nd interception with 28 seconds remaining ended any chance of a comeback. The 49ers also featured WR Michael Crabtree (9-105-1) and RB Frank Gore (18-52-0 + 2 fumbles). This is the Channel 4 broadcast with Gary Imlach and Mike Carlson analysis instead of commercial breaks (10, 2 Discs, NBC - Michaels/Collinsworth, PAL)
24/10/10 - Cincinnati Bengals (32) @ (39) Atlanta Falcons - With all the Offensive talent on the field, a shootout was predicted, an neither team disappointed. The Falcons led 24-3 at the half, led by QB Matt Ryan (24-33-299-3) and WR Roddy White (11-201-2), but the Bengals scored 22 unanswered points in the 3rd quarter to take a 25-24 lead. The Falcons reclaimed the lead in the 4th and held on for the win. The stars for the Bengals were QB Carson Palmer (36-50-412-3) and WR's Jordan Shipley (6-131-1), Terrell Owens (9-88-1) and Chad Ochocinco (10-108-1) (10, 2 Discs, CBS - Johnson/Tasker, NTSC)
31/10/10 - Denver Broncos (16) v (24) San Francisco 49ers - The 49ers recorded only their 2nd win of the season with a gutsy win at Wembley Stadium in London. Both teams Defenses's dominated the 1st half, with the 49ers holding a slim 3-0 lead at the half. The Broncos fought back to lead 10-3 in the 4th quarter before the 49ers, led by QB Troy Smith (12-19-196-1) in his 1st start for San Francsico, found their rhythm and rolled out 21 unanswered points to clinch the win. The Broncos were led by QB Kyle Orton (28-40-369-1) who had a big game but he wasn't helped by a poor rushing attack (59 total yards) and untimely penalties that wiped out 2 TD's ; a 38 yard TD pass off a flea-flicker and a 78 yard punt return TD with 1:54 left that would have brought the Broncos within 2 points. The 49ers also featured RB Frank Gore (29-118-1) and WR Michael Crabtree (3-53-1). The Broncos also featured QB Tim Tebow (1 rushing TD) (2 versions : 10, Full Game, 2 Discs, CBS - Gumbel/Dierdorf, NTSC / 10, 1 hour hi-lites, 1 Disc, BBC, PAL)
11/11/10 - Baltimore Ravens (21) @ (26) Atlanta Falcons - In a playoff-type atmosphere in the Georgia Dome, the Falcons beat the Ravens with a late TD to move to 7-2. The Falcons were up 20-7 in the 4th quarter thanks to QB Matt Ryan (32-50-316-3) and WR Roddy White (12-138-2) before the Ravens finally woke up and took the lead with 1:05 left with 2 TD passes from QB Joe Flacco (22-34-215-3). This left enough time, though, for Ryan and White to work their magic once more and they connected on the winning 33 yard TD pass with 20 seconds left (10, 2 Discs, NFL Network - Papa/Theismann/Millen, NTSC)
14/11/10 - Houston Texans (24) @ (31) Jacksonville Jaguars - The Jaguars used a stunning final sequence of plays to wrestle a win away from the Texans, catching a final play "Hail Mary" for the victory. With the scores tied at 24-24, the Jags had the ball at midfield with 1 play left. QB David Garrard (24-31-342-2) launched a desperation pass that was batted down by a defender at the goal-line but the ball went straight to WR Mike Thomas (8-149-1) who walked into the end-zone for the bizarre game winner. The Texans were led by QB Matt Schaub (22-32-314-2) and WR Andre Johnson (9-146-1). The Jaguars also featured RB Maurice Jones-Drew (24-100-2) (10, 1 Disc, CBS - Johnson/Tasker, NTSC)
14/11/10 - Kansas City Chiefs (29) @ (49) Denver Broncos - The Broncos finally put together a complete game to beat the Chiefs, scoring the 2nd most points in a game in team history. The Broncos jumped out to a 35-0 lead in the 2nd quarter and cruised home, with QB Kyle Orton (22-34-296-4) and RB Knowshon Moreno (22-106-0) leading the way. Chiefs QB Matt Cassel (33-53-469-4) had a huge game in defeat but he was let down by a rushing attack that managed only 51 yards. The game also featured the 1st NFL TD pass by Broncos back-up QB Tim Tebow (10, 2 Discs, CBS - Harlan/Wilcots, NTSC)
15/11/10 - Philadelphia Eagles (59) @ (28) Washington Redskins - On Monday Night Football, Eagles QB Michael Vick (20-28-333-4 + 8-80-2) put on a record-setting display to beat divisional rivals Washington. Vick became the 1st player in NFL history to pass for 300 yards, rush for 50 yards, pass for 4 TD's and rush for 2 TD's in the same game. The Eagles also set team records for total yards in a game and most points in a half. The Eagles started the game with an 88 yard TD pass and never looked back. Redskins QB Donovan McNabb (17-31-295-2) tried to rally the team but his 3 interceptions put paid to any comeback (10, Next day re-broadcast missing 4th quarter action between 11:16 and 2:13 - No scoring missed, 2 Discs, ESPN - Tirico/Jaworski/Gruden, PAL)
25/11/10 - New Orleans Saints (30) @ (27) Dallas Cowboys - On Thanksgiving day, the Saints prevailed in a shootout with a late TD to beat the Cowboys. The Saints were in control early, taking a 20-6 lead in at the half, but the Cowboys stormed back to take a 27-23 lead with 6 minutes left and when Dallas WR Roy Williams caught a long pass from QB Jon Kitna (30-42-313-0) and ran unimpeded towards the Saints end-zone the game seemed over. But Williams was caught from behind at the 11 yard line, fumbled and handed possession back to the Saints. New Orleans QB Drew Brees (23-39-352-1) didn't need a 2nd chance and he threw the game-winning 12 yard TD pass with 1:55 left to break the Cowboys hearts (10, 2 Discs, FOX - Buck/Aikman/Oliver, NTSC)
06/12/10 - New York Jets (3) @ (45) New England Patriots - A much-anticipated match-up of 2 of the best teams in the AFC never materialised as the Patriots dominated the Jets. Led by QB Tom Brady (21-29-326-4) the Patriots ran out to a 24-3 lead at the half and coasted home. The Jets were led by QB Mark Sanchez (17-33-164-0) but he was under pressure all game from the Patriots defense, throwing 3 interceptions. The Patriots win set an NFL record for consecutive home wins (26). Coverage also includes Monday Night Countdown which reports on the Broncos firing Josh McDaniels and the death of ex-Monday Night Football commentator Don Meredith (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - Tirico/Jaworski/Gruden, PAL)
12/12/10 - Philadelphia Eagles (30) @ (27) Dallas Cowboys - The Eagles finally registered their 1st win at the new Cowboys Stadium with a big win. The stars of the show were Eagles WR DeSean Jackson (4-210-1 including a 91 yard TD catch) and RB LeSean McCoy (16-149-0) who kept a spirited Cowboys team from the upset. The Eagles also featured QB Michael Vick (16-26-270-2 + 8-16-1). The Cowboys were led by QB Jon Kitna (24-35-242-2) and RB Felix Jones (13-41-1). This is the Channel 4 broadcast with Gary Imlach and Mike Carlson analysis instead of commercial breaks (10, 2 Discs, NBC - Michaels/Collinsworth/Kremer, PAL)
13/12/10 - Baltimore Ravens (34) @ (28) Houston Texans - The Ravens dramatically ended the hopes of the upset-minded Texans with a game-winning TD in Overtime to keep themselves in the thick of the playoff picture. The Ravens led 28-7 in the 3rd quarter thanks to QB Joe Flacco (22-33-235-2) and RB Ray Rice (19-54-0) before the Texans scored 21 unanswered points, led by QB Matt Schaub (31-62-393-3), to force overtime. But any chance of a big comeback win ended when Schaub was intercepted by DB Josh Wilson who returned the pick 12 yards for the game-winning score. With the 393 yards passing, Schaub passed David Carr as the Texans all-time passing yardage leader (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - Tirico/Jaworski/Gruden, PAL)
19/12/10 - Philadelphia Eagles (38) @ (31) New York Giants - In a sensational finish at the New Meadowlands, the Eagles used a team-record comeback to beat the Giants and stay in the Playoff hunt. The Eagles scored 28 points in the final 7:28 with the final TD coming on the last play of the game, a 65 yard punt return by WR DeSean Jackson. The comeback was led by QB Michael Vick (21-35-242-3 + 10-130-1) who shook off a terrible opening 3 quarters to tie the game and set up Overtime before Jackson's last play heroics. The Giants were led by QB Eli Manning (23-39-289-4) (10, 2 Discs, FOX - Buck/Aikman/Oliver, NTSC)
19/12/10 - Denver Broncos (23) @ (39) Oakland Raiders - On a wet day in Oakland, the Raiders heaped more misery on the Broncos as they used big plays to beat their big rivals. A tight 1st half ended all-tied at 17-17 but the Raiders outscored the Broncos 22-6 in the 2nd half to take the win. The Raiders were led by QB Jason Campbell (15-26-238-1), RB's Darren McFadden (20-119-0) and Michael Bush (12-24-2) and a defense that held the Broncos to 235 yards of total offense. Denver were led by QB Tim Tebow (8-16-138-1 + 8-78-1) who was making his 1st career start. He chipped in with a 40 yard TD run and a 33 yard TD pass (10, 2 Discs, CBS - Johnson/Tasker, NTSC)
20/12/10 - Chicago Bears (40) @ (14) Minnesota Vikings - On a frosty night in Minnesota, the visiting Bears clinched the NFC North title with a big win over the Vikings. The game was played outdoors at the University of Minnesota’s TCF Bank Stadium after the Metrodome's roof collapsed under 14 inches of snow, but the cold didn't slow down the Bears as they out-scored the Vikings 23-7 in the 2nd half to take the win. The Bears were led by QB Jay Cutler (14-24-194-3) and WR Devin Hester (2-23-1 + 147 kick return yards + 1 TD) whose 64 yard punt return TD in the 3rd quarter set the NFL record for career return TD's (14). The Vikings were led by QB Brett Favre (5-7-63-1), who left the game in the 2nd quarter with a concussion, and RB Toby Gerhart (16-77-0). The game proved to be the final NFL game for QB Brett Favre as the concussion ended his season and he announced his retirement. Coverage also includes Monday Night Countdown (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - Tirico/Jaworski/Gruden, PAL)
26/12/10 - Houston Texans (23) @ (24) Denver Broncos - Broncos QB Tim Tebow (16-29-308-1 + 10-27-1) finally made his 1st home start and he brought the team back from a big deficit to win the game. The Broncos trailed 17-0 at the half as Texans QB Matt Schaub (23-33-310-1) and RB Arian Foster (19-91-1) had good starts but the Broncos made the adjustments at the break and Tebow brought the Broncos back, and he scored the game winning TD on a 6 yard run with 3 minutes left. The Broncos also featured WR Brandon Lloyd (5-111-0) (10, 2 Discs, CBS - Criqui/Beuerlein, NTSC)
27/12/10 - New Orleans Saints (17) @ (14) Atlanta Falcons - In a highly-anticipated match-up, the Saints upset a strong Falcons team to book a playoff berth and end Atlanta's 8 game win streak. Saints QB Drew Brees (35-49-302-1) won the QB duel against the Falcons QB Matt Ryan (15-29-148-1) and threw the winning TD pass with 3 minutes left to end Ryan's 15 game unbeaten home win streak. Coverage also includes Monday Night Countdown (10, 2 Discs, ESPN - Tirico/Jaworski/Gruden, PAL)
08/01/11 - AFC Wildcard - New Orleans Saints (36) @ (41) Seattle Seahawks - The Seahawks ended the Saints run as Champions with a shootout win in Seattle. The Saints started the better and held a 17-7 lead in the 2nd quarter before the Seahawks outscored New Orleans 27-3 in the middle portion of the game to take an unassailable lead and they held on for the win and a place in the Divisional round. Seattle featured QB Matt Hasselbeck (22-35-272-4), RB Marshawn Lynch (19-131-1) and WR Brandon Stokley (4-73-1). New Orleans featured QB Drew Brees (39-60-404-2), RB's Julius Jones (15-59-2 + 6-61-0) and Reggie Bush (5-12-0 + 5-37-0) and WR's Devery Henderson (7-77-1) and Marques Colston (4-66-0) (10, 2 Discs, NBC - Hammond/Mayock/Flanagan, NTSC)