NFL 2011 Season – Week 11 Recap
The Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers continued their fantastic seasons, while the Baltimore Ravens moved into first place in the AFC North. Meanwhile, several other teams continued win streaks. Here’s a recap of all of the NFL scores and action from Week 11.
Green Bay 35 – Tampa Bay 26
Aaron Rodgers threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson with 2:55 to play, and the Green Bay Packers held off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 35-26. Green Bay (10-0) remains undefeated heading into a Thanksgiving Day game at Detroit thanks to Rodgers’ 299 passing yards and three touchdowns. Nelson finished with 123 receiving yards and two TD receptions. The Packers opened a 14-0 second quarter lead, but Tampa Bay (4-6) surged back, eventually pulling to within 21-19 when Josh Freeman threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams early in the fourth quarter. Freeman’s two-point conversion attempt to Kellen Winslow was no good, and Green Bay held on for the victory. Freeman passed for 342 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Buccaneers. Tampa’s LeGarrette Blount had 107 rushing yards and a spectacular 54-yard touchdown run. Winslow caught nine passes for 132 yards for Tampa Bay.
Baltimore 31 – Cincinnati 24
Joe Flacco threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns and rookie Torrey Smith had six catches for 165 yards and a score, as the Baltimore Ravens defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 31-24. Baltimore (7-3) played without linebacker Ray Lewis for the first time in 58 games, but its defense stopped Cincinnati’s potential game-tying drive inside the 10-yard line in the fourth quarter to preserve the victory. The Ravens led by 17 points early in the final quarter on the strength of big days from Flacco, Smith and running back Ray Rice, who ran for 104 yards and two touchdowns against the AFC’s best rushing defense. Cincinnati (6-4) saw great production from rookie quarterback Andy Dalton, who passed for 373 yards and a touchdown, but threw three interceptions. Bengals’ receiver Jerome Simpson had eight catches for 152 yards, and running back Cedric Benson ran for 41 yards and two scores.
Dallas 27 – Washington 24 (OT)
Dan Bailey kicked a 39-yard field goal in overtime after Graham Gano missed from 52 yards out, as the Dallas Cowboys beat the Washington Redskins 27-24. Washington (3-7) tied the game with 14 seconds left in regulation, when Rex Grossman threw a perfectly placed 4-yard touchdown pass to Donte’ Stallworth. The Redskins had a chance to win on the first possession of the extra period, but Gano’s kick was slightly wide right. Dallas (6-4) was led by quarterback Tony Romo, who completed 23 of 37 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns. Rookie running back DeMarco Murray ran for 73 yards on 25 carries and caught six passes for 32 yards for Dallas. Cowboys’ tight end Jason Witten had three catches for 85 yards and a score. Washington’s Jabar Gaffney caught seven passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. Grossman threw for 289 yards, two touchdowns and an interception for the Redskins.
Detroit 49 – Carolina 35
Matthew Stafford threw five touchdown passes, and the Detroit Lions rallied to beat the Carolina Panthers 49-35. After trailing Carolina by 17 points in the second quarter and 13 at the half, Detroit (7-3) scored five second-half touchdowns, including 21 straight points in the third and fourth quarters. Carolina (2-8) used three early Lions’ turnovers and a 101-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Kealoha Pilares to build a 24-7 lead, but they could not keep it. The Panthers tied the game at 35 on a 6-yard run by Cam Newton in the fourth quarter, but they did not score again. Stafford completed 28 of 36 passes for 335 yards, the five touchdowns and two interceptions. Lions’ running back Kevin Smith ran for 140 yards and two touchdowns, along with his 61 receiving yards and a score. Detroit’s Calvin Johnson caught five passes for 89 yards. Newton finished with 280 passing yards, a touchdown pass, two touchdown runs and four interceptions for the Panthers. DeAngelo Williams had 10 carries for 73 yards for Carolina.
Oakland 27 – Minnesota 21
Carson Palmer passed for 164 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score, as the Oakland Raiders beat the Minnesota Vikings 27-21. Oakland (6-4) rolled to a 24-7 halftime lead by capitalizing on Vikings’ mistakes and the absence of Minnesota star running back Adrian Peterson, who left the game in the second quarter with an injured left ankle. Minnesota (2-8) committed five turnovers during the game. Down 27-7 entering the fourth quarter, the Vikings rallied to within six points when Christian Ponder threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Rudolph with 5:08 left, but they could not complete the comeback. Ponder finished with 221 passing yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions for Minnesota. The Raiders’ Michael Bush carried 30 times for 109 yards and a touchdown. Oakland receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey left the field on a cart after sustaining a neck injury in the second half.
Miami 35 – Buffalo 8
Matt Moore threw three first-half touchdown passes as the Miami Dolphins routed the Buffalo Bills 35-8. The Dolphins (3-7), who won their third consecutive game, raced to a 28-6 halftime lead over Buffalo (5-5). Two of Miami’s first-half touchdowns were set up by interceptions of Buffalo quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who finished with 209 yards passing and two interceptions with a quarterback rating of 45.8. He has 12 turnovers in his last six games. Moore finished with 160 passing yards and the three TD passes. Reggie Bush added a rushing touchdown for the Dolphins, who also had Lex Hilliard recover a blocked punt for a score in the third quarter. Buffalo running back – and NFL rushing leader – Fred Jackson left the game in the third quarter with a bruised right calf. He had only 17 rushing yards. The Bills’ Scott Chandler led all receivers with 71 yards on five catches.
Cleveland 14 – Jacksonville 10
Colt McCoy threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Josh Cribbs in the fourth quarter, and the Cleveland Browns held on to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 14-10. Jacksonville (3-7) had an opportunity to win, but quarterback Blaine Gabbert’s pass into the end zone on the final play of the game was incomplete. McCoy passed for 199 yards, a touchdown and an interception for Cleveland (4-6). Browns running back Chris Ogbonnaya rushed for 115 yards and a score. Maurice Jones-Drew led the Jaguars’ offense with 87 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown. Gabbert completed 22 of 41 passes for 210 yards for Jacksonville.
Atlanta 23 – Tennessee 17
Roddy White had seven receptions for a season-high 147 yards, and the Atlanta Falcons held off the Tennessee Titans 23-17. Trailing 23-3 in the third quarter, Tennessee (5-5) rallied behind rookie quarterback Jake Locker, who entered the game in the second half after Titans’ starter Matt Hasselbeck sprained his right elbow. Locker completed 9 of 19 passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns to Nate Washington, but he was unable to finish the comeback. Washington finished with nine catches for 115 yards and the two scores. Atlanta (6-4) raced to a big lead on White’s productive day catching passes from Matt Ryan, who passed for 316 yards and a touchdown for the Falcons. Michael Turner ran for 100 yards and a score for Atlanta. Titans running back Chris Johnson struggled again, rushing for just 13 yards on 12 carries. Tennessee managed just 41 net rushing yards for the game.
San Francisco 23 – Arizona 7
Alex Smith threw for 267 yards and two touchdowns, and the San Francisco 49ers dominated the Arizona Cardinals 23-7. San Francisco (9-1) won its eighth straight game by forcing five Cardinals’ turnovers and holding the ball for more than 44 minutes of the game. The 49ers can clinch the NFC West with a win at Baltimore on Thursday and a Seattle loss next Sunday. Frank Gore carried 24 times for 88 yards for San Francisco, which was led in receiving by Michael Crabtree’s seven receptions for 120 yards. Arizona (3-7) quarterback John Skelton completed just six passes for 99 yards, while he threw three interceptions. Skelton was replaced in the fourth quarter by Richard Bartel, who threw a meaningless 23-yard touchdown to Larry Fitzgerald with the Cardinals down 23-0. Arizona had just 80 net yards rushing on the game.
Seattle 24 – St. Louis 7
Marshawn Lynch ran for 88 yards and a touchdown and the Seattle defense held St. Louis to 185 net yards of offense, as the Seahawks beat the Rams 24-7 in a sloppy, miscue-filled game. St. Louis (2-8) jumped ahead 7-0 when Sam Bradford threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Lloyd in the first quarter. Seattle (4-6) pulled even when Tarvaris Jackson passed to Sidney Rice for a 14-yard score in the second quarter. The Seahawks took the lead for good on Steven Hauschka’s 19-yard field goal to end the first half. Jackson passed for just 148 yards and two interceptions, and he was sacked four times. Bradford was sacked five times and fumbled twice, while completing just 20 of 40 passes for 181 yards for the Rams. Steven Jackson managed just 42 yards on 15 carries for St. Louis. Lloyd finished with 67 yards on five receptions and a touchdown.
Chicago 31 – San Diego 20
Jay Cutler passed for 286 yards and two touchdowns, and the Chicago Bears beat the San Diego Chargers 31-20. Chicago (7-3) won its fifth straight game, while giving San Diego (4-6) its fifth straight loss. After the Chargers tied the game at 17 on a touchdown pass from Philip Rivers to Vincent Jackson early in the third quarter, Culter led the Bears on two scoring drives, capping both with touchdown passes. Receiver Johnny Knox caught the last Bears’ scoring pass and finished with 97 yards on three catches plus the TD. Chicago’s Matt Forte was held to just 57 yards rushing. San Diego’s Rivers threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns, but added two interceptions to raise his league-leading total to 17. Jackson had seven receptions for 165 yards and a score for the Chargers.
Philadelphia 17 – N.Y. Giants 10
An 8-yard touchdown pass from Vince Young to Riley Cooper with 2:45 to play capped an 80-yard fourth quarter drive, as the Philadelphia Eagles beat the New York Giants 17-10 on Sunday night. Philadelphia (4-6) used nearly nine minutes of game clock on the winning drive, after Eli Manning’s 24-yard touchdown pass to Victor Cruz tied the game at 10 early in the final period. Eagles’ defensive lineman Jason Babin sacked Manning and forced a fumble recovered by Philadelphia’s Derek Landri to kill off the final drive for New York (6-4). Starting in place of the injured Michael Vick, Young finished with 258 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions for the Eagles. Cooper had five catches for 75 yards. Philadelphia running back LeSean McCoy ran for 113 yards. Manning passed for 264 yards, a touchdown and an interception for the Giants, who were held to just 29 net yards rushing. Cruz had six catches for 128 yards and a touchdown for New York.
Thursday, Nov. 17