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 Chris Mortensen joins ESPN's Trey Wingo on SportsCenter to take a closer look at the injury plagued Rams.
Real: 28.8
Welcome change
 Chris Mortensen talks about the impact of Dave Wannstedt in Miami.
wav: 242 k
Real: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Lions' den
Chris Mortensen joins ESPN's Trey Wingo on SportsCenter to discuss Bobby Ross' resignation.
Real: 28.8
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Week 10: Vikes, Rams fall; Raiders riding high
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Packers 26, Vikings 20 (OT): Sometimes, it takes a miracle, a weird bounce, to renew hope. The Packers now have it. Antonio Freeman made enough big plays -- including the game-winner -- to believe that the Packers (4-5) have a chance for a modest turnaround.
|  | | Antonio Freeman and the Packers celebrate his 43-yard touchdown catch, which lifted Green Bay to an overtime victory Monday night. |
Imagine what happens if Green Bay goes to Tampa and pulls an upset? The Vikings had many opportunities to win the game but could not close the deal. True, Daunte Culpepper again had some "rookie" mistakes but Brett Favre didn't exactly thrive in those wet, windy conditions, either. I actually liked Green Bay's chances going into the game, but only if Dorsey Levens was up and running. Ahman Green did a nice job, but he missed some reads in the running game. If Freeman gets hot, Favre can get on a roll. The Vikings return to the comfortable confines of the Metrodome against Arizona and Carolina so, again, the panic button should not be pushed in Minnesota.
Panthers 27, Rams 24: OK, I didn't think the Rams would collapse without
Marshall Faulk. I was wrong. Maybe it wasn't a collapse, but on a night that
Trent Green threw for more than 400 yards, I can't help but think the Rams
would have scored 40 points with Faulk in the lineup. The Panthers (4-5)
played as well as possible, thanks to QB Steve Beuerlein and a pretty
inspired defense. It was nice to see George Seifert get a win during a season
that has been so trying for Carolina. This game has the potential to change the landscape of the NFC. Not only is the Rams' schedule much more challenging in the second half of the season, but they now
have the New Orleans Saints breathing down their necks. Last year, the Rams
hardly experienced an injury of substance during the regular season. Now,
Kurt Warner is on the the sidelines. Faulk joined him, at least for a night. Orlando Pace went down. Hmmm, very interesting.
Raiders 49, Chiefs 31: Elvis Grbac got 500 yards passing. Rich Gannon got
the win. In fact, Gannon delivered the victory with a four-TD performance
that continues to build his case for MVP. But you know who amazes me? It's
Oakland coach Jon Gruden, who has an innate ability to inspire the grit in
players it takes to win in this league. Tyrone Wheatley, high ankle sprain
and all, ran for 112 yards. The injury-riddled Raiders had 231 yards
rushing for a 5.5 average and controlled the clock for more than 38 minutes.
Andre Rison, battling turf toe and mounting financial woes, grabbed two TD
passes. Tight end Ricky Dudley, who has been a huge disappointment to Gruden,
shows up for two TD catches. Go figure. Grbac put on a pretty fair aerial
show with Derrick Alexander (139 yards) and Tony Gonzalez (138 yards)
scorching the Oakland secondary. However, the Chiefs' playoff hopes are
shaky. If you can't run the ball or stop the run in the NFL, you seldom get
to play in January. The Raiders, they'll be there.
Cardinals 16, Redskins 15: All right, Daniel Snyder. You asked for it,
you got it. Not that Jeff George was to blame for this Washington setback,
but he was hardly the savior filling in for injured QB Brad Johnson. Then
again, let's hear it for Dave McGinnis and the Cardinals. Pro Bowl cornerback
Aeneas Williams returned Stephen Davis' fumble 103 yards for a first-quarter
TD, then delivered the line of the day -- maybe the year. When Williams' teammates
asked him whether he thought about downing the ball in his own end zone, he
replied, "No way ... man, didn't you know there's an election on Tuesday?"
The Cardinals have an excellent chance of getting a stadium referendum passed that will assure the team's future in Arizona. As terrific a win as it was
for Arizona, it could be a haunting defeat for Washington. The Redskins (6-4)
now fall two games behind the New York Giants (7-2) in the loss column and
are tied with the Eagles in the NFC East. They go into the bye week with
consecutive losses, knowing that George could produce just one TD on offense
against an Arizona defense that has allowed 246 points this year.
Titans 9, Steelers 7: Jeff Fisher promised on Saturday that this game
would be a "war." And war in the NFL sometimes is not a pretty sight, not
when the Titans and Steelers play. Steve McNair's huge fourth-and-eight pass
to Derrick Mason -- we repeat, the Titans' MVP, thus far -- allowed Al
Del Greco to redeem an earlier shanked field goal for the game-winner.
Steelers QB Kordell Stewart was fairly impotent until his 30-yard TD pass to
Mark Bruener gave Pittsburgh a 7-6 lead. The Titans almost self-destructed
with 14 penalties, but give the Steelers' defense credit. They are the only
defense that has not surrendered at least 100 points -- just 93 this year. As
for the offense, what happened to Plaxico Burress? Is he that bad?
Bears 27, Colts 24: This should have been a red-flag game. When a good
team like the Colts crosses over in a non-conference game against a bad team
like the Bears, on their turf, things can happen. They did. The Colts dug
themselves a 27-0 hole, thanks to Bears QB Jim Miller's big passes to Marcus
Robinson. Peyton Manning brought the Colts back, but knowing him, he is hardly a happy young man. As for the Bears, this win had to feel so good to
coach Dick Jauron, I would expect that young Cade McNown gets to keep his
sideline pass even when he's restored to full health.
Bills 16, Patriots 13 (OT): True, Doug Flutie was hardly spectacular,
but he did make the plays down the stretch when they counted. Bills coach
Wade Phillips should not hesitate to stick with Flutie, who is 2-1 during a
three-game stretch in which Buffalo played the Vikings, the Jets and the
pesky Pats. The real hero, of course, was Bills kicker Steve Christie, who
overcame less-than-ideal conditions (rain, slick grass) to kick a 48-yarder
to send the game into sudden death. The Patriots (2-7) are obviously dying a
slow death.
Broncos 30, Jets 23: The AFC West belongs to the Raiders, but the Broncos
served notice Sunday that they are back in the playoff hunt. (By the way, did
anybody notice that there are 10 teams with winning records in the AFC?) For
those who thought Broncos coach Mike Shanahan would nurse Terrell Davis back
into the lineup, think again. Davis had 33 carries for 115 yards, but how
about Brian Griese's precision throws to eight different receivers? It also
looks like Shanahan has gotten the attention of his shaky defense, though the
offense may have been his best defense Sunday. The Jets did not have a
fourth-quarter miracle. Vinny Testaverde said during the week that he'd be
happy throwing 30 interceptions, as long as the Jets won the Super Bowl. He
threw two more picks against the Broncos. Guess what? The Jets aren't going
to the Super Bowl if Testaverde throws 30 interceptions.
Dolphins 23, Lions 8: Don't look now, but the Dolphins are alone atop the
AFC East, which is exactly the vision Dave Wannstedt tried to give his team
after they lost that 40-37 overtime game to the New York Jets two weeks ago.
At the time, Wannstedt pointed out to his players that in 1999 -- when they had
their miracle comeback in a 34-31 victory over the Indianapolis Colts -- it was
the Colts who went on an 11-game winning streak while the Dolphins eventually
went into the tank. Sure enough, Miami has now won two straight and the Jets
have dropped two. When a coach's words start turning to reality, players
start believing in their leader. Wannstedt also gave us a little Jimmy
Johnson act when he ordered an onside kick after Miami's first TD. The
recovery led to a quick 14-0 lead. That took the Lions crowd out of the game.
The Lions (5-4) have dropped two straight since that emotional win over Tampa
Bay. Coach Bobby Ross sounded like a man ready for retirement after the game,
which is what coaching in the NFL can do to a man.
|  | | Ricky Williams and the Saints have been one of the league's biggest surprises thus far in 2000. |
Saints 31, 49ers 15: Sterling Sharpe said something on our Sunday NFL Countdown show that got me thinking -- in the wacky NFC, given their schedule,
the Saints not only can have playoff aspirations, but why not the Super Bowl?
Are we getting carried away? Maybe, maybe not. The Falcons and Rams each
shocked the NFL the past two years to reach the Super Bowl. The Saints look
like they're for real. They have a mauling defense. They have a big-time
runner in Ricky Williams. And as Jeff Blake (three TDs) and Joe Horn showed
Sunday, they also can make plays in the passing game, although the 49ers' defense may not exactly be the '85 Bears. Let's see what happens in the next
three weeks when the Saints play the Raiders (home), the Rams (away) and the
Broncos (home).
Bucs 27, Falcons 14: Keyshawn Johnson pointed out that going into this
game he was just four catches and one TD off his '99 pace with the Jets. He
expects to be hot down the stretch, and two more TDs against the Falcons helps
build his case. The Bucs (5-4) are now on a mission. It's the old
one-week-at-a-time deal, but even if they can't catch the Vikings in the NFC
Central, Tony Dungy's model is last year's Tennessee Titans, who used a
wild-card berth to reach the Super Bowl.
Giants 24, Browns 3: It's almost like the best-kept secret in the NFL -- the Giants are not only still in first place in the NFC East, but they have
widened the gap over the Redskins and Eagles by two games in the loss column.
Very solid win. QB Kerry Collins needed a confidence booster with three TD
passes. Hmmmm, the Giants get the Rams at Giants Stadium on Sunday. Just when
you thought you had it all figured out, huh?
Eagles 16, Cowboys 13 (OT): It was hardly spectacular, but Randall
Cunningham got a glimpse of his youth when he watched Eagles QB Donovan
McNabb make big plays with his legs to set up Philly's comeback victory.
Cunningham couldn't get the Cowboys moving on a consistent basis, which
should revive Troy Aikman's stock with Dallas fans. Emmitt Smith rushed for
136 yards. Yes, he will catch Walter Payton.
Seahawks 17, Chargers 15: I know Mike Holmgren still enjoys winning, but
I sure feel bad for Chargers coach Mike Riley, who lost his second straight
game on a last-second field goal. It was also the fifth defeat by three
points or fewer for the winless Chargers. This was a game they should have
won and needed to win.
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