6B The Detroit News | Monday, December 15, 2008
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NFL
Game of the day: Cowboys 20, Giants 8
Cowboys get defensive amidst drama
Dallas closes week of dissension and controversy by beating New York, holder of NFC’s best record.
By Jaime Aron
Associated Press
IRVING, Texas — The soap opera that is the Dallas Cowboys’ offense gets all the attention. The defense, however, is keeping them in the playoff hunt. DeMarcus Ware added three sacks to his NFL-leading total and the Cowboys took down Eli Manning eight times on their way to a crucial 20-8 victory Sunday night
in a game where all eyes were otherwise on Tony Romo, Terrell Owens and Jason Witten. With everyone watching to see how Romo would appease the two main rivals for his offensive affection, he pulled a fast one by tossing touchdowns to third receiver Patrick Crayton and seldom thrown-to fullback Deon Anderson. Then, with 2:16 left and Dallas trying to manage the clock,
rookie Tashard Choice broke off a victory-sealing 38-yard touchdown run. Finally, Dallas could exhale. After a late loss in Pittsburgh and a week of locker-room turmoil, Dallas (9-5) was back in control of its wild-card chances. “It wasn’t a pretty win but we got it done,” Owens said. Dallas is guaranteed a playoff spot by winning its last two games, but it won’t be easy. Baltimore comes to Texas Stadium on Saturday night, then Dallas closes in Philadelphia.
The Giants (11-3) locked up the NFC East title when the Cowboys lost last Sunday, but suddenly things aren’t going so well for the reigning Super Bowl champions. New York has lost consecutive games for the first time since starting 0-2 last season, with both losses coming since star receiver Plaxico Burress (Michigan State) shot himself and was lost for the season. This one featured its fewest points of the season and its first regular-season game without a touchdown since November 2004.
Giants receiver Steve Smith has a step advantage on Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick. Smith caught five passes for 59 yards.
Associated Press
Notebook
Steelers 13, Ravens 9
Ailing Panthers owner at game
Detroit News wire services
REVIEW
WE NEVER LAY OFF … ON THE MOCKERY
By Tony Augusty | Detroit News NFL Bureau
UPON FURTHER
Late TD pass gives Steelers North title
Pittsburgh ties record with its 14th straight game allowing fewer than 300 yards to begin season.
Detroit News wire services
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When Panthers owner Jerry Richardson found out last week he needed a heart transplant, coach John Fox asked his boss what the players could do to help. The answer: They’re already doing it. Fox relayed the message, and his players continued their good work Sunday — in front of their ailing owner — in a 30-10 win over the Denver Broncos. As he awaits a donor heart, Richardson checked out of the hospital, sat in his customary seat in his end zone suite, and watched the Panthers (11-3) clinch at least a tie for the NFC South, improve to 8-0 at home and prevent the Broncos (8-6) from clinching the AFC West. “That’s what we want to do for him: keep winning games and try to bring him something special,” defensive end Julius Peppers said. Players didn’t know Richardson — the first ex-NFL player to own a team since George Halas — was at the game until he was shown on the video board in the second half.
Holt says official used scoreboard
Rams receiver Torry Holt said an official used the video scoreboard to call a penalty, taking away the Rams’ biggest play of the second half. After the 23-20, last-play loss to the Seahawks (3-11), Holt said the official called pass interference after watching the 20-yard play deep in Seattle territory in the third quarter. “He said he looked up in the Jumbotron and saw that I pushed off,” Holt said.
Bill Kostroun/Associated Press
“Whoever No. 75 is, he’s a really classy young man. He wanted to know if I was OK.”
JEFF TRIPLETTE, referee, talking to AP about Bills center Duke Preston, who gave Triplette a bloody nose when he accidentally knocked him over. Preston visited after the game with Triplette, who apparently thought Preston was so classy he didn’t bother to get his name.
Ref Jeff Triplette got a bloody nose after this hit from Bills center Duke Preston, left. Triplette wiped his nose and played on.
Slaton sets team rookie record
Rookie running back Steve Slaton had 24 carries for 100 yards as Houston beat Tennessee, 13-12. He also had 116 yards rushing in the teams’ first meeting, making him the only player to rush for more than 100 yards against the Titans this season. Slaton has 1,124 yards on the ground this season, setting a franchise record for yards rushing by a rookie. “The thing that has impressed us so much about this kid is that he seems to run better at the end of games,” Texans coach Gary Kubiak said.
No-party zone
Redskins receiver Santana Moss earned an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for reaching down and shining his shoes after a touchdown catch against the Bengals. The TD put the Redskins down 17-7. To the BENGALS. We have no problem with touchdown celebrations — as long as there’s something to celebrate. Trailing the Bengals by 10 is not one of those things. Cincinnati went on to win, 20-13.
Why? Why?
Kris Dielman, a guard for the Chargers, was ejected in the second quarter for throwing a punch at Tamba Hali of the Chiefs. Hali’s offense? Forcing, then recovering, a Dielman fumble. Fighting in football has to be one of the dumbest sights in sports: grown men with pads and headgear trying to land haymakers. It’s like watching two people wearing sumo fatsuits fight each other. Or in this Hali case, Kris Dielman (310 pounds) fighting Tamba Hali (275).
Talking the talk
Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter, is easily the NFL’s biggest loudmouth. He has also proven he’ll defend anything, speaking up for Michael Vick (dogfighting), Plaxico Burress (shot himself in a nightclub) and securing a bailout for the banking industry (maybe we made that one up). He wasn’t too bad on the field either, pushing his NFL sack lead to 171⁄2 as Miami beat the 49ers, 14-9. The bigger story is the Dolphins, 1-15 last season, are close to clinching a playoff spot. See, Lions? That could be you one day — 1-15, we mean.
Packers’ fate sealed
Green Bay’s playoff chances officially ended with its 20-16 loss to Jacksonville. Green Bay (5-9) lost on a late scoring drive for the third straight week. “Disappointing,” Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. “You get an opportunity to win the game down the stretch and can’t do it.”
Andy Lyons / Getty Images
BALTIMORE — The Pittsburgh Steelers are AFC North champions, and earning the title at the expense of the Baltimore Ravens added an extra measure of joy to the accomplishment. Santonio Holmes caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger with 43 seconds left, and the Steelers clinched their second straight division title and earned a first-round bye by beating the Ravens, 13-9, Sunday. In a duel between the top two defenses in the NFL, Pittsburgh did not permit a touchdown in earning its first victory in Baltimore since 2002. As the Steelers filed into the locker room, a voice rose from the crowd of players: “We’re still the No. 1 defense! We showed you boys how to play defense!” The Steelers (11-3) limited the Ravens (9-5) to a season-low 202 yards. The Steelers have gone 14 straight games without yielding 300 yards, tying the 1973 Los Angeles Rams for the longest streak to start a season since the NFL merger in 1970. Many of the players wore hats that proclaimed Pittsburgh as AFC North champions. Running back Willie Parker said, “This is, like, our biggest win. I know we won the Super Bowl, but you just can’t understand the feeling of the players in this locker room right now.” Pittsburgh trailed 9-6 before moving 92 yards in 13 plays to score the game’s lone touchdown and take the lead for the first time. Roethlisberger went 7for-11 for 89 yards on the drive. “All game they didn’t make plays,” Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said. “One drive they did.” Pittsburgh has come from behind in the fourth quarter four times this season, including last week against Dallas, when the Steelers scored 17 points in the final eight minutes of a 20-13 victory. “We make the plays when they count,” Holmes said. “It doesn’t matter how the game goes through the course of three quarters. It always comes down to playing four quarters of football.” Matt Stover kicked three field goals for the Ravens, who remain in the wildcard hunt.
Wack Pack
That big thump you heard Sunday was the Packers falling out of playoff contention with a 20-16 loss to the Jaguars. Yup, that decision to go with Aaron Rodgers over Brett Favre really worked out, huh? Well, it’s not like the Packers reached the NFC Championship game last season … oh, wait. And it’s not like the Packers can take comfort in being outsmarted. Take this comment by Jags defensive end Paul Spicer, on stopping a fourth-down conversion: “That was the turning point in the game. The momentum could have gone either way.” Oh, it could have gone either way, Paul? We think that’s called, oh yeah, a TURNING POINT.
Late hits
Saw this headline: “Colts overcome miscues” and wondered whether “miscues” referred to Indy’s turnovers, or their opponent — the Lions. British archaeologists this past week dug up a 2,000-year-old brain, the oldest found in Britain. The Jets immediately signed the brain to back up quarterback Brett Favre.
Gail Burton/Associated Press
Maybe Santana Moss was too busy to notice his team was getting dusted by the Bengals.
Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
MORE INSIDE JOKES
For more NFL funalysis, visit sidelinesatire.com. You can reach Tony Augusty at taugusty@detnews.com
Rookie running back Steve Slaton had 100 yards on 24 carries Sunday as Houston beat Tennessee, 13-12.
Santonio Holmes celebrates his winning touchdown by picking up defensive tackle Casey Hampton and … well, maybe not.