THE COLTS STILL ON TOP

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) -- Peyton Manning didn't have to be perfect for the Colts to remain the only team with a perfect record.

He had plenty of help from a defense that had been far from perfect all season. With four interceptions -- the last ending the Patriots' final chance with 1:18 left -- Indianapolis beat New England 27-20 Sunday night to improve to 8-0.

With the loss by Chicago and coach Lovie Smith to Miami earlier Sunday, the Colts are the NFL's only unbeaten team.

"Lovie let me down," Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy said. "I was hoping they'd win so they would get all the focus."

Sunday's win capped an impressive two-game road stretch against two of the best teams in the AFC. On Sunday, he threw for 328 yards and tossed two touchdown passes to Marvin Harrison one week after throwing for 345 yards and three scores in a 34-31 win at Denver.


"Those are two very tough places to play," Dungy said. "We're finding a lot of different ways to win. We still aren't playing our best."

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady certainly didn't on Sunday.

Two of his interceptions came on tipped balls against a defense that had just five picks in its first seven games. The Patriots' running game did gain 148 yards against the NFL's worst rush defense.

"We ran successfully and made some passes," Brady said, "but it all gets negated when you turn the ball over."

His 201 yards passing were just 56 more than Harrison had on his eight catches.

The Patriots (6-2) ended a four-game winning streak and dropped a second straight to Indianapolis after winning six in a row.

They also were victimized for the first time by Adam Vinatieri, who signed as a free agent after kicking two Super Bowl winning field goals for New England in the final seconds. But he also missed twice in the second half as his once adoring fans booed.

Peyton & Marvin went-the-fuck-off & Coach Dungy was giving Belichick hELL 4 sho~!!!

"They are trying to get loud and make it hard on the opposing team and that totally makes sense," he said. "I wish I had played a little bit better."
The Colts defense also recovered a fumble and allowed no touchdown passes, only two scoring runs by Corey Dillon and two field goals by rookie Stephen Gostkowski.

The Colts became the only team to start consecutive seasons at 8-0 since the Green Bay Packers did it three straight years from 1929-31. And for the first time in his brilliant career, Manning has thrown for 300 yards in three consecutive games.

"All anybody wants to talk about with this team is, 'what are you guys going to do in the playoffs,' " said Manning, who took the team to the AFC title game just once while reaching the postseason the last four years. "I will enjoy this one for a little while."

Manning won his second straight game against the Patriots and is 4-10 against them.

The Patriots had one last chance after Vinatieri missed from 37 yards with 1:55 left. But on the Patriots' second play, Brady was intercepted by Cato June.

"That was a tough night all the way around," Brady said. "The defense really kept us in there with as many turnovers as there were."

The Colts never trailed as Manning threw the first of his two touchdown passes to Harrison, a 5-yarder, on their opening possession.

Patriots safety Rodney Harrison didn't return after hurting his arm in the first quarter.

"We had to adjust," cornerback Ellis Hobbs said. "The ship gets rocked a little bit and you make it steady."

The Patriots defense did that better than the offense.

The Colts began the day tied for 21st in points allowed. But the first sign the defense would be a positive factor came when Antoine Bethea ended the Patriots' first drive with an interception in the end zone. Manning then drove the Colts 68 yards to his first scoring pass to Marvin Harrison.

The Patriots tied the game on Dillon's 1-yard run on the second play of the second quarter. Indianapolis countered with an 82-yard drive capped by Joseph Addai's 2-yard touchdown run, before New England tied it again on Dillon's 4-yard run.

Then Terrence Wilkins returned the kickoff 70 yards to the Patriots 29 and Vinatieri put the Colts ahead for good 17-14 with a 33-yard field goal with 1:46 left in the half. New England's final possession before intermission ended on Bob Sanders' interception at the Indianapolis 3.

"We're not going to win many games that way, giving up big plays on special teams, defense," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said.

Vinatieri's miss on a 37-yarder early in the third quarter was his first failure in 16 attempts this season and ended a string of 12 possessions in which the Colts scored 10 times. The only two times they failed in that stretch were at the end of their last two first halves, when Manning knelt down with the ball.

Harrison's 4-yard scoring catch made it 24-14 midway through the third quarter. Gostkowski then kicked a 49-yard field goal, Vinatieri connected from 31 and Gostkowski was good again from 26. Harrison's TD was a twisting, diving one-handed catch in the right edge of the end zone on which he barely dragged both feet in bounds.

"Peyton and Marvin have that connection," Hobbs said. "Peyton put it right there."Game notes
Troy Brown broke Stanley Morgan's team record for career receptions with the Patriots with 538 after making five catches. Morgan caught 534. ... Harrison broke a tie with Lenny Moore for most touchdowns by a Colt. He has 115, two more than Moore, who played when the team was in Baltimore. ... For the first time this season, the Colts scored fewer than 30 points and the Patriots allowed more than 17.

Denver Broncos linebacker Al Wilson looks at the scoreboard as he walks off the field in the final seconds of the Broncos' 34-31 loss to the Indianapolis Colts during an NFL football game in Denver, Sunday, Oct. 29, 2006.
Its so funny 2 see Coac Dungy whippin all the other NFL Coaches Asses week after week

!!~Dolphins Dethrown Bears~!!

The Chicago Bears playing @ home with an Undefeated record, let the struggling Miami Dolphins whip their sorry Asses....ha ha ha ha ha.....Thats Funny~!!!


CHICAGO - Ronnie Brown rushed for a career-high 157 yards and just like 1985, the Miami Dolphins ended the hopes of an unbeaten season for the Chicago Bears.

Taking advantage of six turnovers and the ineffective play of Rex Grossman, the Dolphins posted the biggest surprise of the NFL season, a 31-13 victory over the Bears.

Entering with just one win in their first seven games and facing a Bears team that had won its four games at Soldier Field by a combined 152-30, the Dolphins were given little chance to even be competitive.

But not only did the Dolphins (2-6) stay competitive, they took advantage of numerous mistakes by the Bears on their way to a shocking upset.

In their Super Bowl-winning season in 1985, the Bears (7-1) won their first 12 games before being ambushed in a 38-24 loss at Miami on a Monday night. Those Dolphins had Hall of Famers in coach Don Shula and Dan Marino.

On Sunday, the 2006 Dolphins were led by defensive end Jason Taylor, who returned an interception 20 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. He also forced a fumble and recorded a sack to go over 100 in his career.

Miami turned the six Chicago turnovers into 28 points.

The Dolphins completely flustered Grossman, who completed 18-of-42 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown with three interceptions. He had 11 TDs without an interception in his first four home games.

It marked the second time in three games the Bears committed six turnovers in a game. They had two defensive touchdowns and a special teams TD in rallying for a dramatic 24-23 victory at Arizona on October 16
This time, the Bears' defense was unable to bail them out. In fact, they were run over by Ronnie Brown, who rushed for a season-high 157 yards on 29 carries.

Joey Harrington threw for three touchdowns to overcome a pair of interceptions for the Dolphins.

LARRY JOHNSON__"THE BEAST"

Larry Johnson could just be the NFLs strongest,fastest & most powerful running back!
Thanks to three first-half turnovers by the Rams and a season-high 172 rushing yards out of RB Larry Johnson, the Chiefs escaped St. Louis with a 31-17 win in the Governor’s Cup series. The Chiefs jumped out to a 17-0 first-half lead, then let Johnson protect it en route to the win.

St. Louis entered the game with the NFL’s third-best turnover ratio at +10, but that did very little to help its cause on Sunday. The Rams fumbled three times in the first quarter and the Chiefs capitalized on all three, jumping out to a 17-0 lead before the I-70 rivals knew what hit them.

On Kansas City’s first possession, RB Larry Johnson helped get the club out of bad field position at their own two-yard line when he broke off a 44-yard run. The drive stalled just across midfield, but Dustin Colquitt’s punt was muffed by WR Dane Looker at the Rams 14-yard line. Chiefs RB Dee Brown pounced on the loose ball setting up a Johnson one-yard touchdown run for a 7-0 lead moments later. The Chiefs excitement was tempered a bit on the drive when Pro Bowl G Brian Waters was carted off the field with a right knee injury.

Another Rams turnover led to the Chiefs next score as Chiefs DE Jared Allen sacked and stripped St. Louis QB Marc Bulger at the Rams 46-yard line. Rookie DT Stephen Williams recovered the fumble and watched his offense go for a knockout blow on the very next play. QB Damon Huard tossed a perfect 43-yard pass to WR Samie Parker down to the three-yard line. Huard then found TE Tony Gonzalez wide open in the end zone for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead. Gonzalez’s 58th career touchdown catch moved him past WR Otis Taylor (57) for the most touchdown receptions in franchise history.




LB Keyaron Fox forced the third St. Louis fumble on the next series when he poked the ball free from RB Steven Jackson. Allen recovered the ball for Kansas City at the St. Louis 33-yard line, giving the Chiefs another short field. KC settled for a 42-yard Lawrence Tynes field goal to open the game with 17 unanswered points. Staring down a 17-0 deficit and searching for answers, the Rams switched to a no-huddle offense to shake things up. The change in gameplan seemed to ignite them as Bulger fired back-to-back big gains to WR Isaac Bruce to move inside the Red Zone. From there Jackson bulled across the goal line from two yards out to cut the Chiefs lead to 17-7 midway through the second quarter.

Unfazed, the Chiefs would answer with a crisp, eight-play, 80-yard scoring march just before halftime. Huard completed three passes on the drive including his second touchdown pass to Gonzalez, this time from 25 yards out. On the play, Huard side-stepped a blitzing CB Travis Fisher and found his Pro Bowl tight end down the seam to take a 24-7 lead with 0:48 left in the half. The Rams would sneak in a 41-yard field goal from Jeff Wilkins as time expired on the half to make the score 24-10 at the break.

After the two clubs exchanged punts to open the second half, St. Louis would edge closer with a methodical 12-play, 80-yard third-quarter drive. The Rams converted a fourth-and-one play and scored on a Bulger-to-WR Kevin Curtis pass on third-and-goal from the two-yard line. Bulger completed five of six passes on the drive with a 27-yard hook-up to WR Torry Holt and a 22-yard run from Jackson moving the chains. Bulger’s touchdown pass brought the Rams within one score at 24-17 with 3:50 left in the third quarter.




It looked as though all the momentum was headed in the Rams direction as they tried to comeback from a 17-point deficit. Kansas City’s offense struggled to find their footing in the second half as it mustered just one first down in the third quarter. Then early in the fourth quarter the Chiefs were backed up at their own six-yard line and needed to burn some of the clock and slow down the St. Louis attack. Kansas City did that and more. Johnson ripped off runs of 15 and 16 yards, then Huard hooked up with Gonzalez on a big third-down conversion to keep the drive rolling. On the very next play from the 11-yard line, Huard (who finished with 148 yards and three TDs) capped the seven-play march with an 11-yard touchdown pass to TE Kris Wilson to take a commanding 31-17 lead with 6:20 left in the game.

St. Louis tried to get back in the game with a quick drive inside the Chiefs Red Zone. However, the Rams comeback bid came up short when Bulger’s third and fourth-down passes from inside the five-yard line were batted down. First, S Sammy Knight knocked down the third down attempt, then S Bernard Pollard iced the Chiefs 31-17 victory on fourth down.

The Chiefs (5-3) now travel to Miami (2-6) next Sunday, November 12th to take on the Dolphins. Kickoff is scheduled for Noon (central).

"HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2006 ERYBODY"

MICHAEL VICK______The NFLs Best QB?

CINCINNATI, Ohio--

Atlanta rode the accurate arm of QB Michael Vick, who threw for a season-high 291 yards and three touchdowns, as the Falcons defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 29-27 in Paul Brown Stadium.

Vick completed 20-of-28 passes, including scoring tosses to three different receivers as the Falcons erased an eight-point second quarter deficit to the Bengals on the way to their second straight victory.


Atlanta held a 29-20 lead with 7:42 to play in the game after K Morten Andersen's third field goal of the contest, a 39-yarder to go with 42 and 40-yard kicks in the first half. Cincinnati used a 55-yard TD connection from QB Carson Palmer to WR Chris Henry with 3:41 to play to cut the margin to 29-27, but the Falcons burned the clock in the final two minutes which left the Bengals with only a desperation drive with 30 seconds remaining.
With 13 seconds to play, Palmer fumbled after a sack by Falcons DE Patrick Kerney and Atlanta LB Michael Boley recovered at the Bengals 25 with two seconds left.
The victory moved the Falcons (5-2) into a first place tie in the NFC South with New Orleans, which lost to Baltimore at home. The victory also snapped an eight-game home win streak for the Bengals (4-3) vs. NFC opponents.
The Falcons used a balanced offensive attack as Atlanta gained 420 total yards of offense (277 passing and 143 rushing) and dominated the time of possession as they held the ball for a season-long 37:08. The Falcons defense also held the Bengals to just 73 yards rushing for the game.
"It was a good, hard-fought win on the road against an outstanding team," said Falcons Coach Jim Mora. "I am proud of the way our guys hung in there. I am also proud of the way our defense stuck in there in the second half against a very fine offensive team with some tremendous skilled players and a very good quarterback. When you go on the road and get a win, we'll take it."
Mora also praised the play of Vick, whose three passing TDs gave him seven in the last two games -- both Atlanta victories. Seven different receivers caught passes from Vick, including four for 72 yards and one TD to TE Alge Crumpler.
"Michael Vick played well," Mora said. "He was putting the ball where it needed to be. He was seeing the field well. We had good protection today, and that allowed him to make some big throws. Guys were getting open, and he put the ball where it needed to be."
"There is a certain comfort level and a groove that you get into when you can throw the ball around the field," Vick said. "The more completions you get, the more comfortable you get."
When asked to evaluate his play over the last two games (38-58 passing, 523 yards, 7 TDs, 27 passing first downs, 119.5 passer rating), Vick said simply, "Those were the best two games I've had in a long time. I'm not satisfied, though. I'm never satisfied."
The Falcons took the opening kickoff and drove for a quick 3-0 lead. Vick converted a key third-and-2 from the Atlanta 27 when he threw a touch pass that WR Ashley Lelie brought in for a 28-yard gain to the Bengals 45. Vick ran for 14 yards on the next play, but the drive stalled at the Cincinnati 24, where Andersen made a 42-yard field goal with 11:24 left in the first quarter.
Cincinnati answered on their first possession of the contest as the Bengals drove 74 yards in 10 plays for a 7-3 lead on a one-yard scoring run by HB Rudi Johnson. Cincinnati was helped by a pair of Atlanta penalties during the drive, including a 15-yard unnecessary roughness call on the first play from scrimmage.
Atlanta cut the Bengals lead to 7-6 late in the quarter. Vick went over the 10,000-yard mark in career passing on an 18-yard catch by WR Michael Jenkins along the Falcons sideline at the Cincinnati 25. Four plays later, Andersen made his second field goal of the game, a 40-yarder with 56 seconds to play.
Palmer helped extend the Cincinnati led to 14-6 with 7:13 to play in the second quarter. After a 13-yard gain on a reverse by WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh on the first play of the drive, Palmer moved the Bengals offense with passes of 19 yards to Houshmandzadeh and 11 to HB Chris Perry before he threw a 12-yard TD pass to WR Chad Johnson.




Vick went back to work after the Bengals score as he converted a third down situation with an eight-yard pass to WR Roddy White out to the Falcons 32, and later, an 18-yard pass to Lelie on second-and-13 to the Bengals 43. On the next play, Vick threw a swing pass to RB Jerious Norwood in the backfield and Norwood turned it into a 32-yard gain to the Bengals 11.
After a false start moved the Falcons back to the Bengals 16, Vick threw a bullet down the middle to Crumpler, who turned upfield for the final two yards and the touchdown with 1:54 to play before halftime as the Falcons trimmed the Cincinnati lead to 14-13 after the 81-yard, 10-play march.
In the two-minute offense after the ensuing kickoff, the Bengals moved from their 20 on a 11-play drive to push their advantage to 17-14 on a 51-yard field goal by K Shayne Graham with 15 seconds to go in the half.
Atlanta took the lead on their first possession of the second half. Vick picked up first downs on runs of 10 and 12 yards during the drive and then threw a 26-yard pass into the back of the end zone which settled into the hands of Jenkins for the touchdown and a 20-17 lead with 9:55 left in the quarter.
Cincinnati tied the game with 4:34 to play in the quarter after a red zone defensive stand by the Falcons. The Bengals had first-and-10 at the Atlanta 14 and Rudi Johnson picked up six yards on first down to the Atlanta 8. Johnson got the ball again on second down, but NT Grady Jackson dropped him in the backfield for a two-yard loss. Palmer threw a swing pass on third down, but the Falcons stopped Houshmandzadeh after a two-yard gain. Graham then kicked a game-tying 26-yard field goal.
Graham's next kick was not as accurate, as his kickoff went out of bounds at the Falcons' 3, which gave Atlanta the ball at their 40. After a three-yard run by RB Warrick Dunn, Vick completed a 22-yard pass to Crumpler and a 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty against the Bengals was tacked on at the end of the play as the Falcons moved to the Cincinnati 20. Vick ran for seven yards and Dunn got five more to the Bengals 8. Vick then threw a eight-yard TD pass to FB Justin Griffith with 2:22 left in the quarter.


Vick passes Falcons past Bengals, 29-27


On the extra-point kick attempt, the snap bounced toward holder Matt Schaub. The backup quarterback rolled out and threw a pass toward TE Eric Beverly, but a Cincinnati defender knocked the ball away at the goal line.
Once again, the Falcons defense held the Bengals and Cincinnati was forced to punt. Atlanta took over at their 26 as the fourth quarter began and Vick took the Falcons on a time-consuming drive of over seven minutes as he completed passes of 17 yards to Crumpler and a pair of first down passes (21 and 13 yards) to White. Cincinnati held firm and Andersen kicked his third field goal of the game, a 39-yarder, for a 29-20 lead with 7:42 to play.
Lelie added three catches for 55 yards and Jenkins had three catches for 53 yards and one TD for the Falcons. Dunn had 57 yards on 20 carries and Vick contributed 55 yards on nine rushes.
Palmer was 24-of-36 passing for 266 yards and two TDs for the Bengals. Chad Johnson caught six passes for 78 yards and one TD and Houshmandzadeh added six receptions for 70 yards. Rudi Johnson led all Bengals ballcarriers with 46 yards on 12 attempts.
The Falcons are back on the road next Sunday as they travel to Detroit to take on the Lions (1 pm ET; FOX) in Ford Field. The Bengals travel to Baltimore next Sunday to play the Ravens (1 pm ET) in M&T Bank Stadium.



Falcons Postgame Quotes - Sunday, October 29, 2006:
HEAD COACH JIM MORA

Head Coach Jim Mora opening statement:
"Health-wise, I think we came out of the game fairly well, but you never know until Monday. It was a good, hard-fought win on the road vs. an outstanding team. I am proud of the way our guys hung in there. I am also proud of the way our defense stuck in there in the second half against a very fine offensive team with some tremendous skilled players and a very good quarterback. When you go on the road and get a win, we'll take it. These games in the NFL are always so close. The talent on each side is generally close, along with the coaching. It many times comes down to guys going out and winning. You have to win each down. If it is a key down, then it helps you. Michael Vick played well today. He was putting the ball where it needed to be. He was seeing the field well. We had good protection today, and that allowed him to make some big throws. Guys were getting open, and he put the ball where it needed to be."
On if QB Michael Vick become a better passer the last two games and if he could explain the seven TD passes the last two weeks:
"No, I can't explain it. It's just football. He is always growing. Everyone on our team is always growing. We are always striving to get better and Mike is no different than anyone else. We take things one game at a time. We play the season in one-game increments. I know this: I think our protection has been good and that is going to help any quarterback. Guys are catching the ball well and making plays after the catch a little bit better than we have in the past. We have not lost the ability to run the ball affectively as we have progressed. We want to try to get better every game."
On what he made of the showdown between Bengals WR Chad Johnson and Falcons CB DeAngelo Hall:
"I just ignored it. It is a lot of noise to me. I am just trying to get our team to the game in a good place, and today we were."
On what changes he made after halftime to limit Cincinnati from putting up points
"We worked on the no-huddle all week, so we were prepared for it in the end of the game. Carson Palmer is excellent at reading defenses. To their credit, they do a great job of using a smart quarterback and setting him up under center early, giving him time to watch the defense shift around. In the second half, we mixed up some of our looks. We got a little bit more aggressive with some of our calls. We put in some new calls at halftime. We felt as coaches that it was up to us to put our players in position to make plays. Lets give these guys an opportunity, and they have to make plays when given opportunities."
On if he felt his team has made progress these last two weeks?
"We have played two very good teams. One at home and one on the road. You must find a way to stick in there. Sometimes it hasn't been so pretty, but we have found ways to grow these last two games. We have learned valuable lessons these last two weeks. Going through overtime last week showed we can move the ball when we have to. Today we were able to finish the game. Had we lost the last two games, these lessons would suck your confidence away. This is a hard-working, good-character group. We have really gained confidence."
QB MICHAEL VICK
Can you explain your emergence the last two weeks?
"I'm just getting more opportunities to throw the ball. There is a certain comfort level and a grove that you get (into) when you can throw the ball around the field. The more completions you get, the more comfortable you get."
How important is that for your offense?
"We're still a running football team. That's our goal each and every football game -- to run the ball effectively. It's my job to step up in the passing game -- and also the receivers' job -- to make some plays. Whichever one is working is the one we'll go with."
It seemed like you had the Bengals on their heels...
"We had them on their heels the whole game. We were doing a lot of things that they couldn't adjust to -- a lot of shifts, and a lot of movements. We took advantage of what their linebackers did in pass coverage."
What do the last two wins do for the confidence of this team?
"It gives us a great deal of confidence. Playing through adversity -- the highs and the lows -- and coming out successful builds character and boosts confidence."
After coming off the loss, can you evaluate your play over the last two games?
"Those were the best two games I've had in a long time. I'm not satisfied, though. I'm never satisfied."
CB DeANGELO HALL
How do you think the matchup between you and Bengals WR Chad Johnson turned out?
"I've been saying it all week. It's not about me and Chad. I was matched up on him quite a bit out there, but they have weapons all around. Carson Palmer is a great quarterback. I think he's the next Peyton Manning. Just the way he commands that team and that offense. At the end of the day, all I wanted wasn't an interception or a big hit on Chad -- it wasn't keeping him out of the end zone -- it was to win the game. That's what we did."
During breaks in the game, Chad Johnson would make his way over to the line and make comments. What would he say?
"I don't know. I was kind of towards the back of our huddle mostly, talking to the D-line and the linebackers. There was something about this game that motivated me. Maybe that's just how it is when you go up against some of the best. There is a different preparation for different guys. He drew a lot of attention this week with his comments and all those other things. I definitely wanted to come out here and give him a great show."
Did you and him talk after the game at all?
"Yeah. We talked after the game. We said good game. Then we prayed together. We prayed for both of us to stay healthy for the rest of the season and that we would see each other at the end of the season in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl. He came over to the hotel and brought my mom tickets to the game. They had met during the Pro Bowl, so she sat with his family. He was putting on a nice show for the fans. Chad's an entertainer."
Were you trying to send Chad Johnson a message on that first play?
"Definitely. For the first play of the game, I asked for a particular coverage to the coaches. I told him that was the only time I was going to be in coverage, and I wanted him to feel it."
Is Chad Johnson going to cut his Mohawk?
"I told him after the game that I have the clippers. If he's a man of his word, he'll be cutting it. If not, then we're obviously going to see the Mohawk. I'm not going to hold him to it. Like I said, it's all in fun; it's all entertainment."
RB WARRICK DUNN
Was ball control key today?
"We ball control every week. We run the football, and we make plays in the passing game. I just thought that today was going to be one of those games. Those guys control the ball well also, and they make plays. We really wanted to come out and dominate. We wanted to try to make plays in the running game. We had to throw the ball and make plays there."
Do you feel like you dominated the game upfront?
"They played hard. They did a lot of things. They gave us fits. They hit us a few times, but we hit them more. I'm just happy we came out with a win."
WR MICHAEL JENKINS
Is 5-2 much different than 4-3?
"It's a whole lot different. We have a whole lot of people that we have to keep up on. Chicago hasn't lost a game yet, so we have to catch up with those guys. As long as we continue to win, things will take care of themselves."

"ITS ABOUT TIME RAIDERS"

Raiders KO defending champs 20-13OAKLAND, Calif. (Oct. 29, 2006) -- As putrid as the Oakland Raiders were to start the season, they're now at least as good -- or is it bad? -- as the Super Bowl champs.
Chris Carr returned an interception by Ben Roethlisberger 100 yards for a touchdown, Nnamdi Asomugha also took back an interception for a score and the Raiders mounted a late goal-line stand to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-13.



After losing five straight games to open the season and spark talk of possibly going winless, the Raiders have put together consecutive wins for the first time since October 2005.
"We're not going to go around and stroke our egos or anything like that," defensive tackle Warren Sapp said. "We're still 2-5. We have a long way to go to get ourselves to .500."
But to find an equal, they need only go as far as the Steelers, who lost for the fifth time in six games and are in danger of missing the playoffs after falling three games behind Baltimore in the AFC North. Pittsburgh (2-5) did their best impression of the Raiders by committing four turnovers, four personal fouls and allowing five sacks.



"Two wins for the year -- that's not the way you imagined the Super Bowl champs would start the year off," Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward said. "When you turn the ball over as much as we did, it's hard to beat anybody."
Roethlisberger, playing a week after being knocked out with a concussion against Atlanta, struggled from the start. He threw interceptions on two of Pittsburgh's first three possessions and then twice again in the fourth quarter when the Steelers were driving for a potential tying score.
"I'm embarrassed about the way I played," he said. "I'm letting the whole team down. It just seems like one guy makes mistakes and that's me. ... In my wildest dreams, I didn't think I'd be playing this bad."
Pittsburgh still had a chance after the two late interceptions, getting a first-and-goal at the 1 trailing 20-13 with about three minutes left. But Robert Thomas stuffed Willie Parker on first-and-goal and hit Najeh Davenport for a 4-yard loss on second down.



After a false start by Davenport put the ball at the 10, Roethlisberger completed a 7-yard pass to Ward. On fourth down, Kirk Morrison broke up Roethlisberger's pass to Santonio Holmes in the end zone.
"It looked pretty grim out there for a little bit when they were driving and only a touchdown down," Raiders safety Stuart Schweigert said. "But that's when we picked it up and played our best."
After the Steelers forced a punt, Pittsburgh had one last-ditch opportunity. Roethlisberger completed a 49-yard pass to Nate Washington down to the Oakland 4 on the final play.
The Steelers had their chances in this one.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Morrison made a leaping interception on a pass from Roethlisberger to Ward on fourth-and-1 from the Oakland 36.
Trailing 13-6, Pittsburgh drove to the Oakland 7 before Carr intercepted Roethlisberger at the goal line and raced the length of the field for his first career score, making it 20-6.
"I couldn't believe it. I still can't believe it," Carr said. "I don't think there are too many times in high school or college you get a chance to do that."
Oakland's pass defense lived up to its No. 1 ranking, which had been achieved in large part because the Raiders trailed so often early in the season opponents didn't need to pass.
Along with the four interceptions, Oakland pressured Roethlisberger relentlessly and kept the Steelers out of the end zone until Parker's 25-yard TD catch with 7:19 to play.
Roethlisberger finished 25-for-37 for 301 yards, but 197 yards came after Pittsburgh fell behind 20-6.
Receiver Jerry Porter's return did little to help Oakland's anemic offense. The Raiders managed just 98 yards, giving up six sacks and failing to score an offensive touchdown as they once again struggled to block a blitzing opponent.
"The offense played terrible," said quarterback Andrew Walter, who was 5-for-14 for 51 yards. "Personally, it was ridiculous. We can enjoy the win I guess, but personally it was pretty pathetic the way we played on offense."
Porter, inactive the first four games and suspended the last two as part of a long-running feud with coach Art Shell, caught a 19-yard pass in the final minute of the half to set up Sebastian Janikowski 's 19-yard field goal that made it 10-6.
Oakland's other score in the half came on Asomugha's 24-yard interception return.
"I thought our defense was magnificent," Shell said. "We played as good as any defense could play in this league -- against the world champions, the Super Bowl champions."
Notes: Oakland's leading rusher LaMont Jordan played sparingly with a sore back and Justin Fargas led the rushing attack with 55 yards on 18 carries. ... CB Fabian Washington, Oakland's first-round pick in 2005, got his first career interception. ... Clark Haggans and Joey Porter had two sacks apiece for Pittsburgh and Derrick Burgess had 2 1/2 for Oakland.

Falcons get VICKtimized by the Saints

OMG__________Tell me that The Atlanta Falcons didnt "TAKE ONE 4 THE TEAM" LOL

"You guyz know as well as I do that The New Orleans Saints cannot Fuck with Vick & Them Dirty Southern Birdz" We are gonna go ahead & let them bask in their glory on this Monday nite Fiasco, out of pure pity due 2 the Holocaust that the city and their fans went thru during The Hurricane Katrina disaster...



It didnt even look like the Falcons wanted 2 be on that field. I just aint buying into the hype that they were so fired up that they kicked major Ass that nite...Even with Hiesman Trophy winning running back Reggie Bush & X-Charger Qb Drew Bress at the helms. Ive been watching NFL FOOTBALL for about 28 yrs.....I know a flim-flam when I see one~~~ "Spike Lee" was even there in the broadcast booth with the MNF crew...ha ha ha ha ha...He wasd probably there filming his new movie about New Orleans & the tradgedy

OK WE BELIEVE IT







Saints' homecoming became their coming-out

NEW ORLEANS -- The Saints' first game back in the Louisiana Superdome in 13 months was seen primarily as an opportunity for this rebuilding city to showcase itself, to reintroduce itself to the world as more than just a community still crippled in many areas by Hurricane Katrina and the great flood but also as one attempting to get back up and running.
The 2-0 record the home team brought to its "Monday Night Football" matchup with division rival Atlanta was a short sidebar to the feel-good story of the Saints finally returning home. Not anymore. The Saints turned their homecoming celebration into a coming-out party and showed the nation that New Orleans doesn't just have its team back but has a pretty good team at that.
Consecutive road wins to start the season against teams that have combined to win one game didn't earn the Saints a lot of respect nationally, but a 23-3 plucking of a Falcons club that spent the first two games running its way into the record books and looked capable of making a Super Bowl run just might do the trick. Of course, it's too early for even die-hards to start talking Saints and Super Bowl XLI simply because they took care of business at home in Super Bowl XL½ (there was a championship game buzz around this one). But New Orleans already has matched its win total of last season and is just one of six clubs leaguewide that can boast a 3-0 record. That speaks for itself. That says rookie coach Sean Payton just might have something here.
And most important, this depressed region finally has something to talk about other than hurricane-related problems. Specifically, a team that looks legitimately capable of causing other contenders problems. The Saints didn't squeak by the Falcons or win on some fluke play or lucky bounce or blown call. They thoroughly outperformed Atlanta. Now they're in first place, already with a two-game lead over preseason favorite Carolina and a three-game lead over defending NFC South champ Tampa Bay. With games the next two weeks at the Panthers and back home for the Bucs, should the Saints somehow manage to win one or both of those ...
Put it this way: Acclaimed director Spike Lee watched the game from the Saints' sideline. Not even he could write a better script than this: New Orleans coming home and delivering, in resounding fashion no less, what many would consider, all things considered, the most significant victory in the team's 39-year history.
"We had to win that football game," Saints receiver Joe Horn said. "If we would have lost, I'm sure [the fans] would have still been proud of us, they would have still been happy because this organization is still in New Orleans. I'm sure in their minds, they would have thought, 'We could have lost the Saints and the Superdome.' With the Superdome being opened, 'Monday Night Football,' and their team coming back -- whether we would have won that game or not, I think the fans would have still been happy. But for us as players, we wanted to win to put that icing on the cake."
Appropriately, the Saints presented the game ball to the city. Dallas Mavericks head coach and native New Orleanian Avery Johnson, who spoke to the team during training camp and even had a locker set aside for him in the locker room, accepted on the city's behalf.
"This night belongs to the city, the state of Louisiana, and everyone in the Gulf South," Payton said.
The game, from start to finish, belonged to the Saints.
Atlanta coach Jim Mora, whose father stands as the most successful coach in Saints history and who coached here, feared before the game that his team might have trouble matching the Saints' intensity. He especially didn't want the Falcons committing a critical error early, giving up a big play, energizing the crowd even more. Sure enough, Steve Gleason broke through and blocked Michael Koenen's punt on the game's fifth play, and Curtis Deloatch recovered to give the Saints a quick lead.
Gleason said the Saints had seen on film that the Falcons experienced a lot of miscommunication on their punt team in their first two games, so the Saints thought they had a good shot at blocking one Monday night. They ran a stunt, Gleason came free and a minute-and-a-half in, the crowd was in a frenzy. The noise reached decibels not heard in this building since Az-Zahir Hakim's muffed punt sealed the franchise's only playoff win six seasons ago.
"I've been here for seven years; I've been through it with these people," said Gleason after his fourth career blocked punt. "For me to do something like that, for me to do that for them, it's unbelievable."
Saints special teams came up big in this special victory. Josh Bullocks blocked a 25-yard Morten Andersen (yeah, that Morten Andersen, the Saints' all-time leading scorer) attempt just inside of 2 minutes remaining in the first half, one of two times the Falcons penetrated the red zone in the first half and came away with zip. John Carney nailed a 51-yard field goal to end the half.
A 20-3 lead is one surefire way to defend the opponent's ground game. Atlanta, the best rushing team in football two years running, came into the game having gained the third-most yards in the first two games of a season in league history. The Saints' plan was simple: try to keep containment on Michael Vick even though sooner or later he'd get his, and be disciplined in their gap assignments. The guy they really wanted to take away was Warrick Dunn, and the cutback lanes just weren't there for the Falcons running back. Because the score forced Atlanta to abandon the run, Dunn was out of the game by the second half, when he logged three of his 13 carries for the night.
The Saints held the Falcons to 117 yards on 23 attempts, many of them Vick scrambles. New Orleans completely shut down Atlanta's version of the option. The Saints harassed Vick into 12-of-31 passing, sacked him five times and made him dance in the pocket a lot. Linebacker Scott Fujita (team-high eight tackles, sack, forced fumble) looked like Derrick Brooks out there.
"You could go the whole season and not see something like you saw tonight," said Payton of his defense's performance against Vick.
Finally, the Saints' offense again showed it has the potential to be dynamic to the point where Reggie Bush kidded Drew Brees after the game that he thought he was back at USC. New Orleans got 81 and 53 rushing yards from Deuce McAllister and Bush, respectively. Seventh-round pick and emerging star Michael Colston caught a game-high seven balls and is growing into a favorite target of Brees'. Horn had a couple of nice grabs. And after Devery Henderson scored the Saints' second touchdown on a reverse called "Superdome Special," where Brees play-fakes to McAllister, then Brees gives to Bush on the end around and finally Bush hands off to Henderson, the Falcons were forced to respect the reverse action with Bush the rest of the game. Bush said three defenders followed him on a fake reverse one play, creating room up the middle for McAllister, and on a pass to Horn, a simple hitch route drew two defensive backs. Bush is so special he affects the game even when he isn't touching the ball.
As for Brees (20-of-28), he just didn't make a mistake.
We shouldn't continue making the mistake of not respecting the Saints. The Superdome looks as though it's back to being a tough place to play, the Saints a tough out.
"By no means are we a finished product," Fujita cautioned.
"This team," McAllister said, "is obviously one that's coming together."

Raiders Fall to Ravens 28-6

Sunday, September 17, 2006
The Baltimore Ravens defeated The Oakland Raiders 28-6 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. Andrew Walter took over QB duties for the Raiders during the game and completed 10 of 27 pass attempts for 162 yards and 3 INT.
Baltimore got on the board first after a B.J. Sams 72-yard kickoff return gave the Ravens excellent field position. K Matt Stover capped off the 8-play, 25-yard drive with a 25-yard field goal, which put Baltimore up 3-0 with 10:38 left in the 1st quarter.
After a Raiders' turnover, Stover's 33-yard field goal gave Baltimore a 6-0 with 6:41 left in the first quarter. Stover was true on his third field goal attempt of the first quarter when he hit from 37 yards out, to give the Ravens a 9-0 lead with 3:45 left in the quarter.
QB Andrew Walter relieved an injured Aaron Brooks at quarterback. The Raiders mounted a 13-play, 64-yard drive, which was highlighted by a specatular catch by WR Ronald Curry along the sideline, which kept the drive alive. K Sebastian Janikowski put the Raiders on the scoreboard and cut the Ravens lead to 9-3 with a 34-yard field goal with 2:59 left in the second quarter.
Ravens QB Steve McNair engineered a scoring drive which he capped off with a 1-yard TD pass to TE Todd Heap. The Ravens and Raiders went to the locker room at halftime with the Ravens leading 16-3.
With 8:43 left in the 3rd quarter, LB Adalius Thomas sacked Walter in the end zone, increasing Baltimore's lead to 18-3. Stover's fourth field goal of the game, this one from 23 yards out, put Baltimore up 21-3 with 13:21 left in game.
Janikowski then capped off an 8-play drive with a 51-yard field goal, which cut the Ravens lead to 21-6 with 9:55 left to play.
RB Mike Anderson ended any hopes of a Raiders comeback when he scampered in from 34 yards out to cap a 5-play, 81-yard drive. The TD run put Baltimore up 28-6 with 1:51 left to play.
The Silver Black will get back to Oakland for a bye week and take on the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, October 1.

First time in 15 years that NFL had 3 shutouts in 1 weekend

NEW YORK (AP) -- The three shutouts on the NFL's opening weekend marked the first time in 15 years that three teams went scoreless in a single weekend.

Baltimore beat Tampa Bay 27-0, Chicago beat Green Bay 26-0 and San Diego capped the opening weekend with a 27-0 blanking of Oakland on Monday night.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that marked the first time that had happened since Sept. 15, 1991, the third week of that season.

The Raiders beat the Colts 16-0; Philadelphia beat Dallas 24-0; and the Redskins beat the Cardinals 34-0 that year. The Raiders, then in Los Angeles, were coached by Art Shell, who returned this year to coach the team after being fired in 1994.

BATTLE OF THE MANNING BROTHERS

After beating little brother Eli, all Peyton Manning felt was relief and pride.
Relief that the much-hyped battle of the brothers was over, and pride in the way they handled it. No gloating, no giddy postgame interviews, no big scene as the two met when it was over.
"I told him I loved him," Peyton said after the Indianapolis Colts outlasted Eli and the New York Giants 26-21 on Sunday night.
"I enjoyed watching him play in person," the elder Manning added. "He's every bit as good as he looked on TV. He's going to be a great player in this league for a long time. I'm proud to be related to the guy. I'm proud to be his brother."
As for the game itself, the "Manning Bowl" actually lived up to the hype. The brothers played well and so did their teams, though the Giants made far too many mistakes to win the first NFL game to feature two brothers starting at quarterback.

Peyton finished 25-of-41 for 276 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The two-time MVP also led the Colts to scores on five of their first seven possessions.
Eli was 20-of-34 for 247 yards and touchdowns passes to Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey. He also had two costly second-half mistakes -- a fumble and an interception, both of which came with New York down two points. Both led to Indianapolis scores.
After it was over, the siblings came to midfield, surrounded by photographers, big brother patting little brother on the back of his head.
"It kind of hit me in the pre-pregame when I was out there talking to someone and I see this guy walk by and it was my brother," Peyton said. "I found myself watching him during warmups. I was peeking at him during the national anthem. It was kind of neat to be on the same field as him, knowing that's my little brother out there."
Peyton threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Clark and Dominic Rhodes scored on a 1-yard run for the Colts' touchdowns.
Adam Vinatieri, the hero of two Super Bowl wins by the New England Patriots, kicked four field goals in his first game for the defending AFC South champions, including a 32-yarder with 1:12 to play to push the lead to five points.
Trailing 23-21, Eli Manning tried to drive the Giants for a late go-ahead score. A play after a questionable offensive pass interference call against Tim Carter denied New York a first down at its own 37, Manning was intercepted by Nick Harper and Peyton moved the Colts 19 yards for an insurance field goal.

"It was very difficult for me to think that play was a foul," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said, adding that his team also hurt itself with way too many mistakes.
While Eli had a big fumble and interception, he wasn't the only one to make errors.
Giants defenders dropped two potential first-half interceptions that could have stopped scoring drives. Jay Feely missed a 40-yard field goal and the Giants had a plethora of penalties that slowed or ended drives, including an illegal snap by center Shaun O'Hara with 17 seconds to play that forced officials to take 10 seconds off the clock.
That allowed Eli Manning to throw one more pass -- and it fell incomplete.
The Giants, who also got a 110-yard rushing effort from Tiki Barber, had closed to within 23-21 on a 1-yard touchdown run by Brandon Jacobs with 8:01 to play. It marked the second time that the Giants, who had trailed 13-0 late in the first half, had rallied to close the gap to two points.
The 15-yard touchdown pass to Shockey cut the lead to 16-14, but Manning fumbled a snap near midfield and Indianapolis recovered, setting up Rhodes' touchdown.
Peyton Manning was nearly unstoppable in the first half. The Colts had the ball four times, scoring on each possession. Big brother hit 17-of-27 passes for 196 yards, converted 9-of-11 third-down chances and helped Indianapolis control the ball for 17:37 in taking a 16-7 halftime edge.
Vinatieri capped the first two drives -- which included a 17-play, nearly nine minute march to open the game -- with field goals of 26 and 32 yards for a 6-0 lead early in the second quarter.
Seconds before the first field goal, Giants backup safety James Butler had a chance to end the first drive. But he dropped what should have been an interception of a Peyton Manning pass that was right in his hands.
Another mistake kept New York off the scoreboard following Vinatieri's second field goal.
Burress, who got called for two illegal blocks in the first half, made a one-handed catch for a 37-yard gain to the Colts 26. However, Feely missed a 40-yard field goal four plays later.
Peyton Manning made the Giants pay on the next possession, moving the Colts 70 yards in 10 plays and finishing it with a 2-yard strike to tight end Dallas Clark. Peyton outran blitzing safety Gibril Wilson on a rollout to the right and put a deft touch on a pass over the outstretched hands of Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan, who was in zone coverage.
The touchdown gave Indianapolis a 13-0 lead, and for a moment the so-called Manning Bowl looked like it would be lopsided.
But Eli countered with a beautiful drive, moving the Giants 86-yards in eight plays. Barber got it going with 17 reception and two 11-yard runs, and Manning capped it with a 34-yard touchdown pass to Burress, who won a jump ball with Harper near the goal line.
The score got New York within 13-7 with 32 seconds left in the half, but that was enough time for Peyton to do some more damage.
Taking over at his own 38 with 25 seconds to go, Manning hit Marvin Harrison on three straight passes for 30 yards, setting up a 48-yard field goal by Vinatieri, who was signed in the offseason as a free agent to replace Mike Vanderjagt. ^Notes: WR Sinorice Moss, the Giants second-round draft pick, was inactive for the game. He missed most of training camp with a quadriceps injury. ...Giants G Chris Snee left the game late in the second with an ankle injury, the extent of which is not known. Giants Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora left in the second half with leg cramps. Harrison had nine catches for 113 yards. ...Rhodes and Joseph Addai combined for 23 rushes for 55 yards in taking over for Edgerrin James as the Colts running back.

G A M E D A Y_____Sun. Sept. 10th 2006

Falcons @ Panthers_______On paper, the Carolina Panthers look almost "Invincible". On the field against the Atlanta Falcons they looked "Average"...I know that the Cats were playing without their star wideout (Steve Smith) but KeShawn Johnson, DeShawn Foster & Drew Carter still should have been able to score at least One Touchdown~!!! The Falcons who look average on paper came to Charlotte lookin' KRUNK like a M/F. Mike Vick passed for two TD's & rushed for madd yards,Warrick Dunn rushed for over 130yrds & newly aquired rookie running back Jarious Norwood popped off 66.________I was like (WTF)~?!!

Last season the Panthers Defense was rated 4th in the leauge. With all of the Off season additions & improvements U would expect a much Improved squad...340lb. Defensive lineman Chris Jenkins is now 100% healthy & Julius Peppers (the Cats__SUPERMAN) is on point._________#55 John Abraham had a career day & showed why the trade frome the NY Jets & the money spent on him was well worth every penny~!!! He single handedly totally DESTROYED Carolinas O'Line. He Injured a starter & had 5 solo tackles...4 sacs & 2 forced fumbles~~~~~

Panthers Quarterback Jake DelHomme didnt even have time to breathe, as soon as the ball was snapped he was on his kiester. And I am so tired of seeing sorry Ass Dan Morgan leave the field after about 3 plays due to Injury...(even though he is a former Hurricane) LOL what a "CANDYASS" Time to get rid of him~!! All & all Carolinas secondary held Up ok. Shaun Williams, Mike Menter & the other Dbs did their jobs. John Kasay was his usual accurate self, he was the only Panther player to score a point in the contest......I think that John Fox is a superb NFL Football Coach, but he has got 2 come up with a much better gameplan if the Cats hope to take the NFC Championship this season______________* * *

NFLs 1 regular season game is more like a pre-season game.

Steelers excel in fourth, beat Fins 28-17
NFL.com wire reports
PITTSBURGH (Sept. 7, 2006) -- Miami coach Nick Saban had the red challenge flag in his hand, hitched it forward and back, and couldn't seem to let it go in time. Maybe the Dolphins should flag their own coach for a costly delay.
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Heath Miller chugged his way down the sideline on an 87-yard touchdown pass play midway through the fourth quarter, fill-in QB Charlie Batch 's third scoring pass of the game, and the Super Bowl champions beat the Dolphins 28-17 in the NFL's first game of the season.
"It seemed like it took me forever to get there," Miller said.
For good reason.
Miller's score shouldn't have stood -- TV replays clearly showed his foot out of bounds between the 1 and 2-yard lines. However, Saban hesitated to throw his flag, which fell to the turf sight unseen as referee Walt Coleman watched the extra point kick. That meant the Steelers didn't have to try to get the ball into the end zone from short yardage.
Asked if he got in, Miller said, laughing, "Touchdown. Yeah."
Saban apparently thought he could throw the challenge flag at any time before Jeff Reed kicked the extra point, but no official saw him -- and thus, no replay. And no Dolphins upset, either, even though the Steelers didn't look particularly sharp in their first game that counted since the Super Bowl -- despite Willie Parker 's 115 yards rushing, Miller's 101 yards receiving and Batch's first three-TD game since Nov. 18, 2001, with Detroit.
"They said they didn't see it," Saban said. "Whose fault is that?"
Saban explained that assistant coaches in the press box first had to watch the replay before notifying him whether to challenge.
"We can't challenge something until we see it," he said. "When we saw it, I threw the flag. It was well before the kicker kicked it. The official said he didn't see it, and when he said he didn't see it, there was nothing he could do. That shouldn't happen."
Miami, down 21-17 at the time, had a chance to come back. But new quarterback Daunte Culpepper was intercepted on consecutive series, with linebacker Joey Porter scoring on a 42-yard return with about three minutes left.
"We knew we had put them in a situation where they had to pass the ball. I had my chance to make the play and I made it," Porter said.
Porter was so excited, he ran to the sideline and kissed coach Bill Cowher on the cheek -- the Steelers' first known sideline smooch since Cowher planted one on Kordell Stewart during a 1997 comeback victory in Baltimore.
The Dolphins, trying to build off the momentum of their six consecutive victories to end last season, never led until Ronnie Brown scored on a 5-yard run to make it 17-14 in the third quarter. Marty Booker, sidelined with what appeared to be a concussion in the first half, came back to make a 50-yard catch of Culpepper's pass, aided by safety Tyrone Carter's slip, to set up the score."We were definitely in the driver's seat. We needed to stay focused and finish the ballgame out," said safety Renaldo Hill.
Culpepper was mostly effective in his first start for the Dolphins, until his late-game mistakes. He also was intercepted by Troy Polamalu immediately after Miller's catch put the Steelers up. Culpepper finished 18 for 37 for 262 yards.
"In this league, you can't turn the ball over in the fourth quarter," Culpepper said. "I'm better than that. We're better than that."
The Steelers also overcame a costly mistake when Batch fumbled Jeff Hartings' snap at the Miami 1 and Will Allen recovered, keeping the Dolphins in the lead temporarily.
For the first 2 1/2 quarters, the Steelers looked much like they did in the Super Bowl seven months ago -- without Ben Roethlisberger, of course. The quarterback made an unexpectedly fast recovery from a June motorcycle crash, only to need an emergency appendectomy on Sept. 3 that kept him out of his fifth game in two seasons.
"I walked in here Sunday and had no idea I would be the starter," Batch said. "But I always tell myself, 'When you go in there, don't be the guy who takes a step back, keep things going offensively without changing the game plan.' And I think I was able to do that."
Just like in that 21-10 win over Seattle in the Super Bowl, there was a Hines Ward touchdown catch, a long Parker run and a favorable call from an official, helping the Steelers go up 14-7.
Ward, who sat out the preseason with a sore hamstring, caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from Batch late in the first half. Parker used his speed to get loose on a 32-yard run to the Dolphins 35, and cornerback Andre Goodman drew a 23-yard pass interference call on Cedrick Wilson. Goodman started because of Travis Daniels' ankle injury.
Batch, making his first season-opening start since 2001 with Detroit, looked rusty for two drives, only to settle in and throw a 27-yard scoring pass to Nate Washington to finish off a 75-yard drive early in the second period. It was the first regular-season catch for Washington, a 2005 free agent from Tiffin University whose only other career reception came in the AFC title game.
Batch was 15 for 25 for 209 yards.
Miami couldn't get a running game going until the second half -- at one point, Brown had 11 yards on nine carries -- but tied it the game at 7 when Wes Welker's 47-yard punt return set up Brown's 2-yard run.
The Steelers unveiled their five Super Bowl championship banners during a pregame show highlighted by fireworks and an in-stadium concert, but the mood in Heinz Field wasn't entirely celebratory.
A moment of silence was held minutes before the opening kickoff for the late Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O'Connor, who was buried earlier in the day. O'Connor died in office last week of brain cancer. His son, Corey, was introduced to the crowd.
Notes: Porter's interception was the ninth of his career and first for a TD. ... The Steelers have won nine in a row, five in the regular season. ... Miami was denied its first seven-game winning streak since 1985. ... Ward has caught a pass in 120 consecutive games. ... The Steelers outrushed Miami 143-38. Pittsburgh has allowed only one 100-yard rusher since the 2004 season. ... Batch is 3-0 as a replacement starter the last two seasons.