Denver Broncos 34, New Orleans Saints 14
In a game that was supposed to be a shoot out, one of the featured quarterbacks forgot to load his gun. New Orleans (2-5) signal caller Drew Brees was held in check by the Broncos (4-3) defense, while Peyton Manning and the orange and blue offense were rarely slowed by the Saints.
Coming off a 35-point second half in their most recent game, a come-from-behind win against the Chargers, Denver showed no signs of slowing. Manning completed 73 percent of his passes for 305 yards and three touchdowns, becoming just the second quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least 300 yards and three scores in four consecutive games (Steve Young was the first in 1998). Manning’s performance was complemented nicely, as Willis McGahee ran for 122 yards and a touchdown, while rookie Ronnie Hillman went for 86 yards of his own.
The Denver defense was equally impressive, holding the NFL’s top passer to just 213 yards, two touchdowns (one coming in garbage time) and an interception. Brees came into the game averaging 350 yards passing per game. But the Broncos “D”, which was without former Saints cornerback Tracy Porter for a second consecutive game due to health concerns related to a seizure, was more than effective.
A point of concern coming into the game for the Jack Del Rio-led Broncos defense was their relative inability to get off the field. Denver came into the game ranked 29th in the league in third down conversion defense, while the Saints offense was second in the NFL in third down conversion percentage. Serving as just one example of several statistical anomalies that played out through the course of the game, the Brees-led New Orleans attack was just 1-of-12 in converting third down opportunities.
Cleveland Browns 7, San Diego Chargers 6
On a rainy and windy day at Cleveland Browns Stadium, the bye week that should have served as a hangover remedy appeared to do the Chargers no good. San Diego came into the game losers of their last two, including a 35-24 loss at the hands of the Broncos two weeks ago in which Denver outscored the Chargers 35-0 in the second half.
After the Chargers (3-4) opening drive stalled, the Browns (2-6) took their first possession and marched 70 yards on 12 plays, ultimately scoring on a 26-yard touchdown run by rookie Trent Richardson. It was the only time the Browns would score all day, and it was all that they would require.
After a horrific second half performance in the aforementioned Denver game, Philip Rivers continued to struggle completing just 53 percent of his passes for 154 yards. A sputtering Charger offense averaged just 3.8 yards per play on a day where conditions were less than ideal for consistent ball movement. San Diego missed on one of its few legitimate scoring chances when, midway through the third quarter, a potential touchdown pass was dropped by Robert Meachem.
Browns rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden, who had shown progress through his first seven games as an NFL starter, had a forgettable day, completing just 41 percent of his throws for 129 yards. However, his team mustered their second win of the season, while the Chargers dropped a full game back of Denver in the AFC West standings.
Oakland Raiders 26, Kansas City Chiefs 16
As the saying goes “if you have two quarterbacks you don’t have one.” Well, at this point in the season, Chiefs fans would likely revise the line to “if you don’t have any quarterbacks you don’t have one.” Brady Quinn, getting his second start of the season in favor of the benched Matt Cassel, was horrible and then hurt. In his three series' of work, Quinn completed two-of-four passes for one yard, his final attempt landing in the arms of Raiders defensive back Mike Giordano, setting up a Sebastian Janikowski field goal, one of four on the day.
Cassel put up respectable numbers, going 20-of-30 for 218 yards and a touchdown. But he also threw a fourth quarter interception in Oakland territory and lost a fumble that set up one of the aforementioned Janikowski field goals. In a curious bit of offensive play calling, Kansas City’s Jamaal Charles (one of the NFL’s leading rushers coming into the game) carried the ball just five times for four yards.
Raider quarterback Carson Palmer was far from prolific, completing just 50 percent of his pass attempts. However, he did throw for 209 yard and two touchdowns to go along with an interception. Oakland tailback Darren McFadden finally saw the number of touches that many believe should be common place, rushing for 114 yards on 29 carries and catching four passes for another 23 yards.
With the win, Oakland (3-4) moveed into a second place tie in the division with San Diego, while the Chiefs (1-6) cemented their spot at the bottom of the AFC West standings. Kansas City still has yet to hold a lead in regulation this year.