NFL Recap – Week 13

The Packers, not surprisingly, clinch a playoff spot while being nearly upset by the N.Y. Giants. Meanwhile, things went to overtime in Arizona and it was another win for Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos, who are now also vying for a playoff spot.

Houston Texans 17, Atlanta Falcons 10
This was the game that proved that experience alone is not enough to win a football game. Although it was starting quarterback, T.J. Yates’, first game in the NFL, he passed for 188 yards and a touchdown, helping the Texans take the win over the Falcons. While the rookie’s inexperience, along with a herd of Texans injured, had many worried about Houston’s fate in this game, their defense proved too much for the Falcons to bear. Atlanta’s offense also had some trouble; although Matt Ryan ended with 267 passing yards and a touchdown, he also threw two deadly interceptions. Tony Gonzalez on the other hand, caught only seven passes for 100 yards.

New England Patriots 31, Indianapolis Colts 24
New England had control of this game from the very beginning, as Tom Brady passed for 289 yards and scored two touchdowns while tight end Rob Gronkowski had a score of his own. But even though the Pats held the lead of 31 — 3 going into the fourth quarter, it was then that their defense completely fell apart. Dan Orlovsky capitalized on that, scoring two touchdowns in the fourth and finishing with 30 of 37 pass completions for 353 yards. It wasn’t enough though against a New England team that had already come so far in the game, and it was a game that left the Indianapolis Colts winless for the season.

Arizona Cardinals 19, Dallas Cowboys 13 (OT)
The Cowboys could have had this one, but when Dan Bailey missed a 49-yard field goal at the end of regulation, it went into OT and was anybody’s game. In an exciting game where both quarterbacks were sacked repeatedly, Kevin Kolb completed 16 of 25 passes for 247 yards. Most importantly, he made the OT touchdown pass to LaRod Stephens-Howling when the Cardinals needed him the most. On the other side of the ball, quarterback Tony Romo had an equally good game, passing for 299 yards and a touchdown pass to Dez Bryant; Bryant finished the game with 8 passed for 86 yards. Unfortunately, RB DeMarco Murray just wasn’t enough, finishing with only 38 rushing yards and 12 carries for the Cowboys.

Denver Broncos 35, Minnesota Vikings 32
This was another game that was very close to going into overtime; but when Matt Prater kicked a 23-yard field goal just as the clock ran out, the Broncos had this one over the Vikings. Seconds before, Christian Ponder had been intercepted by Andre Goodman, and it was his second interception of the game. Otherwise Ponder had an excellent performance, finishing with 381 passing yards and three touchdowns. It wasn’t enough to beat the Broncos though, as Tim Tebow continues to prove himself, with his sixth win a row. Tebow finished completing 10 of 15 passes for 202 yards and two touchdown passes to Demaryius Thomas, who caught 4 passes for 144 yards. The win puts Denver at first place in the AFC West, while it was the fourth loss in a row for Minnesota.

Green Bay Packers 38, New York Giants 35
While it’s no surprise that the Packers remain undefeated after Sunday’s game, it is a bit of a surprise the fight that the N.Y. Giants put up before giving the Packers the win. It certainly was not a landslide win by any stretch, and the final tally was anyone’s guess up until the last few minutes. Aaron Rodgers was the hero once again for Green Bay, finishing the day completing 28 of 46 passes for 369 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning had almost an equally good day, passing for 347 total yards, and getting three touchdowns himself. His one interception in the second quarter was a costly one though, as it was caught and ran by Clay Matthews, who returned it for 38 yards and a touchdown, helping Green Bay take the win. Green Bay went into the game with a playoff spot, after Chicago’s loss to Kansas City.

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