NFL - Week Eight Review

QB Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons are 7-0 this season.

The Atlanta Falcons continued their perfect start in the 2012 NFL season with a 30-17 pasting of the host Philadelphia Eagles behind three touchdown passes from quarterback Matt Ryan, the Heftyinfo NFL  Player of the Week.
Ryan passed for 262 yards along with the touchdown strikes and the Atlanta defense limited the Eagles to just 270 yards of offense to improve to 7-0 this year.

The Denver Broncos dominated the New Orleans Saints, 34-14 on the Sunday Night Football game behind three TD passes from Comeback Player of the Year (YES HE ALREADY IS)  Peyton Manning and a defense that limited Saints' QB Drew Brees to just 213 passing yards. Manning threw for 305 yards passing in the win, which put the Broncos in sole possession of first place in the AFC West.

The Miami Dolphins smashed the host New York Jets, 30-9 as reserve QB Matt Moore led an efficient attack for the 'Fins, who improved to 4-3 for the season. The Jets slipped to 3-5 and people are starting to call for Tim Tebow to take over at quarterback.

Andrew Luck led the Colts to OT win.

Indianapolis improved to 4-3 as well with an overtime win at Tennessee, 19-13 behind a TD pass from rookie QB Andrew Luck. The Colts won just two games all of last season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers buried the Washington Redskins, 27-12 as the defense held RG3 in check.

In the Thursday night game, the Tampa Bay Bucs stunned the host Minnesota Vikings, 36-17 behind a big game from QB Josh Freeman (262 pass yards and three TD) and running back Doug Martin, who ran for 135 yards and a score.

Across the pond in London, England, Tom Brady (four TD passes) and the New England Patriots crushed the St. Louis Rams, 45-7. Pats' Tight End Rob Gronkowski had two TD receptions in the rout.

The Chicago Bears got a pre-Halloween scare from the visiting Carolina Panthers but were able to eek out a 23-22 win on a last second 41-yard field goal by kicker Robbie Gould. For the third straight game, the Chicago defense scored a TD when defensive back Tim Jennings, who already has six interceptions this season, took back a pick for the score.

Green Bay beat the stubborn Jacksonville Jaguars, 24-15 as QB Aaron Rodgers found veteran wideout Donald Driver for the deciding touchdown in the fourth quarter to lead the win.

The New York Giants blew a 23-point lead but managed to come back in the fourth quarter as kicker Lawrence Tynes, who made five field goals in the game, drilled a pair of kicks to decide the outcome in a 29-24 win at Dallas.

The Cowboys had a chance to win the game, but WR Dez Bryant was out of the end zone when he caught a potential TD pass from QB Tony Romo  (pictured right), who was intercepted four times in the Cowboys' loss.

Oakland improved to 3-4 and is just one game back of AFC West leader Denver as they blasted the host Kansas City Chiefs, 26-16. Raiders' kicker Sebastian Janikowski made four field goals and QB Carson Palmer threw two TD passes against the hapless Chiefs (1-6).

Cleveland rode the legs of running back Trent Richardson (122 yards rushing) who scored the only touchdown of the game on a sloppy field to beat the visiting San Diego Chargers, 7-6. San Diego has lost three straight games.

The Detroit Lions scored a TD on a one-yard scoring pass from QB Matthew Stafford to WR Titus Young with just twenty seconds left in the game to beat the visiting Seattle Seahawks, 28-24.

The San Francisco 49ers dominated the showdown in the desert against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football, winning the game, 24-3 behind solid defense that limited the Cards to just SEVEN yards rushing for the game.
49ers' quarterback Alex Smith threw for 232 yards and had three TD passes, including two to Michael Crabtree and a 47-yard hook-up with Randy Moss for another score.