If you picked the three horse parlay Thanksgiving of the Cowboys, Packers and Colts, than you could be off to a perfect football weekend in the NFL. 14 members of the Adultfyi pool picked likewise.
IRVING, Tex. [NY Times] — For the Jets, Thanksgiving Day at Texas Stadium played out the way it probably did in some kitchens across America. They tackled the task before them with a can-do spirit that was commendable, but the result was hard to swallow.
Terrell Owens, who had six catches for 65 yards, pulling in a 22-yard touchdown pass over Darrelle Revis in the fourth quarter.
Thomas Jones, left, (40 yards rushing, 2 catches) and his brother Julius (64 yards rushing, 4 catches) after the game.
The Jets had been hopeful that it would not end this way, with a 34-3 defeat to the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday. They tried not to let their eight losses define them, taking the approach that a special effort on this day could make people forget all the other indigestible results.
“The only bigger stage is the Super Bowl and the playoff games,” Jets outside linebacker David Bowens said earlier in the week, adding, “If someone’s grandma is sitting around watching it because all of the guys are, I don’t think she would look at our team and say we are a 2-8 team.”
The Cowboys (10-1) made the Jets’ offense look as bad as it has all season by exposing the inexperience of the second-year quarterback Kellen Clemens and exploiting the absence of the team’s best playmaker, receiver Laveranues Coles, who was sidelined with a high ankle sprain.
No receiver proved a worthy substitute for Coles. Tight end Chris Baker led the team with three catches and Jerricho Cotchery, who drew double teams all day, was held to two.
Cotchery said that if people who had not seen the Jets play were watching Thursday, they would be saying the team was awful. “Offensively, we weren’t able to do much,” he said.
Clemens’s poise and presence have been roundly praised since he replaced Chad Pennington as the starter last month, with even Cowboys Coach Wade Phillips joining the chorus this week. But the Cowboys supplied enough heat to make him wilt.
Clemens overthrew some receivers, threw behind others and generally had a miserable afternoon, completing 12 passes in 27 attempts. In the second quarter, he telegraphed a pass to Cotchery that Terence Newman stole and ran back 50 yards for a touchdown to put the Cowboys ahead, 21-0.
“It was very difficult to get into any kind of rhythm,” Clemens said. “Over all, I certainly did not play good enough to put our team in a position to win.”
The grounding of the passing game was made more glaring by the running game’s failure. Thomas Jones accounted for 40 of the Jets’ 60 yards rushing.
It is often the little things that add up to a lopsided score, and on this day it was the Cowboys’ success on third down that gave them separation. Quarterback Tony Romo converted a third-and-9 on the Cowboys’ opening possession to pave the way for Marion Barber III’s 7-yard scoring run, and they converted a third-and-4 early in the second quarter to set up a 25-yard scoring pass to tight end Jason Witten.
The Jets converted only one of five third downs in the first half and were 2 for 14 in the game.
“You can’t fall short as many times as we did today, especially on third down, and not get frustrated,” Clemens said.
The Jets had a paltry 180 yards of offense, thereby ruining a perfectly fine performance by the defense, which supplied one of the best pass rushes the Cowboys had seen all season.
Romo threw his 28th and 29th touchdown passes to tie a franchise record, but he settled for a less-gaudy performance than Thanksgiving Day 2006, when he threw five touchdown passes against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Romo was 21 of 28 passing Thursday, but he also was sacked twice in the first half after having been dropped only twice in the previous three games.
“You’ve got to give him credit,” Jets linebacker Victor Hobson said. “He played a very good ballgame despite the pressure we were able to get on him.”
One of Romo’s throws was intercepted in the end zone in the first quarter by safety Kerry Rhodes, and he was fortunate that he did not have another picked off deep in Cowboys territory on the next possession.
The rookie cornerback Darrelle Revis was so intent on cutting off Terrell Owens’s path on a slant that he did not see Romo’s pass until it hit him in his numbers.
“He’s very poised and very smart,” Revis said, referring to Romo. “I know his numbers weren’t as high as usual, but over all he was the captain today.”
The Jets seemed to take their cue from the weather, which could not decide what to do. There was rain and snow and sleet.
By dusk, the gloom above Texas Stadium had permeated the visiting locker room.
“Once we fell behind, they pretty much did whatever they wanted,” Cotchery said.
He added: “We have to play a complete football game. We didn’t do that today. We made a lot of mistakes.”
The 10-1 Green Bay Packers are next for the Cowboys, who are off to their best start in franchise history. “Solid win for us,” Phillips said. “I thought it was important that we got to 10-1 and have a little bit of history on our part.”
The Jets have 10 days to prepare for the winless Miami Dolphins, which would seem a promising recipe for success. But if the Jets have learned anything this season, it is that no amount of preparing can make things turn out right.
DETROIT (AP) — Brett Favre was asked to throw 17 straight passes at one point. The way he was completing them, the Green Bay Packers didn’t need to hand the ball off. Favre set a franchise record with 20 consecutive completions and finished with a season-high 381 yards and three touchdowns in the Packers’ 37-26 Thanksgiving Day victory over the slumping Detroit Lions.
”You never think he is going to miss one,” Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy said.
The three-time MVP put together another sensational performance that made the 38-year-old Favre look as if he’s back in his prime. His seventh 300-yard game of the season matched a team mark he set 12 years ago.
”I’ve played against him since 1996, and he’s playing as well as I’ve ever seen him,” Lions coach Rod Marinelli said.
Green Bay (10-1) matched its best 11-game record since 1929 and the NFC North leaders took a four-game lead with five games left in the regular season. The Packers can improve their chances of earning home-field advantage if they win next week at Dallas — also 10-1 after manhandling the New York Jets 34-3 later Thursday.
”It will be a big showdown indeed,” said Aaron Kampman, who had two sacks. ”We’ll enjoy this one for a little bit. In 24 or 48 hours we’ll be focused pretty squarely on Dallas.”
The Lions (6-5) will have a few extra days to rest and prepare for their next game at Minnesota.
Detroit has lost three straight, making its playoff picture bleak because it would lose wild-card tiebreakers against the New York Giants, Washington, Philadelphia and Arizona.
”You just need to grit your teeth, look at your teammates and say `Hey, let’s not give up. Let’s not pack in the tents, and just call it a season and quit,”’ defensive tackle Cory Redding said.
Before the season, Jon Kitna said he would be disappointed if Detroit didn’t win at least 10 games. Now, the Lions might struggle to finish .500 with tough games left with Dallas at home and on the road against Green Bay and San Diego.
”There’s no panic in my life,” Marinelli insisted. ”This is a tough challenge, but I believe in these players.”
Green Bay overcame a six-point deficit in the first quarter and Favre’s pinpoint passes helped it go up 34-12 early in the fourth.
”This is on me,” Marinelli said. ”I have to teach them better. When you are a teacher, you don’t put it on the students.”
Favre took Detroit to school, completing 31 of 41 passes. His streak of 20 straight spanned the first and second halves to surpass the team mark of 18 set by Lynn Dickey in 1983 and matched by Don Majkowski in 1989.
”It seems like he breaks a record every time we play,” McCarthy said.
Lions safety Kenoy Kennedy, though, was not impressed.
”In some of the defenses we play, we allow the receiver to catch it in front of us and drive up and tackle, so it can be a little misleading,” he said.
Greg Jennings caught two touchdown passes and Donald Driver had 10 receptions for 147 yards.
”When Brett is on like he was today, who wouldn’t want to be one of his receivers?” Jennings asked.
Green Bay’s Ryan Grant had 101 yards rushing and a score.
Kitna was 19-of-40 for 224 yards with a TD and an interception. Rookie Calvin Johnson scored and had season highs with seven catches for 83 yards. Kevin Jones ran for 93 yards and a TD. Notes: The Lions have lost four straight games on Thanksgiving, their longest skid in four decades, and are 1-6 under Matt Millen to fall to 33-33-2 overall on the holiday. … Green Bay’s 1962 championship-winning team was 10-1 after losing on Thanksgiving at Detroit and the 1929 Packers were 10-0-1 following a tie with the Frankford Yellow Jackets. … Green Bay CB/PR Charles Woodson (toe), DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (ankle), DT Colin Cole (forearm), Lions OT Jonathan Scott (hamstring) and CB Stanley Wilson (knee) were injured.
ATLANTA (AP) — This was supposed to be Peyton Manning vs. Michael Vick. But Vick was sitting in a jail cell, so Manning had the Thanksgiving night spotlight all to himself. Manning went past a couple of Hall of Famers on the career passing lists, throwing for 272 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Indianapolis Colts over the Vick-less Atlanta Falcons 31-13 on Thursday.
The Falcons (3-8) stunned the Colts with 10 quick points, but Indianapolis (9-2) seized control when Manning tossed all three of his TD passes in the second quarter.
He broke a tie with Warren Moon for fifth place on the career touchdown list, having reached 294. Manning also moved past another Colts star, Johnny Unitas, for the 10th spot in career yards passing with 40,407.
”I’m a big fan of quarterbacks,” Manning said. ”I have great respect for Warren Moon. I never got to see Unitas, but my dad (former pro QB Archie Manning) told me what an impact he had on him.”
When the NFL scheduled this prime-time matchup, they were expecting to get Manning and Vick. But the Falcons quarterback has been suspended all season; in fact, he turned himself in Monday to begin serving his expected prison sentence for dogfighting.
Indianapolis had struggled the past three weeks, losing twice and pulling out a lackluster home win over Kansas City. The Colts’ malaise carried over the first quarter at the Georgia Dome, with the Falcons striking for Morten Andersen’s 34-yard field goal and Joey Harrington’s 48-yard touchdown pass to Roddy White.
But any thoughts the Falcons had of pulling off a huge upset were quickly wiped out by Manning in the second period. He had touchdown throws of 23 yards to Reggie Wayne, 8 yards to Dallas Clark and 5 yards to Ben Utecht.
”It was frustrating because we came out so strong,” Falcons quarterback Joey Harrington said. ”We were firing. But you know the defending Super Bowl champs are not going to roll over and die.”
Anthony Gonzalez didn’t get to the end zone, but he was Manning’s favorite receiver. He hauled in six passes for 105 yards, including a 35-yarder that set up Wayne’s TD and a 32-yarder that led to Clark’s score.
After missing the past two games with a broken thumb, Gonzalez’s return was a boost for a Colts’ offense still plagued by injuries. Perennial Pro Bowl receiver Marvin Harrison missed his fifth straight game with an ailing left knee. Indy also had to go without two starting linemen, Tony Ugoh and Ryan Diem.
Manning was sacked a season-high four times and threw an ugly pass near the Atlanta goal line that was easily intercepted by DeAngelo Hall. Linebacker Michael Boley had three of the sacks for the Falcons.
The Colts have 10 days off before their big AFC South matchup against second-place Jacksonville. They hope to use that time to get healed.
”It was still not the type of game we are used to, but we got the win and that is the important thing,” coach Tony Dungy said. ”We get some rest and time off now, and that is something our team needs. We will get some guys back in December.”
The Colts led 21-13 by halftime and Atlanta just faded away over the final two quarters, managing 92 yards after the break. The Falcons wrapped up a stretch of two home games in five days in which they lost twice by a cumulative score of 62-20.
The only highlight for the home team was Warrick Dunn becoming the 22nd rusher in NFL history to reach 10,000 yards. He made it on a 2-yard run early in the second quarter, earning a standing ovation from the Georgia Dome crowd.
”I’ve just been consistent over the years,” said Dunn, who finished the night with 10,044 yards. ”I’ve been able to get into a groove and play at a high level. I just kept fighting hard, training hard, practicing hard, and let my skills take over.”
The Colts took advantage of a big break when Atlanta’s Demorrio Williams was called for running into punter Hunter Smith in the second quarter. Williams barely touched Smith, but the punter went down like he’d been punched and the flag came flying.
”That’s so bad!” Falcons special teams coach Jerry Rosburg screamed.
Manning drove the Colts quickly for the go-ahead touchdown, and they never looked back.
Harrington, starting again with Byron Leftwich sidelined by a tailbone injury, completed only 14 of 30 for 155 yards with two interceptions. White had his third 100-yard receiving day of the season, with six receptions for 104 yards.
Notes: Boley (elbow) and Colts RB Joseph Addai (neck) both left with injuries that looked potentially serious, but returned to the game. Addai scored Indy’s other TD on a 4-yard run. … The Colts improved to 13-1 in their history against the Falcons, the best record for any head-to-head matchup of at least 10 games. … Next up for Manning on the yardage list: Joe Montana at No. 9 with 40,551. As for the touchdown list, John Elway is fourth with an even 300.