FanHouse Nflweek12recaps

Go ahead and tug on Superman's cape. Hock the biggest loogie you can conjure into the stiffest wind you can find. Hell, walk right up to the Lone Ranger, kick Silver in the onions and use his mask as toilet paper. Just, for the love of everything holy Mike Shanahan, stop messing around with Devin Hester. The inimitable Bears returner gave his team a 37-34 overtime victory this afternoon with two heartstopping returns that should never have happened.

What in the world were the Broncos thinking? Up 13-6 in the third quarter and punting, what kind of masochistic exercise is it that makes you think hitting the ball in Hester's direction is a good thing? Your defense was playing well, Rex Grossman wasn't and you were winning on the road, why risk that? And after Hester has sparked the lifeless Bears back into existence with a 75-yard punt return and you're retaken a 20-13 lead, what kind of low self-esteem, what kind of gluttonous love of punishment does it take to kick the ball right back to him. 88 yards later the game is tied again.

Now you might say to me that Hester's heroics weren't the key to the game, it was Denver's inability to hold a 34-20 lead with nine minutes to play in the game.

It's never over until it's over.

The Arizona Cardinals just did not have it in them this afternoon. Despite more than a handful of opportunities to lock this one away, costly penalties and damning turnovers eventually doomed the team from Phoenix. And although much of the blame will be put on Neil Rackers and his chip shot miss in overtime, this loss was a total team effort ... and something that will be extremely hard to swallow for Arizona.

Meanwhile, the 49ers and their fans are probably drinking already. It's not that often that a team gets completely manhandled by an opposing offense and still comes away with a victory -- especially in that fashion. But a win is a win, regardless of how it comes about. And right now, the 49ers have to be thrilled with all but spoiling the Cardinals playoff hopes.

It will be a sour evening for Kurt Warner, who looked like a magician at times. But unfortunately, his three turnovers will overshadow what otherwise would have been looked at like a heroic day. In fact, I had already jumped the gun and began written a nice piece about him turning back the clock after a 484 yard, two touchdown afternoon. Oh well, that's how the cookie crumbles, I suppose.

Neil Rackers, Michael Barr and Ben Patrick ... are they going to get it in the Arizona media tomorrow or what?

Final score: 49ers 37 - Cardinals 31

I was certain the Saints were going to win this one in the second quarter, even though the score was just 10-3. At that point, Olindo Mare had just sent a 46-yard field goal through the uprights. Earlier in the game, Jason David successfully defensed a pass in the end zone. That's like Haley's Comet flying over Wrigley during a Cubs' World Series championship. When both rarities occur in the same game, hey, it's gotta be your day.

That is to say: It was fun to watch my Saints end their two-game losing streak by beating the Panthers today. I don't, however, take any pride in it. I am not impressed.

Maybe I think more highly of the Saints than I should given that, you know, they recently lost back-to-back games to St. Louis and Houston. Maybe I shouldn't take any team, even one led by David Carr (at left, showing jazz hands), for granted. But let's be honest: the Saints just won a game they should have. Beating the Panthers, especially after struggling for the first half, is not a sign that they are ready to make noise in the NFC (yet). It's just a sign that they haven't completely buried themselves, as much as they've tried.

What has to sting the most is the fact that the Rams could have beaten the Seahawks. I wouldn't go so far as to say that they deserved to win, because they did all they could (eventually successfully) to ruin a feel-good first half, but, against a division-leading team who's given them fits, the Rams did enough to be in a position to win. And then Gus Frerotte happened.

"I'd like to smash his head into the wall for him," a dejected fan behind me at the sports bar said, referring to Frerotte's penchant for self-inflicted concussions, as Frerotte lost a fourth-and-goal snap on the Seattle one with :27 left that could have won the game. All he had to do was capably turn around and hand the ball to Steven Jackson. That, apparently, was too much responsibility.

After losing Marc Bulger to a concussion in the first quarter, Frerotte found himself in relief duty (Relief Duty being the title of the 2007 Rams' team video). Between the two of them, the Rams found themselves successfully moving the ball (dopey interceptions aside). The run and pass were operating in harmony. Frerotte was spreading the ball efficiently.

Click here for final game stats from AOL Sports.

Fred Taylor is not done with you people.

The Jacksonville Jaguars' veteran running back rushed for 104 yards on 14 carries, including a 50-yard touchdown scamper in the first quarter, to lead the Jacksonville Jaguars to a 36-14 victory over the Buffalo Bills.

Taylor, who needs only 443 yards to reach 6 rushing miles in his career, picked up the slack for Maurice Jones-Drew, who was at one point had minus-17 yards rushing. This was a direct result of the Jaguars' offense running a sweep to the left, which the Bills' defense sniffed out every single time. Why they kept running that play was a complete mystery to me -- until Jags quarterback David Garrard ran play-action on that sweep and threw a pass the other way to convert a 3rd down.

Seven yardage-losing plays to set up one 3rd down? It was just crazy enough to work today.

Of course, it worked because Garrard continued to be a highly effective passer -- as opposed to J.P. Losman, who was forced into three turnovers by the Jacksonville defense.

Click here for final game stats from AOL Sports.

Q: What nearly made four forced fumbles, an interception and a turnover on downs in one game irrelevant?

A: Bruce Gradkowski.

Yes, despite forcing the Washington Redskins into six turnovers, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers still kept their opponents in the game, thanks to Jeff Garcia leaving the game early with a back injury. Gradkowski entered the game and got the ball multiple times deep in Redskins territory, thanks to four first-half fumbles by Washington, but the Bucs found themselves settling for four Matt Bryant field goals, leaving the 'Skins an opening to come away with a shock victory.

Alas, the Bucs got one last takeway with 17 seconds left, as Brian Kelly intercepted a Jason Campbell pass in the end zone to end the game. It was Campbell's second pick in the last four minutes and the Redskins' seventh turnover of the game.

Despite being down 19-3 in the first half, however, the 'Skins showed a complete (and most honorable) unwillingness to throw in the towel.

Raiders' fans never doubted their team and in return, Oakland gave them something to be cheerful about this afternoon. They marched into Kansas City and walked out with a 20-17 victory over their division rivals.

Justin Fargas led the way for Oakland with 156 total yards and a touchdown, while Daunte Culpepper put together a solid performance, going 15 of 22 for 170 and most importantly, no turnovers.

For the Chiefs, they got a great outing from rookie Kolby Smith, who was replacing the injured Larry Johnson and the retired Priest Holmes. He ran wild on the Raiders defense, tallying 150 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately, that just wasn't enough for a W on this afternoon.

For Oakland, they improve to 3-8 and taste victory for the first time since October 21st, while Kansas City falls to 4-7 and watch any playoff hopes evaporate into thin air.

Cheer Raiders fans, Cheer! This is the first Raiders victory over an AFC West team since November 28th 2004 when they defeated the Denver Broncos 25-24.

How exactly do you sum up what happened this afternoon between the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings?

Embarrassing? Brutal? Demoralizing? Shameful?

I suppose it doesn't really matter how you choose to describe it, it's all going to look exactly the same in the box score ... and it won't be pretty.

Going into the game, everyone though Eli Manning and the Giants passing offense were going to take it to the Vikings and their last ranked pass defense. Unfortunately for New York, Minnesota had other plans. And in all likelihood, those plans will prove to have a dramatic impact on the rest of Manning's Giants career.

To put it into numbers, Manning went 21 of 49 (42.9%) for 262 with four interceptions and one garbage touchdown.

For more than 20 minutes the Falcons had reasons to think that they could pull off an amazing upset. Peyton Manning was seemingly confused by the Colts defense, Warrick Dunn was running wild and Joey Harrington and Roddy White were connecting for big plays. Heck, the Falcons put together a 19-play scoring drive--the longest in the NFL this season.

But it was Thanksgiving, not April Fools Day. So when Falcons linebacker Demorrio Williams was flagged for running into the kicker, turning a Falcons stop into a Colts first down, all of sudden the wheels fell off for the Falcons. The 13-7 lead quickly turned into a 14-13 deficit as Manning heated up. Before the second quarter was over the Colts led 21-13. They led 31-13 before the third quarter ended before calling off the dogs.