Aaron Rodgers was at his best, throwing lasers where only his receivers could catch them and finding four different teammates in the end zone.
Yes, Rodgers had a lot to do with the Green Bay Packers remaining undefeated with a crazy 45-38 win against the staggering San Diego Chargers.
So did Philip Rivers, whose miserable run of turnovers continued with three critical interceptions, two by Charlie Peprah. (MORE>>>)
In an NFL season replete with scoring orgies, Sunday night's Baltimore Ravens-Pittsburgh Steelers divisional confrontation was a classic slugfest between two of the league's most vicious defenses, one filled with sledgehammer collisions, nasty shoves and verbal taunts.
It also featured one fantastic ending.
The injury-racked Steelers were within eight seconds of exacting revenge for a Week 1 blowout at Baltimore — until Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco heaved a game-winning 26-yard touchdown to rookie Torrey Smith, who atoned for two gaffes, for a critical 23-20 AFC North victory. the loss ended a four-game win streak for the (MORE>>>)
For the New England Patriots and their latest runs of perfection, it was Eli Manning and the New York Giants all over again.
Four season ago, the Giants denied the Patriots' quest for a 19-0 season by beating them in the Super Bowl. Sunday, the Patriots had multiple other streaks on the line. Manning and the Giants won 24-20 in the final moments.
In New York's 17-14 win in Super Bowl XLII, Manning hit Plaxico Burress with the winning touchdown pass with 35 seconds left. In his Sunday encore, Manning cut it even closer. (MORE>>>)
The last time the New York Giants met the New England Patriots in a game that mattered, it was on February 3, 2008 for Super Bowl XLII. That day, the underdog Giants upset the then-perfect and heavily favored Patriots 17-14.
A lot has changed since those teams met on that historic date. Players and coaches have come and gone. The venue will be at the Patriots' home field, where they have an astonishing 18-1 regular-season record against NFC teams since 2002. (MORE>>>)
They tried to bill this game — with the NFL's tacit approval — as a matchup of good vs. evil.
But the reality is, that was never quite right. This was simply good vs. bad.
The Detroit Lions are a good team. The Denver Broncos are not.
And though Detroit's newest incarnation of the Bad Boys seems to relish the idea of wearing the black hat — and who wouldn't, after all those years dressing up for Halloween as the league doormat — Sunday's 45-10 win at Mile High Stadium really wasn't about anything more than that.
Oh, sure, the Lions had their fun playing the part, especially after the NFL's own website trumpeted that storyline, pitting Tim Tebow's saintly image against Ndamukong Suh's increasingly menacing one. (MORE>>>)
LeSean McCoy spotted Howard Mudd standing on crutches on the sideline and slowed up to give the 69-year-old assistant coach a pregame chest bump.
No one else could stop McCoy.
Michael Vick threw two touchdown passes, McCoy had a career-best 185 yards rushing and two scores and the Philadelphia Eagles routed the Dallas Cowboys 34-7 Sunday night.
"I feel like every game is a chance for me to prove myself," McCoy said. "At any given time, any one of our guys could go off." (MORE>>>)
The Detroit Lions' problems at running back aren't getting any better.
A day after the Lions' trade for Ronnie Brown was voided, CBSSports.com reports that starter Jahvid Best has been advised by people close to him "that he needs to strongly consider sitting out the year" after suffering his second concussion in two months last week against the San Francisco 49ers.(MORE>>>)
Although the Detroit Lions continue to downplay the practice return of defensive tackle Nick Fairley, the rookie will make his debut Monday night against the Chicago Bears, according to a source familiar with the situation.
The 12th overall pick of the NFL draft, Fairley broke his foot in training camp, causing him to miss the entire preseason and the team's first four games. Lions coach Jim Schwartz sidestepped questions regarding Fairley's potential availability earlier in the week. But according to the source, Fairley has told friends and family -- who are traveling to Detroit for the game -- that he expects to participate in a situational capacity. (MORE>>>)
