Sunday night's game was supposed to be the chance for Bill Belichick and Tom Brady to prove that last year's playoff-ending loss to the Denver Broncos was a fluke, that Jake Plummer and Mike Shanahan got lucky against the injury-plagued New England Patriots' defense last season.
Somebody failed to mention this to the Broncos.
Football analysts were already arguing that the Patriots were the worst-looking 2-0 team in the league, and Brady's Bunch did little to dispel those rumors. With relatively close stats for both clubs, the only one that mattered in the end was the final 17-7 on the board.
The Broncos held the ball for 31:45 on 19 first downs. The Pats controlled the clock for 28:15, amassing 22 first downs. The Broncos racked up 400 yards, just beating the Patriots' 370 yards.
Despite Tom Brady's 31-of-55 performance, with 320 yards and a touchdown, the offensive performance belonged to Plummer's Broncos. Going 15-of-30 on 256 yards and a pair of touchdowns, Plummer spread the ball well, but it was Javon Walker and his three receptions for 130 yards, including 83-yard and 32-yard receptions, both for touchdowns that spelled victory for the Broncos. With a 123-yard rushing performance from Tatum Bell, the Patriots had their work cut out for them.
Brady had his chance to answer, and failed all but once, when he connected with Doug Gabriel in the end zone in the fourth quarter, finally putting New England on the board and ending Denver's record 11 quarters without giving up a touchdown. After a New England defensive stop on the next Denver drive, Brady looked poised to march his team down the field. But a quick three-and-out set ended the night for a New England team that has dropped its last five of six against the Broncos.
Rookie running back Laurence Maroney carried the ball for only 18 yards, and tight end and Brady-favorite Ben Watson only amassed six receptions for 66 yards. New England will have to figure things out this week, before it heads to Cincinnati to take on a Bengals team that proved to be a contender on Sunday.
Carson Palmer has had a long road back from his devastating knee injury last season, but a 3-0 record must certainly ease the pain a bit. Getting that third win against the team that put him on the road to recovery only made it that much sweeter. With an 18-for-26 showing for 193 yards, four touchdowns and two picks against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Palmer led his squad to a 28-20 victory.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger looked lost on the field, throwing three interceptions. Pittsburgh running back Willie Parker rushed for 133 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries.
Sunday was a day of close calls for several teams. The Baltimore Ravens inched out a 15-14 win over the Cleveland Browns with a last second field goal. The Carolina Panthers eked out a 26-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a 46-yard field goal with two seconds remaining in the game. And Rex Grossman also helped keep his Chicago Bears' perfect record intact with a 19-16 win over the Minnesota Vikings. Rallying his team in the closing minutes, Grossman threw a 24-yard touchdown to Rashied Davis just after the two-minute warning.
Monday night was emotional for the New Orleans Saints as they returned home for the first time since Hurricane Katrina devastated the region in August 2005. The 2-0 Saints took on the Atlanta Falcons, who also started their season 2-0. Atlanta was favored, but a reunion with the fans of the Big Easy helped the Saints stay perfect on the season with a 23-3 win, handing the Falcons their first loss.
