Falcons 27 Lions 7 (Thurs.)
How Matt Millen wasn’t asked to follow Steve Mariucci out the door of the Silverdome is a mystery.
Stat of the game: After losing two games with Vick passing for 300-plus yards, the Falcons got back to the run and piled up 256 yards on Detroit.
Broncos 24 Cowboys 21 (Thurs.)
Ron Dayne’s downhill style fits perfectly in the Bronco’s scheme. His 55-yard OT run to setup the game winning field goal and gave a few fans in Giant country a case of Thanksgiving indigestion.
Stat of the game: Denver’s defense has now held six straight teams under 100 yards rushing.
Panthers 13 Bills 9
The Panthers shouldn’t have to work so hard to beat the Bills. They are a paper tiger inflated by a weak NFC.
Stat of the game: Carolina converted 9 of 13 3rd downs.
Bengals 42 Ravens 29
Stat of the game: The Ravens running game came out of hibernation. Jamal Lewis had 113 yards and a TD.
Titans 33 49ers 22
McNair still has some gas in the tank. He had 343 yards and three TDs.
Stat of the game: It’s doubtful that either team will win another game this season.
Chiefs 26 Patriots 16
The Chiefs are back in the playoff picture. Their biggest game of the year is Sunday against Denver.
Stat of the Game: Brady threw four INTs. He had six entering the game.
Vikings 24 Browns 12
The Vikings are now 4-0 since Culpepper went down for the season.
Stat of the Game: Five turnovers by Cleveland made things easy for the Vikings.
Bears 13 Tampa Bay 10
The Bears are the best team in the NFC right now. This was their seventh win in a row.
Stat of the Game: Joey Galloway deserves to go to the Pro-Bowl. He had 7 catches for 138 yards Sunday. He now has 58 catches for 1,000 yards and 7 TDs this season.
Chargers 23 Redskins 17
The Chargers are facing a difficult finish to the season. The may miss the playoffs despite being one the best teams in the league.
Stat of the Game: The Chargers won despite a –3 in the turnover department.
Rams 33 Texans 27
Ryan Fitzpatrick is a nice story for the Rams, but they shouldn’t find themselves down 24-3 to the Texans. This loss seals Dom Capers fate if it wasn’t a done deal before the game.
Stat of the Game: The Texans will have the first pick in the 2006 draft.
Dolphins 33 Raiders 21
The Raiders need someone who is willing and able to block. The Dolphins had 7 sacks and spent most of the day in the Raider backfield.
Stat of the Game: Randy Moss had 3 catches for 28 yards continuing his uneventful season.
Jaguars 23 Cardinals 17
The Jags will have to go on without Byron Leftwich who broke his ankle Sunday. They may discover they don’t need him all that much.
Stat of the Game: Backup QB David Garrard had 61 rushing yards; he gives the Jags another dimension at QB.
Eagles 19 Packers 14
The Eagles will take the win any way they can get it. That’s a good thing because this game was a mess.
Stat of the Game: The pathetic Packers turned it over 5 times on Sunday.
Seahawks 24 Giants 21
The Giants had an amazing 16 penalties including 11 false starts. This game will stick with them for a while.
Stat of the Game: Joe Jurevicius is still open. He had 8 grabs for 138 yards and two TDs against his former team.
Saints 21 Jets 19
The Jets showed signs of life, but it wasn’t enough to win. The real question is will it be enough for Herman Edwards to keep his job.
State of the Game: Mike Nugent missed a potential game-winning 53-yard field goal. The next big kick the 2nd-rounder makes will be his first.
Colts 26 Steelers 7 (Mon)
Monday night was the Colt’s most impressive victory thus far. The loss leaves Pittsburgh playing for their playoffs lives on Sunday against the Bengals.
Stat of the Game: The Steelers were held to just 10 first downs and 197 yards of offense.