By Jason Bryden
Elm Staff Writer
Chicago (3-3) vs. Tampa Bay (4-2) at London
The NFL’s annual game in London takes place this Sunday as two old NFC Central rivals meet up with the Chicago Bears playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers will be the home team and thus will play just seven games in Tampa this year.
The Bears evened up their record with a dominating 39-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night at home. Quarterback Jay Cutler threw for 267 yards, two touchdowns and just six incompletions in the win. The Bears defense got a safety and held Minnesota star running back Adrian Peterson to just 39 yards. And Devin Hester returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown for his 17th all-time return for a score.
The Buccaneers bounced back from a 48-3 pasting in San Francisco in Week 5, with a 26-20 win over the New Orleans Saints at home on Sunday. Tampa Bay forced four New Orleans’ turnovers, including a game-saving interception in the end zone late in the game by safety Quincy Black. The Bucs won in spite of not having running back LaGarette Blount and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, who both were out due to injury.
Chicago leads the all-time series 35-18. The two squads played twice a year from 1978-2001 with the exception of the 1982 season. The Bucs won the last meeting in 2008 in Chicago in overtime by a 27-24 score.
Atlanta (3-3) at Detroit (5-1)
Last week the Lions had their first setback of the 2011 season with a 25-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. This week the Lions look to get back on track as they play the visiting Atlanta Falcons at Ford Field.
Atlanta evened its record to 3-3 with a 31-17 victory over the Carolina Panthers at home. Quarterback Matt Ryan threw for a touchdown and ran for a touchdown, while running back Michael Turner ran for 139 yards and scored twice. The Falcons outscored the Panthers in the fourth quarter, 17-0, and forced three Carolina turnovers.
The Lions blew leads of 10-0 and 19-15 in the loss to the 49ers. Wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who led the NFL in touchdown catches with nine, was held out of the end zone for the first time all season. Quarterback Matthew Stafford did throw for 293 yards and two scores in the loss, however.
Detroit has won 23 of the 33 all-time meetings, but Atlanta has won two of the past three, including a 34-21 win in 2008 down in Georgia. It was Matt Ryan’s first game and his first completion was a 62-yard touchdown pass to current Minnesota Vikings’ wide receiver Michael Jenkins.
San Diego (4-1) at New York Jets (3-3)
Two years ago, the San Diego Chargers were 13-3, had won 11 in a row and were a Super Bowl favorite. The New York Jets ended their hopes in the Divisional Playoff round with a 17-14 victory out in San Diego. This Sunday is the first meeting between the two teams since the 2009 playoff game.
The Chargers, who come off of a bye in Week 6, downed the Denver Broncos 29-24 in Week 5. The Chargers have won three in a row since a Week 2 loss at the New England Patriots. San Diego has only outscored its opponents by 25 points in its four victories.
New York evened its record at 3-3 (3-0 at home) with a 24-6 win on Monday night against the Miami Dolphins. Jets’ cornerback Darrelle Revis returned an interception 100 yards to give the Jets a lead they would never relinquish. This game is also current Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson’s first game against his old team, the Chargers. Tomlinson was the Chargers star back from 2001-09, including winning the MVP in 2006.
San Diego is 19-9-1 against the Jets in the regular season, but New York has won both playoff meetings by three points each in 2004 and 2009.
Houston (3-3) at Tennessee (3-2)
First place in the AFC South is on the line in Nashville on Sunday as Houston’s current team travels to play Houston’s old team. From 1960-96, the Tennessee Titans were known as the Houston Oilers.
The Texans enter the contest on a two-game losing streak and are being bit hard by the injury bug. Wide receiver Andre Johnson is out with a hamstring injury and linebacker Mario Williams is out for the season with a torn pectoral muscle. Houston fell to the host Baltimore Ravens in Week 6 by a 29-14 score. Johnson will most likely not play this Sunday.
Tennessee had a bye in Week 6, but took a 38-17 thumping in Week 5 in the Steel City against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Titans offense has been reinvigorated by quarterback Matt Hasselbeck who has thrown for nine touchdowns this season. Tennessee is waiting for running back Chris Johnson to get on track, as he has scored just one touchdown in 2011 after holding out during training camp.
Tennessee has won 13 of 18 all-time meetings.
Kansas City (2-3) at Oakland (4-2)
The reigning AFC West Champion Kansas City Chiefs will look to get back into the divisional race on Sunday when they travel to the East Bay to play the Oakland Raiders.
The Chiefs had a bye in Week 6, but have won two straight. Kansas City rallied from a 24-7 deficit to top the host Indianapolis Colts, 28-24, in Week 5. The Chiefs have suffered two season-ending injuries so far to key players, running back Jamaal Charles and safety Eric Berry.
The Raiders won their second straight on Sunday, 24-17, over the visiting Cleveland Browns in the first home game after the passing of longtime owner Al Davis. Oakland did lose quarterback Jason Campbell for six weeks to the season with a broken collarbone in the win. On Tuesday, the Raiders acquired quarterback Carson Palmer from the Cincinnati Bengals to help fill the void left by Campbell.
Kansas City leads 52-47-2 in the regular season and 2-1 in the playoffs. The Raiders won both games last year and won eight straight AFC West games since a 16-10 loss to the Chiefs in Week 10 in 2009.