NFL Week 8: Falcons still flying high, Giants squeak by

Fantasy studs and duds

Michael Crabtree had the biggest game of the day, catching five passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns. Alex Smith threw for 232 yards and three touchdowns while also avoiding any turnovers.

Wait ... I’ve been informed that this man is actually head coach Bill Belichick, pulling out all the stops to look sharp on the international stage.

(h/t to @RumfordJohnny for sharing the photo)

A hyperextended knee occurs when excessive pressure or force pushes the joint past its normal extension range of motion while the knee is in a straightened position, bending the knee backward. This usually happens while bearing weight on the limb and are not uncommon in athletes when landing from a jump to an extended knee position, or from an outside force to an extended knee. Hyperextension injuries can range from mild to severe depending on the amount of damage done to the stabilizing structures in the knee, such as cartilage (the anterior cruciate ligament in particular) menisci, and popliteus tendon. Regardless of the extent of the injury, initial symptoms may include swelling, pain at the back and sides of the knee, pain with walking, and a feeling of instability with motion. As long as there is no damage to the structures of the knee, treatment is supportive and consists of rest, ice, compression with an ace bandage or similar fitting, and elevation.

Tannehill’s prognosis will likely be determined following an MRI of the knee and will also depend upon any further swelling or lingering pain over the next 2-3 days. If there is no internal damage and the initial symptoms subside quickly, it is conceivable Tannehill could play as soon as next week; if not, backup Matt Moore, who filled in admirably Sunday, is ready to take the reins at Indianapolis in Week 9.

If the season were to end right now, we would have:

#2: Chicago Bears (6-1)

Sunday Night Football is one of the largest stages for the National Football League, and with that, it carries high expectations of entertainment.

Let’s go through this progression:

Yeah, they know what’s happening here, watching it on the giant video board inside Jerry World makes it pretty hard to miss. Don’t strain your necks there, fellas.

Romo gave a distinctly Romo-esque look after learning the news, a look that kind of says all you need to know about his season and the tough times in Dallas.

Dez Bryant pulled down an unbelievable catch from a Tony Romo hail mary, but, after it was initially ruled a touchdown, instant replay showed that his fingers came down first out of bounds, and the replay officials made the correct decision and overturned the call.

That’s his hand narrowly touching chalk before his butt landed in the end zone. Bryant made an unbelievable play, and Romo made a great throw, but football is a game of inches, as they say. And this game has also been a game of butts. Here’s the full catch, in all its almost-glory.

Odds/Gambling: The Cowboys were favored by two points when lines opened on this game so they did not cover. The over/under was set at 47 points, which was reached in the fourth quarter when the Giants kicked their first field goal of the quarter. For more NFL odds, visit our Odds hub.

According to today’s broadcast, the Kansas City Chiefs are the first team since 1940 to not lead a single game in regulation time through seven games.

1940!

As Hurricane Sandy marches into the Northeast, Giants fans have their eyes on the collapse happening in Dallas. If New York loses the game, it will give them the same amount of losses as the Cowboys, but 0-2 against their division foe. The last two quarters must have been harder for a Giants fan to watch than The Day After Tomorrow, and that’s really hard to watch.

Bad Romo started the game with three picks in the first half. The Giants capitalized and jumped out to a 23-0 lead.

Good Romo came out of the tunnel at the half, running for a touchdown and throwing another one to help the Cowboys take a 24-23 lead over the Giants. Fans loved him again.

It was a 58-yard reception that has been the difference on Sunday, and a large reason why Moore is having a successful day. His touchdown came on a nine-yard reception in which he caught a slant over the middle, where he got behind the linebackers and safeties, hauling in a high throw from Carson Palmer.

At times, Palmer’s accuracy has been shaky today, as he has completed just 50 percent of his passes. If he can settle down and get into more of a rhythm in the second half, Moore could be the benefactor.

So this happened:

Gronk is just so incredibly bro. The GIF up top is what he’s referencing in the quote, and was a moment of “wait ... did he really do that?” Of course he did, because he’s Gronk.

via cjzero

That’s a bad Tony Romo! BAD!

Alright, enough about that touchdown. Let’s look at the dunk. There is a very real concern that he could have brought the goalposts down, and that’s the only thing that kept this play in the ‘amazing’ category, and away from ‘legendary’.

The one-win Chiefs and two-win Raiders are fighting to determine who is the worst team in the AFC West. Either both teams will be tied at the bottom, or Cassel and the Chiefs will have the odious duty.

A third quarter in which Jacksonville’s offensive output was negative-two yards paralyzed the offense and gave Rodgers the time he needed to get a drive going. That’s when he led the Packers on the seven-play, 52-yard drive that ended with the touchdown pass to Driver.

FANTASY STUDS AND DUDS

Shurmur: Hey Brad

Brad Childress: Hey coach!

Atlanta stayed perfect, improving to 7-0 this season. The Eagles dropped to 3-4.

McCoy also had a rushing touchdown. He finished the day with 16 carries for 45 yards and a second-quarter touchdown run.

Coming off a few underwhelming performances while dealing with an ongoing rib injury, Richardson came alive on Sunday to rush for 122 yards on 24 carries, including a 26-yard romp for the game’s only touchdown. The rookie also caught one pass for 12 yards.

The Chargers neared field goal range for a possible game-winning attempt in the final two minutes, but the Browns held steady on fourth down to force a turnover on downs, allowing them to run out the clock.

Maybe the problem was that he was trying to use two hands.