WATERCOOLER CHAT: TEXANS EDGE LIONS IN OT, RGIII OUTPLAYS ROMO FOR REDSKINS WIN, PATRIOTS PUMMEL JETS
FOOTBALL
In a Thanksgiving edition of NFL football, the Houston Texans slipped past the Detroit Lions in overtime 34-31.  Between the two teams, there were two missed field goals and two turnovers before Texans’ kicker Shayne Graham kicked a 32-yard field goal to win. But, if you ask the Lions, the game should have never gone to overtime. Detroit’s head coach Jim Schwartz threw a challenge flag at the beginning of the third quarter, when he didn’t have to. Texans’ running back Justin Forsett was tackled by two players on Detroit’s defense, but stood up after having his knees hit the ground and ran downfield for 81 yards. The referees didn’t blow the whistle, but the booth reviews every touchdown, so it would have inevitably been called back, except for the fact Schwartz threw his challenge flag out before the play was reviewed. And since he did that, the play stood because the rules say a team cannot benefit from throwing the challenge flag, when it isn’t allowed. The other play of note in this game was Lions’ defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh falling to the ground and in the process kicking Texans quarterback Matt Schaub, exactly where it hurts males the most. Suh will probably find himself in trouble with the league after this incident when the week is over.
In the second game of the day, Robert Griffin III went back to the state he played college football and won the Heisman trophy, only to outplay Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys. Griffin went 20-28 and threw for 311 yards, four touchdowns and only one interception. Tony Romo threw the ball 62 times and completed 37 of the throws. He gained 441 yards through the air and had three touchdowns and two interceptions. Griffin’s Redskins however put up 28 points in the second quarter and never looked back after going into half time up 28 -3. Washington proceeded to finish out the game by winning 38 -31.
And the final game of the night had the New England Patriots pummeling the New York Jets. The Jets were embarrassed with miscues on every side of the ball. In the second quarter alone, Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez lost a fumble that resulted in a touchdown on a broken play with Sanchez running into his offensive lineman. Then on the ensuing kickoff New York’s return man Joe McKnight fumbled the ball to lead to another Patriots touchdown. By the end of the quarter New England was up 35 – 3. Tom Brady was nothing short of great by going 18-23 for 311 yards and three touchdowns. And while most team stats were similar for the two teams, the game was as far apart as the 49-19 final score. The Jets ended the game with five turnovers and had the crowd chanting for Tim Tebow to quarterback the team. And while Tebow did not make an appearance, maybe Rex Ryan is waiting to play him consistently as a holiday gift in December.
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