A team on the rise this year and definetly the AFCs most surprising teamthis season has become the Steelers who welcomed the Buffalo Bills into Heinz Field. The Bills got things started when KC Tolbert connected from 32 yards out to give them an early 3-0 lead. That lead turned to 10-0 when Richard Lincoln hit Steve Smith for a 14 yard touchdown. But the Steelers would get back into it with their running game. Fernando Kluttz plunged in from 1 yard out to close the lead to 3. KC Tolbert hit a field goal just before the half to make it a 13-7 lead for the Bills. Kluttz again got the Steelers back in the endzone when he went in from 8 yards out. Corwin Hicks caught a 1 yard TD to regain the lead for the Bills at 20-14. But Ben Roethlisberger would salt this game away for the Steelers. Late in the 3rd quarter Ben hit Nathan Stargell from 19 yards out to make it a 21-20 game as the Steelers took the lead for the first time in the game. Then late in thr 4th quarter, Ben put put it away when Roethlisberger hit TE Heath Miller for a 50 yard touchdown to increase the lead to eight at 28-20. The Bills would not get back into the endzone as the surprising Steelers are at 5-1 and lead in the AFC East.

The game of the day happened in St. Louis where the Rams faced off against the Tamba Bay Buccaneers. Jorge Lyon who has taken the place of Torry Holt got things started when he caught a 2 yard TD pass from Marc Bulger to make it 7-0. The Bucs responded with a 30 yard field from Stanley Wolf, and then Leftwich hit Artie Velazquez for a short TD to make it 10-7 Bucs. Bulger hit Mitchell Kaplan to make it 14-10. Jay Feely hit a 24 yard field goal to make a TD game for the Rams. Then they took a stranglehold when Marc Bulger hit Randal Hamel from 3 yards out to make it a 24-10 game for the Rams. But the Bucs refused to quit. LEftwich found Velazquez twice, first from 6 yards out early in the 4th quarter, and then from 2 yards out late in the 4th quarter to make it a 24-24 game. Late in the 4th, Jay Feely had a chance to end it but his field goal failed to split the uprights. The game went into OT and the Bucs quickly had to punt. The Rams however got the ball into Tampa territory and Jay Feely rebounded from his earlier miss when he hit a 21 yard field goal to end the game at 27-24.

Two tense rivals renewed their rivalry in Lambeau Field as the Packers welcomed in the Minnesota Vikings. The game started with a band when Fabian Washington took the opening kickoff back 92 yards for a touchdown and a quick 7-0 lead. The Vikings then looked to respond and they did when place kicker Chris Morris connected from 19 yards out to make it 7-3 Packers. On the Packers next drive their own place kicker Deion Widner hit a 25 yard field goal to make it back to a touchdown lead. The Packers then would take a commanding lead on the heels of a touchdown run. Norwoods 1 yard scampered made it 17-3 Packers and then Jerious followed that up with an 8 yard touchdown run to give the Packers a 24-7 lead. But the Vikings refused to quit. It started when Chris Morris hit another short field goal, this time from 18 yards, to make it a 24-6 game at the half. In the 3rd quarter Tom Brady hit Brad Perini for an 18 yard touchodwn to make it a 24-12 game. The Vikings decided to go for 2 and Brady hit Dave Walsh to make it a 24-14 game. After a field goal by Widner, Brady then hit Ted Ginn Jr for another 18 yard score to close the Packers lead to 27-21. The Pack then ate up 3 minutes on the clock before the Vikings got the ball back to drive for the win. After a 51 yard pnt the Vikes had to go 95 yards to get the lead.After hitting, Ginn, Brandon Williams, and Mitchell Caron, they Vikes got to midfield. The Packers got a personal foul to get the Vikings to the 36 yard line of Green Bay, But Brady threw 4 incompletions to turnover the ball and the Vikes never got the ball back as the Pack won the game 27-21.

The Bucs who are looking for command in the NFC South took on the San Francisco 49ers in their week 5 showdown. It was unknown commodity Jeff Kerr who started the scoring off as he gave the 49ers a 7-0 lead. But Byron Leftwich hooked up with a long pasing play to Allen Reese to tie the game at 7. Marshall Schleinat hit a 44 yard field goal to make it a 10-7 49ers lead. But LEftwich would hit Michael Clayton to give the Bucs a 14-10 lead. After another 49er field goal, it was a Leftwich to Clayton hookup again to increase the lead to 21-13. The strike went for 21 yards. But back came the 49ers. Drew Stanton ran a bootleg and scrambled in from a yard out to make it a 21-19 game. The 49ers went for two and this time a play fake got the 49ers and Bucs even when Stantons pass connected with Ellis Wright and a 21-21 game. The Bucs however would asnwer right back to gain the lead. Place Kicker Stanley Wolf hit a 43 yard field goal to make it a 24-21 game. Then on San Frans next offensive play, Drew Stanton hit the Tampa Bay defense. The 49ers stood their ground but Stanley Wolf still was able to bomb a 53 yard field goal through the uprights to make it a 27-21 game. The 49ers got the ball back on their own 16 and they got the ball into Tampa territory. Unfourtnaetly the clock wasnt with them and time ran out before they could get a touchdown to give the Bcus a 27-21 win. and a half game lead in the division.

Many people thought that of all the teams in the NFC East, th Redskins would finish last. The Redskins faced off against the Seattle Seahwaks in their week 3 game in Seattle. Jason Campbell got things started quickly when he hit WR Lee Evans for a 12 yard score to give the Skins an early 7-0 lead. That lead grew 12 minutes later when Campbell hit wideout Brandon Lloyd for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 which was the half time score. The 3rd quarter saw the Seahawks have some fight in them as they got back into the game. It was Carson Palmer hitting Calvin Johnson for a 30 yard score to close the elad to 14-7 just 2 minutes into the 3rd quarter. Then Victor Small tied the game later in the 3rd when he scampered from a yard out. But late in the 3rd quarter, Jackie Clayton busted through the Seattle line and scored from 20 yards out to retake the lead for Washington at 21-14. Palmer however hit Calvin Johnson for his 2nd score early in the 4th quarter to make it a 21-21 game. Jason Campbell however capped off his day when he hit the Fresh Prince Will Smith for a 7 yard score and a 28-21 lead. The Seahawks started a drive at their own 5 yard line with just 5 1/2 to play. The Seahawks where able to get it into the Redskin side of the field but the Redskin Defense was up to the task and on a 4th down play, denied the Seahawks a 1st down to preserve the 28-21 win and thanks to the loss of the Giants, the Skins lead the division early in the season.

Two teams that are looking to make staples in thier division early met in Soldier Field as the Bears met up with the Arizona Cardinals. This game started slowly but had a great ending. Rob Bironas got things started for the Bears when he hit a 36 yard field goal to make it a 3-0 lead. The first touchdown of the game belonged to the Arizona Cardinals when Geoff Hays ran it in from 6 yards out and a 7-3 Cards lead. Alvin Olsen answered right back when he hit Sam Sarnow for a 4 yard score to give the Bears right back at 10-7. Michael Bush then ran a 5 yard touchdown in to increase that Bears lead. But just before the half, the Cards went 69 yards in just over a minute. Matt Leinart capped the drive off with a 26 yard touchdown to Larry Fitzgerald to close the Bears lead to 17-14. The defenses dominated the 2nd half but early in the 4th quarter, the Cardinals managed to squeeze a 20 yard field goal out to tie the game up at 17 a piece. But the Bears had one final shot at a win with 1:46 left and the ball on their own 28. Alvin Olsen was brilliant on the drive. He first hit Bernard Berrian for an 11 yard strike. Then he hit Airese Currie for 17 yards. He then took it himself with a 5 yard scramble. Finally Olsen wideout Skip Douthard for a 14 yard completion to the Arizona 12 yard line. After a 3 yard run by Michael Bush, Rob Bironas put in a 20 yard field goal to finish the scoring at 20-17.

A long process is in the ways for Miami as they are starting over while the Bucs are poised for another division crown run. The two teams met in Tampa for a week 2 showdown. The game started with a bang after great kickoff return and a 19 yard touchdown pass from Byron Leftwich to Sidney Rice for an early 7-0 lead for Tampa. Miami responded with a big play of their own. First they interecepted Leftiwch and it was brought back to the Tampa 7 yard line. On the very next play, Chester Fredrickson hit Leroy Peterson for a score to tie the score up at 7 a piece. Early in 2nd quarter, the Bucs finished off an impressive 13 play drive covering 96 yards when Rico Funderburk took an 8 yard pass into the endzone and a 14-7 game for Tampa. Late in the 2nd quarter Miami took the lead. After a 38 yard field goal from Arnie Duncan, and then a 2nd interception from Leftwich, Ronnie Brown scampered in from 2 yards out to make it a 17-14 Dolphin lead at the half. Tampa didnt take long to tie it in the 2nd half when Stanley Wolf connected from 27 yards out 4 minutes into the 3rd quarter. Late in the 3rd quarter, it was Chester Fredrickson who made the mistake and it was to Artie Velazquez advantage as he took a 12 yard pass into the endzone and a 24-17 Bucs lead. Early in the 4th quarter, Chester Fredrickson decided on his own to tie the game when he scramblked for a 9 yard touchdown to tie the game back up at 24-24. But the final laugh would go to place kicker Stanley Wolf. With 2:34 left, the Bucs started on their own 34 and they wen down to the Miami 2. Stanely Wolf then kicked a game winning field goal from 19 yards away with 4 seconds left to take the game 27-24.