Quick Kicks
Returns of the day
Eric Metcalf set an NFL record for kick return touchdowns in a most appropriate place.
Metcalf ran punts back 85 and 67 yards for touchdowns Sunday as his San Diego Chargers lost to the Cincinnati Bengals. The two scintillating returns gave him a league-record 10 career kick returns for touchdowns and extended his career-long success against the Bengals.
The former Cleveland Browns player has returned two kickoffs and eight punts for touchdowns in the regular season and one kickoff in the playoffs. Four of the eight punt returns have been against the Bengals and three have come in Cincinnati.
Slip, slidin’ away
Use of an apparent illegal substance by Tampa Bay nose tackle Brad Culpepper paid off with a touchdown for the Buccaneers.
Indianapolis quarterback Paul Justin was in the shotgun formation when Jay Leeuwenburg’s snap bounced short and away from Justin. Regam Upshaw recovered the ball at the Indianapolis 21 for the Bucs, and five plays later, Mike Alstott scored on a 1-yard run.
The Colts alerted the officials, and they ordered Culpepper to change the jersey after confirming it had a substance on it.
“We gave up seven points because their nose tackle has some kind of foreign substance on his jersey. The play before, our center put his hands on his jersey, and couldn’t hang on to the ball to snap it,” Indianapolis coach Lindy Infante said. “It wasn’t Jay’s fault, maybe he should have called a timeout. You got an illegal substance out there, and it cost us a football game.”
Tampa Bay won 31-28.
Humphries hurt again
San Diego quarterback Stan Humphries sustained his second concussion in three weeks and was taken off the field on a stretcher following an illegal hit by Cincinnati’s Reinard Wilson.
Humphries sustained a concussion against Kansas City two weeks ago. Sunday’s was his fourth in two years.
Wilson hit Humphries chest-to-chest after Humphries passed and drove the quarterback backwards onto the artificial turf, raking over him after he landed on top of him. Wilson drew a 15-yard penalty for roughing the passer.
By the numbers
Former UW star Corey Dillon gained 123 yards in 19 attempts, making him the first Bengals rookie to reach triple digits since Ickey Woods in 1988… .Seattle’s Warren Moon completed 28 passes to move past Fran Tarkenton into third place in NFL history with 3,708 completions… . Chicago defensive lineman John Thierry ruptured his left anterior cruciate ligament and is out for the rest of the season.
Noteworthy
Carolina rushed for five touchdowns, while San Francisco remained the only team in the league that has yet to allow a rushing TD… . Sunday’s game at Denver was the first of three straight road games for Seattle, a franchise first… . The Falcons wore patches on their uniforms and decals on their helmets with the initials “RMS” in honor of Rankin M. Smith, the team owner who died a week ago … . Miami scored in its 157th consecutive game, the second longest streak in the league.
The final thought
“It’s real simple, we played lousy.”
- Raiders coach Joe Bugel
, DataTimes