If you wanted poise, you saw it. If you wanted hope, you have it. If you wondered whether young Josh Freeman has the stuff to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, your question has been answered in the affirmative. Fans have waited for a quarterback to make plays, to move the ball, and to give the Bucs the chance to win a ballgame. At times it seemed like too much to ask. ...more

November 9, 2009

CHARGERS ...21 GIANTS ...20 Philip Rivers capped an 80-yard drive with an 18-yard pass to Vincent Jackson with 21 seconds to play and San Diego handed New York its fourth straight loss. Rivers was 24 of 36 for 209 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Jackson, in helping the Chargers win their third straight. The Giants are 5-4 heading into a bye week and not looking very much like a playoff team. In the first meeting between Rivers and Giants quarterback Eli Manning since they were dealt for each other on draft day 2004, Terrell Thomas intercepted Rivers' pass late in the fourth quarter and returned it 33 yards to the San Diego 4. A holding penalty on first down pushed New York back 10 yards, and it had to settle for a short field goal and a six-point lead that Rivers and Jackson erased. Rivers hit Kris Wilson on a 2-yarder in the third to give San Diego a 14-7 lead in a game in which the Giants defense rebounded from miserable efforts the previous three weeks. ...more

November 9, 2009

JAGUARS ...24 CHIEFS ...21 David Garrard threw for 264 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown to Mike Sims-Walker, to lead Jacksonville. The Jaguars, up and down all season, responded in similar fashion following losses to Arizona and Seattle earlier this season. The latest turnaround after a defeat came after Coach Jack Del Rio ripped his team's defensive effort in a 30-13 loss at the Titans, calling it "insulting, ugly and embarrassing." It worked, at least against Kansas City. Playing without RB Larry Johnson, the Chiefs managed little offense until late in the fourth quarter when Matt Cassel threw for two scores. ...more

November 9, 2009

On a day they saluted their past, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers gave their fans a tantalizing glimpse of the future with a 38-28 comeback victory against the Green Bay Packers. ...more

November 9, 2009

Kevin Durant scored 28 points, Russell Westbrook added 17 points and 10 assists and the Oklahoma City Thunder ran away from the Orlando Magic in the second half Sunday night for a 102-74 victory. ...more

November 9, 2009

What might be the finest Saints team is off to the best start in club history. ...more

November 9, 2009

CARDINALS ...41 BEARS ...21 One week after throwing five interceptions, Kurt Warner tied a career high by throwing five touchdown passes. Larry Fitzgerald added 123 yards receiving and two TDs. Warner was at his best after a miserable performance in a 34-21 loss to Carolina. He handled a team that had a chance to sign him as a backup four years ago, matching the record for TD passes by a Bears opponent without getting picked off. Warner completed 23 of 32 for 261 yards and threw TD passes on the first four possessions. ...more

November 9, 2009

The quarterback couldn't save them this time. Florida State junior Christian Ponder, who was having one of the finest seasons in school history, threw four interceptions - two in the fourth quarter - as the Seminoles were dominated in the final 15 minutes of a 40-24 loss at Clemson on Saturday night. ...more

November 8, 2009

NCT forces three-way playoff Monday night beginning at 7 p.m. ...more

November 7, 2009

Productivity rises as jobless claims fall Productivity rose at an annual rate of 9.5 percent in the July-September quarter, the Labor Department said Thursday. That was much better than the 6.4 percent gain economists had expected. Unit labor costs fell at a 5.2 percent rate. ...more

November 6, 2009