The Bengals are lucky and the Cardinals still cursed. Photos from AFP, Product Reviews.net

There were fumbles, turnovers, penalties, missed calls and a lot of slop. Still, each game was wrought with intensity; each game was down to the wire. And despite the two typically strong-arm, throw-happy, laser-accurate quarterbacks, the excitement on Monday night came not from the offense but from a battle of the defenses.

Cincinnati vs Baltimore

This game was ugly. Exciting. But ugly. With eight combined turnovers, nearly every score was made by a strong defense capitalizing off of some offensive mistake. As reported by Len Pasquarelli of ESPN.com:

Weakside linebacker Landon Johnson scored on a 34-yard fumble return when he snatched a ball out of the air after Ravens quarterback Steve McNair was crunched by defensive end Robert Geathers and free safety Madieu Williams. That TD gave the Bengals a 19-10 lead halfway through the third quarter.

After Ed Reed gave the Ravens a 20-19 lead with an incredible 63-yard punt return, the ever-active Geathers regained the momentum for the Bengals when he got his hands under a tipped pass before it kissed off the turf, then ran back the interception 30 yards.

That led to a 7-yard touchdown pass from Carson Palmer to wideout T.J. Houshmandzadeh, with the ensuing two-point conversion boosting the Bengals into a 27-20 lead.

Then the game got crazy. Bengals tailback Rudi Johnson fumbled, giving a chance for Ravens’ backup QB Boller to lead the team right up to the goal. Boller threw a touchdown pass, that was denied due to a offensive passing interference penalty (controversial if not bad call) by the refs. The Ravens moved back, continued the attack, but could not seem to find the end zone.

On a third-and-goal play from the two, Boller threw for tight end Todd Heap who was about a yard deep in the end zone. The pass bounced off Heap, and then off Landon Johnson, and floated tantalizingly in the air until Myers cradled it to his chest.

And the game was called.

Bengals-27, Ravens-20

Arizona vs. San Francisco

Despite the revamped offensive line, flanked by right tackle Levi Brown out of Penn State, the 49ers continued a constant down-pour of pressure on Leinart. This caused Leinart to make a lot of hurried, incomplete, dangerous throws and two interceptions(one to open the game and another to close it). But whatever defensively the 49ers brought, the Cardinals turned around and gave it right back, allowing the 49ers only 3/12 3rd down conversions and only 194 total offensive yards.

The Cardinals rushing game (James) led the offense through the game. Leinart however, finally did find his rythym mid-way through the fourth quarter, scrambling for a 20-something yard run and a first down. Then Leinart followed that up with a decisive touchdown to Anquan Boldin, to give Arizona the lead. But not for long…

As is the curse of the Cardinals, a one yard touchdown run by 49ers Arnaz Battle with 22 seconds left in the game handed the 49ers a last minute victory.

49ers-20, Cardinals-17