As we do each Monday, here are our exclusive Game Recaps where we sit a couple of our guys down in front of every NFL game to pull out the important items you need to know from a Fantasy Football standpoint.

We try to go way beyond what the box score or standard game recaps will offer and bring you what you really Need to Know and what you Ought to Know. Let's jump to it.

Joe

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Joe Bryant
Owner - www.Footballguys.com

WEEK 9 GAME RECAPS

Footballguys Game Recap Writers: Mike Anderson, Bill Brown, Michael Brown, Jeff Caldwell, Stan Dorsey, Cathy Fazio, Rich Fix, Mike Flynn, Bradley Gabbard, Cory Gilbert, Clayton Gray, Tracy Hackler, A. Jalen, Alex Knapik, Mike Krucek Jeff Lewis, Scott Martin, Allen Matirossian, Dave Oleyar, Jeff Pasquino, Greg Porzucek, Steve Prosapio, Steve Schone, David Shick, Jeff Siedsma, Mark Strickland, Dave Teller, Michael Tudor, Kerry Walls, Mark Westmyer, Todd Young

Edited by Joe Bryant

New York Giants 31 at New York Jets 28

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

New York Giants

QB Kerry Collins played smart and efficiently. His final numbers (24-40, 303 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions) are indicative of the job he did. He consistently found the open man, despite heavy pressure at times. He didn't make the poor decisions in the red zone that have plagued the Giants all year.

The Giants had a chance to win the game on the opening drive of overtime, but K Brett Conway hooked a 39-yard attempt. The Giants finally won the game on Conway's 29-yard field goal in the final seconds of the overtime period.

WR Amani Toomer finally played like a number one receiver today. He made all of the important catches for New York, including a terrific 39-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter. Toomer finished with 6 receptions for 127 yards and a TD.

TE Jeremy Shockey had some problems with drops earlier in the year. He did have a ball go through his hands today on what would have been a tough catch, but other than that, he caught absolutely everything in sight. He added another 8 receptions for 86 yards today and could have had much more had it not been for a blown read by Collins.

New York Jets

WR Santana Moss has been getting better and better each week, and in this game, he absolutely exploded. He caught 10 balls for 121 yards and three touchdowns. He could have had a fourth but he stepped out of bounds at the 2-yard line and the pass was ruled incomplete. Had he just run straight he could have waltzed into the end zone.

Well, apparently it took little over a half for QB Chad Pennington to shake off all of the rust. Despite turning the ball over three times, it was Pennington's second half resurgence (with help from Moss, of course) that enabled the Jets to come back.

Like Moss, Curtis Martin has been steadily improving week by week. Against the Giants, he carried the ball 28 times for 108 yards and really provided the Jets with the running threat that enabled Pennington's play-action fakes to work.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

New York Giants

QB: Kerry Collins played a terrific game for the second week in a row. For the first time in weeks, however, there were no glaring mistakes from Collins once the Giants got in close to the red zone. Collins squeezed a tight touchdown in to Ike Hilliard and placed a perfectly thrown pass into the arms of Amani Toomer for an earlier score. Collins and Toomer lost 21 yards on a play that was called back due to holding. Collins added a 2-point conversion on a quarterback draw, a call that turned out to be key to the Giants winning.

RB: Tiki Barber put up the quietest 109 total yards you'll ever see. He carried 21 times for 77 yards and added another 32 yards on 4 receptions. Perhaps most importantly, he escaped serious injury on the Giants game-winning drive when he was tackled awkwardly from behind. His knee appeared to bend at a bad angle, and Barber remained on the ground for several minutes and out of the game for several plays. He came back in, however, and received the last two carries before Brett Conway's game-winner.

Dorsey Levens played a significant role in the game, carrying the ball 11 times for 39 yards and a touchdown. Levens was in for that entire drive, and capped it off with a touchdown run from 3 yards out. He provided a couple of tense moments, however, when he appeared to fumble on one play (he was ruled down) and then mishandled a handoff from Collins on another play before regaining his grasp on the ball.

WR: Amani Toomer had a big game, as evidenced by his 6 receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown. Toomer was targeted 14 times, and even the balls he didn't catch were more a result of solid defensive plays. Toomer lost a 21-yard reception due to a holding penalty.

Ike Hilliard was almost invisible for the entire first half. He was targeted just once prior to the third quarter. In the second half, however, he really turned it on. He was targeted 7 times in the second half, and finished up with very solid numbers of 5 receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown. Hilliard's touchdown reception came from 6 yards out, showing once again that once New York gets in close to the goal line, it is Hilliard who Collins trusts above all others.

TE: Jeremy Shockey started off slow, but came on strong, especially in the fourth quarter and overtime. Shockey caught 6 of the 7 passes intended for him after the first half, and 8 of 11 overall. He totaled 86 yards for the game on a team-high 8 receptions. On the Hilliard touchdown, Shockey was wide open in the back of the end zone and could have just as easily scored the touchdown. Shockey has been doing a terrific job in recent weeks of getting open down near the goal line.

Pass Defense: If grading just based on the first half, one would give this unit a pretty high score. Chad Pennington was a turnover machine for the first 30 minutes or so, but then Santana Moss made the Giants DBs look silly. A week after facing the Vikings, these guys must be wondering which Moss is tougher to cover because Santana was open at all turns. Despite already having 3 touchdowns by the midway point of the third quarter, he was still able to consistently find separation from the defenders. Michael Strahan was getting consistent pressure on Chad Pennington early on, but the Jets did a fine job of protecting their QB in the second half.

Run Defense: Curtis Martin again looked like the 1,000 yard back we've all come to know. In the first half especially, it was Martin's running that kept the ball out of the hands of the Giant offense. The Giants had a tough time containing Martin, who totaled over 100 yards despite having no carries greater than 15 yards.

On a separate note, Brandon Short was a monster in both phases of the defense. He had 14 tackles, a sack, 2 forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and generally wrought havoc on the entire Jets offense throughout the course of the game.

Special Teams: The Giants special teams unit nearly cost the team the win, then saved the game all within a matter of minutes in the overtime session. After Brett Conway's missed 39-yard field goal, minutes later the Jets set up for a potential game-winning 51-yarder. The Giants got a strong push from the outside and blocked the kick, setting up their own game-winner, which Conway nailed from 29 yards out.

New York Jets

QB: It was a tale of two halves for Chad Pennington today. He couldn't have done less through the early portions of the game, and couldn't get anything going due to turnovers. However, once Santana Moss really got going, Pennington was able to feed off the play-action passing game that he works to perfection and find people down the field. Pennington engineered two scoring drives for the Jets in the last 10 minutes of the game to bring the Jets back from 28-14 to tie the game at 28 and send it to overtime. His final numbers were 27-45 for 281 yards, 4 touchdowns (a career high), 2 interceptions, and 1 lost fumble. One of his interceptions was by Ralph Brown, but Brown should probably have been called for interference on the play. Those who are worried about Pennington's hand injury should check out the block he laid on Brandon Short on a reverse to Santana Moss. Short was leveled; Pennington walked away. You'll recall it was Brandon Short who tackled Pennington in the preseason from behind and injured his wrist in the first place.

RB: Curtis Martin (28 carries, 108 yards, 2 receptions, 1 yard) showed shiftiness and elusiveness while displaying power we haven't seen much from him so far this year. Martin was able to consistently move the chains in the first half, and it was Martin's success running the ball that enabled the Jets to play-action pass downfield in the second half. Martin did lose a fumble in the first half and came out of the game for several plays spanning two series, but he would later return. Martin is the first running back since last season to rush for 100 yards against the Giants.

LaMont Jordan carried just 6 times for 12 yards and wasn't much of a factor.

WR: Santana Moss has stepped into the Laveranues Coles role and not only embraced it, but could be growing into a superstar. I have rarely seen a receiver get so consistently open during the course of a game as Moss did. He finished with 10 receptions for 121 yards and 3 touchdowns. He could have had a fourth, and it would have been about a 40-yard reception, but he only got one foot down before stepping out of bounds at the 2-yard line. It was initially ruled a touchdown, but after review it was reversed to incomplete. That was Moss's only miscue of the afternoon. He also added 11 yards on a double reverse. Moss has now scored at least one touchdown in four consecutive games.

Wayne Chrebet had an odd game. He caught no balls in the first half. Then on the opening drive of the second half, he was Pennington's third down go-to guy until suffering an injury. He laid out for a ball downfield and was apparently hit in the head by a defender's knee. Chrebet stayed on the ground for a long time, but eventually got up and returned to the game. By that point, Moss had completely taken things over and was Pennington's main option. Chrebet finished with 4 receptions for 34 yards.

Curtis Conway continues to disappoint, with just 3 receptions for 27 yards.

TE: Anthony Becht came up with (at the time) a huge touchdown reception towards the end of regulation that tied the game at 28. He actually ended up as the Jets' second-leading receiver, with 4 receptions for 44 yards.

Pass Defense: They didn't really get too much pressure on Collins, and only sacked him once. They allowed Collins to throw for over 300 yards (albeit in nearly five full quarters). If they took Hilliard out of the mix, Toomer was able to explode. Then, when the Jets tried focusing on taking out Toomer, it was Shockey who came up with everything. There always seemed to be a weapon ready from the Giants offense.

Run Defense: Did a solid job of taking Tiki Barber out of the flow. As a team, the Jets allowed 115 yards on 33 carries, 3.48 yards per carry. But it almost seemed as if the Giants didn't really need to run at times.

Special Teams: Both teams deserve a special teams mention today, as the Jets blew a golden opportunity to steal this game. Granted, the 51-yard attempt by Doug Brien isn't an automatic chip shot, but there was so much confusion and lack of cohesiveness on the attempt, it was a disaster. Brien was busy slowly counting out his steps as the play clock ticked down towards 1. (The Jets had already used up their timeouts earlier in the OT.) Then, the snap was suddenly rushed, Brien wasn't ready, and the kick was blocked.

Carolina Panthers 10 at Houston Texans 14

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers failed to capitalize on several opportunities to take control of the game in the first half with an untimely interception by QB Jake Delhomme early in the second quarter and additional unfinished drives. The lack of completion of the Panthers' first half drives resulted only in a 7-0 advantage at the end of the first half. Carolina continued to move the ball in the second half, but also continued to squander chances to score. Carolina's defense was just as dominant as their offense in the first half, giving up only 61 total yards to the Texans in the first two quarters. However, the Panthers' defensive dominance lessened in the second half as the Texans drove for two second half touchdowns, and ate up most of the last six minutes to win the game.

RB Stephen Davis was the offensive leader for the Panthers, collecting 153 yards on 30 carries. Davis' 100-yard rushing game was his sixth this season, setting a Panthers' team record for most 100-yard rushing games in a season. DeShaun Foster spelled Davis for 13 yards on three carries.

WR Stephen Smith was Delhomme's favorite target in the game. Smith caught five passes for 88 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown pass to start the game's scoring. However, Smith was involved in a key play mid-way through the fourth quarter, as Smith was flagged for a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty for kicking a Texans' defensive player as he was trying to get stand up after being tackled. The penalty changed a 2nd and 3 situation at the Houston 31 yard-line to a 2nd and 18 yards at the Houston 46-yard line. Two plays later, Carolina would punt the ball to the Texans, and not take possession of the ball again until there was 00:01 left in the game.

WR Muhsin Muhammad played for the first time since the Tennessee game on October 19. Muhammad caught two passes for 29 yards.

Houston Texans

QB Tony Banks started and played the complete game in place of David Carr, who was designated as the Texans' third quarterback for the game, due to a high ankle sprain received in the previous game. Banks started slowly, but led the Texans to two touchdown drives in the second half. This was the first game that David Carr did not start in the 24-game history of the Houston Texans, and was Tony Banks' first start since 2001.

RB Domanick Davis started as the Texans' primary running back, but left the game with a strained chest muscle in the third quarter. In Davis' 2+ quarters, he rushed for 74 yards on 12 carries, but was replaced by RB Stacey Mack in short yardage and goal-line situations, and also when he was injured in the second half. Mack rushed for 26 yards on 12 carries, and collected the only rushing touchdown in the game in the third quarter from one-yard out.

TE Billy Miller seems to be finding his way back into the Texans' offense as he made four receptions in the game for 58 yards, including a one-handed, 20-yard game-winning TD pass from Tony Banks mid-way through the fourth quarter.

Rookie WR Andre Johnson was Banks' favorite wide receiver target, as Johnson also caught four passes for 65 yards. WR Corey Bradford did not catch a pass in the game.

The Texans wore red jerseys for the first time in the 1-1/2 year history.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Carolina Panthers

QB: Jake Delhomme played the complete game for the Panthers, going 13-for-23 for 193 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. Delhomme had fairly equal yardage between the halves (98 in the first and 95 in the second). Delhomme's touchdown pass came on the Panthers' first series of the game, sending them to a quick 7-0 lead. Delhomme's interception came deep in Texans' territory to start the second quarter, as Delhomme threw into double coverage near the Texans' goal line. The interception ended a drive which had gone deep into Texans' territory (the play started at Houston's 25-yard line) and which most likely would have led to at least a 10-0 Carolina lead, if not another Panther touchdown for a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter.

RB: Stephen Davis rushed for 153 yards on 30 carries in the game. Davis ran for over 100 yards (107) in the first half as he easily bulled through the Texans' run defense. DeShaun Foster spelled Davis sparingly in the game, rushing for 13 yards on three carries. Foster dropped a pass late in the second quarter as the Panthers were driving that would have continued the Panthers' drive with a first down.

WR: Stephen Smith was the prime receiving target for the Panthers in the game, as Smith collected 5 receptions in the game for 88 yards and one touchdown. Smith also ran for six yards on a reverse in the third quarter, and ran for 30 yards on a "hook and ladder" lateral as Carolina attempted a last attempt to win the game on the last play from Carolina's 29-yard line. Muhsin Muhammad collected two passes for 29 yards as he played for he first time since being injured in the Tennessee game.

TE: Keith Magnum collected two passes for 47 yards. Jermaine Wiggins caught one pass for six yards, but dropped a touchdown pass late in the third quarter than would have regained a one touchdown lead for the Panthers. As a result of the dropped pass, the Panthers kicked a field goal, giving them a 10-7 lead.

K: John Kasay successfully converted his two scoring attempts in the game, a point after touchdown in the first quarter after the Panthers' opening drive touchdown, and a 23-yard field goal late in the third quarter.

Pass Defense: The Panthers' pass defense between halves was significantly different, as the Panthers' yielded only 24 yards passing to Houston in the first half, but 125 yards in the second half. While the Panthers did not give up significant passing yards in the game, they continually could not stop Texans' drives in the second half. Carolina's third down defense was not very successful, as Houston converted eight of 13 third-down attempts. DB Reggie Howard nearly intercepted a Texans' at Houston's 20-yard line late in the second quarter, but he dropped the short-out pass thrown by Tony Banks. The interception would most likely have set up a Panthers' field goal attempt on the last play of the half. DL Mike Rucker collected two sacks in the first half. The Panthers did not intercept a pass in the game.

Run Defense: The Panthers' run defense was similar to their pass defense-stout in the first half and yielding in the second half. The Panthers came up only 37 yards in the first half, but 137 yards in the second half. As with the pass defense, the Panthers continually gave up rushing yards in the second half that would lead to the two Texans' touchdowns and a final drive late in the fourth quarter that chewed up a significant amount of the final 6:00 of the game. LB Dan Morgan did not play in the game.

Houston Texans

QB: Tony Banks played the entire game for injured David Carr who was designated as the third quarterback for the Texans. Banks had a slow start in the game, going 3-for-6 for 29 yards in the first half. The second half was much more productive for Banks, as he led Houston to two touchdowns in the second half and finished 13-for-19 for 154 passing yards and one touchdown.

RB: Domanick Davis started the game as the primary running back in the game for Houston, but left the game in the third quarter with a strained chest muscle. During his time in the game, Davis ran 12 times for 74 yards, with 51 of his yards coming in the second half. Stacey Mack spelled Davis, running for 26 yards on 15 carries, including a 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that tied the game at 7. Tony Hollings also ran the ball one time for six yards.

WR: Pass receptions to the Texans' wideouts were spread between Andre Johnson (4-for-64) and Jabar Gaffney (3-for-30). Gaffney made a tough 3rd down catch with approximately five minutes remaining in the game to continue the Texans' final, time-consuming drive. Corey Bradford did not make a reception in the game.

TE: Billy Miller caught four passes in the game for 58 yards, including a spectacular 20-yard game-winning touchdown grab midway through the fourth quarter. Miller's touchdown reception was his second this season, and his second in two games.

K: Kris Brown converted on his two point after touchdown attempts. Brown did not attempt a field goal in the game.

Pass Defense: DB Aaron Glenn collected his first interception on the season, a key interception early in the second quarter that thwarted a drive that looked like it was going to result in a two score lead for the Panthers. Glenn was also involved in a 48-yard touchdown return that was initially ruled a fumble recovery, but was later overturned. The Texans did not collect a sack in the game.

Run Defense: The Texans' run defense yielded a total of 174 yards rushing in the game, with 111 of these yards coming in the first half.

St. Louis 10 at San Francisco 30

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

St. Louis Rams

The Rams were embarrassed in nearly every phase of the game: they allowed the opening kickoff to be returned for a touchdown, they totaled 9 rushing yards as a team, and they made Tim Rattay look like the second coming of Joe Montana in his first professional start.

RB Marshall Faulk was supposed to get about half of the rushing plays in the game but the Rams fell behind so quickly that the coaches didn't want to risk further injury in a game that was so far out of reach. His replacement, RB Arlen Harris, was the definition of futile with his 9 yards on 8 attempts.

Torry Holt continued his hot streak with 200 receiving yards and a touchdown on 11 catches. He and Marc Bulger continue to be on the same offensive page 9 times out of 10.

San Francisco

Tim Rattay had a 7 point lead before he even took the field and that let him easy comfortably into his first professional start. He completed passes to 9 different receivers and showed the poise and polish of a more experienced passer.

Kevan Barlow ran harder than he has all season and broke the 100-yard barrier in combined rushing and receiving.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

St. Louis Rams

QB: Marc Bulger (26-42, 378 1 TD 2INT passing, 1 fumble lost) was hit early and often as the 49ers threw every blitz in the book at him. The Rams fell behind very early and passed almost exclusively from late in the 2nd quarter on. Bulger's favorite target was, again, Torry Holt. Bulger was sacked 5 times and knocked down at least a dozen more. To his credit he stayed in the pocket and took the hits to deliver the passes. He got no relief from the running game and was forced to make something happen on his own. While that's bad news for the Rams it was good news for fantasy owners in yardage leagues as Bulger almost hit the 400 yard mark.

RB: Marshall Faulk was supposed to get about half of the rushing plays in the game but when the Rams fell so far behind so quickly the coached decided not to risk him getting hurt in a game that was so far out of reach.

Arlen Harris (8-9 rushing, 3-34 receiving) was terrible. He managed only 9 yards on 8 carries and was a main reason Bulger was under so much pressure during the game. He missed way too many blocking assignments and was such an ineffective runner that the Rams completely abandoned the rushing game by the early 3rd quarter. Harris was the only Ram to attempt a run.

WR: Torry Holt (11-200, 1TD receiving) was once again the focal point of the Rams passing game. He and Marc Bulger have such incredible chemistry that's it's almost unfair to defenders. It seems like Bulger and Holt know exactly when and where the ball will be thrown and defensive backs are helpless to stop it. Holt is as hot as a fantasy wide receiver gets and with the running game so weak, he's not showing any signs of letting up.

Isaac Bruce (4-93 receiving) would have broken the 125 yard mark but for a drop of a very catchable pass in the 4th quarter. While Bruce is clearly the second man in St. Louis, the Rams' passing attack is so potent that he's as much of a threat to score as Torry Holt on any given passing play.

Dane Looker (3-32 receiving) is solidly the 3rd receiver in St. Louis. Bulger certainly does not shy away from targeting the second-year wideout and should an injury befall one of the two top guns in this offense Looker would fit nicely as a temporary replacement. He has good hands, decent quickness, and he certainly has the confidence of his quarterback.

Kevin Curtis (4-13) was not much of a fantasy factor in this game.

K: Jeff Wilkins made a 39-yard field goal and his only PAT in the game.

Pass Defense: This was a unit missing their best quarterback rusher, Leonard Little, and it showed. Tim Rattay had an impressive debut as a professional starter and shredded the Rams defense for 236 yards and 3 scores. .

Rush Defense: Garrison Hearst and Kevan Barlow combined 156 yards on 31 carries against an overmatched Rams defense.

San Francisco 49ers

QB: Tim Rattay (19-29, 236 3TD 1 INT passing, 3-4 rushing) made quite a splash in his debut as a starter for the 49ers. While he did see some pressure he handled it well and usually found the open receiver. He didn't focus in on any one receiver, instead he completed passes to 9 different receivers with none of them getting more than 3 catches. He did play to his receivers' strengths: the scoring pass to Owens was a jump ball into a crowd that let Owens use his superior size to make the catch. Rattay also had a scoring pass to his scout team partner, Brandon Lloyd.

While Rattay's numbers were excellent, the starting job still appears to be Jeff Garcia's when he returns from his high ankle sprain. Garcia said he was looking at the game against the Steelers in two weeks to make his return.

RB: Garrison Hearst (17-80 receiving, 1-12 receiving) led the 49ers ground attack again this week. He had much more success attacking the perimeter of the Rams defense than he did trying to run up the middle. While he did split carries again this week, Hearst appears to still be the first option in the 49ers rushing attack.

Kevan Barlow (14-76 rushing, 3-31 receiving) had his best rushing game of the season. He hit holes quickly and seemed to run with more confidence than he has in previous weeks. His work in the passing game is where his real value showed in this game. He was a very effective blocker while being productive when he was targeted with a pass.

Fred Beasley (1-5 rushing, 3-46 receiving) surprisingly led the team in receiving yards this week.

WR: Terrell Owens (2-17, 1TD receiving) had a very quiet game. His touchdown came on a jump ball pass from Rattay which allowed Owens to use his superior size and strength to make the catch.

Tai Streets (3-26, 1TD receiving) made a circus catch for his score. The pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage and Streets reached way behind himself to make the grab.

Brandon Lloyd (2-35, 1TD receiving) runs a lot of scout and second team work for the 49ers with Tim Rattay. Their familiarity with each other was evident on Lloyd's scoring catch when Rattay seemed to thrown the pass to a spot that Lloyd could just barely get to. It was an excellent display of both Rattay's touch and Lloyd's ability to make the tough catch. If Rattay sticks in the starter's job (and that's an unlikely "if" right now) Lloyd might be a big beneficiary. It's just another thing for you Sharks to keep in mind….

TE: Jed Weaver (2-16 receiving) played a small fantasy role in the 49ers passing attack.

K: In a stunning turn of events the 49ers made as many field goals as they missed. New Kicker Todd Peterson's miss was from 53 yards as time expired in the first half.

Pass Defense: When the Rams abandoned the running game the 49ers faced the full force of the Rams passing attack. The 49ers sacked Bulger 5 times and pressured him into 2 interceptions and a lost fumble. They still gave up almost 400 passing yard, though, so the day was not a total success.

Rush Defense: The staunch 49ers' rushing defense played a large role in holding the Rams to 9 rushing yards but a lot of the credit (blame?) should go to Arlen Harris and his complete inability to make any positive yards.

Cincinnati Bengals 14 at Arizona Cardinals 17

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Cincinnati Bengals

For all the promise the Bengals have shown this year, when it comes down to it, they were still the Bengals Sunday. They gave a very uninspiring performance losing a winnable game.

Corey Dillon returned from his injuries and car wrecks and contributed almost nothing before being replaced by Rudi Johnson early in the second quarter. Johnson ran the ball better than Dillon, but the Bengals managed only 19 total rushing attempts including the two scrambles by Kitna.

Kitna did throw 38 passes, but the Bengals never really controlled the ball long enough to get all that close to scoring. Their first TD was a gift that came after Kitna threw an interception from the Cardinal's 4 yard line. Kitna was roughed on the play and a penalty was called negating the interception. That gave the Bengals the ball 1st and goal from the 2 yard line and they scored on their second play from there. Their other TD was set up by a long catch by Chad Johnson that replays seemed to show was not a catch at all. The challenge was somehow denied by the "no clear evidence" rule. If not for these two gifts, the Bengals might not have scored at all.

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals are rolling, winning their last two ball games. They've won both games by controlling the clock with the ground game. They held the ball for almost 35 minutes and racked up 161 yards on the ground. Marcel Shipp had his second consecutive fantastic performance replacing Emmitt Smith. Last week against the 49ers he went for 165 and against the Bengals, he ran for 141.

Anquan Boldin continued to perform unlike a rookie WR. He scored his first TD since game one and had several other clutch receptions. There's no doubt that Blake's first option at WR will continue to be Boldin. Speaking of Blake, he played mistake free football which won the game for Arizona. Nothing spectacular, but no turnovers and two key scrambles for 3rd down conversions.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Cincinnati Bengals

QB: Jon Kitna (21-38/1TD/2int) was not himself today. Kitna owners must have looked forward to the Cardinals secondary trying to contain the successful Bengals passing game. Contain it they did. The Bengals had gone two and a half games without a turnover before Kitna threw the first of his two interceptions. He was lucky to end up with only two as there were two other easy interceptions dropped by the Cardinals.

RB: Saying Corey Dillon's days are numbered in Cincinnati is an understatement. After all the problems he causes, he finally gets back into the starting lineup and manages 5 yards on 7 carries. Rudi Johnson came in on their first goal line situation and scored from 2 yards out. He replaced Dillon on the next series and finished with a respectable 34 yards on only 8 carries. The Bengals inability to run the ball was a big factor in the ineffectiveness of their offense as a whole.

WR: Chad Johnson had another good day catching 4 balls for 75 yards. He got open on what would have been a 40 yard TD, but the ball was overthrown by Kitna. Peter Warrick continued what has quietly been his best season by catching 7 passes for 55 yards and a TD. Rookie Kelly Washington had 4 targets and 2 catches for 17 yards. He may be a sleeper if either Johnson or Warrick get hurt.

TE: TEs had a slightly better than average day for the Bengals. Matt Schobel has been battling injuries all season, but he played about half the plays and finished with 3 catches and 23 yards. Tony Stewart provided Kitna with a big safety valve (he's 6'5") grabbing 4 catches for 40 yards.

K: Shayne Graham did not attempt a FG and hit both his XP tries.

Pass Defense: The pass defense played pretty well because it wasn't tested all that often. Blake never really threw deep and the longest pass play allowed was a 21 yard catch and run. The zero interceptions were a direct result of Blake not having to force anything. The pass rush was pretty good netting 2 sacks, but also gave up 2 key third down conversions on scrambles.

Rush Defense: Nowhere to be found. The Bengals gave up almost 5 yards per carry to an Arizona Cardinal. The defensive line was clearly outmatched.

Arizona Cardinals

QB: Jeff Blake (18-28/2TD/0int) played a steady savvy game for the Cardinals. He didn't force anything and just took what the Bengals gave him. Both his TD passes were from inside the 10, the first coming after a great play fake on the 1 yard line hitting Freddie Jones in the back of the end zone crossing across the middle.

RB: Marcel Shipp carried this team offensively. 141 yards on 29 carries and his only miscue came after his best run of the day. He followed a 36 yard run in the first quarter with a fumble on the next play. Other than that, not scoring was his only flaw on the day. 11 of his 29 carries went for 7 yards or more. Just a great performance.

WR: Anquan Boldin continues to play not like a rookie. He finished with 6 catches for 51 yards and a score. He may not have blazing speed, but he catches just about everything thrown his way - which will lead to a lot of balls thrown his way as long as he stays healthy. Bryan Gilmore got the start opposite Boldin and caught 2 balls for 40 yards.

TE: Freddie Jones caught 5 passes for 38 yards and a score. He continues to be a red zone target as his TD was on a play called specifically for him.

K: Tim Duncan made one field goal from 31 yards, but missed an easy 34 yarder. This may have played against him as the Cardinals punted late in the game rather than attempt a 48 yard field goal.

Pass Defense: Not a bad performance from the NFL's last place team in sacks. Ending up with only 1 sack is actually above average for the Cardinals. They did limit a very good Bengals passing attack to only 218 yards and 41 of those were not deserved. They easily could have had 4 interceptions on the day if the defensive backs could catch.

Rush Defense: A+ on the day. They kept the Bengals in check all day allowing basically nothing on the ground. Corey Dillon was a non factor in his return and Rudi Johnson was held to 34 yards on 8 carries. They Bengals only ran the ball 19 times largely due to the fact that it just wasn't working.

Pittsburgh Steelers 16 at Seattle Seahawks 23

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers committed themselves to feeding RB Jerome Bettis the ball. He had 17 carries through the first 3 quarters, but was mostly ineffective. The Steelers moved the ball best late in the game when they abandoned the run and went with a no huddle offense. They appear to be a team struggling to find an identity.

The offensive line didn't give QB Tommy Maddox much a chance to be successful. He was only sacked twice, but was under pressure throughout the game. He didn't throw any interceptions, but nearly had two balls picked off. One was a pick that was nullified by an off sides penalty. The other was a ball that hit FS Ken Hamlin in the numbers. Penalties were also a big factor in limiting the Steelers first half offensive chances.

The target ratio between WRs Hines Ward and Plaxico Burress was 13:9. Burress played a larger role in the offense when the Steelers went no huddle playing catch-up late making four of his five receptions.

Seattle Seahawks

WR Darrell Jackson went from goat to hero during the game. After two embarrassing drops in the second quarter, the home crowd booed Jackson. He came back with a vengeance scoring the first Seahawks TD at the outset of the fourth quarter and set up the game winning TD with a 43-yard reception to the 1-yard line.

The Seahawk WR corps prevented QB Matt Hasselbeck from having a monster game. They suffered three first half drops including two perfect end zone passes that resulted in FGs.

RB Shaun Alexander found little room to run. Thirteen of his twenty carries went for two yards or less. It was unclear as to why Maurice Morris had the first two Seattle rushes in the game that resulted in 48 yards.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Pittsburgh Steelers

QB: Tommy Maddox: (21-35-226 1 TD passing, 2-5 yards rushing) Maddox struggled to keep the Steelers moving early on. He couldn't convert third down opportunities and only passed for 42 yards in the first half. After the Steelers fell behind by 10 points to open the fourth quarter Pittsburgh began to move the ball through the air. They finished the game with 320 net yards. Maddox was openly frustrated and agitated late when he and his WRs weren't on the same page. Several errant passes fell to the ground after he or the WR didn't execute a play correctly. Maddox lucked out of two interceptions in the game, but also missed out on a TD when Jerame Tuman didn't finish his route in the endzone.

RB: Jerome Bettis: (17-50 yards rushing, 0-0 yards receiving on 1 target) Bettis was the focal point of the offense through the first three quarters, but Pittsburgh wasn't in the game due to the ball control offense. It was more of the Seattle WR drops and the Pittsburgh defense harassing QB Matt Hasselbeck. Bettis wasn't breaking tackles and shedding defenders. He is not the dominant force he once was.

Amos Zereoue: (7-32 yards rushing, 3-45 yards receiving on 4 targets) Zereoue was used as the 3rd down back through the first three quarters. Of his five first half carries, four of them came on draws during obvious passing situations.

WR: Hines Ward: (3-14 yards rushing, 8-66 yards receiving on 13 targets, 1 TD) Ward is still Maddox's security blanket. Without time to take seven step drops, Maddox was forced to get the ball out quickly and Ward is consistently his first look. Ward did a great job of shielding off the DB, and made a fantastic diving attempt back toward the goal line to pull in his TD.

Plaxico Burress: (5-75 yards receiving on 9 targets) Burress dropped his first target in the game and had only one reception through the first three quarters although he was targeted five times during this stretch. He hauled in all four targets in the fourth quarter including a deep ball that he made a great adjustment where he had to fight through the DB to pull it in.

Antwaan Randle El: (3-45 yards receiving on 5 targets) Randle El continues to return both punts and kickoffs. If the Steelers continue to try and pound opponents with the running game Randle El will be an afterthought in their offensive scheme.

TE: Jerame Tuman: (2-22 yards receiving on 4 targets) Tuman made both his receptions late in game when Pittsburgh was playing catch up. He might have had a TD if he had decided to run his whole route on one play.

K: Jeff Reed: (3-3 FGs 49-33-21, 1-1 XPs) Reed was accurate on all his attempts in the game. However, his 49-yarder might not have been good from 50 as it squeaked over the crossbar.

Pass Defense: The Steelers blitzed a ton early in the game resulting in four first half sacks. The secondary deserves credit as several of the sacks came on plays where Hasselbeck had time, but opted to tuck the ball and run. These were plays where he was caught trying to leave the pocket. The Seattle WRs made the Pittsburgh DBs look good early in the game. However, later on the Seattle WRs seemed to be running freely through the secondary.

Rush Defense: The Pittsburgh front seven did a great job of bottling up Shaun Alexander. Their ability to keep Seattle in 2nd and long gave them the ability to set up blitzes on obvious passing downs.

Seattle Seahawks

QB: Matt Hasselbeck: (18-31-215 1 TD passing, 2-3 yards rushing) Hasselbeck did a great job of shaking off the first half problems that he had little control over. He was sacked four times and got little to no help from his supporting cast in the first half. WRs Alex Bannister and Darrell Jackson both dropped sure TD passes and RB Shaun Alexander only managed eleven yards on seven carries. Even though he faced some serious adversity he managed to keep the Seahawks moving and led them on two long TD drives in the fourth quarter.

RB: Shaun Alexander: (20-48 yards rushing 1 TD, 3-19 yards receiving on 3 targets) Alexander played a small role in the Seahawks win. Even though he was shut down completely in the first half, Seattle continued to feed Alexander the ball. He fared much better late in the game ripping off three double-digit yard gains. He was also the gift recipient of a 1-yard TD after a long Jackson reception to the 1-yard line.

Mack Strong: (0-0 yards rushing, 2-13 yards receiving on 2 targets) Strong pulled in his normal couple of receptions in the game, but was a non-factor other than this.

Maurice Morris: (3-47 yards rushing, 0-0 yards receiving on 0 targets) Shaun Alexander was targeted on a reception on the second play of the game, but immediately went to the sideline. Morris was then given two carries that gained 5 and 43 yards. It was unclear if this was planned or that Alexander left the game due to minor injury or an equipment situation. After his second carry he started to jog to the sideline as if he expected to be taken out, but he stayed in through the rest of the first drive. Alexander returned the backfield on the next possession and remained through the rest of the game.

WR: Koren Robinson: (3-51 yards receiving on 5 targets) Robinson continues to make plays with his athleticism. Seattle is hitting him on short routes and giving him a chance to break a tackle in the open field. Robinson made a fantastic endzone diving catch in the third quarter but was barely out of bounds. If he had got the second foot down it might have been the catch of the day. He was completely parallel to the ground and stretched out.

Darrell Jackson: (5-85 yards receiving on 11 targets, 1 TD) Jackson and the Seattle crowd are developing a love-hate relationship. His two drops in the second quarter brought down a chorus of boos. It continued into the third quarter. After pulling in his first target early in the game he didn't make a reception on his next six targets. When he finally made a 4-yard catch at the end of the third quarter the crowd let him have it again with a Bronx cheer. He motioned to the crowd that he realized he deserved it. From that point on he was the Seahawks savior. He made a beautiful grab on a poorly under thrown ball at the goal line to score Seattle's first TD, then turned a short crossing pattern into a 43-yard reception with a few stiff-arms to set up Alexander's 1-yard TD.

Bobby Engram: (2-9 yards receiving on 3 targets) Engram didn't see as much of the field today as Seattle choose to go with more two tight end sets. They also kept Mack Strong in the game more. Engram played his more customary role of 3rd down slot receiver in this game.

TE: Itula Mili: (2-21 yards receiving on 3 targets) Mili returned to earth this week after having a career day a week ago. He wasn't given much of an opportunity to contribute, but he did make a nice 14-yard catch late in the game to help burn up the clock.

Jeremy Stevens: (1-17 yards receiving on 3 targets) Stevens saw more snaps this week. All three of his targets were in the second quarter.

K: Josh Brown: (3-3 FGs 36-46-34, 2-2 XPs) Nothing of consequence to report on Brown. They snapped the ball, and he kicked it through the uprights.

Pass Defense: Seattle sacked QB Tommy Maddox twice. Both sacks came from a blitz by LB Chad Brown. Seattle opted not to blitz through the second half, but they were able to put ample pressure on Maddox with their front four. This was partially due to the poor Pittsburgh pass blocking. Springs, Lucas, and Trufant look like they might be a special trio of cornerbacks. All three can be left alone in one-on-one coverage allowing for more blitzes. Seattle doesn't generate enough pass rush from its front four most of the time and relies on LBs Brown and Anthony Simmons to make plays.

Rush Defense: Seattle was able to keep Pittsburgh from moving the sticks with Bettis. They forced Pittsburgh into passing downs through the first three quarters. Zereoue was able to break through for some longer runs, but they were off draws on longer down and distance situations. Randal Godfrey is filling the role as the run stopping LB that Seattle lacked a year ago.

New Orleans Saints 17 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

New Orleans Saints

On a day when RB Deuce McAllister set a franchise record with his sixth straight 100-yard rushing performance, it was the Saints' defense that spearheaded the team's victory over defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay. New Orleans forced four turnovers on defense (including Ashley Ambrose's 73-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter to put the Saints ahead, 14-0), one on special teams and sacked Buccaneers QB Brad Johnson four times.

RB Deuce McAllister (26-110 rushing, 4-16 receiving) did most of his damage in the first quarter when he rushed eight times for 63 yards, a total aided by a 37-yard gallop on the first play of New Orleans' second possession. Although we wasn't necessarily spectacular, he ran tough all afternoon long.

QB Aaron Brooks (13-29-1-142, one touchdown) struggled with accuracy for most of the game but was absolutely clutch on two key occasions, hitting WR Michael Lewis for a 38-yard TD one play after Johnson's first interception, and going 5-of-6 for 41 yards to set up K John Carney's game-winning field goal with just eight seconds left.

WR / KR Michael Lewis (3-69), the beneficiary of extended playing time due to Donte Stallworth's injury, had the best receiving game of his three-year career and caught his first career touchdown pass.

DE Willie Whitehead forced a fumble and recorded three sacks to lead an inspired defensive effort.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

QB Brad Johnson (27-46-2-321, two touchdowns) was responsible for three of Tampa Bay's five turnovers (although his first interception was tipped). Still, he was masterful in directing two furious late-game rallies to tie the game, 14-14. He hit RB Michael Pittman for a 26-yard touchdown and WR Keenan McCardell for a 30-yard touchdown to culminate two consecutive fourth-quarter drives during which Johnson went 9-of-14 passing for 158 yards. On the day, Johnson completed six passes of 20 yards or more.

Tampa Bay's miscue-marred afternoon included five turnovers, including three deep inside New Orleans territory (a Michael Pittman fumble at the Saints' 21, a Johnson fumble at the Saints' 17 and a Johnson interception at the Saints' 27). Prior to Sunday, the Buccaneers had committed just eight turnovers on the season.

Despite two drops, WR Keyshawn Johnson (10-124) enjoyed a monster game in the losing effort and was targeted 16 times. After being relatively quiet for most of the game, WR Keenan McCardell (5-76, one touchdown) played a key role in Tampa Bay's two scoring drives, catching three passes for 50 yards and a touchdown.

Although Michael Pittman (16-48 rushing, 6-52, one touchdown receiving) was largely held in check on the ground, his 26-yard touchdown reception sparked Tampa Bay's comeback from 14 points down.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

New Orleans Saints

QB: An often erratic Aaron Brooks completed just 45 percent of his passes for a mere 142 yards against Tampa Bay, but he made the outing stand up with timely bouts of brilliance. He reserved his finest pass of the day for the play immediately following Brad Johnson's first interception in the second quarter, connecting with seldom-used WR Michael Lewis on a 38-yard touchdown pass to give New Orleans a 7-0 lead.

Brooks also was stellar on New Orleans' final drive when he completed five straight passes to move the Saints from their 28-yard line to the Tampa Bay 31. Three plays later, John Carney booted the game-winning 47-yard field goal.

Aside from those two moments, Brooks was largely unimpressive through the air. He threw too low to receivers no less than four times, threw the ball away under pressure three times, overthrew Lewis deep twice and had a handful of passes dropped. His lone interception was the result of either a poor decision or bad vision, as he never saw LB Derrick Brooks while attempting to connect with TE Ernie Conwell.

Punter Mitch Berger attempted a pass on a fake field goal attempt early in the game, misfiring low to TE Ernie Conwell, who was open.

RB: Any questions regarding HC Jim Haslett's offensive game plan Sunday were answered with the Saints' first 12 plays from scrimmage, nine of which went to Deuce McAllister - eight rushes for 63 yards and one reception for four.

McAllister finished the game with 126 total yards on 30 touches and became the first player in Saints history to rush for more than 100 yards in six straight games. He did most of his damage in that first quarter, rushing eight times for 63 yards (an average of 7.9 YPC). The rest of the game he managed just 47 yards on 18 carries (an average of 2.6 YPC). McAllister also caught four passes for 16 yards.

Back-up Ki-Jana Carter occasionally spelled McAllister and finished with one carry for minus-1 yard.

FB Terrelle Smith was targeted once by Aaron Brooks on a third-quarter pass that was too low.

WR: A week's worth of missed practices seemed to effect the usually sure-handed Joe Horn (4-39), who dropped three balls on the afternoon. His longest reception of the day covered just 14 yards. Horn was targeted a total of seven times. There was quite a bit of confusion as to whether Horn would play. A couple of hours prior to kickoff, ESPN reported live from the game that Horn was "probably out". However, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported around noon that Horn would start, which he did.

Michael Lewis (3-69, one touchdown) entered Sunday's game with just two catches on the year. Midway through the second quarter he had matched that total, with the second reception being a 38-yard scoring grab over mismatched LB Sheldon Quarles. His third and final grab of the game was huge, too - a 17-yarder on third-and-1 that gave New Orleans a first down at Tampa Bay's 46-yard line on the Saints' game-winning drive. Aside from his three catches, Lewis was targeted three other times.

Jerome Pathon, starting again for the injured Donte Stallworth, was limited to just one reception for five yards on the Saints' game-winning drive. Brooks also missed him on a short route during New Orleans' third possession of the game.

TE: It seemed fitting that on Halloween Weekend, Boo Williams' only catch of the game was key, covering 13 yards down to Tampa Bay's 31-yard line to help set up the game-winning field goal.

Although Ernie Conwell finished with zero catches, he was targeted twice, including on Aaron Brooks' lone interception of the game.

K: John Carney made amends for his 39-yard fourth-quarter miss that would've given New Orleans a 17-7 lead by drilling a sweeping right-to-left 47-yard game-winner with eight seconds remaining. Carney also played decoy on what would've been a 52-yard attempt on the Saints' second possession as holder Mitch Berger misfired on the fake field-goal pass.

Pass Defense: Aside from a late-game collapse that allowed Tampa Bay to tie the game, the Saints' pass defense was excellent for most of the afternoon. Ashley Ambrose picked Brad Johnson off twice and returned the second one 73 yards for a touchdown to give the Saints a 14-0 lead. Two plays earlier, Ambrose had an interception nullified by a pass interference penalty. The Saints also sacked Johnson four times (forcing him to fumble once) and forced a Michael Pittman fumble following an 11-yard pickup on a pass reception.

On the Buccaneers' two touchdown drives, the Saints surrendered four pass plays of 23 yards or more.

Rush Defense: New Orleans Held the hard-running Pittman to 48 yards on 16 carries (just 3 YPC), including a long of just seven yards. In fact, the longest run of the day for the Buccaneers came from the unexpected legs of Brad Johnson, who scrambled once for nine yards.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

QB: Brad Johnson experienced more ups and downs than a Times Square elevator on Sunday en route to a weirdly impressive 321-yard, two-touchdown performance. He completed his first four passes, missed his next six (with an interception), then completed seven of his next nine only to have K Martin Gramatica miss a 36-yard field to end the first half. He completed three of four to start the second half then had WR Keyshawn Johnson drop one before throwing his worst pass of the day - an wounded duck under pressure intended for TE Will Heller. The Saints' Ashley Ambrose plucked the errant throw out of the air and raced 73 yards to give New Orleans a 14-0 lead.

From there, all Johnson did was complete 13 of his final 19 attempts for 199 yards and two touchdowns, 26- and 30-yard scoring strikes to RB Michael Pittman and WR Keenan McCardell, respectively, to bring Tampa Bay back even with 2:08 left in the game. An impressive effort by the Saints' secondary many times forced Johnson to hold the ball too long in the pocket, resulting in four sacks and several poor throws. In Johnson's defense, intended receivers dropped passes no less than three times. While Johnson's first interception wasn't entirely his fault (it was tipped near the line of scrimmage by Charles Grant), he was responsible for two other turnovers (the aforementioned interception and a fumble while being sacked).

Johnson also was responsible for the Buccaneers' longest run from scrimmage, a nine-yard scramble down to New Orleans' 28-yard line early in the second half. The drive ended four plays later when Johnson fumbled on third-and-four from the Saints' 17-yard line.

RB: Michael Pittman made up for a lackluster performance on the ground (16-48) with an effective day through the air (6-52, one touchdown). His 26-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter brought Tampa Bay to within 14-7, but his second-quarter fumble following an 11-yard reception likely cost Tampa Bay at least three points.

Aaron Stecker rushed once for minus-1 yard and recorded one catch for five yards.

Thomas Jones made his only touch of the afternoon count, covering 29 yards on a brilliantly executed screen pass down to the Saints' 30-yard line on Tampa Bay's second touchdown drive. Johnson also overthrew Jones early in the fourth quarter.

FB Jameel Cook was targeted once by Johnson on an overthrown ball.

WR: Keyshawn Johnson (10-124) was on the receiving end of 37 percent of Johnson's completions and was the intended target on 37 percent of his attempts. He caught five passes in each half, suffered two drops and never once got near the end zone.

Keenan McCardell (5-76, one touchdown) caught back-to-back 13-yard passes during the Buccaneers' final drive of the first half, then came up huge on two fourth quarter touchdown drives. He caught seven and 13 yard passes to set up Pittman's TD, then tied the game one possession later with a 30-yard TD reception on fourth-and-10.

Karl Williams (2-19) snagged both of his receptions (with a long of 10) on Tampa Bay's first scoring drive.

TE: Both Todd Yoder (1-20) and Ken Dilger (1-6) caught passes on Sunday, with Yoder's a leaping highlight-reel grab-and-go early in the fourth quarter. Yoder drew double coverage in the end zone on a first-down pass from the Saints' 14-yard line late in the second quarter.

Dilger's reception came on Tampa Bay's second play from scrimmage and he was targeted just two other times.

Will Heller was targeted just once, on Ambrose's 73-yard interception return.

K: The normally reliable Martin Gramatica was just left on a 36-yard attempt as the first half expired. Although it didn't seem so huge at the time with Tampa Bay trailing 7-0, it turned out to be the difference in the game, at least on the scoreboard.

Pass Defense: As expected, the Buccaneers' defense played well on both sides of the ball and limited the Saints to just 257 total yards, including 133 through the air. Tampa Bay sacked Aaron Brooks once (Simeon Rice) and forced one interception (Derrick Brooks). About the only blemish on Tampa Bay's pass defense Sunday was Brooks' 38-yard touchdown pass to Michael Lewis immediately following Brad Johnson's first interception, a play that pitted the speedy Lewis against linebacker Sheldon Quarles on a seam route.

Rush Defense: Although Deuce McAllister's 26-carry, 110-yard outing seems impressive at first glance, it's worth noting that 50 of those yards came on just two carries, which means he needed 24 carries to cover the remaining 60 yards (an average of 2.5 YPC). Tampa Bay allowed McAllister to rush for 73 yards on 12 first-half carries (6.1 YPC) and just 37yards on 14 second-half carries (2.6 YPC).

Chicago Bears 20 San Diego Chargers 7

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

San Diego Chargers

Drew Brees (7/15, 49 yards, 1 interception) may have been even more ineffective than his pathetic stats indicate. He missed his first two passes extremely badly and seemed to go downhill from there. He was replaced by Doug Flutie in the 4th quarter.

LaDainian Tomlinson (16 carries for 61 yards, 1 touchdown, 4 catches 21 yards, 4 targets) did all that he could to keep the Chargers in the game, however it was not nearly enough. He scored his touchdown in the 4th quarter on a drive that Doug Flutie engineered.

David Boston ( 4 catches 29 yards, 8 targets) was much more active than his numbers indicate. He was open on a long pass but Brees threw the ball errantly for an interception.

Chicago Bears

Chris Chandler (21/30 for 224 yards, 1 interception, 1 rush for 11 yards) ran the Bear offense extremely efficiently. He likely could have thrown for many more yards if he needed to, however the outcome of this game was never in doubt after halftime. His leadership helped the Bears control the ball an amazing 23:03 out of 30:00 in the second and third quarters.

Anthony Thomas (31 carries 111 yards, 2 touchdowns) went over 100 yards rushing for the third time in his last four games. He ran very effectively and is the Bears' first, second and sometimes third option in the red zone. In the Bears' first red zone trip he ran the ball 4 straight times with the 4th time resulting in the touchdown. Their second trip he carried the ball the first two plays before an incomplete pass and the Bears settled for the field goal. The final drive the Bears got the ball with 3:08 remaining and ran Thomas SIX straight times, scoring a touchdown on the final 1 yard carry.

Dez White (7 catches 58 yards, 12 targets) was clearly the "go to" receiver for Chris Chandler. Despite Chandler spreading the ball around to 6 different receivers, White was the target on 12 of his 30 passes.

Marty Booker did not play once again due to injury.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

San Diego Chargers

QB: Drew Brees (7/15, 49 yards, 1 interception) is playing as bad as a quarterback can play. His interception came on a play where David Boston clearly had a step on the Bears' defender and Brees threw the ball short and 10 yards off target to the middle of the field where the pass was easily intercepted. His throws were so far off target that his receivers were visibly upset by it.

Doug Flutie (8/11, 70 yards, 2 rushes for 19 yards) a week after turning 41 years old performed head and shoulders above Drew Brees and moved the team to their only touchdown of the day. In three drives he threw for nearly twice the yardage of Drew Brees yet after the game insisted that he should remain the backup.

RB: LaDainian Tomlinson (16 carries for 61 yards, 1 touchdown, 4 catches 21 yards, 4 targets) caught every pass that was thrown to him and ran hard, however it was clear that the Bear defense keyed on him. He was clearly most effective on the drive that Doug Flutie engineered. It appears the Bears turned a bit more of their attention on Flutie and Tomlinson responded with his longest run of the day (14 yards) and a touchdown.

WR: David Boston ( 4 catches 29 yards, 8 targets) never got into the flow of the game. The 4 targets that he did not catch the ball were passes that were impossible for him to make a play on. He was open on a long pass but Brees threw the ball errantly for an interception.

Tim Dwight (1 receptions 22 yards, 5 targets) was looked to fairly often (especially by Flutie) however they could only connect for the one long pass.

TE: No Charger tight end was targeted on any pass.

Pass Defense: Sacked Chandler twice but did not put a great deal of pressure on him much of the time. Bear receivers were open much of the time and although this group is improving they are still very vulnerable.

Rush Defense: Gave up 125 rushing yards and showed little resistance at key times.

Chicago Bears

Chris Chandler (21/30 for 224 yards, 1 interception, 1 rush for 11 yards) showed that Kordell Stewart will not play again this year unless Chandler is injured. He carved up the San Diego secondary and could have thrown for many more yards if the Bears needed to. He ran the Bear offense extremely efficiently.

RB: Anthony Thomas (31 carries 111 yards, 2 touchdowns) ran extremely effectively and helped them control the clock during this game. Close to the goal line the Bears seemed intent on getting him in the end zone.

WR: Dez White (7 catches 58 yards, 12 targets) the 12 targets should say it all, however he was targeted in the red zone several times as well. He is clearly Chandler's favorite receiver at this point.

Marty Booker did not play again due to his injury.

David Terrell (7 receptions 38 yards, 8 targets) was extremely active today. He had a 21 yard reception nullified by an offensive penalty.

TE: Desmond Clark (1 reception 31 yards, 3 targets) returned from a one game absence due to injury and showed his value. His long reception was down to the 2 yard line and set up a Bear field goal.

Pass Defense: did not sack a Charger quarterback but they often put pressure on them, forcing them to scramble or throw the ball away. They surrendered only 119 yards passing.

Rush Defense: This unit clearly keyed on Tomlinson and held him in check only surrendering 80 rushing yards with 19 of those coming on Doug Flutie 4th quarter scrambles.

Oakland Raiders 13 at Detroit Lions 23

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Oakland Raiders

The Raider's had a total of 12 drives in Sunday's game. Three of the drives ended on interceptions; four ended with punts; one ended due to a fumble; and one ended on a missed field goal. QB Marques Tuiasosopo opened the game with an early interception and later left the game-2nd quarter-with a knee injury. He was 6 of 11 for 65 yards, 1 INT, and 0 TDs. QB Rick Mirer came in to replace Tuiasosopo in the 2nd quarter, but was just as ineffective throughout the remainder of the game. He threw for 125 yards and 2 INTs.

4 of 5 offensive lineman were listed as questionable going into the game, but all played. The unit did not give their QBs any time to throw, and RB Charlie Garner gained only 66 yards rushing on 15 carries. Garner was also held to 1 catch for 6 yards. His 3rd quarter score was Oakland's only TD on the day.

K Sebastian Janikowski provided the rest of the Raider's scoring with 2 FGs (55 & 24).

The Raider's run defense, ranked 32nd, had a coming out party, giving up "only" 99 combined rushing yards to Detroit's two featured RBs. The defense as a whole only gave up a little over 200 total yards. However, their only other Fantasy contribution was an interception.

Detroit Lions

Detroit took an early 10-0 lead after two Oakland turnovers gave them good field position. Other than that, the Lion's offense had trouble moving the ball. FB Cory Schlesinger was the Lion's leading receiver in the game with 4 catches for 53 yards and 1 TD. QB Joey Harrington passed for a total of 117 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT. He also had a fumble.

The Lion's continued their RBBC (running back by committee) approach, giving RBs Olandis Gary and Shawn Bryson equal playing time. Neither back was favored over the other, but Gary set himself apart by scoring on a 2-yard rushing TD. He finished the day with 15 carries for 46 yards. Bryson averaged more yards per carry, but he too didn't get a lot of attempts, finishing with 12 carries for 53 yards.

Detroit had no passing attack whatsoever. WR Shawn Jefferson had 1 catch, as did Az-Zahir Hakim. Bill Schroeder did not catch a pass all day. Most of the Lion's receiving yards came from Bryson and Schlesinger after they left the backfield.

The Lion's defense contributed 3 sacks and 3 interceptions.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Oakland Raiders

QB: Marques Tuiasosopo's hopes of building on his Week 7 performance were dashed quickly, as he left the game for good in the 2nd quarter because of a knee injury-he was seen standing on the sidelines later in the game. His passing performance prior to the injury was very erratic, but to his credit, the defense was in his face almost immediately. He completed 6 of 11 passes for 65 yards and 1 INT.

Rick Mirer came in right where Marques left off, but was slightly more impressive. The horrible line blocking continued to make it tough finding open receivers, but Mirer hung in and made some plays. He completed 15 of 28 passes for 125 yards, but was also intercepted twice.

RB: Charlie Garner had 15 carries for 66 yards and 1 TD. The biggest shock concerning his performance was that he had only 1 catch for 6 yards. However, he was only targeted twice. Garner had some nice runs, but was often stopped at the line of scrimmage for little to no gain.

Tyrone Wheatley had 4 carries for 11 yards, and 1 catch/target for 4 yards.

Justin Fargas had 3 carries for 12 yards. He also added 1 catch for 1 yard.

Zack Crockett had 2 carries for 3 yards.

WR: Jerry Rice had 8 catches for 71 yards. He also lost a fumble. Rice was targeted 13 times. Tim Brown had 6 catches for 49 yards. Total targets: 8. Jerry Porter had 4 catches for 49 yards. He also took a hit to the chest that knocked the wind out of him. However, he returned to the game pretty quickly. Porter was targeted 10 times.

TE: Doug Jolley did not have a catch. He was not even targeted.

Teyo Johnson had 1 catch for 11 yards. He was targeted 3 times.

K: Sebastian Janikowski was 2 of 3 on field goal attempts. He was good from 55 and 24 yards out. He also had 1 PAT.

Pass Defense: The Oakland defense put good pressure on QB Joey Harrington throughout the entire game, causing him to throw some very poor passes. Harrington was also knocked to the ground repeatedly.

Rush Defense: The Lion's running attack isn't known for putting up big numbers, but for a defense that's been giving up the most rushing yards per game in the NFL, holding Detroit to 112 total rushing yards is something to get excited about. Oakland's defense never really let Gary or Bryson break off a big run. On several occasions, run plays were stuffed at the line of scrimmage.

Detroit Lions

QB: Joey Harrington was not sharp, going 13 of 21 for 117 yards. He had 1 TD, 1 INT, and 1 fumble. He had a few nice throws, but for the most part, threw a lot of ugly passes. Harrington also had 4 runs for 7 yards.

RB: Shawn Bryson had 12 carries for 53 yards. He also contributed 3 catches for 32 yards. Bryson was second in receiver targets with 4.

Olandis Gary had 15 carries for 46 yards and 1 TD. He definitely had better runs than Bryson, but didn't add any value in the passing game (1 target), catching only 1 pass for 6 yards.

FB Cory Schlesinger had 1 carry for 3 yards. He also had 4 catches for 53 yards and 1 TD. His score came on 33-yard reception, where he got past the defender and made a nice over the shoulder catch. He was by far the most important contributor the Lion's had on the day, despite his relatively low numbers. He led all Detroit players with 5 targets.

WR: Overall, a pathetic showing by the wide receivers. Shawn Jefferson had 1 catch for 2 yards. He also had 1 run for 3 yards on a reverse gone bad. He was only targeted twice. Az-Zahir Hakim had 1 catch for 5 yards. Total targets: 4. Bill Schroeder did not catch a pass, but was thrown to once. Scotty Anderson had 1 catch for 10 yards. He was targeted 2 times.

TE: Mikhael Ricks had 1 catch for 9 yards. Total targets: 3.

K: Jason Hanson was 3 for 3 on FGs, and 2 for 2 on PATs. He was good from 54, 42, and 39 yards.

Pass Defense: The Lion's defense put constant pressure on both Oakland QBs, never really giving either a chance to find receivers. The secondary played pretty good considering the on-going injuries at cornerback, which include Dre Bly, who did not play because of a hamstring injury. On the day, Detroit gave up 190 yards passing.

Rush Defense: Detroit, not known for rush defense (ranked 22nd in NFL), held the Raider's to 94 total yards rushing. Garner never got loose for a big gain, but more importantly, he caught only 1 pass for 6 yards.

Green Bay Packers 30 at Minnesota Vikings 27

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Green Bay Packers

The game should not have been as close as the final score indicated. The Packers ran the ball at will and Brett Favre played an effective game, keeping the Packers drives alive with timely completions. The Packers, in a do or die game for the division race, came out and physically beat the Vikings and possibly exposed the Vikings weaknesses.

Ahman Green was the primary cog for the Packers offense. 21 carries for 137 yards along with 5 catches for 52 yards and 1 TD, the Packers offense now begins with Green.

Brett Favre was not limited by the injury to his thumb. He showed no loss of velocity or accuracy on his throws. He complemented the running game well, picking up first downs where the running game could not (18 of 28 for 194 yards). He had 3 TDs and 1 INT.

Javon Walker had a surprising game, finishing with 3 catches for 42 yards and 2 TDs. He is beginning to look like the receiver the Packers thought they were getting in the 2002 NFL Draft.

The Packers offensive line had a tremendous day run blocking, opening huge holes and pushing around the Vikings line. The pass blocking was adequate at best, giving up 1 sack but numerous pressures.

Minnesota Vikings

After losing last week against the Giants, the Vikings did not play much better this week. The defense got pushed around and did not tackle well. The offense had difficulty sustaining drives. The Packers' defense limited the offense by doubling and tripling Moss and making someone else beat them. No one else could. The Packers' offensive line pushed around the Vikings' front seven, beating them to the edges. The Vikes' defense has been opportunistic until the last two weeks, but it appears if the quarterback plays intelligently and the running game has any success, the defense has a hard time stopping people. But, then again, they don't play Brett Favre every week.

Michael Bennett's return was the highlight for Minnesota. He played extremely well, showing no fear to cut on the foot and demonstrated his blazing speed. His final numbers were good (8 carries for 43 yards and 3 catches for 15 yards) You'd have to expect his contributions to expand as he continues to get back into playing shape.

The big loser in Bennett's return was rookie Onterrio Smith who did not have a carry.

Randy Moss had 6 catches for 87 yards and 1 TD. He played well, but too many times the Vikings let him go long stretches without getting him the ball. He looked frustrated by the end of the game. We'll see how his new found maturity will hold up after a two game losing streak.

The Vikings gargantuan offensive line played well in the run game (5.0 YPC overall). But, their pass protection left something to be desired, allowing 2 sacks and consistent pressure on Culpepper.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Green Bay Packers

QB: Brett Favre, despite a broken thumb, played very well. His final numbers are unspectacular in yardage leagues, 18 of 28 for 194 yards with 3 TDs and 1 INT (6.9 YPA). But he came through when the Packers needed him, completing key 3rd down passes and minimizing mistakes. He threw the ball very accurately and with his usual velocity, showing no ill effects of the injury.

RB: Ahman Green had another fabulous game. He ran hard, breaking arm tackles and finishing runs. His final numbers were 21 carries for 137 yards (6.5 YPC) and 5 catches for 52 yards and 1 TD (1 drop). He was targeted by Favre 7 times, twice in the redzone. He also had an attempted pass (a penalty occurred on the play and he was not credited).

The Packers backup running backs also contributed. Najeh Davenport had 6 carries for 43 yards (7.1 YPC) and 1 catch for 6 yards. Tony Fisher had 4 carries for 38 yards (9.5 YPC) and 3 catches for 18 yards (3 targets).

WR: Javon Walker (6 targets, 3 redzone) had 3 catches for 42 yards and 2 TD. Walker, who has a history of the drops, did not drop a ball and caught a Favre laser in the endzone reaching back across his body.

Donald Driver's final numbers were unspectacular. He finished with 1 catch for 26 yards (1 drop) and added a 45 run in the first quarter. He was officially targeted 3 times (1 redzone). But, he had a 25 yard TD catch reversed in the first quarter on a penalty and was also the target of Ahman Green's attempted pass in the endzone. Driver's numbers continue to be pedestrian, but the Packers want to get him the ball.

Antonio Freeman (2 targets) had 2 catches for 19 yards. Robert Ferguson had no catches and no targets.

TE: A quite evening for Packers tight ends. David Martin had 1 catch for 12 yards (2 targets, 1 redzone). Wesley Walls did not have a catch (1 target, 1 redzone). Bubba Franks did not get any looks.

K: Ryan Longwell was 3 of 3 on FG attempts (21, 43, 27). He added 3 extra points.

Pass Defense: The Packers pass defense was very good. First, they limited Randy Moss to 82 yards which has been a feat in its own right this season. Second, they consistently pressured Culpepper, forcing him out of the pocket and to throw on the run and before his receivers could find space. The Packers' defense limited the passing game to 202 yards on 34 attempts (5.9 YPA).

Rush Defense: The Packers run defense bent but wouldn't break. The Vikings had success running the ball and could have done it more behind their skilled line. The Pack gave up 125 yards on 25 carries (5.0 YPC), but limited them to a long gain of 13 yards. The team defensive tackling was very good, making the Vikes beat them on longer sustained drives instead of the big play. Obviously, the Vikings weren't able to do it.

Minnesota Vikings

QB: Daunte Culpepper's final numbers (21 of 34 for 202 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 4 carries for 16 yards and 1 TD) are better than he actually played. Culpepper looked indecisive at times, being hounded by the Packers pass rush for most of the game. Culpepper avoided the big mistakes, but also was unable to make big plays happen.

RB: The storyline of the game, besides Favre's thumb, was Michael Bennett's foot. Bennett was expected to play a handful of downs, but played much more. He had 8 carries for 43 yards (5.4 YPC) and 3 catches for 15 yards. Most notably, he showed no hesitation to cut on the injured foot. He showed no rust, looked fast and should contribute to this team immediately.

Moe Williams led Vikings rushers with 12 carries for 63 yards (5.3 YPC). He added 4 catches for 26 yards (6 targets). He ran fairly well, broke a few tackles, but was ordinary compared to Bennett.

Onterrio Smith returned kicks, but did not have a rushing attempt.

WR: Randy Moss was limited to 87 yards on 6 catches with 1 TD (11 targets, 1 redzone). He had an 43 yard TD catch in the first quarter, but was quite for the rest of the evening. The Packers did an excellent job, varying coverage and limiting the Vikings' opportunities to find him downfield.

The Vikings' secondary receiver needs to show some production to take pressure off of Moss. Nate Burleson (5 targets) had 3 catches for 51 yards, but had half of his yards against a prevent defense late in the game. He did not make the Packers pay for double covering Moss.

Dwayne Bates had the only other WR catch (1 catch for 5 yards).

TE: Jim Kleinsasser had 2 catches for 13 yards with 1 TD (4 targets). He also had a rare carry netting 3 yards.

K: Aaron Elling was 2 of 2 on FG attempts of 47 and 37 yards.

Pass Defense: The Vikings had a solid pass rush, but had difficulty hauling in Favre (1 sack). Against most quarterbacks, the defense would have forced a few more turnovers and had a couple more sacks. But Favre was able to make his decisions quickly and accurately. The corners played well, limiting the Packers' wide outs (6 catches for 87 yards), but were hurt when their slow linebackers were in man coverage (TEs and RBs combined for 12 catches for 107 yards).

Rush Defense: The Vikings' run defense was manhandled by the Packers. The defensive line got pushed around all night long and the team tackling was terrible. They gave up 261 yards on 34 attempts at a horrible 7.7 YPC clip. Take away 2 Favre knees to end the game, the Packers were running over the Vikings at 8.2 yards per carry.

Washington Redskins 14 at Dallas Cowboys 21

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Washington Redskins

Washington QB Patrick Ramsey was lucky to leave the field Sunday under his own power. While he was only sacked 4 times he was hit and knocked around on the vast majority of his pass attempts. He had to leave the game twice due to a problem with his left forearm, but he was able to return each time, throwing for 2 touchdowns and no interceptions in the game. If he keeps taking poundings like this, however, he isn't going to make it to the field let alone be able to run an offense.

The Redskins came into the game without their two starting running backs, Trung Canidate and Ladell Betts. Then they lost this week's starter, Chad Morton, to a leg injury in the second quarter. Rock Cartwright ended up as their leading rusher with 44 yards on 8 carries. Morton had been successful in his limited playing time with 37 yards on 6 carries.

The Redskins' wide receivers had a hard time getting in the flow of the game thanks to the limited time their quarterback had to throw, but both Laveranues Coles and Taylor Jacobs made nice touchdown catches. Coles finished with 4 catches for a mere 27 yards.

As much as Dallas tried to give the game to Washington in the first half the Redskins weren't able to take it.

Dallas Cowboys

Quincy Carter didn't have a great day throwing the ball but it was just as much the fault of his receivers as his. While he made some poor throws they dropped balls when he did get it to them, but as the game wore on he started making plays. He managed to throw one touchdown while being intercepted twice, finishing the game with 196 yards. The touchdown pass was made with a defender right in his face on a naked bootleg. Head coach Bill Parcells seems to trust Carter when the game is on the line as he was still throwing late in the game with the lead. Of course it could also be that Parcells has less confidence in his running backs holding on to the ball.

WR Terry Glenn started the game terribly, including back-to-back drops and a third drop that popped up in the air and was intercepted by Washington. But QB Quincy Carter kept going to him, and by the end of the day he had caught 6 passes for 73 yards and a score on 15 targets. He also ran a reverse for 47 yards. He was definitely the receiver Carter looked for all game.

RB Troy Hambrick had 2 fumbles lost, but he was also able to punch in 2 touchdowns from short range. He ended the day with 100 yards on 21 carries, but his absence was conspicuous at times when he was spotted on the sidelines after the fumbles, especially the second one. RB Adrian Murrell, re-signed by the Cowboys because of the injury to RB Richie Anderson, got 9 carries in place of Hambrick.

The Dallas pass rush was in the face of QB Patrick Ramsey all game, sacking him four times and overcoming a horrendous first half by the Dallas offense. The Cowboys spent the entire first half making mistakes, starting with a holding penalty on the opening kickoff that saw a touchdown return called back. They followed that up with turnovers, penalties and dropped passes but the defense was able to keep them in the game until the rest of the team finally got going. Things seemed so bad at the start that Dallas owner Jerry Jones was down on the sideline in the first quarter. He kept a safe distance from head coach Bill Parcells, though.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Washington Redskins

QB: Patrick Ramsey (16-30-147 2 TD passing) was knocked down and around all game, having to come out twice due to an injury to his left (non-throwing) forearm. He was able to go back in each time, but he was beaten up badly in this game. He came out to start the second half with a wrapped left forearm. It's a statement about his toughness that he was able to throw two touchdowns, both perfect throws, despite the beating he took. On several passes he was just looking to unload the ball so he wouldn't get hit again. His offensive line is just not very good and he isn't really mobile enough to get out of the pocket. His numbers weren't great but they look better than he did.

Tim Hasselbeck (2-3-20 passing, 1- -1 rushing) came in twice for Patrick Ramsey, once to take a knee at the end of the first half and again late in the game. He hit two of his three pass attempts, keeping the drive alive that eventually led to a touchdown. This was his first action in a regular season NFL game. He had been signed after Washington released former backup QB Rob Johnson.

RB: Trung Canidate and Ladell Betts were both inactive for this game.

Rock Cartwright (8-44 rushing, 2-9 receiving, 2 targets) became the feature back after RB Chad Morton went out. He is normally the fullback, but he didn't have any problem moving into this role. He ran well with his limited number of carries.

Chad Morton (6-37 rushing, 2-17 receiving, 2 targets) started in place of the injured Trung Canidate and Ladell Betts. He was very effective running the ball until he was injured after catching a pass in the second quarter. He did not return to the game.

Sultan McCullough (1-9 rushing, 3-13 receiving, 3 targets)

Bryan Johnson (1-12 receiving, 3 targets) was not a factor in the game but saw more playing time than usual due to the injury situation at running back.

WR: Laveranues Coles (4-27 1 TD receiving, 12 targets) had one nice catch on the touchdown when he made a move to get behind the defender, but for the most part he wasn't a factor in the game. He only managed to catch 1/3 of the passes thrown his way. There was seldom enough time for QB Patrick Ramsey to look deep, and most of the routes that Coles ran were short. His 12 targets were more than all the other receivers combined.

Patrick Johnson (3-55 receiving, 3 targets) caught all 3 of the passes sent his way, including a 31-yard completion down the left sideline that led to the Redskins' final touchdown.

Taylor Jacobs (1-19 1 TD receiving, 2 targets) caught a pass for a touchdown. The rookie receiver made a nice catch for the score.

Rod Gardner (1-14 receiving, 5 targets) had a very quiet game, catching only the one ball. In the middle of the second quarter 3 consecutive passes were thrown at Gardner, none resulting in a catch.

Darnerien McCants (1-1 receiving, 1- 2-pt. conversion, 1 target) caught the two-point conversion pass, but was otherwise not involved in the game.

TE: The Washington tight ends were not involved in the game at all from a fantasy perspective.

K: John Hall (0-1 XP) had no field goal attempts and failed to convert his only extra point attempt.

Pass Defense: The unit held Dallas to just under 200 yards on just over 50% completion percentage. They did give up a touchdown pass, but they also had two interceptions. They also dropped a couple of would-be interceptions. They didn't put any rush on QB Quincy Carter all game.

Rush Defense: The Washington run defense did not do a particularly good job. They allowed RB Troy Hambrick to gain 100 yards and score on two short yardage plays. Overall, the Cowboys ran for 208 yards on 40 carries, 5.2 yards per play. The only highlights were the 2 fumble recoveries.

Dallas Cowboys

QB: Quincy Carter (17-33-196 1 TD 2 INT passing, 5-20 rushing) could have had a much better game as far as fantasy stats with just a little bit of help. Several players dropped passes and one touchdown pass was called back because of a penalty. One of his interceptions was on a drop that popped up to the defender. Another long pass ended up just off the fingertips of his receiver. Even the Redskins had trouble holding on to his passes as they dropped a couple of interceptions. Carter also under threw WR Joey Galloway early in the game, which resulted in an interception. In sharp contrast to Washington QB Ramsey, Carter had all day to throw. He was able to sit in the pocket and pick out his receivers, all the more frustrating in the first half when either Carter was off or his receivers couldn't catch the ball.

RB: Troy Hambrick (21-100 2 TD rushing) ended with good numbers although he lost two fumbles. He was able to score two short touchdowns but newly acquired RB Adrian Murrell seemed to cut into his playing time more than for the occasional breather. But overall Hambrick ran hard and came close to breaking a couple of bigger runs. As it was, he finished with a long run of 15 yards. He did not appear to be looked at in the passing game, primarily blocking when not running with the ball.

Adrian Murrell (9-20 rushing, 2-22 receiving, 2 targets) was resigned earlier in the week and saw quite a bit of action. While not particularly effective he was able to hole on to the ball.

Aveion Cason (3-18 rushing, 1 target) did not do too much from a fantasy perspective.

Jamar Martin (1-3 rushing, 1-6 receiving, 1 target) was not a factor in the game.

WR: Terry Glenn (6-73 1 TD receiving, 1-47 rushing, 15 targets) started slowly but finished strong. He had 3 drops early in the game, including one that turned into an interception. He also had a deep pass down the middle go off his fingertips and had a long touchdown called back on an illegal motion penalty. QB Quincy Carter did not stop looking his way and Glenn eventually started heating up. He was targeted on 15 of Carter's 33 pass attempts. He got his touchdown pass after Carter got the ball away under heavy pressure and Glenn was able to use his moves and speed to get past the Washington defensive backs. He also had a big 47-yard run on a reverse late in the game that helped to seal the victory.

Antonio Bryant (5-52 receiving, 6 targets) had a couple of big catches on third down that kept drives alive. He also had a drop on a long pass down the middle or he would have approached 100 yards.

Joey Galloway (1-14 receiving, 4 targets) was the forgotten man of the Dallas trio of wide outs. He was targeted as much as TE Dan Campbell. He did have a couple of long passes thrown his way, but neither was close to a completion, one being woefully short and intercepted.

TE: Dan Campbell (2-29 receiving, 4 targets)

Jason Witten (1 target) was not a factor in the game except for being called on an illegal motion penalty that negated Terry Glenn's touchdown.

K: Billy Cundiff (3-3 XP) was perfect on his 3 extra point attempts.

Pass Defense: This unit played well for almost the entire game. They did give up two touchdown passes, but it took almost perfect execution for those completions. They provided a relentless pass rush and were hitting QB Patrick Ramsey all game. They held Washington to 167 yards passing in the game, and at on point in the second quarter the Redskins had -10 net yards in the air.

Rush Defense: The run defense was strong but it should have been as Washington started with their 3rd string back and eventually went to the fullback for rushing yards. Dallas only gave up 89 yards on the ground, but it was on 16 carries. They did not allow a rushing touchdown.

Jacksonville Jaguars 17 at Baltimore Ravens 24

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Jacksonville Jaguars

Two 4th quarter fumbles by QB Byron Leftwich put the Jaguars in a 24-10 hole. Leftwich led an excellent drive to cut the deficit to seven points, but came up short when his desperation floater was tipped and intercepted by Ravens LB Ray Lewis in the final minute. Leftwich played well when he was allowed to throw downfield in the 2nd half, racking up 208 yards passing for the game, but his turnovers ultimately cost his team a shot at the victory. Both of his fumbles came as he was attempting to throw the ball downfield.

RB Fred Taylor and the Jaguars running game controlled the ball for the majority of the game. Taylor finished with 78 rushing yards and caught five dump passes for 30 yards. The Jaguars played the first half as conservatively as possible in the passing game, giving Taylor a number of chances in the short passing game. Rookie LaBrandon Toefield contributed 28 yards on six carries in spot duty, and showed some potential with his quickness and moves.

WR Jimmy Smith caught five passes for 72 yards. He and Troy Edwards (4 catches for 58 yards) were Leftwich's main targets during the comeback attempt. Rookie WR David Allen saw action as well, and scored his first NFL touchdown from five yards out, to cut the Ravens lead to 24-17 with 3:11 left in the game.

LB Akin Ayodele scored a defensive touchdown when he recovered a fumble by Ravens QB Kyle Boller and ran untouched 15 yards into the end zone.

Baltimore Ravens

QB Kyle Boller came out of the chutes throwing. The Ravens opened the game with three passes in a four-play drive that ended in a beautiful 33-yard TD strike to TE Todd Heap. In all, Boller started the game completing eight of his first nine passes, before going through a stretch where he completed just one of ten. He finished with 156 yards on 10 of 23 passing, with a touchdown and an interception. His lone fumble was returned for a Jacksonville touchdown.

RB Jamal Lewis was held in check all day long by a determined Jacksonville run defense. He finished with a season-low 68 yards on 21 carries, and his longest run was just 10 yards. RB Chester Taylor had a nice 29-yard TD run on 3rd and 12. He came in for Lewis, who left with an equipment problem. He took the handoff from Boller and ran right, before reversing field to the left and getting around the corner to the sideline for the score, which gave Baltimore a 24-10 lead.

WR Travis Taylor caught three passes for 64 yards and was targeted four times on 3rd down. He out-leaped CB Fernando Bryant for a 47-yard pass reception on one 3rd down conversion, which led to a Ravens field goal.

Todd Heap caught two passes for 53 yards and a touchdown, all on the opening drive of the game. He also caught a two-point conversion pass, his 4th of the season.

LB Ray Lewis had his usual dominant performance. He recorded 12 tackles, forced a fumble and came up with an interception, which sealed the win in the final minute. Peter Boulware and Tony Weaver each forced a fumble.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Jacksonville Jaguars

QB: Byron Leftwich (22-34-208 with a TD and an INT) played well when the Ravens went to the prevent defense and the Jaguars threw the ball down field. Before that, he was ineffective. Leftwich did not complete a pass for more than 10 yards until the third drive of the 3rd quarter. In fact, he didn't throw a ball inbounds more than five yards down field the entire 1st half, as the Jaguars offense consisted of runs and dump passes. His two fumbles came as he was attempting to pass and not aware of the defenders around him, something he must improve upon. Down 24-10 in the 4th quarter, he started dropping back and slinging it. He showed tremendous zip on the ball, especially on an 11-yard completion to TE Kyle Brady where he threw the ball perfectly between four defenders in the area. This play set up a 5-yard missile over the middle to David Allen for his lone touchdown pass. His interception came when he threw the ball towards WR Cortez Hankton into a group of defenders. The ball was tipped and then intercepted by a diving Ray Lewis.

RB: Jacksonville's running game was strong all day long. Fred Taylor (22-78, 6 catches for 30 yards on 7 targets) was seemingly involved in every play in the 1st half. He ran hard but converted just one of three pass attempts on 3rd down. Taylor carried the ball three times in the red zone, for just one yard.

LaBrandon Toefield looked solid in relief of Taylor. He carried six times for 28 yards, including an 18-yard run. Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala had 4 carries for 24 yards, with a long run of 24 yards.

WR: Jimmy Smith (5-72 on 10 targets) was Leftwich's go-to receiver when he threw down field. He got the Jaguars pass offense going with a 27-yard catch in the 3rd quarter, the first time all game that Jacksonville threw deep. He was unable to convert either of his two targets on 3rd down.

Troy Edwards (4-58 on 6 targets) made some big plays in the 4th quarter. He caught passes of 17 and 18 yards on the drive that cut the Ravens lead to 24-17, and caught a 17-yard pass on the final drive. Edwards is quick, and is well equipped to get open against the prevent defense.

Rookie David Allen caught 3 passes for 20 yards and a touchdown. He showed good hands to haul in a bullet from Leftwich.

Rookie Cortez Hankton was the target of the final three passes of the game. They resulted in an incompletion, a 3-yard gain and an interception. Altogether, Leftwich threw his way five times, resulting in two catches for just 8 yards.

TE: Kyle Brady caught 1 pass for 11 yards on two targets. The lone reception was a big one, coming on 4th and 6, and leading to the Jaguars final score.

PK: Seth Marler made a 24-yard FG and both PATs.

Run Defense: The Jaguars defense held Ray Lewis down all game, limiting him to 3 yards or less the majority of the time. They fell asleep when Lewis left the game, and allowed Chester Taylor to outrun them to the sideline for a 29-yard score. They scored a big touchdown when Akin Ayodele recovered a fumble and ran it in from 15 yards out.

Pass Defense: After a quick start by the Ravens offense, Jacksonville settled down and contained the Ravens the rest of the game. MLB Mike Peterson intercepted Boller and had five tackles. They were unable to get pressure on him though, finishing without a sack.

Baltimore Ravens

QB: The game began in strange fashion for the Ravens, as Kyle Boller (10-23-156 with a TD and an INT) threw the ball three times on a brilliant drive that took only four plays for a 7-0 lead. He hooked up with Todd Heap for 20 yards, then hit him deep over the middle for 33 yards and a touchdown a play later. Boller lofted the ball over Akin Ayodele and between two safeties the score. Boller was 8 of 9 passing before he threw an interception in the red zone on a ball intended for WR Frank Sanders. Mike Peterson read his eyes, which looked at Sanders the whole time, and jumped the route. Later, Boller fumbled attempting to handoff to Jamal Lewis. The ball hit FB Alan Ricard as he was attempting to lead-block. Boller was not a major factor in the offense after the fumble, as the Ravens were able to run the ball the majority of the 2nd half.

RB: Jamal Lewis (21-68, 2 catches for 15 yards on 3 targets) struggled to find running room against the inspired Jaguars run defense, and failed to reach 100 yards for the first time since the season opener against Pittsburgh. He had just 8 carries for 27 yards in the first half. The offensive line did not produce the gaping holes that have allowed him to run untouched past the line of scrimmage for most of the season.

Chester Taylor carried 2 times for 33 yards and a score. His touchdown came after Lewis left the game with an equipment problem. On 3rd and 12 Boller handed off to Taylor running right. He quickly turned back to the left and found open room to the left sideling for the touchdown.

WR: Travis Taylor (3-64 on 7 targets) stretched the field deep. He converted one pass for 47 yards, a play where he out-leaped CB Fernando Bryant and made a nice catch. He was open on another deep ball, but Boller overthrew him.

No other Ravens receiver had an impact. Marcus Robinson was targeted twice, and Frank Sanders was targeted once.

TE: Todd Heap caught 2 passes for 53 yards and a score on 7 targets. Both catches came on the opening drive. Heap was targeted 4 times on deep passes, but Boller was unable to connect. He also caught a two-point conversion, a nice fade route to the right corner where he out jumped the defender. The Ravens are 4-4 on two-point tries this year, all to Heap. That play is nearly unstoppable if thrown well, which it was.

PK: Matt Stover made field goals of 23, 23 and 32 yards and also made his PAT.

Run Defense: The Ravens gave up plenty of rushing yards between the 20s, as the Jaguars held the ball for over 35 minutes. Still, they allowed no rushing touchdowns, and the lone offensive score for Jacksonville came on a drive where they threw all but 3 times. The run defense yielded just three yards in five red zone carries.

Pass Defense: The Ravens bent a bit during the Jaguars final two drives, but played a good game overall. They forced two fumbles on pass attempts by Byron Leftwich and sacked him four times. Peter Boulware was often in Leftwich's face, and got one sack and forced a fumble. Ray Lewis came up with the key interception to end the game.

Philadelphia Eagles 23 at Atlanta Falcons 16

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Philadelphia Eagles

QB Donovan McNabb may have entered the game as the league's lowest-rated passer, but he did not act the part as he savaged a completely overhauled Atlanta secondary for 312 yards passing. McNabb, showing no ill effects from his bothersome thumb on his throwing hand, cashed in on two early turnovers by the Falcons to propel the Eagles to a 10-0 lead. Down 13-10 at halftime, McNabb and the Eagles offense completely dominated the 3rd quarter, out gaining the Falcons 171-28. McNabb spread the ball around, hitting nine different receivers in the game and outscored Atlanta 13-3 in the second half to lead the Eagles to victory.

With RB Brian Westbrook sidelined by a high ankle sprain, RB Correll Buckhalter was the featured back receiving the majority of the carries and rushing for 92 yards in the game. Held in check in the first half (6-18 rushing), Buckhalter ran well in the second half, showing patience and allowing his blockers to open holes for him.

TE L.J. Smith was McNabb's favorite target as he hauled in 6 catches for 97 yards. Smith has clearly taken over the number one position from TE Chad Lewis. Smith's two long catches of 28 and 36 yards, set up RB Duce Staley 4-yard TD run at the start of the 4th quarter, to put the Eagles ahead to stay.

After being pushed around and allowing Atlanta's running backs 111 first half rushing yards, the Philadelphia defensive line buckled down and only gave up a miserly 20 yards rushing in the second half. The Eagles secondary was outstanding, holding the Atlanta QBs to only 164 yards passing and picking off an errant pass.

Atlanta Falcons

Head Coach Dan Reeves again came up empty in his quest for his 200th career victory in the NFL. Trying to find a solution for his struggling defense, Reeves started an entirely new secondary and they looked confused as they were torched for 312 yards passing.

With QB Michael Vick still apparently at least a month away from returning, the Falcons again turned to QB Kurt Kittner. Kittner was positively dreadful, continuously missing open receivers and only accumulating 78 yards passing before being replaced by QB Doug Johnson early in the 4th quarter. In the opening drive on the game, Kittner wasted two sure touchdown chances. First, he overthrew a wide open WR Brian Finneran streaking down the sideline. Later, Kittner horribly under threw WR Peerless Price in the end zone, having the pass intercepted by Eagles' CB Lito Sheppard. Johnson's comeback bid fell short when he was only able to muster up a field goal, the only scoring for Atlanta in the second half.

RB Warrick Dunn and RB T.J. Duckett were both used equally throughout the game in a nice change of pace style of "Dash and Crash". Dunn (Dash) used his quickness and speed to amass 64 yards on 9 carries in the first half. Duckett (Crash) lumbered over and through tacklers to garner 46 yards on 12 carries and a TD in the first half. Unfortunately for the Falcons, Philadelphia's rush defense turned the tide and only allowed "Dash and Crash" a miniscule 13 second half yards on 5 carries.

WR Peerless Price was the leading Falcons' receiver, hauling in 6 catches for 84 yards. Price's numbers continue to suffer from inept quarterback play. Facing double coverage for most of the game, Price was able to get open, only to have the ball delivered consistently off target.

Kick Returner Allen Rossum dropped the opening kickoff to set up the Eagles first score, a 21-yard field goal. Rossum redeemed himself in the second quarter with a 72-yard punt return, barely being tripped up at the Eagle 11. He leads the NFL in punt returns for ten or more yards with 14.

Atlanta lost DT Travis Hall at the end of the first half with an apparent neck strain. The Falcons received more bad news when it was learned that offensive tackle Bob Whitfield, hurt in the 3rd quarter, will miss the rest of the season with a fractured right fibula and ligament damage.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Philadelphia Eagles

QB: Donovan McNabb (21-33-312, 1 TD; 2-22 rushing) led the Eagles to their third straight victory. Facing a secondary with 4 new starters, McNabb was easily able to find open receivers and deliver pinpoint passes. While rolling to his right, McNabb hit WR Freddie Mitchell with a beautiful pass for a 37-yard TD, the first TD reception by an Eagles' wide receiver this season. McNabb finished the first half, 8-11-93, 1 TD. With the game tied 13-13 just before the end of the 3rd quarter, McNabb engineered a quick 4-play, 73 yard drive that resulted in game winning touchdown run by RB Duce Staley at the start of the 4th quarter. In that drive, he hit his favorite target, TE L.J. Smith twice for huge gainers of 36 and 28 yards. McNabb's ball control offense in the second half broke the Falcons' back.

RB: Correll Buckhalter (23-92 rushing, 1-18 receiving, 2 targets) backed up his 100-yard effort last week with another impressive outing. Held at bay in the first half, Buckhalter exploded in the second half for 74 yards on 17 carries.

Duce Staley (3-14 rushing, 1 TD, 4-38 receiving, 8 targets) was used primarily as a third down back. Although he did have a 4-yard TD scamper for the game winning score, Staley is not the goal line back and was just in giving Buckhalter a rest.

Brian Westbrook missed the game due to a high ankle sprain.

WR: Todd Pinkston (2-15 receiving, 5 targets) given a contract extension in the off season and thought by many to be on the verge of a break out season, continues to underachieve. He was not a factor in the game.

James Thrash (4-69 receiving, 5 targets) led the Eagles' wide receivers both in catches and yardage. Thrash freed himself of defenders for a 41-yard reception midway through the 4th quarter that set up a 40-yard field goal that gave the Eagles a 10-point cushion late in the game.

Freddie Mitchell (2-43 receiving, 1 TD, 3 targets) contributed significantly with the first TD catch of the season by a wide receiver early in the first quarter. He did not have a catch in the second half.

Greg Lewis (1-18 receiving, 2 targets) was not a factor in the game.

TE: L.J. Smith (6-97 receiving, 8 targets) was McNabb's favorite target and roamed freely through the Atlanta secondary, several times finding himself uncovered off the line. Smith's two big pass plays were instrumental in setting up the Eagles' go-ahead TD run by Staley. On the second catch for 28 yards, Smith was tackled at the Falcons' 4-yard line.

Chad Lewis' (1-14 receiving, 2 targets) only catch was in the first quarter. He dropped a perfectly thrown ball from McNabb down the middle of the field and was not looked to again in the game. Lewis has taken a backseat to flourishing rookie L.J. Smith.

K: David Akers made three of four field goal attempts, connecting from 21, 25, and 40 yards. Akers had a 41-yard attempt blocked late in the 3rd quarter, his first career blocked kick.

Pass Defense: The Eagles pass defense victimized the Atlanta QBs holding them to a mere 164 yards passing. They constantly blitzed Kittner in third down situations, tipping passes and causing errant throws. CB Lito Sheppard intercepted a badly under thrown Kittner pass and helped set up the first Eagles' touchdown. CB Troy Vincent's shut down coverage on WR Brian Finneran allowed the Eagle secondary to double cover WR Peerless Price and effectively take the Falcons' big play threats off their game.

Rush Defense: The Philadelphia rush defense was pounded for 110 yards rushing in the first half by the duo of Warrick Dunn and T.J. Duckett. An inspired crew came out in the second half and stymied the Falcons' running game, only allowing 20 yards total on the ground for the remainder of the game.

Atlanta Falcons

QB: Kurt Kittner (11-18-78 yards, 1 INT; 1-7 rushing) struggled miserably. On the opening drive, he let two scoring chances get away when he badly missed open receivers. Atlanta had to settle for a David Akers 21-yard field goal. Aided by a strong running game in the first half, Kittner was able to hit a wide-open WR Brian Finneran for 13 yards down to the Eagles 1. Kittner made one of his best plays by just handing the ball off to RB T.J. Duckett for the 1-yard TD run. With the ground game completely shut down in the second half, Kittner was unable to move the offense, looking like a deer in headlights.

Doug Johnson (5-10-86 yards) replaced Kittner early in the 4th quarter, but succumbed to the same fate as his predecessor. Johnson hit WR Peerless Price for a huge gain of 48 yards down to the Eagles 32, but the drive stalled and Atlanta settled for a 46-yard field goal by K Jay Feely. Atlanta never threatened again and the Philadelphia offense ran out all but the final 14 seconds.

RB: Warrick Dunn (10-68 rushing, 2-10 receiving, 2 targets) was the more effective on the Atlanta running backs, but he continued to split carries with RB T.J. Duckett. He slashed and dashed for 64 yards on 9 carries in the first half. Dunn mysteriously only had 1 carry for 4 yards in the second half and Atlanta failed to use his receiving talents out of the backfield, instead choosing to leave him in the backfield to block.

T.J. Duckett (16-55 rushing, 1 TD, 1-6 receiving, 1 target) used his size to power his way to 46 yards on 12 carries in the first half. Duckett bulled his way in from one yard out to score the only Falcons' TD. He was used early in the second half, but found little room to run, only gaining 9 yards on 4 carries for the remainder of the game.

WR: Peerless Price (6-84 receiving, 12 targets) was looked to often by Kittner. Price was double covered, but still managed to get open, only to have Kittner fail to deliver the ball on target. Price was wide open in the end zone, but Kittner under threw him miserably and had the pass intercepted. Price's fantasy value will continue to be low until Atlanta can find someone to throw him the ball.

Eagles CB Troy Vincent effectively took Brian Finneran (4-49 receiving, 6 targets) out of the passing attack by stellar man coverage. Finneran had two golden scoring opportunities squashed, when Kittner missed him all alone racing down the sideline and later being tackled at the goal line after a 13 yard catch.

Jimmy Farris (3 targets) was not a factor in the game.

TE: Alge Crumpler (1-10 receiving, 6 targets) had his only catch midway through the 2nd quarter on a third down conversion that set up Feely's first field goal.

K: Jay Feely converted on all three of his field goal attempts from 25, 40, and 46 yards.

Pass Defense: The Atlanta pass defense had four new starters in the secondary. Their lack of playing time together showed as they had several blown coverages and often looked confused as the Eagles' offense came up to the line of scrimmage. QB Donovan McNabb had all day to throw and destroyed the secondary for 312 yards passing.

Rush Defense: The Atlanta rush defense made a valiant effort shutting down the Eagles ground attack, only permitting a paltry 19 yards on 7 carries to Eagles' running backs in the first half. But the ineffectiveness of the Atlanta offense in the second half kept them on the field too long and the defense was worn down. Philadelphia finished with a staggering 430 yards of total offense.

Indianapolis Colts 23 at Miami Dolphins 17

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Indianapolis Colts

The Colt's defense won this game. As Manning was pressured and forced for much of the game, the Defense shouldered the load. Led by DE Dwight Freeney, who sacked Griese 3 times, forcing two fumbles. The first led to a Colt's FG, the second ending the Dolphin's last drive, and giving the Colts the win.

Manning was forced and pressured all game. In a rare occurrence, Manning had to throw away two balls just to keep from taking the sack. Manning has always been able to find something to do with the ball in the past. The one thing that was working for the Colts was play action passing. It was so effective that the camera crews were fooled a number of times. Play action is what moved the ball down field for the Colts today.

Edgerrin James was ineffective on some short yardage carries. The Dolphins stopped James on 2nd and 3rd down and 1 around midfield. Then, with the Colts at 1st and 10 for the goal, James was out, while Rhodes took the offense. Rhodes was still in at 3rd and goal at the 8.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphin's defense just couldn't wrap up James, and to a lesser extent, Rhodes. Sloppy tackling led to a number of extra rushing yards for James that he might not have gotten on another week.

The Dolphins didn't do anything to get the ball in the hands of Ricky Williams. This was especially glaring as you watched the Colts running outside, using screen passes, and the "stretch" hand off to James. Anything to get James the ball in a better position. Miami's Williams however, got to run the ball between the tackles against an incredibly tough Colt's front, as the Dolphins didn't do anything to change this up. Result: 26 rushing yards with under 3 yards a carry. Williams did pick up 23 yards receiving, but those were all from dump off safety valve passes that he was able to turn into something once he found some space. The Dolphins did nothing to get their best player the ball in open space. Williams also seemed to be without his usual "burst" out of the gates, and fell down some 5 times with minimal contact.

QB Griese started the game cold, opening 0 for 5. Griese's first pass to a WR came in the second half but was a TD to Chambers. With that TD, Griese actually found a rhythm, and started to perform after a terrible first half. The longest Miami drive was all of 8 plays, and the stats surely won't show it, but Griese performed better than average in the second half.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Indianapolis Colts

QB: Peyton Manning (23/37 for 266, TD, INT, 3/-2 rushing) Surprisingly, the Colts ran some "No huddle" offense on the road at Miami. Manning was under pressure all game. He was sacked 5 times, and was forced to throw the ball away outright twice. First game of the season where Manning has at least found some player to "sort" of get the ball to, and had to throw it away. The play action pass was king today, as the Colts made large gains fooling both the Dolphins and the camera crews.

Brock Huard did not play.

RB: Edgerrin James (26/89, TD, 5/19 receiving, 8 targets) On James' TD run, he plowed over LB Zach Thomas, planting the defender flat on his back as James stepped over him for the TD.

Dominic Rhodes (5/22, 1/27 receiving, 1 target) Rhodes lost 3 rushing yards due to a penalty. At the start of the 4th quarter, Rhodes was in the game for James starting in the Red Zone at the 20 yard line. He got 4 carries taking the ball down to the 3 yard line, setting up the WR Troy Walter's TD. Rhodes looked more explosive than James in the game.

Ricky Williams did get into the game, but saw no action.

James Mungro did get into the game, but didn't see action. (Commissioners, those owners that have Mungro on IR need to take him off now.)

WR: Marvin Harrison (6/60, fumble, 8 targets) Harrison got off to a poor start, not getting open, and even dropping an easy pass in the first quarter that would have been a 1st down. The fumble in the 4th quarter could have cost the Colts the game. Harrison lost 4 yards due to an ineligible receiver penalty. He did however make a very nice catch on an under thrown pass from Manning.

Brandon Stokley (3/34, 3 targets) Stokley is very quick, caught all the balls thrown to him, and stayed on his feet, picking up a lot of extra yards after the catch. Very impressive in limited action.

Reggie Wayne (2/20, 6 targets) Like almost every week, Wayne didn't catch a pass until the 3rd quarter. His first reception was a heart breaker as he was brought down on the 1 inch line.

Troy Walters (3/31, TD, 1/6 rushing, 4 targets) With Manning being forced to spread the ball around, Walters caught his first career TD by beating defender Brock Marion.

Brad Pyatt was taken off the field in a stretcher. Possibly a neck injury.

TE: Marcus Pollard (2/68, 2 targets) Pollard lost a touchdown and 11 yards due to a holding penalty. With just minutes left in the first half, Pollard caught the ball behind the line of scrimmage with no room to run. He then juked past 4 defenders for a big gain and a first down. Next play, the pass went in and out of the hands of Harrison, to Pollard down field, who took off for a big gain.

Dallas Clark did get into the game, but saw no action.

Joe Dean Davenport (1/7, 1 target)

K: Mike Vanderjagt (3/3 FG [50, 44, 25], 2/2 XP)

Pass Defense: The Colt's sacked Griese 5 times. RDE Dwight Freeney (5 tackles, 2 forced fumbles) had 3, with LB Marcus Washington and DE Chad Bratzke recording the other two sacks.

Rush Defense: Working against a rookie Offensive Tackle, Freeney was dominating in all aspects of his game. Led the team in Tackles, sacked Griese 3 times, and forced the game winning fumble. Ricky Williams was held to just 36 yards as the Colt's stuffed the run all day.

Miami Dolphins

QB: Brian Griese (18/29, 231, TD, 2 fumbles, 5 sacks) The game announcers spent a fair amount of the game talking about the differences between the "Denver" and "Miami" Griese's. The basic theme was how comfortable Griese is in Miami now that he does have to live in the shadow of John Elway and carry the team on his back. Early on in the game, this seemed to be a humorous statement, as Griese started 0 for 5, didn't complete a pass until the Dolphin's 4th possession, and didn't find a WR until the second half.

RB: Ricky Williams (13/36, TD, 4/23 receiving, 4 targets) Although he certainly showed power, Williams looked slow. The Dolphins are doing nothing to get the ball to Williams in open space. Carry after carry, Williams ran the ball right off the back of the center against a super tough Colt's run defense. Williams was able to do something with each of his 4 dump off passes as he found open space, and made things happen. If the Miami game plan continues to be nothing more than batter Williams into the line between the tackles all season, Williams is going to truly struggle stats wise. On one series, the Dolphins had the ball at 1st and goal from the 5, and Williams didn't get the ball once.

Travis Minor (1/11)

Rob Konrad (3/16 receiving, 3 targets) Konrad was a big safety valve for Griese, who couldn't find open receivers against a great Colts Defense.

WR: Chris Chambers (3/56, TD, 6 targets) Only WR to catch a pass in the game, and that didn't come until the second half.

Derrius Thompson (3 targets) Thompson couldn't find a way to get open against the Colts.

James McNight (1 target)

TE: Randy McMichael (6/88, 9 targets) was Griese's primary target for the game. Made the most of his speed and ability to get open, operating as almost a WR in the game. Moved well with the ball.

Donald Lee (2/48, 3 targets) Dump off receiver for Griese, mostly in the 1st half.

K: Olindo Mare (1/1 FG [23], 2/2 XP)

Pass Defense: RCB Terrell Buckley intercepted Manning. Miami put more pressure on Manning than he has dealt with all year. LDE Adewale Ogunleye (3 tackles, 4 assists) sacked Manning twice, with RDE Jason Taylor (2 tackles, 2 assists), and DE Jay Williams (1 tackle) each adding another.

Rush Defense: LB Zack Thomas (12 tackles, 7 assists) led the team. Held James in check for most of the game, yielding some yards late in the game as the Colts were trying to run out the clock. The defense stopped James at about mid field on two back to back carries with 1 yard for the 1st down.