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 15 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

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

New Jersey was blanketed by a snowstorm that hit a few hours earlier than expected. By game time, the field had several inches of snow accumulated on it and the snow and eventually rain continued throughout the game.

Neither team was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention as of kickoff, so neither coach seemed to use the game as a gauge for next year or a tryout of any kind. Rather, they both played to win and nothing else.

Pittsburgh Steelers

QB Tommy Maddox had major issues dealing with the conditions. He never seemed to put the ball exactly where he wanted to, as evidenced by his 42% completion percentage. He locked onto Hines Ward and targeted him constantly, especially in the second half.

RB Jerome Bettis passed former Steelers great Franco Harris for eight on the all-time rushing list. Bettis, however, didn't fully take advantage of his matchup against one of the league's worst run defenses, gaining just 68 yards on 16 carries. He also injured his knee late in the third quarter, which limited him in the fourth.

WR Hines Ward came up with just 5 receptions for 68 yards and had problems with his footing several times. Twice he fell down on balls intended for him and each time the ball was nearly picked off. Curiously, Ward was Maddox's favorite target all game long (15 targets), but only received one look in the end zone despite several Steelers red-zone possessions.

The Pittsburgh run defense could do nothing to slow Curtis Martin. He rumbled over them for 174 yards on 30 carries, and his running ability allowed the Jets to control the pace of the game.

New York Jets

Curtis Martin was the focal point of the Jets' offense. He carried 30 times for 174 yards, including a 56-yard scamper (not an easy accomplishment when you are running through piles of snow). Martin added another 54 yards on 4 receptions and really set the pace for New York. He went over 1,000 rushing yards for the season, joining Barry Sanders as the only running backs to gain at least 1,000 yards rushing in each of their first nine seasons.

Herman Edwards likely realized that the Jets weren't going to be able to do much through the air with Chad Pennington at QB. He doesn't have the greatest arm strength in the world, and the conditions of snow and gusty winds would have prevented them from doing much. Still, Pennington took a few shots here and there but never really took any chances --- probably the game plan. He managed the offense well and just let Curtis Martin run the show.

WR Santana Moss actually had a decent game considering the conditions. Moss totaled 44 yards and it could have been much more had he not fallen down on a potential touchdown pass from Pennington. He was wide open at the 10-yard line with no one within 15 yards of him, but he fell down just as the ball got to him.

The much-maligned Jets run defense (they should have that phrase copyrighted) came up with a decent effort. The Steelers inexplicably took to the air early and often despite the conditions, as Tommy Maddox hoisted up 38 passes. Strange that in a close game decided by only 6 points that the Jets would run the ball 36 times to the Steelers 24.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Pittsburgh Steelers

QB: Tommy Maddox did not have a good game. He finished up just 16-38 for 137 yards and no scores. He also wasn't intercepted, but that doesn't mean he didn't make terrible throws. There were numerous passes that were thrown behind players, tipped by defensive linemen, and thrown into coverage all game long. Maddox targets Hines Ward almost to a fault. Late in the game, the Jets seemingly knew Maddox would go to Ward and had at least two guys on him at all times, yet Maddox still tried forcing it in to him. In addition, Maddox was nearly picked several times (though at least two of them were on balls intended for Hines Ward where the receiver slipped and fell in front of the defender). Maddox was actually intercepted once by Ray Mickens in the end zone, but was bailed out when the refs called a questionable roughing the passer penalty on Aaron Beasley, giving the Steelers new life.

RB: Jerome Bettis, coming off a 100-yard effort against the Raiders, likely was licking his chops knowing he'd be going up against an equally inept rush defense. One had to like his matchup, a bruising back going up against a defense that has had tackling problems, and in terrible weather to boot. Well, the hope Bettis owners had never materialized, as he was held pretty much in check by New York. His longest run of the game went for 10 yards, and he finished up with 68 yards on 16 carries. Not a bad yards per carry average, but then again that isn't nearly enough carries. He did hurt a knee late in the third quarter, though he returned to action in the fourth. Bettis added 7 receiving yards on 3 receptions (3 targets).

Amos Zereoue carried 7 times, but for just 24 yards, and caught 2 passes for 10 yards (3 targets).

WR: Hines Ward was thrown to 15 times, but many of the passes were off-target or knocked away by one of the many defenders that were draped over Ward all game long. Ward fell down on two separate occasions where the intended pass was nearly intercepted. Ward also dropped at least two passes, including one in the end zone. It was speculated by the commentators that the ball may have been intended for TE Jerame Tuman, but Ward had his hands on the ball and could have made the grab. Ward was the target on a well-covered flea-flicker that had no chance. The news wasn't all bad for Ward, as he made one of the fine catches of 2003 on a deep route down the seam in which he took a vicious hit to the head but still maintained possession.

Plaxico Burress continues to be invisible to Tommy Maddox. Numerous times last year, the Steelers seemed to employ a strategy like Minnesota does with Randy Moss --- heave the ball up for Burress and allow him to use his athleticism and height to make a play. That has been absent all year, and was once again lacking today. Burress is more of a deep route guy and isn't a possession receiver, so the harsh weather likely played a role in his not being more involved, but to be targeted just 5 times in a game in which Maddox throws the ball 38 times is pretty ridiculous.

Antwaan Randle-El caught just 2 passes for 14 yards on 3 targets.

TE: Jerame Tuman was apparently the target of a Tommy Maddox pass in the back of the end zone, but Hines Ward stepped in front of the pass and promptly dropped it. Had Ward not gotten in the way, however, it's likely that the ball would have made it to Tuman because Ray Mickens was in his way as well. In other words, Maddox shouldn't have thrown the pass to either guy.

Jay Riemersma and Mark Breuner combined for two targets and zero catches. Riemersma may have been able to score on his target, but Maddox threw the ball behind him rather than leading Riemersma to the corner.

Pass Defense: CB Deshea Townshend was beaten badly by Santana Moss early on a deep route when he thought he had help over the top. Townshend was bailed out when Moss fell down on the play. Outside of that, there weren't many glaring mistakes by the defense. The reasoning for that may be that the Jets didn't take too many shots through the air, rather relying on Curtis Martin's legs to get the job done.

Run Defense: It looked like it was 1996 again for Curtis Martin running against this team. Despite difficult footing, Martin rumbled for 174 yards on 30 carries, including a 56-yard burst up the middle. There always seemed to be holes for Martin to hit, and he never missed one. This was one of the poorest performances from a Steelers rushing unit that I've seen in quite some time.

Special Teams: K Jeff Reed had a rough day. First, he missed a 43-yard field goal that would have tied the game at 3. Then, with Pittsburgh driving late in the game, Reed missed a chip shot 20-yarder that would have cut it to 6-3.

New York Jets

QB: Chad Pennington was 15-25 for 144 yards but a good portion of those yards came after the catch. His long pass of the day was a 29-yarder to Martin in which Pennington actually threw the ball about 5 yards and let Martin do the rest. He didn't take many shots downfield, other than twice to Santana Moss. One resulted in a completion; the other (which should have been a touchdown) resulted in an embarrassed Moss falling on his face. Pennington avoided potentially serious injury early in the third quarter. He dropped back to pass and planted his right leg, but it gave out because of the snow. His knee buckled at an awkward angle and he walked a bit gingerly off the field. He returned for the rest of the game, however, with complete mobility and no signs of any damage whatsoever.

RB: Curtis Martin had his best game of the season. He carried 30 times for a season-high 174 yards and was also able to bust a long one for 56 yards. Martin became just the second back in history to go over 1,000 yards rushing in each of his first nine season, joining former Lions great Barry Sanders in that exclusive club. Martin added 4 receptions for 54 yards (5 targets).

LaMont Jordan came in for Martin following the 56-yard run and promptly fumbled the handoff. Technically, since he never actually possessed the ball, the fumble was charged to Pennington but it was clearly Jordan's fault.

WR: Santana Moss caught a game-high 5 balls for 44 yards, but his owners will look more to what could have been. Early in the first half, Moss was the target of a Chad Pennington bomb down the right side. Moss had beaten Deshea Townshend by 15 yards at least, and no one was even in the vicinity. Pennington's pass was somewhat underthrown, but in optimal weather Moss would have just adjusted his route and waited for the ball. In the snow, however, that became difficult to do and Moss ended up falling down as the ball bounced harmlessly next to him. Had Moss kept his footing, it would have gone for a 31-yard touchdown.

Curtis Conway played? He was thrown to 3 times, catching one of those passes for 2 yards.

TE: Anthony Becht caught 2 balls for 11 yards, but, like Moss, it could have been more. Becht made a nice move on the linebacker on his way down the seam for a potential touchdown. Had Pennington led Becht a little bit more, it may have been a touchdown. But Pennington threw it a little behind Becht and the ball was knocked away.

Pass Defense: They did a great job of getting pressure on Tommy Maddox. It doesn't show up in the stat sheet because the Jets had zero sacks and zero interceptions, but they certainly rattled him on a few occasions. They effectively took Plaxico Burress out of the game entirely, and Hines Ward wasn't able to do much either. Ray Mickens was the star of the game for New York, as he was everywhere all day long. He batted down countless passes and laid some nice hits on receivers at very opportune times throughout the game.

Run Defense: The Steelers kind of got away from the running game in the fourth quarter, and before that the Jets were keeping Pittsburgh from breaking anything too big. Jerome Bettis did average over 4 yards per carry, but on only 16 carries for the game, that didn't do much damage.

Special Teams: Unlike Reed, K Doug Brien had no such problems with the field conditions. He nailed down both of his field goal attempts, from 28 and 41 yards out, which accounted for all of the scoring in the game.

Houston Texans 3 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Houston Texans

Rookie QB Dave Ragone started his second consecutive game for the Texans replacing David Carr who was designated the reserve quarterback, and continues to be hindered by an injured right shoulder. Unfortunately, Ragone's two NFL have been against two of the more solid defenses in the NFL, Jacksonville (last week) and Tampa Bay (this week). Ragone followed up last week's 71-yard passing performance against Jacksonville with a 64-yard passing performance today against Tampa Bay. Ragone's strong suit last week was his 51 yards rushing on scrambles. Ragone was credited with zero yards rushing on only one attempt in this game. Ragone's effort today was hindered by being sacked by the Buccaneers' defense five times in the game. He did improve his turnover performance against Tampa Bay, as did not throw an interception, and did not lose a fumble (although he did fumble the football twice). Houston's offense should show marked improvement as Carr recovers from his injury and returns to the Texans' lineup. Ragone has a very strong arm, but has shown very little as an NFL quarterback in the last two games.

Rookie RB Domanick Davis returned to the Texans' starting lineup after being designated as inactive with a thigh bruise in the previous game against Jacksonville. The Texans' game plan looked to run Davis consistently throughout the game to protect the inexperienced Dave Ragone. Davis rushed for 56 yards on 16 attempts (long of 15 yards) and collecting two more yards on two pass receptions. Last week's starter, Tony Hollings had nine yards rushing on two attempts.

WR Andre Johnson was the receiving leader for the Texans', collecting four receptions in the game and 28 yards receiving. Johnson also dropped four passes in the game, including three long passes in the first half that could have significantly changed the early part of the game. WR Corey Bradford had the Texans' longest reception of the game, 24 yards, on his only catch of the day.

PK Kris Brown converted his only field goal attempt in the game, a 38-yard attempt in the third quarter.

The Texans' offense crossed mid-field only one time in the game on their opening drive of the second half when they scored their only points of the game.

LB Jamie Sharper was credited with a total of 17 tackles in the game.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

QB Brad Johnson led an effective short passing game to lead the Bucs to a victory over Houston. Johnson was 17-for-26 in the game, collecting 237 yards.

RB Thomas Jones started the game for the Bucs, and led the team with 134 rushing yards on 34 carries. Jones had the games only touchdown, an 18-yard run on the Bucs' opening drive. Michael Pittman was also used out of the Buccaneers' backfield, being one of Brad Johnson's favorite passing targets. Pittman collected 33 receiving yards on five receptions. Jones also had one reception for 18 yards.

WR Keenan McCardell led Buccaneers' receivers with 59 yards on five receptions. Charles Lee also collected three receptions for 95 yards, including a game-high 72 yard catch-and-run from Brad Johnson in the third quarter.

PK Martin Gramatica was 1-for-1 in extra point attempts, and converted 3-of-4 field goal attempts (successful from 36, 23, and 26 yards, partially blocked from 41 yards). Gramatica also missed wide left from 41 yards late in the fourth quarter, but the play was nullified due to a Texans' penalty.

DL Warren Sapp was designated inactive for the game due to an injured foot.

In defeating the Texans, Tampa Bay won consecutive games for the first time in the 2003 season.

Tampa Bay scored in the first quarter for the first time in eight games, and also scored on its first offensive drive for the first time in the 2003 season.

The Buccaneers ended their streak of 54 consecutive games with a defensive turnover.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Houston Texans

QB: Dave Ragone's followed up his first NFL start last week with another rough start against the Buccaneers. Ragone passed for 64 yards in the game, was sacked five times, but was not responsible for a turnover. David Carr was the #2 QB in the game as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury.

RB: Domanick Davis returned to the lineup, collecting 56 yards rushing and two yards receiving. Last week's starter, Tony Hollings, rushed for nine yards.

WR: Andre Johnson was the Texans' leading receiver in the game, catching four passes for 28 yards. Johnson's efforts could have been much more significant as he dropped four passes in the game, including three long passes in the first half. Johnson also nearly caught a touchdown pass in the third quarter but was ruled out-of-bounds. Corey Bradford was the only other Texans' receiver in the game to catch a pass, one 24-yard reception in the third quarter.

TE: Billy Miller collected two receptions for ten yards.

K: Kris Brown converted his only scoring attempt, a 38-yard field goal on the Texans' opening drive of the third quarter.

Pass Defense: The Texans yielded 237 net passing yards in the game without a sack or an interception. The Texans never seriously consistently pressured Bucs' QB Brad Johnson, as he was able to complete short passes to keep the first down chains moving throughout the game. Demarcus Faggins' interception in the fourth quarter was nullified by an illegal contact penalty on Faggins.

Run Defense: The Texans allowed 161 net rushing yards, including 134 yards rushing to Thomas Jones. As with the Texans' rush defense, the Texans' pass defense was never able to consistently shutdown the Bucs' offense as five of the nine Buccaneers' drives resulted in a scoring attempt (one touchdown, three successful field goals, and one unsuccessful field goal)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

QB: Brad Johnson was unspectacular, yet consistent, as he threw for 237 yards. Johnson did not throw an interception, and did not lose a fumble. In addition to Johnson's effective passing game, he converted a quarterback sneak on 4th-and-1 on the Buccaneers' opening drive that resulted in Thomas Jones' touchdown run. Johnson also bought time in the pocket in the third quarter that resulted in Charles Lee's 72-yard reception.

RB: Thomas Jones led the Buccaneers' rushing attack with 134 yards on the ground, including the game's only touchdown, an 18-yard run in the first quarter. Jones also caught one pass for 17 yards. Jones was stuffed on a 4th-and-2 from the Texans' 36 yard-line in the first quarter.

Michael Pittman also played a key role out of the backfield, catching five passes for 33 yards. Pittman had a 48-yard catch-and-run nullified in the second quarter by a holding penalty. He only rushed the ball 1 time for 3 yards though.

WR: Keenan McCardell led Buccaneers' receivers with 59 yards on five receptions. Charles Lee also had 95 yards receiving on three receptions, including a game long 72 yard catch-and-run. Lee also ran one time for six yards.

TE: Rickey Dudley caught two passes for 14 yards.

K: Martin Gramatica collected ten points in the game, converting three field goals (36, 23, and 26) and one extra point. Gramatica did miss one field goal (partially blocked from 41 yards), and also missed another attempt from 41 yards that was nullified by a Texans' penalty.

Pass Defense: The Bucs held the Texans' passing game to 42 net passing yards, yielding 64 passing yards to Dave Ragone, but sacking Ragone five times for 22 yards lost. Greg Spires led the Bucs' sack attack with two sacks. Warren Sapp did not play in the game.

Run Defense: The Buccaneers held the Texans' running game to only 65 yards in the game.

Detroit Lions 17 at Kansas City Chiefs 45

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions lost their 23rd consecutive road game, tying the record for the most consecutive road losses.

Shawn Bryson rushed for 105 yards, the first time in 20 games that a Lion running back has gone over 100 yards. He also contributed the longest rush of the year with a 35-yard rush late in the fourth quarter. Artrose Pinner just may be the running back of the future for the Lions. The rookie played his first game and though he did not play a great deal, he demonstrated that he is a strong back with an ability to break tackles.

The Lions' wide receivers once again did nothing to help out Joey Harrington. Az-Zahir Hakim, Bill Schroeder, and Reggie Swinton combined for 123 receiving yards. Hakim led the bunch with 6 receptions for 72 yards. He made a great 28-yard reception over the middle that set up his 8-yard touchdown reception at the end of the first half. Hakim was targeted again in the endzone in the fourth quarter, but the pass was broken up. Bill Schroeder mis-communicated twice with Harrington during the game and dropped what should have been an easy catch in the end zone. Reggie Swinton contributed minimally to the receiving game, and fumbled a kickoff in the third quarter and the Chiefs' recovered the ball leading to a Morten Anderson field goal.

The Lions defense was completely shut down and manhandled by the potent Kansas City Chiefs offense. The Chiefs scored 6 touchdowns, 3 rushing and 3 passing. The Lions did not come up with any sacks or interceptions, and did not get any pressure on Trent Green who threw for 341 yards in 3 quarters of play.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs scored on all of their possessions, except for 1 through the end of the third quarter. And the one possession that they didn't score on came with 17 seconds left in the first half. They were in field goal range, but Morten Anderson's attempt was blocked. The potent offense was simply unstoppable. Trent Green played near perfectly with 20 completions out of 25 attempts for 341 yards, and that was in only 3 quarters of play. He connected for 2 touchdowns with TE Tony Gonzalez.

Priest Holmes once again contributed an outstanding game. Holmes had ample time and room to run and responded by rushing for 3 touchdowns. Credit must be given to tackle Willie Roaf, fullback Tony Richardson, and the Chiefs' wide receivers who all made key blocks for Holmes on all of his touchdown rushes.

Probably the most surprising player to emerge in the game was Derrick Blaylock. Blaylock played a few plays in relief of Priest Holmes and made the most of his opportunities. He led all the receivers with 5 receptions for 106 yards and a receiving touchdown. Blaylock turned a short screen catch into a 63-yard touchdown by spinning and breaking tackles.

The Kansas City defense has been atrocious against the run this year, and gave up 137 yards and a rushing touchdown to a struggling Lions' running game.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Detroit Lions

QB: Joey Harrington (20-36-197, 1 TD, 1 INT) Harrington played well throughout the game. His offensive line gave him time to throw, but he was forced to check down his receiving options, as the Chiefs were able to cover the Lions' receivers. He and Bill Schroeder mis-communicated at least twice in the game; Harrington would throw to the outside while Schroeder made a cut to the inside. At the end of the second quarter, with less than 2 minutes left, Harrington led the Lions' downfield with mostly short drop off passes, culminating with a touchdown pass to Az-Zahir Hakim.

RB: Shawn Bryson (18-105, 1 TD rushing, 1-7 receiving on 1 target) Bryson rushed for 105 yards, the first time in 20 games that a Lion has gone over 100 yards. He also contributed the longest rush of the year for the Lions, with a 35-yard rush late in the fourth quarter. In the third quarter, Bryson dove 1 yard for a touchdown.

Artrose Pinner (9-26 rushing, 1-21 receiving on 1 target) Rookie RB Artrose Pinner played his first game for the Lions and he showed that he may be the spark that they have so desperately needed at running back. Pinner is a very strong agile back who fought for gains, breaking tackles on his carries.

Cory Schlesinger (2-4 rushing, 3-23 receiving on 4 targets) Schlesinger made a 12-yard catch to the Kansas City Chiefs' 1 yard line that set up Shawn Bryson's rushing touchdown. Harrington's lone interception was a pass intended for Schlesinger in the first quarter that was deflected at the line of scrimmage. Schlesinger bobbled the deflected pass and linebacker Kawika Mitchell was there to make the interception.

WR: Az-Zahir Hakim (6-72, 1 TD receiving on 10 targets) Az-Zahir Hakim led the Lions' receivers with 6 receptions for 72 yards. He was called for a false start penalty during the Lions' first possession of the game. He made a sharp 29-yard catch over the middle that set up his subsequent 8-yard touchdown reception.

Bill Schroeder (3-23 receiving on 7 targets) Bill Schroeder was not on the same page with Joey Harrington as twice in the game Schroeder cut inside and Harrington threw to the outside. In the second quarter Schroeder dropped a pass in the endzone that he should have easily caught. And then in the fourth quarter he was targeted once again in the endzone but Kansas City Chief Greg Wesley broke up the pass.

Reggie Swinton (2-24 receiving on 3 targets, 1-2 rushing) Reggie Swinton contributed minimally to the game though he fumbled a kickoff return which was recovered by the Kansas City Chiefs.

TE: Mikhael Ricks (4-27 receiving on 5 targets) Mikhael Ricks caught nearly every pass that came his way. He made a 12-yard catch for a third down conversion during the Lions' first drive of the game. But then a few minutes later he could not come up with reception in the same situation.

K: Jason Hanson (1 FG, 2-2 XP) Jason Hanson made a 29-yard field goal in the second quarter and converted both of the extra points that he attempted.

Pass Defense: The Lions' defense was overpowered by the potent Kansas City Chiefs' offense. Trent Green was not pressured at all and threw for 341 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Lions made mental mistakes and were called for roughing the passer and encroachment.

Rush Defense: The Lions were unable to stop Priest Holmes who rushed for 94 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Kansas City Chiefs

QB: Trent Green (20-25-341, 3 TD, 1-14 rushing) Trent Green played a near perfect game. Working off of an effective rushing game, Green used play action passes to his receivers to gain his 341 passing yards. And it must be mentioned that Green only played 3 quarters. With the game well in hand, he was taken out of the game at the end of the third quarter. He threw 2 touchdowns passes to Tony Gonzalez. And a short screen pass to Derrick Blaylock, turned into a 63-yard touchdown reception.

Todd Collins (5-7-31) Collins came into play during the fourth quarter in relief of Trent Green after the Chiefs had established a substantial lead.

RB: Priest Holmes (18-94 rushing, 3 TDs, 5-42 receiving on 6 targets) Priest Holmes had an outstanding game. The Chiefs' wide receivers, tackle Willie Roaf and fullback Tony Richardson all made key blocks and opened holes for Holmes' 3 rushing touchdowns.

Derrick Blaylock (2-7 rushing, 5-106 receiving on 5 targets, 1 TD) Derrick Blaylock came into play in relief for Priest Holmes and made good use of the time that he was on the field. While he only rushed for 7 yards on 2 carries, he led the Chiefs' receivers with his 5 receptions for 106 yards. His best play was a short screen catch. Blaylock spun out of 3 tackles and ran 63 yards for the touchdown.

Larry Johnson (4-26 rushing, 1-2 receiving on 3 targets) Larry Johnson did not see the field until the fourth quarter of the game.

WR: Eddie Kennison (3-50 receiving on 4 targets) Kennison made two great 16-yard catches in the game, one in the first quarter the other in the third quarter.

Johnnie Morton (4-41 receiving on 5 targets, 2-8 rushing) Johnnie Morton played an average game against his former team making 4 receptions for 41 yards.

Dante Hall (1-38 receiving on 1 target) Dante Hall played his best in the second half of the game, opening with a 49-yard kick off return, setting up Priest Holmes' touchdown scoring drive. He later made his lone 38-yard catch.

TE: Tony Gonzalez (6-92 receiving on 8 targets, 2 TDs) Gonzalez was once again Trent Green's favorite receiver. He scored the first touchdown of the game, leaping between 2 Lions to make the 28-yard reception. In the third quarter, he fought his way to the 3-yard line on a 15-yard reception that set up Priest Holmes' touchdown. Later, he had a deep pass go off of his fingertips in the end zone. But he made up for it 3 plays later by scoring his second touchdown catch in the back of the end zone.

K: Morten Anderson (1-2 FG, 6-6 XP) Morten Anderson had his first field goal attempt blocked with seconds left in the first half. He later made a 35-yard attempt.

Pass Defense: The Kansas City Chiefs' pass defense effectively covered the Lions receivers, forcing Joey Harrington to check down to his third and fourth options. Kawika Mitchell intercepted Harrington on a bobbled pass that was deflected at the line of scrimmage. An illegal contact penalty extended the Lions' field goal scoring drive when the Lions would have been forced to punt.

Rush Defense: The Chiefs showed that their rush defense really needs work, as they gave up 137 total rushing yards to an anemic Lions' rushing attack. This was the first game this year that a Lions' running back has rushed for over 100 yards.

San Francisco 49ers 38 at Cincinnati Bengals 41

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers road woes continued for the season, unable to overcome 3 lost fumbles converted into 17 points by the Bengals. Unable to stop the Bengals running game in the second half, the Bengals controlled the clock and grinded out a victory. The loss officially eliminated the 49ers from playoff contention.

Jeff Garcia had a fantastic day, going 26 of 33 for 344 yards and 2 TDs. He also had 4 carries for 51 yards and another TD. He played very well against a poor Bengals pass defense.

Kevan Barlow ran well going for 85 yards on 18 carries with 2 TDs. He also caught 6 balls for another 66 yards. But, Barlow had difficulty holding onto the ball, losing 2 costly fumbles, including one inside the Bengals 5 yard line.

Terrell Owens shredded a questionable Bengals secondary, catching 8 passes for 127 yards and 1 TD. Owens also dropped 2 balls.

The 49ers offensive line played very well, especially in pass protection only allowing one sack.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals held on in the closing minutes to notch a big win. Behind another big day from Rudi Johnson and converting three big 49ers turnovers, the Bengals once again pulled even in the AFC Central with the Ravens loss at Oakland. On a concerning note, the Bengals defense allowed a whopping 502 net yards on 61 plays (8.2 yards per play).

Jon Kitna played extremely well, but did not have the fantasy numbers to show it. He was 18 of 25 for 189 yards and 2 TDs. Most importantly, for the Bengals, he avoided turnovers that cost the Bengals last week against the Ravens.

The Bengals running back situation is unclear as ever. Corey Dillon was reportedly a game time decision as he was suffering from the flu. Dillon started the game, but once again went long stretches without playing a down. He finished with a measly 9 carries for 24 yards. Dillon suffered no apparent injury during the game, playing into the 4th quarter, but was used sparingly. Rudi Johnson had a phenomenal day rushing for 174 yards on 21 carries with 2 TDs. Johnson had only 7 carries for 11 yards in the first half, but turned it on in the second half with carries of 49 and 47 yards. The Bengals seem content to go with the hot hand for the remainder of the season.

Chad Johnson rebounded from a dismal performance against the Ravens by catching 6 balls for 91 yards and 1 TD. Peter Warrick put up solid numbers again with 5 catches for 58 yards and 1 TD.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

San Francisco 49ers

QB: This 49ers loss was no fault of Jeff Garcia. He played very well and nearly led a comeback victory. Garcia's numbers were excellent, completing 26 of 33 for 344 yards and 2 TDs along with 4 carries for 51 yards and another TD. He picked apart a banged up Bengals secondary, getting all the time he needed against a poor Bengals' pass rush. Garcia did lose one fumble.

RB: Kevan Barlow (18 carries for 85 yards and 2 TDs, 6 catches for 66 yards, 2 fumbles lost) displayed the ability that makes the Niners think he is the running back of the future, but also lost two careless fumbles that ultimately cost them the game. Barlow ran hard, finishing runs and showed a surprising aptness in the passing game, advancing a dump off pass for 48 yards. He was targeted 7 times.

WR: Terrell Owens (8 catches for 127 yards, 1 TD, 12 targets, 1 redzone target, 2 drops) started off slowly, dropping 2 balls in the first quarter. But, he easily out muscled the Bengals secondary and was consistently wide open. He breezed past CB Jeff Burris for a 58 yard TD catch in the second quarter.

Tai Streets (6 catches for 89 yards, 1 TD, 6 targets, 1 redzone) had a 41 yard TD beating CB Jeff Burris. He caught everything thrown his way, but went through long stretches when Garcia never looked at him.

TE: Jed Weaver (2 catches for 27 yards, 2 targets) was a non-factor.

K: Todd Peterson hit his lone FG attempt of 23 yards and 5 extra points.

Pass Defense: The Niners sacked Kitna twice in the first half, but could not get consistent pressure. Kitna did an excellent job side stepping the pass rush and buying time. The final yardage numbers were not bad, giving up only 168 net yards, but they could not stop the run at all in the second half so it doesn't much matter that they defended the pass well.

Rush Defense: The Niners did very well in the first half, limiting the Bengals to 13 carries for 39 yards (3.0 YPC). But, the Bengals fed Rudi Johnson the ball in the second half, finishing the game with 225 net yards on 37 carries (6.1 YPC). The Niners gave up runs of 49 and 47 yards to Johnson, the 49 yarder coming on a 4th and 1 in the third quarter. San Francisco tackled poorly and paid, losing the time of possession battle in the second half almost 20 minutes to 10.

Cincinnati Bengals

QB: Jon Kitna (18 of 25 for 189 yards and 2 TDs) had an efficient day, making plays when he had to. He rebounded from his dismal performance against the Ravens, avoiding the big mistake and playing smart, accurate football. He does nothing to wow you football or fantasy wise, but continues to play well.

RB: Corey Dillon (9 carries for 24 yards) started the day, but was an afterthought for most of it. Dillon's carries by quarter were 3, 0, 4 and 2. Earlier in the week, Dillon said his groin was healthy, but he had been suffering from the flu. Friday, he was deemed a game time decision. It is unclear if this effected his playing time, but he played second fiddle to Rudi Johnson all day. It was surprising to see him play in the 4th quarter if he was ill, seeing as Johnson was having a phenomenal half.

Rudi Johnson (21 carries for 174 yards, 2 TDs, 2 catches for 8 yards) had a rough first half (7 carries for 11 yards) but the Niners could not stop him in the second. His second half numbers were 14 carries for 163 yards and 2 TDs (11.6 YPC). His carries by quarter were 3, 4, 9, and 5. Johnson has struggled the last few weeks with the committee situation, and seems to need the ball consistently to be effective. Right now, he seems to be the best back to help the Bengals win, but the running back situation remains murky.

WR: Chad Johnson (6 catches for 91 yards and 1 TD, 9 targets, 2 redzone targets) also rebounded from a horrible performance against the Ravens. The highlight of the game came when he scored his touchdown and held up a sign that said, "Dear NFL, Please don't fine me again". He will probably be fined.

Peter Warrick (5 catches for 58 yards, 1 TD, 2 carries for 12 yards, 6 targets) continues to flourish in the second receiver role, benefiting from the double coverage Johnson usually receives.

TE: Matt Schobel (2 catches for 15 yards, 2 targets) led Bengals tight ends in catches, yards and targets which doesn't say very much at all.

K: Shayne Graham continues his excellent season going for 2 for 2 on field goal attempts of 34 and 30 yards in adverse conditions. He was also 5 of 5 on extra points.

Pass Defense: The Bengals pass defense continues to plague them, getting torched again to the tune of 331 net yards. The Bengals had little pass rush (1 sack) and when they got up the field, Garcia would scramble for solid yardage. CB Artrell Hawkins was hurt in the first half, being replaced by Jeff Burris that was promptly burnt by both Terrell Owens and Tai Streets.

Rush Defense: The run defense was beat up, allowing 171 net yards rushing on 27 carries (6.3 YPC). They struggled especially in short yardage situations, getting no push at the point of attack.

Cleveland Browns 20 at Denver Broncos 23 (OT)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Cleveland Browns

Tim Couch passed for 181 yards to go along with two TD strikes, but, for the most part, he was erratic, completing just 44 percent of his passes and throwing one interception.

Jamel White averaged just under 3.0 yards per carry on his 20 attempts. He was unable to find a rhythm in Denver.

Dennis Northcutt made just three catches, but all three were significant. The first went for 44 yards; the second a tough grab on the left sideline for a first down; the third another deep reception. All together, he picked up 115 yards. He also played QB and missed Andre Davis out of bounds in the end zone. Davis made a clutch 35-yard TD reception, dragging his feet in bounds. Two pass interference penalties cost Quincy Morgan a possible TD and a 30-yard gain.

Little-used tight end Keith Heinrich caught a 1-yard touchdown on a 4th-and-1 late in the second quarter.

Kicker Brett Conway, who was signed this week to replace the injured Phil Dawson, made field goals of 39 and 48 yards, but pulled a 38-yarder wide left. It didn't seem significant, but turned out to be a pivotal miss.

The stat sheet will show Clinton Portis rushed for 139 yards, but the fact it took him 38 carries is more of an indictment of Cleveland's offense not staying on the field than the defense's inability to stop No. 26. The Browns put some pretty consistent pressure on Jake Plummer, but his mobility allowed him to make plays. Cleveland registered three sacks and had one pick.

Denver Broncos

Jake Plummer had an efficient, not spectacular afternoon. Although he didn't throw any TD passes, he passed for 269 yards and picked up 23 yards on the ground, including a key rushing first down in overtime.

Clinton Portis carried the mail to the tune of 38 carry for 139 yards, but the last rush may have been a costly one for the Broncos. He sustained a sprained right ankle on the last play before Jason Elam's game-winning field goal. Initial x-rays following the game were negative, and he'll undergo an MRI on Monday. During the game, he methodically broke down Cleveland's defense to go over the century mark for the 10th time this season. He also scored two more TDs, giving him 14 on the year and seven in his last two games.

Tight end Shannon Sharpe was the leading receiver, falling just short of 100 yards (97) on his eight receptions. He had a chance at a touchdown in the first half, but Plummer's pass was picked off in the end zone. Ashley Lelie made some clutch catches late in the game, including a 45-yarder that led to Elam's game-tying field goal in regulation. Rod Smith had just four catches and dropped several others.

Kicker Jason Elam was a perfect 3-for-3 on the day. He nailed a 51-yarder in the swirling wind in the first half, then booted the game-tying 36-yard field goal with 12 seconds left in regulation before knocking through the 25-yard game-winner in overtime.

Denver's rush defense was able to contain Jamel White; his biggest rush was 12 yards. In the passing game, the Broncos made Tim Couch too comfortable most of the afternoon. Denver recorded just two sacks and one interception on a great individual effort Lenny Walls.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Cleveland Browns

QB: Tim Couch (8 of 18 for 181 yards, 2 TDs, INT) didn't have an overly impressive day on the stat sheet, and even though Cleveland lost, he orchestrated some key scoring drives, leaving little doubt he should maintain the starting job. The usually immobile Couch also ran once for 17 yards.

RB: Jamel White (20 carries, 55 yards; 0 catches, 4 targets) couldn't find a rhythm running the ball. Cleveland tried to him run him outside too often, allowing Denver's fast linebacker corps to track him down and thwart long sideline gains.

Lee Suggs had a 17-yard run to account for over half of his 30 rushing yards. He's showing nice bursts and elusiveness in his limited action.

WR: Dennis Northcutt (3 catches, 115 yards, 5 targets) went over 100 yards receiving for the first time since Week 5 of last season. All three catches were big-play receptions, including a 44-yarder down the right sideline in the first half. A deep pass intended for him in the fourth quarter was intercepted by Denver's Lenny Walls. Northcutt also attempted a pass on one first-half play, throwing wide out of bounds in the end zone looking for Andre Davis.

Davis' one catch was a spectacular 35-yard TD grab as he drug his feet just inside the left side of the end zone.

Quincy Morgan grabbed one ball for 12 yards, but two pass interference penalties against Denver cost him a potential TD and another big play.

Frisman Jackson, playing in just his 10th career NFL game, picked up one catch for 10 yards. It's only the second reception of his career.

TE: Keith Heinrich caught just one pass, but it was a 1-yard TD reception on a 4th-and-goal at the end of the second quarter to tie the game 10-10 heading into halftime.

Backup Darnell Sanders caught a pass for eight yards.

K: Brett Conway, who was signed last week to replace Phil Dawson, booted kicks of 39 and 48 yards. He narrowly missed a 38-yard field goal wide left in the first half, which could've given Cleveland the win in Denver.

Rush Defense: Clinton Portis wore down the Browns' defense in the fourth quarter and overtime. He pounded the ball 38 times for 139 yards, but the 3.6 yards-per-carry average shows Cleveland limited the big runs from on the NFL's premier game-breakers.

Pass Defense: If Cleveland was playing a less-mobile QB than Jake Plummer, the Browns might have had more success punishing him. Overall, Cleveland registered three sacks and one interception, and did just enough to keep the Browns in the game until the end.

Denver Broncos

QB: Jake Plummer (22 of 36 for 269 yards, INT) made enough positive plays with his arm and feet to put Denver in position to win the game. On his lone pick, he tried to force the ball in the end zone to Shannon Sharpe, who was double-covered. Plummer ran 23 yards for a big first down in overtime. It's the first time this season that he hasn't thrown at least one touchdown at home. His TD-to-INT ratio at Mile High on the season is still impressive (9 to 2).

RB: Clinton Portis was having a modest afternoon heading into the fourth quarter with 26 carries for 86 yards and a TD. Then he reeled off 53 yards on the next 12 carries, including a 13-yard TD run. His 38 carries are a career high, and the final run in overtime right before Jason Elam's game-winning field goal, resulted in Portis being helped off the field with a right knee and ankle sprain. Initial x-rays following the game were negative, but he'll undergo an MRI on Monday. If he's out for any length of time, Mike Shanahan will be criticized for moving the ball a few insignificant yards closer for the field goal. Portis has rushed for 1,591 yards this year, breaking his rookie total. He has 14 touchdowns on the season - one short of his rookie total - and has 10 100-yard rushing performances.

WR: Ashley Lelie came alive in the fourth quarter, catching 3 of 4 balls for 58 yards on the drive that led to Elam's game-tying field goal. He continues to show spurts of brilliance, reminding us why Denver spent a first-round pick on him last year.

Rod Smith (4 catches, 41 yards, 8 targets) dropped some passes he normally catches.

Ed McCaffrey had two catches for 26 yards. He's become somewhat lost in the Broncos' offense.

TE: Shannon Sharpe led the team in receiving with eight receptions for 97 yards. For the 10th time in his illustrious career, Sharpe has 60 or more catches in a season. Plummer tried to force a pass to Sharpe in the end zone in the third quarter, which was picked off by Robert Griffith.

Backup tight end Patrick Hape contributed with 21 yards receiving.

K: Jason Elam continues to show why he's one of the best clutch kickers in the NFL. After nailing a 51-yarder in the first half, he kicked a 36-yarder to tie the game and a 25-yard chip-shot in OT.

Rush Defense: Jamel White was held in check on Sunday, gaining just 55 yards. Denver clogged the middle of the line and forced Cleveland to run outside - which is the Broncos' strength.

Pass Defense: The Broncos didn't consistently pressure Tim Couch, but did just enough to throw off his rhythm at times. Denver was only able to pick up two sacks and one interception.

Baltimore Ravens 12 at Oakland Raiders 20

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore just couldn't find a rhythm in the game on Sunday, and the Ravens offense which had averaged nearly 40 points per game over the past 3 weeks managed just 12 points and a paltry 319 total net yards against the Raiders. The biggest bright spots for Baltimore were probably the only Raven players still found starting on fantasy rosters this season: running back Jamal Lewis and tight end Todd Heap. Lewis ran hard and strong in the game, finishing with 125 yards on just 24 carries and pushing his league-leading season rushing total to 1,747. Unfortunately both for the Ravens and for his fantasy owners, Lewis was held out of the end zone in the game.

Todd Heap was the only consistent receiver for Baltimore, this despite being double- and even triple-covered for most of the game. Heap finished with 93 yards and a touchdown on 6 receptions, and his 9 targets were second to Travis Taylor's 10 among all Ravens receivers. Taylor had a mediocre day despite all the attention, ending up with only 3 receptions for 62 yards, one of which was a 41 yard rainbow from quarterback Anthony Wright. Marcus Robinson, who had caught 6 touchdowns in the past 3 games, was held without a reception.

Anthony Wright took a huge step backwards in the game, failing to hit open receivers and trying to force the ball into tight coverage on several occasions, though only being intercepted once. He finished the game with just 193 yards on 12 of 27 passing, and also lost a fumble when he was hit as he attempted to hand off to Jamal Lewis. Rookie Kyle Boller, who had been the unquestioned starter until falling to injury last month, was activated for the game, though held out of action as the third string quarterback. Fellow 2003 first round draft pick Terrell Suggs got the first start of his NFL career, filling in for the injured Adalius Thomas, but failed to add to his sack total of 10.

Oakland Raiders

It wasn't really pretty, but Rick Mirer and the Raiders got it done against a tough defense. Mirer finished the game with the very unimpressive line of 16-35-186-1, but did an excellent job of avoiding turnovers and spreading the ball out to the Raiders' deep stable of receivers. Mirer also had the luxury of excellent pass protection in the game. His sole touchdown pass was to Jerry Rice, the 194th of Rice's illustrious career.

Rice led all Raiders' receivers with 9 targets in the game, including two in the end zone, but finished with just 48 yards on 3 receptions, including the TD. Some of that can be blamed on Rick Mirer going to other options even when Rice appeared to be open, but much of that was a factor of tight coverage by the Ravens. Tim Brown finished with 41 yards on 4 receptions (7 targets), but left the game at the end of the third quarter (no further information was presented). Jerry Porter did play often and did get looks (6 targets), but finished the game with just one catch for 11 yards.

Tyrone Wheatley (13-39) was the starting halfback for the Raiders, but shared the workload fairly evenly with Charlie Garner (7-28) and Zack Crockett (5-4-1). None of the backs were able to run with consistent effectiveness against the Ravens' defense, although Garner did gather 41 yards on 4 receptions in the game. Crockett scored on a one yard plunge on Oakland's first offensive play of the game, following a Patrick Buchanon interception. Defensive tackle Roderick Coleman had a great game, recording two quarterback sacks and a forced fumble.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Baltimore Ravens

QB: Anthony Wright (12-27-193 with 1 TD and 1 INT; 3-minus 2 rushing) simply couldn't find a rhythm against the Oakland defense today. Wright was sacked 3 times and pressured all day long by what appeared to be a suspect Raiders pass rush, but in the end it came down to Wright's inability to hit the open receiver, as many of his passes fell short or behind his receivers. Wright's lone interception of the game came on just his second attempt, in which he overthrew a stumbling Frank Sanders over the middle of the field, the ball coming to a rest in the waiting arms of Raider cornerback Patrick Buchanon. He did have a few positive notes come out of the game-a well thrown 14 yard touchdown strike to TE Todd Heap, and 3 passing plays which netted 25 yards or more. Wright was definitely focusing on his wideouts and tight ends during the game, as the Ravens' running backs did not net a single target. Rookie quarterback Kyle Boller was activated for the game, but held in reserve as the third string (emergency) quarterback while he completes his recovery from surgery.

RB: Jamal Lewis (24-125-0 with no targets) had another very good day for Baltimore, running hard between the tackles and gaining tough yards after contact throughout the game. Lewis and the offensive line got stronger as the game went on, as evidenced by his 72 second half yards on only 8 carries. With the Ravens offense sputtering for much of the game, Lewis was only able to garner 3 red zone carries, resulting in a total of 6 yards.

Chester Taylor (3-24-0 with no targets) assumed his usual role in the backfield, taking over in single back sets on obvious passing downs and spelling Jamal Lewis when he tired. Taylor gained 5 yards on his only red zone touch, and was also given the carry on an unsuccessful two point conversion attempt. Fullback Alan Ricard chipped in 2 yards on 1 carries, that coming in the red zone.

WR: Travis Taylor (3-62-0 on 10 targets) made a spectacular catch on his first target of the game, holding on to a 13 yard pass despite a pair of vicious hits by Raider defensive backs, but quickly settled into his normal inconsistent style of play. Taylor had a number of passes bounce off his hands, and appeared to be on a different page of the playbook from Anthony Wright on a couple of plays. He did haul in a 41 yard deep pass from Wright which set up a field goal early in the second quarter.

Frank Sanders (2-13-0 on 5 targets) was used primarily on short routes and had difficulty finding space in the secondary.

Marcus Robinson's day can best be summed up by the fact that he had as many tackles on offense as he had targets (one). Robinson finished the day with no catches.

TE: Todd Heap (6-93-1 on 9 targets) was the only consistent receiving threat on the Ravens Sunday, making a number of excellent catches and seemingly breaking free from Raiders' coverage at will. Heap's longest catch of the day, for 31 yards, was on a ball which he tipped into his own hands while in the midst of three Oakland defenders, one of whom had a firm grip on his right arm. Heap also received the only two Baltimore red zone passing targets, one of which he caught for a 14 yard TD.

Terry Jones Jr. caught his only target of the day, breaking a tackle along the sideline and ending up with a 25 yard gain.

PK: Matt Stover hit on his first two field goal attempts of the game, from 32 and 28 yards, but was short on a 50 yard attempt in the closing seconds of the first half. That miss snapped his streak of 21 consecutive field goal tries converted.

Run Defense: The run defense was predictably strong, holding Oakland to just 79 yards on 31 total carries and stopping Raiders running backs for 3 yards or less on 18 of their 25 attempts. The Raven defenders swarmed to the ball carrier and came through with strong tackles. Baltimore did surrender one rushing touchdown to Zack Crockett, that coming from half a yard out after Philip Buchanon's interception return.

Pass Defense: Baltimore held Rick Mirer's final numbers to a very mediocre 16 of 35 for 186 yards, but the secondary gave up several key third down completions in the game, including a 17 yard passing to play to Jerry Rice which came on 3rd and 15 with 4:00 left in the game. The Ravens were unable to get pressure on Mirer during the contest, failing to tally a single sack.

Oakland Raiders

QB: Rick Mirer (16-35-186 with 1 TD; 6-8 rushing) wasn't spectacular by any standards, but did enough to win the game for the Raiders, and most importantly made good decisions and did not turn the ball over. Standing in behind an offensive line which kept his jersey clean for much of the game, Mirer spread the ball out to his stable of receivers, targeting 9 different Raiders on the day. Mirer and Oakland employed much the same passing attack that took them to the Super Bowl last season, using the experience of Jerry Rice and Tim Brown along with the athleticism of Jerry Porter and Doug Jolley in a variety of short passing routes which proved beyond the abilities of the Ravens to defend. Despite the presence of two future Hall of Fame wide receivers on the field, Oakland's longest passing play of the day went to tight end Doug Jolley, a 26 yard gainer.

RB: Tyrone Wheatley (13-39-0; 2-12 on 3 targets) started the game, but was largely ineffective against the stout Baltimore run defense. Of his 39 total rushing yards, 25 came on two plays, including a 16 yard scamper which proved the Raiders' longest run of the day. Wheatley had 2 red zone carries, totaling 2 yards.

Charlie Garner (7-28-0; 4-41 on 6 targets) found himself in the backfield often in the game, and responded with some comparatively nice runs and a 25 yard reception. Garner's quickness and shifty running style proved much better matched against the Ravens' defense, although he was unable to break free for a big gainer on the ground.

Zack Crockett (5-4-1) had a typical day, getting the ball in goal line and short yardage situations and being asked to move the pile. He was successful in that task, converting a run on 4th and 1 in addition to his 1 yard touchdown. Fullback Chris Hetherington failed to haul in his lone target from Rick Mirer, and had a nice catch and run on a botched punt attempt negated by an ineligible receiver downfield penalty.

WR: Jerry Rice (3-48-1 on 9 targets) was obviously a major factor in Oakland's game plan, but was frustrated by strong coverage by Baltimore cornerback Chris McAlister throughout the game. Rice did manage to break free in the end zone for a 21 yard touchdown catch, and was wide open in the end zone on another play in which Mirer opted to go to his short option. In all, Rice had 2 of Oakland's 3 end zone targets in the game, and was the man the Raiders called upon on a key 3rd and 15 play late in the 4th quarter (which Rice caught for a 17 yard gain).

Tim Brown (4-41-0 on 7 targets) had a solid real NFL game, but didn't do much from a fantasy football standpoint. Brown did get a target in the end zone early in the first quarter, but was unable to connect on the Mirer pass. Brown reportedly left the field on his way to the locker room at the end of the 3rd quarter, but no further update was provided by the television broadcast team.

Jerry Porter (1-11 on 6 targets) was about as ineffective in the game as his line indicates. Porter was unable to find very much space in the Baltimore secondary, and quarterback Rick Mirer was equally unable to get the ball within catching radius of Porter. Fourth receiver Alvis Whitted finished the game with no catches on one target.

TE: While O.J. Santiago (1-7 on 1 target) got the start, Doug Jolley (1-26 on 4 targets) was obviously the preferred receiving option at tight end for the Raiders. Jolley's 26 yard reception was the longest of the game by any Raider.

K: Sebastian Janikowski was a perfect 2-2 on field goals and 2-2 on point after tries on the day, and still looks bigger than some offensive linemen in the league.

Run Defense: Oakland can thank the score and the three Ravens' turnovers for helping them "hold" Baltimore to 149 rushing yards in the game. Jamal Lewis was able to power through holes and would-be tacklers alike with frightening regularity in the game, and the Raider defensive line looked incapable of matching up against the much heavier Baltimore offensive linemen, at least on running plays. They did buckle down in the red zone, holding Baltimore runners to a combined 11 yards and zero touchdowns on 6 carries from inside the 20.

Pass Defense: The much-maligned Raiders pass rush showed up in spades on Sunday, continuously harassing Baltimore quarterback Anthony Wright and tallying 3 sacks and an interception in the game. While the Ravens admittedly don't have the league's best receiving corps, Oakland's secondary was able to match up well and hold Wright to 12 of 27 passing, while the red-hot Marcus Robinson was held without a catch in the game.

Jacksonville Jaguars 13 at New England Patriots 27

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Jacksonville Jaguars

Missed opportunities and mistakes assured that the Jaguars would not upset the New England Patriots in a game that saw snow start to fall in the second half. While QB Byron Leftwich threw for 288 yards and a touchdown he was also intercepted twice. He could not turn two early trips to the red zone into touchdowns and had to settle for field goals. While he is still making mistakes he also seems to be continuing to grow as a quarterback in his rookie season as he was able to put up decent numbers in a very tough stadium against a good defense in less than perfect weather.

RB Fred Taylor was not able to find room to run, finishing the day with 57 yards on 16 carries. Like he has often this year, Taylor dropped some passes, including one that would have resulted in a touchdown.

The top receivers in the game for the Jaguars were WR Kevin Johnson and WR Jimmy Smith. Johnson finished with 87 yards on his 5 catches including one touchdown. Smith only caught two balls but they were good for 73 yards. Both receivers were targeted 9 times each, a team-high.

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots did what they usually do - methodically, purposefully, sometimes boringly - move from the start of the game to the end where the result is a victory. They set a franchise record with their tenth win in a row this year. Offensively they didn't do anything exciting, they just scored points. Defensively they played another strong game although they did give up their first touchdown at home in the last five games.

QB Tom Brady played his usual efficient game, completing 22 of 34 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns. He avoided turning the ball over. He got the ball to 8 different receivers and managed the game beautifully. It doesn't seem to matter how many receivers go down with injuries, Brady will get the ball to someone.

The New England running game was nothing to get excited about although they did score once on the ground. RB Antowain Smith had only 39 yards on 17 carries with the touchdown, while RB Kevin Faulk had 11 carries for 34 yards.

Eight different receivers caught passes for the Patriots. WR Deion Branch went out early with an injury and did not return. TE Daniel Graham was one of the leading receivers with 5 catches for 69 yards and a touchdown. The other touchdown was grabbed by WR Troy Brown who made his return from an injury with 4 catches for 43 yards. WR David Givens was also active with 5 grabs for 65 yards.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Jacksonville Jaguars

QB: Byron Leftwich (21-40-288 1 TD 2 INT passing, 3-10 rushing) made a couple more mistakes than big plays in this game. His two interceptions came in the second half near midfield. He also had the ball stripped from him but Jacksonville recovered it. He had a pass dropped by RB Fred Taylor near the 5-yard line that was very probably going to be a good for a touchdown. The first play from scrimmage was a perfect throw to WR Jimmy Smith that went for 67 yards. He just couldn't covert plays when it mattered, especially early in the game when Jacksonville got inside the 10-yard line twice.

RB: Fred Taylor (16-57 rushing, 4-32 receiving, 7 targets) didn't have a very productive day. He was held in check on the ground and his most memorable plays in the passing game were the ones he didn't make. He dropped several passes including one near the goal line that almost certainly would have been a touchdown. Dropped passes have been a problem for Taylor all year and most of the time the ball is right in his hands when it comes out.

David Allen (1-5 rushing, 1-6 receiving, 1 target) was in for a couple of plays. He was not a factor in the game. It was interesting to see him get time while RB LaBrandon Toefield, the usual reserve running back, did not.

Marc Edwards (4-41 receiving, 5 targets) was productive in the passing game with his 4 catches. He did not run the ball.

WR: Jimmy Smith (2-73 receiving, 9 targets) caught a pass on the first play from scrimmage for the Jaguars and took it 67 yards. He only had one other reception in the game despite being targeted a team-high nine times.

Kevin Johnson (5-87 1 TD receiving, 9 targets) scored the lone touchdown for the Jaguars and was tied with WR Jimmy Smith with his nine targets.

Troy Edwards (1-17 receiving, 3 targets) had only the one catch but it was a nice one along the sidelines where he was able to get both feet down while hanging on to the ball.

Cortez Hankton (1-3 receiving, 1 target) was not a factor in the game.

TE: Kyle Brady (2-8 receiving, 4 targets) had two catches but was not a factor in the game.

Chris Luzar (1-21 receiving, 1 target) got some playing time at tight end since the normal backup, George Wrighster was hurt earlier in the week.

K: Seth Marler (2-3 FG (24, 23 yards, missed 34 yards) 1-1 XP) missed a 34-yard field goal.

Pass Defense: They gave up two touchdown passes and 228 yards. They had been playing much better lately so this was a step back. The unit managed to get two sacks but did not come up with any interceptions. They had a blown coverage on the first touchdown that saw TE Daniel Graham wide open. They did not put enough pressure on QB Tom Brady to make his life difficult.

Rush Defense: This unit only surrendered 84 yards on 32 carries, only 2.6 yards per carry. They did allow a touchdown. Granted, New England is not a powerhouse when it comes to the running game, but the Jaguars did a decent job in this area.

New England Patriots

QB: Tom Brady (22-34-228 2 TD passing, 1-7 rushing) had a very efficient if not spectacular game. He didn't turn the ball over and would have had another touchdown if RB Larry Centers had caught a ball that hit him right in the hands. He was well protected for most of the game and had enough time to find his receivers. He doesn't panic even if the protection breaks down so he seldom makes bad decisions with the ball. When you consider how many different receivers he has had to work with over the course of the year it's rather amazing that he stays as consistent as he does.

RB: Antowain Smith (17-39 1 TD rushing, 2-9 receiving, 2 targets) had a touchdown on his third straight carry later in the fourth quarter. The series started at the Jacksonville 3-yard line and went Smith for a yard, Smith for a yard, Smith for a yard - touchdown. His longest run of the day went for 14 yards, meaning his other 16 carries got 25 yards. He was active for this game as Head Coach Bill Belichick prefers Smith's pounding style due to the bad weather they were playing in. Smith also lost one fumble after a pass reception deep in Jacksonville territory.

Kevin Faulk (11-34 rushing, 3-9 receiving, 6 targets) spent a lot of time on the field but didn't do much.

Patrick Pass (2-3 rushing) was not a factor in the game.

Larry Centers (1-1 rushing, 1-8 receiving, 3 targets) was a factor in the game despite the minimal numbers. He was re-signed by the Patriots to add some depth to the team. He dropped two passes in the game, one that was a sure touchdown. His forte has always been as a receiver out of the backfield but you sure couldn't tell by this performance.

Mike Cloud was inactive for this game. Head Coach Bill Belichick will look at the where the team is playing and what the weather is like when determining who to activate. Cloud looks to be active only when playing in good weather or indoors.

WR: Troy Brown (4-43 1 TD receiving, 6 targets) returned for the first time in several weeks and made an immediate impact with a touchdown catch.

David Givens (5-65 receiving, 7 targets) led the wide receivers with his seven targets, tying TE Daniel Graham for the team lead. He caught the longest pass of the day for the Patriots, going for 32 yards. With WR Deion Branch out Givens was the receiver running the deeper routes.

Deion Branch (1-16 receiving, 1 target) had the one catch. He hurt his arm on that play or one right after it and went off early in the game. He did not return. At the start of the second half the sideline reporter gave the word that Branch would not be returning to the game.

Dedric Ward (1-9 receiving, 2 targets) was not a factor in the game.

Bethel Johnson was inactive for this game.

TE: Daniel Graham (5-69 1 TD receiving, 7 targets) had an early touchdown catch on a blown coverage as he was wide open down the sideline when QB Tom Brady found him. He was tied for the team lead with his seven targets.

K: Adam Vinatieri (2-2 FG (22, 31 yards) 3-3 XP) was perfect on his field goal and extra point attempts.

Pass Defense: This unit gave up a lot of yards, 288, but they were able to limit the Jaguars to one touchdown. They were able to come up with two interceptions and one sack. They put pressure on QB Byron Leftwich, hurrying him on at least eight plays and knocking him down on several occasions when they did not get a sack.

Rush Defense: They stopped the Jaguars running attack, limiting them to 72 yards on 20 carries. They did a good job in this phase of the game as they usually brought extra defenders up to stop the run.

Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks 22 at St. Louis Rams 27

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Seattle Seahawks

RB Shaun Alexander sliced through the Rams defense for five carries of 10+ yards in the game. However, Alexander continues not to hit the holes hard if there isn't a large hole to slide through. Six of his carries in the game went for no gain or less.

The Seattle defense made a point of trying to physically intimidate the Rams. Two first half personal fouls set the tone for what looked like an effort to disrupt the Rams passing game. The DBs and LBs put some ferocious hits on Holt, Bruce, Bulger, but the pass rush was virtually non-existent after the first quarter sack and safety of Bulger.

WR Koren Robinson saw his first target in the game with 0:31 left in the first half. He returned to the locker room several times in the game, but it was unclear as to the reason. Robinson saw eight targets and made five catches in the second half.

St. Louis Rams

The Rams fourth quarter play calling was 10 runs and 2 pass plays. Head coach Mike Martz broke from his normal philosophy and opted to stay conservative with the lead to milk the clock. The Rams were definitely in "hold on" mode as opposed to attacking down field.

RB Marshall Faulk did not show the explosive ability he has shown in the past. He looked sluggish hitting the hole and his 3.0 yards per carry average were indicative of Faulk's effectiveness more than the prowess of the Seattle defense. However, with the game on the line the Rams got the ball to Faulk on nine straight plays grinding out three first downs to help wind down the clock in the 4th quarter.

WR Isaac Bruce left the game with an ankle sprain during the first half. QB Marc Bulger looked more to backup WR Mike Furrey instead of WR Dane Looker in Bruce's absence. From the time that Bruce left the field Looker was out-targeted by Furrey six to three.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Seattle Seahawks

QB: Matt Hasselbeck: (21-37-246 yards passing 1 TD 1 INT) Hasselbeck was not sharp and forced several passes into coverage. His interception was thrown well behind TE Itula Mili and was batted into the air by Mili. Hasselbeck did a nice job of stepping forward away from the pass rush and kept his eyes down field, but did not show the pinpoint accuracy for the second week in a row that he has displayed for most of the season. With the clock ticking down to less than 30 seconds, Seattle had just converted a first down. Hasselbeck opted to run another play on 1st down instead of spiking the ball. He led RB Shaun Alexander towards the middle of the field keeping him from getting out of bounds. Without any timeouts to stop the clock this play forced Seattle into two desperation end zone heaves.

RB: Shaun Alexander: (25-126 yards rushing 1 TD, 2-8 yards receiving on 4 targets) Alexander missed his season best rushing total by one yard and topped 120+ yards for the second time in three weeks. Alexander showed off his speed getting to the corner several times in the game ripping off long runs of 35, 21, 12, 11, and 10 yards. However, Alexander still has a tendency to "dance" behind the line of scrimmage if an obvious hole doesn't present itself. To go along with his long carries Alexander also had -3, -1, -1, and -4 yard carries in the game. In contrast to his running style between the 20's, Alexander used good shoulder lean and drive at the goal line when scoring his TD.

Maurice Morris: (2-9 yards rushing) Morris had two carries early in the first quarter. This is not a new phenomenon. Holmgren continues to yank Alexander early each week for a carry or two. Morris never saw the huddle after these two carries. His only other action was returning kickoffs.

Mack Strong: (0-0 yards rushing, 2-16 yards receiving on 5 targets) Strong saw less of the field in the game because the Seahawks used more double tight end sets. He didn't have a carry in a game for the first time in six weeks.

WR: Koren Robinson: (5-47 yards receiving on 9 targets) Robinson was a non-factor in the first half. His first target occurred with 0:31 left in the half. However, that target was in the end zone on an audible. Of Robinson's 5 grabs, only one was more than five yards from the line of scrimmage. Seattle used Robinson on several quick hitches and out routes. Robinson did a good job of making the first tackler miss and gaining a few more yards.

Darrell Jackson: (6-99 yards receiving 1 TD on 9 targets) Jackson did a nice job of catching his TD in traffic on a slant. Jackson also made a fantastic diving 26-yard catch on Seattle's last possession to keep hopes alive. Jackson is consistently being targeted down field more than Robinson this season. His 17.0 ypc compared to Robinson's 14.0 is evidence of this.

Bobby Engram: (0-0 yards receiving on 2 targets) Engram was not much of a factor in the game plan for Seattle. He was targeted deep in the end zone late in the game when matched up on a LB, but the referee tripped and fell into Engram's path taking him out. It wouldn't have been an easy grab for Engram, but the referee taking him out prevented us from ever knowing if he could have caught it.

TE: Itula Mili: (5-69 yards receiving on 6 targets) Mili was utilized early and often. Seattle rolled out QB Matt Hasselbeck on several plays in the first half towards Mili's side of the field resulting in all five of his catches. Mili was wide open each time. Mili made a nice run after the catch on one of his runs eluding a tackler and dragging another for 22 yards.

Jeremy Stevens: (1-7 yards receiving on 2 targets) Stevens started the game along with Mili. His lone catch was in the red zone on an out route.

K: Josh Brown: 2-2 FG (31,38) 2-2 XP. There was nothing of consequence to report from the Seattle kicking game.

Pass Defense: Seattle blitzed on almost every Rams play in the first quarter. They hit Bulger several times, but only sacked him once when LB Orlando Huff dropped him for a safety on the second St. Louis play of the game. The game plan was to leave the Seattle DBs in single coverage with Holt and Bruce, and punish them with big hits when they did make a catch. They knocked Bruce out of the game, but not before he torched them for two long catches, a pass interference penalty, and a touchdown. After Bruce left the game, Holt continued to punish the Seattle DBs, including a long TD as well.

Rush Defense: Seattle stuffed RB Marshall Faulk on play after play. They gave up one carry of more than 5 yards in the first three quarters. If you factor out Faulk's fourth quarter 28-yarder, they held him to nearly 2 yards per carry.

St. Louis Rams

QB: Marc Bulger: (20-32-236 yards passing 2 TD, 1 INT) Bulger was hit hard on several plays early on, but responded well. After taking a roughing the passer penalty and lying on the ground for a few seconds, Bulger responded by converting a 3rd and 12 pass to WR Mike Furrey leading to a Faulk TD. Bulger's interception was a poorly thrown ball into heavy coverage. It was LB Randall Godfrey's first INT in a long time.

Bulger's first TD was to a wide open Isaac Bruce. His second TD was terribly under thrown to Torry Holt, but Holt made a great adjustment on the ball. Bulger made the right choice on the play, as Holt was alone in man coverage. Bulger only attempted two passes in the 4th quarter. His lone 4th quarter completion was on a screen to Faulk.

RB: Marshall Faulk: (28-85 yards rushing 1 TD, 3-13 yards receiving on 4 targets) Faulk did not look like the player of 3 years ago by any stretch of the imagination. His yardage was mostly gained untouched. He did not make defenders miss and was not explosive. He made up for quickness and speed with smart decisions. Faulk gave the Rams three first downs late in the fourth quarter when they were trying to burn the clock. Coach Martz put his faith in Faulk by giving him the ball on nine straight plays. The drive resulted in a FG forcing the Seahawks into a TD to win situation. Faulk also showed his football sense and smarts earlier in the game when he called a timeout to save the team from a delay of game penalty. QB Marc Bulger seemed oblivious to the situation.

Lamar Gordon: (1-2 yards rushing) Gordon spelled Faulk for one play in the second quarter, but otherwise didn't see the field.

WR: Torry Holt: (6-100 yards receiving 1TD on 10 targets) Holt burned each of the Seattle CBs running crisp routes. On his TD reception Bulger left the ball terribly short, but Holt made a nice adjustment coming back to the ball for the score. Holt was left in one-on-one coverage for the majority of the game because Seattle was blitzing so much.

Isaac Bruce: (2-43 yards receiving 1 TD on 5 targets) All five of Bruce's targets came in the first quarter. Bruce left the game with an ankle sprain. His status was not clear at the end of the game. Bruce drew a holding flag on CB Marcus Trufant just before his TD reception. He nearly pulled it in for what could have been another long gain.

Dane Looker: (3-30 yards receiving on 4 targets) Looker replaced Holt on the outside, but was mostly ineffective and had a hard time getting open.

Mike Furrey: (4-45 yards receiving on 7 targets) Furrey's targets increased when Bruce left the game. He made two grabs on 3rd and long to get first downs and also drew a pass interference penalty on another keeping a drive alive.

TE: Brandon Manumaleuna: (1- -5 yards receiving on 2 target) Cameron Cleeland: (1-10 yards receiving on 2 targets) Neither TE was much a factor in the Rams passing game. Besides his one reception, Cleeland's other target was thrown out of bounds over his head.

K: Jeff Wilkins: 2-2 FG (33,46) 3-3 XP The Rams tried to pull the Seattle defense off sides in the fourth quarter on a 4th and 1 play call, but after it failed they let Wilkins kick the FG.

Pass Defense: The Rams pass rush sacked QB Matt Hasselbeck twice. Without a healthy DE Leonard Little the Rams have a hard time generating pass rush without blitzing extra players. Little left the game several times, but kept returning to action. DE Grant Wistrom recorded a sack in the game, but also got away with a nasty late hit on Hasselbeck. A pass was well away and the focus of the play was down field. Wistrom's hit left Hasselbeck writhing on the field.

Rush Defense: The Rams defense was able to bottle up RB Shaun Alexander on some plays, but they allowed him to break several longer runs to the outside. Also, they got caught in passing situations when draws allowed Alexander to get up field for decent gains.

New York Giants 7 at New Orleans Saints 45

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

New York Giants

Given the final score, it is hard to believe that the Giants were in this game until a penalty and a blocked field goal which was returned for a TD at the end of the first half turned the tide.

Jesse Palmer became the first Canadian to start a game at QB in the NFL. He played a solid game, completing 15 of 26 passes for 140 yards and 1 TD. He also rushed for 25 yards on 2 carries. Palmer made no major mistakes in his first start.

The Giant offense was very predictable. Most sequences went run-run-pass, so it was not surprising that the Saints D was able to hold them to 7 points. Tiki Barber was limited to 37 yards on 11 attempts and sat during much of the second half while RBs Dorsey Levens and Delvin Joyce played, adding 37 and 21 yards respectively.

The Saints blitz gave Palmer little time to get the ball downfield to his receivers. David Tyree led the receivers with 39 yards on 1 catch and Amani Toomer was held to 2 receptions for 20 yards.

TE Visanthe Shiancoe caught 3 balls for 19 yards, including his first career TD. Jeremy Shockey was not in uniform.

New Orleans Saints

This game was the Aaron Brooks/Joe Horn show. Brooks and Horn hooked up for 4 TDs in this route of the injury plagued Giants. The Saints took less than 2 minutes to score their first TD on a 50 yard pass from Brooks to Horn and never looked back. Horn finished with 133 yards on 9 catches with 4 TDs. Brooks was 26 of 35 passing for 296 yards and 5 TDs. He added 11 yards rushing on 3 carries.

Deuce McAllister led the way in the running game, racking up 80 yards on 15 carries with 65 yards receiving. Lamar Smith chipped in 40 yards on 8 carries after the game was well out of hand.

WR Jerome Pathon had 3 catches for 45 yards, including a spectacular 26 yard TD grab. Donte Stallworth appeared healthy, grabbing 2 balls for 23 yards.

TE Boo Williams hauled in 5 passes for 47 yards.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

New York Giants

QB: Jesse Palmer did a nice job in his first career start. He showed flashes of potential and did not make any major mistakes, which was significant considering he was often pressured by the Saints blitz. He did throw a few balls behind receivers. Tiki Barber bailed him out twice by making one-handed grabs on balls thrown behind him. Palmer had one nice scramble for 26 yards. The solo TD was set up by a very cool double-reverse flea flicker.

RB: The predictability of the Giants offense kept Tiki Barber from getting anything going. The Saints were stacking the line and blitzing often. Barber managed only 37 yards on 11 attempts and added 33 receiving on 5 catches. He had one catch ruled incomplete, which appeared to be a fumble. He fumbled on another run, but it was recovered by the Giants.

Dorsey Levens played most of the second half adding 37 yards of his own.

Delvin Jones finished up the game with 20 yards and a fumble lost.

WR: The New York wide outs were effectively shut down by the Saints. The blitz forced Palmer to throw the ball quickly and the WRs seldom had time to get open for him.

David Tyree managed 39 yards on just 1 catch.

Amani Toomer was held to 2 receptions for 20 yards.

Willie Ponder had 2 catches for 10 yards.

TE: Visanthe Shiancoe caught his first career TD and finished with 19 yards on 3 catches.

K: Matt Bryant had 1 field goal attempt which was blocked and returned for a TD when the Giants' line allowed Kenny Smith to come free up the middle. He made his only PAT.

Pass Defense: The Giants pass D got toasted, plain and simple. The DBs and LBs were often in position, but unable to make the big play. They got very little if any pressure on Brooks and he picked them apart.

Rush Defense: The Giants rush D was committed to stopping Deuce McAllister and did a nice job. He broke only one long run of 36 yards and had 0 TDs. However, the attention to the run left the young secondary vulnerable as the final score demonstrated.

New Orleans Saints

QB: Aaron Brooks looked like a Pro Bowl QB against the banged up Giants secondary. Brooks connected for 5 TDs and was 26 of 35 passing for 296 yards. He added 11 yards rushing on 3 carries. He threaded the needle to his receivers several times, including on a couple of the TD passes. He threw no memorable "dangerous" passes. He did lose one fumble, which led to the Giants only score.

Todd Bouman got a little relief work at the end of the game, going 2 of 4 for 19 yards.

RB: Deuce McAllister managed 80 yards against a Giants D which was determined to contain him. He easily would have broken the century mark had the score been closer. He also caught 8 passes for 65 yards. McAllister did not really get any TD chances as the majority of the Saints scores came from outside the 20.

Lamar Smith saw some playing time at the end of the game and rushed 8 times for 40 yards.

WR: Joe Horn was reported to have had a good conversation with Aaron Brooks prior to the game and it apparently paid off. Horn racked up 133 yards and a franchise record 4 TDs. He drew a stupid penalty on the second TD, pulling a cell phone out of the goal post padding and placing a call to his family. It will likely go down as the most expensive phone call in history when the NFL levies a hefty fine. After the 3rd TD, Horn showed Brooks his appreciation by handing him the ball.

Jerome Pathon had 3 catches for 45 yards. He made a circus catch for a TD, fully extending to snag a pass which appeared to be out of reach.

Donte Stallworth appeared to have shaken the injury bug and pulled in 2 balls for 23 yards.

TE: Boo Williams continued his success filling in for the injured Ernie Conwell, catching 5 passes for 47 yards.

K: John Carney was 1 of 2 on field goals, making from 36 and missing from 49. He was 6 of 6 on PATs. The broadcasters commented that he is still getting used to the new turf at the Superdome.

Pass Defense: The Saints pass defense was excellent, allowing only one long pass against them. The solo TD came after a turnover and a trick play. They were able to get good pressure on Palmer with a blitzing scheme. Howard, Hodge, and Grant had 1 sack each. CB Fred Thomas scooped up a blocked FG and returned it for the TD.

Rush Defense: The Saints packed the line or scrimmage and pretty much shut down the Giants run game. Ashley Ambrose jumped one pass and should have had an interception for a TD, but dropped the ball.

Buffalo Bills 26 at Tennessee Titans 28

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Buffalo Bills

The Bills were a 2-point conversion away from taking the game into overtime, but the passing attempt from QB Drew Bledsoe to WR Bobby Shaw came up short, as did their ensuing on-side kick. Bledsoe was ineffective throughout most of the game, despite throwing 2 touchdown passes. The only respectable drive he had anything to do with came on Buffalo's final possession.

RB Travis Henry has averaged 118 yards rushing per game and almost 5 yards per carry in his last 5 games. But against the Titans on Sunday, he was back to his season average (87.6 yards per game), gaining 88 yards on 19 carries (no TDs). His performance was mediocre, yet respectable considering that Tennessee is #1 in the NFL against the run-they allow 79 yards per game.

Bobby Shaw led all receivers with 4 catches for 57 yards and 1 touchdown.

Defensive tackle Pat Williams gave Buffalo a 17-6 lead early in the 3rd quarter on a 28-yard fumble return for a touchdown. The defense also racked up 4 sacks, and forced 2 fumbles.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans made a last second decision and went with QB Billy Volek over Steve McNair. Volek wasted no time getting his feet wet in his first NFL start-he threw deep to WR Justin McCareins on Tennessee's first 2 plays from scrimmage. Neither pass was completed, but the Titan's aggressive approach set the tone for Volek, who finished with 295 yards passing, 3 TDs (2 passing, 1 rushing), and 0 INTs. Volek was woozy after the game because he has been battling flu-like symptoms. Finally, his lone blemish was a 3rd quarter turnover (fumble) that was taken in for a score.

Tennessee's running game struggled, but that can be expected when playing the Bills, who only give up about 97 yards per game (7th in the NFL) on the ground. RB Eddie George finished the day with 67 yards rushing and 0 TDs.

Justin McCareins has caught a TD pass in 5 of his last 6 games, including one on Sunday against Buffalo. At the other WR spot, Derrick Mason hauled in 9 passes for 137 yards (0 TDs). TE Erron Kinney contributed in the win by catching a 14-yard touchdown pass from Volek towards the end of the 3rd quarter. A two-point conversion later, Buffalo's lead was cut to 3.

Defensively, the Titans were somewhat quiet, picking up 3 sacks and a fumble recovery.

Kicker Gary Anderson missed one of his 3 FG attempts-a 41 yarder.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Buffalo Bills

QB: Overall, Drew Bledsoe did not play very well. He barely completed just over 50% of his passes, going 17 of 30 for 168 yards, with 2 TDs, and 0 INTs. Several of his passes were overthrown, and that was when he had time to throw. Bledsoe, and his lack of any mobility, contributed to several busted plays. Of course, poor line blocking didn't help his cause either. Also, his fumble in the 3rd quarter was costly-Tennessee scored a touchdown 3 plays later.

RB: Travis Henry had rushed for at least 100 yards in 4 of his last 6 games prior to Sunday. However, that's not too impressive when you consider the teams he had success against-NYJ, NYG, KC, and Houston. Henry ran into a tough defense on Sunday; one that is second to no team when it comes to stopping the run. He finished the day with 19 carries for 88 yards, and no TDs. He averaged almost 5 yards per carry, but was held in check for most of the day. Henry had a few big carries, including a 19-yarder, but for the most part, he had little running room to work with. In the passing game, Henry was targeted 3 times, catching 2 passes for 13 yards.

WR: Bobby Shaw caught 4 passes for 57 yards, and 1 TD. He was targeted 7 times.

Eric Moulds managed only 3 receptions for 48 yards, and 0 TDs. He was listed as "Probable" prior to the game because he had the flu. Total targets: 8.

Jake Reed didn't contribute anything. Well, unless you count his 5-yard false start penalty to open the game. He was targeted 3 times, but did not catch a pass.

TE: Mark Campbell had 4 catches (5 targets) for 28 yards, and 1 TD. His touchdown catch at the end of the game was incredible-it was all effort as he dove to make the reception.

K: Rian Lindell made both of his field goal attempts (27 & 32). He was 2/2 on extra points.

Pass Defense: For a defense that ranks 2nd in the NFL against the pass (allowing 171 yards per game), Buffalo did not have an answer for Volek, who shattered their average by 124 yards.

Rush Defense: Eddie George never got anything going, despite picking up several tough yards on occasion. In the end, Buffalo held Tennessee to 86 net yards rushing.

Tennessee Titans

QB: It would be a little misleading to say that Billy Volek had a career day, considering that he's started only 1 game in the NFL, but there's no other way to really explain how well he played. Most of his passes were tight, on target, and very effective. He also made very good decisions when he was flushed from the pocket. On one play in particular, he stopped on a dime, dipped his shoulder, and eluded the tackler for several extra yards. He was very impressive.

RB: Eddie George was not much of a factor averaging only 2.9 yards per carry. He finished the game with 67 yards on 23 carries, and 0 TDs. George had a couple of nice runs, but for the most part, he was stopped at the line of scrimmage. He also had 1 catch (1 target) for 19 yards, but he fumbled it away near the endzone. However, he was lucky that Derrick Mason was there to fall on it. Chris Brown was primarily called on when George needed a breather. He had 4 carries for 6 yards.

FB Robert Holcombe only rushed the ball once (9 yard gain), but he was used more in the passing game. He had 4 catches for 22 yards. Total targets: 8.

WR: Derrick Mason was a one-man show, combining for 302 total yards. He had 9 catches (11 targets) for 137 yards, but did not score a touchdown. He also returned punts and kickoffs because of last weeks debacle-3 fumbles on special teams. The move paid off, as Mason gained 165 total return yards while not turning the ball over once.

Justin McCareins caught 4 passes for 37 yards, and 1 TD. Total targets: 8. Mason is clearly the #1 receiver in terms of receptions and receiving yards, but McCareins now leads all receivers (and RBs) with 7 touchdowns.

Drew Bennett had 3 catches (4 targets) for 32 yards.

TE: Erron Kinney had 4 catches for 44 yards, and 1 TD. He was targeted 6 times. Frank Wycheck was not a factor in the game. He caught 1 pass for 4 yards.

K: Gary Anderson made 2 of the 3 field goals he attempted-29 & 39 yards. He also missed a 41-yard attempt. He made 2 extra points.

Pass Defense: As mentioned above, the defense had a relatively quiet day. However, I think Drew Bledsoe would beg to differ. He was running from defenders the entire game. And when he got a pass off, he was usually tackled just as he was throwing.

Rush Defense: Tennessee had not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 27 consecutive home games going into Sunday's contest. Henry's 88-yard performance Sunday upped the streak to 28 straight home games. Also, third downs are Tennessee's bread and butter-they have allowed a league-low 28% conversion rate. Buffalo only converted 2 of 12 3rd downs.

Green Bay Packers 38 at San Diego Chargers 21

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Green Bay Packers

After San Diego scored to go ahead by 4 with 12 minutes to go in the game, Brett Favre threw the first of his 3 fourth quarter touchdown passes to Robert Ferguson on the Packers second play after the kickoff. That put Green Bay ahead for good.

Ahman Green had another solid game scoring both on the ground and on a 1 yard pass reception. Donald Driver became Green Bay's first receiver this year to reach 100 yards receiving in a game. Robert Ferguson only made two catches on the day, but both were for touchdowns. Brett Favre had his best day of the season throwing 4 touchdown passes for the first time all year.

San Diego Chargers

Quarterback Drew Brees was back under center and responded with 363 yards and 2 touchdowns. He looked calm and kept the Chargers moving. He did however, suffer a couple of costly turnovers.

After a pretty non descript 3rd quarter, LaDainian Tomlinson almost single handedly brought the Chargers back and ahead in the game. Although he was bottled up on the ground for most of the game, he caught a 7 yard touchdown pass from Brees early in the 4th quarter to pull the Chargers to within 3. After a 3 and out by Green Bay, the next series saw Tomlinson beat the Packer safeties deep over the middle for his second TD receiving on the day - this one for 68 yards. Unfortunately for the Chargers, that was it for them offensively on the day.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Green Bay Packers

QB: Brett Favre (23-33/278/4TD/1INT) sleepwalked through the first 3 quarters, but when he looked up and saw his team behind in the fourth quarter, he responded like the great QB he is. Favre threw three touchdown passes in the 4th quarter. Those were accomplished in only nine total plays. His only blemish on the day was his interception, but this came as the result of a tipped ball.

RB: Ahman Green (19-75/1TD rushing, 1 yd TD receiving) had another excellent game. His two touchdowns Sunday place him only behind Priest Holmes for the league lead. He also surpassed 1500 yards on the season for the first time in his career. Most importantly, he didn't fumble the ball which has been his Achilles heel all season. The only downside for Green owners is that it appears that Tony Fisher has become the Packers 3rd down back to give Green some rest. This will cut into his catches for the next couple of games. Fisher finished with 2 catches for 28 yards and 13 yards rushing. FB William Henderson also caught 4 balls out of the backfield for 37 yards.

WR: Donald Driver (8-122/1TD) finally showed what a #1 receiver for the Packers is supposed to accomplish in Fantasy Football. Both the 8 catches and 122 yards were season highs and his touchdown was only the second all season.

Robert Ferguson (2-56/2 TD's) wasn't heard from until the 4th quarter, but his first catch put the Packers ahead for good. Favre hit him perfectly on a 40 yard post route right between two defenders. His second TD was also a beauty with a Chargers defender was hanging on to him trying to interfere and prevent the TD, Ferguson out muscled the rookie and caught the pass.

Javon Walker cooled down slightly only catching 2 balls for 26 yards, but he did have a 30 yard attempted catch in the 1st quarter called back because he only got one foot in bounds.

TE: David Martin led the GB tight ends with 2 catches for 6 yards on the day. Wesley Walls made a first down catch for 4 yards and Bubba Franks dropped a sure TD pass in the end zone late in the 4th quarter.

K: Ryan Longwell became the Packers all time leading scorer by making his only field goal attempt on the day from 32 yds.

Pass Defense: This is a good news - bad news thing for the Packers. They kept both starting Charger WR's under 30 yards receiving on the day. This seems to be partially because they didn't cover the RB or the TE. The pass defense was directly responsible for two of the Packers touchdowns - the Sharper interception set up the first and Brees fumbled on a sack in the 4th quarter which the Packers recovered at the Charger one yard line.

Rush Defense: The rush defense played very good. Holding Tomlinson to just over 2.5 yards per carry is a successful day for this facet of the game.

San Diego Chargers

QB: Drew Brees (28-48/363/2TD/1INT) made his first start since week 9 (Chicago) and made it count. His 363 yards were a career high. He kept his composure and actually had a few "Flutie-esque" scrambles gaining 25 yards on 6 carries. His two turnovers were huge though and a main reason the Chargers lost this game.

RB: LaDainian Tomlinson (20-51 rushing, 11-144/2TD receiving) may be the most underrated top 5 fantasy back in fantasy football. I guess the Packers didn't notice that he leads NFL running backs in receptions as he was uncovered several times coming out of the backfield. On his long TD reception, he ran away from the Packer secondary gaining 45 of the yards after the catch. He also had a 45 yard run called back in the 4th quarter on a holding penalty.

WR: David Boston continued to be a career underachiever. Four catches for 29 yards was only bolstered by his 2 point PAT - a bonus for frustrated Boston owners.

Reche Caldwell also caught 4 balls for 25 yards mostly on WR screen plays that went nowhere. He did have a 12 yard run on an end around to pad his stats.

TE: Rookie Antonio Gates was the story of the day for the Chargers outside of Tomlinson. If he's still available and you can still make pickups, he'd make a great sleeper for the playoff stretch. He finished the day with 5 catches for 117 yards highlighted by a nice 48 yard catch and run. He also had a couple of drops or his day would have been that much better.

K: Steve Christie made 2 short field goals (20,26) and his only XP attempt.

Pass Defense: It was actually pretty good until the game got out of control in the fourth quarter. They got pretty good pressure on Favre all day, but made several key stupid penalties to keep drives alive for Green Bay. The Ferguson TD was just a great throw between double coverage by Favre or else the Chargers may have a different outcome on the game.

Rush Defense: Give credit to the Chargers run defense as well. The held Green to 18 carries and 41 yards until he busted a 34 yard run on his last carry in the 4th quarter. Even with that run, holding the Packers to 83 total yards rushing is pretty good. Green Bay came into the game 3rd in the NFL in rushing at 158 yards per game.

Dallas Cowboys 27 at Washington Redskins 0

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Dallas Cowboys

Quincy Carter put up meager passing numbers but redeemed himself to fantasy owners with a rushing touchdown. Bill Parcels was visibly upset with Carter after losing a fumble, however Carter avoided making many costly mistakes.

Troy Hambrick was very active and effective as the Cowboys established domination of the game. He went over 100 yards rushing for the fifth time in his career and had his career high rushing Sunday. He was especially effective in the 4th quarter as he battered an ineffective and tired Redskins' defensive front.

Richie Anderson lead all Cowboy receivers in catches and yardage and scored their only passing touchdown with a 21 yard screen pass.

Washington Redskins

It's hard to imagine Tim Hasselbeck putting up a worse game. We're supposed to only report the numbers so I can't say that this was the worst performance by a quarterback in NFL history, but I can tell you that Hasselbeck completed 6 passes to his own team and 4 to the Cowboys. They were all well-earned interceptions and the worst part is, that the Cowboys could have had at least 2 more.

RB Rock Cartwright put up solid numbers in a losing effort and could have had an even bigger day had the Redskins stayed close in this ballgame. He had 77 rushing yards in the first half alone but carried the ball only 6 more times all game as the Redskins' offense fell apart.

Laveranues Coles totaled -1 total yards on the day, but it wasn't all his fault. He was targeted 5 times but a swarming Dallas defense, and a horrible day by Tim Hasselbeck resulted in Coles being shut out.

Rod Gardner came up huge in this game snagging 3 receptions. 3 receptions may not sound huge but when there are only 7 receptions all game, it's huge.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Dallas Cowboys

QB: Quincy Carter (10 for 24, 108 yards, 1 touchdown, 7 carries 19 yards, 1 touchdown) shook off an ugly first half passing 6 for 16 and lead his team mostly by avoiding interceptions and handing the ball off. He scored on a 3 yard designed run. He should have had a second passing touchdown, but Jamar Martin dropped a very catchable ball in the end zone.

RB: Troy Hambrick (33 carries for 189 yards) was excellent against the Redskins. He routinely battered his way for 5, 6, 7 yards a carry and despite being stuffed a few plays, ended the day with a very impressive 5.7 yards per carry. Despite getting the red zone carries, he had a touchdown vultured by Erik Bickerstaff (his only carry of the game) but it came the first play after Hambrick's 42 yard scamper to the 2 yard line. He was on the sidelines getting a well-deserved rest. He dominated the fourth quarter of this game at one point carrying the ball 8 consecutive times.

Richie Anderson (4 carries 12 yards, 5 catches 51 yards, 1 touchdown, 7 targets) contributed on short dump off passes that he turned into nice gains. He showed speed and elusiveness on the screen pass that he took in for a touchdown.

WR: Terry Glenn (2 catches 18 yards, 4 targets) was as active as any Cowboy wide receiver. Which isn't saying a lot.

Joey Galloway (0 receptions 4 targets) just couldn't come down with a pass and was heavily covered much of the time by Champ Bailey. He just missed a reception on a 30 yard sideline pass play.

Antonio Bryant (2 receptions 16 yards, 3 targets) was not Carter's first or second choice but was open on the passes that came his way.

TE: Dan Campbell (1 reception 23 yards) made good on the only pass in his direction and rumbled, bumbled and stumbled for a big gain.

Pass Defense: What can you say about a unit that gave up 59 passing yards and came up with 4 interceptions? They played awesome on the road in a divisional game. This unit is definitely coming together.

Rush Defense: was vulnerable in the first half but rebounded in the second half because of the large lead. They surrendered just 106 yards rushing, 87 of which came in the first half.

Washington Redskins

QB: Tim Hasselbeck (6/26 56 yards, 4 INT, 1 carry 2 yards) had fans wondering if Kurt Warner's old job working in the grocery store is still open. He overthrew most of his passes, under threw some, and made terrible reads often throwing to receivers double covered or covered to the inside of the field where no one but the defender could have made the catch. He was pressured and threw an interception in an area that had no Redskin within 15 yards but there was an illegal contact penalty. There were numerous other "close calls" as well where Dallas could have intercepted him. All in all, a terrible day.

RB: Rock Cartwright (21 carries 94 yards) ran much bigger than his 5'7" frame might indicate. He was stuffed for a loss of 1 on a 3rd and 1 play but accounted for 94 of the 165 total yards of the Redskins. He was on his way to a bigger day if the Redskins could have stayed in the game.

WR: Laveranues Coles (0 catches 5 targets) did not have a catch and was obviously the target of the Dallas defense. They game planned that he was not going to beat them and took him completely out of the game.

Rod Gardner (3 catches 24 yards, 6 targets) could not get separation from the Dallas cornerbacks many of the times, however part of the problem was that Hasselbeck was telegraphing his passes and the defenders swarmed to Gardner before the ball arrived. He did add to the Redskin passing woes by committing an offensive pass interference penalty. He didn't make the catch anyway.

Darnerien McCants only contributed 1catch for 5 yards.

Pass Defense: Did not play as well as their statistics may indicate. The Cowboys ran the ball down their throats and didn't need to pass.

Rush Defense: Washington was manhandled by Troy Hambrick and company. They surrendered 222 rushing yards.

Minnesota Vikings 10 at Chicago Bears 13

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota decided on a fairly atypical conservative game plan, running the ball 25 of 37 plays in the 1st half. The strategy netted great rushing numbers for RB Onterrio Smith (148 yards), who became the Vikings' primary ball carrier in Michael Bennett's absence (Moe Williams had only 4 carries and gained no yards).

Daunte Culpepper threw very little downfield at all, limiting the Vikings from making any energizing plays against the very steady Bears defense, and the Vikings never seemed to make a charge. Culpepper was accurate and made few mistakes. With the short passing game, Culpepper didn't have time to let holes unfold for him to run through, and was quiet in the run game (only 16 yards total).

Randy Moss was a fantasy power again, catching 9 balls for 93 yards and a score, though several missed cues (including having the ball taken from him in the endzone for a game-saving interception by the Bears) were costly for the Vikings.

Chicago Bears

QB Rex Grossman was adequate as an NFL quarterback, which is a compliment when it is the first time a player has played in an NFL game. The rookie and his coaching staff opened up the passing game in a big way as Grossman took many stabs downfield, a stark contrast to the team's typical philosophy.

RB Anthony Thomas had solid numbers (79 rushing yards and a TD) though the Bears' running game was held in check for most of the game.

WRs Marty Booker and David Terrell showed the best connection to the Bears new quarterback, putting up similar numbers (3 catches each for 48 and 42 yards respectively). Grossman's high throws kept them from better numbers, especially Booker (7 targets), but big-play potential buzzed from this offense.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Minnesota Vikings

QB: Daunte Culpepper (24-34-222 yards passing with 1 TD, 1 INT, 4-16 yards rushing) put up a solid performance, even if it seemed to lack his normal dynamic play. He was accurate but very quiet in the first half (8 for 12 for 52 yards) as the Vikings were single-mindedly focused on running the ball. Minnesota switched gears in the 2nd half, throwing the ball up 22 times in the second half; the result looked all right fantasy-wise but was flat on field. Big pass attempts downfield were virtually non-existent, and none were completed - the longest gain was 19 yards excluding a 37-yard short screen and run by Moe Williams. Culpepper, seemingly due more to play calling than opportunity, did very little on the ground, netting only 16 yards against the Bears. This was similar to the teams' last meeting (17 yards on 7 rushes in week 2).

RB: Onterrio Smith (27-148 yards rushing, 2-10 yards receiving on 4 targets) was anointed as the primary ball carrier as he received 27 of 38 total Viking running plays and hit a 5.5 yards-per-carry average. Minnesota came out determined to feed Smith the ball, calling runs 8 of the first 10 plays of the game, 6 of them for Smith. The rookie RB followed the great run blocking of the Vikings for big yards, getting 5 runs for 10 or more yards. He ended the first half with an astounding 124 yards rushing, propelled by a 27-yard draw play. Smith would only carry the ball 6 times in the 2nd half, however, and was generally thwarted by the Bears' defense. Despite the huge numbers, Smith tended to stall whenever he needed to do more than burst forward behind the tremendous size of the! Vikings' offensive line.

Moe Williams (4-0 yards rushing, 4-55 yards receiving on 4 targets) was largely left out of the running game plan and finished the game with as many rushing yards as he started it with. He found his action with the passing game, highlighted by a little screen pass that he took 37 yards behind blockers to the Bears' 8-yard-line during the Vikings' last drive.

Michael Bennett was inactive with an ankle injury.

WR: Randy Moss (9-93 yards receiving, 1 TD on 12 targets, 2-14 yards rushing) had his numbers today but probably left hoping to forget this contest. With the limited passing game the Vikings employed, Moss was used essentially as a big-time possession receiver (similar to many games last season) and used his height and leaping ability to make a couple nice grabs. Moss was embarrassed twice in this game by rookie CB Charles Tillman, however. In the 2nd quarter, after a Bear offside penalty resulted in a free play for the Vikings, Culpepper launched a catchable strike up to the middle to Moss, who missed the ball completely, frozen by Tillman ready to make a big hit. On the comeback drive for the Vikings, Culpepper's high (and a little lofty) pass into the endzone was taken straight from Moss's hands by Tillman, preventing what would have been a 4-point swing to Minnesota. It was one on one and Moss simply came up on the short end.

Kelly Campbell (2-18 yards receiving on 3 targets) was little used and was covered on a deep pass to him in the 2nd quarter, one of the only big pass attempts by the Vikings all day. Campbell made a nice reel-in of a 4-yard pass earlier in the 2nd quarter.

Nate Burleson (2-16 yards receiving on 2 targets) had a Cris Carter-ish sideline catch for 7 yards. He wasn't targeted until the 4th quarter.

D'Wayne Bates (2 targets) dropped a pass in the fourth quarter. A 20 yard haul-in in the 3rd was called back because of offensive pass interference.

TE: Jimmy Kleinsasser (5-30 yards receiving on 5 targets) rebounded from a quiet game last week to catch 5 short passes for the Vikings. The TE was stopped 3 yards short of the endzone on 3rd down from the Bears' 6-yard-line in the 2nd quarter, and on several other occasions was tackled and kept from extra yardage.

K: Aaron Elling chipped in a 22 yard field goal, his only attempt, and made his extra point. Coach Mike Tice made a regrettable decision to go for a 4th and 5 on their 1st drive of the game rather than have Elling attempt a 45 yard field goal.

Pass Defense: While Rex Grossman completed only 13 of 30 passes in his NFL debut for the Bears, the Vikings allowed him to make the few plays necessary to win this game. The pass interference call on Ken Irvin resulting in a 33 yard gain on the first play of the game (which later led to a Bear field goal) turned out to be as crucial as any defensive down for the Vikings all game. The Vikings put an unacceptably low amount of pressure on Grossman (one sack) considering the Bears started Qasim Mitchell at left tackle for the first time ever on a jumbled offensive line. The league leaders in interceptions didn't pick a ball off Grossman.

Rush Defense: Bears running back Anthony Thomas had 4.2 yards-per-carry in 19 touches with a one yard touchdown, and, while generally contained, got yards when necessary in this low-scoring affair. The Bears put the game away with Thomas's 23 yard run for a first down to waste the Vikings' last time out at the end of the game.

Chicago Bears

QB: Rex Grossman (13-30-157 yards passing, 2 carries for -1 yard rushing) showed flashes of excellence in an overall decent game. After a jerky 1 for 5 on the first two Bears drives (not including a 33 yard pass interference call to start the game), Grossman settled down, putting together a great 4 for 5 stint (one 1 yard incompletion into the endzone to TE John Gilmore erased because of defensive holding) for 72 yards which culminated in a one-yard TD run by Anthony Thomas. In contrast to many Bears' game over the last few years, Chicago seemed to give their quarterback wide latitude to throw the deep ball and he made good use of it. His completion percentage was shaky, hampered by a persistent tendency to throw the ball too high for even the athletic Bear receiving core to catch, and most of his missed passes were essentially uncatchable. Grossman didn't throw any interceptions.

RB: Anthony Thomas (19-79 yards rushing with 1 TD, 2-10 yards receiving on 4 targets) knocked in a one yard TD in the first quarter, ensuring some fantasy value early. But he didn't do much else in the first half, netting 23 yards on 8 carries, a 2.9 average. Thomas finished stronger, however, grabbing 31 of his yards and a first down on the clock killing final drive. He was mostly used to pound inside, doing little on a few outside pitches. An important note was that Thomas had 19 of the Bears' 21 actual running plays - rookie Brock Forsey, for whatever reason, was not mixed in at all.

Rabih Abdullah (1-3 yards rushing) popped his carry for a nice 1st down.

Brock Forsey was active, but did not play today.

WR: Marty Booker (3-48 yards receiving on 7 targets) made a fabulous 39-yard catch over the Vikings' Brian Williams in the first quarter that was just too good to be overturned on a possibly valid challenge from the Vikings. Booker didn't do much else besides that, as most of the passes that went his way were intentionally throwaways by Grossman or simply thrown too high to be caught.

Dez White (1-11 yards receiving on 4 targets) dropped a deep ball from Grossman in the first quarter that would have been a nice catch but instead was a bad miss - a good receiver should have made the catch. Another deep ball, a hanging bomb covered by two Viking defenders, went through White as well though less criticism can be offered for not making this catch.

David Terrell (3-42 yards receiving on 4 targets) showed glimpses of a good relationship with Grossman, catching 3 of the 4 balls thrown his way (the other was pass interference, but ruled uncatchable). Terrell's size and athleticism helped him pull in a high throw from Grossman in a possible sign of things to come.

Justin Gage (1-16 yards receiving on 4 targets) drew a critical pass interference call for 33 yards on the first play of the game, which turned out to be a difference- maker. He made a nice grab for 16 yards in the third quarter. Gage was covered deep on a couple passes and another was uncatchable.

TE: Desmond Clark (3-30 yards receiving on 5 targets) made a few solid catches from Grossman bullets in the middle of the field, hitting for 11 yard gains twice and an 8-yarder in the 4th quarter.

K: Paul Edinger put in kicks from 22 and 38 yards away, but wasn't very close on a 46-yard attempt early in the fourth quarter, continuing a tough season for the Bears' kicker.

Pass Defense: The Bears "Cover-Two" scheme seemed to work in a textbook fashion, allowing a lot of short passes through but preventing any game breaking catches by Moss or anyone else; whether this was up to the Bears defense or a very conservative plan by the Vikings is up for debate. DE Alex Brown led the Bears' impressive pressure on Culpepper with 2 sacks. Rookie CB Charles Tillman's interception in the end zone, taking the ball straight from Randy Moss's hands, was a highlight of the Bears' season.

Rush Defense: The Bears gave up big rushes from Onterrio Smith in the first half without a lot of flash or dazzle from the Vikings' RB - Minnesota's huge offensive simply opened gaps against the Bears' line. But a look at the score showed the Bears stopped what they needed to despite the gaudy numbers, especially stuffing Smith and Moe Williams in the 2nd half.

Carolina Panthers 20 at Arizona Cardinals 17

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Carolina Panthers

K John Kasay kicked a 49-yard field goal with 4 seconds left in the game to give the Panthers a 20-17 victory and the NFC South title. Carolina won in their usual heart racing fashion as 8 of 9 of their victories have come in the final two minutes or in overtime. The Panthers tied a NFL record set by the Arizona Cardinals in 1998, with its seventh win by three points or less this season.

QB Jake Delhomme threw an interception on his very first pass and was sacked and fumbled the ball away early in the 2nd quarter. The Arizona defense routinely brought pressure with the blitz and Delhomme struggled mightily in the first half. He was just 4 of 10 for 42 yards and failed to put any offensive points on the board before halftime. But as usual, Delhomme rallied the troops and engineered back-to-back scoring drives to put Carolina in front 17-14, early in the 4th quarter. Arizona tied the scored at 17 with 1:15 left in the game and Delhomme once again performed his magic, calmly moving the Panthers offense 49 yards in 1:05 to put Carolina in field goal position for the game winner.

RB Stephen Davis tweaked an ankle late in the 1st quarter and was never really able to get on track in the game. Davis was only able to amass 48 yards on 13 carries and provided more of a contribution catching the ball out of the backfield.

WR Steve Smith was held in check by a smothering Arizona secondary for all but the final drive of the game. Afraid of being beaten deep, the Cardinals CBs played a lot of off coverage and allowed Smith to pick them apart with quick, short outs along the sidelines. Smith had 5 catches for 43 yards in the game winning drive.

The Carolina defense, playing without 3 starters (DE Mike Rucker, MLB Dan Morgan, and CB Reggie Howard) recorded 4 sacks, forced two fumbles, and returned an INT for a TD.

Arizona Cardinals

QB Josh McCown's first start as a NFL quarterback got off to a rocky beginning when his first pass attempt was intercepted and returned 35 yards for a TD by SS Mike Minter. But McCown showed nice poise in the pocket and used his scrambling ability to overcome his initial setback to lead the Arizona offense on two time-consuming TD drives and give the Cardinals a 14-7 halftime advantage. Dropped passes and increased intensity by the Carolina defense hampered McCown in the second half. However, he showed his determination by leading the Cardinals' offense on a 13-play, 44-yard drive for a game tying field goal late in the game.

RB Marcel Shipp did a nice job running behind his offensive line that opened holes for him against a tough Carolina run defense and he finished with 89 yards on the ground. Shipp found it tougher going in the second half, only managing 27 yards on 10 carries after halftime. He was denied the opportunity for his first TD of the season when RB Emmitt Smith received the only goal line carry in the game and ran it in from 4 yards out. Smith was used as a backup to Shipp and aside from the TD, he wasn't a big factor carrying the ball 9 times.

WR Anquan Boldin continues to be the favorite target of whichever Arizona QB is throwing the ball. Although he led all Cardinals' receivers with 7 catches for 73 yards, Boldin did have a problem with a few dropped passes in the game. The effort was definitely there though.

The Cardinals' defense shut down the usually potent running attack of the Panthers, only permitting a paltry 67 yards rushing in the game. They pestered Delhomme with numerous blitzes in the first half, forcing him into two turnovers. But it was their inability to create turnovers and put any pressure on Delhomme in the second half, that allowed Carolina to come from behind for the win.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Carolina Panthers

QB: Jake Delhomme (20-32-236, 1 TD, 1 INT; 1-3 rushing, 1 fumble lost) looked uncomfortable in the first half and the Arizona defense's continuous blitzes forced him to throw the ball before he wanted. But Delhomme settled down in the second half and with better protection from his offensive line, was able to efficiently move the ball up and down the field. Carolina was able to control the effectiveness of the Cardinals' blitz by opening up the offense and going to an empty backfield formation. Delhomme showed great touch lofting a perfect throw to RB DeShaun Foster for his only TD pass.

RB: Stephen Davis (13-48 rushing, 3-34 receiving, 3 targets) was ineffective running the ball as his offensive line failed to open holes for him. Davis looked slowed by an ankle injury he suffered at the end of the 1st quarter and his production may be suffering from being the workhorse of the offense.

DeShaun Foster (4-16 rushing, 3-50 receiving, 1 TD, 4 targets) turned the tide of the game with his 31-yard TD reception. Foster hauled in the touch pass along the sidelines and managed to kick the end zone pylon and break the plane of the goal line before being pushed out of bounds. He was originally ruled out at the 1-yard line, but Carolina challenged the call and Foster was awarded with the TD.

WR: Steve Smith (9-99 receiving, 12 targets) led the Panthers' wide receivers in receptions and yardage. Up until the final drive, Smith had only been able to beat a tough Arizona secondary for 4 catches for 56 yards (most of which came on a 36-yard pass play midway through the 3rd quarter). On the final drive, Delhomme and Smith worked the sidelines beautifully, without the benefit of a timeout.

Muhsin Muhammad (1-11, 3 targets) was a non-factor.

Ricky Proehl (3 targets) was targeted in the end zone by Delhomme from the 13, but his catch was ruled out of bounds.

TE: Kris Mangum (2-30, 3 targets) was used primarily as a blocker and was not a big part of the Carolina passing attack.

K: John Kasay (2-2 FGs of 21 and 49, 2-2 XPs) converted on both his field goal attempts, with the second one from 49 yards being the game winner with 4 seconds left.

Pass Defense: The Panthers' pass defense was able to put constant pressure on Josh McCown and held him to only 172 net passing yards. SS Mike Minter intercepted McCown's first pass and returned it 35 yards for a TD; the only points Carolina scored in the first half. But they did have trouble containing McCown and he used his scrambling abilities to hurt them.

Rush Defense: The Carolina rush defense looked out manned as they allowed Arizona to run for 107 yards in the first half. However, they regrouped at halftime and only allowed a respectable 63 yards on the ground in the second half. The rush defense caused and recovered an early fumble by RB Marcel Shipp.

Arizona Cardinals

QB: Josh McCown (14-25-172, 1 INT; 7-47 rushing, 1 TD, 1 fumble lost) started in place of Jeff Blake and aside from the interception, had a nice first half. McCown showed off his excellent mobility in leading Arizona to their first TD. On 3rd and 12 from the Carolina 31, McCown took a called QB draw and raced 15 yards up the middle for the first down. On the next play, he avoided the blitz by racing around the right side and into the end zone for a 16-yard TD run. McCown was poised and made smart decisions in controlling the time of possession. His greatest strength is his feet and his ability to run with the ball. McCown was cool and collected as he engineered a late drive in the fourth quarter to pull the Cardinals even, but the inability of the defense to stop Carolina resulted in defeat.

RB: Marcel Shipp (23-89 rushing, 1 fumble lost) was a workhorse and a big key to the Cardinals controlling the ball. Although he lost a fumble on his second carry of the game, Shipp rebounded nicely and ran hard up the middle.

Emmitt Smith (9-23 rushing, 1 TD) was used sparingly and only had touches in the second half for 9 yards. Smith's 4-yard TD run was a thing a beauty as he cutback left and made a wicked move to completely fake out a defender.

WR: Anquan Boldin (7-73 receiving, 14 targets; 1-11 rushing) was McCown's favorite target, but they were only able to connect on half the passes thrown his way. Boldin contributed with a 3rd down conversion in each of the Cardinals' scoring drives, but his several dropped passes hampered the Arizona offense in the second half. Early in the 4th quarter, McCown overthrew Boldin, who was wide-open deep the middle.

Bryant Johnson (1-18 receiving, 1 target) started opposite of Boldin. Aside from his catch late in the 1st quarter, Johnson was very quiet.

Bryan Gilmore (2-24 receiving, 3 targets) was not a factor in the game.

Nate Poole's (2-22 receiving, 2 targets) catches were both for first downs, with the first being a slick diving catch for a 3rd down conversion that contributed to the 2nd Arizona TD drive.

TE: Freddie Jones (2-35, 4 targets) 22-yard catch on the final drive helped get the Cardinals into field position to tie the game.

K: Neil Rackers (1-2 FGs of 44, 2-2 XPs) missed his first field goal attempt of 35 yards, wide right. Rackers converted from 44 yards to tie the score at 17 late in the 4th quarter. Since joining the Cardinals, he has converted on 6 of 7 field goal attempts.

Pass Defense: The Cardinals pass defense played extremely well in the first half, holding Delhomme to only 42 yards passing and intercepting his first pass. The glaring weakness of this defense is the inability of the front four to get any pressure on the QB. The Cardinals must constantly come with blitzes or have their secondary picked apart. Delhomme was given plenty of time to throw the ball in the second half and consistently found his receivers open. In Carolina's final drive, CB David Barrett gave Steve Smith way too much room and failed to slow down the Panthers march to victory. Arizona came with the blitz on six of the nine plays in that fateful last drive and could not get to Delhomme.

Rush Defense: The Cardinals rush defense was exceptional in limiting Stephen Davis to a lowly 48 yards on 13 carries. Arizona only allowed the Panther 31 yards rushing on 9 carries in the second half, but their wonderful effort was overshadowed by the poor performance of the pass defense.

Atlanta Falcons 7 at Indianapolis Colts 38

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Atlanta Falcons

For those hoping that Atlanta would struggle after the way the release of Head Coach Dan Reeves was handled, you got your wish. Atlanta was a team in turmoil. The Offense couldn't move the ball, Vick couldn't find running room, was sacked 4 times, and pulled for Doug Johnson in the 4th quarter. "My worst fears came to being," Interim Head Coach Wade Phillips said. "Coach (Dan Reeves) gets fired in the middle of the week and there's a letdown."

Atlanta had Vick taking a number of 3 and 5 step drop back passes. With the Colts coming at him with pressure on almost every play, Vick had no time to throw. The Colt's hit Vick all game, landing him on his back a number of times. Those "magical feet" of Vick where contained all game as the Colts defensive ends stood their ground to keep outside containment and foil any attempt at Vick cutting back to the weak side of the field for large gains back around the corner.

The one bright spot of the entire game for the Falcons was TJ Duckett's 17 yard burst into the open field for a TD in the 3rd quarter.

Peerless Price was completely shut down. Vick looked for him 6 times in the first 3 quarters, and couldn't find a way to get the ball to him even once. Price's only reception was for 17 yards late in the 4th quarter on a pass from Johnson with the Falcons down 38-7.

Indianapolis Colts

QB Peyton Manning showed why he's an MVP candidate, and joined some elite company. With his second 5 TD game of the season, Manning accomplished a feat only done by four other men in NFL History: Jim Kelly, Dan Marino, Warren Moon, and Dan Fouts. Manning's 6th consecutive season with 25 TDs broke the record held by both Marino and Brett Favre.

Edgerrin James finally passed Punter Hunter Smith for the longest run from scrimmage on the season.

The Colt's Defense came to play, and rose to the challenge of containing the most explosive running QB in the game. The Colts kept outside containment, keeping Vick in the pocket. Vick was sacked 3 times in the first 16 minutes of the game. The secondary took #1 receiver Peerless Price out of the game entirely, not allowing Vick to complete one single pass to him. Outside of one long rush for Duckett resulting in a 17 yard score, the Colt's Defense played a perfect game.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Atlanta Falcons

QB: Michael Vick (6/19, 47, INT, Fumble, 4/30 rushing) In the worst game of his short career, Vick was smothered by the Colt's defense. Vick had no time to throw, and was smothered as the Colts came at him on every play. He couldn't find a receiver to throw the ball to, or any running room as the Colts kept outside containment. Vick was sacked on two of the Falcons' first four plays, fumbling on the second sack to set up the Colts at the Atlanta 14. He was just 2 of 12 for 25 yards with a passer rating of 4.9 in the first half when the Falcons were out gained 302-28. Vick was pulled for Johnson in the 4th quarter.

Doug Johnson (3/6, 19, 1/-1 rushing) Johnson came into a blow out loss for the struggling Vick with the game out of reach, and proceeded to do just as poorly. Johnson locked into a receiver, and stuck with him. He went to Price back to back first, and then didn't look for him again, even though Price caught his first pass of the game. Johnson only had one completion over 2 yards. Johnson had two dump-offs to his TEs, and threw incompletions to Finneran back to back.

RB TJ Duckett (18/74, TD, 1/6 receiving, 1 target) Duckett lost 6 yards on an offsides call. He did score a nice touchdown on a 17 yard rumble. He ran pretty hard but with Atlanta trailing, didn't seem to be a big factor.

George Layne (1/15, 1/3 receiving, 3 targets) Fullback Layne caught 1 of 3 short dump off passes thrown to him.

Justin Griffith (1/9) Griffith lost 4 yards on his second carry due to an offsides penalty.

WR:. Brian Finneran (3/38, 7 targets) Finneran was the Falcon's best receiver for the game. Vick was able to find him on 3 of 5 passing attempts, easily making him the Falcon's most productive weapon in the passing game. Then, with Johnson in the game for the 4th quarter, he went to Finneran for 2 more incompletions. That's how bad the day was for the passing attack.

Peerless Price (1/17, 1/-2 rushing, 8 targets) Both Vick and Johnson looked for Price as the first read to get the ball to. Vick completed 0 of 6 passes to him. Johnson went to Price on his first two passes, the first being Price's only reception of the game for 17 yards.

Terrence Edwards (1 target) was not a factor.

TE: Alge Crumpler (2/2, 4 targets) Crumpler had one catch from Vick where he was stopped at the line of scrimmage, and his second pass was a dump off for 2 yards with no time left in the game, and Johnson under pressure.

Brian Kozlowski (1/0, 1 target) Kozlowski's only reception was a dump off from Johnson while under pressure on the last drive of the game. He was stopped at the line of scrimmage.

K: Jay Feely (1/1 XP)

Pass Defense: RDE Travis Hall (6 tackles) and LDE Patrick Kerney (5 tackles/1 assist) each sacked Manning. Manning took over this game on the first play from scrimmage, and Atlanta never recovered. As Manning had three hot receivers, and James running well, the Falcons didn't seem to know where to turn next. This was a rout.

Rush Defense: RILB Keith Brooking (11 tackles/1 assist) led the squad. DE Brady Smith (1 tackle) hyper-extended his elbow and did not return to the game. The Falcons were unable to stop James as he racked up 126 yards in only 3 quarters of play, and then they couldn't even stop the Colts with Backups Huard and Rhodes taking over for the starters in the 4th quarter.

Indianapolis Colts

QB: Peyton Manning (25/30, 290, 5 TDs) Manning made a strong push for the league MVP with another 5 TD game. The Colts came out white hot behind Manning, and within what seemed to be minutes of the opening kickoff, the rout of Atlanta was on. Manning found Wayne on the Colts' first play to make it 7-0. Two series later, Manning led the Colts 49 yards, hooking up with Stokley on a 4-yard TD. Manning found Harrison before the half was over to make it 24-0. With 2 more TDs in the second half, and a final score of 38-7, this game was never in doubt. Manning lost a TD that was scored by Harrison, but nullified with a chop block call on Center Jeff Saturday (Drive resulted in a FG). Manning took the 4th quarter off with the game solidly under control.

Brock Huard (1/1, 9, 1/9 rushing) Huard came into the game for Manning at the start of the 4th quarter, and proceeded to throw 1 pass, and hand the ball off to Rhodes on every other Colt's play in the final quarter of the game.

RB: Edgerrin James (20/126, fumble, 2/6 receiving, 2 targets) Starting at the Atlanta 2 yard line, James failed to get into the end zone on three rushes, fumbling the ball away on 4th down. James was workman like for 3 quarters of football, piling up 126 yards, and crossing the 100 yard mark for the 5th time this season before yielding to Rhodes at the start of the 4th quarter when the Colt's starters came out of the game.

Dominic Rhodes (9/45, 1 target) Rhodes came into the game for James in the 4th quarter with the game solidly under control. The Colts fed Rhodes the ball play after play for short gains to eat up the clock. Rhodes took 7 of his 9 carries during this time.

Ricky Williams (1/-2) William's sole carry came on 1st and 10 at the Atlanta 19, and he was dropped for a loss of two yards.

WR: Marvin Harrison (7/117, 2 TDs, fumble, 9 targets) Harrison faced at least double coverage on each and every play of the game, but it didn't matter. Harrison scored what would have been a third TD, but it was nullified with the chop block call on center Jeff Saturday (Drive resulted in a FG). If you thought last weeks circus catch was the best reception of the year for Harrison, you would be wrong. This week Harrison, working at the back of the end zone, slid between two defenders, caught an uncatchable ball, and somehow tap danced his feet in bounds for an apparent TD. Unfortunately, the TD was called back and the Colts settled for a FG.

Brandon Stokley (7/95, 2 TDs, 7 targets) Stokley caught every single ball thrown his way, including two TDs. Stokely was a big part of the game, finding ways to get open, and remaining productive throughout the game, while catching 2 TDs. Manning went to him 4 times in the first half, and 3 times in the 3rd quarter. With Wayne and Harrison playing well, Stokley faced single coverage most of the game, and beat it on every play.

Reggie Wayne (7/57, TD, 9 targets) Wayne scored on the Colt's first offensive play off the game. The Colts came out hot, as Manning went to Wayne for a TD. Wayne found himself open and in position to make the play often as the Falcons faced just too many weapons to try and keep track of.

Troy Walters got into the game, but posted no offensive stats.

Aaron Moorehead got into the game, but posted no offensive stats.

TE: Marcus Pollard (3/24, 3 targets) Pollard caught every ball thrown to him. Pollard lost a TD when Manning threw the ball into coverage from the Atlanta 7 yard line, with Pollard standing alone, arm raised up to signal that he was open in the back of the end zone.

Joe Dean Davenport (1 Target) was not a factor.

K: Mike Vanderjagt (1/1 FG [43], 5/5 XP)

Pass Defense: Vick had a very trying day. LOLB Marcus Washington (3 tackles/3 assists) picked up two sacks. The Colts also got sacks from LDT Larry Tripplett (2 tackles/1 assist), and LDE Robert Mathis (1 tackle). This was perhaps the greatest defensive game against the pass for the Colt's in years. Atlanta's #1 receiver Peerless Price was completely and totally shut down, and Vick couldn't find an open receiver anywhere.

Rush Defense: ROLB David Thornton (6 tackles/1 assist) led the squad. Although Duckett had a nice game, the Falcon's #1 rushing threat was contained. The Colts didn't allow Vick to get outside and contained his explosive abilities all game.