Footballguys Game Recap Writers: Mike Anderson, Bill Brown, Michael Brown, Jeff Caldwell, Stan Dorsey, Cathy Fazio, Rich Fix, Mike Flynn, Bradley Gabbard, Cory Gilbert, 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

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals were dominated in time of possession (37 minutes to 23) and had trouble finding offensive consistency in the first half and were imbalanced in the second half following Corey Dillon's injury (Dillon did not play the second half with a strained left groin). The Bengals OL played fairly well in the first half and badly in the second.

QB Jon Kitna continued to struggle to find some consistency and make mistakes. Finishing 16 of 24 (66% completion) for 156 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT, Kitna made a crucial mistake on the Bengals' opening drive, throwing an interception on a misread at the Pittsburgh 8 yard line.

Corey Dillon left with an injury for the second consecutive week. Brandon Bennett was again underwhelming in relief.

Chad Johnson and Peter Warrick continue to play well. Johnson, who did no start for unspecified disciplinary reasons was inserted into the game on the first series. He had an acrobatic 31 yard sideline catch in the first half. Peter Warrick was the target of 3 red zone attempts catching one TD pass.

The Marvin Lewis effect continues to be seen in the Bengals secondary for the second week in row. After frustrating the Raiders last week, the Bengals limited the explosive Steeler passing game to 240 yards, holding Burress and Ward to a combined 104 yards on 8 catches.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Both RBs Zereoue and Bettis were effective behind an excellent offensive line. Bettis is definitely making a push for more playing time and he cut deeply into Zereoue's production in this game. The two combined for 128 yards on 32 carries (4.0 YPC). Zereoue had 69 rushing and added 29 yards on a screen pass. Bettis finished with 59 yards and a 1 yard TD run.

The Steelers dominated the clock, especially in the second half. Jerome Bettis had all of his carries in the second half, eating up the clock and keeping the Bengals offense on the sideline in a tight game. The Steelers' OL was excellent in the second half, giving both Bettis and Zereoue huge holes to run through.

Tommy Maddox was effective finishing 21 of 34 for 240 yards (7.1 YPA) with 1 TD and 1 INT. Maddox spread the ball well, taking what the Bengals defense gave him.

Plaxico Burress and Hines Ward were limited by the Bengals secondary. Maddox compensated by spreading the ball around (7 different receivers had at least two catches).

The Steelers' defense had 1 INT, 4 sacks (Kendrell Bell had 2.0) and batted several balls down at the line of scrimmage. The front four got consistent pressure on Kitna giving him little time to take shots downfield.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Cincinnati Bengals

QB: Jon Kitna was erratic and continues to make mistakes at the wrong times. His final numbers were as underwhelming as his play (16 of 24, 157 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT). Kitna floated several passes, made bad decisions and held on to the ball far too long. He was sacked four times, two of which were coverage sacks that Kitna should have known to throw the ball away. His INT was in the red zone on a errant pass intended for Peter Warrick.

RB: Corey Dillon only played the first half, missing the second half with a strained left groin. This is the second straight week he has been injured during the game. His final numbers were 7 carries for 26 yards (3.7 YPC). He ran hard and the OL blocked well in the first half. Brandon Bennett took over in the second half carrying only 6 times for 12 yards. The offense was highly unbalanced in the second half, running the ball 5 times and throwing 18.

WR: Chad Johnson was again the Bengals leading receiver, finishing with 4 catches for 77 yards. He did not start the game for disciplinary reasons, but played on the Bengals first offensive series. He had a nice 31 yard reception in the first quarter. Johnson dropped one ball.

Peter Warrick had 4 catches for 21 yards and a TD. He continues to be Kitna's weapon of choice in the red zone (3 red zone targets) with a nifty 5 yard TD catch in the fourth quarter. No other wide receiver had a reception.

TE: Reggie Kelly had 3 catches for 27 yards. Matt Schobel had 1 catch for 8 yards. Tony Stewart had 1 catch for 6 yards. No red zone targets for any of the tight ends.

K: Shayne Graham was 1 of 1 for 44 yards. Head Coach Marvin Lewis passed on a 50 yard field goal attempt and chose to punt in the second quarter of a scoreless game.

Pass Defense: The Bengals continue to have trouble getting to the quarterback. The Bengals put little pressure with 4 man blitzes giving Tommy Maddox plenty of time to look around. Justin Smith had several pressures. The secondary played well, limiting big plays and keeping Ward and Burress in check for most of the game. CB Tory James played very well.

Rush Defense: The run defense played well in the first half, limiting the Steelers to 45 yards on 15 carries. In the second half, Pittsburgh returned to a power running game, gaining 103 yard on 23 carries (4.5 YPC). The Bengals were unable to stop the Steelers in short yardage situations.

Pittsburgh Steelers

QB: Tommy Maddox was efficient, finishing 21 of 34 with 240 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT. He had plenty of time and spread the ball well (8 different receivers had catches), hitting his check down receivers when the Bengals were able to get pressure. However, Maddox missed open receivers several times, including an overthrow of Burress down the field.

RB: Both of Pittsburgh's primary backs had good days. Amos Zereoue had a majority of his touches in the first half with Bettis getting all of his carries in the second half. Zereoue finished with 69 yards on 16 carries (4.3 YPC) and added 1 catch for 29 yards. He also had a 15 yard run reversed on a holding call.

Bettis finished with 16 carries for 59 yards with 1 TD. Bettis was the back of choice in the second half with Pittsburgh trying to protect their lead and ran hard, picking up tough yardage. Zereoue started the series in the 3rd quarter but when Pittsburgh moved the ball to the Bengal 23, Bettis came in to the game and didn't look back. Bettis had 4 consecutive carries inside of the Bengals 10 in the third quarter including a 1 yard TD run.

WR: Plaxico Burress was the Steelers' leading receiver with 5 catches for 56 yards. Burress also ran a reverse for -7 yards. Hines Ward finished with 4 catches for 48 yards and 1 TD. Both were limited by an effective Bengals secondary, which did an excellent job keeping the receivers in front of them and wrapping up their tackles. Ward and Burress had 1 red zone target a piece. Antwaan Randle-El had 2 catches for 19 yards and a reverse for 5 yards. Chris Doering had 3 catches for 25 yards and was the intended target on Maddox's sole interception.

TE: Jay Riemersma had 2 catches for 28 yards and had 1 red zone target. Riemersma was also the target of a flea flicker pass down the field. He was more involved than the TE typically is Steeler offensives. Jermane Tuman also had 2 catches for 28 yards. One of the catches was for 23 yards on a fake field goal in the second quarter.

K: Jeff Reed hit a field goal of 33 yards and missed a 24 yard attempt. The Steelers faked a 50 yard field goal attempt in the second quarter, leading to their first score of the game.

Pass Defense: The secondary played fairly well, aided by a DL that consistently got decent pressure. The DL batted down several Kitna passes and finished with 4 sacks. Jason Gildon had an interception in the first quarter on tipped pass.

Rush Defense: In the first half, the Bengals had moderate success running against the run defense, enough to keep the defense honest. After Dillon's injury, the Bengals play calling became one dimensional (in the second half, 5 runs and 18 passes) leaving the run defense unchallenged, allowing the Steelers to blitz at will.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

New York Jets

For the third week in a row, the Jets had a tough time establishing a running game. Curtis Martin carried 15 times for 53 yards, and the Jets totaled just 65 yards on the ground. For what it's worth, the problem doesn't seem to lie with Curtis Martin himself, but rather with the offensive line play and the play-calling. In addition, the Patriots lost Ted Washington to injury early on. One has to wonder, if the Jets cannot run against a defense that has lost, in a span of three weeks, Lawyer Milloy, Ted Johnson, Roosevelt Colvin, and Ted Washington, then who will the Jets be able to run on?

Vinny Testaverde came through with a big game for the second consecutive week, but once again made a critical error in judgment late in the fourth quarter to cost his team, throwing an interception that resulted in a TD by Patriots CB Asante Samuel. Testaverde finished with good numbers (25-43, 264 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) and made some nice throws. His stat line could have looked much better but Wayne Chrebet stepped out of bounds before receiving a would be TD, and the illegal touching penalty nullified the score. Also, Curtis Conway dropped what should have been a TD in the end zone.

Despite his breakout game last week, Santana Moss does not look to be a regular fantasy contributor. Many times, he wasn't even on the field and only had 4 balls thrown his way (as opposed to 13 for Conway and 7 for Chrebet).

The Jets are being hit with a double whammy, combining an inability to run the ball with an inability to stop the run, and the results have been terrible. They allowed both Kevin Faulk and Antowain Smith to run over, around, and through their defense with ease. Faulk (17 carries, 79 yards) and Smith (13 carries, 55 yards) were joined by Troy Brown and Larry Centers to accumulate 147 yards on 36 total carries.

New England Patriots

The Pats came out with a win, but it may have been costly. DT Ted Washington came up limping in the first quarter and did not return to the game. WR David Patten suffered ankle and knee injuries early on and did not return. All-Pro cornerback Ty Law escaped serious injury after having his ankle caught between two defenders, but he was still shaken up on the play. After the game, he appeared to be limping slightly. Tom Brady appeared to aggravate an elbow injury several times during the game, but he stayed in.

The Patriots were able to move the ball on the ground, using a combination effort from Kevin Faulk and Antowain Smith. Neither broke any exceptionally long runs, and the team alternated between the two all game long. Smith wasn't always necessarily the short yardage guy, and Faulk wasn't necessarily in on obvious passing downs. It's tough to get a read on an exact role either one has, though Antowain Smith did get the red zone carries, which were few.

The Patriots caught a number of breaks today in order to get this win. On two occasions, the Jets dropped sure interceptions, one deep in Patriots territory late in the fourth quarter. Another time, Wayne Chrebet had a touchdown called back because he inadvertently stepped on the sideline on his way to making the reception. On an earlier drive, Curtis Conway dropped what should have been a TD in the end zone. Finally, the Jets missed a golden opportunity early on when they attempted a fake FG. Center Kevin Mawae was downfield and open for the first down, but the ball tipped off his fingertips.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

New York Jets

QB: Once again, the Jets rode Vinny Testaverde's right arm rather than Curtis Martin's legs. Testaverde threw 43 passes, and the Jets became almost exclusively a passing offense once again. Testaverde didn't necessarily "lock in" to one receiver, but Curtis Conway did receive the lion's share of the looks, being targeted 13 times. Testaverde could have easily had one or two more touchdowns, but Wayne Chrebet's mistake on the sideline cost him a sure one, and Conway dropped a ball in the end zone that would have been a score. It would have been a nice play had he made it, but it was one he usually comes up with.

RB: For the third consecutive week, there wasn't much to speak of. Despite an injury depleted Patriots defense, Curtis Martin couldn't get much going. He had a decent string of runs during the second half to make his numbers halfway respectable, but still only finished with 53 yards on 15 carries. LaMont Jordan carried once for 5 yards and never really got involved.

WR: Curtis Conway was this week's number one receiver. He caught 5 balls for 70 yards, but it could have been much more. He had several drops, including one in the end zone. In his defense, there were many occasions where balls were thrown his way that he had no chance of catching.

Wayne Chrebet scored the Jets' lone touchdown on the day, scoring as he streaked down a seam in the middle of the field. It was vintage Testaverde-to-Chrebet, something Jets' fans have gotten used to seeing over the years. Chrebet also appeared to score on a deep sideline route, but he mistakenly stepped on the sideline before completing his route, and illegally was the first player to touch the ball, so the TD was nullified.

Santana Moss was pretty much invisible. He was targeted just 4 times, including twice on deep routes, and finished with just 1 reception for 17 yards. The one ball he did catch, however, was a great play in which Pats safety Rodney Harrison drilled Moss in the chest just as the ball was getting there but Moss somehow managed to hang on to it.

TE: Anthony Becht's role in the offense varies from week to week. This week, he was targeted 6 times and caught 3 passes for 30 yards. He also lost about 5 yards on a reception that was called back due to a holding penalty. Chris Baker was more of a receiving threat today than usual. Baker was targeted 3 times, and responded with 2 receptions for 8 yards.

K: Doug Brien missed a field goal for the first time this year, from 42 yards. He earlier had been good from 41, 39, and 30 yards out.

Pass Defense: It was feast or famine early on for the Jets. On most plays, they allowed Brady an incredible amount of time to set and throw. Then on other plays, they were in on him in a heartbeat. The Jets managed to sack Brady 4 times, but they also allowed him loads of time for big completions on too many occasions, especially late in the contest. The Jets DBs did a fine job of taking Troy Brown out of the contest. Brown finished with just 1 catch for 16 yards. But the Jets lack of speed at linebacker really caught up with them, as they allowed TEs Daniel Graham and Christian Fauria to roam the field and combine for 5 receptions for 86 yards.

Run Defense: For the second time in three weeks, the Jets yielded a lot of yards on the ground to a team that isn't really known for running the ball. Today, it was Kevin Faulk and Antowain Smith who did the damage, totaling 134 yards on 30 carries between them. The combination of an inability to run coupled with an inability to stop the run is sinking this Jets season fast.

New England Patriots

QB: Tom Brady's final numbers were right about where they should be. He finished up 15-25 for 181 yards, nothing spectacular. He should have been picked off late in the game, however. Sam Cowart had a tipped ball fall right into his hands for what would have likely been the easiest interception of his career, but he dropped it. Earlier in the game, Brady could have had a touchdown but he floated a pass over the head of a wide-open Troy Brown in the back of the end zone.

RB: "Thunder and Lightning" is alive in New England, for one week at least. The combo of Kevin Faulk (17 carries for 79 yards) and Antowain Smith (13 carries for 55 yards) tore up the Jets with good intermediate runs all day long. Neither back broke off a big gain (Smith's long for the day was 14, Faulk's long was 12), but they beat up the Jets D-Line and linebackers with a constant barrage of 5 and 6 yard runs. Smith stayed on in red zone situations, while Faulk was obviously more of a factor in the receiving game (2 receptions for 12 yards on 4 targets).

WR: Troy Brown was almost completely shut down despite the absence of CB Donnie Abraham. Brown was actually wide open for what could have been a touchdown in the first quarter, but Brady sailed the ball over his head incomplete. Brown was a favorite red zone target of Brady's, but the two could never connect on anything significant. Brown was thrown to 5 times, but caught just 1 pass for 16 yards. Brown did, however, have a nice 7-yard run in which he turned what should have been a big loss into a very nice gain.

Deion Branch was the recipient of the most yardage from a Patriots wide receiver, but that isn't saying much. He was thrown to just two times, and caught both balls for 25 yards.

David Patten suffered an injury early in the contest and never returned. Before he was hurt, Patten had caught a 20-yard reception. It was reported by CBS' Bonnie Bernstein that Patten had suffered an ankle and knee injury.

TE: Daniel Graham was very involved early on, being targeted 4 times. He responded with 2 catches for 37 yards, including a big 31-yard reception downfield. Later, it was Christian Fauria's turn to do some damage. He took over the receiving duties in the second half and turned 4 targets into 3 receptions for a team-high 49 yards.

K: Adam Vinatieri showed why he is generally regarded as the best kicker in the NFL. He connected on all 3 of his attempts, from 24, 22, and 47 yards out. In addition, he extended his NFL-record streak of consecutive field goals made from forty yards or less.

Pass Defense: When Ty Law left the game with what appeared to be a serious injury, the Pats could have tanked and it would have been understandable. But rookie CB Asante Samuel would have none of it. The very first time the Jets tried attacking his side of the field, Samuel picked off a Vinny Testaverde pass and took it to the end zone for a 55-yard touchdown. That was the bright spot. The dark spot was that the Pats were not unable to register a single sack on the immobile Vinny Testaverde, nor did they come close to intercepting another pass. Luckily for New England, Law was not injured seriously and did return to action, though he did appear to be slightly limping after the game.

Run Defense: Held the Jets in check despite the early loss of Ted Washington and the numerous losses they've already sustained. Allowed Curtis Martin just 53 yards on 15 carries while LaMont Jordan added another 5 yards on his only carry of the day.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Detroit Lions

In previous games the Lions have been unable to sustain any sort of a running game. This week they opened their first drive with a balanced attack ending with a rushing touchdown from RB Shawn Bryson. As the game wore on though and the Lions got behind, the running game was once again left by the wayside. The Lions rushed for a combined total of 77 yards, 46 of those yards came in the first quarter. Bryson was the lead rusher for the day rushing for 49 yards on 17 attempts. Olandis Gary only factored into the game with 5 attempts for 8 yards.

QB Joey Harrington showed the inconsistency that has plagued him this season. Harrington finished the game with 24 out of 42 completions for 235 yards. But like last week he struggled throwing 3 interceptions and 0 touchdowns. Two of Harrington's interceptions came late in the 4th quarter. Harrington did leave the game very late in the 2nd quarter with a jammed / dislocated finger. Mike McMahon came in and was sacked on his first play forcing the Lions. Harrington was able to come back in and play the 2nd half.

It was not a spectacular week for any of the Lions receivers. Rookie WR Charles Rogers was the leading receiver for the Lions gaining 54 yards on 6 receptions. He was also Harrington's favorite target with 13 targets. Az-Zahir Hakim started his first game for the Lions this season and though he only made 3 receptions for 16 yards, he was targeted 8 times. Bill Schroeder played well turning his 6 targets into 4 receptions for 54 yards.

The Lions special teams took a blow as Eddie Drummond twisted his leg and was carted off the field. It is not known at this point the extent of his injury.

Minnesota Vikings

Daunte Culpepper left the game late in the 2nd quarter with a bruised back after rushing for his second rushing touchdown of the day. Culpepper spent the rest of the game watching from the sidelines. Gus Frerotte came in and finished the game at QB for the Vikings. Though Frerotte's game was not spectacular it was enough to maintain the lead that Culpepper had established and he maintained that lead by making deep passing plays of 72 yards to both Randy Moss and WR Kelly Campbell. Moss' reception to the 3-yard line led to a field goal. Campbell's was a touchdown reception.

Moe Williams had another very solid game rushing for 95 yards and hauling in 6 receptions for 54 yards. A block by Culpepper led to Williams' longest run of the game for 61 yards. His strong play left little room for Onterrio Smith to make an impact on the game and Smith only contributed 3 yards rushing on 2 attempts.

Randy Moss contributed to the game with 3 receptions for 85 yards. Impressive stats for the day, but his play was hot and cold.. Sometimes he looked as though he was giving his all, other times he would give up on his routes or not look as though he was really trying.

This game was the first of the season that the Vikings did not score a TD on their opening drive.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Detroit Lions

QB: Joey Harrington (24-42-235, 3 Int, 3-19 rushing) Harrington opened the game looking sharp and ready to lead the Lions at Ford Field. He orchestrated a drive that led to a rushing score on the Lions first possession of the ball. He even showed the ability to scramble and gain yards on the run by rushing for a 15-yard gain during the first drive. His completions and passing yardage would be considered a good game by any standards. He spread the ball throughout the Lions wide receivers focusing slightly more on rookie WR Charles Rogers. But like last week, Harrington ran into trouble and hurt the Lions with his penchant for throwing interceptions and his inability to connect with any wide receivers in the end zone. His first interception was a pass intended for Az-Zahir Hakim thrown into double coverage in the 2nd quarter. His second and third interceptions came late in the 4th quarter and disrupted any momentum the Lions were gaining.

Mike McMahon (0-0-0) McMahon came into the game with 1 minute left in the 2nd quarter after Harrington dislocated his finger. McMahon was promptly sacked leading the Lions to punt the ball away, which led to a Vikings field goal before retiring for the half. Harrington was able to come back after halftime and played the rest of the game.

RB: Shawn Bryson (17-49, 1 TD rushing, 3-19 receiving, 6 targets) Bryson started the game at RB for the Lions and opened his game by rushing for 5 yards on his first carry. He showed power and fought to gain yards when he touched the ball. His rushing TD during the first drive was the sole Lions' TD for the day. He was also targeted in the end zone with an incomplete pass in the 4th quarter. Though the Lions started the game by efficiently rushing the ball, they abandoned the rushing game as the game progressed and they got further and further behind. Bryson had a 21-yard reception that would have given the Lions a first down negated by a holding penalty.

Olandis Gary (3-19 rushing, 1-13 receiving, 2 targets) Gary's contributions to the game were minimal in contrast to Bryson. His only reception for 13-yards, Gary caught the ball, fell on top of the Vikings' defender but got up and kept running. A personal foul was called against the Vikings on the play and the penalty added 15 yards to his gain.

Avon Cobourne (0-0 rushing, 2-21 receiving, 2 targets) Rookie RB Avon Cobourne was a non factor in the rushing game, though he did turn his two targets into completions.

WR: Charles Rogers (6-54 receiving, 13 targets) Rogers was the leading receiver and target for the Lions this week. His first catch for 13-yards came over the middle, as he was able to separate from his coverage. He was targeted for a deep pass that was broken up by Vikings' Brian Williams. He was also targeted in the end zone.

Bill Schroeder (4-54 receiving, 6 targets) Schroeder had an average game though he did not make his first catch until the 2nd quarter. The return of Az-Zahir Hakim clearly hurt the targets that Schroeder has been receiving in the last two games.

Az-Zahir Hakim (3-16 receiving, 9 targets) Az-Zahir Hakim played his first game for the Lions this season returning from injury. He was targeted often but only turned those targets into 3 receptions. His was the first reception of the game for the Lions and came over the middle and he was able to gain a first down. Hakim also played on special teams returning punts.

TE: Mikhael Ricks (3-39 receiving, 8 targets) Ricks played a much better game this week and caught his first reception in double coverage. A TD pass intended for Ricks was overthrown. He also dropped a pass in the end zone in the 4th quarter.

K: Jason Hanson (2-2 FG, 27-yards, 37-yards, 1 XP) After the Lions first TD score on the opening drive, Hanson contributed the only points for the rest of the game with his two field goals.

Pass Defense: Early in the game the Lions were able to get pressure on Culpepper and held him to 105 yards in the first half. Dre Bly had a good game. He sacked Daunte Culpepper. He blocked a pass intended for Moss in the end zone. He intercepted Frerotte. He batted a number of balls down as well. Frerotte gained 184 passing yards on the Lions in the 2nd half, 144 of those yards coming on two passes. The Lions were called for encroachment on 4th down which gave the Vikings a first down.

Rush Defense: The Lions rush defense gave up 127 net yards rushing. They were unable to contain Moe Williams who ran for 95 yards. They were also unable to stop Daunte Culpepper on the ground and he rushed for 2 touchdowns.

Minnesota Vikings

QB: Daunte Culpepper (7-13-105 passing, 2-16, 2 TDs rushing) left the game late in the 2nd quarter with a bruised back after rushing for his second touchdown. He spent the rest of the game on the sidelines. The Lions defense did put pressure on Culpepper early in the game. Culpepper made a strong block that enabled Moe Williams to make a 61-yard run.

Gus Frerotte (8-19-184 passing, 1 TD, 1 Int, 4-1 rushing) Gus Frerotte came into the game late in the 2nd quarter after Culpepper was injured. With 43 seconds left in the half, he made a deep pass for 72 yards to Randy Moss. He then overthrew Moss two times in a row, and also threw an incomplete pass to John Avery in the end zone. The Vikings ended up settling for a field goal. Frerotte's second 72-yard pass came in the third quarter was to Kelly Campbell and resulted in a touchdown. His lone interception was on a deep pass intended for Moss. Frerotte fumbled the ball once, but it was recovered by the Vikings.

RB: Moe Williams (13-95 rushing, 6-54 receiving, 3 targets Culpepper, 4 targets Frerotte) He had an outstanding game with an average of 7.3 yards per carry and 149 total yards. He was near perfect on his receiving targets, only missing one pass.

Onterrio Smith (2-3 rushing, 1-6 receiving, 1 target Frerotte) Moe Williams' successful rushing gave little room for the rookie to establish his game though he was expected to contribute more coming into this game. He came in primarily to provide relief for Williams. His one reception was a nice one-handed catch.

WR: Randy Moss (3-85, receiving, 4 targets Culpepper, 6 targets Frerotte) Moss did not make a catch until the 2nd quarter of the game. A near fumble in the first quarter was ruled as an incomplete pass. He caught a deep pass for 72 yards to the 3-yard line but then was overthrown two times in the endzone. Whether he was disappointed with his play or Frerotte's it is not known, but he left the field and headed to the locker room with 5 seconds still on the clock before the half. There were a number of plays that it looked as though Moss was giving up and not completely running his routes. And it appeared as though he was not making the effort, though this has been a pattern with Moss.

Kelly Campbell (2-85, 1 TD receiving, 1-12 rushing, 2 targets Culpepper, 4 targets Frerotte) Campbell started the game for injured D'Wayne Bates. He showed great speed as he beat the Lions defenders and made a 72-yard touchdown reception.

Nate Burleson (1-29 receiving, 2 targets Culpepper, 3 targets Frerotte) Burleson's contributions to the game were minimal.

TE: Jim Kleinsasser (2-30 receiving, 2 targets Culpepper) After starting the game out strong with 2 receptions in the first quarter, one on the first offensive play of the game, Kleinsasser was all but forgotten for the rest of the game.

K: Aaron Elling (1-2 FG, 21-yards, 2/2 XP) Elling missed a 37-yard field goal in the first quarter. Frerotte bobbled the snap on what should have been Elling's first extra point attempt and the attempt was aborted.

Pass Defense: A personal penalty on the Vikings for roughing the passer extended Detroit's opening drive, which culminated in a touchdown. Brian Williams had an exceptional game for the Vikings and batted down and broke up a number of passes. The Vikings intercepted Harrington 3 times, twice late in the game breaking any momentum the Lions were trying to establish.

Rush Defense: Though giving up a rushing touchdown on the Lions first drive, the rush defense held the Lions to 77 yards total rushing for the game. But after the first quarter, the Lions abandoned the run and focused on their passing game.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay's offense came out ready to show last week's showing against the Carolina Panthers was out of the ordinary. Michael Pittman scored on a 68 yard TD reception early in the 2nd quarter. And then the game became more entertaining when Brad Johnson connected with Warren Sapp to make it 17-3 late in the first half. Brad Johnson had time to throw; connecting on 16 passes for 192 yards and two TDs.

Tampa Bay's defense finally allowed a touchdown. Backup QB Woody Dantzler scored on a short run inside the 5 after being inserted in the goal line package.

After allowing Stephen Davis to rush for 142 yards last week, the defense returned back to form and was dominant. The defense continued their streak of having at least one sack and one turnover over the course of 43 straight games; the second longest streak in NFL history.

Atlanta Falcons

The understatement of the year would have to be the Atlanta Falcons desperately miss Michael Vick. Doug Johnson continues to struggle against the Bucs defense: he now has been intercepted 6 times in two games. On his three interceptions on the day, all were overthrown.

The Atlanta Falcons couldn't get anything started offensively. Dan Reeves had stated prior to the game that his team would commit to running the ball. However, his game plan quickly changed after falling behind early. The Atlanta Falcons finished the day rushing 19 times for 29 yards and 1 TD.

Later in the game, back-up QB, Kurt Kittner was inserted and fared no better. He finished his mop-up duty going 5-12, for 32 yards and an interception. Dan Reeves also inserted Woody Dantzler at QB in the 4th quarter and he ran one play, rushing 12 yards.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

QB: Brad Johnson continues to be effective in Jon Gruden's offense. He finished the day 16-24, for 192 yards and 2 TDs. Brad Johnson was so efficient, he got the opportunity to watch most of the 4th quarter from the sidelines as Sean King was inserted at QB.

RB: Michael Pittman had an excellent day rushing and receiving; finishing the day with 162 total yards and 1 TD. 68 yards of that came on a TD pass in the first half as he blew by the linebacker covering him.

Mike Alstott rushed the ball 8 times for 44 yards and 2 short yardage TDs.

Thomas Jones had 1 rush for minus 1 yard and he lost a fumble.

WR: Michael Pittman was Brad Johnson's favorite target on the day, connecting on 7 passes for 82 yards with 68 yards of that on the TD. Keenan McCardell finished the day 4-41 and Keyshawn Johnson only caught 2 balls for 25 yards.

TE: Ken Dilger only caught one ball for 24 yards. Yet, his reception was on a wide-open pass play and all he had to do was beat one defender (or run over him) and he would have had 6.

The catch of the day goes to Warren Sapp. Sapp saw his first career touchdown reception lining up at TE where he was totally alone in the end zone. Sapp was a high school All American TE.

K: Martin Gramatica did not suffer any blocked kicks (See last week's game against Carolina…). He only had one field goal for 24 yards and he connected on all 4 extra points.

Pass Defense: Tampa Bay's pass defense rushed Doug Johnson on his throws all day. Johnson was limited to 95 yards passing and three interceptions. Simeon Rice added to the pressure, recording a sack in three straight games to start the season.

Rush Defense: Tampa Bay held the Atlanta to 29 yards on 19 carries, The defense even treated old buddy, Warrick Dunn rudely, holding him to 7 yards on 9 carries.

Atlanta Falcons

QB: Doug Johnson again showed the tendency to overthrow his passes. If he ever developed a nice touch on the ball his numbers would be better. He was hesitant and often double pumped in the pocket looking for a receiver. The three interceptions were badly thrown and easy for the defender to pick off. Rookie Kurt Kittner and Woody Dantzler even took snaps at QB, but with the same results as Johnson.

RB: Dan Reeves stated prior to the game that TJ Duckett and Warrick Dunn would run the ball and run the ball often like Carolina did last week. However, once the game got away from the Atlanta Falcons, the running game was dropped. Plus, Atlanta was totally ineffective when they did try to run. Dunn was able to only manage 9 yards on 7 carries. Duckett had just 6 yards on 3 carries.

WR: Peerless Price finally caught more than 2 balls, catching 6 passes for 45 yards. He was overthrown at the goal line. Warrick Dunn was next in the line catching 4 balls for 20 yards.

TE: Alge Crumpler caught 3 passes for 31 yards and Brian Kozlowski chipped in with 2 catches for 14 yards.

K: Jay Feely was 1 for 2, connecting on a 29 yarder and missed on a 44 yarder. He connected on his only extra point attempt.

Pass Defense: Ellis Johnson was the only defensive lineman able to sack a Tampa Bay Buc QB and it wasn't Brad Johnson. Sean King scrambled on a 3rd down play and took the sack, rather than throwing into double coverage.

Rush Defense: Keith Brooking lad the Atlanta Falcons with 8 tackles. However, Atlanta's rush defense was nothing special, giving up 132 rushing yards on 37 carries and 2 TDs.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

New York Giants

It was a tale of two halves for the Giants' offense. In the first half, the team was crisp and efficient, and took advantage of several Redskins penalties and good field position. Kerry Collins spread the ball around to his primary targets, picking up the majority of his yardage and throwing all three of his TD passes before halftime. His game, as well as the Giants' offense, was basically non-existent in the second half, but Collins orchestrated a wonderful OT drive for New York's win.

Tiki Barber carried the load with 28 carries for 126 yards. He also had one fumble, that he recovered himself, on a pass reception in the flat. He came out of the game limping in the third quarter, but returned quickly with no ill effects.

Jeremy Shockey led the Giants with 92 receiving yards. Collins looked to him early to get him into the game. Amani Toomer and Ike Hilliard had their usual strong efforts.

Kicker Matt Bryant pushed a 37-yard attempt wide right after a bad snap, but otherwise had a decent outing including the game winner in overtime where Punter / Holder Jeff Feagles made an excellent play on a poor snap.

Washington Redskins

Patrick Ramsey showed great leadership in the second half while bringing the Redskins back from an 18-point deficit. He finished up with 348 yards, with two TDs and an interception. He was hit on the throwing hand in the fourth-quarter, but he persevered through the injury.

Running-back-by-committee continues in Washington with Trung Canidate carrying the ball nine times compared to Ladell Betts' eight. Together, they were effective as they combined for 85 yards on 17 carries (5.0 ypc)

After some early struggles, Laveranues Coles came up big, making several clutch receptions while going over 100 yards for the third straight game. Darnerien McCants and Rod Gardner also made key catches and each found the end zone. Eight different players caught passes in the game.

Kicker John Hall missed two field goals over 45 yards before booting through a clutch 33-yarder with seconds left to send the game to OT.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

New York Giants

QB: Kerry Collins (24-39-276, 3 TD, 0 INT) was right on the money in the first half, getting the majority of his 276 passing yards and all three TDs before halftime. He had plenty of time to survey the field and pick apart the Redskins' secondary, using a variety of routes and receivers. His second-quarter touchdown pass to Amani Toomer had excellent touch and was perfectly thrown over the cornerback. Collins was absent in the second half as Washington took charge, but he reappeared when the team needed him most on the drive in OT.

RB: Tiki Barber (28-126 rushing, 4-18 receiving, 5 targets) got most of his yardage running wide to the left. He fumbled after a pass reception in the flat but recovered it himself and he dropped a dump pass over the middle. Barber came out limping in the third quarter, but returned quickly to finish carrying the load.

Brian Mitchell (0-0 rushing, 1-10 receiving, 2 targets) played the role of third-down back. He had a 20-yard screen pass called back on offensive pass interference with Shockey blocking downfield. Contributed 85 return yards.

Fullback Jim Finn had one catch for 12 yards.

WR: Amani Toomer (4-81 1 TD receiving, 10 targets) caught a 54-yard touchdown in the second quarter. He was overthrown on a 40-yarder to the goal line as Collins was hit by two defenders. Toomer had three short passes broken up and a 10-yard out go off his hands. He was overthrown in the corner of the end zone from 20 yards out. He beat All-Pro corner Champ Bailey one-on-one in the left side of the end zone for the touchdown. Toomer also made a pivotal 9-yard reception in OT to keep the drive alive.

Ike Hilliard (1-6 rushing, 7-58 2 TD receiving, 11 targets) came down with tough catches in traffic. Collins threw the ball away over Hilliard in the back of the end zone from five yards out. Had a 30-yarder tipped away and drew a pass interference by Fred Smoot 30 yards downfield. He deserves a lot of credit on the second TD for juking a defender, switching directions and diving for the score.

Tim Carter (1-5 receiving, 2 targets) drew a pass interference by Smoot on a three-yard hitch.

TE: Jeremy Shockey (6-92 receiving, 10 targets) caught everything catchable that was thrown to him. He was the main target in overtime. Shockey broke tackles on a 17-yarder and made a nice snag on a ball thrown behind him.

K: Matt Bryant (1-2 FG, 3-3 XP) pushed a 37-yard attempt wide right after a bad snap, but otherwise had a decent outing including the game winner in overtime. Punter Jeff Feagles did a great job on a bad snap on the overtime kick.

Pass Defense: CB Will Allen got the only pick of Ramsey. The sack by DE Kenny Holmes was only because Ramsey stumbled and fell. Michael Strahan could not find his way to the quarterback.

Rush Defense: DT Keith Hamilton did not play due to a hamstring injury, contributing to Betts' success up the middle.

Washington Redskins

QB: Patrick Ramsey (23-45-348, 2 TD, 1 INT) was a victim of dropped passes in the first quarter. He found his groove in the second half and gained confidence as the Redskins stormed back against the Giants. None of his three TDs passes were extraordinary throws, but he checked off primary receivers and showed patience in the pocket. He did get hit in the throwing hand in the fourth quarter, but it didn't appear to affect his throws. Ramsey also managed 19 yards rushing, with the majority of that coming on a big 18-yard first-down run in the second half. His one pick was a leaping, incredible effort by Giants cornerback Will Allen.

RB: Trung Canidate (9-46 rushing, 0-0 receiving, 1 target) started and ran well on delays and pitches to the outside. He was overthrown on the only pass attempt in his direction. Canidate had a 15-yard run called back on a holding penalty.

Ladell Betts (8-39 rushing, 3-57 receiving, 4 targets) entered the game in the third series for Washington. Betts showed some nice open-field moves on a couple of dump passes. He had one pass knocked away. Betts came out of the game limping in the third quarter, but returned after only three plays. He played the majority of the second half as the Redskins mounted their comeback. He also had 57 yards receiving, including a pivotal 34-yard catch in the fourth quarter.

FB Rock Cartwright (1-minus 3 rushing, 2-30 receiving, 3 targets) got his only carry inside the five. Caught a short out out-of-bounds, incomplete.

Chad Morton (0-0 rushing, 1-27 receiving, 4 targets) was overthrown twice and had passed knocked down by Strahan. Added 77 return yards.

WR: Laveranues Coles (1-23 rushing, 7-105 receiving, 14 targets) dropped the first two passes to him. The Redskins then gave him the ball on a 23-yard end-around to get him into the game. Ramsey's 45-yard interception was inches from being an 86-yard touchdown for Coles. He had a ball thrown behind him in the red zone. Coles also had three balls knocked away on good defensive plays.

Rod Gardner (3-25 1 TD receiving, 9 targets) disappeared in the second and third quarters. He had a 30-yard touchdown called back on a hold, while showing great concentration on a bobbling catch. Was double-teamed on a deep incompletion over the middle, overthrown on a 35-yarder and thrown behind on a 15-yarder. Had a 17-yarder knocked away at the goal line and dropped 10-yard slant.

Darnerien McCants (4-67 1 TD receiving, 7 targets) emerged in this game as a solid option for Ramsey. He showed great hands on his touchdown and the key 2-point conversion in the fourth quarter. His reception on the final drive was amazing as he shrugged off a defender tugging his jersey. McCants had a 10-yarder deflected away and was called for taunting.

Pat Johnson (2-34, 2 targets) was stopped at the one from eight yards out.

TE: Robert Royal (0-0 receiving, 3 targets) started in place of the injured Zeron Flemister. Was missed on two attempts and dropped one on a medium crossing route.

K: John Hall (2-4 FG, 1-1 XP) hit the upright when he missed on a booming 53-yard attempt. Had a 49-yarder tipped at the line-of-scrimmage. Regularly hit kickoffs into the end zone.

Pass Defense: Second half blitzing was effective and kept Collins from looking deep. CB Fred Smoot, who is recovering from a Thursday concussion, committed two pass interference penalties. SS Ifeanyi Ohalete left the game in the third quarter with a lower back strain, but returned in the fourth quarter. LB LaVar Arrington forced two fumbles that were recovered by New York.

Rush Defense: The Giants ran to their left often and effectively attacking DE Bruce Smith. If it's possible for a running back to have a quiet 126 yards on the ground, then that was the case for Tiki Barber. He accumulated yards wearing down the Redskins' front four, but he didn't break off many huge runs.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

New Orleans Saints

The Saints' inability to block for RB Deuce McAllister forced them into a one-dimensional offensive effort. He had nowhere to run. McAllister carried just 11 times for a total of only 8 yards. He was limited to just 5 carries for -9 yards in the first half, as Tennessee built a 13-5 lead. This is extremely concerning to McAllister owners as this same Tennessee defense allowed Edgerrin James to rush for 120 yards on 30 carries last week.

Forced to throw, QB Aaron Brooks was decent. He finished with 185 passing yards and 1 TD and did not throw an interception. In addition, he scrambled 4 times for 15 yards. He used his quickness to elude the Titans pass rush, and threw fairly well on the run. His TD pass to Jerome Pathon (which cut the Titans lead to 20-12 early in the 4th quarter) was a nifty play where he scrambled out of a possible sack, rolled left to buy some time and fired a bullet to the corner of the end zone.

WRs Joe Horn and Donte' Stallworth were shut down by the Titan defense. WR Jerome Pathon was the only open receiver for most of the game. He had 4 catches for 89 yards and the lone TD. Horn and Stallworth were invisible for most of the afternoon, and when they weren't it was when Stallworth caught a 7 yard pass to open the second half and promptly coughed it up. He finished with 2 catches for 20 yards. Horn was not even targeted once in the first half and finished with 1 reception for 5 yards.

The Saints offense controlled the ball for just under 21 minutes. Their inability to run the ball, along with their inability to stop the Titans offense, ultimately sealed their defeat.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans controlled the ball for over 39 minutes, as QB Steve McNair led a ball control offense that marched up and down the field all day long. McNair played with a ring finger injury and a strained knee. He managed to throw for 252 yards and 2 touchdowns, despite a tendency to overthrow the deep out pass. The Fox game announcers speculated that his finger was the cause of the overthrows. He also fumbled while scrambling in the final seconds of the 1st half, when it appeared he had a lane to the end zone. Overall, McNair was his usual gritty self and finished with excellent fantasy numbers.

WR Drew Bennett was McNair's main target and seemingly was open on every play. He finished with 8 catches for 105 yards and a TD, and grabbed 3 straight passes for 60 yards on the Titans final drive of the 1st half. Bennett also completed a 14-yard pass to Derrick Mason, one of two trick plays the Titans converted on the day. Justin McCareins caught 5 balls for 44 yards with a TD, and Derrick Mason caught 4 for 47 yards.

RB Eddie George ran powerfully, grinding out tough yardage and racking up 100 yards on 29 carries. He helped chew up the clock and allowed the Titans to sustain long drives and dominate time of possession. He powered off left tackle and bowled over two defenders on his 6-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, which iced the game for Tennessee. He was, however, taken out of the game twice at the goal line for Robert Holcombe, and McNair threw for touchdowns on both plays.

McNair used his tight ends frequently. Both were effective, as Erron Kinney and Shad Meier combined to catch 6 passes for 81 yards.

The Titans run defense bounced back from a poor game against Indianapolis and Edgerrin James to hold the Saints to 23 total rushing yards. The Saints had negative net rushing yards until the final minute of the 3rd quarter.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

New Orleans Saints

QB: Aaron Brooks was under pressure from the Titans front four most of the game. He responded fairly well, given the fact his top receivers, Stallworth and Horn, were shut down by the Titans. Down 13-2, Brooks completed a 39-yard pass to Jerome Pathon over the middle and a 19-yard pass to TE Ernie Conwell. He then overthrew both Conwell and Stallworth in the end zone, as the drive resulted in a field goal. He started the second half with two completions for an apparent 1st down until Stallworth fumbled the second one. From then on, the Saints were unable to run the ball, and were forced to throw exclusively. Brooks' pass to Pathon in the 3rd briefly put the Saints back in the game, but the Titans put it away with 14-play touchdown drive.

RB: Deuce McAllister (11 rushes for 8 yards, 3 catches for 23 yards) had nowhere to run. It took until a minute remained in the 3rd quarter for him to carry the ball and not get hit behind the line of scrimmage. He did not touch the ball until late in the first quarter, and his longest run of the game went for 7 yards. This is a defense that is tough but not invincible. They allowed the Colts and Edgerrin James to run for 120 yards last week so this is definitely a worry for McAllister owners.

WR: Joe Horn (1catch for 5 yards, on 6 targets) was nowhere to be found in the 1st half, as he wasn't even targeted once. On the Saints 2nd possession of the second half, horn was open deep down the left sideline, but dropped Brooks' pass. He caught his 1st pass on the Saints final drive, where he received 5 of his 6 targets.

Donte' Stallworth (2-20 and a fumble, on 4 targets) was unproductive as well. After his fumble to start the 3rd quarter, he was only targeted one more time. This includes an incompletion to Horn on a play where Stallworth was running wide open down the middle for a potential touchdown. Two of Stallworth's targets were on third down.

Jerome Pathon (4-89-1 TD, on 6 targets) was the big-play receiver for the Saints. He caught long passes of 38 and 19 yards, as well as the 10-yard touchdown pass.

TE: Ernie Conwell (4-47, on 5 targets) played well. His 19-yard catch in the 2nd quarter bounced off two defenders before he snatched it. Later in the same drive, Brooks overthrew him in the end zone.

K: John Carney made his 31-yard FG try and the lone extra point.

Pass Defense: The Saints pass defense was poor. They forced only one sack and, more importantly, they allowed McNair to move the ball downfield at will. They did cause McNair to scramble and recovered his fumble, although they did nothing to cause it. Drew Bennett was forever running wide open, and the rest of the Titans receivers didn't have much more difficulty. Tennessee finished with 280 net yards passing.

Rush Defense: The Saints held Eddie George to short yardage until the 4th quarter when they were understandably tired after spending most of the day on the field. The Titans finished with 105 net rushing yards. CB Ashley Ambrose finished with a team-high 9 tackles, which is never a good sign.

Tennessee Titans

QB: Steve McNair again played well with injury. He dissected the Saints defense, completing 22 of 33 passes for 252 yards and 2 TDs. He removed all doubts early, as he opened up the game by hitting on 9-10 passes for 107 yards and a TD. His TD pass to Drew Bennett was impressive; he rolled right and looked like he was going to be sacked, when he fired a bullet to the wide-open Bennett. McNair did fumble at the Saints 3 yard line at the end of the first half. He did not appear to get hit on the play, but lost it trying to switch hands. McNair became the 5th QB in NFL history to throw for 20,000 yards and run for 3000.

RB: Eddie George (29 carries for 100 yards, 1 catch for 4 yards) played 3 solid quarters before really turning it up in the 4th quarter as the Titans put the game out of reach. He ran out the clock with 8 carries for 44 yards in the 4th quarter, including a powerful 6-yard TD run where he bowled over one defender and carried another into the end zone.

WR: Drew Bennett (8-105-1 TD, on 12 targets) spent the majority of the game running wide open down the field. He was targeted 4 times on 3rd down, converting 3. He was also the main red-zone target, with 3. In addition, Bennett completed a 14-yard pass to Derrick Mason after receiving a backward pass from McNair.

Derrick Mason (4-47, on 6 targets) was productive early until Bennett took the game over. He caught 3 passes for 44 yards in the first 3 drives and then disappeared. 2 of his targets were on 3rd down, converting one.

Justin McCareins (5-44-1 TD, on 8 targets) was targeted 3 times on 3rd down and once in the red-zone. He played well, other than a botched punt that resulted in the New Orleans safety in the 1st quarter. He fielded the punt and lost control of the ball as he was tackled. Tony Beckham recovered the ball, but made an illegal forward pass in the end zone, which resulted in the safety.

TE: Shad Meier (4-53, on 4 targets) and Erron Kinney (2-28, on 3 targets) were both effective. Kinney was used twice on 3rd down and converted both, while Meier received a red zone chance.

K: Gary Anderson made field goals of 43 and 22 yards and all 3 PAT's.

Punter Craig Hentrich did everything well except kick off. He completed a 15 yard pass on a fake punt, the second game in a row he's done that, and also executed a pooch free kick after the safety, and the Titans recovered it. His kickoffs were short and received near the 15 on average.

Pass Defense: The Titans were able to control top targets Donte' Stallworth and Joe Horn, while getting consistent pressure on Brooks with just 3 and 4 rushers. They sacked Brooks 3 times and recovered 2 fumbles.

Rush Defense: The run defense was the star of the game. Any time Deuce McAllister is in negative yardage near the end of the 4th quarter, you've done your job. Aaron Brooks led the Saints with 4 carries for 15 yards.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens used a strong running game and bend but don't break defense to get the win in San Diego. They didn't ask much of their rookie QB Kyle Boller other than don't make any mistakes.

RB Jamal Lewis picked up where he left off last week and while he didn't set any records he had a very productive day. He ran for 132 yards on 23 carries with a touchdown. His longest run of the day went for 18 yards but he got stronger as the game went on. The Raven's game plan was to run Lewis right, left and up the middle. Even a mistake by Lewis, a fumble late in the first quarter, turned out fine as it bounced into the arms of fullback Alan Ricard who took it 50 yards for a touchdown.

The Baltimore defense gave up a first quarter field goal then shut down the San Diego offense until the fourth quarter. They sacked QB Drew Brees once and came up with 3 interceptions. They provided enough pressure on Brees that he never looked like he got comfortable in the pocket. Even though they gave up 270 yards to Brees and 105 yards rushing to RB LaDanian Tomlinson they were able to hold the Chargers to 10 points. The defense also had to play without CB Chris McAlister who was suspended for breaking team rules.

TE Todd Heap was the favorite target for Raven's QB Kyle Boller. Heap saw 9 throws come his way out of Boller's 21 attempts and caught 5 of them for 50 yards and one touchdown. It was Boller's only touchdown throw of the game to go along with one interception. Travis Taylor was held without a reception in the game.

San Diego Chargers

WR David Boston was back in the stating lineup for this game and caught 6 passes for 91 yards. He didn't show any ill effects from his heel injury as QB Drew Brees looked his way 11 times in the game. He also ran one time on an end around for 5 yards. With the injuries the Chargers have suffered to their TEs and WRs the fact that Boston could play helped. Boston had an ugly play at the end of the game where he failed to go after a pass that had many fans furious.

Even though David Boston returned to the lineup the San Diego offense struggled to put points on the board again. RB LaDainian Tomlinson had his first 100-yard game of the year and scored his first touchdown on a 2-yard run. He also caught 8 balls for 51 yards. Perhaps he was inspired by the comments Jamal Lewis made earlier in the week but it wasn't enough to get the rest of the offense moving.

The Charger defense was worn down by the Raven running game. They started out strong, going into the half with only 10 points scored on them, and the touchdown was off of a fumble recovery after they caused Jamal Lewis to fumble. But in the second half Jamal Lewis and the Raven offensive line took their toll and the Charger defense was not able to hold.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Baltimore Ravens

QB: Kyle Boller (12-21-98 1 TD, 1 INT, 3-0 rushing) wasn't asked to do much in this game and he didn't. He made a nice throw to TE Todd Heap for the touchdown pass but other than that, overthrew several receivers. Boller showed some ability to avoid the rush but by and large he didn't face a lot of pressure. He didn't get a lot of help from his receivers, either, as one of his deep passes to WR Travis Taylor went right through his hands. His one interception was on a pass that Heap had his hands on before being knocked up in the air for the pick. He was asked to not make any mistakes and did a good job of that. Boller spent the fourth quarter handing the ball off. He only dropped back to pass once in the fourth quarter and was sacked.

RB: Jamal Lewis (23-132 rushing 1 TD, 2-7 receiving, 2 targets) had another stellar day. While he didn't set a single-game rushing record like he did last week, he ran hard all afternoon. He started slow, losing a yard on his first 2 carries but got stronger as the game went on. His longest run was 18 yards. He was effective running to the right, left and up the middle. After the last two weeks there is little doubt that he is fully recovered from his 2001 knee injury. His two-game total of 427 yards was the fifth most in NFL history. Things have been going so well for Lewis that his fumble was picked up by his fullback Alan Ricard and run in for a touchdown. To show he's human, his prediction that Ray Lewis would dominate Charger's RB LaDainian Tomlinson didn't come to pass.

Chester Taylor (3-12 rushing) relieved Jamal Lewis on a couple of plays but was not a factor otherwise.

Alan Ricard (2-3 rushing) was in the right place at the right time. In the first quarter when a Jamal Lewis fumble bounced forward and right into Ricard's hands. He took it 50 yards into the end zone for the touchdown.

WR: Travis Taylor (0-0 receiving, 1-5 rushing, 3 targets) disappeared in this game. Taylor did have one long pass go right between his hands but Boller only looked his way 3 times. His biggest contribution was a 5-yard gain on his one rushing attempt.

Frank Sanders (2-20 receiving, 3 targets) was one of 3 players to have 2 catches for the Ravens.

Marcus Robinson (1-10, 2 targets) was also a non-factor in the passing game. He made his catch in the first quarter and saw only one more pass thrown his way.

TE: Todd Heap (5-50 1 TD receiving, 9 targets) was the favorite target for QB Kyle Boller. Out of 21 passes attempted Heap was the target on 9 of them. He made a very nice grab reaching back over a defender for his 25-yard touchdown catch. He was also targeted on several other deeper patterns down the sideline that did not connect. On most of the throws that came Heap's way he was the primary receiver. He almost had another catch on a pass down the middle but a nice defensive play knocked the ball out of his hands and resulted in an interception.

Terry Jones ( 2-11 receiving, 2 targets) caught both of the balls thrown to him.

K: Matt Stover ( 1-1 FG (49 yd), 3-3 XP) hit on his only field goal attempt and all 3 of his extra points.

Pass Defense: The Chargers threw for 270 yards but no touchdowns. The Raven defense put consistent pressure on QB Drew Brees and came up with 3 interceptions. They played without cornerback Chris McAlister who had been suspended for the game due to violating team rules. They recorded 1 sack and held the Chargers to 6 of 15 on third down conversions.

Rush Defense: They allowed RB LaDainian Tomlinson to go over the 100-yard mark for the first time and get his first TD of the year while averaging over 4.5 yards per carry. But that was the only touchdown they allowed and it came in the fourth quarter. They made the stops when they had to and other than the one touchdown played well in the red zone.

San Diego Chargers

QB: Drew Brees (28-45-270, 3 INT, 1-5 rushing) had a tough time putting points on the board in spite of WR David Boston being back in the starting lineup. He threw 3 interceptions, one deep in San Diego territory that Baltimore promptly turned into a touchdown. He was also intercepted after moving the Chargers deep into Baltimore territory, which ended any hope for a San Diego comeback. While he was only sacked once he was under constant pressure and several of his throws were made while he was on the run.

RB: LaDainian Tomlinson (23-105 1 TD rushing, 8-51 receiving, 10 targets) had his best game of the year so far. If he needed any extra incentive for this game he received it earlier in the week when Raven's RB Jamal Lewis said MLB Ray Lewis would dominate Tomlinson. He averaged 4.5 yards per carry and was involved in the passing game with the second most targets on the team. He scored his first touchdown of the year in the fourth quarter. He went off briefly in the fourth quarter with a slight limp but came right back. He came very close to breaking a couple of long runs but would settle for a long gain of the day of 17 yards. While it was his most productive game this year it still only resulted in 10 total points for the Chargers.

Lorenzo Neal (3-7 rushing, 2-13 receiving, 3 targets) got as much action rushing and receiving in this game as he usually has over the course of several weeks.

Jesse Chatman (1-1 rushing) relieved Tomlinson on a couple of plays but was not a factor in the game as a running back.

WR: David Boston (6-91 receiving, 1-5 rushing, 11 targets) was back in the starting lineup and QB Drew Brees targeted him often. The 11 passes his way led the team. He didn't seem to show any ill effects from his heel injury and had a long catch of 40 yards. His presence seemed to open up the field a little more for the San Diego running game and Boston often drew double teams allowing other receivers to get involved in the passing game. He seemed to lose focus at the end of the game when a pass thrown to him in the end zone was tipped in the air and rather than go for it allowed it to be picked off. It was an ugly play and many fans were furious over Boston's lack of effort. This is a guy that needs all the fan support he can garner and he did nothing to earn it with that play.

Eric Parker (4-40 receiving, 7 targets) took the place of injured WR Reche Caldwell in the starting lineup. He was not targeted much until later in the game when the Chargers were playing catch-up.

Tim Dwight (3-33 receiving, 1-9 rushing, 5 targets) was a favorite 3rd down target of Drew Brees in the first half. He injured his leg during a collision and was out for a few plays but did not come back into the game in the second half.

Kassim Osgood (1-18 receiving, 2 targets) had one catch. He played more in the second half after Tim Dwight went out.

Grant Mattos (0-0 receiving, 1 target) was not a factor. He got to play due to the injuries to the Charger receiving corp.

TE: Justin Peelle (4-24 receiving, 6 targets) started at TE for Stephen Alexander. He had 4 catches and served mostly as a safety valve for QB Drew Brees.

K: Steve Christie (1-2 FG (24 yd) 1-1 XP) missed a field goal from 50 yards away. He also punted after lining up in field goal formation on another play.

Pass Defense: The pass defense was good if you look at the final numbers - 98 yards on 12-21 completions, 6 passing first downs, and 3 of 9 on third down conversions, but they managed only one sack and one interception against a rookie QB. They also allowed the Ravens to score a TD in the passing game. And the Raven's game plan was not to beat the Chargers with the pass.

Rush Defense: The rushing defense started out well, stuffing Jamal Lewis on his first 2 carries for -1 yard. They even forced Lewis into fumbling, but the ball was recovered and run in for a touchdown. As the game went on the defense wore down, allowing 152 yards on the ground for a 4.75 yard average. They gave up one rushing touchdown which was actually set up by a San Diego turnover deep in their own territory. But the steady diet of Jamal Lewis proved more than they could handle.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Jacksonville Jaguars

Mark Brunell was pressured all day as a strong Colts defense took him out of the game. Most of his stats came late in the game as the Jaguars were playing catch up. In a sign of things that might come, he was replaced by Byron Leftwich in the final series and Leftwich moved the ball with ease against the Colts.

Although it was only one series, QB Byron Leftwich was locked into WR Matt Hatchette as his primary read. Hatchette only caught 2 balls total from Brunell in basically 4 quarters of play. He matched those 2 receptions working with Leftwich in a single series. Could spell huge things for Hatchette if Brunell is put out to pasture as Jacksonville continues to struggle.

RB Fred Taylor quietly had a great day as the Jaguars continued to feed him the ball against a Colt's Defense that was allowing him to run. He broke off long gainers of 22 and 42 yards and finished with 126 yards on 17 carries (7.4 ypc)

Indianapolis Colts

For the 3rd week in a row, the Colts came out of the locker room looking like a new team after the half. This week, the recipient of the half time game planning was WR Reggie Wayne, who recorded new personal NFL career highs in every stat category, catching 10 for 141 yards and 2 TDs. Wayne could just do nothing wrong in the game, every time he touched the ball, it was special.

The Doom sayers may start predicting the end for Harrison, but it is premature. Although he was shut down again by a defense out solely to stop him and let the other players on the Colts try and beat them, Harrison looked sharp, even making a highlight reel catch for a big 1st down. Harrison was still the first read on many of the plays that went to Wayne. For the 3rd week in a row, Harrison was double and triple teamed, and effectively taken out of the game. Luckily for Harrison Owners, if Wayne (and to a lesser extent, Clark) have finally started to emerge, this game planning by the Colts opponents will soon have to end. Remember 2 years ago when Harrison was blanketed at the beginning of the season and Pathon was putting up top 10 numbers like Wayne did today. Harrison also started slow last year. Both years, that resulted in Harrison exploding shortly afterward.

Pollard seems finished. Not only did he not catch a ball, but Pollard was not targeted on a single play. Manning simply didn't look for him. TE Dallas Clark on the other hand had 4 Receptions on 6 Targets.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Jacksonville Jaguars

QB: Mark Brunell (12/23 for 90, 3 for 8 rushing, Fumble) Hurt his left elbow in the 1st quarter, but continued to play. He was hurried and forced all game. He was replaced by Leftwich for the final series which we may be seeing plenty of soon.

Byron Leftwich (4/5 for 32, TD) Only played in the final series, and looked impressive, completing 80% of his passes to march Jacksonville down the field. He was playing against a softer, "rolled back" defensive look. Leftwich locked in on WR Matt Hatchette as he drove down the field for the eventual scoring strike to Hatchette.

RB: Fred Taylor (17/126, 3/11 Receiving, Fumble) (Targets: Brunell 4/Leftwich 2) First RB to gain 100+ yards against the Colts in 15 games. Taylor opened the game with 4 straight rushes on his way to being feed the ball consistently all game. He ran with power, and broke off 2 long gains. Fumbled away the ball after a 10 yard run, recovered by Mike Doss.

LaBrandon Toefield (3/14) (Targets: None) Simply used to give Taylor a breather. 2 of his 3 rushes came in the first series around the Colts 40 in relief of Taylor who had just carried the ball 4 straight times. The last carry came in the second Jacksonville series of the game, around the Colt's 40 again, after Taylor had just carried the ball 3 straight times. Did not see the ball again after the second series with Taylor running strong.

Marc Edwards (2/4, 1/-1 Receiving) (Targets: Brunell 1) First carry was a 3rd and 1 for 3 to keep the drive alive.

WR: Matt Hatchette (4/45, TD) (Targets: Brunell 5/Leftwich 2) Seemed that once QB Leftwich came in for Brunell, he zoned in on Hatchette. He caught 2 receptions and a TD from Leftwich late in the 4th quarter, on Leftwich's only series. Hatchette only caught 2 receptions from Brunell in basically 4 quarters of play.

JJ Stokes (3/25) (Targets: Brunell 3) Just didn't seem to be a factor in the game.

Jimmy Redmond (1/16) (Targets: Brunell 1)

Cortez Hankton (1/9) (Targets: Brunell 3/Leftwich 1) Late in the game, Hankton was the primary read on 2 much needed 3rd down plays, neither were successful. He dropped a pass on 3rd and 5 in the third quarter.

TE: Kyle Brady (2/18) (Targets: Brunell 4) Brady was a decent part of the game play for Brunell but didn't produce any meaningful numbers.

Chris Luzar (1/1) (Targets: Brunell 1)

K: Seth Marler (2/4 FG [49,37], 1/1 XP) Missed 46 yarder by hitting the right upright. He missed a 41 yarder wide right.

Pass Defense: Played extremely well in the 1st half, including a huge hit on TE Clark. Concentrated on Harrison, taking him out of the game with 2 and 3 man coverage. Unfortunately, this allowed Manning to find Wayne countless times in the second half. CB James Trapp Intercepted Manning.

Rush Defense: The Run Defense did a great job of containing James. LB Akin Ayodele (6 Tackles/5 Assists) led the team.

Indianapolis Colts

QB: Peyton Manning (21/33 for 216, 2 TDs, INT, 3/-3 Rushing) All three rushing attempts were kneel downs for a loss of 1 yard each. He only managed 20 passing yards in the 1st quarter. Although Wayne had a huge day, Manning still looked for Harrison on many of those plays. Looked crisp in the pocket, although he struggled a bit in the 1st half with Harrison completely blanketed. Manning was not looking for Wayne in the first half (1 target for an 11 yard gain).

RB: Edgerrin James (21/76, 3/28 Receiving) (Targets: 8) Ran with power, but couldn't seem to find any running room as the Jaguar defense gang tackled and filled the rushing lanes. Lost receptions of 3 and 8 yards on Defensive offsides.

Ricky Williams Was not used in the game.

WR: Marvin Harrison (3/31) (Targets: 7) Harrison was taken out of this game, and faced 2 and 3 man coverage throughout the game, however, he was still the first read on many of the plays that went to Wayne. Made a highlight reel catch for a 1st down. Harrison still had 7 targets in the game, he was simply blanketed by the Jaguar's Defense.

Reggie Wayne (10/141, 2 TDs) (Targets: 13) Only negative on the day was that Harrison was still the first read on many of the plays that went to Wayne. He had a career day, recording new personal highs in every stat category. Wayne started slowly with just one catch for 11 yards in the first half. Nearly all of Wayne's stats came in the second half as "Reggie, Reggie" chants filled the stadium. Wayne put on a one man show, running the difficult routes over the middle, beating his defenders deep, great runs after the catch, and adjusted well to every ball thrown to him. He could simply do nothing wrong in the second half. Wayne also nearly came away with a defense tipped, "lame duck" ball, at the goal line. Could have had a third TD but dropped a floater from Manning in the end zone.

Troy Walters (Targets: 0) Was not used in the game.

TE: Marcus Pollard (Targets: 0) Was not looked to at any point in the game. No only did he not catch a ball, Pollard was not targeted once in the outing.

Dallas Clark (4/16) (Targets: 6) Manning didn't look for Pollard once in the game, while Clark was a big part of the Offense. He found ways to get open. Mostly working the middle, Clark also proved he can take a hit by taking a couple of big hits after the catch.

K: Mike Vanderjagt (3/3 FG [46,36,29], 2/2 XP) His usual solid self.

Pass Defense: The Colts brought stifling defensive play, that shut down the Jaguar Defense to the extent that they went to backup Leftwich in the final series. RDE Chad Bratzke recorded a sack along with ROLB Thornton' sack of Brunell.

Rush Defense: Taylor was able to move the ball without too much difficultly. ROLB David Thornton (8 tackles/2 Assists, Sack) led the team. FS Idrees Bashir recovered a James Fumble.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

St. Louis Rams

RB Marshall Faulk left the game early in the third quarter with a broken hand and will reportedly be out 3-4 weeks. Lamar Gordon, who replaced Faulk, was more effective running the ball.

QB Marc Bulger was given plenty of time throughout the game and was effective through the first three quarters. This was not because Faulk was in the game. St. Louis was moving the ball in spite of Faulk on the strength of Bulger's arm.

In the fourth quarter, the Rams only ran 10 plays for a total of 14 yards and 2 interceptions. It was a total reversal of fortune as the Rams fell apart on both sides of the ball.

Seattle Seahawks

RB Shaun Alexander missed the first quarter as his wife was delivering a baby girl. He was given a police escort to the game and had his first carries to open the second quarter. Maurice Morris started in his absence, but didn't get any carries as Seattle opted to try moving the ball only in the air without Alexander.

QB Matt Hasselbeck was on fire with the game on the line down the stretch and leaned heavily on WR Koren Robinson (7 targets in the fourth quarter). Hasselbeck has now won his last 6 starts dating back to last season.

The Seattle defense continues to make big plays, but put very little pressure on the quarterback. The interceptions late in the game led to two long drives (missed FG and the game winning TD).

Before the game tying TD, the Seahawks were given new life as St. Louis was called for a controversial defensive holding penalty on defensive tackle Brian Young. when Hasselbeck threw an incompletion on 3rd and 8 from the STL 13 yard line. They were given 1st and goal from the 8 and went on to score.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

St. Louis Rams

QB: Marc Bulger: (21-34-226 1 TD 2 INT passing, 3-2 1 TD rushing) Bulger was on target and efficient though the first three quarters. However, he disappointed in the fourth quarter when his team needed him badly. Bulger spread the ball around to his three main targets (Holt, Bruce, and Looker) and kept the Rams moving despite the lack of a running game.

Kurt Warner: (did not play) Warner is playing the "backup with a good attitude" well. Warner was jubilant and the first player to greet Bulger on the sideline after the first St. Louis TD.

RB: Marshall Faulk: (15-31 rushing, 1-6 receiving, 2 targets) Faulk was stuffed time and time again through the first half. Nine of his carries in the game were for 1 yard or less. He didn't show the explosive step that he was known for in the past. He left the game with a reported broken left hand. Coach Mike Martz commented that they were unsure of how serious the injury was because they were unable to take X-rays in Seattle. Some reports have speculated Faulk might miss 2-6 weeks but those are just guesses. The Rams were waiting until they could examine Faulk in St. Louis before commenting.

Lamar Gordon: (8-41 rushing, 4-25 receiving, 5 targets) Gordon started off the game as the FB, but ended up as the feature RB. He ran hard and hit the holes with authority when given the chance. Faulk owners don't want to hear it, but the team looked better with Gordon in the game.

WR: Tory Holt: (1-5 rushing, 5-68 receiving, 8 targets) Holt was ignored early in the game and finished the first half with only 1 catch for 14 yards. The bulk of his receptions occurred in the third quarter when the Rams were pulling away. Holt was targeted deep on the last two plays of the game.

Isaac Bruce: (1-3 rushing, 5-69 1 TD receiving, 7 targets) Bruce had all his receptions in the first half and was forgotten about after halftime. In the first quarter, Bruce had one red zone reception down to the 3-yard line that led to Bulger's rushing TD. Bruce now needs about 30 yards to pass up Henry Ellard as the Rams all time receiving leader.

Dane Looker: (3-25 receiving, 6 targets) Looker has become the #3 WR in the Rams offense and is consistently getting targeted though out the game. He had 4 targets to Tory Holt's 2 targets at halftime.

TE: Brandon Manumaleuna: (1-5 receiving, 1 target) Manumaleuna had his one reception in the fourth quarter.

Cameron Cleeland: (1-22 receiving, 1 target) Cleeland's one reception in the third quarter was a nice leaping grab that showed a high degree of athleticism.

K: Jeff Wilkins: (3-3 FG, 28, 33, 33) Wilkins hit all three of his FG attempts.

Pass Defense: DE Leonard Little was able to put intense pressure on Hasselbeck through the first half facing third string OT Matt Hill, but Seattle adjusted in the second half with max-protect schemes. The St. Louis corners played way too far off down the stretch and allowed Koren Robinson to torch them for 95 yards in the second half.

Rush Defense: After Alexander's first two runs of 12 and 16 yards, the Rams did a great job of bottling him up and keeping him contained. However, they did not do a good job of containing Hasselbeck and allowed him to hurt them with his legs.

Seattle Seahawks

QB: Matt Hasselbeck: (22-39-256 2 TD 1 INT, 5-28 rushing 1) Hasselbeck did a great job of handling the pressure from Leonard Little and kept his head in the game early on. He also suffered several drops by his WR's in the first half. Down the stretch in the fourth quarter Hasselbeck looked poised and stepped away from pressure while keeping his eyes down field. He seemed to exude an infectious confidence that they were going to move the ball and score. Hasselbeck also showed more nimble footwork in running the ball than he has shown in the past.

RB: Shaun Alexander: (14-58 rushing, 3-8 receiving, 3 targets) Alexander missed the first quarter due to the birth of his first child (baby girl named Heaven). His first two carries as a father were both off left tackle for a combined 28 yards. It's apparent that Seattle plans to lean on the combination of LT Walter Jones and LG Steve Hutchinson. Alexander consistently has his larger holes to the left side behind these two.

Maurice Morris: (0-0 rushing, 3-28 receiving, 3 targets) Morris was given the opportunity to start with the absence of Alexander. Hasselbeck targeted Morris three times early on, but Morris wasn't given a carry in the game.

WR: Koren Robinson: (1-4 rushing, 7-95 1 TD receiving, 14 targets) The game was a tale of two halves for Robinson. His first 5 targets resulted in 2 drops and one completion that drew a flag when he stepped out of bound and become an ineligible receiver. However the other two targets were in the endzone. In the fourth quarter Robinson became Hasselbeck's crutch. He was targeted 7 times for 5 receptions including the game winning TD.

Darrell Jackson: (2-50 receiving 1 TD, 9 targets) In the second quarter after the Rams had scored 17 unanswered points, Jackson pulled in a 35 yard reception that seemed to breathe some life into the Seahawks. He made the same sort of play in week 1 against the Saints that got the offense rolling. Besides his TD reception Jackson was targeted in the endzone two other times in the game. Also, on 4th and 1 late in the game the Seahawks ran a play for Jackson.

Bobby Engram: (3-35 receiving, 4 targets) Engram made two big receptions late in the game to keep drives moving. The Seahawks appear satisfied using Engram in the same manner they did last year. He will be their third down specialist in the slot drawing one on one coverage from nickel and dime corners.

TE: Itula Mili: (2-34 receiving, 3 targets) Mili continues to hold off Stevens as the primary receiving TE. Mili also had and endzone target on the final Seattle possession before Robinson scored the winning TD.

Jeremy Stevens: (0-0 receiving, 0 targets) Stevens was on the field to start the game in a double-TE set, but didn't see the ball the entire game.

K: Josh Brown: (1-2 FG: 36yd) Brown missed a huge FG attempt from 35 yards that would have pulled Seattle to within 3 late in the game.

Pass Defense: Seattle is still getting little to no pass rush, but their secondary continues to make big plays. Reggie Tongue and Anthony Simmons both picked off balls at crucial moments late in the game.

Rush Defense: The Seattle front-seven held Marshall Faulk in check. Randall Godfrey did a great job of filling gaps and taking on lead blockers to stuff plays.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Cleveland Browns

QB Kelly Holcomb and WR Kevin Johnson were instrumental in Cleveland's 4th quarter come from behind win, particularly in the final series of the game. Holcomb sustained an ankle injury on the first play of Cleveland's second possession. However, he ended up playing the entire game. Backup QB Tim Couch warmed up on the sideline, but that's all the action he saw despite Holcomb's poor performance throughout the 1st half and into the 3rd quarter.

Cleveland's running game was once again very unimpressive. RB William Green had only 15 carries for 47 yards, and was not thrown to all day. The only other RB to get a carry was Jamel White, who had 1.

WR Andre' Davis was also a big factor in the comeback victory, catching 2 TD's (the second coming with only half a minute left in the game).

The Brown's defensive unit did a great job by not allowing San Francisco a touchdown the entire day. Other than that, they only recorded 2 sacks, 1 INT, and a forced fumble (not recovered).

WR Dennis Northcutt did not play because of a chest injury suffered prior to Week 3.

San Francisco 49ers

QB Jeff Garcia and WR Terrell Owens, both coming off concussions, played well, but neither could manage to score. Also, all 5 starting offensive lineman were listed on the official NFL injury report prior the game, but all played. Their nagging injuries could have accounted for the offense's sub-par performance, but giving RB's Garrison Hearst and Kevin Barlow only 16 combined carries the entire game is not my idea of establishing any kind of run game.

FB Fred Beasley's number was called to vulture a TD. On San Francisco's 1st series of the game, he was given the ball on 3rd and goal and on 4th and goal. Beasley was stuffed at the 1-yard line on 3rd down, and his leap on 4th down was stopped short. Cleveland took over on downs at their own 1-yard line after the play was reviewed and confirmed not to be a TD.

Recently acquired K Owen Pochman scored San Francisco's only points of the game, converting on 4 of 4 FG attempts.

Eight different players caught at least 1 pass. However, not one of them got in the end zone.

The San Francisco defense did a great job in the first 3 quarters, constantly putting pressure on a wounded Kelly Holcomb. They even had a shutout going until 10:47 in the 4th quarter, but eventually lost the game after giving up 2 late TDs. Like the Browns, the Forty-Niners had 3 sacks and 1 INT on the day. The unit also recovered a fumble.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Cleveland Browns

QB: Kelly Holcomb was injured very early in the game, but stayed in to guide the Brown's to their first win of the year. There was no doubt that the injury was affecting his play early on, as he showed very little mobility in the pocket and limped back to the huddle after almost every play. Holcomb's passing was much better late in the 3rd quarter, and into the 4th-he was getting more accurate passes off quicker…something he couldn't do successfully in the first half. He finished the day completing 25 of 38 passes for 222 yards, 2 TDs, and 1 INT. Those numbers would be pretty solid had he not thrown an interception with only 7:35 left in the game.

RB: William Green was not used very much the entire game. He had 3 or 4 nice runs, but for the most part, he was stuffed at the line of scrimmage. The offensive line rarely provided him with a hole to run through. On the other hand, Green appeared to be tentative at times, not getting out of the backfield quick enough to reach a hole had one been there.

Jamel White had 1 carry for 0 yards. Also, he caught 2 passes for 13 yards, one of which was on 3rd down.

WR: Kevin Johnson was the unsung hero of the day with 11 catches for 109 yards and no TDs. He took a lot of hard hits after several catches, and held on to the ball. He was targeted 17 times, 7 of which came on the game winning drive (91 yards from their own 9). Johnson also had an 8-yard reception called back on a false start penalty.

Quincy Morgan had 2 catches for 24 yards. Compared to Johnson and Davis, he wasn't much of a factor.

Andre' Davis caught 5 passes for 43 yards and 2 TDs. His extra effort to reach across the goal line gave Cleveland their first score of the day with 10:47 left in the 4th quarter. His last catch won the Brown's the game. Davis' only negative play was a fumble on a punt return early in the game.

TE: Steve Heiden had 3 catches for 25 yards.

K: Phil Dawson missed his only FG attempt of the day wide right, but did have 1 PAT.

Pass Defense: Decent pressure was applied to Jeff Garcia most of the game, but it never really forced him into mistakes-he either threw it out of bounds, threw it for a completion/incompletion, or he would run for a pretty good gain. The most impressive contribution from the defense was not letting the Garcia-to-Owens connection get too out of control. San Francisco was held to only 198 yards passing, and no TD's.

Rush Defense: The Brown's only gave up 75 total yards rushing all day. On several occasions, the defense stopped RB Garrison Hearst at the line of scrimmage. They did the same thing to Kevin Barlow. San Francisco's 2 featured backs combined for only 32 yards rushing, and their offense as a whole only converted 5 of 15 third downs.

San Francisco 49ers

QB: Jeff Garcia had a mediocre game, completing 21 of 35 passes for 198 yards, with no TDs and 1 INT. He led all San Francisco rusher's with 40 yards. Garcia almost had a TD on one of those rushes, but instead, he got leveled with a forearm to the head at the 1-yard line.

RB: Garrison Hearst didn't appear to be bothered by the groin injury he suffered prior to this game, but he only had 9 carries for 18 yards. He also had 2 receptions for 10 yards.

Kevin Barlow also averaged a paltry 2 yards per carry, finishing with 7 carries for 14 yards. One of those carries was on 1st and goal at the Cleveland 10-yard line. He was less "effective" than Hearst in the passing game, catching only 2 passes for 3 yards.

Besides both the RBs being ineffective, the 49ers tried to give a goalline TD to FB Fred Beasley who failed to score on two rushes from the 1 yard line.

WR: Terrell Owens had a solid yet unspectacular game, catching 8 passes for 90 yards (longest: 27 yards), and no TD's. He was targeted 14 times.

Tai Streets caught 3 passes for 44 yards (longest: 19 yards). He was targeted 8 times and is definitely a big part of the gameplan opposite Owens.

Cedrick Wilson had 2 catches for 12 yards.

TE: Jed Weaver had 2 catches for 24 yards.

K: Owen Pochman had a great day, making all 4 of his FG attempts (38, 44, 46, 36).

Pass Defense: Kelly Holcomb was constantly limping for his life. Cleveland's pass protection broke down repeatedly and caused him to throw much quicker than he intended to. The San Francisco pass defense broke down late in the game, particularly when Kevin Johnson was involved. And especially when Andre' Davis was involved. The Cleveland receiver's were making tough catches when it mattered the most.

Rush Defense: The unit only gave up 51 total rushing yards. This resulted in part because of Cleveland's poor blocking, and their lack of rushing attempts overall. With Holcomb playing injured, the Brown's running game became more vulnerable.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Buffalo Bills

In a game brimming with headline performances, the biggest news for Buffalo was the second-quarter departure of RB Travis Henry with an unspecified rib injury. Henry did not return to the game, leaving with seven yards rushing on five carries, and a costly second-quarter interception on an ill-advised halfback pass deep in Miami territory.

Although in-game reports regarding the injury were scarce, the fact that he didn't return in such a big game is telling.

QB Drew Bledsoe endured one of the most horrid performances of his career against a smothering Dolphins defense intent on proving they didn't deserve their league-worst ranking against the pass (they were yielding 316 yards passing per game coming in) Mission accomplished there, as Bledsoe finished 10 of 25 with 2 interceptions and just 98 yards. Prior to the last drive, Bledsoe had less than 70 yards passing.

Despite a monstrous performance by Dolphins RB Ricky Williams, the Bills defense recorded three turnovers and accounted for Buffalo's lone TD on CB Nate Clements' 54-yard interception return.

Seven of the Bills' 12 possessions in the game resulted in zero yards or less and Buffalo finished with 118 total yards, including a meager 41 yards rushing. In an alarming trend, the Bills have rushed for just 84 yards (including 33 for Henry) in their last two games combined.

Miami Dolphins

RB Ricky Williams turned in a brutally effective performance. In addition to his 153 yards rushing, he broke the Dolphins' franchise record with 42 carries; and he broke the Bills on No. 42, one of the most well-deserved 1-yard TD runs you'll ever see that gave Miami a 17-7 lead with less than two minutes remaining.

The Dolphins and HC Dave Wannstedt played a masterful game of keep-away reminiscent of the New York Giants' performance against the Bills in Super Bowl XXV, dominating the time-of-possession battle 40:50 to 19:10.

Despite missing a handful of open targets and tossing a pair of interceptions, QB Jay Fiedler (16-28-2-154) was otherwise effective on those occasions when he wasn't handing off to Williams, the best a 12-yard laser-like strike to WR Chris Chambers for Miami's first score just before halftime.

A stalwart defensive performance by the Dolphins included four sacks, three interceptions (including Patrick Surtain's off Travis Henry at Miami's 1-yard line and Brock Marion's in the end zone), and an average gain of just 2.7 yards per play.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Buffalo Bills

QB: In his defense, Drew Bledsoe wasn't gifted with a plethora of passing opportunities against a punishing Miami defense, but his two first-half interceptions (in a span of four possessions) prevented the Bills from gaining any momentum. He forced balls to WR Eric Moulds on both miscues, one a deep ball to start Buffalo's second possession that was picked off by Sammy Knight, the other a too-short end zone toss on third-and-eight that was intercepted by Brock Marion. The latter likely cost the Bills three points.
An often-hurried Bledsoe completed two or more passes in a row just twice, and finished the first half with just three completions. He didn't get much help from his receivers either, who dropped no less than four passes. In a scathing indictment of Buffalo's running game, Bledsoe's 11-yard scramble on the Bills' final drive was the team's longest run of the night.

RB: Although Henry's absence after half time certainly didn't help the Bills' cause in a close game, he wasn't doing much for them when he was in there. His "longest" run of the night was just three yards, and he gained one yard or less on his other four carries.
Henry's interception on a halfback pass was as much HC Gregg Williams' fault as it was Henry's. Although WR Josh Reed was open in the end zone and Henry threw woefully short, the fact that Williams' called for the play on second-and-7 from Miami's 13-yard line probably wasn't the wisest choice. The interception nullified any momentum gained from LB Takeo Spikes' fumble recovery just two plays earlier.

With Sammy Morris inactive, back-up RB Joe Burns (6-22) spelled Henry and ran hard, and also caught one pass for six yards.
FB Sam Gash carried once for three yards in the second quarter, and at the time was Buffalo's leading rusher.

WR: Eric Moulds caught two balls for 30 yards to ignite Buffalo's fifth possession (the first a 17-yarder against CB Sam Madison) and then absolutely nothing during the rest of the game. In fact, Bledsoe targeted the frequently double-teamed Moulds just three times following his end-zone interception to end that fifth drive, including two consecutive throws that were dropped. Moulds' five-yard grab on the Bills' second play from scrimmage was nullified by a false-start penalty.

Bobby Shaw (3-34), one of last week's heroes against Jacksonville, finished as Buffalo's leading receiver against Miami, catching an 11-yarder on Buffalo's first play of the second half (good for the team's third first down of the game) and an 18-yarder during the final drive. Shaw suffered one drop and was overthrown once.

Josh Reed (3-27) continued his hot-and-cold start to the season and did most of his work (2-16) on Buffalo's final possession. Reed, who dropped one dart from Bledsoe, did get behind CB Patrick Surtain on Henry's errant halfback pass and likely would have scored had the pass been deeper.

TE: Mark Campbell caught Bledsoe's first pass of the night, a one-yard gain in the right flat, and was never targeted again.

K: Rian Lindell saw the field just twice: He kicked off to start the game and booted the extra point following Nate Clements' 54-yard touchdown return.

Pass Defense: The Bills pass defense was spectacular at times against Miami, picking Fiedler off twice and accounting for the team's only touchdown. Nate Clements recorded both picks, and of his 12 career interceptions, half have come against the Dolphins. Takeo Spikes' fumble recovery and subsequent 29-yard return came on a screen pass to Ricky Williams that went for minus-5 yards before Antoine Winfield caused the fumble.

Clements' touchdown came two plays after Jay Fiedler had appeared to throw an interception to Pierson Prioleau. The play was ruled incomplete, however.

S Lawyer Milloy was flagged for a 24-yard pass interference penalty when he knocked down WR Chris Chambers on Miami's first touchdown drive.

Rush Defense: The Bills' rush defense took it on the chin for much of the night in a game that at times felt like a heavyweight fight. The relentless Ricky Williams perpetually plodded away - largely right up the middle - for most of his 153 yards. Buffalo limited Williams to eight yards or less on 41 of his 42 attempts, the lone exception a spirit-breaking 21-yard gainer during Miami's final drive. On the night, Buffalo surrendered 166 yards on 44 carries (a 3.8 YPC average).

Miami Dolphins

QB: Jay Fiedler got off to a rough start Sunday, throwing an interception on his second attempt and getting sacked on what would have been his third. And although he overthrew a wide-open Derrius Thompson in the end-zone on Miami's first scoring drive, he responded with a rifled 12-yard TD strike to WR Chris Chambers two plays later. He overthrew Chambers on the Dolphins' first possession of the second half on what would have been at least a 40-yard connection, but rebounded with 18 and 33 yard completions to WR James McKnight and TE Randy McMichael, respectively, in leading Miami to a 10-0 third-quarter lead. Fiedler's interception to Clements that was returned for a touchdown wasn't completely his fault, as McKnight, who clearly wasn't expecting the pass, never looked back for the ball on his out route until way too late.

With Miami leading 10-7 in the fourth quarter, Fiedler displayed his trademark grittiness with an inspiring nine-yard run on third and eight and finished the game with 13 yards on two carries. Interesting to note is that as a Dolphins starter, Fiedler is 19-8 when he throws for fewer than 200 yards.

RB: In one of the most grueling performances of his career, the workhorse Williams was borderline sensational. He single handedly delivered Miami's game clinching touchdown, carrying eight straight times for 46 yards on Miami's final drive. His 39th carry of the game was his longest (a 21-yarder around left end during which he looked way fresher than he should've), his 41st set a new Dolphins record for carries in a game and his 42nd clinched it. Although officials first ruled he didn't score, a review showed he did.
Williams' 45 touches on the night (he also caught three passes for minus-4 yards) were one more than the total number of plays Buffalo ran in the game, and represented 62 percent of Miami's play calls.

Leading 10-7 following Clements' TD, the Dolphins called Williams' number on 15 of their final 22 plays (14-63 rushing, 1-2 receiving). Williams' second-half performance included 24 carries for 108 yards.

WR: Chris Chambers (5-51 and a touchdown) led all receivers with five catches and continues to mature into a superstar caliber player. He drew holding and pass interference penalties on the Buffalo secondary. He was targeted no less than five other times by Fiedler. He dropped only one, and was overthrown twice, including one that would've covered at least 40 yards.

Derrius Thompson began the game on a tear by catching Fiedler's first three completions for 32 yards. Although he was shut out the rest of the way, Fiedler targeted him twice in the end zone, one on a perfectly executed pump and go that was slightly overthrown.
James McKnight's lone catch was clutch, going for 18 yards on third and 12 during Miami's first possession of the second half that ended with an Olindo Mare field goal. But his laziness on Clements' 54 yard interception return was inexcusable.

TE: Randy McMichael (4-57) finished as the game's receiving-yards leader, a total aided by a 33-yard grab that set up Mare's lone field goal. Of McMichael's four receptions, three came on third down, and two of those went for first downs.

K: Olindo Mare's 26-yard field goal to cap Miami's first drive of the second half put the Dolphins up, 10-0. But he missed two on the night, from 51 and 44, the latter booted from the infield dirt at Pro Player Stadium and pushed right. He was two-for-two on extra-point attempts.

Pass Defense: The Dolphins thwarted two Buffalo scoring chances with interceptions at their 1 yard line and in their end zone, respectively, and finished with three interceptions on the night. Miami repeatedly put pressure on Bledsoe with a four-man rush and sacked him four times. A unit that entered Week 3 allowing 316 yards passing per game, surrendered just 98 Sunday, or 218 less than its average.

Rush Defense: Because they rarely had the ball, and usually trailed when they did, Buffalo attempted just 14 running plays - with the long being an 11-yard scramble by Bledsoe late in the game. The Dolphins absolutely nullified Henry when he was in the game and allowed just 2.9 YPC.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Kansas City Chiefs

RB Priest Holmes gained 156 yards from scrimmage and scored 2 TDs in just 3 quarters of work. He took advantage of great blocking by the offensive line to get seven double-digit rushing gains on the day.

WR Eddie Kennison is making a case to be Kansas City's #1 WR. He led the Chiefs WRs in receptions and targets despite leaving the game briefly in the 3rd quarter, and caught a TD pass.

The revamped Chiefs defense forced four turnovers, and returned an INT for a TD for the second consecutive week. KR Dante Hall also had his second return TD in as many weeks, taking a punt back for a 73-yard TD in the 3rd quarter.

TE Tony Gonzalez showed a few flashes of his 2002 form, gaining 52 receiving yards and finishing several blocks to open running room for Holmes.

Houston Texans

Rookie WR Andre Johnson was Houston's go-to receiver, scoring two TDs, gaining 102 receiving yards, and leading the team in targets (13) by a wide margin.

QB David Carr struggled with overthrows all day - poor OL play often left him little time to survey the field. He was pulled in the 4th quarter with the game out of reach to spare him from additional punishment (7 hurries, 8 hits). QB Tony Banks played the final drive.

RB Stacey Mack was ineffective most of the game (just 39 yards rushing on 13 carries), and had his streak of 368 handles without a fumble snapped in the 4th quarter. RB Tony Hollings led the Texans in rushing (41 yards on 7 carries), but was benched after losing a fumble in the 3rd quarter.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Kansas City Chiefs

QB: Trent Green (16-28-262 passing, 1 TD, 2 INT, 3-6 rushing) had plenty of time to throw all day, and spread the ball among seven different pass-catchers. Green's 2 INTs were forced throws into coverage, and he also missed a wide-open WR Marc Boerigter in the end zone in the 2nd quarter.

RB: Priest Holmes (18-89 rushing 2 TD, 4-67 receiving, 5 targets) had no trouble finding openings on the ground, and was also effective in the passing game. Holmes looked healthy on the field, and was patient on running plays, waiting for holes to develop. Both his TD runs were inside 10 yards. Holmes did not play in the 4th quarter when the game was out of reach.

Derrick Blaylock (2-19 rushing, 1 TD, 0 targets) spelled Holmes during the game and scored a 20-yard rushing TD after Holmes was given the rest of the game off.

Larry Johnson (6-25 rushing, 0 targets) was active for the first time this season, playing garbage time at RB and also seeing some time on kick coverage.

WR: Eddie Kennison (4-44 receiving, 1 TD, 6 targets) is making a case to be Kansas City's #1 WR. He led the Chiefs WRs in receptions and targets despite leaving the game briefly in the 3rd quarter. Kennison was wide open in the corner of the end zone for a 15-yard TD catch in the 3rd.

Marc Boerigter (1-27 receiving, 3 targets) had two balls thrown to him in the end zone near the end of the first half, but failed to come up with a TD. He was wide open on one of the two plays, but the ball was thrown behind him for an incompletion.

Johnnie Morton (1-50 receiving, 3 targets) did not see the ball in the first three quarters, and was used mostly as a decoy.

Dante Hall (2-17 receiving, 4 targets, 4-33 rushing, 1 punt return TD) kept the Texans' front seven on their heels early with two successful end-around runs. Though busy as a rusher and receiver, Hall's biggest impact on the game was his 73-yard TD punt return in the 3rd quarter to clinch the game, his second kick return for a TD on the season.

TE: Tony Gonzalez (3-52 receiving, 5 targets) finally saw some action in the passing game, and finished several blocks on running plays. Gonzalez pulled in a great fingertip catch for a first down.

K: Morten Andersen made all 6 of his kicks, all extra points.

Pass Defense: was a big difference in the game. The pass rush produced just one sack, but the constant pressure forced several bad throws from Carr. The secondary picked off 2 passes, and returned an INT for a TD for the second consecutive week.

Rush Defense: contained Mack, and forced a fumble on Hollings. Gave up one long drive in the second quarter, but stuffing the run on first down put Houston in long yardage all day.

Houston Texans

QB: David Carr (17-27-167 passing, 1 TD, 2 INT, 1-10 rushing) had poor protection, and was forced out of his rhythm. He looked a lot like he did last season. Carr seemed to lock onto WR Andre Johnson which is probably the smart move. The 43 yard TD to Johnson was a perfect pass.

RB: Stacey Mack (13-39 rushing, 6-43 receiving, 6 targets) lived between the tackles, and only had noticeable success in one drive. Mack also had his streak of 368 touches without a fumble broken when he fumbled away a reception in the 4th quarter. He looked pretty much like Stacey Mack usually looks - grinding away without much flash.

Tony Hollings (7-41 rushing, 0 targets) showed better outside speed and burst than Mack at the RB spot. However, with the game still in doubt in the 3rd quarter, Hollings lost a costly fumble (that led to a Chiefs TD) and did not return to the game. Hollings saw his first action of the year because Domanick Davis was injured. Hollings role was to spell Mack but he might see more action if he can hold onto the ball and become better in pass protection.

Johnathan Wells (4-14 rushing, 1-12 receiving) got his carries during garbage time, after Carr had been lifted and the game had long been decided.

WR: Andre Johnson (7-102 receiving, 2 TD, 13 targets) was Houston's go-to receiver - 7 of his 13 targets came on third or fourth down. Johnson's first TD came on a post pattern where Johnson slipped inside his man and Carr hit him on the numbers for a 43-yard score. His second TD came at the end of the game on fourth down. Banks threw behind him on a hitch pattern, but Johnson juked two defenders and found the goal line. Johnson was also open for another 40+ TD catch, but the ball was overthrown.

Jabar Gaffney (5-42 receiving, 8 targets) worked mostly underneath with short routes across the middle, picking up minimal yardage after the catch. Half of his targets were during Houston's last drive with Tony Banks at QB.

Corey Bradford (2-7 receiving, 8 targets) had trouble getting open most of the day, but that did not stop Carr from trying to get him the ball. Both of his catches came on back-to-back plays in the 2nd quarter. A 4th quarter pass intended for Bradford was intercepted and returned for a TD.

TE: Billy Miller (2-8 receiving, 2 targets) was invisible until the last drive with Tony Banks at QB. Carr did not throw to him all day.

Jabari Holloway (1-4 receiving, 1 target) was used almost exclusively as a blocker.

K: Kris Brown made both of his extra points. He did not attempt a field goal.

Pass Defense: The secondary intercepted two passes, both the result of poor throws by Green into coverage. The pass rush was not a factor on most plays, and the DBs often left receivers open.

Rush Defense: Did not have the answer for Holmes, and was overpowered by Kansas City's excellent offensive line. The front seven got caught out of position on two end-arounds early in the game.

Green Bay Packers 13 at Arizona Cardinals 20

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Green Bay Packers

Playing in a record high temperaturefor that date, 106 degrees and with the temperature reaching as high as 126 degrees on the field, QB Brett Favre and the Packers melted in the sweltering heat. Favre, out of step with his receivers all day, threw an interception in the end zone with two seconds left in the game ending the Packers' hopes of a game tying score.

RB Ahman Green was kept in check by a stingy Cardinals defense, only gaining 53 yards on the ground. He fumbled twice, the second one recovered by the Cardinals and leading to Arizona's first touchdown drive.

The Packers nicked up wide receiver corps was shut down by the Cardinal secondary, only amassing 7 catches total for the game. After suffering a scary neck injury in Week one, WR Donald Driver did play, but only had 2 catches for 12 yards. WR Robert Ferguson started the game, but hurt his right knee early in the fourth quarter and did not return.

The Packers defense, on the field for most of the second half, looked tired and could not stop the Cardinals ball control offense.

Arizona Cardinals

QB Jeff Blake, knocked out of last week's game with a bruised left heel, was hobbled but it did not affect his ability to play superbly. Blake was in tune the whole game with his two starting, rookie receivers and wore down the Packers defense with two time consuming drives in the second half. He dove into the end zone for the first Cardinal touchdown and capped off an 11- play drive, late in the fourth quarter, with a 1-yard touchdown pass for the game winner.

RB Emmitt Smith rushed for only fifty yards, but was a key in the Cardinals ball control offense. Smith was able to run through heavy traffic because he still has vision and his ability to cut. He converted several crucial third down conversions to sustain long drives with short, tough runs.

With several of the Cardinals' wide receivers nursing injuries, Arizona started two rookies and they were wide open most of the day. WR Anquan Boldin had 5 catches for 99 yards and set NFL records for most receptions in his first three games with 24 and most receiving yards with 378. WR Bryant Johnson caught 6 passes for 86 yards and drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty that started Arizona's game winning drive.

The Cardinals' defense shut down the running and passing game of the Packers, only allowing Green Bay QB Favre to throw screens and short passes. Newly acquired S Dexter Jackson,
saved the Cardinal victory by intercepting Favre's pass in the end zone at the end of the game.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Green Bay Packers

QB: Brett Favre (23-33-245, 1 TD, 1 INT), with 26 career fourth quarter comebacks, was unable to notch his 27th comeback when his final pass was intercepted in the end zone. Favre completed his first 10 passes in the first half and capped off an 8 play, 61 yard drive with a 4-yard pass to TE David Martin. With the Cardinals' secondary blanketing his wide receivers for much of the game, Favre had to settle for screens and short passes to his running backs and tight ends. He looked uncharacteristically out of sync and threw several passes to open receivers short.

RB: Ahman Green (21-53 rushing, 6-43 receiving, 6 targets) was ineffective running the ball and was primarily used as a receiver out of the backfield. He fumbled twice, with the second resulting in the first Cardinal touchdown drive. Tony Fisher (2-13 rushing, 2-32 receiving, 2 targets) was just as ineffective and was primarily used in third and long situations. William Henderson contributed with 3 catches for 47 yards.

WR: Robert Ferguson (3-34, 3 targets) led the Packer wide receivers in receptions, but was unable to free himself from a smothering Arizona secondary. He hurt his right knee early in the fourth quarter and did not return. Javon Walker (2-44, 5 targets) did not see a pass thrown his direction in the first half. He was instrumental in the Packers final drive, catching a short slant that he turned into a 34-yard play (the longest pass play of the season) with a great run after the catch. Donald Driver (2-12, 4 targets) added little and did not look fully recovered from his neck injury suffered in Week one. Antonio Freeman (0 catches, 2 targets) saw little playing time. He was open in the end zone on the final drive, but Favre under threw the pass.

TE: Bubba Franks (3-22, 5 targets) was primarily used as a dump off when Favre found himself in trouble. Favre did target Franks in the end zone on the final drive, but the pass was tipped incomplete and almost intercepted. David Martin (2-11, 1 TD, 2 targets) caught the only touchdown for the Packers. He did not see a pass his way in the second half.

K: Ryan Longwell converted on two field goal attempts, both from 40 yards.

Pass Defense: The Packers were unable to put any pressure on Arizona QB Jeff Blake and the Green Bay secondary could not stay with the Cardinals rookie wide receivers. LB Nick Barnett had an interception on a tipped pass, but Ahman Green fumbled the ball right back to Arizona on the very next play. Worn down by being on the field for almost twenty minutes in the second half, the Packer defense was picked apart by Arizona.

Rush Defense: The Green Bay rush defense did their job, holding Cardinals running backs to 74 yards on 27 carries, a 2.74 yard per carry average.

Arizona Cardinals

QB: Jeff Blake (20-31-273, 2 TD, 1 INT ) given plenty of time to throw by his offensive line, used a ball control offense and his two rookie wide receivers to wear out the Packers defense. He was on target all game and engineered two long drives in the second half to seal a Cardinals upset victory. He capped off the first Arizona touchdown, by using a great play action fake to Emmitt Smith and diving over Packer defenders and getting flipped into the end zone. Blake ended the 11-play game winning drive, using another play action fake to Smith and hitting FB James Hodgins for a 1-yard TD pass.

RB: Emmitt Smith (20-51 rushing, 2-16 receiving, 2 targets) was a workhorse and a big key to the Cardinals controlling the ball. He kept several long drives alive by picking up first downs with hard fought third down carries. RB Marcel Shipp (7-24 rushing, 1-1 receiving, 1 target) did an efficient job spelling Smith in the unbearable heat. FB James Hodgins (3-14 receiving, 3 targets)
was used solely in the game winning drive, scoring on a 1-yard TD catch.

WR: Rookie WR Anquan Boldin (5-99, 8 targets) looked like a veteran, running great routes and was QB Jeff Blake's favorite target. His first catch was for 38 yards when he went uncovered by the Packers defense and barely missed a touchdown, being tackled at the 1-yard line. He set NFL records for most receptions in his first three games (24) and most receiving yards (378). The other rookie WR Bryant Johnson (6-86, 8 targets) also had a big day. He drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty in the fourth quarter that began the Cardinals game winning drive. WR Jason McAddley (1-25, 2 targets) apparently pulled a hamstring in the third quarter and did not return.

TE: Freddie Jones (2-32, 3 targets) contributed with a big third down conversion when the Cardinals were backed up to their own 2-yard line late in the third quarter.

K: Bill Gramatica converted on both of his field goal attempts. The first, a 21-yard FG, pulled the Cardinals even right before the end of the first half. His second, a 37-yard FG, capped off the Cardinals 13 play, first drive of the second half and gave Arizona back the lead.

Pass Defense: The Cardinals pass defense really set the tone for the Packers offense, by taking the Green Bay wide receivers out of the game. They avoided the "big play", only allowing Favre to complete short passes for most of the game. S Dexter Jackson preserved the Arizona victory, intercepting Favre in the end zone and ending the Packers hopes of a comeback.

Rush Defense: The Cardinals rush defense kept Ahman Green in check and caused him to cough up the ball twice. Arizona recovered the second fumble (Arizona's first forced turnover of the season), which helped set up the first Arizona touchdown.