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

New York Giants

Despite Jim Fassel stressing ball protection all week, turnovers killed the Giants. QB Kerry Collins was intercepted a career-high four times, and Tiki Barber added a fumble, which was picked up and run in for a touchdown by New England.

The Giants defense did its part in completely shutting down the Patriots for the first half, as New England managed just 29 total yards. However, when Kevin Faulk took over the featured back role in the second half, the Giants had a lot of trouble stopping him, allowing Faulk 87 yards on 14 carries.

For the most part, the offensive line did a fantastic job of protecting Kerry Collins and giving him time to throw. Even with muddy conditions, he kept a clean jersey for much of the game.

Special teams are still a problem for New York. Newly acquired kicker Brett Conway was 2-4 on his field goal attempts, missing from 47 and 49 yards. Late in the game, the Giants had an opportunity to cut it to a one-possession game with a 44-yard field goal, but Jim Fassel chose to go for it on 4th and 6. The pass was intercepted.

New England Patriots

The Patriots offense couldn't muster up anything in the first half. Tom Brady was just 1-10 for 7 yards in the entire first half. He was 7-11 for 105 yards in the second half, but didn't appear to be particularly sharp.

Mike Cloud started the game and got all but one of the first half carries, although he did come out of the game on third down situations. Kevin Faulk assumed the feature role in the second half and responded with 14 carries for 87 yards. However, when New England got close to the goal line, it was Cloud who once again got the call, and he responded with a 1-yard touchdown run.

Cornerback Ty Law left the game late in the third quarter after apparently aggravating his ankle injury, and did not return.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

New York Giants

QB: Kerry Collins (35-59, 314 yards, 0 TD, 4 INT) played very poorly. Part of the problem may have been the wet ball due to the rainfall, but he just looked off all day long. Even his completed passes weren't the usual crisp spirals he normally throws. The announcers commented that two of the interceptions weren't Collins' fault because they were deflections. However, they weren't passes that tipped off of his own receiver; one was deflected by the defense at the line, which puts the blame on Collins. On the other one, Collins held onto the ball too long and had his arm hit, sending the ball straight up into the air. The other two interceptions that did not come on deflections were just awful passes.

RB: Tiki Barber (22 carries, 71 yards; 8 receptions, 48 yards) had an odd day. On the one hand, he managed 119 total yards and received all but one carry. He was thrown to 13 times, and was the focal point of the offense. On the other hand, he had a costly fumble early in the game that was picked up and run in for a touchdown. He also slipped in the back of the end zone when he was wide open for what would have been a touchdown (although the pass from Kerry Collins was behind him as well). Barber had a dropped pass, and also nearly fumbled a carry after the actual fumble. Announcer Darryl Johnston speculated that Barber had changed his running style in order to avoid fumbling, and that was preventing him from running smoothly. At one point, Barber was limping after he appeared to injure his ankle and was replaced for a few plays by Delvin Joyce, but Barber soon returned to action.

WR: Amani Toomer (4 receptions, 40 yards) was very quiet. Kerry Collins continuously looked for him in big spots, and he was targeted nine times including once on a fade route in the end zone that fell incomplete. But Toomer was never able to get much separation from defenders, and didn't see much action. He was never thrown a deep pass all game.

Ike Hilliard (5 receptions, 58 yards) didn't fare much better than Toomer. He was also targeted on nine passes, and was the focus of the late passing game. He came up with a few catches in traffic like he usually does, but the Giants turnover problems never allowed them to really get close down in the red zone, which is where Hilliard does much of his damage.

TE: Jeremy Shockey (8 receptions, 80 yards) had his second consecutive big game. Despite playing with a slightly injured foot, Shockey came up as the leading receiver for New York. As he did last week, Shockey did most of his damage in the second half, and the foot didn't appear to limit him at all.

Marcellus Rivers (4 receptions, 49 yards), who came into the game with five career receptions, nearly doubled that output. He has moved ahead of Visanthe Shiancoe on the depth chart to the number two tight end.

Pass Defense: The much-maligned Giants pass defense enjoyed its second straight quality outing. In the first half, this unit kept the game close despite three Giants turnovers. They didn't get much pressure on Brady, and in fact failed to register a sack on him. But they did do a good job of taking all Patriots receivers out of the game and held Tom Brady to a paltry 112 passing yards.

Run Defense: The Giants run defense enjoyed the same success as the pass defense in the first half, as Mike Cloud wasn't finding much room to run. However, Kevin Faulk took over as the featured back in the second half and rumbled for 87 yards on 14 carries.

Special Teams: Newly acquired kicker Brett Conway hit field goals from 22 and 34 yards out, but missed from 47 and 49 yards out. Late in the game, Jim Fassel had the opportunity to send Conway out for a 44-yard attempt, which would have brought the Giants to within eight. But Fassel elected to go for it on 4th and 6, and the pass was intercepted.

New England Patriots

QB: Tom Brady (8-21, 112 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT) had a lot of trouble getting going. He was just 1-10 for 7 yards in the entire first half, but somewhat woke up in the second half by going 7-11 for 105 yards. Most of his passing yards came on one drive in which he completed a 21-yard pass to David Givens and a 39-yard pass to David Patten. In fairness to Brady, he had a total of 53 yards negated due to penalties and also had to endure five dropped passes by his receivers.

RB: Kevin Faulk (14 carries, 87 yards; 1 reception, 6 yards) had just 2 yards at halftime, but began the second half in the Patriots backfield and came up big with 85 more. He was the main reason the offense was able to move the ball, and it perhaps contributed to Tom Brady's improved play in the second half.

Mike Cloud (9 carries, 23 yards, 1 TD) started the game in place of the injured Antowain Smith but didn't do much after a 13-yard run on his second carry. Outside of that run, Cloud carried 8 times for 10 yards. Cloud came out on third down situations for Kevin Faulk in the first half, and then exited entirely as Faulk got the lion's share of the carries in the second half. Cloud did get into the game on the goal line situation and scored a touchdown from one yard out. Cloud had a 12-yard reception negated by a holding penalty.

WR: Troy Brown (1 reception, 8 yards; 2 carries, 12 yards) has complained in recent weeks about his diminished role in the offense, and he may have a legitimate complaint. Brown's final numbers look pretty bad, but it could have easily been better. He was only targeted three times, and twice he had receptions erased by penalties (costing him 41 yards receiving). Brown also had a 26-yard run negated to a clipping penalty. When you factor in the yardage that Brown lost because of penalties, his total could have been 87 rather than 20.

David Patten (3 receptions, 55 yards) was the deep threat, though Brady only tried connecting with him twice on deep passes. Fortunately for New England, one of those resulted in a 39-yard reception by Patten, which set up the Patriots' only offensive touchdown of the day. Patten was targeted 6 times.

TE: Christian Fauria (1 reception, 6 yards) was never a factor in the game, and had to leave the game late with what appeared to be a head injury. He was on the ground for several moments holding his head.

Pass Defense: They allowed the Giants to move the ball "between the 20s", but they really clamped up when the Giants threatened to score. Kerry Collins was picked off four times by this unit, which played all of the fourth quarter without All-Pro cornerback Ty Law, who aggravated an ankle injury. The Patriots didn't get any pressure on Collins; rather, they relied on their coverage schemes to confuse the Giants and win the turnover battle.

Run Defense: The Giants had trouble in all phases of the game, running included. Tiki Barber's final numbers don't look terrible, but 75 total rushing yards is not going to win you many games. The Patriots allowed the Giants to covert a number of third and short runs, but were able to contain Barber from breaking too many long gains.

Special Teams: Adam Vinatieri is suddenly in somewhat of a slump. He missed another field goal, this time from 42 yards out. He also missed two kicks last week, and has now missed 4 of his last 6. He did later connect from 28 yards out.

Chicago Bears 13 @ New Orleans Saints 20

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Chicago Bears

The Bears signed free agent Kordell Stewart in the off season to be their starting QB this year. GM Jerry Angelo is probably thankful that Chicago's baseball team is on the verge of making the World Series and thus keeping local focus off his mistake for now. Stewart fumbled 3 times loosing 2 and generally was ineffective all day until the game was out of reach and the Saints went into prevent D. Stewart made his only significant contribution finishing second on the team with 42 yards rushing on 9 carries

Anthony Thomas continued his resurgence gaining 96 yards on 21 carries. The Bears only got inside the 10 on their final possession so there were no real goal line chances for Thomas to score an easy 6 pts.

Marty Booker started and came off the field after his first catch when he twisted his knee. He returned a couple of series later, only to turn his ankle on his first play back. As he was coming off the field, he threw his helmet down in disgust and did not return to the game. Dez White filled in and ended up the most productive receiver in the game with 91 yards and a score.

The Bears defense ended with no forced turnovers or sacks.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints played well enough to beat the Bears - that's not saying much. They continued their strategy of Deuce, Deuce, Deuce. McAllister finished with 29 carries and 2 receptions. 31 touches out of 63 offensive plays shows how important he is to this offense.

QB Aaron Brooks was steady all day, but nothing exciting with his longest pass completion being 22 yards. He played pretty much an error free game not getting sacked or throwing any interceptions. The Saints offense is a throwback to the NFL of the 1970's - run the ball often, throw the occasional deep pass to keep the defense honest but don't force anything and don't turn the ball over. It still is a successful formula when you play a team as bad as Chicago.

Jerome Pathon is quickly becoming the Saints most reliable receiver. Even though he finished with only 4 catches and 55 yards, he was tackled at the 2 yard line just before half-time and more importantly did not drop any balls. Joe Horn had the most targets, but finished with only 3 catches but one was a 6 yard TD putting the game away for the Saints.

The Saints defensive strategy was clearly to try and contain Stewart and let him make the mistakes. It worked well. Stewart was able to scramble for some key 3rd down conversions, but five of the Bears' 9 drives went for fewer than 10 yards and another only lasted 18.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Chicago Bears

QB: His decent stats (10-21/152/1TD/0INT) were deceiving. His one long completion to Dez White was a result of the Saints' CB making a horrible play on the ball turning what would have been a seven yard completion into a 36 yard reception. Stewart did rush for 42 yards, but as has been the case for most of his career, he gives up too early on the pass and takes off running. This adversely affects his passing stats as well as his receivers stats also. Three fumbles didn't help either.

RB: If there is one bright spot for Bears (besides beating Oakland last week), it's RB Anthony Thomas. Written off early this year, many Bears fans were calling for Adrian Peterson to solve the Bears rushing woes. Thomas almost had his third straight 100 yard rushing day falling just 4 yards short at 96 yards. Thomas owners were teased midway though the week when Chicago announced that he would be left in on passing downs that he's not played on this year (he only has 3 receptions for 8 yards on the season). He was in on almost every play, but Stewart never threw in his direction.

WR: Marty Booker injured his knee on the Bears' second possession and finished with only one catch for 11 yards. Dez White took advantage finishing with 5 catches for 91 yards and a TD. David Terrell continues his fall from grace finishing with only 1 catch for 5 yards. So long as Stewart continues to feel more confident running than throwing the ball, it will be hard for any Chicago WR to put up good numbers with any type of consistency.

TE: Desmond Clark had a quiet, but very good game. He saved Kordell another turnover by jumping on the fumbled snap. He did have only two catches, but his second was a clutch 16 yard reception on 3rd and 14 on the Bears only TD drive. He did have 5 or 6 targets on the day.

K: Edinger had a good day making both his FG attempts (28, 31) and his XP.

Pass Defense: Not too terrible of a game considering the lack of pressure by the front seven. The held Brooks (who entered the game 3rd in the NFL completing 60% of his passes) to less than 50% completions and only 153 yards. Charles Tillman was the recipient of a horrible pass interference call in the first quarter that led to the Saints' first FG.

Rush Defense: The run defense was pretty much "bend don't break". Even though McAllister gained 116 yards, it took him 29 carries to get there. His long was 20 yards, and at least half his carries went for fewer than 3 yards.

New Orleans Saints

QB: Aaron Brooks (14-29/153/2TD/0INT) came into the game 3rd in the NFL in completion % and was held under 50% for the first time this season. Much of the blame for this will lie with his receivers who dropped at least 4 catchable balls in the first half. Brooks will carry a lot of the blame himself as he one hopped Joe Horn on his second pass attempt. He redeemed his lackluster first half on their first possession in the second half. On 3rd and 7 from the 9 yard line, he scrambled out of the pocket to his left and bought enough time for Ernie Conwell to get open for the score. His other TD pass was also a short 6 yard "skinny post" to Horn in the end zone.

RB: Deuce McAllister (29-116 rushing, 2-14 receiving) began the game with a 9 yard catch out of the backfield. He effectively ended the game with an 8 yard run that gave the Saints a first down and enabled them to run out the clock. In between, he managed to continue to be the focal point of the whole offensive game plan. Short of scoring, he did everything you can ask of your fantasy back.

WR: Joe Horn (3-30, 1 TD) was quiet as the #1 receiver, but he had several chances to make his day much better. He dropped a 35 yard pass in the 2nd quarter and had another 30 yard play broken up in the 3rd quarter. He also had at least 8 targets on the day. Jerome Pathon (4-55) solidified his spot as the Saints' #2 WR by just hanging on to the football. Former #2 Donte Stallworth (1-21) had another drop and also fumbled twice on kick returns.

TE: How often to we hear complaints of the dreaded "TE by committee"? The Saints have a pair of outstanding pair of TE's who both contribute marginally. Ernie Conwell (2-12/1 TD) looked like a goat early on back to back plays when he dropped a pass then was called for a penalty right after that. He redeemed himself by catching Brooks' first TD pass for 9 yards. Boo Williams (2-21) also had 2 catches.

K: John Carney (2FG's 50&30 and 2 XP) missed his first FG this season inside of 50 yards when he hooked a 38 yard attempt in the first quarter.

Pass Defense: The pass defense played well all day. They constantly pressured Stewart into either running on passing downs or fumbling. About half of the 152 yards they gave up came in the prevent defense after the Saints had gone up by 2 touchdowns in the 4th quarter. Charles Grant finished with 2 of the Bears' 3 sacks and also forced 2 fumbles.

Rush Defense: The Rush defense was a little spotty. Thomas finished just shy of 100 yards on 21 carries for a 4.6 yard average. Don't count Stewart's 42 yards against the rush defense as most of these came on passing situations where he scrambled for the yards.

Buffalo Bills 3 at New York Jets 30

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Buffalo Bills

The Bills were simply overwhelmed by the Jets defense. Bledsoe was mauled all day and sacked seven times. It seemed that New York defenders touched as many passes as did Buffalo receivers. With Eric Moulds on the shelf with a groin injury, Drew Bledsoe went to the short game in the first half and was unproductive. Bledsoe looked deeper in the second half, but the Jet front seven was relentless as they punished the quarterback.

Travis Henry touched the ball 25 times but only produced 88 yards. Certainly, the defense keyed on him with Moulds on the sidelines, but Henry has to be a bigger factor. With displays like this, a healthy Willis McGahee will at least get the opportunity to perform.

Receivers Jake Reed, Bobby Shaw, Mark Campbell, Clarence Coleman and Sam Aiken got additional opportunities with Moulds out, but none of them could provide a deep threat.

New York Jets

There is a very good chance that Chad Pennington will be able to play in the October 26th contest. If he shows the same form he had a year ago, this offense could take off in November and December.

Curtis Martin ran for a season-high 77 yards. On two drives he was taken out in the red zone, in favor of LaMont Jordan. Jordan got six of his ten carries in the last five minutes, with the game well in hand.

Curtis Conway was taken out of the starting lineup over the bye week, but he had more targets (5) than Santana Moss (3) and Wayne Chrebet (1) combined.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Buffalo Bills

QB: Drew Bledsoe (24/40 for 202 yards / 0 TD / 1 INT / 1 FUM / 1 missed shotgun snap that was recovered by the Jets) - All in all, it was a miserable day for Bledsoe. He was continuously harassed by the Jets defense and was sacked 7 times. Without Eric Moulds in the line-up, there was little available downfield for the Bills. Bledsoe's longest completion was 20 yards to Josh Reed in the 4th quarter. By then, it was far too little and far too late.

Alex Van Pelt (0/1 for 0 yards / 0 TD / 1 INT) - Van Pelt came in late, but he had enough time to get picked off to end Buffalo's last possession (on 1st and 10).

RB: Travis Henry (rush: 18 / 53 / 0 - rec: 7 / 35 / 0) - Henry had thirteen touches in the Bills first 25 plays. However, on his ninth touch, he was stuffed for no gain on a fourth down run. The Jets took over and scored a TD. In the first half, Henry carried 13 times for a paltry 35 yards. His longest carry all game long was nine yards. He was targeted 10 times in the passing game as Bledsoe was forced to dump the ball off all game long. Henry got plenty of opportunities to make plays. He simply didn't make any.

Joe Burns (rec: 1 / 3 / 0) - One target for Burns in the game.

WR: Eric Moulds - DNP due to a groin injury suffered last week

Bobby Shaw (6 / 58 / 0) - Shaw was targeted nine times and played OK, but it is obvious that he is not a primary WR. He definitely needs a player like Moulds to draw coverage.

Josh Reed (3 / 42 / 0) - Reed didn't produce much on his nine targeted passes. When the game was close in the first half, Reed had only three yards on one catch. He was overthrown or thrown behind to several times as Bledsoe was releasing the ball under pressure.

Clarence Coleman (3-27 receiving, 6 targets) made the most of his opportunities. He was the target on a fly route at the end of the half, and was overthrown in double coverage on a 15-yard hitch fourth-and-eleven play. He was also the target on Alex Van Pelt's only pass attempt (intercepted).

Sam Aiken (1-18 receiving, 1 target) made a nice grab on a hard throw for his first NFL catch.

TE: Mark Campbell (3 / 19 / 0) - Campbell had five targets but was never able to become a factor in this game.

K: Rian Lindell (1 for 1 on FGs)

Pass Defense: While the Bills were able to get a couple of sacks, they never turned in a big game-turning play in the passing game.

Rush Defense: The Jets RBs were limited to small gains, but the Bills rarely totally stuffed the run (Martin had two negative plays while Jordan had one). Buffalo did allow Martin to post a season high of 77 rushing yards. The Bills missed DT Sam Adams' presence in the middle. The Jets gained most of their yardage running inside and to the right, right at DE Ryan Denney.

New York Jets

QB: Vinny Testaverde (11/17 for 130 yards / 3 TDs / 0 INT) - Testaverde was not spectacular but merely efficient. This game was won with great field position (four of the six scoring drives were under 20 yards). There is little doubt that Testaverde's job is to minimize mistakes until Chad Pennington returns (looking like two more weeks). In this game, Testaverde did his job.

Chad Pennington was listed as doubtful before the game. He warmed up with the team, in uniform, but did not suit up for the game.

RB: Curtis Martin (rush: 20 / 77 / 0) - Martin generally was the ground attack until late in the game He had a pretty grinding day and never broke off a long run (his longest was nine yards). The 77 yards is a season high. He was taken out of the game on the Jets' first two trips to the red zone. Had a slant tipped away as he split out wide on his only pass attempt. He stayed on the field when the Jets were in the redzone during the 3rd quarter.

LaMont Jordan (10-33 rushing, 0-0 receiving, 1 targets) had his only pass attempt go off his hands in the end zone from 15-yards out. Jordan got six of his ten carries in the last five minutes, with the game well in hand. He replaced Curtis Martin in the redzone early in the game but Martin stayed on the field when the Jets entered the redzone during the 3rd quarter.

B.J. Askew (rush: 2 / 9 / 0) - Askew's carries came on the game's final drive.

Jerald Sowell (rec: 1 / 16 / 0) - Ho hum.

WR: Santana Moss (3 / 16 / 1 & 3 punt returns for 102 yards) - Moss' three catches came on his only three targets. He was absolutely electrifying in the punt return capacity.

Curtis Conway (2 / 41 / 0) - Conway was targeted five times. Chrebet and Moss started the game, but Conway was looked at more often. Drew a pass interference penalty on Nate Clements for 15 yards. Clements later knocked away 30-yard pass from Conway near the goal line.

Wayne Chrebet (1 / 10 / 0) - Chrebet caught the only pass targeted to him. had the wind knocked out of him and was not a factor.

TE: Anthony Becht (3 / 41 / 2) - Becht had a great day in the red zone but only four passes were targeted to him. This kind of production likely won't happen too often.

Chris Baker (1 / 6 / 0) - Baker caught the only pass thrown his way.

K: Doug Brien (3 for 4 on FGs) - Brien was short on a 50-yard attempt.

Pass Defense: The Jets really got after Drew Bledsoe and sacked him an incredible seven times, deflected seven pass attempts, and a pair of 4th quarter INTs (one each from Bledsoe and Van Pelt). All this occurred while John Abraham didn't even play (was suspended by the team for his DUI arrest earlier this month). NT Jason Ferguson turned in a monster effort with a pair of sacks, 2 pass deflections, and a forced fumble. Rookie DT Dewayne Robertson got the first sack of his career.

Rush Defense: With Buffalo having no deep threat, the Jets were able keep their defenders close to the line of scrimmage to stuff the run. The Jets had started the game last in the league in run defense. New York bottled up Henry all day long. His longest carry was a mere nine yards. LB Sam Cowart was huge with 15 total tackles.

Houston Texans 17 at Tennessee Titans 38

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Houston Texans

QB David Carr threw for a career-high 377 yards against the Titans. However, Carr also threw three interceptions, including one to Andre Dyson in the fourth quarter that was returned 51 yards for a touchdown. Carr also threw two touchdown passes, including a 65-yard catch and run on the Texans' opening drive of the second half. This drive finished a 2-play, 98-yard possession (the longest drive in Texans' history) that started with a 33-yard reception to TE Jabari Holloway and finished with Bradford's 65-yard touchdown. Although sacked only one time in the game, Carr had general pressure throughout the game from the Titans' front line. Carr was removed from the game briefly when he was injured as a result of a roughing the passer penalty by the Titans' Albert Haynesworth. Carr returned to the game with no apparent affects from the injury.

Stacey Mack seems to be losing his grip as the "main man" in the Texans' backfield. Mack started the game, but rookie Domanick Davis had 129 total yards for the game (7 for 59 rushing, 7 for 70 receiving). Tony Hollings also saw action in the Texans' backfield with both 19 yards rushing and receiving.

WR Corey Bradford scored the Texans' only touchdown, and collected a team-high 127 yards in the game. RB Domanick Davis caught the most passes (7) for 70 yards. TE Billy Miller also caught six passes for 47 yards. Rookie WR Andre Johnson caught only two passes for 49 yards, but did make a great catch in the first half that resulted in a 33-yard gain..

PK Kris Brown was successful on his two scoring attempts in the game, one field goal attempt of 29 yards to close out the first half, and a point after touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

The Texans' defense held the Titans' to 114 yards rushing, on 3.5 yards per attempt. However, the Titans burned the Texans' pass coverage team, missing CB Aaron Glenn, for 421 yards and 3 passing touchdowns.

Tennessee Titans

QB Steve McNair threw for a career-high 421 yards, going 18-for 27, with three touchdown passes. McNair was 11-for 12 with 233 yards passing in the first half, with two touchdown passes. McNair's first pass of the game went threw the hands of TE Erron Kinney, but he completed his final 11 passes of the half. McNair led the Titans on three long drives of 74 yards (on six plays), 69 yards (on five plays) and 88 yards (on nine plays) to stake Tennessee to a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter. The first two touchdown drives ended on touchdown receptions from McNair to Derrick Mason on open catches of 32 yards and 46 yards, respectively.

The Titans opened with a one-back offense, but called a receiver reverse to Justin McCareins to attempt to loosen up the Texans' rush defense. The call may have had initial benefits (13 yards for McCareins, followed shortly thereafter by Eddie George's first carry of the game for 17 yards), but overall, the Titans' rushing attack had limited effectiveness. The Titans collected 114 yards on the ground on 33 carries, with Eddie George collecting 60 on 19 attempts. George's one reception for 22 yards was in the fourth quarter after the game had been decided. Robert Holcombe and rookie Chris Brown also had significant time in the backfield, including Robert Holcombe's five-yard touchdown run after replacing George on first-and-goal from the Texans' 5-yard line.

WR Derrick Mason was the receiving star of the game as he caught six of McNair's passes for 177 yards and three touchdowns. Mason's TDs were from 32 yards, 46 yards, and 50 yards. Tyrone Calico showed his speed in the Titans' offense, also collected four McNair throws for 92 yards. Calico did bobble a sure touchdown pass from McNair in the third quarter. (He did make the reception, but was out of the endzone by the time that he had gained possession of the pass.) Justin McCareins (81 total yards) participated in the Titans' passing game, and also ran a reverse for 13 yards on the opening Titans' play of the game.

The Titans' offense hit the "big plays", as Tennessee reeled off 12 plays of 20 yards or greater during the game. Seven of these were pass plays in the first half as Tennessee moved to a quick 21-0 lead. These first half plays included two touchdown throws to Derrick Mason (32 and 46 yards), four receptions to Tyrone Calico (26, 23, 22, and 21) and a 24 yard throw to Justin McCareins. In the second half, McNair also threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Mason and a 44- yard toss to McCareins.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Houston Texans

QB: David Carr had a relatively nondescript 373 passing yard, career-high game. Carr's most effective series was a two-play, 98-yard drive to open the second half for the Texans'. Otherwise, much of the Carr's yardage was picked up trying to bring the Texans' back into the game. Carr left the game briefly to recover from a roughing the passer penalty but returned.

RB: Stacey Mack started the game, but was not the most effective backfield man for the Texans. Domanick Davis collected 59 yards on seven carries, along with 70 receiving yards on seven receptions. Tony Hollings also took valuable backfield time from Mack. Pay very close attention to this as Mack seems to be losing his grip (if he hasn't already lost it) on the #1 RB slot.

WR: Corey Bradford's 65-yard catch-and-run, breaking two Titans' tackles, was the highlight of the day for the Texans. Carr's career day did not result in large outputs for the Texans' wideouts. Andre Johnson was a limited part of the Texans' offense collecting 49 yards on two receptions. Derick Armstrong's single catch was a 13-yard catch-and-run for the final touchdown of the day.

TE: Billy Miller caught six of Carr's passes for 47 yards. Jabari Holloway also had two receptions for 40 yards.

K: Kris Brown collected four points in the game on one point after touchdown and a 29-yard field goal to close out the first half. Brown was successful on all scoring attempts in the game.

Pass Defense: The Texans were torched for 421 net passing yards in the game, giving up 11 passing plays of greater than 20 yards. The Texans gave up three long touchdown passes, along with several other significant pass plays throughout the game. CB Aaron Glenn did not play in the game, which most likely contributed to the poor showing on pass defense. The Texans' pass rush was limited in the game, as the Titans' Steve McNair generally had ample time to select the wide open receiver roaming through the Texans' secondary.

Run Defense: The Titans were held to 114 yards rushing (3.5 yards per rush) in the game. However, with the porosity of the Texans' secondary, the need to establish a strong running game was not necessary for the Titans to win the game. The Texans' run defense was generally solid until the final minutes of the game.

Tennessee Titans

QB: Steve McNair had a career-high 421 yards in the game with three touchdowns to lead the Titans to an easy victory. McNair collected 233 yards in first half, completing his last 11 passes, as the Titans moved to a quick 21-0 lead in the first half.

RB: Eddie George was the leading ball carrier for the game, collecting 60 yards on 19 carries. Robert Holcombe (3 for 25, 1 TD) and Chris Brown (4 for 15) also saw significant time. Holcombe collected the Titans' only rushing touchdown in the game when he ran around right end, breaking several tackles, on first-and-goal from the five at the end of a long Titans' drive.

WR: Derrick Mason was the leading receiver with six receptions for 177 yards and three touchdowns. Mason collected wide open touchdown receptions of 32 yards and 46 yards in the first quarter, along with a 50-yard catch and run in the fourth quarter. Tyrone Calico also had 92 receiving yards on four separate receptions of greater than 20 yards.

TE: Error Kinney was the only Titan TE to collect a reception, one for 11 yards. Kinney also dropped McNair's initial pass of the game, which resulted in McNair's only incompletion in the first half.

K: Gary Anderson was 6 for 6 on scoring attempts, with five extra points and a 33-yard third quarter field goal.

Pass Defense: Although yielding 367 net passing yards to the Texans, the Titans' pass defense did what was needed to win the game. The Titans' pass rush had general pressure on David Carr throughout the game, causing Carr to move around in the pocket to make plays. The Titans also forced Carr into a grounding penalty as a result of a good rush and good containment on Carr in the pocket. Albert Haynesworth was called for the roughing the passer penalty that briefly sent Carr to the sidelines. The Titans picked off two of Carr's passes, including an Andre Dyson interception that was returned for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Corey Bradford's touchdown reception in the third quarter was a result of poor tackling by the Titans' secondary.

Run Defense: As the Titans' jumped out to a quick lead and built on this lead throughout the game, a strong run defense for the Titans was not necessary for the Titans to collect the victory. The Titans' did hold Houston to 91 yards rushing, although the Texans' average yards per rush was 5.7 yards.

Kansas City 40 at Green Bay 34

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Kansas City Chiefs

KR/WR Dante Hall did not extend his record for consecutive games with a return touchdown. He did, however, become a bigger part of the Chiefs offense both rushing and receiving. You can tell that Kansas City is trying to create opportunities for this dynamic young player.

QB Trent Green had a big passing game as the Chiefs showed that they are more than 10 guys and Priest Holmes. He finished with 400 passing yards and 3 touchdown passes, the third being a game-winner in overtime.

RB Priest Holmes had a (relatively) soft rushing day. The Packers seemed content to let Green try to beat them as they focused on keeping Holmes in check. The plan worked early as Holmes only had 23 rushing yards in the first half but he recovered to finish with 81 on the ground and another 59 receiving. He did have a 1-yard scoring run.

TE Tony Gonzalez was a big part of the offense. He was frequently targeted and finished the game with 121 receiving yards on 4 catches with a score.

Green Bay Packers

The Packer game plan seemed to be RB Ahman Green left, Ahman Green right, draw to Ahman Green and screen to Ahman Green. He had another monster fantasy game with 139 rushing yards and a score with another 51 receiving yards and a score. He could have had an even bigger day but for a 1-yard touchdown vultured by a Favre to Franks pass. Also, Davenport's 18-yard score came when Green was taking a breather. Green did have a game losing fumble in OT which the Chiefs turned into 6 points and a win on the very next play.

QB Brett Favre completed passes to 9 different Packers with Donald Driver catching the most (6). Driver was, by far, the most targeted of all the Green Bay wideouts.

WR Javon Walker only had one completion in the game but he had a scoring opportunity spoiled by an under thrown Brett Favre pass.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Kansas City Chiefs

QB: Trent Green (27-45, 400, 3TD, 2-7 rushing) had his passing stats boosted by a rare occurrence: a passing touchdown that ends an overtime game. He completed a 51-yard pass to Eddie Kennison to win the game on the Chiefs' second possession of overtime. The Chiefs uncharacteristically went away from the power running game and let Green go to work through the air. He focused in on Johnnie Morton in the first half but spread the ball around a bit more in the second half.

RB: The Packers were determined not to let Priest Holmes (22-81 1TD rushing, 6-59 receiving) have a big day against them and they didn't. The Chiefs went away from the power running game early and Holmes' numbers suffered for it. He only had 29 rushing yards in the first half. He was very active in the passing game and was tied for most catches on the team with 6.

WR: Johnnie Morton (6-109, 1TD) had the hot hands early with 5 catches for 95 yards in the first half. He only had one catch in the second half but that was due more to the Packers rotating coverage to him than anything else.

Dante Hall (5-38 receiving 2-(-6) rushing) was the second most productive wide receiver for the Chiefs. It was obvious the coaches wanted the ball in his hands and the fed it to him on reverses, crossing routes and wide receiver screens. With his knack for the big play he might not be a bad pickup in deeper leagues if you've got a spot.

Eddie Kennison (2-57, 1TD receiving) only had one catch in regulation, but it was his 51-yard touchdown catch and run overtime that won the game for the Chiefs.

TE: Tony Gonzalez (4-121 1TD receiving) had the kind of game that he was famous for just a few years ago. He was a constant target downfield and with the defensive attention the other receivers garnered he was able to make some plays.

K: Morten Andersen made a 31-yard field goal attempt with 5 seconds left in the game to tie the score and force overtime. He did not get the call in the extra session because the Chiefs scored a touchdown.

Pass Defense: Brett Favre was sacked 3 times in the game. Jerome Woods' interception return for a score was on a ball tipped by the Green Bay receiver.

Rush Defense: For a supposedly improved unit this group was shredded by Ahman Green for 139 yards on just 26 carries. Even Najeh Davenport averaged over 7 yards per carry.

Green Bay Packers

QB: Brett Favre (25-36, 272 2TD 1 INT passing; 2-1 rushing) had a solid, if unspectacular, game. The interception was on a catchable ball that Donald Driver batted into the air. Favre spread the ball around to 9 different receivers with Donald Driver garnering the bulk of the looks and catches.

RB: The Packers win and lose by Ahman Green (26-139 1TD rushing; 6-51 1TD receiving) these days. He had a terrific fantasy day with a ton of yards and a pair of scores and it could have been even better but for a 1-yard Favre to Franks scoring pass. Also, the Najeh Davenport touchdown came when Green was out of the game getting a breather. Green lost a game losing fumble in overtime that set up the Chiefs winning touchdown pass. The fumbling problem is why he got shipped out of Seattle a few years ago and it's key that he get it back under control to remain an elite fantasy running back. The last thing Green owners need is the Packers coaching staff questioning Green's ability to hang onto the ball. Green looked devastated on the sideline throwing his helmet in disgust as Kennison scored.

Najeh Davenport (6-43 1TD rushing) filled in well when Green was resting.

WR: Donald Driver (7-59 receiving) was target no.1 for Brett Favre in this game. He didn't score but he was the first option on most of the Green Bay passing plays. He left the game injured for a short time in the first half but returned and played well. It did not appear to have anything to do with his earlier neck injury.

Javon Walker (1-25) lost a sure scoring opportunity when an under thrown Brett Favre pass was easily defended. A better thrown ball would have been an easy touchdown.

TE: Wesley Walls (4-64) rekindled images of Packer TEs past as he slipped down the defensive seams for solid gains. He didn't score but he did provide Favre a reliable target.

Bubba Franks (1-1 1TD receiving) played the role of vulture with a 1 yard touchdown catch.

K: Ryan Longwood kicked a 50-yard field goal.

Pass Defense: CB AL Harris gave up almost all of Johnnie Morton's yardage in the first half, he just kept getting beat. I can't pin all 400 passing yards on one guy, though. From the pass rush (0 sacks) to the secondary (0 INTs) the Packer defense was beaten soundly in the passing game.

Rush Defense: The plan appeared to be to let Green pass away and focus on stopping Priest Holmes. It worked early as Holmes was held to 29 rushing yards in the 1st half. The success of the Kansas City passing game in the second half opened up some rushing lanes and Holmes finished with 81 yards in the game but with just a 3.7 average. Not bad numbers against arguably the best runner in the game.

Pittsburgh Steelers 14 at Denver Broncos 17

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Pittsburgh Steelers

QB Tommy Maddox (19-30-0-182) overcame seven sacks by the Denver defense to lead a valiant late game scoring drive, capped by RB Jerome Bettis' 1-yard touchdown run and subsequent two-point conversion plunge to tie the game, 14-14. Maddox, who has now attempted 113 consecutive passes without a touchdown pass, was 6-of-9 passing for 65 yards on the game-tying drive, completing passes to five different receivers - none more important than his 15-yard strike to WR Hines Ward on fourth and 6 from Denver's 30.

A much-maligned patchwork offensive line that underwent massive personnel changes throughout the game was able to sustain consistency on Pittsburgh's final drive.

Bettis (14-34, one touchdown rushing, 1-7 receiving) used those eight points to atone for his first fumble in 220 carries on the previous series. Denver scored four plays after Bettis' fumble to take a 14-6 lead. Despite getting the start, RB Amos Zereoue floundered his way to a 10-carry, 15-yard rushing performance against the NFL's second-ranked defense (yards against).

The multi-faceted Ward caught eight passes for 81 yards and also rushed twice for nine yards. Meanwhile, WR Plaxico Burress caught five passes for 60 yards.

Pittsburgh's defense was often spectacular against the Broncos' AFC-leading offense, limiting the dangerous Clinton Portis to just 47 yards on 15 carries and causing three turnovers, two of which were first-half interceptions. The Steelers turned both Beuerlein interceptions into field goals. For the game, the Steelers yielded just 242 total yards, 130 yards below what Denver had averaged entering the game.

Denver Broncos

Back-up QB Steve Beuerlein (17-28-2-172, two touchdowns) got the start for the injured Jake Plummer and struggled for much of the game. His first and seventh passes of the game were picked off, but he rebounded to drive the Broncos 51 yards for K Jason Elam's game-winning 47-yard field goal as time expired. Beuerlein was 5-of-8 passing for 44 yards on that final drive. Beuerlein and the Broncos caught a break with less than one minute remaining when Pittsburgh S Brent Alexander dropped a sure interception at the Steelers' 20-yard line.

WR Rod Smith (4-70, one touchdown receiving; 1-26 rushing) produced his second straight big game, highlighted by consecutive acrobatic grabs on Denver's second touchdown drive, the latter a leaping 11-yard TD catch over CB Dewayne Washington.

TE Shannon Sharpe (6-55, one touchdown) caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Beuerlein on the Broncos' third possession and he made a clutch on the game-winning drive, hauling in three receptions for 33 yards.

RB Clinton Portis (15-47 rushing, 5-26 receiving) never could get untracked against the AFC's top-ranked defense, averaging just 3.1 YPC with a long of 10 yards.

Trevor Pryce and Mario Fatafehi combined for four of Denver's seven sacks in the game, a feat that limited the Steelers to just 130 net passing yards.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Pittsburgh Steelers

QB: Despite consistent pressure from a Broncos' defensive front that sacked him seven times, Maddox performed with unshakable resilience throughout the game. He completed five of his first six attempts for 57 yards, hitting Plaxico Burress twice for 22 yards and Hines Ward three times for 35 yards during that span.

Maddox struggled mightily in the second quarter, completing just two of his six attempts (both to Zereoue) for nine yards. Late in the first quarter, Maddox's fumble as he attempted to throw turned third-and-17 into fourth-and-34.

But with the game on the line in the fourth quarter, Maddox calmly drove Pittsburgh 74 yards for the game-tying touchdown and two-point conversion. He completed six passes to five different receivers on the march, including a 23-yarder to Burress for the Steelers' longest play of the day, and a 15-yarder to Ward (who was lined up in the backfield) on fourth-and-6 from Denver's 30-yard line.

Antwaan Randle El twice lined up at quarterback for the Steelers on Sunday, keeping once for seven yards and completing a four-yard pass to Ward the second time.

RB: Bettis made amends for his first fumble in 220 carries on the Steelers' lone touchdown march late in the fourth quarter. Pittsburgh called Bettis' number on three consecutive plays to end the drive - a seven-yard reception followed by a three yard run and the one yard TD run. Bettis earned huge extra effort points on the two-point conversion run, riding the ankle of G Alan Faneca into the end zone as he went down.

Zereoue combined for just 24 total yards on 12 touches against the Broncos, and turning in long plays of six yards (rushing) and nine yards (receiving).

FB Verron Haynes rushed for 20 yards on two consecutive carries during Pittsburgh's final drive before halftime and caught one pass for three yards on the Steeler's game-tying march.

FB Dan Kreider caught one pass for 13 yards.

WR: Ward (8-81) was once again Maddox's go-to guy on Sunday. He was targeted 11 times through the air and twice on rushing plays and suffered just one drop. His long catch of the game covered 19 yards (on third-and-10, no less) and three of his receptions came on third down (46 yards, three first downs).

Burress (5-60) inflicted most of his damage on Pittsburgh's first and last drives of the game - and 18-yard catch on the Steelers' first play from scrimmage and a 23-yard third-down grab during Pittsburgh's final drive that moved the ball to Denver's 34-yard line. His other three catches covered just 19 yards.

Antwaan Randle El recorded just one seven-yard reception.

TE: Although Jay Riemersma finished with one catch for six yards, he was targeted two other times, including in the end zone on a play during which he took a vicious helmet-to-helmet hit from Denver's Nick Ferguson that resulted in a first-and-goal at the Broncos' 9-yard line.

K: Jeff Reed's first field goal (from 24 yards out) gave Pittsburgh a 3-0 lead; his second pulled the Steelers to within one, 7-6. Both were set up by Beuerlein interceptions.

Pass Defense: The Steelers sacked Steve Beuerlein twice and recorded two momentum-building interceptions in the first half - including Beuerlein's first pass attempt of the game. In addition, they surrendered just 172 passing yards. Still, Pittsburgh gave up a 38-yard deep ball to Rod Smith two plays after Bettis' fumble and an 11-yard TD toss to Smith two plays later.

Rush Defense: Any time you're playing Clinton Portis and an opposing receiver records the biggest run of the day, you're doing something right. Such was the case Sunday, when Portis' long run covered 10 yards, while a Smith reverse netted 26. Pittsburgh allowed Denver an absurdly low 76 yards rushing for the game, 89 yards below the Broncos' season average.

Denver Broncos

QB: Beuerlein, filling in the for the injured Jake Plummer, looked shaky from the beginning, throwing two interceptions in his first seven attempts, both on the first plays of drives. Sandwiched between those two picks was a nice 10-yard TD pass over the middle to TE Shannon Sharpe

Beuerlein and the Broncos dodged a bullet when another interception - this one on Denver's second possession - was nullified by a defensive offsides penalty.

On Denver's two touchdown drives, Beuerlein was excellent as he completed 7-of-10 passes for 59 yards.

Beuerlein, who also rushed once for five yards, lofted consecutive nice passes to Smith on Denver's fourth-quarter TD drive following the Bettis fumble, the first a 38-yard diving catch by Smith and the second an 11-yard scoring toss.

Plummer did dress for the game and could have played in an emergency situation.

RB: The normally spectacular Portis was anything but against a fierce Pittsburgh defense. He finished with just 47 yards rushing, his lowest full-game output since Week 10 of last season. Perhaps more alarming than his rushing total was the fact that he committed his third fumble in the last two games. Unlike his two fumbles last week against Kansas City (both recovered by Denver), the opposition pounced on this one at its own 25-yard line. It was Portis' first lost fumble in 141 touches. Portis added five receptions for 26 yards.

FB Reuben Droughns carried once for minus-1 yard.

Mike Anderson was limited to special-teams duty.

WR: Rod Smith came up huge for the second week in a row and has more than 200 yards receiving in his last two games. Beuerlein's first completion of the game went to Smith and covered 17 yards; and Smith's 26-yard reverse came on the first play of Denver's first touchdown drive moved the ball to Pittsburgh's 38-yard line.

But no two plays were bigger than the ones Smith made on back-to-back receptions on the fourth-quarter drive following Bettis' fumble. With the Broncos leading 7-6, Smith made a diving 38-yard reception down to Pittsburgh's 10-yard line, then a leaping 11-yard TD snag - both over Dewayne Washington - to give Denver a 14-6 lead. Remarkably, the touchdown was Denver's first this season in the fourth quarter.

For the game, Smith was targeted eight times, including on Beuerlein's second interception when Smith slipped and fell.

Ed McCaffrey (targeted twice) finished with one catch for 16 yards, a nice grab over the middle and his longest reception of the season.

Ashley Lelie (targeted just three times) finished with one five-yard reception. His biggest contribution, though, came when Steelers rookie Troy Polamalu committed a 38-yard pass interference penalty against him during a third-and-13 play in the third quarter. The Broncos, who took over at the Steelers' 30-yard line following the penalty, failed to capitalize as Portis fumbled one play later.

TE: Sharpe (6-55, one touchdown) was absolutely huge on Denver's game-winning drive, snatching three balls for 33 yards, highlighted by an acrobatic 11-yard grab on third-and-10 from Pittsburgh's 47-yard line. His 10-yard TD catch on a crossing pattern in the first quarter gives him four touchdowns for the season, the most he's had since 2000, when he scored five while with the Baltimore Ravens.

Sharpe also recovered a key Beuerlein fumble at the Broncos' 23-yard line late in the third quarter. After Beuerlein fumbled while trying to pass on third down, it appeared that Steelers' linebacker James Farrior recovered the loose ball before fumbling himself. Sharpe pounced on the ball for an apparent first down, but instant replay officials ruled that Farrior never had possession.

K: One week after missing a 53-yard field goal against Kansas City that would have given the Broncos a 26-24 lead, Jason Elam exacted some redemption by nailing the 47-yard game-winner against Pittsburgh as time expired. He also connected on both extra-point attempts.

Pass Defense: The Broncos defense, especially up front, was relentless all game long, sacking Maddox seven times for 56 yards in losses. In the first half, the Steelers averaged just 1.7 yards per pass.

Rush Defense: In a classic defensive struggle, Denver came out on top by surrendering just 215 net yards (including 85 yards rushing on 30 carries), and yielding an average gain of just 3.2 yards per play.

Oakland Raiders 7 at Cleveland Browns 13

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Oakland Raiders

Mistakes, lack of execution, and penalties doomed the Oakland Raiders. Oakland committed an NFL season high 19 penalties for 128 yards, 11 of them on the offensive side of the ball.

After Browns RB William Green lost a fumble on the fourth play of the game, QB Rich Gannon marched the Raiders 24 yards to a touchdown in their opening drive. The touchdown, a beautiful 10-yard strike to TE Teyo Johnson, was the last points Oakland would score for the game. Gannon, playing behind a beat up offensive line, was pressured relentlessly by a swarming Cleveland defense. He had to settle for short passes to his tight ends and running backs, not completing a pass to a wide receiver until halfway through the 3rd quarter.

In spite of their lack of discipline and mental mistakes, the Raiders still had a chance to win the game on their final drive. Trailing 13-7 with 2:24 left in the game, Gannon led the Oakland offense down the field, deep into Cleveland territory. However, with the ball on the Cleveland 24-yard line and with 33 seconds left on the clock, Gannon's two-yard pass to WR Jerry Rice on fourth and one was ruled out of bounds. The play was reviewed, but with insufficient replay evidence to overturn, the call stood.

The Oakland wide receivers were shut down by the Browns' secondary, only totaling 6 catches for 73 yards. Jerry Rice did not catch his first pass until midway through the 4th quarter. With that reception, Rice extended his NFL record streak to 262 consecutive games with a catch.

The Raiders' rush defense was once again dismal, allowing Browns RB William Green 145 yards on 26 carries.

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns won for the first time in three tries at home this season. Since the Browns return to the NFL in 1999, Cleveland is a dreadful 10-25 in front of the hometown fans.

K Phil Dawson used both his legs to run and kick the Browns on to victory. At the start of the second quarter, Dawson got the Browns on the scoreboard when he booted a 52-yard field goal just inside the right post with plenty of distance to spare. Late in the third quarter, Cleveland caught the Raiders totally off guard faking a 36-yard field goal. On the fake, Dawson took the pitch and lumbered 14 yards down to the Raider 5-yard line, setting up the Browns' go-ahead touchdown. Dawson added a 32-yard field goal late in the 4th quarter.

RB William Green plundered the Oakland defense for 145 yards on 26 carries. Running behind a dominating offensive line, Green darted through huge holes and caused several missed tackles with his deceptive quickness. Combining this effort with his 115-yard performance last week against Pittsburgh, Green became the first Cleveland running back to rush for consecutive 100-yard games since Kevin Mack in 1986.

The Browns' defense was sensational shutting down the Raiders' wide receivers and not allowing a point after the Oakland touchdown on their opening drive.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Oakland Raiders

QB: Rich Gannon (21-33-165, 1 TD, 0 INT; 1-1 rushing) struggled against a blanketing Cleveland secondary. Unable to find open wide receivers down the field, he relied on short passes to his tight ends and screen passes to his running backs. After the Cleveland turnover, Gannon capped off a 6 play, 24-yard opening drive with a perfect 10-yard TD strike to TE Teyo Johnson. G Frank Middleton injured his right quadriceps on the ensuing extra point and did not return. Gannon finished the first half 7 for 8 for a measly 42 yards passing. He did not complete a pass to a wide receiver until midway through the 3rd quarter. Gannon was not able to overcome the excessive Raiders' penalties to get the Oakland offense on the board again.

RB: Charlie Garner (9-28 rushing, 9-51 receiving, 10 targets) was shut down on the ground by the Cleveland rush defense. He led all Raiders' receivers in catches and yards out of the backfield. Garner's catch for a third down conversion in the opening drive, allowed the Raiders to put up their only points of the day.

Tyrone Wheatley (3-15 rushing, 1 target) was not a factor in the game.

Justin Fargas (6-33 rushing) did an adequate job backing up Garner.

Zack Crockett (1-3 rushing) was not a factor in the game.

WR: Jerry Rice (2-19 receiving, 6 targets) was unable to free himself of a smothering Browns' secondary. His first catch did not come until midway through the 4th quarter. On the Raiders' final drive, Rice looked to make a diving catch on the sidelines on fourth down, but he was ruled out of bounds and the replay upheld the call.

Tim Brown (2-14 receiving, 5 targets) did not catch a pass until midway through the 3rd quarter and was never allowed to be a threat by the Browns' secondary.

Alvis Whitted's (2-40 receiving, 1-10 rushing, 3 targets) 32-yard catch half way through the third quarter was the first reception by an Oakland wide receiver in the game.

Jerry Porter did not suit up for the game and is still recovering from Hernia surgery. He is expected to return October 20th against the Kansas City Chiefs.

TE: Doug Jolley (3-20 receiving, 6 targets) along with rookie TE Teyo Johnson have become an integral part of the Raiders' passing game, due to the lack of production from the wide receivers.

Teyo Johnson (3-21, 1 TD, 3 targets) capped off the Raiders' opening drive with a 10-yard TD catch in the back of the end zone.

K: Sebastian Janikowski did not have a field goal attempt in the game.

Pass Defense: The Raiders pass defense did an admirable job, holding QB Tim Couch to only 127 yards passing. They took the long passing game out of the Cleveland arsenal, three 17-yard receptions being the longest pass plays on the day. CB Phillip Buchanon had an interception taken away when DE DeLawrence Grant was offsides, lining up in the neutral zone.

Rush Defense: The Oakland rush defense turned in another pathetic performance, giving up 171 yards rushing. RB William Green torched the defense for 145 yards rushing on 26 carries, a painful 5.58 yards per carry. Missed tackles continued to plague the Raiders' defense.

Cleveland Browns

QB: Tim Couch (16-26-127, 0 TD, 0 INT; 2-1 rushing) in his third consecutive start for injured QB Kelly Holcomb, rode the coattails of RB William Green. His main responsibility in the game was to hand the ball off to Green and not make any costly mistakes. A pass intended for WR Kevin Johnson was intercepted early in the 2nd quarter, but the play was negated by an offsides penalty on the Oakland defense. It looks like the QB job is now his to lose, with the Browns going 2-1 under Couch's leadership.

RB: William Green (26-145 rushing, 1 TD, 1-(-2) receiving, 2 targets) had himself a field day against a porous Raiders' defense. He scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 5-yard dash through the left side, breaking a tackle at the 1-yard line to get into the end zone. Green's fumble on the opening drive, set up the Raiders' only scoring drive. However, he rebounded nicely, becoming the first Cleveland running back to rush for consecutive 100-yard games since Kevin Mack in 1986.

James Jackson (1-3 rushing) was not needed due to Green's awesome performance.

Jamel White (1-0 rushing, 3-30 receiving, 5 targets) played an important role as the third down back. He caught two passes for third down conversions.

WR: Dennis Northcutt (5-54 receiving, 1-8 rushing, 6 targets) led all Browns' receivers in receptions and receiving yards. He had two catches for third down conversions, the second one setting up the Browns' go-ahead touchdown drive. Northcutt converted on another third down with a nice end around run.

Kevin Johnson (2-17 receiving, 8 targets) was Couch's favorite target, but was unable to connect with him very often. Johnson was wide open down the field, deep in Oakland territory, but Couch threw the pass high and off Johnson's fingertips.

Quincy Morgan (3-14 receiving, 5 targets) was not a factor in the game.

Andre Davis (1-17 receiving, 3 targets) was not a factor in the game.

TE: Steve Heiden (1 target) dropped his only pass from Couch, deep down the sidelines after Couch had made a nice spin move to avoid the Oakland pass rush. No other tight ends were targeted for a pass in the game.

K: Phil Dawson played a substantial role in all of Cleveland's scoring drives. He boomed a 52-yard field goal at the start of the second quarter that would have been good from 60 yards. Dawson turned in the play of the game, when the Browns faked a field goal and he took the pitch from holder Chris Gardocki for 14 yards down to the Raiders' 5 yard line. Dawson's "running for his life" scamper set up Green's 5-yard TD gallop for the go-ahead score. Dawson also converted on a 32-yard field goal, late in the fourth quarter.

Pass Defense: The Cleveland pass defense baffled the Oakland passing attack all day. QB Rich Gannon, facing constant pressure from the Browns' front four, was only able to connect with his wide receivers six times in the game. The secondary held Gannon to only 165 yards passing, with more than half of that caught by Oakland's tight ends and running backs.

Rush Defense: The Browns rush defense was also extremely stingy. They held RB Charlie Garner, one of the league's most dangerous backs, to a miserly 28 yards rushing on 9 carries. The rush defense only allowed the Raiders running game a total of 90 yards and played a huge role in the successful outcome of the game for the Browns.

Miami Dolphins 24 at Jacksonville Jaguars 10