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

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

Joe

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Joe Bryant
Owner - www.Footballguys.com

WEEK 8 GAME RECAPS

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

Edited by Joe Bryant

New York Giants 29 at Minnesota Vikings 17

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

New York Giants

The Giants were far from flawless in this one, as they left a bunch of points on the field, especially early on. Kerry Collins once again turned the ball over in the red zone, this time on an interception in the end zone. However, the Giants defense rose up and held Minnesota for much of the second half, allowing the offense plenty of opportunities to come back and score - which they did.

RB Tiki Barber carried the ball 20 times as opposed to just 5 for Dorsey Levens. Barber came out a few times on goal line situations, but also was in on several goal line situations. He was the one who scored on the 2-yard touchdown run, and showed great strength and agility to get in.

WR Ike Hilliard is technically the number two receiver, but has been putting up number one stats on a consistent basis. He caught 9 passes on 11 targets for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns. Fellow wideout Amani Toomer caught 3 balls for 96 yards, but had several costly drops including twice in the end zone on would-be touchdowns. Fifty-one of his receiving yards came on a trick play flea-flicker.

Fantasy owners cannot blame TE Jeremy Shockey for not scoring a touchdown this week. He was targeted plenty of times in the end zone, and in fact was consistently open. But several times, Kerry Collins just either missed him or decided to throw elsewhere even when Shockey was completely wide open.

Minnesota Vikings

Once again, the Vikings had trouble putting a team away when it had a lead in the fourth quarter. It has happened to this team numerous times this season already, but they have always overcome it. Today, they were unable to do so and it finally came back to bite them.

For the early part of this game, it appeared the Giants couldn't stop WR Randy Moss. Moss, who leads the NFL in both receiving yardage and touchdowns, had 121 yards and a touchdown at the half. He had just 4 yards in the second half, however, as the Giants adjusted their defensive coverage. In addition, Moss dropped two long bombs that would have put him up over 200 yards for the game.

It appears the Vikings are trying to phase in Onterrio Smith more and more. His number was called on the first three plays of the game, and he was featured prominently throughout the game. However, the Giants were able to pretty much shut him down, as he managed just 32 yards on 11 carries. RB Moe Williams carried 11 times for 69 yards, but 38 of those yards came on one play and 9 more came on the next. His other 9 carries went for just 22 yards.

Daunte Culpepper was finally brought back to earth a little. He got off to a blistering start, but suffered his first interception of the season just as he was about to try and drive Minnesota downfield for a comeback. He was also intercepted on a Hail Mary pass on the last play of the game with the Vikings trailing by 12 and just 3 seconds left, which no doubt infuriated Culpepper owners everywhere.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

New York Giants

QB: Kerry Collins (23-39, 375 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT) was nearly perfect in the first half except for (surprise) in the red zone. He was constantly given loads of time to throw, especially early on and did a solid job of moving the team down the field. But once he got to the goal line, he had trouble. Early on, he had Jeremy Shockey wide open in the flat but opted instead to go for Amani Toomer, and the ball was intercepted in the end zone. Later, he tried throwing to Shockey but had the ball bounce off of a defender. He also missed Shockey wide open in the back of the end zone. All it would have taken was a floater to the corner, where Shockey sat all alone, but Collins rifled a pass behind the tight end incomplete.

Later, the announcers commented that Collins was often taking a step back after each throw he makes instead of moving forward. This causes underthrown balls and a lack of velocity. They speculated it might be because he still doesn't trust his offensive line to protect for him. Collins lost 37 yards on a screen pass to Tiki Barber that was called back due to penalty.

RB: Tiki Barber had a solid day with 122 total yards and a touchdown. He was the first option on the goal line in the first half, but was stuffed from the 3 and Dorsey Levens came in (but didn't get a carry). Later, Levens was the first one in on a goal line situation, but after he was stuffed, it was Barber who got the call and managed to plunge in with a nice run from 2 yards out. Barber had lost a 12-yard touchdown run that was called back due to holding, but he scored that 2-yarder later on the same possession. Barber and Collins did lose 37 yards on a screen pass that was called back due to a penalty.

Dorsey Levens carried just 5 times for 7 yards, but did get in on a goal line situation. However, he was stuffed and Tiki Barber took it in for a touchdown later in the drive. Levens also had a costly drop on third down for what would have been a first down in the third quarter.

WR: Amani Toomer (3 receptions, 96 yards, 11 targets) is listed as the Giants' number one receiver, but if not for a bit of trickery today, he would have been badly outplayed by Ike Hilliard. Toomer caught 3 balls for 96 yards, but 51 of those yards came on a flea-flicker. Toomer had two costly drops that would have been and should have been touchdowns.

Ike Hilliard (9 receptions, 100 yards, 2 touchdowns, 11 targets) came up huge today. He scored a touchdown on the opening drive, making a nice cutback move after a short screen pass and taking it in for a 19-yard score. Hilliard also caught 8 other passes to total 100 yards, and even scored a second time (his team-leading fifth of the year). About the only flaw on Hilliard's stat line was a dropped two-point conversion in which it appeared he and Collins misread where the receiver was going to be.

Tim Carter (2 receptions, 45 yards, 4 targets) may be the team's fastest receiver, but as one commentator pointed out, "He certainly isn't the bravest". On a key fourth quarter play, Carter held back from going over the middle and reaching out for a very catchable pass. He was not targeted again.

TE: Jeremy Shockey's numbers (3 receptions, 81 yards, 6 targets) don't do justice to the type of game he played. There were several situations where he could have scored touchdowns, but Kerry Collins was to blame. Shockey was consistently open in the end zone, but whether it was Collins choosing to go elsewhere or just misfiring on his throws, Shockey never really had a chance. He had a great 16-yard reception on the Giants opening drive in which he out-jumped the defender. Amazingly, that was the last reception he had until the fourth quarter. Locked up in single coverage all day long, Collins just chose to look to others. When he was finally thrown to again in the fourth quarter, Shockey took off on a 46-yard reception and followed that up with a 19-yard reception down to the Vikings' 2-yard line that set up the eventual game-winning touchdown.

Pass Defense: They had absolutely no answers for the Vikings early on, and Randy Moss appeared to be able to just have his way with New York. And late in the game, a costly drop by Moss bailed out the unit. But all in all, this part of the team did a stellar job against an explosive Vikings' passing game. They held Moss in check in the second half, and got good pressure on Culpepper, sacking him four times (two by Michael Strahan). They even forced Culpepper into his first interception of the year. This unit was the reason the Giants won the game and possibly salvaged their season.

Run Defense: Perhaps because Minnesota was having so much success throwing the ball early on, they didn't run all that much in the first half. Then in the second half, when the Vikings were trying to put the game away, the Giants defense rose up and stopped them. Of course, they gave up a huge 38-yard run to Moe Williams, but outside of that one long gain, the Giants held the Vikings under 100 yards rushing for the game. Cornelius Griffin was injured early on with what was called a sprained right ankle. He limped off the field and tried walking off the pain, but was eventually carted off to the locker room. X-rays were negative.

Minnesota Vikings

QB: Daunte Culpepper and company looked superb early on, but the Giants made quite an adjustment at the half, because Minnesota was unable to muster much of anything in the second half. Outside of Randy Moss's 1-yard touchdown reception, Culpepper had problems finding his favorite target. He finished with respectable numbers (18-31, 241 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions plus 5 carries for 48 yards), but it seemed as if it was going to be so much more based on the first half. Perhaps most importantly for Culpepper owners, he didn't seem to ever shy away from contact and in fact on one play, sought out Giants S Shaun Williams to deliver a punishing blow. Seemingly, Culpepper's back is fully healed. Culpepper's second interception came on a Hail Mary pass as time was expiring in a game Minnesota was losing by twelve.

RB: Moe Williams finished with the better stats, but it is apparent that the Vikings are giving Onterrio Smith every opportunity to play a key role in the offense. Smith's number was called on the first three plays of the game, while Williams didn't really get into the flow until the second half. However, Smith didn't do much with his opportunities. He carried 11 times for just 32 yards and had a 17-yard reception. He got a chance for a touchdown with a carry from the 2, but was stuffed. Randy Moss caught a touchdown on the next play. Williams, on the other hand, received an identical number of carries, but turned his carries into 69 yards, thanks mostly to a 38-yard scamper early in the fourth quarter. Williams added 2 receptions for 19 yards.

WR: Randy Moss (7 receptions, 125 yards, 2 touchdowns, 9 targets) had his way with the Giants early on. Even his missed opportunities were fantastic, as he had a potential 60-yard reception stripped out of his hands early in the first quarter. Moss later made up for that missed opportunity with a 33-yard touchdown reception that he made look as easy as if no one was covering him. Late in the game, with the Vikings trailing by 12 points, Moss was targeted deep downfield and had another potential 60+ yard pass go through his hands. He was double-covered on the play, but still had the ball in his hands and just dropped it. He also dropped a slant that could have gone for between 15-20 yards on the Vikings' last drive. It may have been a case of not focusing, but just as easily it could have been a case of trying to do too much with the ball.

Nate Burleson caught 3 passed for 52 yards on 4 targets.

TE: Jim Kleinsasser (2 receptions, 8 yards, 2 targets) was not a factor.

Pass Defense: Obviously had its problems with the Giants. Despite the offensive line struggles of New York, Kerry Collins was given a world of time to throw all day long. Even the one turnover Minnesota created was more a result of a Collins miscue than anything positive Minnesota did. They allowed Collins 375 yards through the air, and three different New York receivers totaled at least 80 yards. The 450 total yards allowed by Minnesota were the most they have allowed this year.

Run Defense: The Giants only had 83 yards on 28 carries, but when you have as much success through the air as New York did, the running game becomes somewhat less of a factor. The Giants defense made adjustments to curtail the Minnesota passing game; the Vikings could not do the same to New York. Collins had 226 yards passing at the half, and then went out and added nearly 150 more. So, the Giants just kept throwing. When they did need to run down near the goal line, Minnesota was unable to keep Tiki Barber from crossing the plane. That score was the go-ahead and eventual game-winning touchdown.

San Francisco 49ers 13 at Arizona Cardinals 16

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

San Francisco 49ers

Jeff Garcia (13/24, 153 yards, 4 rushes for 44 yards, 1 touchdown) was much more effective with his legs than his arm today. He didn't look very comfortable and did not pick apart the Cardinal secondary as he was expected to do. He missed three series with an injured left ankle but was able to return to the game.

Terrell Owens (6 catches, 53 yards, 11 targets) had a phenomenal touchdown catch reversed on a controversial replay. Owens clearly had possession of the ball and would have come down in bounds had the defender not pushed him.

Garrison Hearst and Kevan Barlow (combined 23 carries for 62 yards, 5 catches for 51 yards) continue to split production making neither a viable fantasy football running back.

Owen Pochman (0/2 field goals, 1/2 point after attempts) had the "hat trick" of horrible days for a kicker. He missed both of his field goal attempts from 45 and 35 yards. He was involved in a botched point after attempt (although it wasn't his fault, it was a bad snap). But most importantly kicked the ball out of bounds on the overtime kickoff, thus giving the Cardinals the ball at their own 40 yard line. After missing 3 field goals last week, it would be shocking if he is not replaced.

Arizona Cardinals

Jeff Blake (14/24 for 97 yards, 4 rushes for 29 yards, 1 touchdown) played worse than his meager stats indicate. Many of his 10 incomplete passes were terribly thrown. His only completions were short dump off passes, and he did not complete a pass of more than 10 yards in the air. What makes this even worse is that the 49er defense was often selling out on the run trying to slow down Marcel Shipp.

Marcel Shipp (35 carries for 165 yards, 2 catches 4 yards, 2 targets) ran like a man possessed against a 49er team that seemed determined to shut him down. He routinely broke tackles and plowed over defenders on his way to big gains.

Anquan Boldin (3 catches 29 yards, 7 targets) turned in a very disappointing game with 19 of his 29 receiving yards coming on a 4th quarter pass. To further compound his lack of performance, he also threw an interception on an end around pass attempt. He did have a 12 yard reception nullified because of an offensive holding penalty.

Tim Duncan (3 of 6 field goals) kicked a 39 yard field goal in overtime to win the game. However, he missed from 41, 37, and 50 yards.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

San Francisco 49ers

QB: Jeff Garcia (13/24, 153 yards, 4 rushes for 44 yards, 1 touchdown) played with grit, running at key times and taking some hard hits. He fumbled at the 1 yard line attempting to run another touchdown in. The ball was recovered by offensive lineman Harris for a 1 yard touchdown. He missed three series with an injured left ankle but was able to return to the game and showed little effect.

Tim Rattay (2/4, 2 yards) did not move the 49ers while he was in the game.

RB: Garrison Hearst (14 carries for 43 yards, 1 reception 25 yards, 2 targets) came alive in the second half when he got 10 of his 14 carries. 8 of those carries came after Barlow's fumble.

Kevan Barlow: (9 carries for 19 yards, 4 catches 26 yards, 4 targets) was ineffective on the ground but was unusually active in the passing game. He did not carry the football in the 4th quarter after his lost fumble.

WR: Terrell Owens (6 catches, 53 yards, 11 targets) his stats should read 7 catches for 80 yards and a touchdown. Owens was well covered much of the day but when the ball is put where he can catch it, he almost always does.

Tai Streets (2 receptions 21 yards, 4 targets) was looked to early in the game but seemed to disappear in the 2nd half. Garcia overthrew him on a long touchdown pass when it appeared that Streets had a step on the defender.

TE: Jed Weaver (1 receptions 13 yards, 4 targets) the 49ers attempted to get him into the game but often could not complete the passes on the inside of the field.

Pass Defense: Sacked Blake only once and the only interception came on Boldin's ill-fated pass attempt. It appeared that Jeff Blake's troubles accounted for the 97 passing yards more so than good play from the 49ers.

Rush Defense: Gave up 221 rushing yards. This unit can be run on as Marcel Shipp showed.

Arizona Cardinals

QB: Jeff Blake (14/24 for 97 yards, 4 rushes for 29 yards, 1 touchdown) was only effective in handing the ball to Marcel Shipp. He was extremely ineffective in the red zone, missing open receivers. Even his 1 yard touchdown run came after the 49ers had stopped them on 3rd and 1 but were called for a roughing the passer penalty.

RB: Marcel Shipp (35 carries for 165 yards, 2 catches 4 yards, 2 targets) compiled his second 100 yard rushing day in a row. This is the same line that Emmitt Smith was unable to run behind while healthy, so Shipp looks determined to prove that he should be the starting back. He was unable to score from the 1 yard line in the first quarter on 2nd down. They then tried a passing play and on first down (because of a defensive penalty) chose to sneak Blake rather than give him the carry.

WR: Anquan Boldin (3 catches 29 yards, 7 targets) Had a 12 yard reception nullified because of an offensive holding penalty. He, along with Brian Gilmore, was the most targeted of Arizona receivers, however was the victim of horrible play by Jeff Blake.

Bryant Johnson (2 receptions, 18 yards, 4 targets) was invisible most of the game, however made a key grab in overtime but left holding his wrist.

Brian Gilmore (2 receptions 18 yards, 7 targets) was the target of 2 long passes that Blake badly overthrew.

TE: Freddie Jones (3 receptions 22 yards, 3 targets) since Blake could not throw downfield today, Jones was able to catch all three passes thrown his way.

Pass Defense: sacked Garcia twice and held their potent passing attack to just 155 yards. They played extremely inspired today.

Rush Defense: This unit gave up 106 rushing yards but 44 of them came on Jeff Garcia scrambles. They limited Hearst and Barlow to mostly short runs.

Detroit Lions 16 at Chicago Bears 24

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Detroit Lions

Reggie Swinton scored the first points of the game for the Lions, returning a punt in the third quarter 96 yards untouched for a touchdown.

The Lions scored their first offensive touchdown since week 5 against San Francisco. Joey Harrington connected with TE Mikhael Ricks on a short screen pass for the touchdown in the fourth quarter nearly leading the Lions to a comeback. But an onside kick recovery from Bill Schroeder was reviewed and overturned due to illegal touching before the ball went 10 yards and the game came to an end.

The Lions wide receivers did very little to help Joey Harrington dropping 4 consecutive passes in the first quarter, successfully stalling any potential momentum. Scotty Anderson and Az-Zahir Hakim were the leading receivers for the Lions with near identical numbers. They were both favored by Harrington, each receiving 12 targets. They were both targets on Harrington's two interceptions. And they each successfully made a two-point conversion.

Shawn Bryson and Olandis Gary combined for a total of 85 yards. Bryson was the leading rusher for the Lions with a total of 67 yards. On the first drive of the game, Bryson ran the ball up the middle and made cuts to the outside for his longest rush of 21 yards. But as has been the pattern this season, the Lions opened the game by focusing on the rush then got behind early leaving the rushing game by the wayside.

This was the Lions' twentieth consecutive loss on the road. The last game they won on the road was in 2000.

Chicago Bears

Chris Chandler effectively led the Bears to victory over the Lions. He completed 20 passes on 31 attempts for a total of 207 yards. Chandler and the Bears were able to capitalize on a Joey Harrington interception. Chandler connected with rookie WR Justin Gage on the play for a 21-yard touchdown. With Marty Booker out with an injury, rookie WRs Justin Gage and Bobby Wade made their presence felt combining for 97 yards on their 5 receptions on only 6 targets. In comparison established WRs Dez White and David Terrell were targeted more often with a total of 16 combined targets, which they turned into 8 receptions for a total of 58 yards.

Cornerback Jerry Azumah opened the second half of the game by returning a punt 89 yards for a touchdown. Minutes later he intercepted Joey Harrington, giving the ball back to the Chicago Bears.

Rookie RB Brock Forsey started his first NFL game for the Bears with both Anthony Thomas and Adrian Peterson out with injuries. Forsey finished the game with 56 total yards rushing. But he did score his first NFL touchdown on an 8-yard rush. Forsey was the only effective RB for the Bears. Rabih Abdullah and Stanley Pritchett combined for a paltry 2 yards total rushing on 3 attempts.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Detroit Lions

QB: Joey Harrington (23-40-180, 1 TD, 2-2 pt. Conversions, 2 Int) Harrington opened the game completing his first three passing attempts. His next four passes while fine throws were all dropped by Lions' receivers. He threw his first interception while being hit by a Bears' defender in the second quarter. He threw his second interception early in the third quarter on a pass intended for Scotty Anderson. Late in the fourth quarter, Harrington led the Lions to a near comeback. He scrambled and connected with Mikhael Ricks for a touchdown. Following the touchdown with a successful two-point conversion pass to Scotty Anderson. Harrington did not attempt any deep passes throughout the game and his longest completion was for 19 yards.

RB: Shawn Bryson (14-67 rushing, 4-21 receiving on 4 targets) Shawn Bryson started the game at RB for the Lions and began the game by rushing for 26 yards on his first four carries. And on that drive, though the Lions were backed up 22 yards, Bryson ran up the middle and made cuts to gain his longest rush of the day of 21 yards.

Olandis Gary (8-18 rushing, 1-5 receiving on 4 targets) Gary started the second series of the game and was interchanged with Bryson throughout the game. His gains were minimal, and his longest rush was for only 8 yards. Gary did have a 13-yard outside rush brought back with a holding call on Bill Schroeder.

WR: Scotty Anderson (4-39 receiving on 12 targets, 1-2 pt. Conversion) Scotty Anderson led the anemic Lions' receivers with 4 receptions for 39 yards. He made a nice reach to make a completion and give the Lions a first down in the second quarter. Anderson also contributed to the game by leaping to pull in a catch for a two-point conversion.

Az-Zahir Hakim (5-38 receiving on 12 targets, 1-2 pt. Conversion) Hakim started the game by making a short 6-yard catch. He then went on the drop the next ball that came his way. He connected with Harrington for a two-point conversion after Reggie Swinton returned a punt 96 yards for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Hakim bobbled and dropped a pass that hit him right between the numbers.

Bill Schroeder (2-31 receiving on 2 targets) Schroeder caught everything that came his way, but he was called for holding bringing back a 13-yard Olandis Gary rush. In the last minute of the game, Schroeder recovered an onside kick for the Lions. But the play was reviewed and reversed due to illegal touching before the ball went 10 yards. And the Lions' opportunity for a fourth quarter comeback was quickly squashed.

TE: Mikhael Ricks (3-15, 1 TD receiving on 4 targets) Ricks made a short catch on the outside for a first down conversion. He later dropped a pass that he should have easily caught. On a positive note he did make a short 3-yard touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter.

Corey Fitzsimmons (1-1 receiving on 2 targets) While Fitzsimmons got the starting nod over Ricks, his contributions were minimal. He was targeted in the end zone but Harrington overthrew the pass.

K: Jason Hanson was a non-factor in the game as the Lions went for two point conversions on both of the touchdowns scored.

Pass Defense: The Lions gave up a respectable total of 207 passing yards and a touchdown to Chris Chandler. They were able to sack Chandler twice in the game. And they held the Bears in the fourth quarter by blocking a field goal attempt and forcing the Bears to punt on their next possession giving the Lions' offense an opportunity to comeback. But it just wasn't enough to turn the tables on the Bears.

Rush Defense: The Lions held the Bears to only 68 yards rushing, but they were unable to stop RB Brock Forsey when it counted and he scored a touchdown. They were also called for encroachment and a neutral zone infraction extending Bears' drives.

Chicago Bears

QB: Chris Chandler (20-31-207, 1 TD, 4-10 rushing) Chandler is a good fit with the Bears offense and he effectively led them to a victory over the Lions. His stats for the day were average by NFL standards, but he did not make any costly mistakes or throw any interceptions and in the end it was enough for the win. Chandler passed the ball when opportunities would present themselves and scrambled off of play action fakes when he needed to gain yards. He connected with rookie WR Justin Gage for a touchdown pass in the second quarter. And with 1:02 left in the first half, he led the Bears down field setting up a Paul Edinger field goal.

RB: Brock Forsey (19-56, 1 TD rushing, 1-10 receiving on 2 targets) Rookie RB Brock Forsey saw his first NFL start, filling in for injured Anthony Thomas and Adrian Peterson. He started off shaky. In the first quarter the Bears were going for a first down on fourth and one, but Forsey was called for a false start forcing the Bears to punt. His numbers for the day weren't great, but he was effective when he needed to be and ran for 8 yards to score his first NFL touchdown in the third quarter.

WR: Justin Gage (2-58, 1 TD receiving on 3 targets) Rookie WR Justin Gage took advantage of his playing time with contributions in the second quarter of the game. After he bobbled and dropped a pass in the end zone, he went on to break free from a tackle and score the first touchdown for the Bears. Gage's second catch was thrown into double coverage and should have been an interception but Gage was able to leap and grab the ball making it a 37-yard reception.

Bobby Wade (3-39 receiving on 3 targets) Rookie WR Bobby Wade made the most of the opportunities that came his way in the third and fourth quarters, connecting with Chandler for 3 receptions for 39 yards. His longest catch was for 18 yards.

Dez White (3-36 receiving on 9 targets) Dez White made a great leaping catch during the Bears' last possession of the second quarter on which they scored a field goal. But though he was targeted 9 times, he only made 3 receptions and his contributions were minimal.

David Terrell (5-22 receiving on 8 targets) David Terrell made a sharp catch on the outside to gain a first down for the Bears in the first quarter, but he then went on to drop a pass. He finished with 5 catches, but only gained 22 total yards on them. His longest reception was for 9 yards.

TE: Dustin Lyman (6-42 receiving on 7 targets) Lyman filled in effectively for Desmond Clark who was out with an injury. He made a number of consecutive catches in the second quarter and on one reception over the middle he fought to gain extra yardage.

K: Paul Edinger (1-2 FG, 37-yard, 3-3 XP) After making a 37-yard field goal to bring the first half to an end, Edinger had a 33-yard field goal attempt blocked in the third quarter. It was the first field goal attempt he has missed this year.

Pass Defense: The Bears defense held Joey Harrington to a total of 180 passing yards. They intercepted Harrington twice. And while a late hit on Harrington gave the Lions a first down, the Lions weren't able to do anything with it. Harrington did have time to throw throughout the game, but the Bears defense effectively covered his receivers leaving him with few options.

Rush Defense: Shawn Bryson got to know Brian Urlacher very well this game. Urlacher made a number of key tackles on Bryson stopping him at the line of scrimmage. The Bears held the Lions' running backs to a total of 86 yards rushing. And they were able to sack Harrington once in the game.

Houston Texans 21 at Indianapolis Colts 30

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Houston Texans

In the second series of the game, QB David Carr injured his ankle while getting sacked by LDE Raheem Brock. He went to the locker room for the next two series, then tried to return to the game. He was able to lead the Texans to a scoring strike, but then returned to the locker room for the rest of the game. Early reports have the injury as a high ankle sprain. Carr is scheduled for an MRI on Monday.

Domanick Davis is a joy to watch, and very exciting. He looked like a man among boys. He was able to run right through the Colts in the game. Davis found seams, and once he was in the back field, he was breaking tackles, making cuts, and stiff arming down the field. Clearly, his performance last week was no fluke.

Stacy Mack was not a part of the offense. The former starter was used on one play to rest Davis after Davis had seen the ball in three straight plays. Talk of the Vulture was greatly exaggerated.

Indianapolis Colts

Very different play calling for the Colts this week. Usually, the Colts open with a ground game to set up the run, make a number of half time adjustments, and open up the passing attack in the second half. This week, the Colts opened with an eventually dominating passing attack where Manning picked apart the short seams, opening up the long ball. Then he was very successful with play action plays opening up the center of the field. This allowed the Colt's to get out in front, and hand the game over to James in the second half. Most of James' 104 yards came in the second half as the Colts were eating up the clock.

A healthy Edgerrin James equals a healthy Colt's offense. Edgerrin James was able to get going after a slow start, and rack up 104 yards rushing. The vast majority of these yards came with the Colts eating up the clock to protect their lead. It needs to be pointed out that James had two attempts to score from the 1 yard line, and failed to punch it in both times. Outside of that, James looked great, hitting all his holes, and cutting in open traffic with the ball.

WR Reggie Wayne's emergence cam be summed up in this one play: 18 seconds left to play in the first half, no time outs, 3rd and goal on the Texan's 1 yard line. In past years, only three people could possibly get the call. Pollard, James, or Harrison. In the post game interview, both Manning and Wayne said that they both recognized that the design of the play (Wayne to run a fade route to the pylon) was too well defended, and both men made mental notes to change the play to the inside. Wayne went inside, Manning fired him the ball. Touchdown. "That's something I do with Marvin all the time," Manning said. "It used to be, if somebody else was running that play, they'd run the route to the pylon no matter what." Wayne is now a part of the offense.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Houston Texans

QB: David Carr (8/9 for 62, TD) Left in the second quarter of the game. Looked for Gaffney early in the game, and didn't go the Davis in the air but 1 time. Suffered an ankle sprain in the first half, left the game, and did return. Carr left the game for good in the second quarter. Early reports are calling this a high ankle sprain but wait for something official from the team.

Tony Banks (12/17 for 88, INT, 1/7 rushing) Went to Davis out of the back field for his first two passes, and then seemed to go to Davis as a second read on most of his passing attempts. Did well in the pocket, but was not that impressive. Really concentrated on Davis out of the back field once his first read came up empty.

RB: Domanick Davis (25/109, 2TD, fumble, 7/27 receiving, 7 targets) Davis was a one man wrecking crew, leading the Texans in rushing yards and receptions on the day. Looks like the real deal, Davis was able to move the ball with ease, and run through the Colt's defense. Missed out on another TD as the Texans elected to pass once they got down to the 1 yard line. Fumbled the ball on a bobbled hand off. Caught every ball thrown his way, and was a major safety valve for Banks in the second half.

Stacy Mack (1/3) His single rush was after three straight plays to Davis. The carry happened in the middle of the field. Mack was in to give Davis a quick breather, and nothing more.

WR: Jabar Gaffney (4/58, 6 targets) Targeted by Carr early in the game, then hit a dry spell when Banks first came in. Got into a rhythm with Banks late in the game.

Andre Johnson (4/29, 5 targets) Not really a factor with Carr in the game. Was far more effective with Banks throwing the ball. Average game, without any highlights.

Corey Bradford (1/-1, 3 targets) Not part of the game. Only reception was for a loss of yards, and didn't catch the other two balls that came his way.

TE: Billy Miller (4/37, TD, 4 targets) Unbelievable catch in the back of the end zone keeping his feet in bounds. Caught every ball thrown his way. There were not a lot of balls to go around for the WRs and TE, but Miller made the most with everything he got.

K: Kris Brown (3/3 XP)

Special Teams: P Chad Stanley (1/12 rushing) Fake Punt for 12 yards rushing

Pass Defense: The Texans were unable to sack, intercept, or really even hurry Manning. In fact, they couldn't stop Manning at all once he got going. After a slow start, Manning's short passes worked to perfection, which opened up the long ball against the Texans, and the Texans bit on almost every play action, which keep the middle of the field wide open for Manning as well. Houston could do nothing as Manning picked where, when, and to who he wanted to throw the ball. Originally it looked as if Manning was only taking advantage of the field across from CB Aaron Glenn, but that all changed when Manning went to WR Reggie Wayne over Glenn for a 57 yard TD.

Rush Defense: LLB Jay Foreman (8 tackles/3 assists) lead the squad. The injuries to cornerbacks Aaron Glenn, Kenny Wright and Jason Bell were just too much to overcome, as James was able to get a lot of room in the backfield once he found the seam.

Indianapolis Colts

QB: Peyton Manning (22/30 for 269, 3TD, 2/4 rushing) Although Manning started slow, and looked sluggish, he turned it around, was a picture of perfection this week. He made all the right decisions, made all the right throws, and found all the right receivers.

RB: Edgerrin James (23/104, 1/5 receiving, 1 target) After Manning and Company had the game nicely in hand with their first half work, the second half became the James show. The large amount of James' 104 yards came in the 4th quarter as the Colts were eating up the clock. James had back to back carries on the 1 yard line, but failed to get either in the end zone. Both carries were in a 2 TE set. He looked great and showed no ill effects from his back injury.

Dominic Rhodes (2/14) The two carries were just to give James a breather, nothing more.

Ricky Williams was not active for the game.

James Mungro was not active for the game.

WR: Marvin Harrison (8/100, 11 targets) Marvin Harrison was well, Marvin Harrison. The first read on the offense, Manning's go to guy, who made the most of everything he got. Harrison moved well after the catch, making plays all over the field.

Reggie Wayne (6/96, 2TD, 7 targets) Caught a 57 yard TD to open up the second half. Wayne has emerged as a big part of the offense, and someone who Manning feels comfortable with. He didn't see the ball early in the game, and then became the focal point for the Colts in the second half.

Troy Walters (3/34, 5 targets) Used more than normal today as Manning spread the ball around. Looked good after the catch, picking up additional yards with the ball. Was a part of the offense, but not to the extent that Harrison and Wayne were used.

Brad Pyatt (1/2, fumble, 1 target)

Brandon Stokely (1 target)

TE: Marcus Pollard (4/32, 5 targets) Used early in the game by Manning who was still finding his rhythm. Has a great chemistry with Manning. Classic Pollard type game.

Dallas Clark was not active for the game.

K: Mike Vanderjagt (3/3 FG [31, 29, 22], 3/3 XP)

Pass Defense: Both LDE Raheem Brock (3 tackles/1 assist), and RDE Dwight Freeney (3 tackles) picked up sacks in the game. FS Idrees Bashir (2 tackles/ 2 assists) pulled in an interception. LDE Raheem Brock knocked QB Carr out of the game with an ankle injury.

Rush Defense: RCB Nick Harper (9 tackles/3 assists) led the team. The Colts' 26th-ranked run defense alternately smothered and flailed at Domanick Davis. The Texans' rookie running back gained 3 yards on his first eight carries, 75 yards on his next four.

Carolina Panthers 23 at New Orleans Saints 20 in OT

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Carolina Panthers

It was the Stephen Davis show on offense for the Panthers. He ran for 178 yards and 2 touchdowns on 31 carries in the game as Carolina went back to what they need to do to win, play defense and give the ball to Davis. Davis set both personal and franchise records for rushing yards, one of his runs going for 34 yards in the overtime period and setting up the Panther's game-winning field goal. As Davis goes so go the Panthers. On his last carry in overtime, he appeared to have possibly injured his shoulder so keep an eye out.

WR Steve Smith looks to be the unquestioned first option at receiver for the Panthers. He had another 100-yard game, grabbing 9 passes. This is more impressive when you realize the Panthers as a team only completed 12. Even though WR Muhsin Muhammad was out of this game Smith seems to have developed a relationship with QB Jake Delhomme.

QB Jake Delhomme was once again asked to avoid making mistakes and hand off to RB Stephen Davis. He did both, finishing with only 12 completions on 27 attempts, but he didn't turn the ball over.

The defense stopped RB Deuce McAllister on a fourth and one at the Carolina 37-yard line in overtime, setting up the game winning drive.

New Orleans Saints

You could tell Halloween was just around the corner when you have Boo Williams as your tight end and you don't know what you are going to get from you offense, a trick or a treat. QB Aaron Brooks personified this type of play, throwing for 2 touchdowns but not being able to move the team when it counted. He started poorly, came on strong as the game progressed, but fell just short in overtime. He ended the game with 187 yards on 20 for 33 pass attempts. He was intercepted once.

RB Deuce McAllister also had a Jekyll and Hyde game, rushing for 101 yards, 133 total yards for the game, but failing to convert on a fourth and one in the overtime period. He left the field a couple of times during the game, once with an apparent leg problem and once holding his wrist, but returned shortly after in each case.

Joe Horn, WR, had a very nice game, hauling in 2 touchdown passes, including one that left him lying on the turf for several minutes until he got up and jogged off. He finished with 6 catches for 74 yards and also completed a pass to WR Jerome Pathon for 14 yards.

The 11 players that dressed up like the Saint's defense were imposters, or perhaps ghosts, as they were run over, through and around all game by RB Stephen Davis.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Carolina Panthers

QB: Jake Delhomme (12-27-148 passing, 3-6 rushing) went back to doing what he does best, hand off to Stephen Davis. He completed less than 50% of his passes but he was able to avoid making any costly errors. Unlike last week, when the game situation required Delhomme to pass, this week's game allowed the Panthers to stick with their game plan. Delhomme was missing his (former?) top receiver, Muhsin Muhammad. Early in the game they did attempt to let Delhomme put the ball in the end zone. From the New Orleans 6 yard line they attempted passes on second and third down, both of which were incomplete.

RB: Stephen Davis (31-178 2 TD rushing, 1-17 receiving, 1 target) was unstoppable this week. He set his individual game mark for yards rushing, along with the Carolina team record. He had 108 yards at the half. He averaged over 6 yards per carry and had his longest run of the year, 40 yards. He broke free in overtime, stopping 34 yards later at the New Orleans 11-yard line, allowing K John Kasay to kick the winning field goal two plays later. So much for resting him more often during the game. He ran through, over and around Saint's defenders. While he had several big runs his most impressive may have come early when he was stopped several yards behind the line but just kept moving and ended up with a 3-yard gain. It set the tone for the rest of the game. He is the perfect back for the system that head coach John Fox wants to run in Carolina.

DeShaun Foster (3-25 rushing, 1 target) came in to give Davis a rest on a couple of series. In this game, at least, Foster was not a factor.

Brad Hoover (1-4 rushing, 2 targets) had one red zone target but was not a factor in the game.

WR: Muhsin Muhammad was inactive as he was still suffering the effects of a concussion from last week's game.

Steve Smith (9-100 receiving, 1-10 rushing, 12 targets) seems to have taken over the number one receiver spot for Carolina. Even though WR Muhsin Muhammad was out, this is another week that Smith was not only the most targeted, but also the most successful receiver on the team. He caught 9 of QB Jake Delhomme's 12 completions and the two seem to have developed a nice chemistry together. He would have had an even better day were it not for a nice defensive play that knocked a pass away from Smith in the end zone. He also ran once for 10 yards.

Ricky Proehl (1-9 receiving, 1 target) caught the only ball thrown his way.

Walter Young (6 targets) started in place of injured WR Muhsin Muhammad. He was targeted several times, including in the red zone, but the rookie receiver failed to make a catch. He did come down with one ball but was called for offensive pass interference, negating the play. He also dropped one very catchable ball.

TE: Kris Mangum (1-22 receiving, 4 targets) had the one catch. He also had the wind knocked out of him after a vicious hit on a play down the middle of the field.

Mike Seidman (1 target) was not a factor in the game.

K: John Kasay (3-3 FG (24, 29, 31 yards) 2-2 XP) was perfect on the day and kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime.

Pass Defense: The pass defense was hot and cold. They allowed 2 scores to WR Joe Horn but shut down the rest of the receiving corps of the Saints. QB Aaron Brooks ended the game with 187 yards. They put very little pressure on Brooks until the end of the game when they recorded their 2 sacks. They allowed Brooks to complete 20 of his 33 attempts.

Rush Defense: While they allowed RB Deuce McAllister to reach 100 yards they stiffened when they had to, in particular in the overtime period. On fourth and one they stuffed McAllister a yard behind the line, forcing a fumble and recovering it.

New Orleans Saints

QB: Aaron Brooks (20-33-187 2 TD 1 INT passing, 2-3 rushing) started the game poorly, missing 5 of his first 6 passes. He also lost a fumble as he went back to pass and the ball squirted out of his hand. Then he got hot, in particular after WR Joe Horn had hit WR Jerome Pathon with a pass. He threw a beautiful strike to WR Talman Gardner between a couple of defenders then, two plays later threaded the needle to WR Joe Horn for a touchdown from 14 yards out. He threw a second touchdown pass to Horn and came close with a third, watching the ball get knocked down in the end zone. On the last possession in regulation he was able to get the Saints into position for the tying field goal, but in the overtime he did not attempt any passes. He was sacked twice at the end of regulation, but for most of the game was not bothered by the pass rush.

RB: Deuce McAllister (26-101 rushing, 3-32 receiving, 3 targets) finished with 133 total yards but failed to do what he is one of the best at - pick up first downs in short-yardage situations. The Saints had a third and one earlier in the game and the announcers pointed out that McAllister was tied for the league lead in picking up first downs in that situation. He was stopped short. He had another opportunity in the overtime period on fourth and one, again the announcers brought up how successful he was at those situations, and he was not only stopped short but he fumbled the ball. He ran effectively in the game otherwise, getting stronger as the game went on. He went out of the game twice, once after it looked like he landed awkwardly on his leg and once holding his wrist. He was able to return quickly after both incidents and he did not look to be affected by either once he returned.

Ki-Jana Carter (1-0 rushing, 1-11 receiving, 1 target) came in for Deuce McAllister on a couple of occasions after McAllister was dinged up. He wasn't a factor in the game.

Terrelle Smith (1-2 receiving, 1 target) was not a factor in the game.

WR: Donte Stallworth was inactive for the game with a leg injury he suffered last week.

Joe Horn (6-74 2 TD receiving, 11 targets, 1-1-14 passing) had a big game. He had been the subject of the Carolina Panther's secondary for comments he had made about them earlier. Then he tried to show them that he wasn't wrong when he said he didn't think they were very good. He made a big catch for a touchdown while getting crushed between a couple of defenders, holding on to the ball after crashing to the ground. He was slow to get up but was eventually able to jog off under his own power. He was able to shake off any lingering affects as he left a Panther cornerback in the dust with a nice spin move, getting behind the entire secondary for his second touchdown of the game. He also threw a pass to WR Jerome Pathon after taking a lateral from QB Aaron Brooks. Brooks looked to Horn on 1/3 of his pass attempts. He also had a pass knocked away from him in the end zone.

Jerome Pathon (3-34 receiving, 3 targets (+ 1 target from Horn)) was not targeted much in this game.

Talman Gardner (1-11 receiving, 7 targets) got the start as the third WR for the Saints, due to the Stallworth injury. While he was targeted the second most on the team, he was only able to come down with one catch. He had a couple of drops.

TE: Ernie Conwell (3-23 receiving, 3 targets) caught all three passes thrown his way.

Boo Williams (2-8 receiving, 3 targets) had no impact in the game.

Walter Rasby (1-6 receiving, 1 target) was not a factor in the game.

K: John Carney (2-2 FG (46, 42 yards) 2-2 XP)

Pass Defense: The numbers were deceptively good. While they held Panther QB Jake Delhomme to under 50% passing and a meager 148 yards the Panthers weren't interested in moving the ball through the air. They didn't have to.

Rush Defense: What rush defense? This phase of the game was totally non-existent. They gave up 223 yards on the ground, 5.7 yards per carry, and 2 scores. And this was on their home turf.

Buffalo Bills 5 at Kansas City Chiefs 38

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Buffalo Bills

The Bills were, in a word, atrocious. The score does not even describe how badly the Bills were humiliated. They had zero sacks on defense and created no turnovers. They allowed Priest Holmes 5.5 yards per carry and Trent Green 7.8 yards per pass attempt. The Bills had no passes of more than 14 yards and turned the ball over seven times. Drew Bledsoe was awful and the defensive front seven got pushed around by a more physical Chiefs line. There are simply not enough negative adjectives to describe how poorly the Bills played.

The Bills failed to capitalize early in the game on excellent field position. Their first six drives had an average starting position of their own 44 yard line and produced zero offensive points. One drive started on Kansas City's 34 yard line and the Bills went three and out and Rian Lindell missed a 49 yard field goal attempt. The Bills simply could not move the ball on the Chiefs defense.

Eric Moulds was able start the game and showed no ill effects from his recent groin injury. He was quiet on the evening though with 6 catches for 53 yards.

Drew Bledsoe continues to run hot and cold. He looked rattled early in the game even though the Chiefs did not mount a great pass rush. He finished 23 of 34 for 153 yards and 3 interceptions. Not to mention 2 fumbles, one of which was lost. Bledsoe was anxious in the pocket, missing several receivers badly.

Travis Henry put up another strong outing, possibly staving off the Willis watch another week. He had 22 carries for 124 yards for a nifty 5.6 yards per carry clip.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs offensive line was simply dominating during the game. Trent Green had all kinds of time and Priest Holmes had his choice of holes. The line did not allow a sack and only allowed Green to be hit a handful of times. The Chiefs offense had 7.4 yards per pass attempt and 4.5 yards per rush attempt with zero turnovers.

The defense was also very good. The Chiefs forced the Bills into seven turnovers (5 interceptions and 2 fumbles). The run defense was not very good (133 yards on 26 carries), but most of the damage came with a 28-3 lead in the second half. The Chiefs' pass defense was exceptional though, allowing only 165 yards. The Chiefs pass rush was very good and the tackling excellent, limiting any big play chances the Bills might of had.

The Chiefs' main fantasy cogs put up very good numbers as well. Trent Green was very solid before being pulled in the 4th quarter (20-35, 273 yards, 2 TDs). Priest Holmes also was very productive before being pulled (15-83-3, 3-26). Tony Gonzalez seems to be finding more consistency in recent weeks, putting up 6 catches for 65 yards and a touchdown.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Buffalo Bills

QB: Drew Bledsoe was simply abysmal. The Chiefs pass rush was fierce in the second half accounting for some of his struggles, but in the first half Bledsoe had time to complete passes and just couldn't get the job done. His final numbers were 23 of 34 for 153 yards, 0 TDs, 3 interceptions, 2 fumbles and 1 lost. Bledsoe was indecisive throughout the game and held on to the ball too long, especially in the second half when the Chiefs could tee off on the snap. His lowlight of the night was being picked off by DT Ryan Sims. How he did not see the 320 yard lineman blocking out all sight of his receiver is inexcusable.

Alex Van Pelt came on when Bledsoe was pulled in the 4th quarter. He was 2 of 4 for 12 yards with 2 interceptions.

RB: Travis Henry's final numbers were very good (22 carries for 124 yards, 2 catches for 0 yards) and he ran hard until he was pulled late in the 4th quarter. Most of his production was in the second half though (12 carries for 87 yards), as the Chiefs were content to allow the Bills to run down the clock.

WR: Eric Moulds, coming off of a groin injury, started the game. The groin did not appear to affect him during the game. Moulds (8 targets) had a quiet game, finishing with 6 catches for 53 yards with a redzone target.

Josh Reed has seemingly sealed his role as the number two receiver for the Bills. He was Bledsoe's most targeted receiver (9 targets, 1 redzone) and led the team with 8 catches for 59 yards. Reed made a costly mistake in the first half, fumbling in Chiefs territory as the Bills offense was finally getting into sync.

Bobby Shaw (5 targets) had a quiet evening, finishing with 2 catches for 14 yards.

TE: Mark Campbell (5 targets) finished with 4 catches for 21 yards. Dave Moore was wide open in the endzone late in the first half and Bledsoe overthrew him by 5 yards.

K: Rian Lindell was 1 of 2. He made a 20 yard chip shot near the end of the first half. He also missed a 49 yard field goal attempt.

Pass Defense: The Bills had little to no pass rush. Trent Green had time to settle in the pocket and complete passes. The Bills had no sacks and were lucky to only be beat for 275 yards passing at a 7.4 yards per attempt clip.

Rush Defense: The Bills front seven were overwhelmed by the Chiefs outstanding offensive line. The Chiefs finished with a modest 100 yards on 24 attempts (4.3 YPC). But, if you factor out garbage time, the Chiefs had 17 carries for 91 yards (5.3 YPC).

Kansas City Chiefs

QB: Trent Green's final numbers are good (20 of 35 for 273 yards with 2 TDs), but understand how well he played in the first half. Green had all kinds of time as he ripped apart the Bills secondary. At the end of the first half, Green was 14 of 21 for 209 (10.0 YPA) yards and 2 TDs. If the Bills had put up any kind of fight, Green would have finished with stellar numbers. Chiefs receivers had 3 drops and Green barely overthrew Morton for what would have been a 47 yard TD pass to pad his final numbers. Trent Green continues to have an outstanding season.

RB: Priest Holmes had another outstanding day. On a day where he was not asked to carry the load, Holmes leisurely carried the ball 15 times for 83 yards (5.5 YPC) and 3 TDs. Holmes once again showed his trademark patience, setting up his blocks and breaking arm tackles. He also added 3 catches for 26 yards (4 targets).

WR: Dante Hall was the outstanding receiver for the Chiefs in the game. Hall finished with 4 catches for 107 yards and 1 TD (4 targets). He caught a 15 yard streak that turned into a 67 yard TD pass easily outrunning the Bills secondary.

Eddie Kennison led the Chiefs in targets with 9. He had 5 catches for 57 yards with a drop and one redzone target.

Johnnie Morton had a disappointing evening with 1 catch for 9 yards. He was targeted 6 times and was overthrown and what should have been a 47 yard TD pass.

Marc Boerigter was targeted 3 times but had no catches. He was the target of a TD pass from Green and drew a pass interference call that set up a Tony Gonzalez touchdown.

TE: Tony Gonzalez had a great evening. He had 65 yards on 6 catches with a 1 yard touchdown reception. He was targeted 7 times total including 3 red zone targets. Tony Gonzalez is finally finding more consistent touches in recent weeks.

K: Morten Andersen had 5 extra points and 1 field goal of 49 yards. His FG attempt just cleared the uprights and the announcers stated that 49 yards is the limit of his range judging from pregame.

Pass Defense: The Chiefs pass defense was stellar. The Chiefs netted 3 sacks, 5 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles in the passing game. The Chiefs held the Bills to 165 yards on 38 attempts (4.3 YPA). The team tackling was terrific, limiting any yards after catch opportunities for Bills receivers. Eric Warfield particularly had a stellar game with 1 sack, 2 interceptions and 1 forced fumble.

Rush Defense: The final numbers aren't spectacular, 133 yards on 26 carries (5.1 YPC), but most of the yardage came in the early second half with the Chiefs nursing a 28 to 5 lead. The Chiefs were content to allow Henry to run for 5 and 6 yards at a time as the clock continued to move. The Chiefs run defense displayed solid penetration and decent tackling.

Denver Broncos 6 at Baltimore Ravens 26

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Denver Broncos

For the third time in four weeks, injuries forced the Denver Broncos to incorporate a different starting quarterback. For the third time in four weeks, that starter couldn't get it done. Journeyman QB Danny Kanell (16-31-2-114), felled by the flu for most of the week leading up to the game, suffered the misfortune of running into a revitalized Ravens' defense that limited the Broncos to just 194 net yards.

Kanell, filling in for injured back-up Steve Beuerlein who was filling in for injured starter Jake Plummer, was woefully ineffective for most of the game and endured two costly second-half interceptions on poor throws that Baltimore turned into 14 points.

RB Clinton Portis recorded a rather quiet 86 yards rushing on 22 carries - including a meaningless 17-yard run during Denver's final drive - and also led all receivers with six catches for just 29 yards.

WR Rod Smith mustered just 32 yards on six touches (including two runs for nine yards). Smith also handled punt-return duty in place of the inactive Deltha O'Neal.

The Broncos took an early 3-0 lead but during a telling second quarter, the Ravens tallied three straight field goals and 99 total yards while limiting the Broncos to minus-6 yards of total offense and just more than two minutes of possession time.

The decimation of Denver's starting lineup continued Sunday, as starting LB John Mobley was carted off the field on a stretcher with a bruised spinal cord and starting OT Matt Lepsis was ejected from the game for making contact with an official. As of late Sunday night, Mobley had regained feeling in all of his extremities.

Baltimore Ravens

Punishing RB Jamal Lewis (32-134, one touchdown, 3-28 receiving) ram-rodded his way to another 100-yard rushing performance, his sixth in a row. He now stands just 23 yards away from 1,000-yard plateau for the season. Lewis' cut-back 28-yard touchdown run on his final carry of the game clinched his third straight six-touchdown season (he missed all of 2001).

Rookie QB Kyle Boller (15-27-0-137, one touchdown) continued the maturation process and took great care of Baltimore's safe game plan. His poor decisions were virtually nonexistent, and his play-action passes were repeatedly effective.

TE Todd Heap had as monstrous a three-catch, 54-yard, zero-touchdown game as humanly possible, taking several vicious blows, losing a touchdown reception to instant replay and making a spectacular one-handed grab that covered 33 yards as the longest play of the day by either team.

Baltimore wide receivers combined for just four catches and 26 receiving yards.

Despite dominating the second quarter to take a 9-3 lead (running 27 plays to Denver's six and controlling the ball for 12:37), the Ravens squandered TD opportunities on successive possessions - from first-and-goal at the 3-yard line and from second-and-goal from at 2-yard line. In the first half, 32 of Baltimore's 37 plays were run inside Denver territory.

LB Ray Lewis' turned in a timely fourth-quarter interception and subsequent 37-yard return with Baltimore leading 9-6. Four plays later, Baltimore lead, 16-6.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Denver Broncos

QB: Danny Kanell, making just his third start since 1999 and his first since 2000, endured a miserable first half in which he completed just three of eight passes for 21 yards. The Broncos managed just 58 net yards in the half as Kanell frequently was off the mark, including thrice to WR Ashley Lelie. He was at his most effective during Denver's opening second-half drive, completing four-of-five passes for 45 yards - including his game-long completion of 19 yards to TE Dwayne Carswell. That drive stalled at Baltimore's 4-yard line and the Broncos were forced to settle for a field goal.

Kanell went just 9-of-18 for 48 yards the rest of the way, throwing two disastrous interceptions - the first into a group of four Ravens surrounding WR Rod Smith, the second an under thrown air ball to WR Ashley Lelie. Kanell did produce a nine-yard scramble on third-and-eight in the first half but failed to convert a QB sneak four plays later on fourth-and-inches.

RB: Clinton Portis finished with respectable-looking numbers (22-86 rushing, 6-29 receiving), but take away runs of 15 and 17 yards and his rushing numbers don't look nearly as impressive (20-54). He was integral during Denver's first-half field-goal drive, carrying six straight times for 29 yards on a drive that stalled at Baltimore's 9-yard line. Despite such effectiveness early, Portis carried just once in a Ravens-dominated second quarter for minus-2 yards. On the day, Portis was tackled behind the line of scrimmage four times resulting in minus-10 yards.

Mike Anderson's lone carry of the day was a bad one, a first-quarter no-gainer on third-and-one from Denver's own 48. Kanell's sneak one play later also went for no gain and Baltimore took over on downs.

WR: Rod Smith (4-23 receiving, 2-9 rushing) had a quiet afternoon catching the ball, with a pair of seven-yard grabs his longest of the day. Aside from the four receptions, Smith, who dropped one pass, was targeted just two other times through the air. He did rush for nine yards on consecutive carries to start Denver's second possession.

Speedster Ashley Lelie (3-28) was clearly a key factor in what Denver wanted to do offensively against Baltimore, but Kanell couldn't make the connection. He misfired in Lelie's direction no less than seven times, the last a woefully short deep ball picked off by Ravens FS Gary Baxter. It's worth noting that Lelie rarely got separation from the Baltimore secondary.

Ed McCaffrey was inactive for the second straight week.

TE: Shannon Sharpe (2-15) had a forgettable afternoon against his former team. He wasn't even targeted until Denver's opening drive of the second half (when he caught an 11-yard pass on second-and-14) and he dropped balls on back-to-back drives with the game still in reach at 16-6.

Kanell's best pass of the day - and Denver's longest play from scrimmage - went to Dwayne Carswell on Denver's opening drive of the second half, a perfectly lofted 19-yard pass on third-and-four from Denver's 44.

K: Jason Elam was single-footedly responsible for the Broncos scoreboard presence Sunday, connecting on relative chip shots from 28 and 22 yards, respectively.

Pass Defense: Despite giving up just 126 net passing yards and registering two sacks of Ravens QB Kyle Boller, the Denver secondary surrendered several big third-down conversions, including three in the first half. While they seemed to have answers for the Ravens receivers, the Broncos couldn't stop Baltimore's tight ends, who combined for 63 yards and a touchdown.

Rush Defense: By the time Jamal Lewis scored from 28 yards out late in the fourth quarter, he'd already done a pretty good job of wearing down the Broncos' defensive front. The Broncos limited Lewis to 3.4 YPC on his first 29 totes and 12 YPC on his last three. Aside from the 28-yard scoring run, Denver allowed just one other run of 10 or more yards.

Baltimore Ravens

QB: Boller (15-27-0-137) looked sharp all game long - mostly because he spent most of his time handing off to Jamal Lewis, but partly because when he had to execute some key third-down passes, he did. In the first half alone he connected with TE Todd Heap for 16 yards on third-and-two, with RB Chester Taylor for eight yards on third-and-eight and with WR Travis Taylor for five yards on third-and-three. He converted two more such situations in the second half (both to WR Frank Sanders).

Following three straight Jamal Lewis runs after Ray Lewis' fourth-quarter interception, Boller flawlessly performed a play-action roll-out, throwing for five yards and a touchdown to wide-open TE Terry Jones for a 16-6 Ravens lead. Boller seemed more than content to eschew the deep stuff in favor of the safer routes underneath, as evidenced by 11 of his 15 completions going to either running backs or tight ends. Boller rushed three times for 11 yards, the most significant a five-yard run in the second quarter (on third-and-eight). But Denver's Lenny Walls hit Boller just as he stepped out of bounds to give Baltimore a first-and-10 at Denver's 18-yard line.

RB: Jamal Lewis, thanks to a career-high 32 carries, continued his march toward the NFL's single-season rushing mark against one the league's top run defenses. With 977 yards rushing through seven games (an average of 140 yards a game), Lewis is on pace to rush for an NFL-record 2,240 yards. Against the Broncos on Sunday, Lewis was a persistently pulverizing force. He carried four times for 13 yards on Baltimore's first field-goal drive, and eight times for 32 yards on its third. His three straight carries for 14 yards made Boller's play-action TD pass to Jones in the fourth quarter possible, and his 28-yard scoring run on his last carry simply blew the game open.

This game wasn't without at least one minor flaw for Lewis, who failed to score on consecutive carries from Denver's 2- and 1-yard lines, respectively, just before halftime; he fumbled (and recovered) on the second attempt as the Ravens settled for another Matt Stover field goal and a 9-3 lead. Lewis also grabbed three receptions for 28 yards, including one reception that resulted in John Mobley's game-ending injury.

Back-up Chester Taylor was more effective as a receiver (2-10) than as a rusher (2-6), and turned in a key eight-yard reception on third-and-eight down to Denver's three-yard line on Baltimore's first scoring possession.

FB Alan Ricard began Baltimore's third possession with a 10-yard reception, his lone statistical contribution of the game.

WR: Travis Taylor's only catch of the day was big - a five-yard reception on third-and-three that enabled Baltimore to keep driving just before halftime. The drive ended with Stover's third field goal and a 9-3 lead. Taylor was targeted once in the end zone but was well covered on an uncatchable ball.

Seldom-used former Cardinal Frank Sanders (3-21) was responsible for three consecutive Boller completions in the second half and twice converted third downs with grabs of 9 and 7 yards.

Dedric Ward and Marcus Robinson (drop) were each targeted once with no success.

TE: As mentioned earlier, Todd Heap (3-54) had a rather eventful non-TD performance. He was targeted no less than seven times on the afternoon by Boller and endured a handful of heavy-duty hits from Broncos defenders.

The biggest blow came from LB Al Wilson on an apparent 11-yard touchdown reception. Heap leaped slightly to catch the ball and collided with Wilson on the way down. Heap's helmet - and the football - popped loose as he crashed to his back in end zone. The play was initially ruled a TD and although replays seemed inconclusive, the call was reversed. The Ravens settled for a field goal.

Heap's leaping one-handed catch in the second half covered 33 yards down to the Broncos' 25-yard line. Three plays later, however, Boller was flagged for intentional grounding and the Ravens were forced to punt.

Terry Jones (2-9) gave Baltimore some breathing room with his five-yard touchdown catch midway through the fourth quarter and made Ray Lewis' interception four plays earlier even that much bigger.

K: Other than pushing a 45-yard attempt on Baltimore's game-opening possession wide right, Matt Stover had a huge game. He connected on kicks of 25, 39, 22 and 29 yards and booted two extra points.

Pass Defense: The Ravens looked every bit as good Sunday as they often did during their Super Bowl run of 2000. They sacked Danny Kanell twice, picked him off twice and surrendered a minuscule 90 net passing yards, including just nine in the first half.

Rush Defense: Considering that 32 of Clinton Portis' 86 rushing yards came on two carries, it's safe to say that Baltimore largely stifled Denver's ground game. Portis was brought down for negative yardage four times and Baltimore came up big at midfield early in the game by stopping Denver for no gain on third-and-one and fourth-and-one.

Tennessee Titans 30 at Jacksonville Jaguars 17

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Tennessee Titans

The Titans brought their two game win streak into Jacksonville, looking to enter their bye week at 6-2. Tennessee accomplished the task in record-setting fashion, scoring at least 30 points for their fifth consecutive week, a franchise first.

The final score was not indicative of how much Tennessee controlled this game. They dominated every aspect of the game from the onset - field position, ball control, scoring, time of possession, you name it. At one point in the first quarter, the Titans led 10-0 and had out gained the youthful Jaguars 123 yards to 5 in offense.

QB Steve McNair led the Titans early, connecting on 5 of his first 6 passes on his way to a 16-for-20 first half (21-27 for the game). He finished 21 of 27 with a touchdown and an interception, but could have easily had a bigger day. Tennessee chose to emphasize the run once they led 27-10 early in the third quarter, so McNair only threw four passes after that point.

RB Eddie George also started quickly, gaining 42 yards in the first quarter and establishing the ground game on the second Tennessee possession. George punctuated that drive with the first of his two 1-yard touchdowns.

The most telling drive of the game came in the fourth quarter, where Tennessee had the ball for 17 plays and 11:14 of the clock. Eddie George carried the lion's share, toting the rock 13 times for 41 yards and his second score. Jacksonville was unable to stop the Titans and get the ball back to mount any kind of comeback.

Speaking of comebacks, TE Frank Wycheck returned to the Tennessee lineup for the first time since his concussion problems. Wycheck collected one catch for 10 yards to mark his return.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville's first possession of the game was a 3-and-out, and before they saw the ball a second time, they trailed 10-0. The game quickly turned into a comeback attempt, as the Jaguars abandoned the run and become one-dimensional.

RB Fred Taylor had a very quiet day as a result of the Jacksonville deficit on the scoreboard. Taylor finished with 9 carries and 4 catches, providing just 69 all-purpose yards to the offense.

QB Byron Leftwich was forced to try and lead a comeback effort, throwing on most downs. Leftwich (15-28-187, 1 TD, 3 INTs) was not under much pressure, giving up just one coverage sack on the last play of the first quarter. Rather, he tried to develop the short passing game. The one deep attempt before halftime was a long touchdown strike of 49 yards to a streaking Jimmy Smith, his lone catch before the midpoint of the game.

Leftwich did not get much support from his receivers, especially WR Jimmy Smith. Smith could only gather in 3 of his 8 targets, gaining the bulk of his 60 yards on the long touchdown.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Tennessee Titans

QB: Steve McNair (21-27-197, 1 TD, 1 INT) continued to be one of the most dominant QBs in the NFL, controlling the game and completing passes seemingly at will (78% completion rate). McNair's efforts were mostly contained in the first half, where he was 16-20-136 with a score. In the second half, the lack of a passing game was a conscious decision by HC Jeff Fisher, who emphasized the run to control the ball and the clock.

McNair completed passes to 8 different receivers, spreading the ball around and keeping everyone involved. He was also able to show elusiveness in the pocket, buying added time so receivers could work the secondary and get open. Although McNair had no rushing yardage, his footwork and the threat of the run kept the Jaguar defense honest. On the touchdown pass to WR Tyrone Calico, McNair stepped out of the pocket and dashed towards the line of scrimmage. This froze the Jacksonville defense, who could not decide to defend the run or the pass. This indecision opened a passing lane for Calico and the easy TD reception.

RB: Eddie George (29-88-2 TD rushing, 3-13 receiving, 3 targets) started fast, gaining 39 yards on six carries and adding a 14-yard catch on the second drive for Tennessee. This drive was capped by George's first touchdown run, the first of three occasions the Titans would locate the Jaguar end zone

George's production greatly diminished in the second and third quarters, where he had 7 carries for just five total yards. However, he picked his game back up in the home stretch, gaining 41 yards on 13 carries on an incredibly long drive that lasted 17 plays and 11:14 of the fourth quarter. George punctuated this statement of a drive with his second TD, another 1-yard plunge.

Robert Holcombe (11-45 rushing, 2-20 receiving, 2 targets) did a nice job of complimenting Eddie George's rushing attack. Holcombe added much of his production in the second quarter, where he gained 19 yards on 6 attempts. His longest rush, a 21-yarder, came on the 11-plus minute statement drive in the fourth quarter on a draw on 3rd-and-10.

WR: Drew Bennett (4-48 receiving, 5 targets) was the most active of the Titan WR core, catching 4 balls for 48 yards. All of Bennett's production was at halftime, and he would have been better off not coming out of the tunnel for the second half. His lone target of the third quarter resulted in an incompletion, an unrelated penalty, and a right calf injury to Bennett. Bennett did not appear in much pain on the sideline afterwards, although he was visibly upset immediately after the trainers came out to attend him after the incompletion. He did not return to the field after that play.

Derrick Mason (3-29 receiving, 5 targets) had a relatively quiet game, catching just 3 balls on 5 targets. Mason had little opportunity to add to the 19 yards he amassed by halftime. Only one pass came his way in the third quarter, and he collected 10 yards with that opportunity. Mason's totals were more of a reflection of the lack of a need of a passing attack once the football game was decided early on in the third quarter.

Tyrone Calico (3-27 receiving, 1TD, 3 targets) was the recipient of QB Steve McNair's lone passing touchdown of the afternoon, a 7 yard pass after a nice scramble that froze the Jaguar secondary.

Justin McCariens (1-8 receiving, 2 targets) had one catch for 8 yards, and contributed on special teams with 54 kick return and 11 punt return yards.

TE: Erron Kinney (4-32 receiving, 5 targets) played well and was one of two receivers for the Titans to catch four passes (Bennett the other). Kinney caught most of his catches over the middle in the third quarter, helping McNair to keep drives going. None of the three exceeded 7 yards. His longest catch, 19 yards, came on the first play of the game.

Frank Wycheck (1-10 receiving, 2 targets) returned to the Titans, his first appearance since his latest bout with another concussion injury. Wycheck marked the occasion with one catch for 10 yards in the second quarter. The only other ball that came his way was the lone interception for the Jaguars.

Shad Meier (1 target) had one ball thrown to him but could not haul it in.

K: Gary Anderson (3/3 FG, 43, 43, 33 yards each, 3-3 XP) was successful on all of his kicks, scoring a field goal in every quarter but the third.

Pass Defense: Tennessee could not provide very much in the way of pressure on rookie QB Byron Leftwich, not collecting any sacks, but were able to come up with three interceptions. Leftwich completed just over 50% of his passes for only 158 yards. QB David Garrard came on in the last two minutes of the game and added a meaningless TD and 86 yards.

Rush Defense: Jacksonville fell behind so quickly in the contest that the score did more to stop the Jaguar run game than anything else. Fred Taylor toted the ball just nine times, none in the 4th quarter, for only 48 yards. Jacksonville had just 11 total carries for 54 yards, taking to the air often to try to catch up on the scoreboard.

Jacksonville Jaguars

QB: Byron Leftwich (15-28-158, 1 TD, 3 INTs) struggled all day against the Titans, barely completing 50% of his passes. Leftwich was forced to try to lead a comeback for the Jaguars, as Jacksonville quickly trailed 10-0 in the first quarter. Leftwich tried to get his feet wet and warm up with some short passes in the first few possessions. The lone pass attempt of the first half came with 4:27 remaining in the second quarter, a 49-yard deep connection to WR Jimmy Smith.

Leftwich was contained within the pocket but was not under too much duress for most of the game, but he still had three interceptions for the third time in four starts. On the play that led to his third pick, Leftwich was wrapped up and under Titan Jevon Kearse. Leftwich left the field with an ankle sprain, but was able to return to the contest. He was removed for the last two minutes once the outcome was decided.

David Garrard (9-12-86, 1 TD) mopped up the game in the last two minutes, connecting with WR George Wrighster for a 5-yard touchdown with just 5 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

RB: Fred Taylor (9-48 rushing, 4-21 receiving, 5 targets) was not as involved in the Jaguar offense as usual. Taylor did contribute 70 all-purpose yards, but Jacksonville gave up on the run for most of the second half once they trailed Tennessee 27-10. Taylor only touched the ball 6 times in the first half, gaining 24 yards on 5 carries and adding a 4-yard catch. The third quarter marked his last 4 carries of the game, but Taylor did have two short catches early in the fourth quarter.

Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala (1-6 rushing, 1-2 receiving, 1 target) added one 6-yard run and one 2-yard catch, but has a great football name.

FB Marc Edwards (0-0 rushing, 2-14 receiving, 4 targets) contributed solely in the passing game. Edwards made one catch for 7 yards on two targets in each of the final two quarters.

LaBrandon Toefield (0-0 rushing, 2-7 receiving, 2 targets) caught just two balls in the fourth quarter. Toefield remains the primary return man for Jacksonville, returning four kickoffs for 56 total yards.

WR: Jimmy Smith (3-60 receiving, 1 TD, 8 targets) was the most targeted Jaguar, but could only gather in three of his eight targets. His lone catch of the first half was a picturesque 49-yard touchdown strike from Leftwich, the lone Jaguar deep ball thrown before halftime. Smith's only other two catches came from QB David Garrard in the final two minutes of the game.

Troy Edwards (1-0 rushing, 4-63 receiving, 6 targets) tried to contribute on the ground and via the air to the Jacksonville cause, but neither really got on track. Edwards' best run, a 7-yard carry, was recalled due to a penalty. As a receiver, Edwards had one catch for five yards by halftime, adding just two catches in the third quarter of 15 yards each. The final 28 yards came on a catch late in the game long after the game had been decided.

JJ Stokes (1-20 receiving, 1 target) collected one ball for 20 yards during the last Jaguar possession of the game.

Cortez Hankton (1-3 receiving, 3 targets) made one short catch in the third quarter, and was the intended recipient of the third Byron Leftwich interception in the end zone but could not prevent the pick.

TE: Kyle Brady (3-31 receiving, 4 targets) made a few nice catches for Leftwich to pick up three first downs. He spend most of his time running short flat or crossing routes. Brady's lone gaffe was his fourth intended reception, which he dropped.

Rookie George Wrighster (3-23 receiving, 1 TD, 3 targets) had an interesting day. Wrighster got involved early, catching a 10-yard pass from Leftwich in the first quarter, then disappeared until the final drive of the game. Wrighster caught two balls for 8 and 5 yards, respectively, in the last two minutes of the contest.

K: Seth Marler (1/1 FG, 49 yards, 2/2 XP) added five points to the Jaguars' score, making every kick he attempted. Marler scored the 49-yard field goal on which he showed that he has plenty of leg.

Pass Defense: Jacksonville could not corral McNair for any sacks, nor could they contain him in the pocket. This was their downfall on the one passing TD from McNair. As McNair scrambled from the pocket, he was able to paralyze the Jaguar defense from deciding to cover run or pass. This opened up Calico for the easy score.

McNair completed 78% of his passes, and the only thing that kept Tennessee from racking up the passing stats was a lack of need and a desire to run the ball to control the clock. The lone interception by DE Tony Brackens was an errant pass by Steve McNair, who hit Brackens right in the numbers.

Rush Defense: Tennessee ran at will against the Jaguars, showing an ability to control the ball and the game as they pleased. An incredible 17-play, 11:14 drive in the fourth quarter illustrated this point to excess, where Eddie George carried the ball 13 times and helped Tennessee to ice their sixth victory. While the Titans did not have an impressive yards per carry as a team (3.5), the two rushing touchdowns and the control of the game demonstrated that Jacksonville could not stop Tennessee on the ground.

Dallas Cowboys 0 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Dallas Cowboys

While the Bucs' defense deserves a lot of credit for the Cowboys' inept play, Dallas tried its best to be as sloppy as possible on offense. Overall, it was ugly day for any fantasy owners who started Cowboys this week.

Quarterback Quincy Carter regressed considerably after being a solid performer the first six weeks of the season. He passed for a season-low 140 yards, threw two interceptions and was sacked four times. Carter was pressured all day from Tampa's tenacious defense, but even when he had time to throw, he missed open targets and was indecisive in the pocket.

Running back Troy Hambrick made a couple nice runs early, but the Bucs' defense clamped down on him after Dallas' opening drive, and he wasn't a factor the remainder of the game. Backups Aveion Cason and Richie Anderson didn't make anything happen on the ground and were primarily used as dump-off options out of the backfield.

Cason was the leading receiver with three catches; that tells you all you need to know about the day for Cowboy wideouts. Joey Galloway and Terry Glenn combined for five catches and 52 yards receiving. Antonio Bryant had one ball thrown his way.

Tight end Jason Witten followed suit with the rest of his unproductive teammates, catching just one pass for 15 yards.

Bucs tailback Michael Pittman methodically broke down Dallas run defense, piling up 113 yards on the day. QB Brad Johnson was anything but spectacular, but the Cowboys' defense couldn't take advantage of his inconsistent passing day. Dallas did sack him twice and forced two fumbles, but both were recovered by Tampa. The one bright spot: only allowing 16 points.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

QB Brad Johnson was good enough for the Bucs. He completed just 50 percent of his passes and misfired on several potential big-gain plays. He also fumbled the ball twice, although his teammates bailed him out both times. Johnson did thread a nice TD pass to Keyshawn Johnson in the right edge of the end zone in the second quarter. Brad Johnson continues to look to Keenan McCardell as his favorite receiver, targeting him 10 times.

Michael Pittman had a workman-like 30 carries for 113 yards. He wasn't flashy, but he consistently moved the chains. He accounted for about one-third of the team's offense.

Keenan McCardell had a solid day with six receptions for 68 yards, and Johnson looked to him far more than any other receiver (10 times). A first-half catch came a foot short of the goal line. Four of his receptions were for first downs. Keyshawn Johnson made his one catch count - a 7-yarder on the right side of the end zone for a touchdown.

Tight end Ken Dilger had just two catches for 51 yards, and 48 of those yards came on a flea-flicker.

Tampa's run defense suffocated Dallas running backs all afternoon. Significant gains were few and far between. The Bucs got in Quincy Carter's face most of the afternoon, sacking him four times and forcing two interceptions.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Dallas Cowboys

QB: Quincy Carter (15 of 25 for 140 yards, 2 INTs; 2 carries, 15 yards) would've been better off calling in sick on Sunday. He was pressured most of the afternoon, and Tampa's great defense forced him into hurried throws. When he did find an open receiver, Carter wasn't hitting them in stride. On both of Carter's picks, it appeared as if he the Bucs' secondary was his intended receiver. Although it looked like the Carter of last year on Sunday, the Bucs' defense had a lot to do with his performance, so fantasy owner shouldn't place too much stock in this one bad effort.

RB: Troy Hambrick (11 carries, 25 yards; 1 catch, 11 yards) had 15 of his rushing yards on one first-quarter carry. After that, it was slim pickings against the Bucs.

Richie Anderson (5 catches, 22 yards, 7 targets) had six uneventful rushes for 17 yards. He was pretty active out the backfield, however, catching five short passes.

Aveion Cason (2 carries, -1 yard; 3 catches, 40 yards) was the Cowboys' leading receiving, but that's not much to be proud of.

WR: Joey Galloway (2 catches, 26 yards, 5 targets) wasn't a factor at all. He did drop a pass that might have tacked another 15 yards to his totals.

Terry Glenn (3 catches, 26 yards) didn't fare any better, but at least he caught every ball thrown his way.

Antonio Bryant had one ball thrown his way all day.

TE: A whopping one catch and 15 yards for Jason Witten. He does earn a few tough guy points for playing with his broken jaw injury.

Kicker: Billy Cundiff did his part to keep the Bucs' shutout alive, missing his lone field-goal try of 41 yards.

Rush Defense: Michael Pittman averaged less than 4.0 yard a carry, but he wore down Dallas to the tune of 113 yards. His longest carry went for 15 yards.

Pass Defense: Brad Johnson's bad day was more a credit to him than it was Dallas' defense. The Cowboys did sack him two times and forced two turnovers - neither of which were recovered - but they couldn't sustain consistent pressure on Johnson. Overall, the defense wasn't bad, but its day is magnified more because of the team's inept offensive performance.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

QB: Brad Johnson (13 of 26 for 151 yards, TD) certainly wasn't outstanding, but he did just enough to be effective. His 50 percent pass completion percentage tells you just how average he was on Sunday. He did show his accuracy on his 7-yard TD pass to Keyshawn Johnson at the right edge of the end zone. Brad Johnson looked to Keenan McCardell frequently, targeting him 10 times.

RB: Michael Pittman (30 carries, 113 yards; 1 catch, 4 yards) had an impressive day, although his per-carry average was only 3.7. He ran yard, moved the chains and was the best player on the field for Tampa. Pittman missed out on a possibly short-yardage carry on a 4th-and-1 play, but his very own false-start penalty forced Tampa to go for a field goal. It was his second 100-yard rushing day of the season.

Aaron Stecker (5 carries, 15 yards; 1 catch, 5 yards) wasn't a factor.

Fullback Jameel Cook had one catch for three yards.

WR: Keenan McCardell (6 catches, 68 yards, 10 targets) was Brad Johnson's favorite target on the day, even though it didn't result in a score. Johnson looked in the vicinity of McCardell in the end zone on a first-half drive, but it's marginal to say the ball was catchable.

Tampa threw Keyshawn Johnson the ball just one time, but it was good for a 7-yard touchdown. Brad Johnson only looked in No. 19's direction twice all afternoon.

Karl Williams had just one catch for 13 yards.

TE: Ken Dilger (2 catches, 51 yards) made a 48-yard reception off a flea-flicker. A faster receiver might have been able to go the distance.

K: Martin Gramatica made 3 of 4 field goals, with a long of 50 yards. His only miss was a 48-yarder. He also showed off his acting prowess, drawing a roughing-the-kicker penalty to prolong a Tampa scoring drive.

Rush Defense: Troy Hambrick had one carry in the first quarter for 15 yards, and then Dallas got nothing on the ground the rest of the day. The Bucs were back to their usual suffocating selves.

Pass Defense: Tampa got great push up the middle from its tackles and forced Quincy Carter out of the pocket and into bad throws. The Bucs sacked the young Dallas QB four times and intercepted two passes. Playing without several starters, this looked to be a "statement" performance after the ugly loss last week.

Cleveland Browns 3 at New England Patriots 9

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Cleveland Browns

Browns QB Tim Couch started the game, but only played until midway of the second quarter before leaving with a sprained thumb. QB Kelly Holcomb finished the game despite not being 100% healed from his leg injury. Neither Browns quarterback had a game worth writing home about.

Starting in place of the injured RB William Green, RB James Jackson made the most with his limited opportunities and finished with 71 rushing yards.

The Browns receivers were virtually shut out today in a defensive struggle.

New England Patriots

QB Tom Brady had a good game but was shut out of the end zone. His 259 passing yards kept the Patriots moving and kept the ball out of the hands of the Browns offense.

Patriots RB Kevin Faulk just missed a 100 yard rushing game but finished with very good overall stats.

Having a career day, TE Daniel Graham had 7 catches on 8 targets for 110 yards.

The Patriots defense played well, sacking the Browns QBs a total of four times and intercepting QB Holcomb once.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Cleveland Browns

QB: Quarterback troubles continue in Cleveland. Sunday's starter, Tim Couch (7-11-40 passing), was mostly ineffective before leaving the game midway through the second quarter with a sprained right thumb. It didn't help that Couch was sacked twice in the first quarter and hit at least that many times as well. Due to injuries on the offensive line, both the Browns' left guard and left tackle were starting their first NFL game and struggled early.

Taking over and faring only slightly better, QB Kelly Holcomb (15-25-115, 1 INT passing) played on his bad right leg at approximately 85% health. Despite playing injured, Holcomb showed good presence in the pocket and avoided being hit several times, as the offensive line continued to struggle. The Browns were not out of this low scoring affair until Holcomb threw an interception on the Browns final drive with under a minute left to play.

RB: Due to his right shoulder sprain, RB William Green did not play despite not being deactivated and reports earlier in the week that he would be involved in some capacity.

RB James Jackson (15-71 rushing, 2-4 receiving, 3 targets) got the start and delivered average stats. Jackson ran the ball well but didn't get many opportunities as the Browns were playing from behind most of the game.

RB Jamel White (2-4 rushing, 3-20 receiving, 4 targets) got a few touches and had a nice catch and run for 9 yards in the second quarter.

WR: Andre' Davis (3-36 receiving, 6 targets) was the Browns leading receiver on a dismal passing day. Davis also added 77 return yards and was involved on the Browns longest play from scrimmage of 19 yards.

WR Kevin Johnson (5-30 receiving, 6 targets) was near perfect on the day and ran timing patterns perfectly, grabbing a pair of quick release passes for first downs.

One of WR Dennis Northcutt's (2-29 receiving, 5 targets) misses was on an overthrown ball from QB Holcomb. The blitz was on and Holcomb had to get rid of the ball early, otherwise the wide open Northcutt would have padded his stats nicely.

WR Quincy Morgan (1-2 receiving, 2 targets, 1-2 rushing) had as many rushing yards as receiving yards. That pretty much says it all for him.

TE: Steve Heiden (6-34 receiving, 8 targets) was utilized frequently as downfield receivers struggled all day.

K: Phil Dawson hit his only field goal attempt of the day from 29 yards.

Pass Defense: Cleveland's pass defense was not good. They started poorly as New England QB Tom Brady went vertical on the Patriots first play, gaining 45 yards. Altogether, the Browns gave up 259 yards in the air and were only able to sack Brady once.

Rush Defense: Cleveland's rush defense was able to hold the Patriots to only 94 yards on the ground. This was, however, due to breaking up a misdirection play in the third quarter and throwing the Patriots wide receiver for a 12 yard loss.

New England Patriots

QB: Tom Brady (20-33-259 passing, 2-[-2] rushing) played well and had open targets to throw to but was unable to lead the Patriots to the endzone. On their first play from scrimmage, Brady threw for 45 yards to the Browns 6 yard line. He was then called for intentional grounding on the next play and the Patriots were kept out of the endzone, settling for a field goal. Brady also got an opportunity to display his acting ability late in the fourth quarter on the Patriots final drive. On what was a normal shotgun formation, Brady proceeded to bark directions while WR Troy Brown went in motion. Calmly stopping under center, Brown took the snap and caught the Browns off guard for a key first down.

RB: The Patriots running backs are dinged up but RB Kevin Faulk (23-96 rushing, 6-58 receiving, 9 targets) got the start and was in fine form. Running, catching, and breaking tackles, Faulk just missed the century mark in rushing. In the red zone, Faulk was replaced in the backfield about half the time for RB Smith.

RB Antowain Smith (3-9 rushing, 1 target) spelled Faulk both in and out of the red zone and got a few touches. We gave Smith one target, as he was the closest to the ball on the Brady pass play that was ruled intentional grounding.

WR: Deion Branch (3-30 receiving, 5 targets) caught one pass in the first quarter and then didn't see a ball thrown his way again until late in the fourth.

The longest play from scrimmage in this game was the Patriots 45 yard opening pass play, where WR Bethel Johnson (2-51 receiving, 3 targets, 1-[-12] rushing) was the recipient. Johnson also lost 12 yards on his one rush of the day, as the Browns defensive tackle did not bite on the misdirection play.

WR Troy Brown (2-10 receiving, 3 targets, 1-3 rushing) did not get many looks and his one miss was a well-thrown pass from QB Brady that Brown dropped. Brown also had one rush, taking the snap from center on the aforementioned trick play.

TE: Christian Fauria (0-0 receiving, 3 targets) hopped off the field on one leg early in the second quarter but did return to the game later. He was used minimally and had 1 reception erased by a penalty.

Due to the limited play of Fauria, TE Daniel Graham (7-110 receiving, 8 targets) had a fantastic day and was a highlight reel on his own. Graham gave a complete effort that included a diving catch which he got up from and ran for 3 more yards, and one instance were he spun and bounced his way off of five Cleveland defenders before going down.

K: Adam Vinatieri hit 3 field goals of 27, 28 and 38 yards, with a fourth field goal from 43 yards going in, but not being awarded due to a false start penalty. The retry from 48 yards went just left.

Pass Defense: New England's pass defense was good today holding the Browns to only 155 yards through the air and adding four sacks, and one interception of Browns QB Holcomb.

Rush Defense: New England's rush defense came to play too, allowing only 84 yards on the ground.

Seattle Seahawks 24 at Cincinnati Bengals 27

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Seattle Seahawks

QB Matt Hasselbeck had a 26 for 43, 347 yards and 3 touchdowns game, blackened by the 3 interceptions that were the difference in the loss. His 2 interceptions in the second half closed the book on the game. Outside of the hard-to-ignore picks, Hasselbeck looked patient and showed very good accuracy throughout the game.

RB Shaun Alexander's 20 carries went for 86 rushing yards (4.3 ypc), and he caught 7 balls out of 9 targets for 52 yards and a TD in a strong effort. The All-Shaun Drive in the second quarter was a highlight; every single yard gained by the Seahawks starting at their 28 was from an Alexander run or catch. RB Maurice Morris sprinkled in 3 carries for 24 yards in change-of-pace duty, and FB Mack Strong caught 2 passes for 9 yards.

WR Koren Robinson disappointed with only 2 catches (on 6 targets) for 35 yards, only 10 percent of the Seahawks' passing attack. WR Darrell Jackson was the major receiving factor, catching 6 passes for 98 yards on 13 targets. He did fumble a catch early in the second quarter. WR Bobby Engram grabbed everything his way, catching 4 balls for 73 yards.

TE Itula Mili busted out in a big way today with 5 catches for 80 yards. His 2 touchdown catches equaled his total from all of last year.

K Josh Brown made his 27 yard field goal, but had a critical 49 yard field goal blocked in the fourth quarter. He made all 3 extra point attempts.

Cincinnati Bengals

QB Jon Kitna played virtually mistake-free football for the second straight week, completing 19 of 31 passes for 240 yards with 2 TDs. A wobbly pass deflected (or badly-gripped) was caught for a 53 yard score by WR Chad Johnson. It seemed everything in the game went that way for the Bengals' QB.

RB Corey Dillon did not play after being involved in a car accident driving to the stadium. RB Rudi Johnson played a great game in his absence with 101 yards on 27 carries with a touchdown. Johnson burst through the holes given to him by the Bengals line all game.

WR Chad Johnson missed a route, dropped a 4th quarter pass, and caught only 3 passes of 9 targets, but 84 yards total and a 53 yard touchdown on a scoop of a poor Kitna throw still gave the 3rd-year man a great performance. WR Peter Warrick electrified the crowd with a 50 yard run on a reverse, leading to a Bengal touchdown. He also gained 61 yards on 5 catches on 9 targets. A TD strike was ruled out-of-bounds after Warrick could not get both feet in the endzone.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Seattle Seahawks

QB: Matt Hasselbeck did some extremely positive things, posting 3 touchdowns and 347 yards in a 26 for 43 performance. He showed accuracy and patience throughout the game; under significant defensive line pressure in the 1st quarter, he scrambled forward and found TE Itula Mili wide open for a 46-yard TD. He finished the first half with 188 yards and 2 TDs as the game was tied at 17.

Leading the Seahawks to another late comeback proved out of reach today, however, as turnovers became Hasselbeck's downfall. He threw 2 interceptions in the second half (adding to his 2nd quarter pick) that closed the book on the game. With just under six minutes remaining, Hasselbeck called an audible pass thrown to Koren Robinson that was tipped up in the air and picked off. On their next drive, Hasselbeck was lucky to avoid getting intercepted after he stumbled, got up and fired a hasty ball to Darrell Jackson on a 3rd and 11. Luck caught up to the Seahawks only three plays later, however, as yet another Hasselbeck ball was tipped straight up into the air and caught by a Bengal.

RB: Shaun Alexander combined solid performances as runner and receiver to have an excellent outing. His 20 carries went for 86 rushing yards (4.3 ypc), including 70 in the first half. His game-long 23 yard scamper started off the All-Shaun Drive in the second quarter; every single yard gained by the Seahawks starting at their 28 was from an Alexander run or catch. Only an incompletion in the endzone to TE Mili marred the Shaun show, though he followed Mili's miss by adjusting and catching Hasselbeck's pass at the one-yard-line and rolling in for the score. He was a huge factor in the Seahawks' passing game, catching 7 balls out of 9 targets for 52 yards and that 2-yard TD.

RB Maurice Morris mixed in the running game in both the first and second half, getting 3 carries for 24 yards, including a 12 and 9 yarder. However talented Morris might be, the Seahawks are still Alexander's show. He was not thrown to in the game.

FB Mack Strong caught 2 passes for 9 yards, following up on a 4 catch 21 yard performance last week.

WR: Koren Robinson remained in fantasy buzz kill mode for the third week today, netting only 35 of Hasselbeck's 347 passing yards on 2 catches. He was targeted on only 6 throws, far fewer than Alexander and fellow wideout Darrell Jackson and the same as TE Mili. A TD pass was overthrown by Hasselbeck with seconds left in the 2nd quarter, and another ball with TD potential was stopped in the 4th by Bengal Tory James. Robinson dropped a 'good-receivers-catch-that-ball' pass late in the game. His 26 catches for 359 yards and 2 TDs in 6 games have slipped behind Jackson's numbers.

WR Darrell Jackson was a force, catching 6 passes for 98 yards. Another Seahawk whose great stats were marred by turnovers, Jackson fumbled a catch early in the second and was overthrown later that quarter, leading to a Bengal interception. Jackson was targeted all over all the field by Hasselbeck a total of 13 times. As mentioned above, Jackson's 478 yards and 3 touchdowns have slipped past his more heralded receiving teammate.

WR Bobby Engram caught everything that went his way, finishing with 73 yards on 4 catches.

TE: Itula Mili was a monster in the passing game, totaling 5 grabs for 80 yards. His 2 touchdown catches equaled his total from last year and moved him beyond it for the season. He was wide open for his 46-yard touchdown on the first drive on the game. Mili was targeted 6 times and was a consistent target in the second half, where he caught 4 of his passes. His only miss was in the endzone in the second quarter.

TE Jeremy Stevens had two passes thrown his way; one was intercepted off a tip at the line of scrimmage. He does not seem to be moving anywhere on the depth chart or in the passing game.

K: Josh Brown made his 27 yard field goal, but had a critical 49 yard field goal blocked in the fourth quarter. He made all 3 extra point attempts.

Run Defense: The Seahawks allowed Bengal backup Rudi Johnson to burst forward throughout the game as they allowed 180 yards on the ground. Bengal wideout Peter Warrick juked his way for a huge 50 yard run on a reverse that led to a Bengal score; the Seahawks should have stopped it for less than 10 yards.

Pass Defense: Jon Kitna didn't dominate in his 240 yard game, but he was allowed to methodically move the ball forward when needed. The Seahawks sacked Kitna twice, but, most importantly, they did not have an interception.

Cincinnati Bengals

QB: Jon Kitna again threw no interceptions as he led the Bengals to a second straight victory. His mistakes were few and far between, completing 19 of 31 passes for 240 yards with 2 TDs. Chad Johnson caught Kitna's wobble-pass low to the ground and ran for the decisive 53 yard touchdown in the 4th quarter. The Bengal QB even showed some improvisational skills, running 3 times for 27 yards. Buoyed by his precision in the last two victories, Kitna now has 11 touchdowns and only 6 INTs on the year, boosting his quarterback rating to 88.2 going to Arizona next week.

RB: Corey Dillon did not play after being involved in a car accident driving to the stadium. He was reportedly not hurt, but was made inactive and was not on the sidelines for the game.

RB Rudi Johnson stepped in admirably as the starting halfback for Cincinnati for the third time this year and was hearing his name cheered all day long. Johnson had 27 carries for 101 yards and a first-quarter touchdown. He made few electric moves, but burst through inside holes the Bengals' offensive line gave him for solid yardage throughout the game. Kitna fed Rudi Johnson the ball in the red zone. Johnson caught 2 of 3 targeted passes for 16 yards.

RB Brandon Bennett was clearly a backup, losing a yard on one carry. He caught one his way for 3 yards.

FB Jeremi Johnson had one carry for 3 yards, and followed last week's 2 catches with 3 catches today, netting 11 yards. He was targeted two more times on incompletions.

WR: Chad Johnson had another potentially down week lifted by a fortunate play. His highlight 53 yard play in the fourth quarter came on a wobbly Kitna pass that Johnson managed to scoop up and run with unfettered into the endzone. He finished with 3 catches for 84 yards, having been targeted 9 times during the game. He did miss a couple balls, incorrectly running routes (as inferred from the look on Kitna's face after the play) and dropping a sure-first down in the 4th quarter.

WR Peter Warrick continues to make big plays for the Bengals this year. He gained 50 yards on a reverse in the 2nd quarter after stumbling early in the run; his persistence and moves made a huge play out of what should have been stopped after about 6 or 7 yards. His receiving numbers weren't bad, either, gaining 61 yards on 5 catches. He was targeted 9 times for passes; a well-placed TD strike was ruled out-of-bounds after Warrick could not get both feet in the endzone while bobbling the catch.

WR Kelley Washington was well-used today, catching 3 passes for 42 yards after blanking out last weekend. The Bengals moved up14-7 on his 8 yard touchdown catch in the second quarter.

TE: Tony Stewart caught one of the passes going his way for 15 yards, following his 17 yards last week.

TE Reggie Kelly again caught one pass, this week for 8 yards.

TE Matt Schobel proved last week's 62-yard game was merely a blip on the radar as he reverted to zero catch, zero target form.

K: Shayne Graham performed as asked, hitting both short field goals (25 and 30 yards) and hitting 3 XPs.

Run Defense: Shaun Alexander and Maurice Morris gained 111 yards on 23 carries as the Bengals did little to stop them. It's likely only Seattle's interceptions kept the rushing yards down to a reasonable level.

Pass Defense: The Seahawks were able to move the ball forward all game long, gaining 338 yards on Hasselbeck's 26 completions (of 43 attempts). The Seahawks' batted balls fell into Bengal arms, however, and their 3 interceptions proved to be the defining factor of this game. Darrell Jackson's semi-forced fumble after a 12-yard catch (the fumble was challenged to be caused by the ground but upheld) added to the woes. The Bengals sacked also Hasselbeck back twice.

St. Louis Rams 33 at Pittsburgh Steelers 21

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

St. Louis Rams

Two former Pennsylvania high school stars, QB Marc Bulger and RB Arlen Harris, returned to their old stomping grounds and rained on the Steelers' celebration of their 1,000th game played in the NFL. Playing through a cold, steady rainfall, the Rams won on the road for only the second time in 11 games the last two seasons. Their only road win last season was at Arizona.

QB Marc Bulger was given all day to throw and scorched the Steelers' secondary for 375 yards passing. The middle of the field was wide open all game long and Bulger delivered accurate passes to his receivers for huge chunks of yardage. The Rams offense had 11 passes over 20 yards and dominated time of possession (40:00 minutes), keeping the Pittsburgh offense on the sidelines.

Undrafted rookie RB Arlen Harris, received his first start of the season filling in for injured running backs Marshall Faulk and Lamar Gordon. Harris was a workhorse, carrying the ball 34 times and scoring three touchdowns on the ground.

The St. Louis wide receivers destroyed an overmatched Steelers' secondary and got open at will. The three-headed monster comprised of Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, and Dane Looker torched the Pittsburgh defense for 13 catches for an ungodly 274 yards and one touchdown. WR Torry Holt led the trio with 7 catches for 174 yards and a touchdown. He came into the game leading the NFL in receptions.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Except for the Pittsburgh Steelers 1,000th game played in the NFL, the hometown fans had little to be happy about. Playing on a wet, sloppy field, the Steelers failed to sustain drives, going an embarrassing 1 for 10 on third downs and being out gained 448-245. At 2-5, the Steelers are off to their worst start since 1988, dropping the last four games and finding themselves in the basement of the AFC North.

QB Tommy Maddox was unable to move the offense and had several passes dropped by receivers. Playing behind a makeshift offensive line, Maddox hit WR Hines Ward for a 22-yard TD strike, giving the Steelers their first lead of the game early in the 3rd quarter. But the Rams offense reeled off 13 unanswered points and Maddox without the benefit of a running game could not rally the troops. Maddox threw three interceptions, giving him 11 in seven games.

Coming into the game ranked 28th in the league in rushing, the Steelers gave RB Jerome Bettis his first start of the season in hopes he could jump-start the ground attack. Although running hard and breaking tackles, Bettis was only able to muster up 42 yards on 12 carries. His fumble early in the first quarter, led to a Rams field goal.

WR Antwaan Randle El returned a punt 84 yards for the first Pittsburgh touchdown. He made an initial move to avoid a tackle and then raced down the right sidelines to pay dirt. It was Randle El's first punt return for a TD in his career and the Steelers longest punt return for a TD in their history. Midway through the 3rd quarter, Randle El turned in the Steelers longest run of the season when he took a direct snap and scampered 32 yards, setting up Pittsburgh's last touchdown.

WR Hines Ward caught two touchdown passes and led all receivers with 5 catches for 90 yards.

The Pittsburgh Defense was on the field for most of the day and their inability to put any pressure on QB Marc Bulger was their undoing. The secondary was unable to stay with the Rams' receivers, who were consequently wide open for big plays downfield.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

St. Louis Rams

QB: Marc Bulger (22-37-375, 1 TD, 0 INT, 3-8 rushing), born and raised in Pittsburgh, once starred at the same high school that produced the great Dan Marino. Given loads of time by the St. Louis offensive line, Bulger was able to hit his wide-open receivers downfield for big gains. WR Torry Holt was his favorite receiver. Bulger targeted Holt 13 times and connected for 174 yards on the day. The pair set the tone for the game on the Rams' second drive when Bulger hit a streaking Holt down the middle for 48 yards, the longest pass of the season. Two plays later, Bulger again found Holt behind the defense for a 36-yard TD reception. Bulger finished an impressive first half 14-25-247, 1 TD. In the second half, he continued his mastery of the Pittsburgh secondary, leading the Rams to another decisive victory.

RB: Third stringer Arlen Harris (34-81 rushing, 3 TDs, 4-15 receiving, 6 targets) did an outstanding job filling in for injured RB Marshall Faulk and backup RB Lamar Gordon. Harris carried the load on the ground for the Rams with 34 rushes and allowed Faulk, an emergency backup, to stay on the sidelines. Harris punched in his first TD from 1 yard out early in the 2nd quarter to give the Rams a 14-7 lead. With his 9-yard TD scamper late in the 3rd quarter, Harris put the Rams ahead for good. Harris went untouched on his final TD, another 9-yard jaunt, midway through the 4th quarter to put the game out of reach. Harris was handed the ball to try and convert the subsequent two-point conversion, but was stopped short of the goal line and fumbled the ball. With the imminent return of Faulk, Harris' playing time will fall off sharply and his production should be minimal if any.

Marshall Faulk suited up and was an emergency backup, but did not see the field. He is scheduled to return to his starting role against San Francisco next week barring any setbacks.

Lamar Gordon was out due to his injured ankle.

WR: Torry Holt (7-174 receiving, 1 TD, 13 targets) had an All-Pro day. He spun around Pittsburgh defensive back Dewayne Washington and was wide-open for a 36-yard TD strike from Bulger to get the Rams' scoring started. This was Holt's 8th TD reception this season, a career high. Holt's best catch of the day came when he converted on a 3rd down and 23, late in the first half. He beat double coverage and went up high to snatch the ball away from Steelers' defenders for a 40-yard gain down to the Pittsburgh 5. This catch set up a field goal before halftime. The Bulger to Holt duo has become one of the most lethal in the NFL.

All of Isaac Bruce's (3-73 receiving, 6 targets) catches were for big gains of over 20 yards. Although he didn't score a TD, Bulger targeted Bruce in the end zone and he drew a pass interference call to contribute to a Wilkins field goal just before halftime.

Dane Looker (3-27 receiving, 5 targets) has securely established himself as the Rams' third receiver. Looker showed great focus catching a ball after it went right through a Pittsburgh defender's arms. The catch went for 22 yards before Looker was pushed out of bounds at the Pittsburgh 1, setting up Harris' first TD run. Bulger targeted Looker in the end zone on back to back plays.

Shaun McDonald (1 target) was not a factor in the game.

TE: Brandon Manumaleuna (3-32 receiving, 6 targets) has become more involved in the Rams' passing attack and makes for a big target for Bulger with his giant-like size. Bulger targeted Manumaleuna in the end zone late in the first half.

Cam Cleeland (2-54 receiving) contributed with two catches both over 20 yards.

Richard Angulo (1 target) was targeted by Bulger in the end zone.

K: Jeff Wilkins was 2 of 3 on field goal attempts. He missed his first attempt from 47 yards, wide left. But converted on two short field goals of 20 and 22 yards, after Rams drives stalled inside the Pittsburgh 5.

Pass Defense: The St. Louis pass defense played solidly, putting pressure on QB Tommy Maddox and only allowing 159 yards passing. With their shut down coverage, they forced Maddox into throwing three interceptions. DB Jason Sehorn saw his first action of the season, recovering from a broken foot and should strengthen the Rams secondary. Some cause for concern, DE Leonard Little and DT Damione Lewis were both hurt and had to leave the game in the fourth quarter.

Rush Defense: The Rams rush defense held the Steelers to only 94 yards rushing, much of that coming on a 32-yard run by WR Antwaan Randle El. On that play, a direct snap from center, Randle El looked liked he was gone for the TD, but he was chased down from behind by 237 pound DE Leonard Little. RB Jerome Bettis was shut down and only rushed for a mere 42 yards. They also caused Bettis to cough up the ball on the Steelers' second drive of the game.

Pittsburgh Steelers

QB: Tommy Maddox (12-28-159, 2 TDs, 3 INTs; 1-4 rushing) never had a chance against the stifling St. Louis defense. With the absence of a running game, the Steelers looked for Maddox to lead the offense. Victimized by several dropped passes, Maddox and his receivers looked to be on completely different pages. After going 15 quarters without a TD pass, Maddox was able to hook with WR Hines Ward for two in the game. With a beautiful read, Maddox connected with Ward for a 22-yard TD midway through the third quarter and give the Steelers their first lead at 21-20. But after that, the Rams defense held the Steelers in check and the St. Louis offense went on to score 13 unanswered points and put the game on ice.

RB: Jerome Bettis (12-42 rushing, 2 targets) receiving his first start of the season, could not get through a swarming Rams' defense. Bettis fumbled to end Pittsburgh's second drive of the game.

Amos Zereoue (2-6 rushing, 2-14 receiving, 3 targets) was not a factor in the game.

FB Dan Kreider (1-15 receiving, 1 target) only touch of the game was a spectacular one handed grab out of the backfield. His catch saved an apparent interception and helped set up the Steelers last touchdown to Hines Ward.

WR: Hines Ward (5-90 receiving, 1-3 rushing, 13 targets) was Maddox's favorite target, but they were unable to connect on several open routes. Ward's first 9-yard TD was well earned, breaking a tackle at the 3 and then diving into the end zone to pull the Steelers even at 14-14. After two Rams' field goals, Maddox and Ward again teamed up for a sweet 22-yard TD reception to give Pittsburgh a short-lived lead.

Plaxico Burress (1-6 receiving, 5 targets) was non-existent in this game. His only reception coming on a short pass midway through the second quarter.

Antwaan Randle El (2-13 receiving, 2-39 rushing, 2 targets) tried to keep the Steelers in the game with two sensational efforts. His first contribution coming on an 84-yard punt return for a TD for the first Steelers' score. On that play, Pittsburgh had a block play on and Randle El had to take it to the house without the benefit of much blocking. On the Steelers' second drive of the 3rd quarter, Randle El took a direct snap and ripped off 32 yards to set up Pittsburgh's last TD. He looked to be in the clear for the touchdown, but was chased down from behind by the "freak of nature" DE Leonard Little.

TE: Jerame Tuman (1-21 receiving, 2 targets) was not a factor in the game.

K: Jeff Reed did not have a field goal attempt in the game.

Pass Defense: The Steelers were unable to get any pressure on QB Marc Bulger and the Pittsburgh secondary looked clueless trying to cover the Rams wide receivers. The Steelers' blitzes were easily picked up and the Rams moved the ball at will through the air. The Rams offense gauged the secondary for 11 pass plays of over 20 yards. The Steelers have allowed 96 points in their last three home games.

Rush Defense: The Pittsburgh rush defense surrendered only 89 yards on the ground, 81 of those yards to third string running back Arlen Harris. However, the Rams were not reliant on their running game and attacked the Steelers defense mercilessly by aerial assault.

New York Jets 17 at Philadelphia Eagles 24

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

New York Jets

QB Chad Pennington saw his first action of the season, but the Jets failed to take advantage of several scoring opportunities and lost to the Eagles 24-17. Pennington replaced Vinny Testaverde with over five minutes left in the 1st half and the Jets trailing 14-10. He finished with 154 yards passing and showed some of the accuracy that caused him to lead the Jets to the playoffs last year, but threw a costly 4th quarter interception that allowed the Eagles to regain the lead.

Vinny Testaverde played well before he was pulled in favor of Pennington. He led the Jets to 10 points in three drives, including a 60-yard toss on a flea-flicker to WR Santana Moss. Before he left the game, Testaverde threw for 112 yards without an interception.

RB Curtis Martin ran hard all day long. He finished with 110 yards on 20 carries and showed the ability to still get to the corner on a couple of long runs. After one 24-yard run, RB Lamont Jordan replaced him at the 4-yard line. On the next play, the last of the 3rd quarter, Jordan scored to give the Jets their last lead at 17-14.

WR Santana Moss had an up and down day. He caught the 60-yard flea-flicker from Testaverde, but also fumbled at the Eagles 23-yard line on a -3 yard catch during Chad Pennington's first drive. He was also the intended receiver on Pennington's 4th quarter interception.

WR Wayne Chrebet caught 3 passes for 44 yards and converted two of three 3rd down passes into first downs.

The Jets sacked Eagles QB Donovan McNabb five times, including 3.5 sacks from John Abraham.

Philadelphia Eagles

Donovan McNabb played his best game of the season. He led an efficient offense that kept the game close before taking control of the game in the 4th quarter. The fans responded to his first complete pass of the day with sarcastic applause, but he quickly won them back to his side. McNabb showed that he can still fire darts when he has time to throw and even used his feet to his advantage for the first time this season, gaining 18 yards and a key first down on 2 scrambles. He finished with just 141 yards, but completed 17 of 23 passes with a touchdown and an interception.

The Eagles amassed a season-high 194 rushing yards against the Jets porous run defense. RB Correll Buckhalter was the main player in the Eagles RBBC, gaining 100 yards on 15 carries including two early touchdown runs. He looked sharp from the beginning, and his workload increased when RB Brian Westbrook went down early in the 3rd quarter with an ankle injury. He did fumble, however, after gaining seven yards on 3rd and 1 from the Jets 31-yard line in the 3rd quarter. Westbrook and RB Duce Staley looked good as well in limited action. Westbrook finished with 41 total yards in a half of play, while Staley carried 9 times for 47 yards. Staley's 18-yard run in the 4th quarter set up McNabb's 4-yard touchdown pass to FB Jon Ritchie, which gave the Eagles a 21-17 lead.

Philadelphia's receivers were mediocre at best, as TE L.J. Smith led the team with 32 receiving yards. McNabb spread the ball around, which was more a testament of the lack of a go-to receiver than anything else. 5 players were targeted at least three times, with Todd Pinkston leading the way with 6 targets. Pinkston caught just 2 passes for 23 yards. He failed to get his second foot inbounds on what looked like an easy 36-yard touchdown, and was booed loudly after dropping a short pass over the middle. He did, however, catch a quick out on the Eagles final drive, and made a nifty move for seven yards on 3rd and 6.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

New York Jets

QB: Had the Jets not decided ahead of time that Chad Pennington would replace Vinny Testaverde, there would have been no reason to replace him. They looked their best when he was in the game. Testaverde (7-11-112 with 1 TD) looked very good during his three possessions. The big play was his 60-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Santana Moss. Testaverde set this play up with a 16-yard pass on 3rd and 11, where he rolled right and lobbed a beautiful pass down the right sideline to Wayne Chrebet.

Chad Pennington (14-24-154 with 1 INT) did not play poorly, but the Jets failed to take advantage of scoring opportunities when he was in the game. He took over with over five minutes left in the 1st half at his own 8-yard line. He completed 5 of 7 passes on his opening drive, the only incompletions intended for Curtis Conway, but the drive failed when Santana Moss fumbled at the Eagles 23-yard line. He led the Jets on a 49-yard touchdown drive to regain the lead in the 3rd quarter, but threw a costly interception on his first pass of the next drive. Pennington made an ill-advised pass to Santana Moss, who was double covered, and Michael Lewis picked it off for the Eagles. Philadelphia took the lead from there, and Pennington could not lead the Jets back to victory. The offense got the ball back at their own 10-yard line, trailing by 7 with just over a minute to go, and drove to the Eagles 42-yard line. Pennington's final Hail Mary pass fell harmlessly to the ground at the 1-yard line as time expired.

RB: Curtis Martin (20-110, 3 catches for 7 yards on 3 targets) showed that he still has plenty of life left in his legs. He had carries of 11, 13, 18 and 21 yards. His 21-yard run set up the touchdown that gave them a 17-14 lead heading into the 4th quarter. Unfortunately, he was replaced with Lamont Jordan at the 4-yard line after that run, and it was Jordan who got the touchdown run.

Lamont Jordan carried just 3 times for 6 yards, including the 4-yard touchdown. He also caught a 12-yard pass.

WR: Santana Moss (5-96-1 with a fumble, on 9 targets) was at the center of the three biggest plays of the game for the Jets. Unfortunately for him, two of the three were negative. His 60-yard touchdown catch gave the Jets a 10-7 lead and showed off his ability to run right by a defense. He then ruined Pennington's first series with his fumble at the Eagles 23-yard line, and was the target of Pennington's crucial 4th quarter interception, which was under-thrown.

TE: The Jets were efficient passing to their tight ends, as Anthony Becht and Chris Baker were each targeted twice. Becht managed 2 catches for 31 yards, and Baker caught his two passes for 22 yards.

PK: Doug Brien connected on a 30-yard field goal, but came up short on a 55-yard try at the end of the 1st half.

Run Defense: The Jets allowed a season-high 194 yards to the Eagles on the ground, continuing their futility in this category. Sam Cowart and Marvin Jones led the team with 6 tackles apiece, and Sam Garnes forced a fumble with a hit on Eagles RB Correll Buckhalter.

Pass Defense: The Jets sacked Donovan McNabb 5 times, but failed to stop the Eagles on key 3rd down plays. John Abraham was a monster, as he picked up 3.5 sacks. When they blitzed McNabb on 3rd down they tended to stop him, but when he was able to get his 3rd down passes off he converted 5 of 7 attempts. Aaron Beasley intercepted McNabb on a great catch in the 3rd quarter. He dove to the ground and the ball hit off his arm and then his leg. He somehow managed to secure the ball before it hit the ground. This led to the touchdown drive that gave the Jets a 17-14 lead.

Philadelphia Eagles

QB: Donovan McNabb (17-23-141 with 1 TD and 1 INT) said during the week that he was finally healthy enough to be himself. For the most part, he backed this up. He began the game drilling short passes to his receivers, as if to show that he still can do it. Later, he ran a couple times for 18 yards, including a 10-yard run for a 1st down on the drive that gave the Eagles the lead. He finished that drive off by rolling right and hitting Jon Ritchie in the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown. Todd Pinkston cost him a TD in the 1st half when McNabb recognized that the Jets had jumped offside and threw a perfect pass to Pinkston in the end zone. Pinkston appeared to have plenty of room to get his feet down, but did not even attempt to drag his right foot for the score. McNabb came up big at the end, as he was 4-4 for 25 yards on the Eagles final two scoring drives.

RB: Brian Westbrook looked to have a leg up as the number one RB coming in to this game, but Correll Buckhalter (15-100-2) made a huge impact in the first 20 minutes. He scored from 6 and from 7 yards out, as the Eagles got out to a 14-10 lead. On the 2nd scoring drive, it was Westbrook who was in for the majority of plays, but Buckhalter came in when the Eagles got inside the 10-yard line. He ran hard all day, and showed a nice burst of speed when he got in the open field.

Westbrook also played well when he was in the game. He finished with 5 carries for 25 yards and 2 catches for 16 yards, and was on pace for a nice game until leaving the game early in the 2nd half with an ankle injury. He was the main back on the Eagles second scoring drive, but was pulled at the goal line.

Duce Staley carried 9 times for 47 yards. He set up the Eagles winning touchdown with a nice run to the Jets 4-yard line. He was not used in the red zone, however.

WR: Todd Pinkston's 23 receiving yards were the third most he's had in a game this year, which likely tells you all you really need to know about his value. He caught 2 passes on 6 targets. He failed to get his right foot down on an easy touchdown pass in the 1st quarter. He was loudly booed after a 3-yard pass over the middle clanked off his hands. He did catch a 7-yard pass that allowed the Eagles to take an extra two minutes off the clock before their FG for the final lead of 24-17. On this play he caught an out pass at the line of scrimmage before stiff-arming a tackler and picking up a big first down.

Freddie Mitchell caught two passes for 29 yards on three targets. All of his targets were on 3rd down, and he converted two into first downs.

James Thrash (4-23 on 5 targets) caught the ball when it was thrown his way, which has to be considered a big plus with this group. Unfortunately, his longest catch was for 7 yards. He also ran once for 4 yards.

TE: L.J. Smith caught 3 passes for 32 yards on 4 targets, leading the Eagles in receiving yards. Chad Lewis caught his lone target for 8 yards.

PK: David Akers made a 30-yard field goal and missed from 56. His miss was wide left and short.

Run Defense: The Eagles allowed 6.2 yards per carry, and did little to stop Curtis Martin in the running game, or Lamont Jordan on his touchdown run. Carlos Emmons had 4 tackles and forced and recovered the fumble by Santana Moss.

Pass Defense: The Eagles allowed 252 passing yards and sacked the Jets twice, 1.5 by N.D. Kalu. Michael Lewis came up with a big interception of Chad Pennington, on a pass that should not have been thrown.