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

**************************************
Joe Bryant
Owner - www.Footballguys.com

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

Wild Card Weekend Game Recaps

Dallas Cowboys 10 at Carolina Panthers 29

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys achieved ten first downs in the game and converted only three of fourteen third-downs. They were unable to run the ball consistently putting them in long down and distance situations.

QB Quincy Carter was under severe pressure though the game and managed less than five yards per attempt. He was unable to get the ball downfield and had to settle for a majority of short dump-off passes to RB Richie Anderson and TE Jason Witten.

Head coach Bill Parcels railed on his young mistake prone players all year long. These mistakes culminated in two costly plays in this wild card playoff game. His DBs allowed WR Steve Smith to run 70 yards down the sideline untouched after a 4-yard out, and later left WR Muhsin Muhammad to sprint down the other sideline all alone for a 49-yard gain

Carolina Panthers

QB Jake Delhomme was the beneficiary of a few Dallas defensive errors, but also was able to move the sticks just enough to get Carolina into scoring position against the NFL's #1 defense from 2003. Except for a few wobbly passes, Delhomme was sharp and on target. He read the blitzes correctly and got the ball out quickly.

RB Stephen Davis overcame a rough first quarter (7 carries for 12 yards). The Panther offensive line slowly began to open up large enough holes that enabled Davis to pound out another 100-yard performance.

WRs Muhsin Muhammad and Steve Smith both posted 100-yard games. Each saw two endzone targets (1 TD for Smith) and the pair accounted for 87% of the Panther receiving yardage.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Dallas Cowboys

QB: Quincy Carter: (21-36-154 1 INT passing, 4-25 rushing 1 TD) The Cowboys came out throwing early. Carter attempted passes on all six of their plays in the first Dallas possession. Carter faced long down and distance situations throughout the game. He was under too much of a pass rush to be able to get the ball downfield. On a few rare occasions he was able to move up into the pocket and complete a pass to WRs Glenn or Galloway. Carter didn't leave the pocket and scramble for yards until the game was a lost cause in the fourth quarter. His lone interception occurred late in the game on an overthrow screen pass.

RB: Troy Hambrick: (8-29 rushing, 1-3 receiving on 2 targets) Hambrick wasn't given much of a chance, and he made little of the small opportunity he got. His totals would have been even worse if not for a 16 yard run. Hambrick only had one carry in the second half on their first possession of the fourth quarter.

Richie Anderson: (6-18 rushing, 7-20 receiving on 10 targets) Anderson was utilized a ton in the third and fourth quarters as Dallas abandoned the run. Five of his seven receptions were in the fourth quarter. Anderson fared no better than Hambrick on his rushing attempts. Anderson fumbled on his first carry of the game at the outset of the second quarter and killed a great scoring opportunity as Dallas had driven deep into Carolina territory.

WR: Joey Galloway: (4-59 receiving on 8 targets) Galloway looked quick and explosive. On one out pattern he was able to stop his momentum and turn upfield for 18 yards. This play helped lead to the only Dallas points in the first half. Other than this play, Galloway was not a big factor in the game.

Terry Glenn: (4-38 receiving on 7 targets) Glenn also had a reception in the first half Dallas scoring drive of 21 yards. Much like Galloway, Glenn wasn't a factor due to the Carolina pass rush bring havoc on obvious passing situations.

Antonio Bryant: (1-4 receiving on 1 target) Bryant had one reception early, and then disappeared. He wasn't targeted after the first quarter.

TE: Jason Witten (4-30 receiving on 9 targets) Witten had two of the first three Dallas receptions and was targeted on three of their first four plays from scrimmage. Witten was not able to stretch the field and stayed within ten yards of the line of scrimmage. Also of note, TE Dan Campbell started the game along with Witten in a double TE formation, but Campbell was not targeted in the game.

K: Billy Cundiff: (1-1 FG - 37, 1-1 XP) Cundiff hit his only FG attempt in the game.

Pass Defense: The Dallas DBs appeared lost. Rookie CB Terence Newman blew an open field tackle on a short out pattern that allowed WR Steve Smith to race down the sideline for 70 yards on the third Panther offensive play of the game. In a second quarter coverage mix up they allowed WR Muhsin Muhammad to run free down the sideline all alone setting up more Carolina points just before halftime. The pass rush was non-existent. Their only sack came a roll out late in the fourth quarter. When they blitzed, Carolina picked it up well and made them pay on the outside. The Dallas CBs had trouble in man coverage. On the deep TD to Smith, Newman actually had good coverage, but Smith made a great play.

Rush Defense: The run defense actually kept this game closer. They were tough at the goal line and prevented Carolina from turning the game into a laugher holding the Panthers to FGs instead of TDs. Dallas kept RB Stephen Davis in check for the most part. Other than two gains of 23 yards in the second quarter they held him to 58 yards on 24 carries.

Carolina Panthers

QB: Jake Delhomme: (18-29-273 1 TD passing, 2- -2 rushing) Delhomme showed signs that he has the skills to be a very good NFL QB, but also showed he is more than capable of making huge mistakes as well. His blitz reads and decision-making was good. His deep TD pass to WR Steve Smith was right on target. However, he did throw a few wobbly floaters and nearly had a few picked off.

RB: Stephen Davis: (26-104 1 TD rushing, 1-2 receiving on 3 targets) Davis had a much tougher go with his 26 carries in the match up with the Cowboys earlier this season (only 59 yards). This time around Davis was able to find some wide-open running lanes. When the holes presented themselves Davis hit them hard and quick turning up field. On his 23-yard TD run, Davis made a nice cut making CB Mario Edwards slip allowing him to go the distance.

DeShaun Foster: (4- -2 rushing, 2-12 receiving on 2 targets) All of Foster's carries came in the third quarter in relief of Davis. Foster carries came in a situation were the Panthers were clearly trying to burn the clock. One of the Panther coaches prophetically predicted the home crowd would boo at some of their third down play calling. This was the case when Foster was served up on a platter to the Dallas defensive line. Both of his receptions came in the fourth quarter.

Brad Hoover: (1-1 rushing, 2-13 receiving on 3 targets) Hoover saw his typical workload of a carry and a few targets. On both longer carries by RB Stephen Davis Hoover made key blocks.

WR: Steve Smith: (5-135 1 TD receiving on 7 targets) Smith had what might have been the two biggest plays for the Panthers. His wheels earned him 70 yards off a quick out setting up the first Kasay FG. Smith almost got into the endzone on the play, but only made it to the 1 yard line. In the third quarter Smith made a phenomenal grab over the top of CB Terence Newman for the score that put the game out of reach. Smith did a great job of leaping and catching the ball high in the air even though Newman was all over him and had a good handle on one of his arms.

Muhsin Muhammad: (4-103 receiving on 8 targets, 1-6 rushing) Half of Muhammad's yardage was a fluke. He was gifted 49 yards when Dallas left him alone just before halftime. At the end of the play he fumbled, but credit should be given for his hustle to get it back.

Ricky Proehl: (1-7 receiving on 3 targets) Proehl's only reception came in the first quarter. He saw less and less of the field as the lead grew and the Panthers tried to ground out the clock.

TE: J Wiggins: (2-1 receiving on 2 targets) Kris Mangum (1-0 receiving on 1 target) Both TEs were used primarily to block for the Panther running attack. Wiggins started the game, but both were used in several double TE formations together.

K: John Kasay: (5-5 FG - 18, 38, 19, 32, 34 2-2 XP) Kasay tied an NFL playoff record with five FGs. Kasay is the last remaining original Panther and only player still with the team since their last playoff win seven years ago.

Pass Defense: The lack of a Cowboy running game quickly led to the Panther defense being able to bring extra heat on QB Quincy Carter. The Panthers were able to play zone and still bring some blitzes at opportune times. The blitzes completely disrupted the Cowboy passing game. The three sacks registered on QB Quincy Carter are not a good measure of the pressure. It could have easily been more as Carter was being hit on lots more plays. DE Julius Peppers intercepted an overthrown screen after dropping into coverage on a zone blitz.

Rush Defense: The Panthers held Cowboy RBs to a combined 47 yards on 14 carries. They only allowed one rush of more than 10 yards in the game. Being able to stuff the Cowboys early allowed them to ignore the run later and concentrate on rushing the passer.

Tennessee Titans 20 at Baltimore Ravens 17

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans needed gritty performances by RB Eddie George and QB Steve McNair, along with a dominant run defense that shut down Ravens RB Jamal Lewis, to beat a Baltimore team that hung in the game despite being outplayed in nearly every facet of the game.

George, who played the second half with a separated shoulder, carried 25 times for 88 yards and helped the Titans to a ten-minute advantage in time of possession. George outperformed his highly touted counterpart, Jamal Lewis, and ran for tough yards repeatedly.

McNair, meanwhile, was clearly not at his best, playing with an injured ankle and calf. He struggled to push off his right foot. Facing a swarming Ravens defense, he threw three interceptions. Baltimore's Will Demps returned one of them for a 56-yard touchdown that kept the Ravens in the game in the first half. Still, McNair managed a 49-yard scoring strike to WR Justin McCareins in the third quarter, and helped drive the Titans 35 yards to set up Gary Anderson's 46-yard game-winning field goal.

44-year old PK Gary Anderson stood up to the playoff pressure as well, hitting his two longest field goals of the season, from 45 and 46 yards out. Anderson appeared to be at his limit with the 45-yard kick, but the game-winner from 46 yards out had plenty of distance.

When George was out, RB Chris Brown showed promise for the future as well. He carried for 61 yards and scored the first touchdown of the game, from six yards out.

The Titans run defense absolutely throttled Jamal Lewis, holding him to a season-low 35 yards on 14 carries, while limiting his longest carry to just eight yards. LB Keith Bulluck was a force, finishing with 8 tackles.

Baltimore Ravens

RB Jamal Lewis was held in check right from the start by a Titans defense that was eager to back up their number one ranking against the run. Lewis carried seven times for 12 yards in the first half, as Tennessee totally outplayed Baltimore. Thanks to McNair's mistakes, however, Baltimore still led 10-7 at the half. Lewis' fortunes did not improve much in the second half, as he managed just 23 yards on seven more carries and was never able to get in a rhythm.

Lost in the Ravens defeat was a better than expected effort by QB Anthony Wright. With a non-existent running game, Wright was forced to shoulder the load and fared well. Trailing 17-10 in the fourth quarter, Wright led the Ravens on a nine-play, 71-yard drive that culminated in a nice 35-yard touchdown pass to TE Todd Heap. Wright did throw two interceptions in the game, although one was on a "Hail-Mary" play at the end of the first half. He finished with 214 yards passing.

Wright's top targets were Heap and WR Travis Taylor. With the Titans focused on shutting down WR Marcus Robinson, Taylor was able to get open on a regular basis. The result was 7 catches for 82 yards in what was probably his most consistent performance of the season.

Heap had six catches for 80 yards to go along with his score. Other than a dropped pass on the Ravens second drive, he performed well, often using his body to gain position and keep defenders away from the ball.

The Ravens secondary flew to the ball to intercept three McNair passes. Ed Reed, Chris McAlister and Will Demps each picked one, with Demps taking his to the house to tie the game at seven-apiece. Baltimore's run defense was not as good. LB Ray Lewis was his usual presence, but was unable to stop Eddie George and Chris Brown in key situations.

Two personal fouls on Ravens lineman Orlando Brown hurt the Ravens, as one resulted in a field goal instead of a chance at a touchdown, and the other gave the Titans better field position for their game-winning drive.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Tennessee Titans

QB: Despite the spin that many in the media put on it, Steve McNair (14-23-159-1-3, with 4 carries for 16 yards) did not play well. Make no mistake; had the Titans lost this game, it would have been squarely on the NFL co-MVP's shoulders. It wasn't so much that he was off on his passes, although he was at times, McNair made poor decisions. Leading 7-0 in the 1st quarter, McNair threw a pass to Derrick Mason, who was surrounded by four Baltimore defenders. Will Demps intercepted the ball and returned it 56 yards for the score. Tied at 7-7 in the second quarter, McNair threw a red-zone interception as he tried to beat double-coverage on TE Erron Kinney. Ed Reed intercepted that pass, ending another scoring opportunity. In the 4th quarter, his deep pass to Mason was picked off by Chris McAlister at the Ravens 28-yard line.

McNair did put in a gutsy performance, however. On the 2nd play of the 2nd half McNair tweaked his calf. A game announcer pointed out how difficult it must be to limp when both of your legs are injured. McNair responded on the next drive with a 49-yard scoring strike to McCareins, who made a nice adjustment on the ball in the air. On the Titans final drive, McNair was 4-4 for 28 yards, setting up Anderson's game-winning kick.

RB: Tennessee's running backs played well right from the start. Eddie George (25-88, 2 catches for 9 yards) excelled despite missing most of the 2nd quarter with a dislocated shoulder. George carried 5 times for 21 yards on the Titans opening drive, which resulted in a 6-yard touchdown run by backup Chris Brown. Early on, George ran left, testing Baltimore rookie Terrell Suggs. In the 2nd quarter, they probed the middle of the line with equal success. George injured his shoulder when he tackled the Ravens Ed Reed after McNair's second interception. George sat out until the start of the 2nd half. He carried four times for 24 yards on the Titans other touchdown drive, then followed that up with two receptions for nine yards on the final drive.

Chris Brown (11-61-1, 1 catch for 2 yards) proved to be an excellent alternative to George. He showed good quickness to the hole, while still displaying most of Eddie George's power. His score came from six yards out, as he ran untouched into the end zone. With George out in the 2nd quarter, Brown carried four times for 27 yards.

WR: Justin McCareins (2-62-1 on 2 targets) made the most of his opportunities. His first catch went for 13 yards on 2nd and 14, but the Titans failed to convert on 3rd down. His second catch was a 49-yard touchdown that was all McCareins. McNair threw the ball up for grabs between McCareins and Baltimore safety Gary Baxter. McCareins adjusted to the ball in the air and slowed down, allowing Baxter to run past him. He then caught the pass at the 13-yard line and ran untouched into the end zone.

McNair may have been better off looking to McCareins than Derrick Mason. Not much good happened when he threw to Mason (3-28 on 8 targets). This was not Mason's fault, as two of McNair's interceptions were forced to Mason. The majority of the incompletions were well out of his reach. Mason did catch a 13-yard pass to the Ravens 35-yard line that helped set up the final field goal.

TE: Frank Wycheck (2-17 on 3 targets) and Erron Kinney (2-12 on 4 targets) did not play big roles in the passing game. Kinney, however, was the intended receiver in the red zone on the pass that Ed Reed intercepted, and he did come up with a 6-yard reception to the Ravens 29-yard line just two plays before the winning kick.

PK: Old-timer Gary Anderson was the offensive player of the game, with his two 4th quarter field goals of 45 and 46 yards. Both kicks surpassed his season-long of 43 yards, and the 46-yard game-winner came with 29 ticks left on the clock. Anderson also made both PATs.

Run Defense: The Tennessee run defense did what nobody else could do this year, take Jamal Lewis out of the game. They limited him to 35 yards on 14 carries and never allowed him to establish any sort of rhythm. Keith Bulluck led the way with 8 tackles.

Pass Defense: The Titans pass defense was not as good. They allowed Anthony Wright to engineer a comeback that put the game in jeopardy. The key performer in the passing game may have been DE Jevon Kearse, who baited Ravens lineman Orlando Brown into two key personal foul penalties. CB Samari Rolle shut down Marcus Robinson and made a key play, intercepting Wright in the 4th quarter, which led to a field goal and a 17-10 lead. The Titans sacked Wright twice in the game.

Baltimore Ravens

QB: Anthony Wright (20-37-214-1-2, with 2 carries for 19 yards) played surprisingly well on his biggest stage ever. Forced to throw by the Titans stifling run defense, Wright repeatedly rolled out and was efficient in the short passing game. He completed 4 of 4 for 46 yards on a drive late in the first half that resulted in just a field goal, due to Orlando Brown's first personal foul penalty. In the 4th quarter, he commanded the Ravens on a 71-yard drive to tie the game, culminating in a 35-yard scoring pass to Todd Heap. Wright threw the ball up in the right corner of the end zone, and Heap made a nice catch for the score. His first interception was a lob at the end of the first half. His second interception was intended for Marcus Robinson, but he threw too late and Samari Rolle made a terrific play on the ball. Rolle's interception resulted in a field goal and a 17-10 lead for Tennessee.

RB: Jamal Lewis (14-35 , 2 catches for 4 yards) was shut down by the Titans tough run defense. He managed just 12 yards in the first half on the ground. After Anthony Wright led the Ravens downfield for a field goal late in the 2nd quarter, it appeared as if Lewis might find room to run in the second half. Lewis carried for 13 yards on his first carry of the third quarter, but it was called back on a penalty. On his next carry, he ran for 8 yards, his longest run of the game. It was nearly 10 minutes later before he got another carry, and any hope at establishing the run was out the window.

WR: Travis Taylor (7-82 on 11 targets) made some big plays and could have had more. His 30-yard catch on 3rd and 9 got the Ravens passing game going late in the first half. He caught the ball about 15 yards downfield, then made a nice move to pick up 15 more yards. He also had an 18-yard catch on 2nd and 18 on the Ravens final scoring drive. Still, Wright missed him a couple of times on deep balls when he had beaten his defender.

Samari Rolle effectively shut down Marcus Robinson (1-13 on 4 targets). One play after his only catch, Rolle came around the front of Robinson on a good read and intercepted Wright's pass, which was thrown too late.

TE: Todd Heap (6-80-1 on 11 targets) almost single-handedly brought the Ravens back on one drive in the 4th quarter. Long before that, Heap dropped a difficult chance in the 1st quarter that would have been a first down. He seemed determined not to miss any more chances, but he missed a chance early in the 4th quarter. Heap appeared to be interfered with on a 30-yard pass, but no penalty was called. However, Heap had 3 catches for 55 yards on the Ravens tying drive. The touchdown came from 35 yards out as Wright threw the ball up for grabs to Heap, who was covered by Tank Williams. Heap out-jumped Williams in the end zone, and although Williams had a hand around the ball, Heap had two hands on it and pulled it in as he went to the ground.

PK: Matt Stover made his only field goal, from 43 yards, and both extra points.

Run Defense: The Ravens allowed 165 yards on 40 rushes, allowing the Titans to build a big edge in time of possession. Ray Lewis was his usual self with 11 tackles, while Marques Douglas had 10. Still, Lewis could never make the big play to turn the game in the Ravens favor. The more attention he gets, the more difficult it becomes to live up to his name.

Pass Defense: The Ravens picked off three passes but came up with no sacks in the game. Reed, McAlister and Demps all made solid plays on their interceptions. Gary Baxter failed to locate the ball on McCareins' touchdown catch, and worse yet allowed him to waltz into the end zone untouched.

Denver Broncos 10 at Indianapolis Colts 41

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Denver Broncos

Denver didn't seem mentally prepared to play the game. Along with the Harrison TD fiasco, Left guard Dan Neil was called for three holding penalties and a chop block in the first half alone, 45 yards of penalties in all, possibly setting the stage for the Bronco's Offensive struggles.

Outspoken TE Shannon Sharpe had this to say on the game: "I don't know if I've ever in 14 years of play felt the way I've felt today. I was looking at what was happening and I kept thinking 'you've got to be kidding me. You've got to be kidding me.' "

Once the Broncos fell behind, they were forced to abandon the running game. Plummer couldn't find passing lanes, and threw 2 interceptions to RCB David Macklin.

In this game, the referees were calling the much discussed crack-back blocks on the Denver O-Line. This might have put Denver in a tentative mindset early on.

Indianapolis Colts

This was the Colt's day. The offense was on fire, and seemingly every break fell the Colts' way. This was best highlighted on a Manning pass to Harrison in traffic, where Harrison fell to the turf. Surrounded by Bronco defenders, who seemed to be arguing over whom had what coverage, Harrison got up and ran the ball in for a score. The Broncos had failed to make contact with him. "All of a sudden, I see Marvin sprinting for the end zone," Manning said. "When something like that happens, it tells you maybe it's going to be your day."

Manning has already won every big game he faced this season (Tampa Bay comeback, Miami, Tennessee twice). Nonetheless, the announcers continued to stir the pot claiming Manning had to win this game to get the monkey off his back. Manning threw for 5 TDs, had a perfect passer rating, wasn't sacked or intercepted, and blew out the Denver Broncos in the Playoffs. This likely isn't enough for Brian Cox and the rest of the "Manning chokes" crowd. "I hope people think this was a big game," Dungy said. "We kept hearing about Peyton's failure to win big games. I guess this was a big one."

The Colt's never punted, and scored on every single possession up until James' fumble in the fourth quarter.

After his second touchdown, Brandon Stokley pulled up limp while making a down field cut. He did not return to the game. It was reported after the game that Stokley had both his left shoulder and his left ankle wrapped and iced. Remember that Stokley has already lost much time this season due to injury.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Denver Broncos

QB: Jake Plummer (23/30, 181, TD, interception, 3/18 rushing, fumble) The Broncos went 9-2 with Plummer under center this season. Plummer actually had a very accurate game, going 6/6 in the first half, and finishing with a 77% completion rate. Unfortunately, those passes were short dump-offs, that didn't attempt to strike down field. Plummer called his own number on a 4th and 1 QB sneak. Everyone watching the game, including the Colts was looking for Portis to get the ball as Plummer pushed forward for the 1st down to keep the drive alive.

RB: Clinton Portis (17/68, 1/10 receiving, fumble, 5 targets) Lost a number of first half opportunities where Griffin came into the game for plays. Portis lined up in the slot over 10 times on the game, each time, he was put in motion returning to the backfield, and then got the ball. Portis was very successful rushing to the right, testing the left side of the Colt's defense. Portis lost gains of 2, 4 and 9 yards on offensive holding calls.

Quentin Griffin (6/60, 2/18 receiving, 2 targets) Through most of the game, Griffin got opportunities right along with Portis, being used as the situation merited. He did have a good game. If you look at his final stats, one would assume that Griffin had a great game. Griffin's final 4 carries of the game (The Bronco's last four plays of the game as well), accounted for 36 of his 60 rushing yards. At this point in the game, it was over, and the Colt's were allowing anything underneath or out of the backfield.

Reuben Droughns (5/19 receiving, 5 targets) Droughns' was a very effective weapon out of the backfield in the passing game for Plummer. Every time Plummer seemed to be under pressure, he would look for Droughns.

WR: Rod Smith (5/66, TD, 7 targets) Interestingly, Plummer went to Smith 5 times in the first half. In the second half, with the Broncos throwing on virtually every play, Smith was only targeted twice more.

Charlie Adams (2/18, 2 targets) Adams' first reception was a short flat pass, where he stepped out of bounds after a 4 yard pick up, with time running out in the 1st half.

Ashley Lelie (1/7, 3 targets) Not a factor in the game. Lelie only caught one of the three balls thrown his way.

TE: Shannon Sharpe (5/31, 5 targets) Sharpe caught every ball thrown his way. Sharpe lost a 6 yard gain on a chop block call against the offensive line.

Dwayne Carswell (2/12, 3 targets) Carswell came out strong at the start of the game, very active in the passing attack. After a strong 1st half for a second string TE, he was not looked to again in the game. Carswell lost a 3 yard reception on a penalty call.

K: Jason Elam (1/2 FG [49], 1/1 XP)

Pass Defense: Late in the first quarter Harrison caught a pass at the Broncos 30, lay on the turf untouched as the Denver players argued over who missed the assignment. Harrison got up and ran to the end zone. "We were yelling, we both lost our poise because he caught the ball," said LCB Lenny Walls, who said he and SS Kenoy Kennedy were arguing about who blew the coverage instead of going after Harrison. "It was just a bad play. You can't let that happen in the playoffs."

Rush Defense: FS Sam Brandon (10 tackles) led the defense. The rush defense "kept" the Colt's from crossing the 100 rushing yard mark. However, with gun slinger Manning throwing the ball, the Colt's didn't need to run the ball.

Indianapolis Colts

QB: Peyton Manning (22/26, 377, 5 TDs, 1/0 rushing) Manning was neither sacked, nor threw an interception on the day. Manning only failed to complete 4 of his 26 passes. Every ball he threw was perfect. On each of the Colt's first four drives, Manning threw the ball into the endzone for a touchdown. Manning didn't give up a sack or an interception on his way to finishing with a perfect passer rating of 158.3. Manning might have had five TDs in the first half had time not run out and forced Mike Vanderjagt to kick a field goal.

Brock Huard (4/5, 17) Huard came in at the end of the game, and posted some garbage-time/mop up stats.

RB: Edgerrin James (17/78, 5/37 receiving, fumble, 5 targets) Manning's first 3 passes of the game were to James. Much of James' yards came in the second half, with the Colt's way out in front, and attempting to slow the game down. James' true contribution in the game was in the 1st half where he caught his 5 passes from Manning. James' fumble in the 4th quarter was the first Colt's drive of the game that they failed to score on.

Dominic Rhodes (4/8) All 4 of Rhodes' carries where straight up the middle for a short gain.

Ricky Williams (1/-1) William's single carry was a loss of yardage in the late portion of the 4th quarter. Williams was not a factor in the game.

WR: Marvin Harrison (7/133, 2 TDs, 8 targets) Harrison showed a head for the game, scoring while the Broncos stood arguing. Three Broncos (LCB Lenny Walls, RCB Kelly Herndon, and SS Kenoy Kennedy) surrounded Harrison, but when no one touched him down, Harrison casually rolled over and started running for the end zone. "Coach always tells us to keep going until someone blows the whistle," Harrison said. "I tried to get up slowly so I wouldn't get knocked in the head, so I got up and ran."

Brandon Stokley (4/144, 2 TDs, 5 targets) On the first drive, Manning threw a 23-yard TD pass to Stokley. That pass was a poorly defended flat route, where the defense just lost coverage, allowing Stokley to sprint into the end zone. Manning also hit Stokley for an 87-yard TD just inside the 2-minute warning. Stokley could have had a 3rd TD pass as Manning went to him from 9 yards out in the seconds of the 1st half. Ending what could have been a truly monster game, Stokley appeared to come up limp during a cut down field in the second half. He was held out of the game from that point on.

Reggie Wayne (5/43, 5 targets) After only catching one ball in the first half, Wayne got in the end zone on a 7 yard reception in the first possession of the second half. Wayne picked up steam in the second half, actually seeing more second half targets than any other Colt.

Troy Walters (3/1, 3 targets) Walters came into the game with Stokley out. His three receptions were back to back from Huard on the last Colt's possession of the game. 2 of the 3 receptions were for 1 yard losses. Walters was not a factor of any kind in the game.

TE: Marcus Pollard (1/25, fumble, 2 targets) During Pollard's sole catch in the first half for 25 yards, he fumbled the ball out of bounds.

Joe Dean Davenport (1/11) Ignored in the first half, Davenport's lone reception came in the opening minutes of the second half.

K: Mike Vanderjagt (2/2 FG [27, 20], 5/5 XP)

Pass Defense: RED Dwight Freeney (4 tackles), and RDT Montae Reagor (1 tackle) each sacked Plummer. RCB David Macklin intercepted Plummer twice. Macklin was a very reliable target for Plummer on the day.

Rush Defense: ROLB David Thornton (8 tackles/ 2 assists) led the squad. The rush defense had a solid game, holding the Broncos from getting their vaunted rushing offense into motion. The stats or the score do not show the true picture of the rush defense. The left side of the Colt's front rush Defense gave up some nice runs to Portis. Looking at the box scores, one will see that the Colts surrendered over 120 yards on the ground. First of all, a quarter of those total yards were given to Griffin on the last drive of the game where the Colts were in deep prevent, and secondly, the Colts did stop the Broncos from effectively using the run as a weapon on the day. One could argue that the Broncos had to play catch-up, and therefore couldn't afford to see what the Colts might have surrendered to a full rushing attack.

Seattle Seahawks 27 at Green Bay Packers 33 (OT)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks lost a well-fought battle with the Green Bay Packers in overtime. After winning the coin toss and guaranteeing a score, Matt Hasselbeck threw an interception returned for a touchdown by Al Harris. And while his interception cost the Seahawks the win, Hasselbeck displayed maturity and leadership on the field throughout the game. During the first half, Hasselbeck's passes were well thrown and placed, but his receivers kept dropping them. Koren Robinson had what should have been a touchdown reception at the end of the half go right through his hands. And they finished the half only scoring 2 field goals. But in the second half of the game, Hasselbeck led his team down field for touchdown drives on 3 of their 4 possessions. At one point he slipped and nearly fell but was still able to make a 34-yard pass to Koren Robinson. He finished the game with 25 completions out of 45 attempts for 305 yards.

Shaun Alexander scored three touchdowns but was held to only 45 yards rushing on 20 attempts. During the Seahawks' first drive of the second half, they were threatening in the red zone. Hasselbeck had a pass to the end zone deflected by Hannibal Navies, amazingly Guard Steve Hutchinson was able to catch the deflected ball at the 1-yard line. Shaun Alexander capitalized on Hutchinson's presence of mind by scoring a touchdown. He went on to score 2 more rushing touchdowns both from the 1-yard line, keeping the Seahawks in the game.

Green Bay Packers

Ever since the beginning of December, everything has gone in favor of the Green Bay Packers. They won 4 games in a row, and were rewarded a playoff spot by a near impossible Arizona Cardinal victory over the Minnesota Vikings. And nothing changed in this Wild Card win over the Seattle Seahawks.

Brett Favre was sharp capitalizing on play action passes to finish with 26 completions on 38 attempts for 319 yards. He connected with TE Bubba Franks in the second quarter for a sharp 23-yard touchdown pass over the middle.

Like his counterpart on the Seahawks, Ahman Green was held to minimal rushing yards with only 66 yards on 23 attempts. His longest rush was only for 9 yards. But he made his presence known with his touchdown scores, scoring twice on back to back drives in the fourth quarter, keeping the Packers in the game. Both drives focused on the rushing attack of the Packers and were over 6 minutes in length, eating up the clock and keeping the Seahawks' offense on the bench.

In the end, it was a defensive play that won the game for the Packers in overtime. Al Harris read a Matt Hasselbeck pass and made an interception returning it 52 yards for the game-winning touchdown.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Seattle Seahawks

QB: Matt Hasselbeck (25-45-305, 0 TD, 1 Int) Matt Hasselbeck showed maturity and leadership in his first career post-season start. He started the game by leading the Seahawks downfield connecting twice with Koren Robinson and later with TE Itula Mili. The drive resulted with a field goal score. But throughout the rest of the first half, his wide receivers found it difficult to make catches. Hasselbeck's passes were well thrown and right on but the receivers kept dropping them. Things were definitely different in the second half as the Seahawks came out to score touchdowns on their first two drives of the half. Both touchdowns were rushing, but it was Hasselbeck's leadership that put them in scoring position. Hasselbeck slipped and nearly fell but was still able to complete a pass for 33 yards to Koren Robinson. During the fourth quarter, with only 2:39 left and needing a touchdown to tie, Hasselbeck once again led the Seahawks into scoring position completing 3 out of 5 passes.

Hasselbeck, trying hard to hide a smile, made the overtime coin toss call and when it went the Seahawks' way, he guaranteed a score. But it just wasn't going to happen. He was nearly intercepted when Bobby Engram stopped short on his route. And then with 3rd and 9 to go, Alex Bannister made a catch but it was short of the first down and the Seahawks were forced to punt. They were to see the football one more time. But after throwing two completions to his receivers, Hasselbeck threw an interception, returned by Al Harris for the game-winning touchdown.

RB: Shaun Alexander (20-45, 3 TDs rushing, 1-1 receiving on 3 targets) Shaun Alexander only rushed for 45 yards total. The Packers defense did not give him any running room at all. But it was Alexander's 3 rushing touchdowns in the second half, all from the one-yard line that kept the Seattle Seahawks in the game.

Maurice Morris (1-4 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 2 targets) During the Seahawks' opening drive, Morris was targeted in the end zone. He made the catch but could not get his second foot down in bounds.

WR: Koren Robinson (7-88 receiving on 11 targets) Koren Robinson opened the game by making two back to back catches. He made another 9-yard catch during the next drive. But dropped everything else that came his way during the first half, including what would have been a touchdown reception that went right through his hands at the end of the half. Things turned around in the second half, and he made a great catch and cut across field to gain a total of 33 yards.

Bobby Engram (4-83 receiving on 6 targets) Bobby Engram made a 28-yard reception to the Green Bay 28-yard line, setting up a field goal score in the second quarter. In the fourth quarter, he made a great 34-yard catch to inside the Green Bay 10-yard line that set up Shaun Alexander's game tying touchdown. During overtime he stopped short on his route, Hasselbeck was nearly intercepted and the Seahawks were forced to punt.

Darrell Jackson (5-58 receiving on 7 targets) Darrell Jackson was quiet in the first half of the game; he made one 5-yard reception on one target but it was for a third down conversion. He made 4 additional first down conversions during the game.

Alex Bannister (1-8 receiving on 4 targets) Alex Bannister was targeted in the end zone during the second quarter, but his reception was made out of bounds. During overtime he made his lone reception and nearly fumbled the ball. It was ruled a fumble, but the play call was reversed as it was clear he had gotten his forearm down before losing the ball.

TE: Itula Mili (6-62 receiving on 10 targets) Mili was one of Hasselbeck's favorite targets during the game and it was easy to see why. Mili made a 9-yard reception for a third down conversion during the Seahawk's opening drive of the game. In the third quarter, he made an 8-yard reception in double coverage followed by a 4-yard reception to the 1-yard line setting up Shaun Alexander's rushing touchdown.

K: Josh Brown (2 FG, 3 XP) Josh Brown made 2 field goals of 30 and 35 yards in the first half. In the second half, he converted all of his extra point attempts.

Pass Defense: The Seahawks' defense gave up 319 passing yards and 1 touchdown to Brett Favre. Marcus Trufant broke up a number of passes early in the game, but the defense as a whole did not get much pressure on Favre or the Packers' receivers. They tightened up during overtime and forced the Packers to punt on their only possession.

Rush Defense: Ahman Green was held to only 66 yards rushing, but he scored 2 rushing touchdowns against the Seahawks. In the second quarter, Chad Brown made a tackle on Green and sprained his left ankle. He was unable to return to the game. Shawn Springs read an end around attempt by Javon Walker perfectly and stopped him for an 8-yard loss.

Green Bay Packers

QB: Brett Favre (26-38-319, 1 TD) Brett Favre completed 26 passes for 319 yards. His offensive line gave him plenty of time to throw and he worked the play action pass to perfection throughout the game. In the second quarter, Favre completed 3 out of 4 passes for 80 yards, culminating with a 23-yard touchdown pass over the middle to TE Bubba Franks. With the touchdown pass, Favre set a NFL record with 14 straight playoff games with a touchdown pass.

RB: Ahman Green (23-66, 2 TD rushing, 5-44 receiving on 7 targets) Ahman Green was held to only 66 yards rushing, and his longest rush only for 9 yards. But the threat of his ability to break tackles opened up the play action passes that were so successful for the Packers. During the fourth quarter, he scored 2 rushing touchdowns on consecutive drives.

William Henderson (3-38 receiving on 3 targets) Fullback Henderson wasn't a part of the rushing game, other than opening holes for Ahman Green. But he looked like a wide receiver, making a beautiful 29-yard reception in the second quarter.

WR: Javon Walker (5-111 receiving on 6 targets, 1 for -8 rushing) Javon Walker made a great deep 44-yard reception in the second quarter that set up Bubba Franks' touchdown reception. Walker was the leading receiver for the Packers' catching almost everything that came his way. He was tackled for a loss on an end around attempt that failed when Shawn Springs correctly read the play. Near the end of the fourth quarter, he made a 27-yard reception over the middle, putting the Packers in field goal range.

Donald Driver (6-66 receiving on 7 targets) In the second quarter, Donald Driver made a leaping catch to pull in a floating pass from Brett Favre for 23 yards. In the third quarter, he was able to make a great catch over the middle to gain a first down for the Packers.

Robert Ferguson (1-8 receiving on 2 targets) During the first drive of the game, Robert Ferguson dropped a pass as he was well covered by Marcus Trufant. He did not see another look from Favre until the very end of the fourth quarter when he made his 8-yard reception.

Antonio Freeman (0-0 receiving on 2 targets) Freeman dropped a pass over the middle in the first quarter forcing the Packers to punt.

TE: Bubba Franks (2-33, 1 TD receiving on 4 targets) Bubba Franks made a great 23-yard touchdown reception over the middle.

David Martin (1-2 receiving on 2 targets) and Wesley Walls (1-5 receiving on 1 target) Both David Martin and Wesley Walls were utilized in the first quarter of play making short catches. In the second quarter, Martin was targeted deep but unable to come up with the reception.

K: Ryan Longwell (2-3 FG, 3-3 XP) Ryan Longwell made 2 field goal attempts in the second quarter for 31 and 27 yards. With seconds left in the game, Longwell attempted a 47-yard field goal that would win the game. The attempt was straight but fell just short of the uprights, probably due to the windy conditions.

Pass Defense: Mike McKenzie was all over the field covering the Seahawks' receivers. Matt Hasselbeck threw for 305 yards, but did not score a passing touchdown. Al Harris covered Koren Robinson in the end zone to prevent a touchdown in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, they were called for pass interference when the Seahawks were threatening in the red zone; the penalty put the ball at the 1-yard line setting up Shaun Alexander's game tying score. But it was the pass defense that won the game as Al Harris in overtime made an interception and returned it 52 yards for the game-winning touchdown.

Rush Defense: The Packers held Shaun Alexander to only 45 yards on 20 rushing attempts. But they were unable to stop him at the goal line and he scored 3 touchdowns from the 1-yard line.