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Hi Folks, Joe PS - These reports will be available online at the Footballguys.com website later on today in a much better looking format. I'm just sending to you now as I know many of you want these just as soon as they're finished. ************************************** Joe Bryant Thanks to Footballguys recap writers: Andrew Abouzeid, Mike Anderson, Michael
Bartlett, Bill Brown, Michael Brown, Christopher Clark, Timothy Creech, Cathy
Fazio, Bradley Gabbard, Cory Gilbert, Chris Gilman, Anoop Jalan, Alex Knapik,
Jeff Lewis, Scott Martin, John Matthes, Doug Mobley, David Oleyar, Jeff Pasquino,
Greg Porzucek, Steve Prosapio, David Shick, Jeff Siedsma, Dave Teller, Chris
Thomas, Dave Thompson, Rob Umberger, Mark Westmyer, George Willock, and Todd
Young New York Jets 17 at Buffalo Bills 22 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW New York Jets Chad Pennington was ineffective before having to leave the game in the fourth quarter with a strained right shoulder. He was replaced by Quincy Carter for the remainder of the contest. WR Santana Moss broke out in a huge way. He caught six passes for a game high 157 yards, including his first touchdown of the season. The score came on a 51-yard strike from backup QB Quincy Carter. On the play, the Bills blitzed and Moss was able to get behind Tony McGee who fell down for the score. Curtis Martin entered the game just behind Steelers' RB Jerome Bettis on the NFL's all-time list. But while Bettis rumbled for nearly 150 yards in his game, Martin was absolutely stifled in this one. The Bills' defenders spoke all week about not being intimidated by the Jets and claimed they knew how to shut them down, Martin especially. The NFL's #2-ranked defensive unit backed up their words by holding Martin to just 67 yards on 19 carries. Buffalo Bills Willis McGahee is the featured back, and let there be no debate about that. McGahee carried the ball a whopping 37 times to Travis Henry's four. You'd never know that the Bills had a Pro Bowl-caliber back on their bench based on how they utilized the two. McGahee almost never came out, and when he did it was just for a handful of plays. It was a tale of two halves for the Bills wide receivers. In the first half, Eric Moulds was pretty much Drew Bledsoe's only target, as he was thrown to 8 times. In the second half, Moulds only saw two balls go his way while rookie Lee Evans was thrown to 6 times. Each receiver had a very productive game. Starting tackle Mike Williams apparently escaped serious injury during the game. He was injured on a play in which his head was jerked to one side. He lay on the field for a long time and did not move. After being strapped to a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance, Williams gave a thumbs-up to the crowd. It was later reported that his precautionary X-rays all came back negative and there was movement in all of his extremities. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW New York Jets QB: Chad Pennington (7-15-141, 1 TD, 1 Int; 2-14 rushing, 1 fumble lost) could not follow up on his tremendous Monday night performance of a week ago. Pennington was flustered and appeared confused for much of the game. The Jets' game plan was clearly to try and involve the receivers much more, which worked as far as getting stats but it hurt when Pennington appeared to force several passes. One such pass was an attempt to WR Wayne Chrebet that Lawyer Milloy stepped in front of for the interception. Pennington's other big mistake came during a scramble. He tried making a play on the run, and succeeded in getting the first down. Unfortunately for him, the ball was stripped at the last moment and Buffalo recovered. That turnover eventually led to a Willis McGahee touchdown. Pennington was on the sidelines with 6:11 left in the game and the Jets down 20-10. It was reported that he had suffered a strained right shoulder earlier in the game and was not going to return. Quincy Carter replaced him. Pennington was struggling in the second half anyway, as he was 0-4 with an interception at the time Carter came in. Quincy Carter (2-3-66, 1 TD, 1-2 rushing) came on in relief of an injured Chad Pennington. His first play didn't go so well, as a botched exchange on a handoff to Curtis Martin helped contribute to a Buffalo safety. On the Jets' next possession, Carter led them to a score. On the touchdown, Santana Moss' defender had fallen down, leaving him wide open about five yards behind Tony McGee. Carter, on the run, lofted a pass downfield to Moss, who did the rest of the damage himself. The Jets, however, never got the ball back again to try and drive for a potential game-winning score. RB: Curtis Martin (19-67 rushing) could never get going. Considering he had a 19-yard run on his second carry of the day, it makes his afternoon even more frustrating. His final 17 carries resulted in just 47 yards rushing. And he finished with 2.8 YPC. What's more, he and Jerald Sowell entered the game as the Jets' two leading receivers. Not only did Martin not catch any passes, but he was never even thrown to. LaMont Jordan (2-2 rushing) never got any extended work and was a complete non-factor. WR: Santana Moss (6-157, 1 TD receiving on 9 targets, 1-3 rushing) finally broke out in a big way. Moss was targeted by Chad Pennington early and often as the Jets made a concerted effort to get the ball into his hands. He didn't seem bothered by any injuries, and really was able to get separation from defenders all game long. In the second half, with Pennington struggling, Moss went the entire third quarter and much of the fourth without so much as a pass heading in his direction. Once Quincy Carter entered the game, Moss saw two quick completions, including the 51-yard bomb that resulted in Moss' first touchdown of the year. There was a play early in the game on which Moss got behind the Bills' defense for a reception. Had the ball been thrown in stride, it could have gone for a long score. But with heavy wind in Buffalo, it was difficult for each quarterback to gauge just how much to put behind each throw. The ball ended up hanging in the air for a moment, but Moss came back to make the reception anyway. Justin McCareins (2-27, 1 TD receiving on 3 targets) scored early on a slant pattern from 6 yards out, but that was the last target McCareins saw all day. Wayne Chrebet (0-0 receiving on 1 target) was thrown to once. It resulted in the game's only interception. TE: Chris Baker (1-23 receiving on 4 targets) wasn't utilized much, but did have a highlight-reel reception early on. With a defender all over him, Baker made a fantastic juggling catch before falling to the ground for a 23-yard completion. Of course, Baker also later dropped a very catchable pass, which may account for his limited use. Anthony Becht (0-0 receiving on 3 targets) was a complete non-factor and isn't much of a threat in the receiving game anymore, even down by the goal line. K: Doug Brien (1-2 FG, 2 XP) misfired on an early 36-yard attempt and later connected into the wind from 41. Despite the wind issues, Brien's miss cannot be blamed on the wind. He just hooked it and it never had a chance. Perhaps he was overcompensating for the wind, but it wasn't close. Pass Defense: Strangely enough, Drew Bledsoe proved to be extremely elusive from Jet defenders. On one play in particular, Bledsoe saw pressure coming from his right so he spun off the tackler, took off downfield, and dove ahead for a 17-yard gain. There were other, subtler, examples of Bledsoe's ability to evade the oncoming rush. He just seemed to have a good feel for the pocket, and the Jets never really came close to sacking or intercepting him. The Jets also had problems stopping Eric Moulds early and Lee Evans late. Evans in particular gave them problems. He was the recipient of Bledsoe's only touchdown pass, and he also came up with a huge reception on the Bills' last drive of the game to try and run out the clock. On a third and long play, Evans tiptoed down the sideline past the Jets' defenders for the first down. Run Defense: Willis McGahee dominated the Jets. He carried the ball an amazing 37 times for a career-high 132 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown came on a 4th and one call from the 12-yard line. McGahee bounced it outside and outran the Jets' defenders to the corner for the score. It always seemed like it took several players to bring McGahee down, and he definitely made them look bad on several plays. Shaun Ellis was seen limping around after several plays late in the game. The announcers said he was seen holding his thigh, but no more update was given on his condition as he remained in the game. Buffalo Bills QB: Drew Bledsoe (18-30-184, 1 TD, 4-16 rushing) managed this game very well. He didn't try to force anything, didn't turn the ball over, and when the opportunity presented itself for a big play, he took care to put the ball only in spots where either his receiver or no one would catch it. He displayed excellent patience and elusiveness on several plays, including a scramble up the middle that resulted in a first down. Bledsoe never locked in on one guy for too long, and utilized his check downs at necessary points. The only blemish on his performance was a curious call late in the first half. With the Bills trailing New York by 3, Bledsoe and the offense had the ball near the goal line with no timeouts left but nearly 30 seconds left on the clock. On a third down play, Bledsoe, rather than try to at least put the ball in the end zone for a go-ahead score, opted to spike the ball and set up the field goal unit for a tying kick. The kick was successful. RB: Willis McGahee (37-132, 1 TD rushing, 2-11 receiving on 4 targets) busted out against New York. He had yet another big game. He almost never went down on the first hit, and dragged piles of defenders all game long. And when the situation called for a run to the outside, or if the middle was clogged up, McGahee had no trouble bouncing the ball to the sidelines and turning upfield for a big gainer. There was never anything tentative about him, and he was clearly the focal point of the Buffalo attack. On a series of plays early in the first half, McGahee touched the ball or was the target of 8 out of 9 plays. And that wasn't all that uncommon for the entire afternoon. Travis Henry (4-15 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 1 target) was used minimally in the running game. He was targeted on one pass, which he dropped. WR: Eric Moulds (7-85 receiving on 10 targets) was the Bills' main threat today. Nearly all of his damage came in the first half, as he caught just 1 ball for 4 yards on 2 targets the entire second half. Among Moulds' non-catches were a deep ball down the seam that was slightly overthrown into double coverage, as well as a fairly deep pass into the end zone that was a little under thrown. A little more air under it and Moulds may have scored, in addition to his yardage. Lee Evans (5-64, 1 TD receiving on 7 targets) was quiet when Moulds was busy and busy when Moulds was quiet. His touchdown reception came on a fade to the corner of the end zone that was a tremendous fingertip grab by the rookie. He also made the key reception late on a third and 8 play up the sideline. The Bills were trying to run out the clock and Bledsoe lofted a pass along the sideline to Evans that he caught and managed to keep himself inbounds on for a terrific catch. The announcers commented several times on Evans' good habit of catching the ball with his hands rather than his body. His hands were on full display today, as he came up with every catchable ball thrown his way. TE: Mark Campbell (0-0 receiving on 2 targets) was thrown to twice but did not make a catch. The focus of the passing game was almost entirely Moulds and Evans. K: Rian Lindell (2-2 FG, 2 XP) hit both of his field goal attempts, from 20 and 30 yards out. Pass Defense: The Bills did an excellent job on the Jets for all but one play. Despite Santana Moss running free for much of the game, the Bills shut down New York in just about every other area. Even the Moss long touchdown was a result of Tony McGee blowing his route and then falling down. For perspective on how well the Bills defense played the pass, consider: the Jets did not complete a pass in the second half until there was 4:44 remaining in the fourth quarter, a span of over twenty-five minutes. The Bills got good pressure on Pennington, with one such play resulting in a possible shoulder injury for the Jets' QB. They also created a turnover when Lawyer Milloy came underneath on Wayne Chrebet for the interception. All in all, it was an excellent performance by Buffalo, especially against a team that looked so thoroughly dominant just six days ago. Run Defense: Buffalo had not allowed a 100-yard rusher this season, and today was no exception. Curtis Martin carried just 19 times for only 67 yards, and the rest of the Jets attack totaled just 21 yards on an additional 6 carries. The run defense even got itself into the scoring column by registering a safety on Curtis Martin late in the fourth quarter that really put the game out of reach. Martin broke a 19-yard run on the game's second play, but after that, he was held to just 47 yards on his next 17 carries. Washington Redskins 17 at Detroit Lions 10 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Washington Redskins Clinton Portis was the Redskins' offense, rushing for 147 yards while adding an 11-yard catch and a 15-yard touchdown pass to Laveranues Coles. In all, Portis accounted for 173 of Washington's 229 net yards on offense, or an insane 76%. Behind a strong effort from the offensive line, Portis was nearly unstoppable on the ground, and then capped off the Redskins' only touchdown drive of the day with a nicely thrown halfback pass, the first touchdown pass of Portis' career. As good as Portis and the running game were, though, Mark Brunell and the passing attack were equally bad. Brunell completed only 6 of 17 passes for a pathetic 58 yards, despite being afforded good protection by his offensive line and having an open receiver on most passing plays. Laveranues Coles led the Redskins' receivers with 4 catches for 46 yards and the one touchdown. However, Coles was able to beat the Lions' coverage with frightening regularity, and only Brunell's inability to get him the ball prevented a much bigger day. No other Washington wide receiver caught a pass in the game, with the remaining 3 receptions going to Portis, Ladell Betts, and backup tight end Brian Kozlowski. Rod Gardner and tight end Chris Cooley were both held without a catch, despite starting and playing throughout the game. The Redskins' defense was absolutely brilliant, shutting down Detroit's rushing attack and bringing near-constant pressure against Joey Harrington. Harrington's mobility prevented the Redskins from recording more than 2 sacks, although Fred Smoot pitched in an interception, and backup cornerback Walt Harris returned a blocked punt 13 yards for a touchdown. Detroit Lions Rookie wide receiver Roy Williams started and played the entire game despite a sprained ankle, but was obviously bothered by the injury, wincing after several plays and making a couple of uncharacteristic drops. Williams was held to just 33 yards on 3 receptions in the game, despite being targeted 15 times. But Az-Zahir Hakim picked up the slack, hauling in 7 balls for 120 yards, while Reggie Swinton added 5 receptions for 45 more yards. Tight end Shaun Alexander had 7 targets, but dropped several balls and wound up with only 2 catches for 19 yards. Joey Harrington's stat line doesn't look very good, with just 26 of 52 passing for 269 yards and 1 touchdown plus an interception. However, the statistics don't tell the full story, as Harrington had to leave the pocket to escape pressure on most of his passing attempts, and suffered from a number of dropped balls by his receivers. Harrington's touchdown went for 1 yard to fullback Cory Schlesinger; while the interception came on a pass he shouldn't have thrown, trying to thread the needle against tight double coverage to David Kircus in the end zone. Rookie Kevin Jones started the game at running back and got most of the touches, but was completely unable to gain any yardage against the stout Redskins' defense and finished the day with just 20 yards on 12 carries. Shawn Bryson enjoyed a little more success, with 21 yards on 6 runs, while Artose Pinner had only 2 attempts for 7 yards. The Lions' offensive line was completely unable to open any running lanes for the backs. Defensively Detroit was a disaster on the day, utterly failing to stop Clinton Portis on the ground. The Lions did not record a sack or a turnover in the game. Dynamic return man Eddie Drummond was held largely in check, with the Redskins doing an excellent job of directional kicking to pin him against the sidelines on returns. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Washington Redskins QB: Mark Brunell (6-17-58) was about as bad as his stat line indicates. Despite enjoying a superb rushing attack and excellent protection in the pocket, Brunell struggled throughout the day to hit his receivers. Brunell did throw what would have been a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Robert Royal, but that score was nullified by a false start penalty and the Redskins were forced to settle for a field goal. RB: Clinton Portis (34-147 rushing, 1-11 receiving on 2 targets, 1-1-15, 1 TD passing) was able to run all over the Detroit Lions' defense, helped in no small part by the excellent blocking of his offensive line. Washington also appeared to change its offensive scheme in this game, running fewer of the sweep plays with pulling linemen which Coach Joe Gibbs prefers, and instead focusing on quick cutback runs to the interior of the line, a style which compliments Portis' running abilities. The results speak for themselves, as Portis racked up his third 100 yard rushing performance of the season. Five of his runs went for more than 10 yards apiece, including back to back 21-yard scampers to start the Redskins' only touchdown drive. That drive ended with Portis taking a pitch from Brunell and running to his right, where he heaved a pass deep into the end zone which was caught by Laveranues Coles. It was the first touchdown pass of Portis' career. Ladell Betts (5-19 rushing, 1-3 receiving on 3 targets) got into the game on long third downs, and whenever Clinton Portis needed a breather. Betts was able to break one run for a 10-yard gain, but it came on a 3rd and 30 situation, with the defense playing very soft against the run. WR: Laveranues Coles (4-46, 1 TD receiving on 8 targets) had about as good a game as can be expected when the starting quarterback only throws for 58 yards. That said, Coles could probably have had a much better game if Mark Brunell had been able to get the ball on target more frequently. Coles' touchdown catch was typical of his routes, as he found himself open in the end zone with the closest defender 3 yards away. Rod Gardner (0-0 receiving on 2 targets, 1 for -10 rushing) can at least take solace in the fact that his team won the game. He was obviously not a priority target in the passing game, and his end around rushing attempt fooled nobody. No other Washington Redskins wide receiver was targeted in the game. James Thrash did have an excellent game on special teams, downing one punt at the 1 yard line and saving two others, also at the Detroit 1. Taylor Jacobs was not used on offense, but did block a punt which was recovered by Washington and run in for a touchdown. TE: Brian Kozlowski (1-13 receiving on 1 target) recorded his first reception of the season. Robert Royal (0-0 receiving on 1 target) had a 1-yard touchdown catch negated by an offensive penalty. Chris Cooley (0-0 receiving on 1 target) started the game but was not able to haul in a pass. K: Ola Kimrin (2 XP, 1-2 FG) continued kicking in relief of the injured John Hall, and converted on a 24 yard field goal. Kimrin's miss came from 51 yards out, and hit the crossbar before bouncing back onto the field of play. Pass Defense: The Redskins were able to contain the Detroit passing game, limiting Joey Harrington to 269 yards and a touchdown. Much of those passing stats came late in the game, with Washington protecting a 14 point lead. The pass blitz was able to harass Harrington on nearly every play, with defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin recording two sacks in the game. Cornerback Fred Smoot made an acrobatic play in intercepting a Harrington pass in the end zone. However, Detroit's receivers dropped a number of passes in the game, which helped the Redskins' defensive numbers considerably. Run Defense: Washington came into this game as the top run defense in the league, allowing just 3.1 yards per carry to opponents. The Redskins actually improved on that mark in this game, dominating the line of scrimmage and holding the Lions to only 64 total rushing yards on 24 carries, with 14 of those yards coming on a pair of Joey Harrington scrambles. Rookie Kevin Jones was completely shut down in the contest, managing only 20 yards on 12 carries. Detroit Lions QB: Joey Harrington (26-52-269, 1 TD, 1 INT, 2-14 rushing) played much better than his stats would indicate, as his receivers dropped numerous on target passes. That, combined with the facts that Detroit was never able to run the ball in the game and Harrington was forced to scramble out of the pocket on nearly every passing play, make his numbers look that much better. Harrington's touchdown was typical for a 1-yard scoring pass, going to wide open fullback Cory Schlesinger after a run fake up the middle of the field. His interception came when Harrington tried to force the ball to David Kircus in the end zone, despite tight double coverage on the receiver. RB: Shawn Bryson (6-21 rushing, 4-28 receiving on 5 targets) worked his way onto the field a bit more often than normal, with neither Kevin Jones nor Artose Pinner able to move the ball with any consistency. Bryson did little better, but with the Lions trying to mount a fourth quarter comeback his receiving skills made him the back of choice. Kevin Jones (12-20 rushing, 1-3 receiving on 1 target) started for the Lions, but received little help from his offensive line against the outstanding Washington defensive front. On most running plays Jones was forced to make his first cut before reaching the line of scrimmage, and even then was often hit before gaining positive yardage. Jones' longest run of the day went for 7 yards, but his best effort was a 3-yard gain on 2nd and 2, when Jones powered through 3 tacklers before spinning for the first down. Artose Pinner (2-7 rushing, 1-0 receiving on 1 target) was on the field a little more than his stats would indicate, but with Washington shutting down the Lions' running game, Pinner was not given more opportunities. Corey Schlesinger (1-2 rushing, 2-7, 1 TD receiving on 3 targets) has now scored 19 career touchdowns on 340 career touches. Schlesinger snuck out of the backfield on an inside run fake and was wide open in the right flat for his 1-yard touchdown. WR: Az-Zahir Hakim (7-120 receiving on 10 targets, 1-0 rushing) had a great game from a statistical standpoint, but also dropped a couple of key passes and padded his numbers with a 37-yard reception as time expired. As usual, Hakim was fearless in going over the middle for the tough catches, and as a result was slow to get up after several plays. In every case, however, Hakim did pull himself back to his feet and remained in the game. Reggie Swinton (5-45 receiving on 7 targets) saw a lot of action in the game in 3 receiver sets, owing in equal parts to the score and to the Lions' complete failure to run the ball. Swinton looked good in the game, creating separation against the very good Redskins' defensive backs and making the catch when the ball was on target. Roy Williams (3-33 receiving on 15 targets) was clearly the focal point of both the Lions' passing scheme and the Redskins' coverage plans. Williams was often double covered, and was obviously bothered by his sprained ankle during the game, wincing after several sharp cuts and limping slightly on the sidelines. Williams gutted his way through the pain and remained in the game, but it also affected his concentration as the normally sure-handed receiver had several drops in the game. Williams did make a spectacular leaping, one-handed catch along the sidelines early in the game. David Kircus (0-0 receiving on 1 target) was the target of a Joey Harrington pass in the end zone, but was double covered at the time and unable to prevent Fred Smoot from intercepting the pass. TE: Stephen Alexander (2-19 receiving on 7 targets) had a horrible game as a receiver, dropping 3 passes and stepping out of bounds before he could catch a fourth. Casey Fitzsimmons (1-14 receiving on 1 target) caught just his fifth pass of the season. K: Jason Hanson (1 XP, 1-1 FG) was good on a 40-yard field goal attempt. Pass Defense: While Mark Brunell threw for only 58 yards in this game, this was due much more to Brunell's own failings than to anything the Lions were able to do. Detroit managed just sporadic pressure on Brunell and failed to record a sack in the game. Laveranues Coles was able to beat coverage on numerous plays, but the quarterback failed to get him the ball. Overall, a very uninspiring effort from the Lions defense. Rushing Defense: The defensive line was dominated by the Redskins, and far too often the linebackers and safeties failed to cover their assignments against the running game. As a result, Clinton Portis was often able to make one cut at the line of scrimmage and run untouched for 5 or more yards. In a game in which their opponent ran the ball 40 times and threw only 18, strong safety Bracy Walker led the team with 7 tackles, 4 of them solo. A dismal performance all around. Oakland Raiders 27 at Carolina Panthers 24 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Oakland Raiders Oakland was unable to establish a consistent running game, so quarterback Kerry Collins threw the ball 32 times. Collins completed 20 of those attempts to 8 different Raiders. Collins was looking for his wide receivers early and late, but spent the middle two quarters throwing to his running backs and tight ends. Four of his 5 first quarter completions were to WRs, as were 5 of 6 in the fourth period. In the second and third quarters he completed only 1 pass to a wide receiver, but connected on 8 completions to TEs and RBs. Tyrone Wheatley and Amos Zereoue shared running back duties, with Wheatley getting the bulk of carries. Wheatley finished with 54 yards on 19 carries, scoring on two 1-yard runs in the second quarter. However, he was not consistently productive, as the Raiders' offensive line could not control Carolina's banged up front four, (which was missing two starters). Zereoue's day is a perfect illustration of how Oakland's rushing attack varied from bad to good. On his first 6 carries, he had a net zero yards. On his seventh, he scored on a 7-yard run. In a game of long scoring drives by both teams, the Oakland offense was able to control the clock in the first half as the Raiders built up a 10-point lead. Oakland had a 13-play field goal drive to open the game, and then added 11-play and 13-play touchdown marches in the first 30 minutes. At halftime, the Raiders led the Panthers in total yards, 177 to 83. In the second half, Oakland was not nearly as efficient. In the Raiders' first two possessions they went three-and-punt, and then had an interception on the first play. The offense came back with an 11 play touchdown drive, followed by a three-and-punt, and, finally, the game-winning field goal drive - on only five plays. Carolina Panthers As was the case with the Raiders, the Panthers were unable to run early. Carolina, however, did go away from the ground game, and ended up with only 16 rushing attempts by running backs. Even with quarterback Jake Delhomme scrambling twice for 7 yards, the Panthers had a mere 37 yards rushing on 18 attempts, a 2.1 yard average. The Carolina offensive line had three starters out, and were unable to create running lanes for Brad Hoover, Nick Goings, and Joey Harris. Jake Delhomme threw for 3 TDs and almost 300 yards but could have been better. Even with his team relying on him to throw nearly every down, (he had 45 pass attempts) the Raiders did not put a lot of pressure on him. Despite usually having plenty of time to survey the field, he had several critical overthrows of open receivers - especially in the second half. When the quarterback passes for 299 yards and 3 touchdowns it sounds like a good day, but Delhomme could have had much more, and his team could have won, had he just hit open targets. The Carolina receiving corps remains a dangerous weapon, if Delhomme could settle down and find them. Muhsin Muhammad, Ricky Proehl and Keary Colbert were open all day. The trio combined for 17 catches for 227 yards. Muhammad and Proehl came up big in the fourth quarter with 4 and 3 receptions, respectively, as the Panthers rallied from 10 points down to tie the game. Carolina's offense was on the sideline much of the first half as the Raiders controlled the clock, but the Panthers turned the tables in the second half. Carolina opened the third quarter with a 15-play touchdown drive, had two short possessions that ended in punts, then had a 16-play field goal drive and a 5-play TD drive the last two times they had their hands on the ball. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Oakland Raiders QB: Kerry Collins (20-32-231 passing, 1 Int, 1 for -1 rushing) He had numerous clutch completions that kept long scoring drives alive. On the down side, he continues to force the ball into coverage, believing his superior arm strength will win out. His interception was thrown to a well-covered TE Doug Jolley, and Panther safety Mike Minter dropped a sure pick late in the game. Another possible interception was wiped out by an off sides penalty. RB: Tyrone Wheatley (19-54 rushing, 2 TD, 3-10 receiving on 3 targets) After missing time due to injuries, Wheatley has led the team in rushing two straight weeks. The Raiders tried hard to establish him early. He had 4 carries on the game-opening field goal drive, then 5 more on the second possession, capped by a 1-yard touchdown on fourth and goal. He averaged only 2.8 yards per carry, however, and his longest rush of the day for 8 yards came on his first attempt. Amos Zereoue (7-7 rushing, 1 TD, 1-4 receiving on 1 target) Zereoue was held to zero yards on his first 6 rushes, but came through with a 7-yard TD run that gave Oakland a 24-14 lead in the fourth quarter. He did not see the ball again after that play. Zack Crockett (2-14 receiving on 3 targets) Crockett dropped a pass, but caught the other 2 thrown his way in limited action. J.R. Redmond (1-9 rushing, 2-11 receiving on 4 targets) Redmond got a rare rushing attempt, and made it count. He picked up 9 yards one play prior to Zereoue's TD. Redmond lost a short completion to a defensive offsides penalty in the first quarter. WR: Ronald Curry (4-63 receiving on 5 targets) In his return to the area where he played college ball for the University of North Carolina, Curry had an 11-yard catch in the first quarter, then didn't see another pass until the fourth quarter. Curry had 2 receptions for 33 yards on Oakland's TD drive that gave them a 10-point lead with just over 9 minutes to play. With the game tied and just 2:19 left, Curry jump-started Oakland's winning field goal drive with a 19-yard catch. Doug Gabriel (4-60 receiving on 6 targets) The second-year wide receiver from Central Florida continues to develop into a quality receiver. Gabriel caught all 3 passes targeted to him in the first quarter. He had 2 receptions for 18 yards each on Oakland's first drive, then a 12-yard catch that gave the Raiders a first and goal on their second possession. With 1:18 to play, he drew a 38-yard pass interference penalty that gave the Raiders another first and goal, and set up the game-winning field goal. Jerry Porter (2-28 receiving on 6 targets) Porter had a quiet day. Oakland's leading receiver coming into the game, he dropped the first pass thrown to him, forcing the team to attempt a field goal on the next play. Both of his catches came on scoring drives. TE: Doug Jolley (2-41 receiving on 5 targets) Jolley lost an early completion to a defensive offsides penalty. His only receptions of the game came on a late second-quarter TD drive by the Raiders. He converted a third and 1 at the Carolina 46 with a 33-yard catch and run. Courtney Anderson (0-0 receiving on 3 targets) Anderson did not catch any of the passes thrown to him, and did not see the ball after the second quarter. K: Sebastian Janikowski (3-3 XP, 2-2 FGs) Janikowski had a perfect day, making every kick attempt, though all were short. Janikowski bookended Oakland's scoring with a 26-yard field goal in the first quarter and the game-winning 19-yarder in the final seconds. Pass Defense: Despite Carolina abandoning the run early, Oakland's pass rush was largely ineffective, leaving the secondary exposed. Charles Woodson missed practice time and appeared to be limited. The Raiders allowed 299 passing yards and 3 TDs to Jake Delhomme, who overthrew several open receivers. The low point was allowing Delhomme to complete a 26-yard pass to Muhsin Muhammad on third and 25 late in the game to set up a field goal. Rush Defense: Oakland did an excellent job against the run. Carolina had just 37 yards on 18 attempts, a 2.1-yard average. Carolina Panthers QB: Jake Delhomme (25-45-299 passing, 3 TDs, 2-7 rushing) Usually, when a quarterback completes 55 percent of his passes for 299 yards, 3 TDs and no picks, he gets a pat on the back for doing a great job. However, in film study this week, Delhomme is going to hear about the crucial passes he didn't complete to wide open receivers. For example, down 10 points in the fourth quarter, just two plays after a miraculous conversion of a third-and-25 situation, Delhomme overthrew Keary Colbert in the end zone, forcing Carolina to settle for a field goal. On the plus side, he looked great on the tying TD drive, completing 4 straight passes and leading the team down the field in less than a minute. RB: Brad Hoover (8-17 rushing, 2-21, 1 TD receiving on 3 targets) Hoover will never be mistaken for Stephen Davis or DeShaun Foster, and he looked a lot better catching the ball rather than running it. Because of his limited speed, Hoover is pretty much restricted to straight-ahead runs. Given this predictability, it is not surprising his longest rush was 6 yards. On Carolina's opening drive of the third quarter, Hoover did a great job of working his way open while his quarterback was scrambling, and scored on a 16-yard reception. Nick Goings (4-11 rushing, 4-36, 1 TD receiving on 11 targets) As was the case with Hoover, Goings didn't find much running room, but he was an effective receiver. Midway through the fourth quarter, Goings got wide open down the sideline, but Delhomme overthrew him. In the final minutes, Goings caught a 23-yard pass to Oakland 37. Two plays later, Delhomme found him in the end zone for the tying touchdown. Joey Harris (4-2 rushing) The rookie from Purdue was expected to be the featured back with Carolina's top two RBs out, but he didn't get on the field in the first half. He lost a 7-yard run to a holding penalty early in the third quarter, which would have been his long rush of the day. WR: Muhsin Muhammad (8-94 on 14 targets) As was the case with the entire Carolina offense, Muhammad got off to a slow start. He was targeted only once in the first quarter. He had 2 catches and drew a pass interference penalty in the second period. Muhammad had just 1 reception in the third quarter, but drew an illegal contact penalty. He stepped up big with 4 catches in the final quarter, including a 26-yard reception on third and 25. Ricky Proehl (6-91 receiving on 9 targets) The 15-year veteran continues to get open. He might have connected on all 9 targets, but Delhomme overthrew him on one pass, Phillip Buchanon made a great play to break up another, and Proehl lost a 21-yard catch to an offensive holding penalty. Proehl caught 2 clutch passes during Carolina's game-tying drive in the final minutes, for 15 and 34 yards. The latter reception set up the Panthers first and goal at the Oakland 3, where they scored on the next play. Keary Colbert (3-42 receiving on 10 targets) The rookie showed great speed but inconsistent hands. In the second quarter, he made 2 nice catches, for 17 and 22 yards, on Carolina's first TD drive. On the latter reception, he made a diving grab at the Oakland 1-yard line, and the Panthers scored on the next play. However, he dropped one pass and had another one go off his hands. He drew two penalties on Oakland defensive backs during Carolina's fourth-quarter field goal drive. TE: Kris Mangum (2-15, 1 TD receiving on 2 targets) Mangum made the most of his two opportunities. He caught a 1-yard TD pass in the second quarter to cut Oakland's lead to 10-7. In the third period, his 14-yard catch converted a third and 8 from the Oakland 31 and helped set up Brad Hoover's TD reception. K: John Kasay (3-3 XP, 1-1 FG) Kasay made all three extra points plus a clutch, 38-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to pull his team within seven points. Pass Defense: The Carolina pass defense was decent, but it could have been better. The Panthers only sacked Kerry Collins twice, once for no yards lost. Carolina had 1 interception, but dropped a potential second pick and had another wiped out on an offsides penalty. Collins only had 231 yards passing, but he was able to find open receivers to keep lengthy drives alive, especially in the first half. Rush Defense: Despite giving up 3 touchdowns on the ground, Carolina's rush defense was effective. Oakland's long run of the day was only 9 yards, and the Raiders netted 69 yards on 28 carries, an average of 2.5 per rush. Chicago Bears 28 at New York Giants 21 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW New York Giants The Giants were cruising for the vast majority of the first quarter: stopping the Bears on defense, forcing a turnover winning the field position battle, up 14-0 and driving on the strength of two Tiki Barber touchdown runs…then the wheels completely fell off. After having a third Barber touchdown called back on a holding penalty, Kurt Warner fumbled the ball away while wandering out of the pocket towards the left side lines. This led to the Giants going into an offensive slumber until about seven and a half minutes to go in the game. This string of incompetence produced drives with the following results: fumble, punt, punt, punt, fumble, INT, INT, punt, fumble, punt, downs. Kurt Warner had his worst game as a Giant turning the ball over 4 times, taking 7 sacks and nearly getting the hook (according to Coughlin's press conference after the game) in favor of Eli Manning. Warner's 4 turnovers plus an Ike Hilliard fumble made 5 in total for the Giants. The Giants nearly came back with a late touchdown reception by Jeremy Shockey and recovering an onside kick with 1:54 remaining and down by seven. However, two sacks and two Warner incompletions later, this one was in the books. Barber turned in another good effort despite the offensive line struggling with 131 total yards and two scores (with a third called back for holding on Amani Toomer). Also of note is Coughlin making good on his promise to get Jeremy Shockey more involved. Shockey led the Giants with 64 yards and hauled in plus a late receiving touchdown. Michael Strahan wound up leaving the game and not returning with a pectoral injury. Chicago Bears The Bears were the benefactors of their opportunistic defense or the lousy play of Warner depending on how you look at it. The turnovers the defense came up with led to the Bears putting up 20 points inside of six minutes in the second quarter. Included in the scoring splurge were a Anthony Thomas 4 yard run, a Bernard Berrian 35-yard touchdown reception from Craig Krenzel and two Paul Edinger field goals. Had the Bears offense not stalled inside the five yard line twice, this wouldn't have been a game late in the fourth. Anthony Thomas had a very nice game in relief of an injured and inactive Thomas Jones. Thomas went for 110 yards and two scores including a 41-yard scoring run off a draw play in the fourth quarter putting the Bears up by two scores. Although Krenzel is now 2-0 as a starter, he was less than impressive. Krenzel completed 8 passes in 21 attempts and lost two fumbles. Krenzel was able to connect with Berrian for a long score, however, his main responsibility on the day seemed to hand the ball to Thomas and not lose the game. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW New York Giants QB: Kurt Warner (18-36-195, 1 TD, 2 INT, 2 Fumbles Lost) This was an awful game for Warner. He was out of rhythm and was very uncomfortable maybe from getting hit so many times. Warner's turnover's repeatedly hurt the Giants with two of them coming in the "Green Zone." Warner did not look sharp at all until late in the game when the Giants went no-huddle and quickly drove inside the Bear's five where the drive stalled on his incomplete passes. On the next drive, Warner hit Shockey on a play-action pass from one yard out. The game ended with Warner missing Shockey twice while forcing the ball into coverage and taking two sacks RB: Tiki Barber (21-72 rushing, 2 TD, 4-59 receiving on 5 targets) Barber had yet another strong fantasy outing with two scores and 131 total yards and seemed to do so without great play from his offensive line. Barber started the Giants off very strong in the first quarter by punching in two short yardage runs. Barber had a third TD called back on a nifty misdirection run to the left. Mike Cloud (3-16 rushing) Cloud got some spot duty in relief of Barber but was not in the game for the early goal line carries, but appears to have entrenched himself in front of Ron Dayne on the depth chart. WR: Amani Toomer (2-34 receiving on 7 targets) Amani Toomer had a rough afternoon as well with only 34 yards receiving. Toomer also was hit very hard late in the second quarter reaching out for a Warner pass. He was shaken up on the play but was able to return. Toomer was targeted in the endzone on the Giants third to last possession but was unable to out-jump the corner for the ball. Ike Hilliard (6-38 receiving on 10 targets) Hilliard received his most targets in some time but was once again running the short/possession type routes. Hilliard also lost a costly fumble while being tackled by two Bear defenders in the second quarter setting up Thomas' first touchdown. TE: Jeremy Shockey (6-64 receiving on 12 targets, 1 TD) Shockey had a nice fantasy afternoon leading the Giants in targets and receiving yards while grabbing a late touchdown. Shockey would have had an even bigger day but was once again stopped a few times deep in opponent territory including a reception down to the Bear 1. K: Steve Christie (3 XP, 0-0 FG) Christie converted all three of his PAT attempts. Pass Defense: The Giant pass defense held the Bears to a mere 144 yards (109 net yards) in the air on just 8 completions. The lone black eye being Will Allen beat by Berrian where he simply did not know the ball was coming. The pass defense also came up with 5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. Rush Defense: The Giant rush defense was a bit soft and probably worn down by late in the game. Anthony Thomas was able to keep chipping away and eventually broke a 41-yard score in the fourth quarter. As a team the Bears picked up 122 on the ground for a 3.6 YPC average. Chicago Bears: QB: Craig Krenzel (8-21-144, 1 TD, 6-12 rushing, 2 Fumbles Lost) The good news is Krenzel is 2-0 as a starter (which is more than what could be said for Jonathan Quinn). Krenzel appears to be asked not to lose the game and operates as such. Krenzel did have a very nice deep scoring pass to Berrian and a couple nice throws to David Terrell and Bobby Wade, but those were the highlights of his day. Krenzel was charged with two lost fumbles one coming on a sack and the other on a swing pass to Anthony Thomas that was ruled to have gone backwards RB: Anthony Thomas (28-110 rushing, 2 TD, 1-5 receiving on 4 targets) Anthony Thomas was more or less the offense for the Bears. Thomas carried 28 times breaking the century mark in his first start of the year for the injured Thomas Jones. Thomas scored in the second quarter to even the Bears up going off left tackle untouched from four yards out. Thomas' most impressive run was the 41 yarder to ice the game in the fourth quarter. On second down, Thomas took a draw handoff from Krenzel and cut left and outside. He delivered a nice stiff arm and sprinted down the sideline for the score. WR: David Terrell (4-70 receiving on 7 targets) Terrell is the receiver Krenzel looked to the most in this contest. Terrell had two receptions go for 20 or more yards and his 28-yarder put the Bears in position for the Berrian touchdown receptions. Bernard Berrian (1-35 receiving on 2 targets, 1 TD) Berrian scored on a long touchdown for the second week in a row. His score against the Giants put the Bears on the board after going down by two scores early. Berrian beat Will Allen down the right side line and easily pulled the ball in as Allen appeared mesmerized. Bobby Wade (1-33 receiving on 5 targets) Wade made his reception in a big spot taking the ball all the way to the Giant 2 yard line right before the half leading to a Bear field goal. TE: Desmond Clark (0-0 receiving on 2 targets) Desmond Clark was unable to haul in either of this targets and was a non-factor fantasy-wise. K: Paul Edinger (2 XP, 2-2 FG) Edinger hit two short field goals of 21 and 22 yards on stalled Bear drives in addition to both his extra point attempts. Pass Defense: The Bear front four had a very good afternoon getting constant pressure on Kurt Warner and causing several mistakes. The defense wound up with 7 sacks, two interceptions and just 195 yards. Rush Defense: A bend but don't break game for the rush defense. Barber was unable to break off any big gains with only two runs going for over 10 yards. The Giants were only able to gain 92 yards on the ground as a team. The Bears did surrender two scores on the ground, but came up huge on a 4th and 1 at the end of the third quarter at mid-field. Arizona Cardinals 24 at Miami Dolphins 23 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Arizona Cardinals In an ugly victory, the Arizona Cardinals ended their 17-game road losing streak and won for the first time in their history against the Miami Dolphins. The Cardinals got into a pre-game scuffle with the Dolphins, fumble away the opening kickoff and committed 9 penalties in the game. QB Josh McCown and the offense scored a field goal on the opening drive, but struggled as they went scoreless on their next 6 drives. The offense came alive in the fourth quarter as they scored on 3 out of 5 drives, including the game-winning TD with 19 seconds left on the clock. RB Emmitt Smith was bottled up by the Miami defense and managed just 42 yards on 19 carries. Smith did have a 5-yard TD run midway through the fourth quarter. Troy Hambrick busted off his first rushing attempt for 62 yards and finished with 4 carries for 70 yards. WR Larry Fitzgerald led all Arizona receivers with 5 catches for 92 yards and a TD. Anquan Boldin and Bryant Johnson were both targeted 8 times and combined for 8 catches for 57 yards. CB Duane Starks intercepted a tipped pass thrown by QB A.J. Feeley and returned
it 41 yards for a TD late in the third quarter. Miami Dolphins Miami committed numerous penalties, dropped several passes and allowed the Cardinals to drive 70 yards in the final two minutes for a TD to beat the Dolphins 24-23. QB Jay Fielder was knocked out of the game midway through the third quarter with a neck stinger and did not return. When Fielder left, the Dolphins had a comfortable 12-3 lead, but his replacement A.J. Feeley had his fourth pass attempt picked off and returned for a TD. Feeley rallied the Miami offense for 11 points in the final 8 minutes after they fell behind 17-12. RB Sammie Morris started the game and received the bulk of the carries amassing 56 yards on 16 carries and a TD. Travis Minor was very productive in backup duty rushing for a career high 90 yards on 11 carries. WR Chris Chambers led all receivers with 7 catches for 104 yards on 11 targets and was clearly Fiedler's favorite option. After Fielder left the game, Chambers only had one catch for 18 yards. Marty Booker had 4 catches for 91 yards on 9 targets with 82 of those yards coming in the second half on passes from Feeley. Booker hurt his right ankle late in the game and was helped off the field. The pivotal play occurred early in the fourth quarter when a pass intended
for Anquan Boldin was deflected and intercepted by safety Sammie Knight at the
Miami 3 and returned 38 yards to the Miami 41. The interception was nullified
by a roughing the passer penalty by Patrick Surtain on a very questionable helmet-to-helmet
hit on McCown. Defensive end Jason Taylor tacked on an additional 15 yards called
for unsportsmanlike conduct after he kicked the ball while disputing the call.
Aided by the referees and the penalties on that drive, the Cardinals capitalized
with Smith's 5-yard TD run and took their first lead of the game at 17-12. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Arizona Cardinals QB: Josh McCown (18-31-162 passing, 1 TD, 1-9 rushing) struggled in the first half going 8 for 16 for only 35 yards. McCown's longest pass play in the first half went for just 8 yards as the Miami defense blanketed his receivers. McCown was under constant pressure and stared down his intended receivers all game long. McCown led the Cardinals on a 70-yard drive in the final two minutes of the game, throwing a jump ball to Larry Fitzgerald for the 2-yard TD with 19 seconds left in the game. The highlight of the drive was a 48-yard pass to Fitzgerald that McCown threw up for grabs as he was being hit. McCown was 10-15-127 passing and 1 TD in the second half. McCown made poor decisions and had an interception nullified by a penalty and several other passes should have been intercepted by Miami defenders. RB: Troy Hambrick (4-70 rushing, 2-5 receiving on 2 targets) exploded for 62 yards on his very first carry early in the first quarter. Hambrick finished the first half with 4 carries for 70 yards and 2 catches for 5 yards, but he did not touch the ball in the second half. Emmitt Smith (19-42 rushing, 1 TD, 1-3 receiving on 2 targets) had trouble running in the first half against a stingy Miami defense managing a meager 10 yards on 6 carries. It was much of the same for Smith in the second half as he was continuously shut down by the swarming defense. Smith's longest run for 5 yards came midway through the fourth quarter and was good for a TD. FB Obafemi Ayanbadejo (2-7 rushing, 1-0 receiving on 2 targets) had his two carries for 7 yards late in the second quarter. Early in the second quarter, Ayanbadejo had gotten behind the defense and was wide open down the left sidelines but McCown never saw him. WR: Larry Fitzgerald (5-92 receiving on 7 targets, 1 TD) had only one catch for 8 yards in the first half. Just before halftime, Fitzgerald was wide open deep down the left sideline, but McCown was hit as he threw the ball and the pass fluttered over Fitzgerald's head out of bounds. Fitzgerald came up big in the fourth quarter catching two long passes for 32 and 48 yards. In the fourth quarter, he had 4 catches for 84 yards and a TD. On the 2-yard TD reception for the game-winner, Fitzgerald pushed off the defender and leapt high in the air for the catch. Anquan Boldin (5-37 receiving on 8 targets) started his second game in a row after returning from his knee injury. McCown targeted him in the end zone on the opening drive, but the ball was under thrown. The Cardinals received a huge scare late in the second quarter when Boldin slipped and caught his right knee awkwardly underneath him as he fell. He was writhing on the ground in pain before finally getting up and jogging off the field. Boldin returned to action after missing only a couple of plays. Boldin was the intended target on the McCown interception that was brought back because of the roughing the passer penalty. McCown again targeted Boldin in the end zone late in the game. Bryant Johnson (3-20 receiving on 8 targets, 1-(-7) rushing) was targeted 8 times by McCown but was the victim of poorly thrown passes and managed just 3 receptions. Johnson was dropped for a 7-yard loss on an end around early in the fourth quarter. He made a great diving, fingertip catch early in the fourth quarter for a third down conversion. Karl Williams (1 target) received his only target late in the second quarter and was not a factor in the game. TE: Freddie Jones (1-5 receiving on 1 target) was very quiet in the passing attack and had his only catch for 5 yards midway through the second quarter. K: Neil Rackers (3-3 XP, 1-1 FG) connected on his only field goal attempt from 29 yards. Pass Defense: The Cardinals' pass defense changed the complexion of the game when they knocked Jay Fielder out of the game midway through the third quarter. CB Duane Starks returned an A.J. Feeley pass 41 yards for a TD late in the third quarter and sparked the Cardinals' comeback. Defensive end Bertrand Berry sacked Fielder and caused him to fumble the ball away midway through the first quarter. Arizona recorded 3 sacks and tipped several passes. Rush Defense: The Arizona rush defense was unable to stop the Dolphins rushing
attack. They allowed 168 net yards rushing and Travis Minor torched them for
90 yards on 11 carries including a huge 38-yard run late in the first quarter. Miami Dolphins QB: Jay Fiedler (12-21-129 passing, 1 TD, 2-6 rushing, 1 fumble lost) looked to Chris Chambers early and often hitting him for 6 catches for 80 yards in the first 18 minutes of the game. Late in the first quarter on fourth-and-1, Fielder hit FB Rob Konrad for a 20-yard TD pass. Fiedler finished the first half 10-16-106, 1 TD, 1 fumble lost. Before being knocked out of the game with a neck stringer midway through the third quarter, Fielder was managing an effective game plan and Miami looked to be in total control of the game up 12-3. A.J. Feeley (6-15-129 passing, 1 INT) relieved the injured Fiedler and promptly threw an interception that was returned for a TD. It was the fifth interception returned for a TD by a Dolphin QB this season with Feeley accounting for three of them. In the fourth quarter with the Dolphins down 17-12, Feeley rallied the Dolphins and looked to Marty Booker hitting him for 80 yards on 3 catches. Late in the fourth quarter Feeley hit Booker on a slant and Booker took it 35 yards before being tackled at the Miami 1-yard line. On the next play Sammy Morris punched in a 1-yard TD run and Feeley converted the 2-point conversion hitting Randy McMichael in the back of the end zone. RB: Travis Minor (11-90 rushing) ripped through the Cardinals' defense on his way to a career best 90 yards rushing performance. Late in the first quarter, Minor scampered 34 yards on his second carry of the game. Early in the third quarter, he sprinted up the middle for another large gain of 27 yards. Minor averaged an enormous 8.18-yard per carry average for the game. Sammie Morris (16-56 rushing, 1 TD, 3-6 receiving on 6 targets) started the game and pounded out 56 yards on 16 carries. Late in the third quarter, Morris fumbled after a nice 16-yard run, but luckily his teammate tackle Damion McIntosh recovered the ball. In the second half, Morris had 9 rushes for 40 yards and a 1-yard TD run. FB Rob Konrad (1-20 receiving on 1 target, 1 TD) turned his only reception into a 20-yard TD on fourth-and-1 late in the first quarter. WR: Chris Chambers (7-104 receiving on 11 targets, 1-24 rushing) seemed to get open at will against the Cardinals' secondary and burned them for 80 yards on 6 catches in the first half. Chambers was clearly Fiedler's favorite target, as he did not complete a pass to another wide receiver until midway through the second quarter. Late in the first quarter, Chambers ran an end around and sprinted 24 yards down the right sidelines. After the Fiedler injury, Chambers had only one catch for 18 yards late in the third quarter for a third down conversion. Chambers was the intended receiver on Feeley's interception that was returned for a TD. Marty Booker (4-91 receiving on 9 targets, 1-(-8) rushing) was very quiet in the first half, recording just one catch for 9 yards. In the fourth quarter, Booker did his damage catching 3 passes for 82 yards. Late in the fourth quarter, Booker caught a quick slant and sprinted 35 yards before being tackled at the Miami 1. Booker injured his right ankle when he was tackled and had to be helped off the field. Derrius Thompson (1-14 receiving on 2 targets) caught his only reception for 14 yards on the first play on the third quarter. Bryan Gilmore (1-7 receiving on 2 targets) dropped a perfect pass early in the third quarter that would have resulted in a third down conversion. Gilmore caught his only pass for 7 yards on the second to last play of the game and then lateraled the ball to Chambers for additional 6 yards. TE: Randy McMichael (1-16 receiving on 4 targets) usually a big part of the Dolphins passing attack had his only catch for 16 yards late in the third quarter. McMichael did catch a pass for a successful two-point conversion after the Sammie Morris TD late in the game to put the Dolphins up 23-17. K: Bill Gramatica (0-1 XP, 3-3 FG) was just signed two days ago to replace the injured Matt Bryant and Olindo Mare. Gramatica converted on all three of his short field goal attempts from 29 yards and 2 from 30 yards, but missed on his only extra point attempt. The margin of victory appears to be the missed extra point, but the Dolphins made up for it with the successful two-point conversion to McMichael. Pass Defense: The Dolphins' pass defense pressured Josh McCown all game long, but were only able to record one sack. They gave McCown fits as they only allowed 35 yards passing in the first half. Miami had an apparent interception called back because of a phantom roughing the passer penalty. They had several opportunities to intercept passes that would have secured a victory, but failed to hold onto the ball. An unnecessary holding penalty by Sam Madison on the Cardinals' game-winning drive nullified a Jason Taylor sack for a 11-yard loss and saved Arizona from a fourth-and-goal from the 15. Instead it gave the Cardinals a first down from the Miami 2 and Fitzgerald caught his clinching TD on the very next play. Rush Defense: Besides the huge 62-yard run by Troy Hambrick early in the first quarter, the Miami rush defense was exceptional. After the big gainer by Hambrick, Miami stiffened and allowed a very respectable 54 yards on 24 carries for the rest of the game. Emmitt Smith was held to just 42 yards on 19 carries, a dismal 2.21-yard per carry average. Houston Texans 13 at Denver Broncos 31 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Houston Texans While Denver contributed to their ineffectiveness, Houston began the game with several miscues that proved difficult to overcome. On their first of very few trips inside the red zone, Corey Bradford dropped a 3rd down pass at the 13-yard line that would have resulted in a first down. Their kicker, Kris Brown, then missed the ensuing 30-yard field goal attempt. Later in the first half, Houston cornerback Aaron Glenn was flagged for a 36-yard pass interference penalty. Denver scored a touchdown on that drive. Houston attempted to respond, but were stopped on 4th and inches. Denver scored a field goal on that change of possession. Houston's only score in the first half came as a result of them blocking a punt that they recovered at the Denver 1-yard line. David Carr and Domanick Davis were the most productive Houston players. Carr did not throw for any touchdowns, but finished with 245 yards passing. Most of them came in the second half as the Texans were forced to play catch-up as they trailed by 24 points early in the 3rd quarter. Davis managed to score 2 rushing touchdowns, and amassed 71 yards rushing. In the passing game, Andre Johnson finished with a disappointing 3 catches for 28 yards. Fellow wide receiver Derick Armstrong made the most of his opportunities, ending his day with 6 catches for 84 yards. Houston's defense was aggressive but Denver took advantage of that aggressiveness and scored early and often through the air. The Texans gave up 234 yards passing and 4 touchdowns to Jake Plummer. In the second half, even though it was clear Denver would try to run the ball to preserve their lead, the Texans could not slow them down. Denver Broncos Jake Plummer looked almost flawless, completing 16 of 24 passes and throwing for 4 touchdowns to 4 different receivers. The Denver offensive line is to be commended as they handled the various blitzes the Texans threw at them handily, giving Plummer enough time to pick apart the secondary. The offensive line also did a serviceable job in the running game. Droughns ran decisively and displayed power between the tackles, finishing with 120 yards rushing. Rod Smith did not duplicate his sensational game last week, but managed to become the Broncos' all time leading receiver, breaking Shannon Sharpe's team record with his second catch of the day. Denver's defense looked very good. Even though they were missing standouts John Lynch and Trevor Pryce, they only gave up one actual scoring drive to Houston, which came in the 4th quarter. Houston's only other score came when they recovered a blocked punt and ran it back to Denver's 1-yard line. The Broncos established an aggressive tone early, sacking Carr twice, knocking him down three times and hurrying him on three other occasions. Most of Carr's 245 yards came in the second half, and he needed 41 attempts on the day to do so. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Houston Texans QB: David Carr (22-41-245, 5-10 rushing) Carr was under pressure most of the game. He displayed his scrambling ability several times, and showed off his strong arm on a few throws. He was victimized by a few drops early in the game, and then was under duress the remainder of the game as Houston was forced to play catch-up. He was hit late in the game on the helmet by a Denver defender, but did not miss any snaps. RB: Domanick Davis (19-71, 2 TD rushing, 2-19 receiving on 3 targets) Davis averaged just less than 4.0 yards per carry, and was featured early by Houston, but his role diminished as the Texans fell further behind. Davis was in on both goal line opportunities Houston had, and scored from the 1-yard line both times. He was also in on a couple other short-yardage plays though bigger Jonathan Wells and Tony Hollings were available. Tony Hollings (2-15 rushing, 3-16 receiving on 3 targets) Hollings did most of his work in the 4th quarter when the game was decided. He displayed good burst and moves on a couple of runs when he made the first defender miss. Jonathan Wells (1-7 rushing) Wells was noticed more for his two special teams' penalties than his running. He did not play much. Moran Norris (1-7 receiving on 1 target) The fullback focused on blocking. WR: Jabar Gaffney (6-86 receiving on 10 targets) Gaffney was targeted the most by Carr during the game. He displayed good quickness and ran his routes well. Most of his catches were in the intermediate area in terms of distance. Gaffney took advantage of the defense paying more attention to Andre Johnson and played well. Derick Armstrong (6-84 receiving on 9 targets) Armstrong was impressive, displaying an ability to catch balls thrown over the middle and also on deeper routes. He showed some speed by catching a 44-yard pass from Carr in the second half. He was also the targeted receiver in the end zone when Houston went for two in the 4th quarter. Andre Johnson (3-28 receiving on 8 targets) Johnson received a lot of attention from the Denver defense, but also dropped passes he should have caught. On one play, Champ Bailey tried to impede Johnson's progress, was called for holding, but ended up on the ground while Johnson continued running his route. This was an impressive example of Johnson's strength. Corey Bradford (1-5 receiving on 4 targets) Bradford dropped some catchable balls early and was not featured much afterwards. TE: Billy Miller (0-0 receiving on 1 target). Miller was the only tight end thrown the ball, and that one pass came late in the 4th quarter. K: Kris Brown (1 XP, 0-1 FG) Brown missed his only field goal attempt, which was wide right from 37 yards at the beginning of the game. Pass Defense: The Texans' pass defense was aggressive, but was unable to generate much pressure on Plummer, sacking him only once. They gave up 234 yards passing and 4 touchdowns through the air. Rush Defense: The rush defense was not much better, allowing 4 yards per carry to Reuben Droughns, even though most of those yards came in the second half when they were focused on trying to stop the run. Denver Broncos QB: Jake Plummer (16-24-234, 4 TD, 1-2 rushing). Plummer looked very comfortable executing the Broncos' offense. He seemed to know where all his options should be, and threw with a lot of confidence, connecting with 7 different receivers. RB: Reuben Droughns (29-120 rushing, 1-6 receiving on 1 target) Droughns ran the ball with conviction. He proved to be difficult to bring down, and seemed on the verge of breaking loose for big gains several times before extra tacklers arrived. Garrison Hearst (5-13 rushing) Hearst came in a few times to spell Droughns, and was used mostly between the tackles. Kyle Johnson (3-46, 1 TD receiving on 4 targets) The fullback was not used in the first half, but made the most of his opportunities in the second half, including catching his first touchdown of the year. WR: Ashley Lelie (4-81, 1 TD receiving on 7 targets) Lelie looked like the player Denver envisioned when they drafted him. He used his superior speed to great advantage and was able to get open several times during the game. He was virtually untouched on his 40-yard touchdown. Rod Smith (3-29, 1 TD receiving on 5 targets) Smith became Denver's all-time leader in receptions during this game and caught a touchdown pass for good measure. He was not featured in the second half as Denver ran the ball the vast majority of the time to protect their lead. Darius Watts (1-5 receiving on 2 targets, 1-4 rushing) Denver tried to use Watts' elusiveness and speed on a reverse, but otherwise he had a quiet day. TE: Jeb Putzier (2-48, 1 TD receiving on 3 targets) Putzier displayed nice hands and running ability on his touchdown catch, eluding a couple of defenders for a 34-yard catch and run. He seemed very comfortable catching the football. He too was not targeted during the second half. Dwayne Carswell (2-19 receiving on 3 targets) Carswell did not see much action in the passing game, but was somewhat productive with his receiving opportunities. K: Jason Elam (4-4 XP, 1-1 FG) Elam's field goal was from 52 yards. He also made a 46-yard field goal with a lot of room to spare, but it was called back as there was a holding penalty. Despite the Denver fans calling for Shanahan to have Elam kick the 56-yarder, the punting unit came onto the field. Pass Defense: The Broncos' pass defense was very effective putting pressure on Carr throughout the game. Most of the passing yards they gave up were during the second half when Houston was forced to pass, and Denver was not as aggressive as they were in the first half. Rush Defense: The Broncos allowed some yards to Domanick Davis, who averaged 3.7 yards per carry and scored 2 touchdowns on his first attempts from the 1-yard line. Kansas City Chiefs 31 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 34 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Kansas City Chiefs RB Priest Holmes left the game late in the 3rd quarter with a knee injury, and did not return. The team is calling it a knee contusion and they'll see how he does this week. The Chiefs offense sputtered without Holmes in the backfield. QB Trent Green put up big numbers in the first three quarters, but two INTs, including one in the end zone in the fourth quarter, contributed to the loss. Green's lack of fourth-quarter production coincided with Holmes's injury. TE Tony Gonzalez had a busy and productive day, scoring one TD, and drawing double coverage to create space for Jason Dunn's TD reception. The Chiefs pass defense was once again victimized by play-action and bootlegs, giving up six pass plays over 20 yards, and blown coverages led to two short-yardage TD passes. Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Michael Pittman scored three TDs, including a 78-yard scamper that set a Tampa Bay franchise record for longest TD run. QB Brian Griese was trusted with play-action and bootleg passes on key plays, and delivered six completions over 20 yards, as well as two short-yardage TD passes. WR Michael Clayton was the most productive Tampa Bay receiver, thanks to a 56-yard reception on Tampa Bay's opening series. He also had a 44-yard catch reversed on a replay review, though replays also indicated Clayton was interfered with on the play. K Martin Gramatica missed a 46-yard FG at the end of the first half, and also missed an extra point. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Kansas City Chiefs QB: Trent Green (32-42-369 passing, 3 TD, 2 INT, 2-4 rushing) looked fantastic for three quarters. He was hitting receivers in stride, even while taking a lot of punishment. His first two TD passes deserve a lot of credit - hitting Johnnie Morton in stride up the sideline as he crossed the goal line for one, and finding Tony Gonzalez behind a linebacker and between the safeties for another. However, Green struggled in the fourth quarter with Holmes out of the game. Without a running threat, the Bucs revved up their pass rush, and Green threw a hurried INT in the end zone and was sacked twice. RB: Priest Holmes (16-59 rushing 1 TD, 4-3 receiving on 5 targets) did not look like he was healthy, and left the game late in the 3rd quarter with a knee contusion. Usually a threat in the passing game, Holmes managed only three receiving yards. When Holmes was in the game, the Chiefs ran two plays inside the Tampa Bay 10. Both were Holmes runs, one of which was a 2-yard TD. Holmes looked ready to return to the game as he was on the sidelines with his helmet on but the team kept him out. Larry Johnson (10-21 rushing, 4-38 receiving on 6 targets) was ineffective as Holmes's replacement. Derrick Blaylock was inactive. Johnson took over feature back duties in the third, and promptly got stuffed on back-to-back carries from the 1. Four of his carries were for no gain or negative yards, and only one run was longer than four yards. He did have some success as a receiver, getting some yards after the catch in the open field. However, the Chiefs did not score in the 4th quarter, when Johnson was the primary RB. Tony Richardson (0-0 rushing, 1-1 receiving on 1 target) was used primarily as a blocker. Derrick Blaylock did not play. WR: Johnnie Morton (1-6 rushing, 6-69 receiving on 8 targets, 1 TD) was most effective on intermediate routes, and was often targeted on first down. Morton's TD was a 25-yard pass caught in stride as a crossed the goal line running up the sideline. (Yes, he did the worm dance again after scoring.) While targeted 8 times and scoring once, Morton was not targeted on red zone plays - the Chiefs preferred running the ball or throwing to the tight ends. Eddie Kennison (1-15 rushing, 6-104 receiving on 8 targets) broke the century
mark in receiving yards, but lost a huge fumble at the end of a 59-yard gain,
costing the Chiefs a possible first-and-goal situation. Kennison caught a post
pattern and broke free, but was caught from behind and stripped of the ball.
His 15-yard end around was Kansas City's longest ground gainer of the day. Jason Dunn (1-1 receiving on 2 targets, 1 TD) broke free in the end zone when two defenders chased Gonzalez, and caught a 1-yard TD pass. Dunn spent most of the day as a blocker, either in 2-TE sets, of 3-wideout looks with Gonzalez split wide. K: Lawrence Tynes made a 31-yard FG and all four PATs he attempted. Pass Defense: was largely responsible for the loss. Six different receivers caught passes for at least 20-yard gains, and consistently were fooled by play-action and bootlegs, giving Griese plenty of time to throw, and open views of his receivers. Both of the passing TDs given up were short-yardage plays where blown coverages left receivers wide open. Rush Defense: was not as bad as the numbers indicated. Pittman's 78-yard TD was largely the result of sloppy tackling, but Pittman was not a consistently effective runner. Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB: Brian Griese (22-34-296 passing, 2 TD, 0 INT, 4-1 rushing) was most effective on play-action and bootleg passes, and the time he bought on those plays became completed passes downfield. Six of Griese's completions were for more than 20 yards, all to different receivers. Griese sold a play fake to create his first TD, an 8-yard toss in the flat to Jameel Cook. Griese recognized a blown coverage and hit a wide-open Ken Dilger in the end zone for a 3-yard TD for his second score. RB: Michael Pittman (15-128 rushing, 3 TD, 2-30 receiving on 5 targets) got the bulk of his yards on a 78-yard TD run at the start of the second half. Pittman did not display breakaway speed of particularly shifty moves, but was able to evade sloppy tackling and took made what should have been an 8-10 yard gain into a 78-yard TD. During the game, Pittman got five red-zone carries, and converted two of them into short TD runs. But more often than not, Tampa took to the air in short-yardage and near the goal line. Jameel Cook (0-0 rushing, 3-22 receiving on 5 targets) did not carry the ball at fullback, but was effective in the short passing game. Most of his targets were on play-action passes, including his TD. Earnest Graham (1-1 rushing) came in briefly to give Pittman some rest. WR: Michael Clayton (5-90 receiving on 8 targets) led Tampa Bay in receptions, targets, receiving yards, and personal foul penalties. The bulk of Clayton's yards came on a 56-yard bomb on Tampa Bay's first series. Clayton also had a potential 44-yard reception taken away on a replay review. While the play was initially ruled a catch, replays showed that Clayton did drop the ball, but also showed that Clayton was interfered with on the play. Clayton committed two personal fouls - one unnecessary roughness penalty during some shoving after a play, and a 15-yard face mask grab while trying to gain extra yards after a catch. Joe Jurevicius (3-43 receiving on 4 targets) was the other starting wideout, but had a quiet day. He had an important 23-yard reception early in the fourth quarter that set up the winning TD, but otherwise was not too noticeable. Joey Galloway (2-40 receiving on 4 targets) played in most 3-WR sets. While his numbers did not indicate a productive day, his two non-reception targets resulted in first downs - one pass interference penalty drawn for an 18-yard gain, and one roughing the passer penalty that gave Tampa another first down. Charles Lee (1-7 receiving on 1 target) did not play very much. TE: Ken Dilger (5-47 receiving on 7 targets, 1 TD) kept busy in the passing game with all the bootlegs and play-action the Bucs ran - his 7 targets were second on the team. Dilger's 3-yard TD was the result of blown coverage after some pre-snap shifting and motion - Dilger was split out wide with nobody on him, and Griese took the snap and immediately threw the ball his way for the score. Will Heller (1-22 receiving on 3 targets), only caught one pass, but it was
22-yarder for a first down. Heller also drew a pass interference penalty to
create another first down. Pass Defense: gave up big yardage in the first three quarters, but stiffened in the fourth quarter after Holmes left the game. The secondary forced two big turnovers deep in Tampa Bay territory, an interception in the end zone, and a strip for a fumble recovery inside the Tampa Bay 10. Rush Defense: contained a less-than-100% Holmes, despite giving up a short TD. The Bucs had little trouble shutting down Larry Johnson, even without stacking the box with extra defenders. New England Patriots 40 at St Louis Rams 22 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW New England Patriots Facing the high flying attack of the Rams, the Patriots appeared vulnerable to the pass entering this game without Pro-Bowl CB Ty Law. The situation was worsened early in the game when CB Asante Samuel went down with a shoulder injury. But just like their match up in Super Bowl XXXVI, the Patriots employed an aggressive, physical defensive strategy that involved putting constant pressure on the quarterback and jamming the wide receivers. Because of the pressure, Bulger was unable to exploit New England's weakened secondary. The Patriots forced three turnovers and scored 20 unanswered points to secure the victory. New England was much more effective on offense with the return of Corey Dillon. Dillon's 14 yard gain on the first play from scrimmage represented more rushing yards than the Patriots had in their entire game against the Steelers last week. Dillon ran with power and wiggle and was able to pick up 125 yards and a touchdown. David Givens started at wide receiver for the Patriots and lead New England in both targets(10) and yardage(100). His 50 yard reception in the second quarter was the longest gain by a New England wide receiver this year. This game saw several New England players moonlight at other positions. LB Mike Vrabel lined up at tight end and caught a touchdown pass from Tom Brady. Adam Vinatieri threw his first career touchdown pass on a fake field goal early in the game. When Asante Samuel hurt his shoulder, receiver Troy Brown was inserted into the game as a nickel corner. Brown filled in admirably on that side of the ball, nearly coming down with an interception on a tipped pass and knocking away several other throws. St Louis Rams When asked how often he would throw the ball earlier in the week against a Patriots' defense that was without Ty Law, Mike Martz said, "I'd like to throw it every down". When CB Asante Samuel was injured early in the game, the passing match up for the Rams became even more favorable. But Marc Bulger was constantly hurried by the Patriots defense. The Patriots' physical treatment of the Rams' wide receiver often left Bulger unable to find anyone open. After the Patriots opened up a 19 point lead in the second half, Bulger began to find his rhythm, but it was too little too late. Torry Holt wasn't even targeted until the Rams' last drive of the first half, but when the Rams fell behind in the second half, Holt became the focus of the Rams' offense. Holt pulled in 111 yards and a TD, making a great catch down the sideline over reserve CB Earthwind Moreland for the score. Isaac Bruce left the game for a few series in the first half after getting hit in the head, but returned later on to catch a short touchdown. Marshall Faulk only received 12 carries in this contest, but his 88 total yards moved him to fourth in total career yards passing Barry Sanders.
WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW St Louis Rams QB: Marc Bulger (23-33-285, 2 TD, 1 INT, 2-14 rushing, 1 fumble lost) Bulger seemed primed for a big passing day facing a depleted New England secondary, particularly after CB Asante Samuel left early in the game with a shoulder injury. But New England employed a strategy of aggressively jamming the Rams' wide receivers, taking them longer to get open and leading to Bulger being sacked five times. Bulger was constantly under pressure by New England's defense leading to several mistakes. Early in the third quarter, Bulger was intercepted by LB Roman Phifer after DE Willie McGinnis tipped the pass into the air. This lead to a New England score and a 19 point lead. Bulger also fumbled the ball away on a scramble late in the second quarter after getting hit by McGinnis. Bulger tested his acting skills on a designed play where he pretended to be unable to get the play off and began to walk off the field in disgust. As he walked off, the Rams snapped the ball directly to Marshall Faulk, but the Patriots' defense was not fooled and the play went for only a few yards. RB: Marshall Faulk (12-66 rushing, 6-22 receiving on 6 targets, 2 point conversion) Faulk and Jackson combined for only 15 carries in this game, which was mostly attributed to the fact that the Rams wanted to exploit New England's depleted secondary. Faulk ran well in this game when given the chance, but St Louis passed even less in the second half after falling behind by multiple scores. Faulk's 88 total yards gave him 18,256 career yards to pass Barry Sanders and move to fourth all time in that category. Late in the game, Faulk bulled a two point conversion up the middle. He appeared to be stopped just short of the goal line, but the officials immediately signaled that he was in and the call was upheld after a New England challenge. Steven Jackson (3-1 rushing) Jackson played sparingly in this game and managed only 1 yard on three carries. WR: Torry Holt (6-111 receiving on 10 targets, 1 TD) Holt was quiet for much of the 1st half, not even receiving a target until three minutes before halftime. However, in the second half when St Louis was playing from behind, Holt became a key player for the St Louis attack. Eight of Holt's 10 targets came in the second half. Holt made a nice touchdown grab down the right sideline over reserve CB Earthwind Moreland, as Moreland made the mistake of not getting his hands up as Holt looked back for the ball. Holt drew a taunting penalty for continually slapping a Patriot player's helmet on a down that was replayed due to two sets of offsetting penalties. Bulger targeted Holt on a long pass in the second half, but he misjudged where the ball would land and watched a possible long reception hit the turf behind him. On the Rams' last offensive play of the game, Holt was targeted on a 4th and 16, but was swarmed by New England defenders a good four yards from the goal line. Isaac Bruce (4-59 receiving on 5 targets, 1 TD) After taking a hard shot to the head making his second reception, Bruce sat out a couple of series. After getting cleared by the medical staff, Holt returned to catch an 11 yard touchdown pass. On that play, the Rams sent all of their receivers deep except for Bruce who ran along the line of scrimmage. Bulger flicked the ball to Bruce and he ran along the right sideline for the score. Bruce wasn't targeted much in the second half, but did haul in a 1st down reception on a crossing route on 4th and 17 that kept a Rams' drive alive. Shaun McDonald (3-33 receiving on 5 targets, 2-0 rushing, 1 fumble lost) The
first time McDonald touched the ball in this game, he badly muffed a punt early
in the first quarter that setup New England's first score. McDonald had three
chances to secure the football on the play, but couldn't get a handle on it.
As the game went on, McDonald settled down and played decently. McDonald ran
the ball twice in this game, but the 7 yards he picked up the first time he
gave back after getting stuffed badly on an end around. TE: Brandon Manumaleuna (3-53 receiving on 4 targets) Manumaleuna's 48 yard reception early in the second quarter was the longest of his career. After finding himself wide open down the middle of the field due to blown coverage, Manumaleuna desperately tried to outrun the defense for a long touchdown, but was chased down at the 11 by SS Rodney Harrison. Isaac Bruce scored on the next play. K: Jeff Wilkins (2 XP, 0-0 FG) Wilkins hit both of his extra points. Pass Defense: The Rams' defense recorded a touchdown early in the game when DT Damione Lewis stripped Tom Brady of the football and DE Leonard Little recovered it in the end zone for the score. Outside of that play though, Brady typically had ample time to throw the football and was effective throwing the football. St Louis limited Brady to 234 yard passing, but this was more a product of the Patriots working with a short field due to turnovers than of the effectiveness of the St Louis defense. Rush Defense: Corey Dillon ran well against the Rams defense, running with power and shiftiness. Dillon often broke tackles and made defenders miss. New England Patriots QB: Tom Brady (18-31-234, 2 TD, 3-1 rushing, 1 fumble lost) Brady gave St Louis their first points of the game after fumbling the ball in the end zone after getting hit DT Damione Lewis. However, Brady was given time to throw by his offensive line, and was effective leading the Patriots attack. Brady lofted a touchdown pass to LB Mike Vrabel early in the game, who was filling in at tight end. His touchdown to Bethel Johnson late in the game extinguished any hopes of a Rams' comeback. RB: Corey Dillon (25-112 rushing, 1 TD, 2-19 receiving on 2 targets) Dillon started at tailback for New England. On the first play from scrimmage, Dillon took the ball off right tackle for 14 yards, which exceeded the Patriots' entire rushing total from the previous game. Dillon was effective all day long, making defenders miss and running with power. On 1st and goal from the 5, Dillon juked CB DeJuan Groce making him miss badly and walked into the end zone untouched. Dillon was close to another score earlier in the game, but was pushed out of bounds at the two yard line. Kevin Faulk (1-9 rushing, 2-17 receiving on 5 targets) Faulk looked much more comfortable in the Patriots' offense returning to his natural role of 3rd down back. He did drop an easy pass early in the game though. Patrick Pass (3-25 rushing, 3-32 receiving on 3 targets) Like Faulk, Pass did well as a role player, gaining good yardage on a handful of carries and receptions. WR: David Givens (5-100 receiving on 10 targets) After being upgraded to "probable" on Friday's injury report, Givens was able to start for the Patriots and was New England's' leading receiver. Givens' 50 yard reception late in the second quarter was the longest reception by any Patriots' receiver this year. Givens' made a fantastic reception late in the game extending for the ball to make the catch. Troy Brown (3-30 receiving on 3 targets, 1 TD) When CB Asante Samuel was injured early in the second quarter, Brown filled in as an emergency defensive back in this game. Brown was close to an interception when he got his hands on a ball tipped by LB Roman Phifer, but couldn't make the grab. Brown played a good number of downs as a defensive back, filling in well, although he did draw a pass interference call late in the game. On the offensive side of the ball, Brown caught a touchdown pass from Adam Vinatieri on a trick play early in the game. On that play, Brown walked from the huddle toward the left side of the field as the Patriots lined up for what would have been a 21 yard field goal. No St Louis player came over to defend Brown on the play, and he easily caught the touchdown from Vinatieri. David Patten (2-34 receiving on 6 targets) Patten couldn't bring in most of the targets that came his way in this game. However, Patten grabbed catches of 20 and 14 yards on the Patriots' last drive of the first half to set up a field goal. Bethel Johnson (1-4 receiving on 1 target, 1 TD) Johnson's 4 yard touchdown late in the game was his first touchdown of the year. Mike Vrabel (1-2 receiving on 1 target, 1 TD) Vrabel reprised the role he played in Super Bowl XXXVI, lining up as a goal line tight end. After Corey Dillon took the ball down to the 2 yard line, Vrabel stretched out making a great catch in the back corner of the end zone for the score. Deion Branch missed his sixth straight game with a knee injury. TE: Daniel Graham(0-0 receiving on 1 target) Graham was a non-factor in this game, unable to haul in his only target. K: Adam Vinatieri (4 XP, 4-4 FG(43, 31, 45, 36), 1-1-4 passing, 1 TD) Vinatieri did it all this game, hitting four field goals, four extra points and throwing his first career touchdown pass. The touchdown pass came on a fake field goal attempt early in the game. Instead of a chip shot field goal, Vinatieri took the snap and found an uncovered Troy Brown for an easy score. Pass Defense: With Pro-Bowl corner Ty Law out with a foot injury, the Patriots were forced to go with Earthwind Moreland and Randall Gay at the corners after CB Asante Samuel left early in the game with a shoulder injury. The Patriots were so thin in the secondary that Troy Brown played the nickel corner throughout the game. But the Rams were unable to exploit the vulnerable secondary, due to an aggressive Patriots scheme. New England frequently jammed the Rams wide receivers off the line and applied constant pressure to Marc Bulger. New England was able to sack Bulger five times in this game, one of which lead to a fumble. Rush Defense: Marshall Faulk ran the ball effectively against the Patriots defense, but the Rams chose to limit the run in order to exploit the vulnerable Patriots' secondary. Seattle Seahawks 42 at San Francisco 49ers 27 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Seattle Seahawks The Seattle offense was hitting on all cylinders for this game. Their 50/50 run pass ratio kept the 49ers off balance during this game. RB Shaun Alexander posted 160 rushing yards on 26 carries (6.2 ypc) and 2 touchdowns. The 42 points was a season high for Seattle. WR Darrell Jackson didn't show any signs that he was hurting from the severe ankle sprain from a week ago. WR Jerry Rice (ankle injury as well) only saw one target, and rookie WR Jerheme Urban started as the third WR in the slot. The return of LB Chad Brown (played last week also) and LB Anthony Simmons (recorded 6 tackles and an INT) is bringing the Seattle defense back to the same form they displayed during the early part of the season. The held RB Kevan Barlow to only 2.7 ypc on his final 15 carries in the game. However, CB Ken Lucas suffered a significant chest injury after nearly intercepting a pass. He is spending the night in a San Francisco hospital. San Francisco 49ers QB Tim Rattay was sharp and accurate. He kept the 49ers in the game until his only mistake of the game. Down by eight points in the fourth quarter, Rattay had an interception returned for a touchdown. RB Kevan Barlow started the game with 3 carries for 21 rushing yards and a touchdown on the first 49er possession. After a quick start Seattle shut down the 49er run game and kept Barlow in check. The 49er defense allowed a season high 42 points. The inadequacies in their defensive backfield allowed Seattle to pick them apart throwing the ball. Further, without the ability to cover, it kept the 49ers from being able to blitz effectively. The domino effect then forced the LBs and safeties to not be able to help against the run as much allowing RB Shaun Alexander to tear them apart as well. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Seattle Seahawks QB: Matt Hasselbeck (17-28-285 3 TD passing, 1-1 rushing) Hasselbeck had his best statistical game of the season. He led the Seahawks offense on multiple long drives including two drives of more than ninety yards. Hasselbeck handled the multiple blitz looks that San Francisco threw at him well. His touchdown to WR Koren Robinson came on an audible that Hasselbeck called as he recognized a blitz. Hasselbeck delivered the ball down field very accurately for five completions of at least 20 yards. RB: Shaun Alexander (26-160 2 TD rushing, 0-0 receiving on 0 targets) Alexander was used as the workhorse in this game. His caries by quarter were 7, 7, 6, and 6. Seattle stuck with him and continued to feed him the ball even after the 49ers stuffed the run on a couple of the series. After being pinned at the 5-yard line after a nice 49er punt, Alexander responded with consecutive carries of 13, 9, 9, and 7 yards leading to WR Darrell Jackson's second touchdown. Alexander was uncharacteristically absent from the Seattle passing game. Maurice Morris did not play as he suffered a concussion during the opening kickoff in week eight. RB Kerry Carter covered kick return duties. Carter also had fifteen yards rushing in mop up duty successfully running out the clock. Mack Strong (3-11 rushing, 1-3 receiving on 2 targets) Strong had a typical game getting his normal 4 touches. His lead blocks in short yardage situations continue to be key in helping RB Shaun Alexander find the endzone. WR: Darrell Jackson (5-114 2 TD receiving on 7 targets) Jackson ran and cut well. He didn't appear to be affected at all by his ankle injury. Both of his touchdowns (33 & 39 yards) were on fly patterns up the seam. Jackson had a 10-yard reception near the goal line on a 3rd down play that set up an Alexander touchdown. He did a great job of jumping to fight for the ball, and still kept his feet in bounds. The play was reviewed, but upheld. Jackson appeared to fumble a short reception in the second quarter, but the ruling was that he didn't make the reception. The play could have very easily been a fumble. Jackson fumbled twice in the same manner last week. Koren Robinson (3-39 TD receiving on 7 targets) Robinson's 25-yard touchdown was a display of uncommon athleticism. After pulling in a quick 5-yard hitch (off a blitz adjust), Robinson broke two tackles and sprinted down the sideline diving to just get the ball inside the endzone for a touchdown. One of his targets in the second quarter drew a pass interference flag. His last three targets in the third quarter were all incompletions. None of these ball counted as a drop, but he probably should have caught at least one of them. Bobby Engram (DNP - ankle) Jerry Rice (1-5 receiving on 1 target) Rice caught his only target, but he still isn't 100% yet. He was on the field for only a few plays. Jerheme Urban (2-50 receiving on 2 targets) Urban caught both his targets for big gains. He started the game as third WR. Both of his receptions were on slant to the middle of the field from the slot position. As of Monday at 2 pm ET, Urban's stats were not listed on the "game stats" section of NFL.com although his receptions are listed in the play by play. I doubt many of you started Urban, but if you did, make sure you get credit there. TE: Jerramy Stevens (4-44 receiving on 6 targets) Stevens didn't start the game. Word is that this was supposed to be a motivational move by head coach Mike Holmgren. However, TE Itula Mili sustained an injury and headed to the locker room. Stevens responded to the opportunity by tying his season high with four receptions. Itula Mili (1-13 receiving on 2 targets) Mili got the start, but ended up in the locker room with an injury. K: Josh Brown (6-6 XP, 0-0 FG) There was nothing of consequence to report from the place-kicking department. However, punter Donnie Jones set up the first San Francisco touchdown with a terrible punt after the first Seattle possession. Pass Defense: The Seahawk pass rush was non-existent for most of the game. They were unable to put pressure on QB Tim Rattay until late in the fourth quarter. Having the chance to just pin their ears back and go knowing that the 49ers had to throw made all the difference. CB Marcus Trufant was burned deep by WR Brandon Lloyd got behind him. QB Tim Rattay had rolled out to their side of the field on the play and appeared to be taking off on a run. Trufant left Lloyd to help on the run, but Rattay stopped short of the line of scrimmage and delivered the pass. To his credit, Trufant almost recovered to break up the play. CB Ken Lucas did a fantastic job of forcing WR Brandon Lloyd to the sideline on a deep pass. Lucas (the current NFL leader in interceptions) nearly intercepted the ball on the play. Lucas came down very hard and suffered what appeared to be a significant chest injury. He was coughing and having a very difficult time breathing. As he was riding to the locker room on a cart he was wearing an oxygen mask. Kris Richard replaced Lucas at the CB position. Bobby Taylor remained in the slot, and made a great touchdown saving play in the endzone. Rush Defense: Seattle closed the holes after allowing a quick rushing touchdown to start the game. Aside from one 15-yard carry by RB Kevan Barlow in the fourth quarter, Seattle was able to keep him in check putting the 49ers in long down and distance situations. San Francisco 49ers QB: Tim Rattay (23-35-259 2 TD 1 INT passing, 1-5 rushing) Rattay played well enough to win this game. However, he didn't get enough help from his run game or defense. He was sharp and crisp for the bulk of the game. Rolling out to his right he was able to pull CB Marcus Trufant up towards the line of scrimmage, which allowed him to hit WR Brandon Lloyd for a long touchdown. His interception that was returned for a touchdown was out of nowhere. After cruising through most of the second half picking apart the Seattle defense, Rattay's throw on a slant to WR Cedric Wilson was a very poor choice. Rattay didn't see LB Anthony Simmons dropping back to aid in coverage underneath. RB: Kevan Barlow (18-61 TD rushing, 2-18 receiving on 2 targets) Barlow got off to a fantastic start. After getting the ball at the Seattle 21-yard line, Barlow took 3 carries to punch it into the endzone. Barlow didn't get too many holes to run to, but when he did he hit them quickly and ran hard. Fred Beasley (1-1 rushing, 2-8 receiving on 4 targets) Beasley had a typical game getting a few touches. One of his screen plays was sniffed out by the defensive line and blown up for a zero yard gain. WR: Brandon Lloyd (4-75 TD receiving on 8 targets) Lloyd's touchdown came on a blown coverage. In the second quarter he allowed CB Ken Lucas to force him too close to the sideline on a deep pass. Lucas nearly intercepted the pass, but to his credit, Lloyd did a good job of getting a hand on Lucas' arm and keeping it from being picked off. After being criticized for playing with a lack of emotion earlier in the week, Lloyd was noticeably different this Sunday. He was more active in playing to the crowd and trying to pump up his team. Curtis Conway (3-48 TD receiving on 6 targets) Conway's first reception in the left flat turned into a big play. He was able to break a tackle and turn it up the sideline. Just inside the 5-yard line Conway took on a tackler, then dove to the pylon extending the ball for the score. Conway was targeted in the endzone again in the second quarter, but then disappeared. He wasn't targeted again until late in the game. Cedric Wilson (3-44 receiving on 4 targets) Wilson caught his first target in the third quarter. He was then targeted three more times in the fourth as San Francisco was fighting to get back in the game. His last target was intercepted. There wasn't much that Wilson could have done on the play. Arnaz Battle (1-7 rushing, 1-12 receiving on 1 target) Battle's one carry was on an end around option pass. He chose to tuck it and run. Battle also set up the first 49er score with a big punt return setting up RB Kevan Barlow's touchdown. TE: Eric Johnson (5-54 receiving on 6 targets) Johnson was a big part of the 49er passing game in the first half catching all four of his targets. Johnson did a nice job of working the underneath patterns. He settles into the open spaces of zone defenses well. K: Todd Peterson (3-3 XP, 2-2 FG 27 30) Peterson was perfect kicking the ball in the game. Pass Defense: The San Francisco pass rush was able to put several hits on QB Matt Hasselbeck. The defensive line was able to sack him twice on the first series of the game, but didn't that unit didn't drop him again in the game. Seattle adjusted with lots more max-protect schemes. San Francisco brought blitzes throughout the game, but may have become a bit too predictable. Twice in the game Hasselbeck was able to step back from center and make an adjustment to max-protect allowing him to get off a pass. The 49er defensive backs struggled to stay with WR Darrell Jackson on deep patterns. Both of his touchdowns over the top looked way too easy. Rush Defense: The 49ers allowed RB Shaun Alexander to consistently move the sticks with substantial gains. Alexander's long gains were 11, 13, and 22 yards. This is relevant because Alexander usually puts together his big games with a few very long runs. In this game the 49ers gave up a whopping 10 runs between 6 and 9 yards. This kept Seattle in short down and distance situations on second and third down. Also of note, LB Jamie Winborn is filling in very well for injured LB Julian Peterson. New Orleans Saints 17 at San Diego Chargers 43 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW New Orleans Saints The Saints offense was ineffective after coming off a bye week and having two weeks to prepare for the San Diego Chargers. The Saints offense only managed 243 total yards and struggled throughout most of the game to sustain a drive until late in the fourth quarter. On four possessions the Saints failed to obtain a first down and on a fifth possession they had just one first down. The New Orleans running game was taken out of the contest early as the Saints fell behind quickly by 17 points. RB Deuce McAllister had only 16 carries during the game but did find the end zone in the second quarter on a 2-yd run. New Orleans appeared to totally give up on the running game in the second half as they had only 5 rushing attempts, all by Deuce McAllister. QB Aaron Brooks did not look impressive in this game and at times looked confused by the Chargers defensive schemes. Brooks spent most of the game "dancing" in the pocket and "running for his life" as the Chargers defense put pressure on Brooks from start to finish. On the Saints first possession and on third down, Brooks was scrambling from defenders and was almost sacked when he threw a backwards pass about 10 yards in the direction of an offensive lineman. RB Deuce McAllister recovered the errant pass for a loss of 25-yards on the play. This play by QB Brooks set the tone for what turned out to be a long day for New Orleans Saints. San Diego Chargers For the second straight week, everything went right for the Chargers as they exploded for 43 points against the Saints and remained in a tie for first place in the AFC West with the Denver Broncos. For the Chargers this was the most points scored in a game since 1993 against the Dolphins. The Chargers head into their bye week having outscored their last three opponents 102-37 and have been impressive on both offense and defense. QB Drew Brees had another outstanding performance throwing for 257 yards and four touchdowns and finished the game with a QB rating of 119.8. Brees has now thrown nine touchdown passes in his last two games and lifted his season total to 18 touchdowns with only three interceptions. Antonio Gates was the primary target in the end zone, picking up three touchdowns during the contest and he finished with 5 catches for 56 yards. Gates was also the end zone target of WR Keenan McCardell's pass early in the second quarter but was unable to get both feet inbounds. Gates now has eight touchdowns on the season, tops in the NFL for Tight Ends. Coach Schottenheimer pulled out the "trick plays" several times throughout the afternoon but none more important than on the Chargers first possession. After failing to convert on 3rd and 8, leaving the Chargers in a 4th and 1 at their own 47, Schottenheimer waved the punting team on with a disgusted look from the sideline. Instead of punting the ball away, Jesse Chatman took the direct snap for a 22-yard gain up the middle setting up the first of Brees' touchdown passes to Antonio Gates. The Chargers also had a successful reverse play that WR Tim Dwight ran for 48-yards put the team deep in New Orleans territory. Tomlinson would score four plays later on the drive. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW New Orleans Saints QB: Aaron Brooks (16-29-173 passing, 1 TD, 1 Int, 2-15 rushing). Brooks was under pressure from the first possession of the game and never seemed comfortable dropping back to pass during the entire game. Brooks made several poor decisions throwing the ball into double and sometimes triple coverage. He had several blunders in the game including the errant backwards pass, which was ruled a fumble and recovered by the Saints, a fumble the Chargers recovered and an interception. Most of the passing yardage Brooks had in the game was on the Saints last two drives when the game was well out of hand. On those two drives, Brooks accounted for 94 yards in the air and connected with TE Boo Williams for a 6-yard touchdown pass, the other drive resulted in a field goal. RB: Deuce McAllister (16-63 rushing, 1 TD, 4-18 receiving on 5 targets) McAllister was not a big factor in the game but did manage to rush for 63 yards against a stingy Chargers rush defense. McAllister did not look 100% recovered from his ankle injury and was unable to make the sharp cuts where are used to seeing from him. However, McAllister made several nice runs fighting for extra yards and showing off some power as he moved a pile of defenders for a first down in the first quarter. WR: Jerome Pathon (3-34 receiving on 9 targets) Pathon was the leading target for the Saints in the game but only had three receptions during the contest. One of his three catches was for a first down on the Saints first scoring drive early in the second quarter. His longest catch of the day was a 13-yard reception late in the first quarter. Pathon only caught one pass in the second half of the game. Joe Horn (2-21 receiving on 6 targets) Horn was not a factor in this game and had one reception in each half of the game. Donte Stallworth was active for the game but did not catch a pass and was not a target in the game. TE: Boo Williams (5-71 receiving, 1 TD on 8 targets) Williams was the one receiving highlight for the Saints during the game. He had only one catch in the first half, a 12-yard reception that put the Saints at the San Diego 5-yard line. Williams was the target in the end zone on the next play but was interfered with by the DB Jerry Wilson. He had a very good second half with 59 yards on just 4 catches, including a 6-yard touchdown reception from Brooks late in the game. Ernie Conwell (1-28 receiving on 2 targets) The back-up tight end made his only reception of the game on the first offensive play in the second half on a 28-yard pass from QB Brooks. The reception put the Saints in Charger territory but they missed on a field goal opportunity. He left the game with a sternum injury. K: John Carney (2-2 XP, 1-2 FG) Carney made both of his extra point attempts during the game. Carney was 50% on field goal attempts, connecting on a 37-yard FG and hitting the left upright and missing from 46-yards out. Pass Defense: The New Orleans pass defense could not stop Chargers TE Antonio Gates. The Saints tried guarding TE Gates with linebackers, cornerbacks and a combination of both and were unsuccessful. The Saints rank 31st in the league against the pass averaging 275 yards per game and did not improve much on that allowing San Diego's QB Brees to throw for 257 yards. The Saints only had one sack during the game and did not have an interception or fumble recovery. Newly acquired CB Mike McKenzie still appears to be learning the Saints defensive schemes and was beaten on several plays including two Charger touchdowns by Gates and Osgood. Rush Defense: The Saints rush defense showed last week's performance against the Raiders might have been a fluke. The Saints ranked 29th in the league coming into this game allowing opponents an average of 141 yards per game and may find themselves even lower after allowing the Chargers to gain 152 yards on the ground. The Saints did hold RB LaDainian Tomlinson to only 36 yards rushing on 17 attempts for a 2.1 yard per carry average but they gave up plenty of yards to the other rushers. San Diego Chargers QB: Drew Brees (22-36-257, 4 TD, 2-4 rushing) Brees continues to dazzle the San Diego fans and critics on his way to the best season of his career. Brees threw for four touchdowns, three to TE Antonio Gates and one to back-up WR Kassim Osgood. Drew Brees is playing with plenty of confidence and poise and is showing leadership that has plagued him in previous years. Brees has now thrown 122 consecutive passes without an interception and has just one interception in his last 206 pass attempts. Rookie Philip Rivers saw his first NFL action on the last series of the game handing the ball off three times then taking a knee three times to run out the clock. Rivers did receive some cheers from the San Diego fans. RB: LaDainian Tomlinson (17-36 rushing, 1TD, 4-40 receiving on 5 targets) Tomlinson combined for 76 total yards and one touchdown in three quarters of play. Tomlinson scored on a 1-yard run in the first quarter. He struggled on the ground against the Saints defense which may have been due to the strained groin still affecting his running. With the game out of reach, Coach Schottenheimer sat Tomlinson out for the fourth quarter. Hopefully with the bye week ahead Tomlinson can get some time to heal. Jesse Chatman (7-51 rushing) Chatman, again this week, received some carries late in the game with Tomlinson on the bench with hard, aggressive running both inside and outside the tackles. Chatman had 6 straight carries in the fourth quarter for 29 yards. His big play of the game was taking the direct snap on a fake punt and rumbling 22-yards into Saints territory. Tim Dwight (1-48 rushing) WR Tim Dwight had a career long 48-yard run on a reverse in the first quarter leading to the Chargers' second score of the game. Michael Turner (5-17 rushing) Rookie Michael Turner saw his first action of his career late in the fourth quarter. WR: Keenan McCardell (6-89 receiving on 13 targets) McCardell has quickly become a favorite target for QB Drew Brees as McCardell settles into the Chargers' offense. McCardell was a target early and often for Brees getting three targets in the first drive. His longest reception of the game was a 31-yard catch early in the second quarter. McCardell did get one target in the end zone in the third quarter but the pass fell incomplete. As long as the Chargers' offense continues to pass the ball, look for McCardell to continue with some decent fantasy numbers. Eric Parker (3-36 receiving on 6 targets) Parker's numbers were off from last week's performance but he did have a nice 22-yard reception just before halftime. Parker was not a factor in the second half of the game as Brees looked more for McCardell and Gates. Kassim Osgood (2-23 receiving, 1TD on 3 targets) Kassim Osgood did not get a lot of targets from QB Brees but he did score on a 12-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Osgood took a Brees pass to the right sideline, provided Saints CB Mike McKenzie with a nice stiff-arm and dodged another defender and tip-toed down the sideline for the score. TE: Antonio Gates (5-56 receiving on 11 targets, 3 TD's) Antonio Gates has proven again this week to be Brees' favorite target in the end zone with three touchdown receptions. Gates scored on touchdown receptions of 12-yards, 7-yards and 2-yards. Gates appeared to be unstoppable against the Saints defense, showing his great athleticism by running past and through defenders and out jumping them as well. With his 56-yards receiving Sunday, Gates is just shy of 600 yards receiving for the season. Gates is the first Charger tight end to catch three touchdown passes in a game since Kellen Winslow did it back in 1983. K: Nate Kaeding (5-5 XP, 2-2 FG) Rookie Nate Kaeding's kicking leg continued to get a workout this week kicking five extra points after kicking six last week. He also connected on both field goal attempts on the afternoon from 40-yards and 27-yards away. Pass Defense: The Chargers put plenty of pressure on Saints QB Aaron Brooks and did manage to sack Brooks 3 times. The Chargers allowed the Saints just 173 yards passing, well below their average of 249 per game, by keeping most of the attempts to underneath passes for short gains. San Diego had one interception by FS Jerry Wilson, his second of the year. Rush Defense: The Chargers allowed the Saints to 78 yards rushing, slightly below their league leading 81.5 yards per game coming into this contest. The Chargers did have a safety as New Orleans OT Wayne Gandy was called for holding in the end zone. San Diego LB Stephen Cooper recovered an Aaron Brooks fumble in the third quarter which later resulted in a San Diego touchdown. Dallas Cowboys 3 at Cincinnati Bengals 26 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Dallas Cowboys The Cowboys struggled in virtually every phase of the game in Cincinnati in Week 9, capped by five turnovers that led to a 26-3 defeat. Vinny Testeverde threw 3 interceptions, lost 1 fumble and did not throw a touchdown pass (18/30 for 207 yards) in this game. The Bengals cornerbacks seemed to anticipate that Testeverde would look to his only veteran receiver (Keyshawn Johnson), and intercepted three passes thrown Keyshawn's way. Keyshawn Johnson finished with just 4 catches for 58 yards (on 9 targets) and also had a ball stripped on a day he and many of the Cowboy faithful would simply like to forget. Jason Witten had a very productive day, hauling in everything thrown his way en route to a 6 catch, 97 yard performance. The remainder of the Cowboys receiving crew (Randall Williams, Patrick Crayton, Terrance Copper) combined for just 3 catches and 28 yards in the absence of Quincy Morgan and Dedric Ward, who were both inactive for this game. After trying to establish the running game early with Eddie George (8 rushes for 23 yards), the Cowboys abandoned the run when they fell behind. On the final drive, Parcells let Rashard Lee go into the game and tease a number of fantasy owners as Lee showed a spark slashing through the hole while picking up 39 yards on 6 carries. Julius Jones continues to remain inactive, but may be just two weeks or so away from returning. Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals had their second straight dominant performance at home, following up their Monday victory against Denver from two weeks ago. This was perhaps Carson's Palmer best game as a pro, and while Palmer did not put up gaudy numbers (21/32 for 212 yards, 1 TD), he did not throw an interception, but did contribute with a rushing touchdown of his own. With his 3rd win in 8 career starts, Palmer helped push Jon Kitna a little further on the back burner for the Cincinnati media and fantasy football fans. The Bengals did not ask Palmer to win this game, and this was evidenced by a lot of short passes to Chad Johnson, who finished the game with 8 catches for 72 yards. Despite a 26-3 victory, Chad Johnson showed a great deal of frustration throughout the game, which was tracked by the television announcers in a stat line category called "pouts" (where Chad Johnson openly pouted about not getting the ball when he felt he was open). Palmer did not look the way of TJ Houshmandzadeh (1/8 on 3 targets) or Kelley Washington (2 targets) very often, but did spread the ball around enough to include Cliff Russell and Ken Walter in the game. Palmer threw 6 passes to his tight ends, one on which Matt Schobel made the play of the day, breaking loose for a 76 yard touchdown reception. The Bengals rushing attack had an efficient day, picking up key yardage when needed and grinding out the clock as the game wore down. Rudi Johnson picked up 95 yards on 26 carries, and added 19 more yards on 4 receptions. With Chris Perry inactive for this game, Kenny Watson was used as the 3rd down and receiving back, but did not carry the ball or receive any official targets in this game. The fullback Jeremi Johnson was utilized on a number of screen plays, which limited the Cowboys ability to blitz and put pressure on Carson Palmer. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Dallas Cowboys QB: Vinny Testeverde (18-30-207, 3 Int, 3-18 rushing, 1 fumble lost) For the second straight week, and for the third time this season, Vinny Testeverde threw 3 interceptions. In the previous three-interception games, the Cowboys were able to escape victorious, but the relentless Bengals defense prevented the Cowboys from winning this one. Despite completing 60% of his passes with a 6.9 yard average per passing attempt, Testeverde compiled just a 41.2 passer rating in this game. Without a veteran #2 receiver in the lineup for the Cowboys, Testaverde looked primarily to his familiar targets (Keyshawn Johnson and Jason Witten), to no surprise of the Bengals. Each of his three recorded interceptions were intended for Keyshawn Johnson, and the Bengals defensive backs were prepared to make the big play when needed most. Testaverde also had another pass (intended for Jason Witten) called back due to a penalty. RB: Richie Anderson (10-29 rushing, 4-21 receiving on 5 targets) Once the Cowboys fell behind, Dallas utilized Richie Anderson as their primary running and receiving back on virtually every down. Anderson was able to take advantage of the holes provided for him, but did not break any long runs, and was held in check to just 2.9 yards per carry, contributing primarily in the receiving game. RB: Eddie George (8-23 rushing, 1-3 receiving on 2 targets) The Cowboys started the game off with a heavy dose of Eddie George, but George saw just one carry after the middle of the second quarter (at which point the Cowboys only trailed by a 9-0 score). Eddie George finished the day with the same yards per carry average of 2.9 as did Richie Anderson. RB: Rashard Lee (6-39 rushing) Rashard Lee saw primarily junk-time at the end of the game, where the Cowboys were content to run out the clock and try to leave on a positive note. Rashard Lee showed great burst through the holes, however it was apparent from the fact that he did not receive any playing time until after the game was decided that Bill Parcells simply doesn't have enough faith in him (previously noted to be his blocking) to give him the opportunity to win a full-time role on this team. Lee did make the most of his opportunities in the kick return portion of the game with 90 yards on 4 returns. RB: Julius Jones (Inactive) Julius Jones continues to miss time with his injured shoulder, however it has been reported that he may return within two weeks, and continues to be a solid dynasty candidate. WR: Keyshawn Johnson (4-58 receiving on 9 targets, 1 fumble lost) Johnson was connected to virtually every turnover in this game, as he both lost a fumble, and was the intended target on all three of Testaverde's recorded interceptions. The majority of Johnson's targets were on slants in which he was breaking towards the middle of the field after lining up on the left side. Two notable exceptions were an interception on a deep pattern in which the ball was slightly under thrown, and Johnson "became" the defender, but was unable to swat the ball away from the Bengals defensive back. The other notable play was a deep crossing pattern right underneath the goalposts where he could not bring in a catchable pass that would have resulted in a touchdown. It would have been a great play to make the catch and get his feet down, but most #1 receivers would be expected to make this catch. Patrick Crayton (2-14 receiving on 4 targets) Patrick Crayton saw the second most targets of any Cowboys wide receiver in this game, which he converted for catches on half of his intended targets. Randal Williams (1-14 receiving on 3 targets) Randal Williams started opposite Keyshawn Johnson in this game, and it should be noted with Terry Glenn out, Williams could continue to see a significant amount of time in two wide receiver sets. Terrance Copper (0 targets) Did not receive any targets in this game, but was
active in this game and returned 2 kicks for 37 yards. Dedric Ward (Inactive) Simply keeping tabs on all of the Cowboys potential options at wide receiver. TE: Jason Witten (6-97 receiving on 8 targets) With a diminished receiving corps, Witten has been asked to carry a big load, and has responded accordingly, with another solid performance in Week 9. Witten actually caught all of the balls thrown to him, however balls tipped at the line of scrimmage and defensive penalties contributed to a higher target number. K: Billy Cundiff (1-1 FG) Cundiff was only asked to kick a 24 yard field goal, and was limited in other opportunities as the Cowboys trailed throughout the entire game. Pass Defense: The primary objectives of the pass defense for the Cowboys this week against the Bengals were most likely to limit Chad Johnson and to prevent the deep play. Though the Cowboys were able to keep Chad Johnson underneath, they gave up 8 catches to him, and also gave up a 76 yard touchdown to Matt Schobel when the tight end was able to break the zone in the middle of the secondary. Given these two measures, the Cowboys pass defense had a disappointing performance. Rush Defense: The Cowboys prevented Rudi Johnson from accumulating 100 yards on them in a game in which the Bengals won 26-3, however were unable to stop the Bengals running game when they most needed to. Cincinnati Bengals QB: Carson Palmer (21-32-212, 1 TD, 2-1 rushing, 1 rushing TD) Carson Palmer had perhaps the best day of his young career, guiding the Bengals to their 3rd win in 8 games. For the first time in as many games, Palmer avoided throwing an interception, and the error-free game paid dividends in the Bengals 26-3 victory. He finished with a 94.8 passer rating (his best since Week 1 versus the NY Jets in a loss), while averaging 6.6 yards per passing attempt. For the sixth time this season, Palmer completed at least 20 passes, though he has not exceeded one touchdown pass in any game since the Week 1 loss versus the NY Jets. Palmer's next three matchups come at Washington, then home versus Pittsburgh and Cleveland, which could test the sophomore quarterback and determine the fate of the Bengals season. RB: Rudi Johnson (26-95 rushing, 4-19 receiving on 5 targets) The fourth year back out of Auburn averaged 3.7 yards per carry, but was instrumental in picking up 1st downs, catching balls out of the backfield and providing key blocks to give the young Carson Palmer the time to throw the ball. Kenny Watson (2-10 rushing) The third-down/receiving back was not required a great deal in this 26-3 win by the Bengals as Cincinnati was quite effective on 1st and 2nd down throughout the game. Jeremi Johnson (3-11 receiving on 3 targets) The fullback Jeremi Johnson saw a couple of targets late in the game, and shook free of a couple of would-be tacklers to extend a drive on multiple occasions late in the game. Chris Perry (Inactive) The rookie out of Michigan continues to be deactivated. It will be interesting the monitor his situation as the season gets into December given Rudi Johnson's pending free agency. WR: Chad Johnson (8-74 receiving on 10 targets) Most of Chad Johnson's catches this week came on quick screens, and thus he was able to catch a high percentage of the balls thrown his way. However, Johnson did not seem to be on the same page with the rest of the offense at numerous points during the game when the play had broken down, and Johnson had felt he was able to get open but was disappointed Palmer was unable to get him the ball. The television cameras repeatedly showed Chad Johnson "pouting" on the sidelines, and the announcers even added the category of "pouting" to his stat line. The guy is the ultimate competitor (recall his guarantee versus Kansas City last year, and his Pepto-Bismol incident with the Browns this year), but his actions were a bit over the top in this decided victory for the Bengals. TJ Houshmandzadeh (1-8 receiving on 3 targets) Houshmandzadeh started opposite of Chad Johnson (note that Peter Warrick is now out for the year), but was only able to pick up one catch on three targets. He is also being used as the punt returner, and picked up 29 yards on 2 returns this week. Kelley Washington (2 targets) The Bengals only looked Washington's way on one series early in the game, and both passes were thrown to Washington in the end zone. One of the two balls was catchable, but the Cowboys receiver made a nice play to knock the ball away at the last minute. Cliff Russell (1-10 rushing, 1 target) Used as the primary kickoff returner, Cliff Russell also saw one end-around run and one pass target this week as the Bengals tried to spread the ball around. Ken Walter (1-7 receiving on 2 targets) Typically the 5th wide receiver in this system, Walter saw two passes thrown his way versus the Cowboys. TE: Matt Schobel (2-84 receiving on 2 targets, 1 TD) Schobel showed great strength in breaking a few leg tackles en route to a 76 yard touchdown reception as he broke free in the back of the Cowboys zone on a 20-25 yard pass over the middle. Other than this touchdown, Schobel had a relatively quiet day. TE: Reggie Kelly (2-9 receiving on 3 targets) The Bengals opened in a two tight set, of which Kelly was one of the tight ends, and his playing time netted him 3 targets on the day. TE: Tony Stewart (1 target) Tony Stewart was also present in the opening two-tight end set to start the game, but clearly dropped the only pass thrown his way. K: Shayne Graham (2-2 XP, 4-4 FG) Shayne Graham was very effective in this game, and has been an unsung hero for the Bengals all season long. On a relatively warm, bright and sunny day in Cincinnati, Graham split the uprights for field goals of 30, 35, 45 and 47 yards against the Cowboys. Pass Defense: The Bengals harassed Testeverde all day long, and came up with 3 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries and 1 sack in the passing game. The cornerbacks anticipated the passes well, and came up with a couple of highlight reel interceptions by Deltha O'Neal and Tory James, similar to the Bengals Monday Night football game two weeks ago. Rush Defense: Though the Bengals gave up 4.0 yards per carry, and allowed 109 yards to the combo of Richie Anderson, Eddie George and Rashard Lee, a bulk of that yardage came late after the game had been decided and the Cowboys were merely eating up the clock. Philadelphia Eagles 3 at Pittsburgh Steelers 27 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles were outperformed in all phases of this game. The Eagles' offense went three and out on its first two possessions, while the Eagles' defense allowed the Steelers to find the end zone on Pittsburgh's first three possessions. After falling behind 21-0, the Eagles were unable to mount any sort of sustained offensive attack. Quarterback Donovan McNabb faced a relentless, physical pass rush. He was bounced around in the pocket, and when he did have time to throw, was unable to do so with any consistency or accuracy. McNabb finished the day with a season low 109 yards passing and threw one costly interception. Terrell Owens led the Eagles with 53 receiving yards, and was held under 100 yards receiving for the first time in six games. Philadelphia's ground game was as ineffective as its passing game. Brian Westbrook, who played with a rib injury, was the Eagles' leading rusher with 17 yards on 6 carries. In total, the Eagles managed only 23 yards on the ground. This paltry total can be attributed largely to the Steelers' physical, penetrating defense, although the Eagles were also forced to pass frequently while trying to come from behind. The Philadelphia defense played as poorly as the offense. Concerns about the Eagles' inability to stop the run proved valid, as the Steelers' offensive line dominated the Philadelphia front four all day. When it was all said and done, the Eagles allowed Pittsburgh a whopping 252 yards on the ground, with 93 yards coming in the first quarter alone. The Eagles were also unable to stop the Steelers' passing game, allowing them to convert third down after third down in the first half of the game. Pittsburgh Steelers Led by the hot hand of Ben Roethlisberger, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated a previously unbeaten team for the second week in a row. The Pittsburgh offense was unstoppable at the outset of the game, scoring touchdowns on 3 consecutive drives. After building a 21-0 lead, the Steelers were content to run the football and rely on their overpowering defense in the second half. Ben Roethlisberger played a solid game, as he delivered the ball quickly and accurately in the face of a blitzing Philadelphia defense. Roethlisberger finished the day with 2 touchdowns and 183 yards passing. Hines Ward was also a key contributor for the Steelers on offense, scoring touchdowns on a 16-yard end around and a 20-yard pass from Roethlisberger. With Duce Staley inactive with a hamstring injury, Jerome Bettis was the primary workhorse for the Steelers' offense. Behind a dominating offensive line, the well-rested Bettis ran for a punishing 149 yards on 33 carries. Verron Haynes also saw significant time in the backfield, finishing with 51 yards on 12 carries, in addition to 44 receiving yards. The Pittsburgh defense was a formidable force in this game as well. Pittsburgh prevented the Eagles from converting a third down in the entire first half of this game, and kept them out of the end zone all afternoon. The Eagles were held to 132 yards of total offense. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Philadelphia Eagles QB: Donovan McNabb (15-24-109, 0 TD, 1 Int) was harassed all afternoon by the Steelers' persistent pass rush. The pounding administered by the Steelers' pass rush seemed to take its toll on McNabb, as a number of his throws were well off the mark. The Fox commentators made the point that McNabb, not Roethlisberger, looked like the rookie quarterback in this game. McNabb's interception drove this point home. With the Eagles driving deep in Pittsburgh territory, McNabb forced a short pass into tight coverage instead of taking a sack. The ball hit linebacker James Farrior squarely in the chest, and the Eagles' best opportunity to find the end zone was squelched. RB: Brian Westbrook (6-17 rushing, 0 TD, 3-4 receiving on 3 targets) played despite his rib injury, but proved ineffective in both the running and passing game. Westbrook had little room to run against the Steelers' defense, and at times looked to be somewhat limited physically. On one telling play Westbrook caught the ball in the flat and found himself one on one with a Pittsburgh linebacker. Instead of breaking free, the normally elusive Westbrook was quickly wrapped up and thrown to the ground. Dorsey Levens (2-4 rushing, 0 TD, 0 targets) was not a factor in the game. WR: Terrell Owens (7-53 receiving on 12 targets, 0 TD) failed to reach the 100-yard mark for the first time in 6 games. A number of passes thrown his way were well off the mark. Owens was visibly frustrated in this game, and after one botched Eagles' offensive series could be seen following McNabb up and down the sideline talking loudly while McNabb said nothing. Afterwards, it appeared as if the Eagles made an effort to get Owens more involved in the game, as the next two passes were thrown his way. Owens and McNabb appeared to make amends, although Owens was unable to find the end zone. After the game, McNabb joked that he forgot to pick up Owens newspaper for him yesterday and Owens was telling him about it. The "scene" was quickly dismissed by both players. Todd Pinkston (1-10 receiving on 3 targets, 0 TD) never got going in this game. He was targeted on a deep pass late in the game, but the ball bounced off of his hands and fell harmlessly to the ground. TE: Chad Lewis (3-32 receiving on 3 targets, 0 TD) had minimal impact, although he had several nice catches. L.J. Smith (1-10 receiving on 1 target, 0 TD) once again failed to have a noteworthy fantasy performance. K: David Akers (0 XP, 1-1 FG) was good on his lone field goal attempt of 33 yards. Pass Defense: Despite yielding just 183 total yards in the air, the Eagles' pass defense did little to challenge the Pittsburgh air attack. After taking a 21-0 lead, Pittsburgh was content to run the football the rest of the afternoon. Early on in the game when it mattered, the Eagles could do little to stop the Steelers' passing game, as they gave up key third down after key third down. Rush Defense: The Eagles' rush defense was abysmal. On the Steelers' three touchdown drives, the Steelers' offensive line opened up massive holes, and the Bus went roaring through them for big gains. The Eagles gave up a generous 252 total yards on the ground. Pittsburgh Steelers QB: Ben Roethlisberger (11-18-183, 2 TD, 1 Int, 1 Fumble lost, 6-10 rushing) played with poise and efficiency, as he won his sixth straight game since coming on to replace the injured Tommy Maddox. Roethlisberger was able to complete key passes to keep the Steelers' three touchdown drives alive. He also showed mobility in the pocket, at one point scrambling for 16 yards to convert a 3rd and 13. Roethlisberger's interception came on a deep ball thrown into tight coverage. His fumble was on a botched handoff to Jerome Bettis. RB: Jerome Bettis (33-149 rushing, 0 TD, 0 targets) had a dominating performance on this afternoon. Having been used sparingly up to this point in the season, Bettis was both fast and powerful against the Eagles. Time and again he kept his feet moving after contact, and was able to move tacklers to pick up extra yards. Bettis had one carry inside the five, but failed to score. Verron Haynes (12-51 rushing, 0 TD, 2-44 receiving on 3 targets) was used to spell Bettis and in the passing game. He finished with 95 combined rushing and receiving yards on the day. Dan Kreider (0-0 rushing, 0 TD, 1-12 receiving on 2 targets) saw limited action in the passing game. Willie Parker (3-14 rushing, 0 TD, 0 targets) had 3 carries when the Steelers were running out the clock in the 4th quarter. Duce Staley was inactive with a hamstring injury. WR: Plaxico Burress (3-70 receiving on 5 targets, 0 TD) continued his emergence as Roethlisberger's favorite target, catching 3 passes for 70 yards. Burress botched a sure 70-yard touchdown reception on a strange play in which he caught the ball behind the Eagles' secondary, but simply dropped the ball as he was being chased down the sideline. The ball bounced out of bounds. Hines Ward (2-32 receiving on 3 targets, 1 TD, 1-16 rushing, 1 rushing TD) made the most of his few touches in the game. He scored the Steelers' first touchdown (and his first career rushing touchdown) on a 16-yard end around. Ward's receiving touchdown came on a short pass into the left flat on which he was able to break several tackles on his way to the end zone. Antwaan Randle El (1-6 receiving on 1 target, 0 TD, 1-12 rushing) was not a major factor in the game. TE: Jay Reimersma (1-2 receiving on 1 target, 1TD) made the most of his 1 target, catching a Roethlisberger pass in the back of the end zone. Jerame Tuman (0-0 receiving on 1 target, 0 TD) was not a factor in the game. K: Jeff Reed (3 XP, 2-3 FG) converted field goal attempts of 31 and 42 yards; he missed a 33-yard attempt. Pass Defense: The Steelers' pass defense was impressive against the Eagles' normally prolific air attack. The Steelers pass rush applied heavy pressure to McNabb all afternoon, never allowing him to get comfortable in the pocket. More importantly, the Steelers were able to prevent the Eagles from throwing the deep ball, holding them to 109 total yards in the air. Rush Defense: The Steelers' rush defense was also dominant against the Eagles. The Steelers allowed just 23 total yards on the ground. Equally impressive, McNabb did not gain a single yard rushing. Cleveland Browns 13 at Baltimore Ravens 27 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns scored seven points in the game's first 14 seconds, then managed just 6 more in the final 59:46 against a stifling Baltimore defense. Trailing 20-13 with under seven minutes remaining in the game, QB Jeff Garcia led a spirited final drive that abruptly ended when his pass to TE Steve Heiden near the goal line bounced off Heiden's hands and into the arms of the Ravens Ed Reed who returned down the right sideline for an NFL record 106 yards to seal the victory for Baltimore. The pass was Garcia's only interception, in addition to an earlier fumble. Despite just 146 yards passing, it was Garcia's playmaking ability that put the Browns in position to potentially tie up the game late. The Browns lone touchdown came on the opening kickoff when newcomer Richard Alston scored on a 94-yard return. He started up the middle on the play, then broke a tackle near the 30-yard line and cut to the right side for daylight. The Browns struggled to run the ball most of the game. RB William Green was totally ineffective, rushing eight times for just 10 yards. RB Lee Suggs fared a little better, gaining 56 yards on 18 carries. WR Antonio Bryant led the Browns with 41 yards on four receptions, but the bulk of the targets went to the two tight ends, Steve Heiden and Aaron Shea. Heiden was effective for much of the game, until Garcia's final pass went through his hands. The Browns defense limited Ravens RB Jamal Lewis in the first half, but seemed to wear down against the run in the second half. They did manage to hold Lewis to 81 yards, but gave up the go-ahead points on his 2-yard plunge in the 4th quarter. Lewis touchdown came 3 plays after Browns punter Derrick Frost shanked a punt from his own end zone out of bounds at the Browns 9-yard line. Baltimore Ravens Safety Ed Reed set an NFL record with a 106-yard interception return for a touchdown with just 46 seconds left in the game, as Baltimore held on late to beat the Browns 27-13. The Ravens defense was the story, surrendering just 6 points on defense, as the Browns lone touchdown came on the game's opening kickoff. Trailing early, QB Kyle Boller engineered a mediocre offensive comeback, fueled mostly by the play of the defense. Boller fumbled once, but for the most part avoided costly mistakes, as he led four dives for field goals in the first half. Baltimore's defense scored the final touchdown and set up the other one. RB Jamal Lewis struggled to find running room early against eight and nine man fronts, but ground out yardage effectively in the second half. His two-yard plunge gave the Ravens the lead for good, and he finished with 81 yards rushing. Travis Taylor caught seven passes for 58 yards and was effective in the short passing game. Additionally, rookie WR Clarence Moore showed potentially, catching two balls for 24 yards, plus a two-point conversion. K Matt Stover made all four of his field goal attempts in the first half. LB Ray Lewis was all over the place, as usual, finishing with seven solo tackles and playing a major role against the run. In addition, it was Lewis who hit Browns TE Heiden, helping to the Reed interception. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Cleveland Browns QB: Jeff Garcia (15-26-146, 1 Int, 1 Fumble lost, 2-25 rushing) almost single-handedly rallied the Browns to a tying score, but came up just short. His interception deserved a better fate, as it hit Heiden right in the hands as Ray Lewis was hitting him. The final drive consisted of three brilliant passes where Garcia scrambled to elude the constant pressure he faced all day. Garcia had a nifty 21-yard run that set up the Browns field goal earlier in the 4th quarter, giving them a 13-12 lead. On the play, he got an extra 10-yards by not running out of bounds, but turning up-field instead. Late in the first half, Garcia's fumble set up a Ravens field goal, when he held the ball too long and was hit by the Ravens Tony Weaver. RB: Lee Suggs (18-56 rushing, 1-7 receiving on 1 target) was much more effective than William Green. His long run was 17 yards. He did fumble once on a pitch to the left, but Steve Heiden made a nice play to recover it and salvage a field goal. William Green (8-10 rushing, 1-10 receiving on 1 target) never got going despite getting most of the early chances. His longest run was just 5 yards. WR: Antonio Bryant (4-43 receiving on 6 targets) was Garcia's top receiver, catching a 15-yard pass, the Browns longest of the game. He also was the target on a 3rd-down pass-interference call that helped set up the field goal that gave Cleveland a short-lived 13-12 lead in the 4th quarter. TE: Steve Heiden (4-31 receiving on 6 targets) caused the most damage with his missed targets. The first one was a deep pass over the middle on the Browns opening drive of the second half, when a 30-yard pass by Garcia hit him right in the shoulder pad. Then, of course, his other missed reception came at the goal line and slipped through his hands into the arms of Ed Reed. K: Phil Dawson (1XP, 2-2 FG) made a 50-yard field goal that just had the distance, and a 29-yard field goal in the 4th quarter that gave the Browns a 13-12 lead. Pass Defense: The Browns limited Kyle Boller to 4.3 yards per pass, allowing nothing deep. Ebenezer Ekuban had the lone sack. Rush Defense: Jamal Lewis struggled for yardage early against 8 and 9 man fronts, but eventually wore the Browns down. He scored on 3 carries from the Browns 9-yard line to give the Ravens the lead in the 4th quarter. DB Chris Crocker led the Browns with 6 solo tackles. Baltimore Ravens QB: Kyle Boller (17-30-142, 1 Fumble lost, 2-1 rushing) was credited with a fumble when Jamal Lewis dropped a handoff. Other than that possible mistake, Boller played fairly well, utilizing a short passing game to keep the chains moving. He missed on a few deep passes, failing to give his receivers a chance to catch the ball by throwing it out of bounds, but he avoided the critical mistakes that could have lost the game. Boller seemed to grow more confident as the game progressed. RB: Jamal Lewis (22-81 rushing, 1 TD, 1-14 receiving on 2 targets) was his usual hard-running self. He got off to a slow start, but improved as the game went on. Lewis carried three times for nine yards and a score after the Ravens received the ball at the Browns 9-yard line in the 4th quarter, following a badly missed punt by Derrick Frost. WR: Travis Taylor (7-58 receiving on 10 targets) caught the longest pass of the game, 19 yards, and was missed by Boller twice on deep balls that were thrown out of bounds. He was definitely Boller's go-to receiver, getting 10 targets in all. Clarence Moore (2-24 receiving on 4 targets) showed some potential. Moore is a tall receiver, 6'6", and used that height to go up for a jump ball on the Ravens successful two-point conversion try. TE: Daniel Wilcox (2-9 receiving on 3 targets) was not a factor. K: Matt Stover (1XP, 4 FG) kicked four first-half field goals, ranging from 36 to 44 yards. Pass Defense: Ed Reed sealed the win with his 106-yard interception return, putting the stamp on a brilliant game by Baltimore's defense. The Ravens sacked Garcia twice and pressured him nearly every time he dropped back. Rush Defense: Baltimore completely shut down William Green and did a good job against Lee Suggs as well. Cleveland's 3.2 yards per rush were aided by Garcia's 21-yard scramble. Ray Lewis was a force against both the pass and the run. |
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