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

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

Joe

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
Owner - www.Footballguys.com

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

Edited by Joe Bryant with Cathy Fazio

Pittsburgh Steelers 24 at Cleveland Browns 10

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

In an odd occurrence, a pre-game fight caused the ejection of Steelers' linebacker Joey Porter and Browns' running back William Green.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers were solid offensively, but not spectacular. Continuing the trend of the past few weeks, Pittsburgh jumped out to a first-half lead and played a ball-control, run heavy offense in the second half. The Steelers ran for 180 yards, led by Jerome Bettis' 103, who turned in his second consecutive 100 yard effort in Duce Staley's absence. Third stringer Willie Parker averaged 5.5 yards per carry while relieving Bettis periodically, a testament to the continued excellence of the offensive line in run blocking.

Ben Roethlisberger's numbers were pedestrian in this game, with only 134 passing yards and no TDs. Early in the game, Roethlisberger seemed to be forcing a number of throws into coverage, but the one interception he threw wasn't really his fault, as Hines Ward fell, leaving Daylon McCutcheon with a clear shot at the ball making a great catch. Roethlisberger fell into a groove after the Steelers' first few possessions; he wasn't asked to pass much, but made clutch throws when needed. He also made plays with his feet, rushing for a season-high 38 yards. Plaxico Burress led the Steelers' receivers again with 66 yards through the air.

Defensively, the Steelers were again very stout versus the run. They allowed only 68 yards on the ground, and Lee Suggs was not allowed to get into the defensive backfield all day long. The pass rush was excellent as well; Jeff Garcia was harassed repeatedly and was rarely able to get his feet set in the pocket. The Steelers had four sacks, five knockdowns, and 11 hurries in the contest, two of which led to forced throws intercepted by Troy Polamalu.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns never got anything going on the ground. Lee Suggs averaged a paltry 2.1 yards per carry against the Steelers defensive front, and 30 of the Browns 68 rushing yards came on Jeff Garcia scrambles. The Browns never abandoned the ground game, and were still attempting to establish the run late in the game, but the Steelers held tough.

Jeff Garcia was running for his life much of the game. He was sacked four times, and forced a terrible throw close to halftime which was picked off deep in Steelers' territory. On one key drive in the fourth quarter, with the Browns trailing 14-3, Garcia was sacked by Deshea Townsend and fumbled the ball. The Steelers appeared to recover, but somehow, Aaron Smith mishandled the ball, and the Browns held on. On the ensuing play, Garcia was hit by Smith and fumbled again. The ball was run back 24 yards for a TD by Russell Stuvaints, and Butch Davis had seen enough. Garcia was replaced by Kelly Holcomb for the remainder of the game. Holcomb led the Browns to their only TD of the game, going 5/7 for 64 yards on the drive. Before a QB controversy could start, he threw an interception on the next drive ending any hopes for Cleveland.

The Browns' defense was pretty solid for the most part. They put together a great goal-line stand early in the fourth quarter on which they stopped Bettis three straight times from the one-yard-line. The Steelers were forced to settle for a field goal, and the Browns were still alive in the game.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Pittsburgh Steelers

QB: Ben Roethlisberger (10-16-134, 1 INT, 7-38 rushing) Roethlisberger failed to throw a touchdown pass in the game, although he just missed one when Plaxico Burress was pushed out of bounds at the 1 yard line on a 4th quarter reception. Roethlisberger showed off his mobility more in this game than the previous six. The Browns repeatedly dropped their linebackers back into a short zone coverage, not leaving a spy to shadow Roethlisberger. He was able to make them pay several times, scrambling for first downs, and picking up 13 yards on a naked bootleg on third and one. Roethlisberger was accurate again when needed, but did get away with a couple of mistakes which could have been turnovers had Cleveland defenders been able to hold onto the ball.

RB: Jerome Bettis (29-103 rushing, 2 TD, 1-7 receiving on 1 target)
Bettis was effective again this week, battering the Cleveland defense for 103 yards in 3-5 yard rations. Bettis scored on runs of one and five yards and almost had a third but for the aforementioned goal-line stand by the Cleveland defense. On replay, it appeared as if Bettis had thrust the ball across the line on second down, but the officials ruled him short. The ball could have been ruled a fumble on the play but was not. He was unable to break any long runs, but was excellent at gaining 2-3 yards after contact on most of his carries.

Willie Parker (8-44 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 2 targets) Parker showed excellent speed and quickness. The undrafted rookie out of North Carolina was used as a change-of-pace back, and to spell Bettis late in the game when Bettis' legs began to cramp up. Parker did, however, drop an easy ball thrown to him on third-down, ending a Steelers' drive.

WR: Plaxico Burress (5-66 receiving on 7 targets) Burress led the Steelers in receiving yards again. He gets a lot of looks in third-and-long situations and saw two more targets than Hines Ward. Burress nearly had a touchdown in the fourth quarter as he leaped from the 3 yard line and attempted to stretch the ball over the goal-line while in the air, but officials ruled him down at the 1. Burress also did a nice job in run blocking.

Hines Ward (3-42 receiving on 5 targets, 2 for -7 rushing) Ward made all three of his catches on the Steelers' first quarter, 93 yard touchdown drive. After that, he was basically taken out of the game due to the Steelers commitment to the run and solid defense by McCutcheon.

Antwaan Randle El (1-19 receiving on 1 target) Randle El caught only one pass in the game, but was very solid on punt and kickoff returns, setting Pittsburgh up with good field position on a number of occasions.

TE: Jerame Tuman (0-0 receiving on 1 target)

K: Jeff Reed (3 XP, 1-2 FG) Reed connected from 20 yards but missed a 24-yard attempt wide right.

Pass Defense: The Steelers' pass defense was driven by the rush. Steelers were in the backfield constantly, and Garcia rarely had any time to throw. They did look vulnerable on the Browns' lone TD drive, on which Holcomb was able to find open receivers with regularity. However, the few defensive breakdowns came after the game was basically no longer in doubt. As mentioned, Troy Polamalu continued his ascent to elite status with a couple of interceptions. Chris Hoke, replacing injured Pro Bowler Casey Hampton, recorded his first NFL sack.

Rush Defense: The Steelers' run defense was impenetrable for the third straight game. Lee Suggs was jammed up at the line over and over again, and was never really able to work up a head of steam. In addition, on one run, Suggs was blown up by Steelers' linebacker James Farrior and fumbled the ball away. It was a costly turnover which cut the Browns' comeback attempt short.

Cleveland Browns

QB: Jeff Garcia (7-16-110, 1 INT, 4-30 rushing, 1 fumble lost) Garcia made a couple of nice runs on broken plays in this game, but that was about it. He had almost no time to set up in the pocket and several of his passes skipped harmlessly off of the turf. His second quarter interception at the Pittsburgh 2 yard line cost the Browns a chance to get back into the game and gain momentum prior to the half. His fumble in the fourth quarter basically cost the Browns any chance to win, and led to him being pulled by coach Butch Davis.

Kelly Holcomb (5-9-64, 1 TD, 1 INT) Holcomb looked sharp on his first drive, completing 5 of 7 passes for 64 yards and a 7-yard TD pass. On the Browns' next possession, however, he threw a terrible pass which was intercepted by Polamalu and ended the Browns' brief comeback bid.

RB: Lee Suggs (18-38 rushing, 1 fumble lost, 0-0 receiving on 3 targets) Suggs was bottled up all game long and couldn't do anything whether running up the middle, off tackle, or on end arounds. Suggs' longest carry of the day went for 7 yards; his other 17 touches netted less than 2 yards per carry. He was unable to make any plays in the passing game despite three targets. In their previous meeting against Pittsburgh, William Green was much more effective against the Steelers front than Suggs, so Green's ejection for the pre-game fight may have been very costly for Cleveland.

Terrelle Smith (1-8 receiving on 2 targets) Smith caught one ball over the middle for 8 yards.

WR: Dennis Northcutt (2-69 receiving on 3 targets) Northcutt hauled in a 58-yard pass from Garcia in the second quarter which put Cleveland in scoring range until Garcia's interception ended the threat. He didn't see very many balls over the remainder of the contest.

Frisman Jackson (5-61 receiving on 6 targets) The unheralded Jackson was the Browns' most heavily targeted receiver in the game. He did a nice job running crisp routes over the middle and made a couple of key, drive-sustaining catches.

Antonio Bryant (2-26 receiving on 5 targets) Bryant looks like he is getting the hang of the Cleveland offense and is starting to see more looks. He made a nice catch on the sideline early in the game, but was well-covered by the Pittsburgh secondary throughout.

TE: Aaron Shea (1-7 receiving, 1 TD on 4 targets) Shea made the most of his lone catch, scoring the Browns only TD on a fourth quarter toss from Kelly Holcomb.

Steve Heiden (1-3 receiving on 2 targets) Heiden made one reception for 3 yards.

K: Phil Dawson (1 XP, 1-1 FG) Dawson opened the scoring with a 31-yard field goal early on.

Pass Defense: The Browns did a pretty nice job in pass coverage, but failed to generate much in the way of pass rush. Roethlisberger had ample time to find receivers and was able to convert on several key third-down plays. The Browns' secondary spent much of the second half in run support, as the Steelers gave them a heavy dose of Bettis.

Rush Defense: The Browns did a decent job of containing long plays from the Steelers' running attack. However, they were simply worn down late from tackling the 255 pound Bettis all day long. The Steelers were again able to run with impunity late in the game and kill clock, as has been their wont the past few weeks when playing with the lead. The Browns' run defense allowed a couple of longer runs when facing the speedy Willie Parker, but Bettis' yardage was mostly of the 4 yards variety.

Baltimore Ravens 20 at New York Jets 17 (OT)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Baltimore Ravens

Perhaps Kyle Boller can yet resurrect his season. He played well in bringing his team back from a halftime deficit. With RB Jamal Lewis being stifled all game long, Boller tossed two scores to keep his team in it. He made some great throws in the late portions of the game and overtime to put the Ravens in a position to win.

RB Jamal Lewis never had anywhere to go. There were never any holes, and the yardage he compiled was mostly due to him moving the pile for 3 and 4 yards at a time. The Ravens never really tried running him outside much, either, as all but 3 of his carries went straight up the middle. Lewis was stuffed on a 4th and goal from the one-yard line early in the game.

The Ravens' defense rose up in the second half. After being run all over by Curtis Martin and allowing Quincy Carter to complete every one of his pass attempts in the first half, the Ravens clamped down and changed the game late. They won the field position battle in overtime, despite Kordell Stewart handling the punting duties following a Dave Zastudil shoulder injury, and it enabled them to do just enough to squeak out a win.

WR Clarence Moore was the recipient of two Kyle Boller touchdown passes. Moore's height (6'6") helped him out-leap Jets' defenders on the first score, and the second score was a designed play that Boller wanted to run specifically for Moore. Coming into the game, Moore had just 9 receptions on the year, but he had 5 Sunday.

New York Jets

The Jets may have been done in by two plays. Just before the half, they held a 14-0 lead and were driving in for yet another score. But on a HB option pass, LaMont Jordan was intercepted in the end zone by Ed Reed. Reed's return helped set up a Baltimore touchdown late in the first half, and that play changed the game from potentially 21-0 to 14-7. The Jets also had a chance to win the game late, but took too long getting a potential game-winning play in to the offense. They had to burn their last timeout with eight seconds left on the clock and instead settled for a game-tying field goal.

QB Quincy Carter played surprisingly well against a stout Ravens defense. He completed his first 7 passes of the game and did a good job of managing the offense. He didn't turn the ball over, and made several plays both with his arm as well as his feet during the contest. Although failing to get an extra play off at the end of regulation and having to settle for a FG was costly. Not sure you can pin all that on Carter but you have to think it would have been less likely to happen with Pennington.

RB Curtis Martin had two games in one. In the first half, he ran all over the Ravens for two scores and amassed a big chunk of his rushing yardage. In the second half, he was stifled outside of one big run.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Baltimore Ravens

QB: Kyle Boller (19-33-213, 2 TD, 2-5 rushing) had one of his best games as a pro. He came out firing on the Ravens' first drive, which led to a field goal. Following that, he went through a bit of a lull as the Jets turned up the pressure on him. He regrouped to make several excellent throws and showed good arm strength. The second touchdown pass in particular was great. He actually ran to the sideline before the play and told Brian Billick there was a specific play he wanted run. He then went out, stepped back, and fired a 16-yard touchdown pass to Clarence Moore in the back of the end zone. Despite facing intense pressure from New York all game long, Boller never got rattled. He only came close to being intercepted on two occasions, and they weren't really all that close. On the rushing end, Boller took a draw down to the 1-yard line on Baltimore's first possession, but was unable to push it across the end zone. He seemed to favor Clarence Moore a lot in the game, as Moore was targeted on nine of his passes, including both touchdowns.

Kordell Stewart (0 passes attempted) was the fill-in punter for starter Dave Zastudil, who left the game with a shoulder injury. Stewart actually did fairly well, even pinning the Jets inside the 10-yard line on two occasions.

RB: Jamal Lewis (30-71 rushing; 3-20 receiving on 3 targets) worked very hard to post the numbers he did. How he managed to total 91 yards is a credit to him. There were no holes anywhere all game long. He had absolutely no running room on the vast majority of his carries and just managed to move the pile forward to get anything at all. Of course, getting thirty carries helps to compile yards, no matter how futile the running game is. Lewis was stuffed early on a fourth and goal carry from the 1 yard line and that was as close as he would come to a productive fantasy day. Lewis specifically had trouble when trying to run up the middle. The Ravens only tried running outside three or four times with limited success there as well. But there was nothing in the middle of the field. Lewis's longest run of the game went for just 11 yards, though he did pad his stat totals slightly with three receptions for 20 yards.

WR: Clarence Moore (5-45, 2 TD receiving on 9 targets) was the primary beneficiary of Kyle Boller's effectiveness. Moore, at 6'6", provides an excellent target in the red zone, and Boller utilized him well. Moore's first touchdown was a grab way up over his head that he managed to corral. The second was both a terrific throw and catch in the back of the end zone. Moore did make one glaring mistake, however. On a third and 9 pass play in the second half, he was the target of what would have and should have been a first down but he short-armed the ball. It was about the only blemish on his day.

Travis Taylor (4-42 receiving on 6 targets) was quiet early on, but came on stronger late in the game. He was targeted just once in the first half, an incompletion, but caught three balls in the second half and another in overtime. In this game, however, he took a back seat to Clarence Moore.

Randy Hymes (1-14 receiving on 3 targets) was not much of a factor. He did nearly catch a long pass that fell incomplete.

TE: Daniel Wilcox (2-21 on 2 targets) caught just two passes in the game.

K: Matt Stover (2-2 FG, 2 XP) nailed the 42-yard game-winning field goal in overtime. He had earlier connected from 24 yards out. It was nearly a disaster, however, early in the game when Stover banked an extra point off the upright. Had that kick not gone through, the Ravens would have lost in regulation by a point.

Pass Defense: While they didn't dominate Quincy Carter as many expected them to, they did prevent the Jets from opening it up too much. The Ravens allowed one long pass play, a 47-yard completion to Santana Moss, but that was the extent of the major damage. Moss was covered by Raymond Walls on the play. Walls was only in the game because of an injury to All-Pro cornerback Chris McAlister. (It was impressive that Baltimore was able to do as well as they did defensively, because they lost McAlister to a shoulder stinger very early on in the contest and he did not return.) The pass defense turned in perhaps the biggest play of the game, coming late in the first half. Safety Ed Reed intercepted a LaMont Jordan pass in the end zone. Rather than down the ball, Reed took off the other way. He appeared to have scored, but fellow safety Will Demps was called for an illegal block in the back of Quincy Carter during the return. It was curious, because Reed likely would have gotten away from Carter (the only remaining man he had to beat) on his own. Regardless, the interception return led to a Ravens' touchdown, cutting the deficit to 14-7. Will Demps nearly had an interception in the overtime, and the ball was actually in his hands, but Jets WR Justin McCareins laid into Demps and jarred the ball loose. As far as defensive line pressure, the Ravens sacked Quincy Carter five times in the game and got to him many more than that. He was facing a constant barrage of pressure all game long.

Run Defense: It was a tale of two halves for the Ravens' run defense. In the first half, Curtis Martin absolutely lit them up. They appeared to have no answers to slow him down. But then, a strange thing happened in the second half. Those holes disappeared. The missed tackles suddenly got tighter. And Martin's impressive first half was a thing of the past. Outside of one nice run in the fourth quarter, Martin was completely held in check after halftime. Baltimore also didn't let Quincy Carter get too out of control with his rushing. He did convert one third down play on a QB draw, but that was most of the damage he did with his feet in this one. A very nice performance by the Ravens defending the run in the second half was probably the single biggest reason they were able to turn this around and win the game.

New York Jets

QB: Quincy Carter (13-22-175 passing; 5-22 rushing) did a decent job filling in for Chad Pennington. Carter didn't force anything, took what the defense gave him, and "managed the offense". He never turned the ball over, despite facing intense pressure from the Ravens' front all game long. Carter made good decisions, and displayed the athleticism that we saw last year with the Cowboys. One play in particular got the Jets fans to stand up and cheer. He connected on a 47-yard bomb down the right sideline to Santana Moss that put the Jets in position to drive for a score. It was on that drive, however, that LaMont Jordan was intercepted on a halfback option pass. Following that miscue, the Jets offense got extremely conservative. In the latter stages of the game, they seemed to be holding on and just trying to sneak out with a win, rather than trying to make plays. Every pass play was a short hitch or out route, and every run play was a simple off tackle or bust up the middle. The Jets had time to run one more play at the end of regulation but failed to get to the line on time. They were forced to use their last time out and then kick the FG to tie.

RB: Curtis Martin (28-119, 2 TD rushing, 2-5 receiving on 2 targets) had an up and down game. In the first half, he was very much up, scoring twice and generally running all over the Ravens defenders. In the second half, he was very down. He had a nice run that helped to set up the game-tying field goal in regulation, but that was just about all he could muster after the first half ended. His role in the passing game was also reduced, as he caught just two passes.

LaMont Jordan (3-15 rushing, 1-25 receiving 1 target, 0-1, 1 INT) didn't have a big role in the game, but he looked good running and catching the ball on the chances he did get. However, one gets the feeling that Jordan will not be throwing the ball again anytime soon. The Jets had Jordan attempt a pass late in the first half with the team up 14-0. Despite no one being even remotely open, Jordan heaved a pass toward the end zone. Herman Edwards said after the game that the play is designed for the RB to either throw or run if nothing is there. Jordan threw with nothing there. Ed Reed picked the ball off, and raced the other way with it. The return helped set up a Ravens touchdown, turning what would have been a 21-0 lead into a 14-7 lead.

WR: Santana Moss (3-75 receiving on 3 targets) registered 75 yards, but he only caught three balls. Even worse, he was only targeted three times. He just isn't getting the looks on a consistent basis. Despite his long 47-yard reception early in the game, he was only looked to once more the rest of the game.

Justin McCareins (2-30 receiving on 6 targets) was actually targeted on twice as many passes as Santana Moss, but wasn't nearly as productive. While McCareins didn't make a big impact in the passing game, he was involved in two other plays that were huge at the time. One was on a punt return by McCareins in which he fumbled but managed to recover. Another was in the overtime session, when he broke up a near-interception by Ravens' safety Will Demps. Demps had the ball in his hands, but McCareins made a great play to break it up. It didn't matter as the Jets lost anyway, but at the time it was a key play.

TE: Chris Baker (1-19 receiving on 1 target) made one catch early on, and later dropped what would have been a first down reception on a third and 9 play.

K: Doug Brien (1-1 FG, 2 XP) connected on all of his kicks, including the 20-yarder to tie it up at the end of regulation.

Pass Defense: Considering they went up against Kyle Boller and the Ravens, one would have thought the results would have looked better. Boller threw for 213 yards and two touchdowns, despite facing intense pressure all game long. The Jets sacked Boller three times, but more often than not, he was able to get his throws off. They also nearly intercepted him on two occasions when balls hit off their hands, but it's not as if they were sitting there waiting for the pass. In other words, they weren't really that close to picking Boller off. They had an especially tough time hanging with 6'6" rookie WR Clarence Moore. Moore's height factored into both of his touchdowns, as the first one was a ball that probably only he could catch, and the second one was a bullet pass over the middle that Moore stretched upward and outward for.

Run Defense: In theory, the Jets had a good game-plan. They would stop Jamal Lewis at all costs, and force Kyle Boller to beat them. It would have worked, except Boller actually did beat them. Lewis had absolutely nowhere to go, and finished with just 71 yards on 30 carries (2.37 YPC). The Jets made a particularly big stand early on when they stuffed Lewis on a fourth and 1 carry from the goal line. It seemed to charge them up for the remainder of the half, and Lewis never really made much of an impact after that point.

Detroit Lions 17 at Jacksonville Jaguars 23 (OT)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Detroit Lions

Detroit was very ineffective in the passing game. They ran the ball with some success against Jacksonville's defense, but did not generate much through the air. The blame could be laid equally at the feet of both Joey Harrington and his receivers. While Harrington missed wide-open receivers several times, his receivers dropped their fair share of catchable balls themselves. The most glaring drop was by a wide-open Stephen Alexander in the end zone. Harrington was sacked on the next play, which led to Jason Hanson missing a 32-yard field goal attempt.

Tai Streets did not play in this game and Az-Zahir Hakim missed most of the game after his back trouble flared up.

Both of Detroit's touchdowns were scored on punt returns by Eddie Drummond in the second half.

Kevin Jones was the most productive Detroit player. He displayed very good quickness, spin moves, cutting ability and speed. Jones was the only Detroit back with a carry, and finished with 81 yards on 19 rushing attempts.

Detroit's defense was inconsistent. During the first half Jacksonville was able to run with little opposition, amassing 127 yards rushing by halftime. After Jacksonville ran at will against them to open the second half, culminating in Detroit giving up a rushing touchdown, the defense tightened up and did a good job of pressuring David Garrard and containing the Jacksonville running backs. However, in overtime they gave up some big plays to the passing game, including the game winning 36-yard touchdown catch by Jimmy Smith.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars ran with purpose during the game, especially during the first half. Fred Taylor set the tone on the first play of the game with a 42-yard run, where he showed off his ability to make defenders miss and his speed. Taylor came out of the game in the 3rd quarter after running for a first down with what was reported as a leg cramp. He was seen on the sidelines riding a stationary bicycle for several minutes after that. He did not return on the next Jacksonville series, but did so on the subsequent one, and ran without any apparent lingering effects. Taylor finished the day with 144 yards rushing.

Jimmy Smith showed he is without question the best option In the Jaguars' passing game. He was open for what could have been a touchdown in the first half, but Garrard overthrew him. On the next play, he was open but Garrard overthrew him again. The Jacksonville quarterback redeemed himself when it counted in overtime. On a 3rd and 10 play in overtime, he completed a 16-yard pass to Smith. Later in the same drive, on 3rd and 8, he completed a crossing pass to Smith, who turned and ran away from the defenders for the game winning 36-yard touchdown play.

Jacksonville's defense was very good, especially against the pass. Rashean Mathis stood out in particular, and seemed to be wherever the ball was. In addition to his interception, he almost had another, but Roy Williams knocked the ball away at the last moment. Mathis returned the favor in the second half by dislodging the ball out of Williams' hands in the end zone. The Jaguars' also generated pressure on Harrington for most of the game. They blitzed on a few occasions, usually with success. Jason Gildon played in 3rd and long situations, and generated pressure several times. He had a sack taken away due to a defensive holding call on one of the linebackers, Akin Ayodele.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Detroit Lions

QB: Joey Harrington (11-33-121, 1 INT) It's tough to say much besides Harrington had a bad game. He made some bad throws, but his receivers dropped several balls they should have caught. Jacksonville applied pressure on him throughout the game, forcing many hurried throws. When he did have time to throw, most of the time the Jacksonville defensive backs were deflecting those throws. Harrington seemed uncomfortable throughout the game.

RB: Kevin Jones (19-81 rushing, 2-7 receiving on 7 targets) Jones averaged just over 4.0 yards per carry, and was the only running back to receive carries. He ran very well, and looked like the big play back he was advertised to be when he was drafted. He did drop several passes, and could have posted even bigger total yardage numbers had he held onto the ball. Jones received 1 carry each of the two times Detroit was inside the 10-yard line, gaining minimal yardage both times.

Shawn Bryson (2-13 receiving on 3 targets) Bryon was used exclusively in long yardage situations.

WR: Roy Williams (2-64 on 7 targets) Williams was thrown to only twice in the first half, and he battled double-coverage most of the day. Despite the attention given him, it took a huge play by Rashean Mathis to deprive him of a touchdown. Harrington also overthrew him on another deep play down the sideline as well as missing him completely over the middle, which resulted in him taking a vicious hit by the Jacksonville safety. Williams did not miss any plays as a result of that hit. He still looks to be a fair bit less than 100% with his ankle injury.

Reggie Swinton (2-13 on 5 targets) Swinton played a larger than normal role due to the injuries to Tai Streets and Az-Zahir Hakim. He did make a nice 26-yard catch that was called back due to a penalty on the offense. Other than that, he was not much of a factor.

Az-Zahir Hakim did not catch a pass. He left early in the game after aggravating the back injury that limited him in practice last week.

TE: Stephen Alexander (3-24 on 7 targets) Harrington looked for Alexander several times, in large part as an outlet receiver. Alexander dropped what should have been an easy reception for a touchdown.

K: Jason Hanson (2-2 XP, 1-2 FGs) Hanson missed a 32-yard field goal early in the game but made one from 21 yards in the second half.

Pass Defense: The Lions' pass defense was aggressive, mixing in blitzes and stunts, but gave up big plays to Jacksonville at inopportune times, enabling Jacksonville to keep drives alive. Jacksonville had 57 passing yards at halftime, but Garrard was able to finish his day with 198 yards through the air.

Rush Defense: The rush defense did not show up, giving up 239 rushing yards to Jacksonville at a robust 4.78 yards per carry clip. Detroit gave up several big running plays throughout the game.

Jacksonville Jaguars

QB: David Garrard (19-36-198, 2 TD, 7-42 rushing) Garrard began the game throwing cautiously, relying on short and intermediate passes to the backs and tight ends for most of the first half. He opened things up in the second half, going almost exclusively to Jimmy Smith when he looked deep. Garrard also showed a knack for knowing when to run. The coaches called a couple of designed run plays for him. He gained positive yardage on all of his rushing attempts. On Jacksonville's first touchdown, he faked a throw to his left then turned to his right and completed a screen pass to running back LaBrandon Toefield who ran into the end zone. Bottom line is that he won the game with the TD pass to Jimmy Smith.

RB: Fred Taylor (23-144, 3-21 receiving on 5 targets) Taylor ran the ball very well. He displayed the power and speed he is known for, and broke the initial tackle on many of his runs. He battled leg cramps, but when he returned to the field he ran with the same determination and did not appear to have any lingering effects.

LaBrandon Toefield (12-41 rushing, 2-18, 1 TD receiving on 2 targets) Toefield spelled Taylor effectively during the game. His touchdown catch and run was a good example of the elusiveness he brings. He was also used on some runs up the middle.

Greg Jones (8-12, 1 TD, 1-9 receiving on 2 targets) The 250-pound back was the primary back on one of Jacksonville's offensive series, and caught a 9-yard pass for a first down. He was the featured back near the goal line. Jacksonville had a 1st and goal at the 4-yard line, and Jones ran up the middle 3 consecutive times, culminating in a 1-yard touchdown run.

Marc Edwards (1-4 receiving on 1 target) The fullback concentrated on blocking for Taylor and company.

WR: Jimmy Smith (7-109, 1 TD receiving on 14 targets) Smith looked very good against the Detroit secondary. He was open on several occasions, and converted 3 of his 10 second-half targets into first downs. He displayed speed running down the sidelines, and superior route-running ability by getting open across the middle on other occasions, including the game-winning 36-yard touchdown catch and run.

Reggie Williams (1-8 on 2 targets) Williams did not have a ball thrown his way until the second half. He seemed to have difficulty getting open.

Troy Edwards (0-0 on 3 targets) Edwards was not featured much, but dropped a pass in the 4th quarter that would have been a first down.

Ernest Wilford (0-0 on 1 target) Wilford did not see as much action as he has earlier this season with Byron Leftwich at quarterback. The only pass thrown his way was in overtime.

TE: Kyle Brady (3-27 on 4 targets) Brady, who is known more for his blocking, turned a short throw into a first down by leapfrogging a would-be tackler and running for the first down. He also caught a pass for a first down in the second half.

Todd Yoder (1-2 on 1 target) Yoder was used only once in the passing game, as an outlet receiver.

K: Josh Scobee (2-2 XPs, 1-1 FG attempts) Scobee was not asked to do much, and converted all of his scoring opportunities, including a 31-yard field goal.

Pass Defense: The Jaguars' pass defense looked quicker and more aggressive than Detroit's offensive players. They mixed in blitzes with pressure from the front four, led by their tackles, John Henderson and Marcus Stroud. During Detroit's last drive, Henderson blocked a Harrington pass on a 3rd down play, one of 3 such batted passes in the second half. The Jaguars harassed Harrington into a 33% completion day. Jacksonville's defensive backs, led by Rashean Mathis, were outstanding and blanketed Detroit's receivers, though it should be noted Detroit was missing their second and third receivers.

Rush Defense: The Jaguars allowed some yards to Kevin Jones, who averaged 4.3 yards per carry. Defensive tackle Marcus Stroud sustained a leg injury late in the second half and did not return.

Cincinnati Bengals 17 at Washington Redskins 10

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Cincinnati Bengals

It took 31 carries to do it, but Rudi Johnson was able to join Jamal Lewis as the only running backs to rush for 100 yards against the Redskins this season. Johnson fought for every yard, often having to break a tackle at the line of scrimmage on his way to 102 rushing yards, including a tough 1-yard touchdown run. On the down side, Johnson was stripped of the ball while being gang tackled, a fumble which the Redskins were able to recover.

First year starter Carson Palmer had a mixed game, throwing for 217 yards and a touchdown on 24 of 39 passing. But he was picked off twice when he under threw open receivers. Those two gaffes aside, Palmer was impressive, at one point completing 12 of 13 passes with the sole incompletion coming on a drop. At least some of Palmer's success can be traced to excellent pass blocking, which prevented the Redskins from registering a sack in the game.

Nearly all of the Bengals' receivers got into the action, with All Pro Chad Johnson leading the way with a 6 catch, 89 yard performance. T.J. Houshmandzadeh led all Bengal receivers with 7 catches, totaling 59 yards, while second year receivers Kelley Washington and Kevin Walter combined for 46 more yards on 6 receptions. Tight end Tony Stewart had Cincinnati's only touchdown catch of the day.

Defensively, the Bengals struggled to stop Washington's running game, but were brutal against the pass, chalking up 5 sacks and 3 interceptions against Mark Brunell and Patrick Ramsey, while also recovering a Rudi Johnson fumble.

Washington Redskins

Clinton Portis averaged well over 4 yards per carry, but with Washington falling behind by 17 points at the half he could only total 81 yards for the day on 17 carries. Portis had little trouble with picking apart the Bengals defense when he did carry the ball, but got only 3 carries in the fourth quarter and 8 in the entire second half.

After starting the game 1-8 with 6 yards and an interception, Mark Brunell was pulled from the game in favor of Patrick Ramsey. Ramsey fared little better at first, but led a pair of fourth quarter scoring drives to finish the game with respectable numbers of 210 yards and a touchdown on 18 of 37 passing. More troubling was that Ramsey threw two interceptions, though one came on a game-ending Hail Mary attempt. Ramsey could easily have been picked off on five other attempts were the Bengals defenders better at catching the ball.

Laveranues Coles again led the Redskins in receiving, hauling in 6 catches for 74 yards, and was clearly the favorite target of Patrick Ramsey. Taylor Jacobs had 4 receptions for 37 yards, while Darnerien McCants resurfaced in the fourth quarter to catch two passes for 46 yards. Rod Gardner managed only 18 yards on two receptions, but also threw a perfect pass to Laveranues Coles in the end zone. The pass was broken up by a great defensive play, however. Rookie tight end Chris Cooley had only 1 catch in the game, but it was for a 9-yard touchdown.

Defensively, the Redskins did a good job despite Rudi Johnson breaking the 100 yard mark, limiting him to less than 3.5 yards per carry, while holding the Bengals' passing attack to just 217 yards.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Cincinnati Bengals

QB: Carson Palmer (24-39-217, 1 TD, 2 INT, 2 for -3 rushing) had a mixed outing, being picked off twice on balls that he badly under threw to open receivers, but throwing an excellent touch pass to tight end Tony Stewart for a 1-yard touchdown and threading the needle time and again to his other receivers. Palmer's numbers were also limited somewhat by a few dropped passes, and by the fact that the Bengals stuck largely to their ground attack while protecting the lead late in the game.

RB: Rudi Johnson (31-102, 1 TD, 1 fumble lost rushing) earned the workhorse label in this game, as 42% of the Bengals' offensive plays were Johnson runs. Against the top-rated run defense in the league, Johnson was forced to fight for every yard and did just that by powering through tacklers. On his 1-yard touchdown run, Johnson appeared to be stood up at the line of scrimmage, but kept his legs churning and moved the pile forward for the score. Johnson's fumble came when he was stripped of the ball while being tackled by three players.

Kenny Watson (2-19 receiving on 3 targets) was used in obvious passing situations, as evidenced by his stats.

Jeremi Johnson (1-0 receiving on 1 targets) is the Bengals fullback, and touches the ball about once per game.

WR: Chad Johnson (6-89 receiving on 14 targets) had little trouble against the Redskins' vaunted secondary, getting open fairly regularly. In addition to his 6 receptions, Johnson had two other balls in his hands but failed to make the catch. Neither of the two would have been easy catches, however. Johnson also was open beyond the defenders on two other plays, but Carson Palmer under threw him both times, resulting in interceptions.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh (7-59 receiving on 11 targets, 1-0 rushing) got 7 of his targets in the first half of the game, then trailed off with his team focusing more on the running game late, and with Chad Johnson the receiver of choice when they did throw the ball. Houshmandzadeh made the most of his opportunities, and his first half performance helped to open things up for the players around him as the Bengals built their lead.

Kevin Walter (2-23 receiving on 2 targets) played despite an injured ankle which kept him out of practice earlier in the week, and nearly doubled his career receiving numbers, which were 4 receptions for 25 yards entering the game. Of note is the fact that Walter's first reception came when he badly beat Washington cornerback, Fred Smoot.

Kelley Washington (4-23 receiving on 5 targets) was used as Cincinnati's third receiver, as usual, and made a fine catch over the middle of the field for a 16 yard gain.

TE: Tony Stewart (2-4, 1 TD receiving on 3 targets) caught his first touchdown of the season on a nice 1-yard touchdown pass from Carson Palmer, and improved to 8 total receptions for the year.

K: Shane Graham (2 XP, 1-1 FG) was good on a 41 yard field goal attempt.

Pass Defense: For three and a half quarters, the Bengals were stifling against the pass, with 151 of the Redskins' 217 passing yards coming in the final quarter of play. For the game, Cincinnati managed 5 sacks and 3 interceptions, but those numbers could have been much higher. No fewer than 5 times, Redskins quarterback Patrick Ramsey threw a pass which a Bengals' defender got both hands on, but was unable to hold for the pick. Much of the Bengals' early success can be traced to an aggressive blitzing defense, which was dropped for a more conventional prevent game plan with the team up by 17 in the fourth quarter.

Run Defense: The Bengal offense did more to stop Clinton Portis than their defense did. Portis averaged nearly 4.8 yards per carry on the day, but was taken out of the game when Cincinnati built up a 17 point lead in the first half. When Washington did run the ball early on, the Bengals struggled against the Redskins' offensive line, and Clinton Portis was able to make defenders miss in the open field.

Washington Redskins

QB: Patrick Ramsey (18-37-210, 1 TD, 2 INT, 1-3 rushing) was brought into the game in the middle of the second quarter to replace an ineffective Mark Brunell, and did little better until a comeback try late in the fourth. Ramsey made a lot of poor decisions in the game, and in addition to the two interceptions the Bengals were able to tally off of him, there were five more Ramsey passes which a defender was able to get two hands on, but dropped. Of the two balls which were intercepted, one came on a Hail Mary play with seconds remaining in the game. While Ramsey did enjoy some success while spreading the ball around on the Redskins' late touchdown drive, he appeared locked on to receiver Laveranues Coles for most of the game.

Mark Brunell (1-8-6, 1 INT, 2-3 rushing) was pulled midway through the second quarter after his dismal start, which dropped Brunell below 50% completions for the season. As had been the pattern thus far in the season, Brunell struggled to hit open receivers, even when enjoying stellar protection from his offensive line and a good running game led by Clinton Portis.

RB: Clinton Portis (17-81 rushing, 4-32 receiving on 7 targets) was a victim of the score in this game, as he ran the ball well throughout the early going, but found his team forced to go to the air while trailing by 17 points in the fourth quarter. Portis had one of his busier days catching the ball as a Redskin, with all 7 of his targets coming with Patrick Ramsey under center. Importantly, Portis was not pulled from the game on passing downs, as had been the pattern.

Ladell Betts has been used as the Redskins third down specialist this season, but saw action only on special teams in this game.

WR: Laveranues Coles (6-74 receiving on 19 targets) had a good game, but it could have been much better for the Redskins' number one receiver. Coles had little trouble getting open against the Bengals' secondary, but suffered from inconsistent quarterback play. Coles was wide open in the end zone on one play in the fourth quarter, but Ramsey badly overthrew him. On a trick play in which wide receiver Rod Gardner threw the ball, Coles was the target in the end zone and got both hands on the ball, but had it knocked away by a great defensive play.

Darnerien McCants (2-46 receiving on 3 targets) got into the game as a fourth receiver for the Redskins' final two drives, and made a pair of nice catches. His third target was actually a game-ending Hail Mary pass which was intercepted, with McCants the closest Redskin.

Taylor Jacobs (4-37 receiving on 7 targets) was used as the third receiver in Washington's attack, and showed a willingness and ability to make the tough catch over the middle of the field. Jacobs was shaken up and left the field late in the game after a hard hit, but no further update was offered.

Rod Gardner (2-18 receiving on 9 targets, 0-1-0 passing) got a fair number of looks from his quarterbacks in this game, but was unable to connect on anything but a pair of short receptions. Gardner's pass attempt, coming after a lateral from Patrick Ramsey, was thrown right on target to Laveranues Coles in the end zone, but broken up on a great defensive effort.

TE: Chris Cooley (1-9, 1 TD receiving on 3 targets) made his only catch of the game count, diving to make a great catch on the goal line for a 9-yard touchdown. Cooley had also been targeted on the previous play.

K: Ola Kimrin (1 XP, 1-2 FG) connected on a 33-yard field goal for Washington's first points of the game, after missing badly on a 47-yard attempt earlier.

Pass Defense: While the Redskins were able to pick off Carson Palmer twice, and Cincinnati threw for only 217 yards in the game, both of the interceptions were due more to poor throws from Palmer than to great defensive plays, and the Bengals all but abandoned the passing game while protecting their lead late in the fourth quarter. Washington did manage some pressure on Palmer, but could not muster a sack in the game.

Rushing Defense: The normally stingy Washington defense allowed 102 yards to Rudi Johnson but it took 31 carries for the Bengal to reach that number, or about 3.3 yards per carry. The Redskins swarmed to the ball carrier, using sheer numbers to offset Johnson's tough running style. Even on Johnson's 1-yard touchdown run, contact was made behind the line of scrimmage, and only a great running effort allowed him to break the goal line.

Carolina Panthers 37 at San Francisco 49ers 27

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers, who came in to the game with eleven players on injured reserve, started slow - scoring only a field goal in the first half. The second half was an entirely different story as the Carolina offense scored four touchdowns and two more field goals to rally past the 49ers. The passing attack was their weapon of choice on the day. Delhomme threw for over 300 yards and 3 touchdowns all to Muhsin Muhammad.

After having lost running backs Stephen Davis, DeShaun Foster and Rod Smart to injury, the Panthers' Nick Goings got the start. He managed 42 yards on 8 carries for a respectable 5.25 yards per carry and another 50 yards on 3 receptions. Carolina as a team only rushed 18 times for a total of 57 yards, backup running back Brandon Bennett rushed in a 1 yard score.

Although the 49ers got off to a quick start, the Carolina defense won the game. With 4 sacks, 4 interceptions, and a fumble recovery they effectively shut down the 49ers' pass attack the majority of the day. The Panthers' run defense held Barlow and company to 110 yards on 33 attempts.

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers started strong out of the gate, scoring 17 of their 27 points in the first half. During the second half San Francisco had to punt twice, lost a fumble, and tossed 3 interceptions. Rattay threw only one touchdown, a 30-yard strike to Brandon Lloyd in the fourth quarter.

The majority of the 49ers scoring was handled by Kevan Barlow, who was pulled from the game after a critical 4th quarter penalty. Even though he was only able to amass 47 yards on 21 carries, he did score twice. Other than the touchdowns the San Francisco running attack was pretty ineffective; as a team the only averaged 3.3 yards per carry.

The 49er secondary looked horrible as they were burned 3 times by Muhammad for touchdowns, and gave up 301 total aerial yards. The defense also had trouble putting pressure on Delhomme, who wasn't sacked all day and threw no interceptions.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Carolina Panthers

QB: Jake Delhomme (19-34-303, 3 TD, 1--2 rushing) Delhomme showed great poise as he rallied his team past the 49ers. He connected with Muhsin Muhammad 3 times for touchdowns of 40, 4, and 26 yards.

RB: Nick Goings (8-42 rushing, 3-50 receiving on 5 targets) While not seeing a wealth of opportunities, Goings managed to make the most of things with 92 combined yards. The lack of rushing attempts could be due in part to the fact that Carolina trailed the majority of the game.

Brad Hoover (5-12 rushing, 1-4 receiving on 1 target) Fullback Brad Hoover's number was called a few times - with less than exciting results.

Brandon Bennett (4-5, 1 TD rushing) Bennett, only active for his second game the year, ran in a 1 yard touchdown early in the second half.

WR: Muhsin Muhammad (6-123, 3 TDs receiving on 12 targets) Muhammad was obviously a large part of the Carolina comeback. He made a mockery of the pathetic San Francisco secondary, working his way open time and time again.

Ricky Proehl (5-69 receiving on 13 targets) Proehl was called on several times to help the Panthers march down the field. He actually saw more targets than Muhammad as Delhomme clearly felt comfortable going his way.

Keary Colbert (4-57 receiving on 7 targets, 1 fumble lost) The rookie Colbert fumbled the ball on the Panthers' first possession of the game; this led to a field goal and a 10-0 lead for the 49ers.

K: John Kasay (2-2 FG) Kasay hit field goals of 37 and 25 yards before suffering a calf injury in the third quarter.

Todd Sauerbrun (4 XP, 1-1 FG) Sauerbrun filled in seamlessly for the injured Kasay. He hit a 34-yard field goal for the Panthers to take the lead late in the 4th quarter.

Pass Defense: The Carolina pass defense did a job on the 49ers, intercepting Rattay four times and holding them under 300 yards passing.

Rush Defense: The rush defense held the 49ers to an average of 3.3 yards per carry; and held Kevan Barlow to only 47 yards on the day.

San Francisco 49ers

QB: Tim Rattay (22-37-284, 1 TD, 4 INT, 2-9 rushing, 1 fumble lost) Rattay led his team on 2 touchdown scoring drives in the first half while throwing 1 interception. Then in the second half he was picked off 3 more times, but managed to throw a 30-yard touchdown pass.

RB: Kevan Barlow (21-47, 2 TD rushing, 2-14 receiving on 2 targets) The 49ers came in intending to pound Barlow at the Panthers, but it was Barlow who was pounded for the most part. Although he did manage to get in the end zone twice he was held to a paltry 2.2 yards per carry. On the 49ers' first possession of the fourth quarter Barlow drew a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct; he was pulled from the game and did not return.

Maurice Hicks (8-46 rushing, 1-12 receiving on 3 targets) Hicks saw most of his action after Barlow was benched. He had a long run of 35 yards. If Barlow were to be out, Hicks looks like a capable replacement.

Terry Jackson (2-8 rushing, 2-16 receiving on 2 targets) Jackson saw limited action in relief of Barlow.

Fred Beasley (1-8 receiving on 1 target) Fullback Beasley was not a factor.

WR: Cedrick Wilson (5-101 receiving on 8 targets) Wilson saw the most yards today for the 49ers and had a long catch of 39 yards.

Brandon Lloyd (5-62, 1 TD receiving on 8 targets) Lloyd made a stunning grab in the end zone for a 30-yard touchdown. Like Wilson, he caught 5 of the 8 passes thrown his way.

TE: Eric Johnson (6-71 receiving on 10 targets) The tight end Johnson saw more targets than the receivers; he remains a pivotal part of the 49er offense.

K: Todd Peterson (3 XP, 2-2 FG) Peterson made field goals from 28 and 46 yards.

Pass Defense: The San Francisco pass defense was terrible. They let Muhammad get open for touchdowns 3 times, and let Delhomme throw for over 300 yards with no interceptions.

Rush Defense: The rush defense fared better, but largely because the Panthers only attempted to run the ball 18 times.

New York Giants 14 at Arizona Cardinals 17

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

New York Giants

The Giants made an exact carbon copy of last week's effort against the Bears. New York started off razor sharp on their first drive cruising down the field on the strength of Tiki Barber gaining 25 yards on 5 carries and Kurt Warner going 4-4 for 52 yards and a nice play action TD pass to Jeremy Shockey. After an Arizona field goal, the Giants once again went right down the field with Barber accounting for 48 yards and adding a two yard TD plunge.

That was it for the NY Giants… no more points… nothing…..done scoring for the game with 9:07 to go in the second quarter. The Giants were able to drive to the Arizona 26 yard line on their first drive of the second half, but a 44 yard Steve Christie field goal was blocked.

After the initial two touchdown drives, the Giants managed 7 first downs for the rest of the game and repeatedly shot themselves in the foot with holding penalties. Warner once again looked shaky after his fast start taking a bunch of sacks (6 in total) and looking just generally out of sync. The Eli Manning watch is on…Warner also seemed to have a problem with his throwing hand on his second QB sneak in short yardage situations. Warner walked around after the play continually shaking his hand and threw some pretty ugly throws late in the game…just something to keep an eye on.

Amani Toomer had his best game since week three getting to the 100 yard mark on 8 receptions including a reception down to the two yard line on the Giants second touchdown drive. The game plan seemed to be to get Toomer involved early as he compiled 3 receptions for 51 yards on the first two scoring drives.

Tiki Barber continued his Pro Bowl caliber season once again breaking the century mark on the ground with a score and chipping in 52 receiving yards.

Arizona Cardinals

Dennis Green has the Cardinals playing like a young and hungry bunch. The story to this game was really the Cardinal Defense. After the initial Giant surge, the defense settled down and was borderline dominant in the second half. Outside the Giant touchdown drives and the blocked FG drive, the Cardinal defense allowed 4 first downs and forced two turnovers on downs. They were able to keep constant pressure on Warner en route to 6 sacks including 4 by Bertrand Berry.

The ageless Emmitt Smith was the offensive star of the game with two touchdown runs and 67 yards on 19 carries. The first of which was off which was set up by a 22 yard pass interference call on corner Will Peterson.

Josh McCown was unspectacular to put it kindly. He finished 12-24 for 90 yards. However, he did not turn the ball over and kept the defense honest by taking some shots downfield. His outing led to a lackluster performance by the group of Arizona receivers.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

New York Giants

QB: Kurt Warner (19-30-193, 1 TD, 3-8 rushing) For the second week in a row Warner looked bad. He looks just plain uncomfortable in the pocket, does not get rid of the ball quickly, takes sacks, and does not take many shots downfield. With the Giants having two tough opponents upcoming, the clock just might be ticking. Warner did seem more determined to involve the wide receivers early in the game giving the ball to Toomer early unlike prior weeks where everything was a dump-off or screen.

RB: Tiki Barber (21-108 rushing, 1 TD, 5-52 receiving on 6 targets) In what is a familiar story, Barber had another nice fantasy day with 160 total yards and a score. Barber was the majority of the Giant offense throughout especially in the first half where he went for 80 yards on 12 carries including gains of 17 and 16. However, Barber was bottled up on the ground in the second half with just 28 yards on 9 carries as the whole team struggled.

Ron Dayne (3-19 rushing) The Giants dusted old Ron Dayne off as Mike Cloud was on the inactive list. Dayne did actually contribute a few nice runs in relief of Barber including one that was called back and not on the stat sheet.

WR: Amani Toomer (8-100 receiving on 13 targets) As above, the Giants game plan seemed to be to get Toomer more involved than in previous weeks and he responded with his best game since Week 3 against Cleveland. Toomer was in vintage form catching slants and square-ins. Toomer also got knocked out of the game for the second straight week. However, this injury came with under two minutes left costing the Giants their last precious timeout.

Ike Hilliard (1-8 receiving on 3 targets, 1-12 rushing) Very quiet afternoon for Hilliard with just one reception on 3 targets and one end around for 12 yards.

TE: Jeremy Shockey (4-24 receiving on 6 targets, 1 TD) Shockey was able to get the early score under his belt, but something the announcers commented on is Shockey being kept in to help with the pass protection. This seems counterintuitive as Shockey is arguably the Giants second best skill position weapon. Shockey, with his mismatch abilities, should not be averaging 6 yards a catch.

K: Steve Christie (2 XP, 0-1 FG) Christie's lone field goal attempt was blocked by a big rush up the middle. Christie did hit his two extra point attempts.

Pass Defense: The Giant defense deserves a badge of honor for playing well without both their starting defensive ends who are out for the year. The Cardinals were held to just 90 yards in the air and the Giants were able to sack McCown twice.

Rush Defense: The Giant rush defense was stout surrendering just 104 yards on the ground on 32 carries for a 3.2 average. The Giants did surrender two scoring runs to Smith both attacking the middle of the run defense.

Arizona Cardinals

QB: Josh McCown (12-24-90, 3-3 rushing) Not the prettiest afternoon for Josh McCown completing just 12 passes for 90 yards. The most important factor for the Cardinals being he did not turn the ball over (although he was sacked and fumbled on a play that was called back for illegal use of hands and had another fumble recovered by Leonard Davis). McCown was able to keep the Giants defense honest by taking chances downfield, but his long completion on the day was a 16 yarder to FB Obafemi Ayanbadejo.

RB: Emmitt Smith (19-67 rushing, 2 TD, 1 target, 1 Fumble Lost?) Emmitt Smith was able to boost his career TD stats with two more scores against the Giants defense. Both of Smith's scores came on surges up the middle behind Cardinal center Alex Stepanovich. However, Smith's yardage total and average per carry were not all that impressive. Smith's biggest gains on the afternoon were two 11 yard runs. Smith was the central figure on the Cards' second TD drive with 6 carries for 35 yards.

Troy Hambrick (7-22 rushing) Hambrick received 7 carries in relief of Smith and was unable to do anything spectacular with 3 carries for zero or 1 yard.

WR: Bryant Johnson (3-32 receiving on 6 targets) Johnson, the deep threat for the Cardinals, was held to completions of 11, 14 and 7 yards.

Anquan Boldin (5-31 receiving on 11 targets) Boldin led all Arizona receivers with 11 targets on the afternoon, but like the other Cardinal receivers were unable to put up numbers due to McCown's play.

Larry Fitzgerald (1-2 receiving on 7 targets) Fitzgerald was taken out of this game by excellent coverage by Will Allen. The Cardinals attempted to isolated Fitzgerald a number of times and take some shots to him, but he was locked down by Allen's excellent coverage all day.

TE: Freddie Jones (1-4 receiving on 1 targets) Jones was a non-factor catching his lone target on the second play of the game.

K: Neil Rackers (2 XP, 1-1 FG) Rackers was able to convert a 41-yard field goal and both his extra point attempts.

Pass Defense: The Cardinal front four was very impressive, especially Berry who collected 4 sacks and looked just unblockable. Altogether, the Cardinals collected 6 sacks and the pass defense was the factor in propelling Arizona to victory. Adrian Wilson looks like a playmaker at strong safety.

Rush Defense: The Arizona rush defense was initially being carved up by Tiki Barber and the Giants offensive line, but they were able to turn things around in the second half allowing just 28 yards on the ground as their whole defense tightened up and dictated the tempo to the Giants.

Seattle Seahawks 12 at St Louis Rams 23

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Seattle Seahawks

QB Matt Hasselbeck and RB Shaun Alexander collided on the first Seahawk play of the game. Hasselbeck suffered a charley horse on his leg and looked terrible for most of the game. He was horribly inaccurate. Most of his passes had little chance to be completed, but when he did make a nice throw he didn't get much help from his receivers. WR Darrell Jackson dropped a sure touchdown, and later he couldn't pull in a nicely thrown deep ball down the sideline.

LT Walter Jones and LG Steve Hutchinson opened enormous holes on the left side for RB Shaun Alexander. The pair of lineman on the left side in Seattle is making a strong claim as the best tandem in the NFL. Alexander had eight carries of 10+ yards. Alexander was often five or six yards passed the line of scrimmage before a defender was able to touch him. However, Alexander fumbled inside the 10-yard line after a 35-yard run late in the game that would have given Seattle a chance to tie up the game.

The Seattle pass rush was unable to put any pressure on QB Marc Bulger. Even when they started sending multiple extra defenders from various angles they weren't able to knock the Rams off stride. Bulger was able to stand tall in the pocket and deliver passes at a leisurely pace.

St. Louis Rams

The Rams began the game with thirteen consecutive pass plays (eleven completions). Bulger torched Seattle with seven first quarter completions of at least fifteen yards, mostly on deep in routes.

RB Marshall Faulk had only five carries at half time, but the Rams leaned on Faulk in the second half as they protected their lead and ran out the clock. Faulk ran hard with good shoulder lean impressing in short yardage situations. He also made several nice cuts into the hole causing a defender to miss while breaking off a few longer runs. Up until half time it appeared that Faulk and RB Stephen Jackson were going to share an equal number of carries, but Jackson was fully in a reserve position in the second half.

WR Torry Holt took a huge hit late in the first quarter from SS Terreal Bierria. Holt didn't return to the game, but was seen on the sideline laughing and joking with teammates shortly after the play. Head coach Mike Martz commented after the game that it was an obvious concussion. WR Kevin Curtis and WR Shaun McDonald both saw extensive playing time as the Rams remained in three receivers sets, but didn't see an increase in targets due to the game situation (17-0 lead).

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Seattle Seahawks

QB: Matt Hasselbeck (15-36-172 INT passing, 1-17 rushing) Hasselbeck was simply terrible for the bulk of this game. A large percent of his passes were uncatchable. Post game reports indicated that he suffered a charley horse on the first Seattle offensive play of the game when RB Shaun Alexander's knee hit his leg. Hasselbeck went down for a moment and came up slightly hobbled. It wasn't apparent during the game that the leg was bothering him, but he was uncharacteristically off target all game long. Hasselbeck did throw a few nice passes that weren't caught. He put a deep 40-yard pass down the left sideline right in WR Darrell Jackson's hands, but Jackson was unable to hold on as he was being hit. He also hit Jackson in the back of the end zone with a strike, but Jackson simply dropped the pass.

RB: Shaun Alexander (22-176 1 fumble lost rushing, 1-3 receiving on 3 targets) Alexander gained yards in huge chunks. Alexander hit the holes quickly and made excellent cuts in the open field. On his 35-yard gain he appeared to be toying with the DB in front of him causing the defender to change directions multiple times. On the negative side Alexander didn't secure the ball on that play. He allowed DB Aeneas Williams to sneak up from behind him and punch the ball out inside the 10-yard line.

Maurice Morris (2-3 rushing, 1-8 receiving on 2 targets) Morris returned from a concussion two weeks ago and returned punts, but not kickoffs. RB Kerry Carter handled that duty today. Morris only saw a few offensive plays in the game before getting a two passing targets in garbage time on Seattle's final possession.

Mack Strong (3-10 rushing, 1-7 receiving on 1 target) Strong got his customary few carries. He was unable to convert a 4th and 1 play near the Ram's 40-yard line. He didn't have much room to run. The Rams defensive front got a great push on the play.

WR: Darrell Jackson (3-33 receiving on 10 targets) Jackson failed to make big plays when he had the opportunities. He nearly pulled in a deep ball down the sideline, and dropped an easy touchdown while crossing the back of the end zone. He was the focus of the Seattle passing game for the first half, bud seemed to disappear in the third quarter for a bit as QB Matt Hasselbeck started to look more towards WR Koren Robinson.

Koren Robinson (2-50 receiving on 10 targets) Robinson had only two targets in the first half. Neither was a catchable pass. Robinson was open several times in the third quarter, but QB Matt Hasselbeck simply missed him. Robinson was gifted a 33-yard completion on the game's final play.

Bobby Engram (3-28 receiving on 3 targets) Engram started the game in the slot ahead of WR Jerry Rice. Engram returned to his customary role of third down specialist working the underneath and seam routes. He converted a big third and long play with a 22-yard reception leading to Seattle's first FG.

Jerry Rice: (1-9 receiving on 3 targets) Rice was targeted in the back of the end zone on a slant, but couldn't make a play on a pass that was too high. He only got one hand on the ball. His one reception came on 3rd and 10 setting up a 4th and 1 carry that FB Mack Strong couldn't convert.

TE: Jerramy Stevens (3-34 receiving on 5 targets) Stevens returned to the starting lineup this week. He was targeted at the goal line. The pass was terribly overthrown an intercepted. Stevens had consecutive 11-yard receptions just before half as Seattle was attempting to run a hurry-up offensive and get in field goal range. The Rams were conceding receptions in the center of the field to let the clock run.

Itula Mili (DNP) Mili did not play and was replaced by reserve TE Ryan Hannam. Hannam was targeted in the end zone on his only chance.

K: Josh Brown (0-0 XP, 4-4 FG 28 30 45 41) Brown was perfect in the game scoring all of Seattle's points.

Pass Defense: The Seahawks began the game in a straight vanilla 4-3 defense. They only rushed their four defensive linemen during the first two St. Louis possessions that both resulted in touchdowns. They started to blitz a few extra players as the game progressed, but it had little impact as the Rams kept extra players in to block (max protect using RBs and TEs). In the first half Seattle appeared to have no answer to the Rams deep in routes. SS Terreal Bierria did drop the hammer on WR Torry Holt on one play. It put Holt on the sideline for the duration of the game. However, WRs Isaac Bruce, Kevin Curtis, and Shaun McDonald all continued to run free through the Seattle secondary. Also of note, LB Chad Brown left the game with an injury and did not return. No further news of this injury was revealed as of this writing.

Rush Defense: DTs Cedric Woodard and Rashad Moore were able to standup the Rams center part of the offensive line, but the Seattle LBs did a terrible job of filling the holes and stuffing the point of attack. They allowed RB Marshall Faulk and RB Stephen Jackson to scoot through the holes and make a cut to gain extra yardage, including a several longer runs by Faulk.

St. Louis Rams

QB: Marc Bulger (23-34-262 TD, 2-1 rushing) Bulger was on fire early in the game. He hit ten of his first thirteen passes leading the Rams two consecutive touchdown drives. Bulger had lots of time to scan the field and deliver accurate tight spirals to receivers sprinting across the field. Bulger did a beautiful job of hitting his WRs in stride allowing them to run after the catch. Bulger didn't throw anything remotely close to in interception. His decision-making was outstanding.

RB: Marshall Faulk (18-139 1 fumble lost rushing, 5-21 receiving on 5 targets) At the start of the game it appeared that the Rams weren't going to give Faulk a carry. Their first thirteen plays were passes (two short completions to Faulk), and the first two carries after that went to RB Stephen Jackson. However, Faulk was the workhorse in the second half, even after he fumbled at the end of a 14-yard gain. The Rams continued to feed him the ball to their own benefit. Faulk ripped off a 40-yard gain breaking one down the right sideline setting up a Jeff Wilkins FG to put the game out of reach.

Stephen Jackson (10-47 TD rushing, 1-9 receiving on 2 targets) Jackson had the first two carries of the game for the Rams at the end of their second drive. The second carry went for a 4-yard touchdown. Jackson showed excellent power and agile feet in the hole. Jackson displayed excellent blocking skills when he stayed in the backfield on pass plays. On multiple plays he was able to single handedly take care of a blitzing LB. Jackson made a nice 9-yard run on a screen play that appeared to start out as a broken play. He turned it up field quickly and broke tackles.

WR: Tory Holt (2-32 receiving on 4 targets) Holt opened the game with a 15-yard reception across the middle. On his second target he was alone down the left sideline for a very long gain, but stepped out of bounds as he was catching the ball. He just seemed to lose concentration of where he was on the field. Holt had to leave the game after taking a crushing hit during the Rams' second possession. He was able to brace for the hit by ducking before SS Terreal Bierria laid him out, but the shot to the head resulted in a concussion. He was jovial and smiling as he left the field, but the Rams held him out for the remainder as a precaution.

Isaac Bruce (7-104 receiving on 9 targets) Bruce had an equal share of targets with WR Torry Holt before the concussion, but quickly became the main target with Holt on the sideline. Five of Bruce's seven receptions were identical plays. Fifteen yards straight up field, turn in and run parallel to the line of scrimmage, get hit in stride and turn it up field. His other targets were on quick hitch routes. He dropped one target that hit him square in the chest.

Kevin Curtis (3-39 TD receiving on 4 targets) Curtis pulled in the first Rams touchdown. He took a big hit from a Seattle DB and LB, but still held on. He caught the ball 1 yard deep in the endzone, but landed around the 2-yard line.

Shaun McDonald (1-21 receiving on 3 targets) McDonald made his only reception in the first quarter during the Rams' third possession after Holt was removed from the game. In the second quarter McDonald nearly made a sliding TD grab in the center of the endzone, but couldn't hold on. The play was reviewed upon request from the head coach Mike Martz, but the call on the field was upheld.

TE: Brandon Manumaleuna (1-6 receiving on 1 target) Cam Cleeland (1-15 receiving on 2 targets) Both Manumaleuna and Cleeland were afterthoughts in the Rams passing attack. Manumaleuna continues to start. Cleeland was used as the second TE.

K: Jeff Wilkins (2-2 XP, 3-3 FG 36 47 23) Wilkins was perfect in the game.

Pass Defense: DE Leonard Little was able to sack Hasselbeck once, but other than that, they weren't able to put many hits on Hasselbeck. Hasselbeck was able to stand and survey the field for extended periods of time on most plays. The defensive backfield wasn't able to hang with the Seattle WRs very well either, but an inaccurate Hasselbeck may have made them look better than they actually were today. The interception by CB Jerametrius Butler was more of an overthrown pass by Hasselbeck as well. Bottom line? Hasselbeck and Jackson sucked, and the Rams defense didn't have a ton to do with that.

Rush Defense: Seattle was able to push the St. Louis defensive line all over the place. They were able to stuff the run on only a few plays, but some were very key plays. They held on 4th and 1 in the third quarter at their own 40-yard line. DB Aeneas Williams made a fantastic hustle play in chasing down RB Shaun Alexander at the end of a long gain and punched the ball loose for a turnover.

Houston Texans 14 at Indianapolis Colts 49

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Houston Texans

Houston was entirely outmatched in what many predicted would be a close game. The Texans couldn't block, run, tackle, cover or even down a punt. Early in the game, with the Colts up 7-0 and driving, Houston started falling apart on defense. Houston allowed two third-down conversions, used all three time-outs, two on challenges that were upheld, and were drawn offside twice. It was all down hill from there. "It's hard for me to find any redeeming qualities in this football game," Houston coach Dom Capers said after the game. "You have no chance when you give up big plays on defense and turn the ball over on offense."

RB Dominic Davis seems to be the only bright spot on the team from the box score. The reality is that Davis was completely shut down, and didn't start to produce until the Colts allowed him to. With the Colts up 35-0, they softened up the short play defense, and concentrated on not allowing the Texans to go long to get back in the game. Surprisingly, the Texans just accepted what they were given, and stayed on the ground with Davis. After starting the game with no receptions and just 19 yards in the first half, Davis finished with almost 100-yards rushing, and over 50 yards receiving.

Indianapolis Colts

QB Peyton Manning dominated the play of the game. At the end of the 3rd quarter, Manning had 5 TDs, with only 6 incompletions. The Colts actually attempted to go to the ground game in the second half, however, James was shut down often putting the Colts in 3rd and long. Manning would then throw for a long gain. The Colts continued to score in the second half, but didn't take an offensive snap in Houston territory.

RB Edgerrin James didn't score as the Colts put up 49 points. That might lead to incorrect speculation that the Colts aren't giving James any opportunities. There was only two TDs in the entire game that James might have "lost". In the Colt's 3rd possession, James brought the ball in from the 14-yard line to 5. Manning then threw it to Wayne on back to back plays resulting in a TD. An incredible James run from the 29-yard line to the 1 set up the Colt's 3rd score. James reached out for the TD at the end of the run, but came up short. TE Dallas Clark pulled in the TD on the next play. Outside of those TDs, James either failed when given the opportunity, or the Colts scored from outside the red zone.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Houston Texans

QB: David Carr (22-41-215, 3 INTs, 3-10 rushing, 3 Fumbles) Carr struggled in the game, completing just over half of his passes, throwing 3 interceptions, and getting sacked 5 times. He finished the game with a passer rating of 38.2. The Colts defense played like Pro-Bowlers sacking Carr 5 times, shutting down almost everything Houston tried. Carr took an early beating that could have attributed to his poor play. Carr took a solid hit to the jaw from Dwight Freeney's helmet on the first play of the game. He was sacked by DE Robert Mathis on back-to-back plays during Houston's second possession.

RB: Dominic Davis (31-98, 2 TDs, 7-54 receiving, 7 targets) Statistically, it looks like Davis had a great game for the Texans. This is simply not the case. Davis was completely shut down in the first half. He averaged just 1.9 yards with 19 yards on 10 carries. He couldn't find room to run, and was stuffed on almost every attempt. Davis was also non-existent in the 1st half, as he didn't receive a single target. As they were extending their lead to 35-0, the Colts defense went to a scheme that was protecting against the big play, and started allowing the Texans to have the run and underneath passes. At that point, Davis started racking up garbage time stats and scores.

Jonathan Wells (2-10, 1 for -1 receiving, 1 target) Wells lost a 7-yard carry due to a holding call. He spelled Davis twice, and lost a yard on his only reception.

Moran Norris (1-4 receiving, 1 target) Norris was not a factor in the game as he was ineffective blocking, and caught on pass for 4 yards.

WR: Andre Johnson (6-59, 1-14 rushing, 10 targets) Johnson was the focal point of the offense that couldn't get going. After extending their lead to 35-0, the Colts started allowing short gains from the Texans. Surprisingly, the Texans accepted what they were given, and didn't make many attempts downfield to get back in the game. Johnson had a 25 yard reception, with everything else being short catches, and averaged less than 10 yards a reception.

Jabar Gaffney (3-41, 8 targets) Gaffney caught less than half of the balls thrown his way. Outside of a 22 yard reception, Gaffney didn't contribute much to the struggling team.

Corey Bradford (2-38, 4 targets) Bradford caught 2 passes for basically 20 yards apiece as the Texans deep threat.

Derick Armstrong (1-14, 3 targets) Armstrong caught one of the 3 balls thrown his way, and was not a factor in the game.

TE: Billy Miller (1-6, 4 targets) Like the rest of the passing game, Miller showed nothing on the game. He failed to catch 75% of the passes that came his way, and gained 6 yards on his single reception.

Mark Bruener (2 targets) Bruener was targeted twice on short passes, but failed to make a reception.

K: Kris Brown (2/2 XP, 0/1 FG)

Pass Defense: ROLB Kailee Wong (3 tackles) sacked Manning. LCB Aaron Glenn (1 tackle), and ROLB Antwan Peek (1 Tackle) each intercepted Manning. Outside of the two interceptions of Manning that came on 1st downs, the Texan pass defense was dominated in every way by the colts.

Rush Defense: RILB Jamie Sharper (7 tackles) lead the team in stops. The rush defense actually played well, stopping James rather consistently in the game. However, this lead to the Colts scoring at will in the air.

Indianapolis Colts

QB: Peyton Manning (18-27-320, 5 TDs, 2 INTs, Fumble) Manning was unstoppable. There is not much more that can be said about his play, it was incredible. He was in complete control of the game from the outset, and without trying to, ran up the score at will. With the Colts up 35-0, they attempted to go to the ground to run out the clock. The Texans played the run hard as they knew it was coming. On almost every series from that point on, Manning handed off to James on 1st and 2nd down, only to find himself passing for a big gain on 3rd and long. The Texans just didn't or couldn't stop the pass. As the Colts continued to score in the second half, it should be noted that they didn't take an offensive snap in Houston territory. Everything came from 50 yards or further out. There was one bush league play though when Manning aired it out for what would have been his 6th TD with 4:22 left in the game on 3rd and 1. With your team up 42-14, a long bomb that late is rubbing it in.

RB: Edgerrin James (20-86, 2-14 receiving, 2 targets) James ran well but was held in check by a Texans defense that unbelievably was geared to key on James, as the Colts passing attack scored at will. This was James' 4th game in a row without a score. The Colts didn't go out of their way to keep James from scoring, however, the Texans did. With the Colts up by 35 points, the Texans seemed to anticipate that James was going to get the ball as the Colts went to a clock burning attack. With that in mind, Houston played the run hard, stopping James, forcing the Colts to pass for big gains on 3rd down and long. The Colts never took an offensive snap on Houston territory in the entire second half.

WR: Marvin Harrison (2-22, 5 targets) Harrison only caught 2 of the 5 balls thrown his way. He was double teamed almost throughout the game. With the offense firing on all cylinders, Manning never had to force the ball to Harrison, taking what he was easily given. It resulted in a statically poor day for the Pro-Bowler.

Brandon Stokley (5-132, 2 TDs, 7 targets) With the Colts scoring so quickly at will, Stokley was extremely productive with only 5 receptions. Stokley worked primarily out of the left slot, with lots of slant patterns for great gains. Stokley could have had a 3rd TD as he was wide open in the back of the end zone waving his arm on the Wayne TD.

Reggie Wayne (4-33, TD, 6 targets) Wayne and Stokely were the focal points of the offense in the 1st half. As the Texans worked to take Harrison way, Wayne enjoyed 5 of his 6 targets and a TD in the first half. Wayne was not looked to much in the second half, and was only targeted once.

Aaron Moorehead (1 Target) Moorehead caught a 34 yard reception that was Nullified due to a unnecessary roughness penalty on the play.

TE: Dallas Clark (3-102, 2 TDs, 3 targets) Clark scored on a 1 yard reception in the first half, with two long receptions in the second as Houston was stopping the run, but allowing the long pass.

Marcus Pollard (2-17, 5 targets) Pollard had a 19-yard reception called back on a holding penalty.

K: Mike Vanderjagt (7/7 XP, 0/1 FG)

Pass Defense: DE Robert Mathis (5 tackles) forced three fumbles, and sacked Carr 3 times. LDE Raheem Brock (6 tackles, 2 assists), and LDE Josh Thomas each added another sack on Carr. The Colts pass defense was dominating, shutting Carr down, and stopping the Texans at will.

Rush Defense: ROLB Cato June (11 tackles, 2 assists) lead the team in stops. The Rush defense completely controlled Davis in the first half, but allowed him to put up great garbage time stats in the second half as they were concentrating on the long ball.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14 at Atlanta Falcons 24

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers came into Atlanta looking to continue their streak of 4 straight wins at the Georgia Dome and to keep their playoff hopes alive. Playing in front of a raucous crowd and against a tenacious Falcons' defense, the Buccaneers' offense struggled as they were called for 5 false start penalties, two holding penalties, and allowed 7 sacks.

Finding themselves down 17-0, Tampa Bay rallied with a 25-yard TD pass from QB Brian Griese to Michael Clayton, midway through the second quarter. Early in the third quarter, Griese capitalized on a Michael Vick interception, hitting Ken Dilger for a 22-yard TD strike. Trailing 17-14 early in the fourth quarter, the Buccaneers opted to go for it on fourth-and-1 rather than try a game tying 46-yard field goal. Michael Pittman was stuffed for a two-yard loss and Tampa Bay never threatened again.

RB Michael Pittman found it tough going against the Falcons' defense and was kept in check, rushing for 62 hard fought yards on 20 carries. Pittman added 4 catches for 16 yards out of the backfield.

WR Michael Clayton was the only Tampa Bay wide receiver to have more than one catch and was clearly Griese's favorite target. Clayton caught everything thrown his way, totaling 6 receptions for 90 yards and a 25-yard TD catch.

TE Ken Dilger continues to be a threat in the Buccaneers' passing attack with Griese at the helm. Dilger amassed 5 catches for 51 yards on 5 targets and a 22-yard TD reception.

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons' offense came out firing on all cylinders and scored on their first three possessions of the game. Kicker Jay Feely opened up the scoring with a 33-yard field goal and running back T.J. Duckett added 2 short TD runs. However, the Tampa Bay defense stiffened and next 6 drives by the Falcons ended with 5 punts and an interception. Energized by the Falcons' defensive stop of the Buccaneers on fourth down, Vick hit a streaking Alge Crumpler down the middle of the field for a 49-yard TD strike for the decisive score.

RB Warrick Dunn ran well early and finished the first half with 59 yards on 12 carries. Dunn was held in check the second half and finished with 17 carries for 76 yards. T.J. Duckett got the goal-line touches and delivered with 2 touchdowns in the first half. Duckett received most of his touches in the fourth quarter and finished the game with 53 yards on 12 carries and 2 TDs.

TE Alge Crumpler accounted for 118 of Vick's 146 yards passing and went over the 100 yard receiving mark for the first time in his career. Crumpler finished with 4 catches for 118 yards on 5 targets, including a 49-yard TD reception to secure the victory.

The Atlanta defense used the blitz effectively and battered QB Brian Griese. They recorded 7 sacks and 1 interception, while holding the Buccaneers offense to just 193 total net yards. LB Chris Draft had an apparent 72-yard fumble recovery called back when the officials ruled that Pittman's forward progress had been stopped.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

QB: Brian Griese (19-26-174, 2 TD, 1 Int, 1-1 rushing) played remarkably well despite being under constant pressure from the Falcons' defense. With little time to throw, Griese was forced into a short passing game and relied heavy on his TE Dilger and dump offs to his running backs. On his TD passes to Clayton and Dilger, Griese was given time to throw and found his receivers wide open and both strolled into the end zone untouched. Griese was sacked 6 times in the second half and his interception late in the game was caused by another strong rush. On the play, Griese bailed out and threw the ball up for grabs. When given time to throw, Griese was able to hit open receivers, but those opportunities were very few and far between.

RB: Michael Pittman (20-62 rushing, 4-16 receiving on 6 targets) ran hard, but was gang tackled by the Atlanta defense and had few holes to run through. Pittman definitely missed the lead blocking of his FB Mike Alstott, who is sidelined with a shoulder injury. Pittman's longest run of 10 yards came midway through the second quarter and was good for a third down conversion.

Earnest Graham (1-2 rushing) received his only touch of the game early in the fourth quarter and was not a factor.

FB Jameel Cook (2-10 receiving on 3 targets) had both his catches in the third quarter on dump offs from Griese.

WR: Michael Clayton (6-90 receiving on 6 targets, 1 TD, 1-3 rushing) continues to have an excellent rookie campaign and hauled in everything thrown his way. Clayton had his first catch for 6 yards and followed that up with an end around for 3 more yards, early in the second quarter. Clayton put the Buccaneers on the scoreboard later in that drive with a 25-yard TD catch after his defender CB DeAngelo Hall slipped and fell down. Clayton had a balanced game compiling 3 catches for 45 yards in both the first and second half.

Joey Galloway (1-4 receiving on 4 targets) Galloway is being slowly worked back into the offense after returning from his injury. Galloway was on punt return duty and had his only catch for 4 yards on the Buccaneers last drive of the game. Galloway was the intended target on Griese's interception.

Joe Jurevicius (1-3 receiving on 2 targets) caught his only pass for 3 yards, early in the fourth quarter.

TE: Ken Dilger (5-51 receiving on 5 targets, 1 TD) and Griese have developed an excellent rapport with each other and Griese looked for Dilger when he needed a big play. Griese found Dilger wide open for a 22-yard TD reception early in the third quarter. Dilger had a 6-yard catch for a third down conversion nullified by an offensive holding penalty, late in the third quarter.

K: Martin Gramatica (2-2 XP) is still bothered by a right hip flexor and it may have been one of the reasons the Buccaneers decided to go for it on fourth-and-one, rather than attempt a game tying 46-yard field goal.

Pass Defense: The Tampa Bay pass defense was able to apply good pressure on Vick and sacked him 4 times. CB Ronde Barber's interception helped set up the Buccaneers' second TD. They held Vick to just 147 yards passing, but TE Alge Crumpler torched the secondary for two huge pass plays down the middle of the field and a total of 118 yards receiving. The defense was hurt by the absence of DT Anthony McFarland who was sidelined by a triceps injury.

Rush Defense: The Buccaneers' rush defense was lousy giving up 205 yards rushing to the Falcons. Vick broke off a big 41-yard run midway through the first quarter and Duckett lumbered up the middle for a huge 21-yard run, early in the fourth quarter.

Atlanta Falcons

QB: Michael Vick (8-16-147, 1 TD, 1 Int, 9-73 rushing) used his quick feet and scrambling ability to find space on the outside edges. Vick had trouble connecting with his wide receivers, but was on target to his big TE Crumpler. Vick's first completion of the game was a beautiful throw to Crumpler for 45 yards. Vick hit Crumpler again early in the fourth quarter for a perfect 49-yard TD strike to put the game out of reach. Vick showcased his running ability midway through the first quarter, when he ran a QB draw and sprinted 41 yards down to the Tampa Bay 6. Had he not stumbled at the 10-yard line, Vick would have probably taken it into the end zone. Midway through the fourth quarter, Vick missed an opportunity for a second TD when he badly overthrew a wide-open Peerless Price who was streaking down the middle of the field. To his credit, the pass traveled at least 65 yards in the air.

RB: Warrick Dunn (17-76 rushing, 1-5 receiving on 1 target) hit the holes quickly and was very effective running in the first half. On Atlanta's third drive on the game, Dunn had back-to-back runs of 11 and 13 yards and accounted for 33 yards on 4 carries in the drive. The Buccaneers defense tightened in the second half and Dunn managed just 17 yards on 5 carries and gave way to the bigger back Duckett.

T.J. Duckett (12-53 rushing, 2 TD) got the ball on the goal-line carries and produced two short TD runs from 1 and 2 yards. On the second 2-yard TD run, Duckett ran through two Buccaneers' defenders on his way to the end zone. Duckett set up the last Falcons' TD early in the fourth quarter when he exploded up the middle for a 21-yard gain. Duckett was in the game late using his power running style to help run out the clock. He had 46 yards rushing on 8 carries in the second half.

FB Justin Griffith (1-3 rushing) had just one carry for 3 yards on the Falcons' opening drive of the game. Usually Vick looks for Griffith for the dump off when he runs the bootleg, but Vick chose to take matters into his own hands as he scrambled quite often.

WR: Peerless Price (2-20 receiving on 5 targets) had just two catches for 20 yards, but he was one good throw away from having a big day. Midway through the fourth quarter, Price had beaten the Tampa Bay secondary and was running wide open deep down the middle of the field. Vick rifled the ball 65 yards through the air, overshooting Price badly and missing out on a probable 68-yard TD reception. Price was also the intended target on Vick's only interception, early in the third quarter.

Dez White (1-4 receiving on 3 targets) had his only reception for 4 yards on the opening drive of the game. Early in the third quarter, White was open across the middle, but Vick badly under threw the pass.

Michael Jenkins (1 target) did not have a catch, but he was targeted by Vick in the end zone on a fade route and drew a pass interference penalty. Late in the first half, Jenkins found himself wide open downfield and he dropped a perfectly thrown pass from Vick. There was an offensive holding penalty on the play, so the play would not have counted if Jenkins had made the catch.

TE: Alge Crumpler (4-118 receiving on 5 targets, 1 TD) used his deceptive speed to burn the Buccaneers' linebackers all game long. On the fourth play of the game, Crumpler's first catch went for 45 yards. Crumpler had his longest reception of the year when Vick hit him in stride down the middle for a 49-yard TD strike, early in the fourth quarter. Crumpler added a nice 15-yard reception late in the game for a third down conversion. His 118 yards receiving was a career best for Crumpler and the first time he had eclipsed 100 yards in a game.

Dwayne Blakley (1 target) received his only target late in the game and was not a factor.

K: Jay Feely (3-3 XP, 1-1 FG) converted on his only field goal attempt from 33 yards for the first score of the game.

Pass Defense: The Falcons pass defense was bolstered by the return of DT Rod Coleman to the lineup after a three game hiatus due to injury. In the first 5 games of the season with Coleman playing, the Atlanta defense had recorded 19 sacks and 12 takeaways. In his three game absence, the defense was only able to manage 1 sack and 4 takeaways. Coleman recorded 2 of the 7 sacks on Griese and was a disruptive force in the backfield all game long. The Falcons blitzed early and often and battered Griese for four quarters. Atlanta recorded 6 of their 7 sacks in the second half and CB Allen Rossum intercepted a Griese pass late in the game.
The pass defense allowed a minute 125 net yards passing for the game.

Rush Defense: The Falcons rush defense was tremendous holding Tampa Bay to just 68 yards on the ground and allowing a miserly 2.96-yard per carry average for the game. With no threat from the Tampa Bay rushing attack, the Falcons' pass rush came hard and heavy. The defense took over the game in the second half and was a big factor in the victory.

Kansas City Chiefs 20 at New Orleans Saints 27

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Kansas City Chiefs

RB Derrick Blaylock (33-186 rushing 1 TD, 3-38 receiving on 6 targets) had a monster day filling in for the injured Priest Holmes. Assisted by a powerful offensive line and FB Tony Richardson, Blaylock had over 100 rushing yards by halftime, and walked into the end zone untouched for a 3-yard TD run in the second half.

QB Trent Green (22-33-311 passing, 1 TD, 2 INT) had another 300-yard game, but two big miscues thwarted a late Kansas City rally. Green threw an interception and lost a fumble in last 1:16, costing the Chiefs a chance to tie the game late in the fourth quarter.

WR Eddie Kennison (1-0 rushing, 7-121 receiving on 8 targets, 1 TD) took all seven of his receptions for either a first down or a score. While Kennison did not rack up many yards after the catch, he was effective 10-15 yards downfield, and proved to be a reliable option when Tony Gonzalez got extra attention from the defense.

TE Tony Gonzalez (6-71 receiving on 9 targets) struggled through the first three quarters as a receiver (he was excellent as a run blocker), but grabbed four catches in the fourth quarter to set up one TD, and give the Chiefs a chance to tie the game in the last two minutes.

New Orleans Saints

Deuce McAllister (16-127 rushing, 1 TD, 0-0 receiving on 0 targets) had six runs of at least ten yards, including a 13-yard TD run in the second quarter. The most effective deterrent to his running was the Saints' game plan, who only gave him 16 carries, no targets in the passing game, and called a QB sneak when they reached the 1-yard line at the end of the first quarter.

Joe Horn (5-167 receiving on 8 targets, 1 TD) was an effective deep threat, catching three bombs for at least 40 yards apiece, including a 42-yarder for the game-winning TD.

QB Aaron Brooks (15-27-259 passing, 1 TD, 1 INT, 4-1 rushing 1 TD) could have easily thrown for over 300 yards with a little more accuracy on his throws. While he did get a lot of pressure from the Chiefs pass rush and blitzed, Brooks missed several open receivers with poor throws. He saved his numbers with three bombs to Horn, and a QB sneak for a TD run.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Kansas City Chiefs

QB: Trent Green (22-33-311 passing, 1 TD, 2 INT, 1-13 rushing) logged his third straight 300-yard game. Green frequently had open receivers, and completed a lot of passes 10-15 yards downfield. Green's TD was on a post pattern to Eddie Kennison, threading the ball between the safeties for a 21-yard score. One of Green's INTs was not his fault - Johnnie Morton fell down while the ball was in the air.

RB: Derrick Blaylock (33-186 rushing 1 TD, 3-38 receiving on 6 targets) got the ball early and often, and with good reason and success. The Kansas City offensive line had little trouble pushing the New Orleans DL backwards and opening holes for Blaylock, and he took advantage, hitting holes to all fields, and rarely being hit at the line of scrimmage. Blaylock's TD was a 3-yarder off right guard - a big hole opened up, and Blaylock walked in untouched. Blaylock had a near-TD in the first quarter called back on a holding penalty, wiping out a 12-yard gain.

Tony Richardson (1-1 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 0 targets) was a big part of the run blocking success, but hardly ever saw the ball. He got one carry when Blaylock went to the bench briefly after carrying the ball on four straight plays.

Larry Johnson was dressed for the game, but did not play.

Priest Holmes was injured and did not dress for the game.

WR: Eddie Kennison (1-0 rushing, 7-121 receiving on 8 targets, 1 TD) was the most effective and productive Chiefs receiver. Kennison scored the opening TD, catching a 21-yard TD in the end zone at the end of a post pattern. All seven of Kennison's catches resulted in either a first down or a TD. He did not gain much yardage after the catch, mostly finding a soft spot in the zone 10-15 yards downfield, and spotting up for the ball.

Johnnie Morton (4-59 receiving on 6 targets) had his streak of games with a TD catch (and subsequent worm dance) snapped, and was largely responsible for two turnovers. Morton got stripped from behind for a lost fumble at the end of a 15-yard gain in the first quarter, and fell down making a cut with the ball in the air, allowing CB Mike McKenzie to make an easy interception in the third.

Dante Hall (1-11 receiving on 2 targets) was not a factor in the passing game, but he returned the opening kickoff 63 yards to give the Chiefs great field position for their first TD.

TE: Tony Gonzalez (6-71 receiving on 9 targets) drew a lot of attention in the passing game, but eventually broke free enough to make six catches, four in the fourth quarter. Gonzalez had yet another great day run blocking. Though he did not score, Gonzalez was targeted twice in the red zone, and Green usually looked for him first on third down and red zone pass plays.

Jason Dunn (1-11 receiving on 3 targets) played a lot in 2-TE sets and when the Chiefs split Gonzalez wide. His main role was as a blocker, but he caught a 11-yard pass on the opening drive.

K: Lawrence Tynes made both of his FGs (24 and 44 yards) both PATs he attempted.

Pass Defense: gave Brooks fits with the pass rush, but gave up three big gains to Horn, and left too many receivers open. The linebackers and secondary got bailed out a few times by bad passes.

Rush Defense: had a lot of trouble slowing down McAllister, giving up six double-digit gains on the ground. They struggled when New Orleans spread the field with 3 WRs to open the box for running plays.

New Orleans Saints

QB: Aaron Brooks (15-27-259 passing, 1 TD, 1 INT, 4-1 rushing 1 TD) was erratic overall, and his passing numbers were saved by three deep completions to Joe Horn. Brooks was sacked once, and had trouble throwing accurate passes when under pressure. The Chiefs blitzed often, and a common result was Brooks finding an open receiver and missing him with the pass. Brooks' TD pass was the game-winning score, a 42-yard post pattern to Joe Horn caught just short of the goal line. Brooks also scored a rushing TD, a 1-yard QB sneak that never had any doubt.

RB: Deuce McAllister (16-127 rushing, 1 TD, 0-0 receiving on 0 targets) had a great day despite not being used much in the first half, and not getting involved in the passing game at all. McAllister had little trouble bursting through holes and picking up big yards; 6 of his 16 carries went for at least 10 yards. McAllister's TD came in the 2nd quarter - he took a pitchout left, slipped through a hole, and burst to the end zone untouched.

Aaron Stecker (2-0 rushing, 1-2 receiving on 2 targets) got most of his touches during one drive, spelling McAllister after he carried the ball five times in six plays. He was not able to gain yards, , even coming in fresh against a tired defense.

Mike Karney (0-0 rushing, 1-17 receiving on 1 target) saw most of his action as blocker, but nearly scored on the last play of the first quarter. Karney caught as pass up the right side with room to run, but was tripped up just short of the goal line, setting up Brooks' TD sneak.

WR: Joe Horn (5-167 receiving on 8 targets, 1 TD) was the busiest and most productive Saints receiver, pulling in three receptions of at last 40 yards. Horn's first catch was a 57-yard post pattern (opened up by a great play fake by Brooks) that set up a TD. Horn converted another long post pattern for the game-winning TD, a 42-yarder out of the slot. Horn was hit near the goal line, and replays showed Horn may have hit the ground on the 1, but the play was ruled a TD and was not challenged. Brooks' interception was intended for Horn, but it was a poorly-thrown ball that sailed way out of Horn's reach.

Jerome Pathon (2-33 receiving on 4 targets) did not distinguish himself today. He was not targeted in the red zone, or on any third downs.

Donte Stallworth (1-6 rushing, 3-11 receiving on 5 targets) was used primarily on short hitch patterns on along the sidelines, rarely getting downfield. He drew an illegal use of the hands penalty on one of his uncaught targets to gain a first down.

TE: Boo Williams (3-29 receiving on 8 targets) was usually Brooks' dump-off target when the Chiefs' pass rush broke through. Since Brooks was having accuracy problems when under pressure, several balls thrown Williams's way were not catchable.

K: John Carney made all his kicks - 2 FGs (39 and 38 yards), a 3 PATs.

Pass Defense: produced two sacks and intercepted two passes, but was porous overall. Chiefs receivers had little trouble finding open seams in the zone defense. One INT happened because Johnnie Morton fell down while the ball was in the air, and the other was a ball thrown wild and high, off Derrick Blaylock's hands and into Orlando Ruff's.

Rush Defense: gave up 200 yards, 186 of them to backup RB Derrick Blaylock. The defensive line got overpowered all day, giving up big holes to all fields.

Minnesota Vikings 31 at Green Bay Packers 34

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Minnesota Vikings

QB Daunte Culpepper led a furious two-touchdown rally late in the 4th quarter to tie the Green Bay Packers at 31-31, but left Green Bay with more than a minute on the clock. The second score came so quickly that it left plenty of time for the Packers to drive for the winning field goal as time expired, the Vikings 2nd such loss in their last two games. Culpepper threw for 363 yards and four touchdowns on the game, without turning the ball over, and easily picked apart the Packers secondary in the 4th quarter.

WR Nate Burleson caught 11 passes for 144 yards and repeatedly got open in the second half against Packers rookie CB Ahmad Carroll. He particularly abused Carroll on the final two drives, catching six passes for 101 yards on nine targets. Burleson also carried the ball on an end around for 11 yards, giving the Vikings an early 3rd-down conversion, the only conversion they had all day on the ground. WR Marcus Robinson had a tougher day against CB Al Harris, catching just two passes against Harris' blanket coverage.

Trailing early, Minnesota nearly abandoned the run. RBs Michael Bennett and Onterrio Smith shared the Vikings lead, each with just 21 yards on five carries.

TE Jermaine Wiggins factored largely in this game, catching six passes for 94 yards and a score. The touchdown was a 13-yard catch in the 1st quarter, and tied the score at 7-7.

Following Minnesota's tying score with 1:20 left in the game, Minnesota thought they had recovered a fumble after CB Antoine Winfield knocked the ball loose from Green Bay's Robert Ferguson near midfield. The officials ruled that Green Bay's Ben Steele recovered the ball, not Minnesota's Derek Ross, as it initially appeared. From there Green Bay easily moved into range for PK Ryan Longwell's 33-yard field goal as time expired.

Green Bay Packers

QB Brett Favre led the Green Bay Packers on his 31st game winning drive of his career, setting up Ryan Longwell's field goal, as the Packers completed their ascent from a 1-4 start to the season to a 5-4 record and a spot atop the NFC North standings. Favre threw for 236 yards and four touchdowns, without a turnover. It was the 18th time Favre has thrown for four touchdowns or more, 2nd only to Dan Marino in NFL history. On the way, he hooked up with nine different receivers, including four different players for touchdowns. His biggest throw came two plays into the game winning drive, when he connected with RB Tony Fisher for 25 yards, a perfect pass and catch down the right sideline to the Vikings 29-yard line.

RB Ahman Green was dominant, despite leaving the game for the Packers final series of the first half with an injured kneecap. He resumed his spot in the second half and finished the game with 145 yards on 21 carries. Before he left the game in the 2nd quarter, Green had back-to-back carries of 35 and 17 yards, setting up a Favre touchdown pass on the next play.

WR Javon Walker got the Packers off to a quick start with his incredible 50-yard touchdown catch on the Packers opening drive. Favre threw the ball up for grabs on the play, but Walker went up to take the ball away from CB Brian Williams. He then cut left and ran through Williams and another defender to the end zone. Other than that, it was quiet game for Walker, who was tightly covered by Williams all game long.

RB Tony Fisher got some extra time with Green out in the 2nd quarter and with backup Najeh Davenport also out for most of the game with a hamstring injury. He made the most of it, running for 31 yards and catching for 36 yards. Along with the huge leaping catch during the Packers game winning drive, Fisher also was credited with a touchdown catch on a shovel pass from Brett Favre.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Minnesota Vikings

QB: Daunte Culpepper (27-44-363, 4 TD, 3-19 rushing) played a very poised game, particularly in the second half, in leading the Vikings back from a two-touchdown deficit. Without injured WR Randy Moss, his top target was Nate Burleson with 15 chances. Culpepper threw to him nine times in the final two drives, completing six. In the 1st quarter, Culpepper threw a perfect strike to Jermaine Wiggins to get the Vikings on the board. Later, he threw touchdown passes to Burleson, and then RBs Onterrio Smith and Moe Williams, the former on a shovel pass. Culpepper was held in check running the ball, although his 9-yard scramble in the 1st quarter did lead to the Vikings first score.

RB: Onterrio Smith (5-21 rushing, 2-13 receiving, 1 TD, on 3 targets) found little running room and the Vikings never made a consistent attempt to get him going. He did score on a shovel pass, cutting the Packers lead to 31-24 in the 4th quarter.

Moe Williams (1-(-3) rushing, 4-57 receiving, 1 TD, on 4 targets) only got one carry, but played a large role in the passing game, particularly on 3rd down, where he received three of his four targets. The other target came in the 4th quarter and tied the game at 31-31 when Williams caught a pass in the right flat at the Packers 15-yard line and bowled over Green Bay's Bhawoh Jue at the 3-yard line on the way to the end zone.

WR: Nate Burleson (11-141 receiving on 15 targets, 1 TD, 1-11 rushing) was unstoppable on the Vikings final two drives, catching 6 passes for 101 yards. On the Vikings next to last drive, Burleson received targets on eight of 13 plays in one stretch. His 40-yard catch, wide open over the middle, set up the Vikings tying score. Burleson also caught an 8-yard strike from Culpepper in the 3rd quarter, the lone score of that quarter for either team, on a nice pass from Culpepper.

Marcus Robinson (2-39 receiving on 9 targets) struggled to get any daylight against Al Harris, but did convert both his catches into 3rd down conversions. The first one came on a 3rd and 17, and went for 22 yards, setting up Minnesota's first touchdown. The second came on 3rd and 10, and went for 17 yards. That one set up the score that cut Green Bay's lead to 31-24.

TE: Jermaine Wiggins (6-94 receiving on 7 targets, 1 TD) was a big factor in the first half. He was able to get open with regularity. One play where he was not open was his touchdown, a perfect pass right by Green Bay's Hannibal Navies for a score.

K: Morten Andersen (4 XP, 1-1 FG) made a 21-yard field goal in the first half.

Pass Defense: Minnesota never stopped Green Bay's passing game. Favre was not sacked and rarely pressured. CB Brian Russell led the team with eight tackles, and did a solid job on Javon Walker, who entered the game as the NFL's top receiver in terms of yardage.

Rush Defense: The Vikings run defense allowed 5.9 yards per carry, but did stop Green Bay on two drives when the Packers were attempting to run the clock out. They also stopped Green Bay on a 4th and 1 play, which prevented Green Bay from adding to a 14-point lead. DE Kenny Mixon had six tackles.

Green Bay Packers

QB: Brett Favre (20-29-236, 4 TD) had plenty of time to throw and picked apart the Vikings defense most of the day. It is a credit to his receivers that he completed such a high percentage of his passes with the amount of deep balls he throws. Javon Walker helped him out big-time, answering a prayer on the Packers first drive, an ill-advised pass down the right sideline. Later passes to Bubba Franks for a touchdown, and to Tony Fisher to set up the winning field goal were much more accurate. Favre spread the ball out, utilizing 9 different receivers, as none were able to get open consistently, but one usually did on each play.

RB: Ahman Green (21-115 rushing, 2-7 receiving on 4 targets) ran hard, despite an injured kneecap that took him out of the game late in the first half. He ran for 35 yards on a nice patient run down the left sideline, then went for 17 on the next play on a toss to the left. Green no longer is a major factor in the passing game. He dropped a ball at the Vikings 2-yard line, and failed to get the necessary yardage on a third down reception later in the game.

Tony Fisher (8-31 rushing, 3-36 receiving on 3 targets, 1 TD) came up big when the Packers needed him to. He racked up 43 yards on the final drive of the first half, setting up a Longwell field goal. Earlier, he scored on a 2-yard shovel pass, when he fumbled before crossing the goal line, but recovered it in the end zone. His 25-yard catch high in the air over DB Corey Chavous on the Packers final drive was a thing of beauty, and put the Packers in field goal range.

WR: Javon Walker (3-74 receiving on 7 targets, 1 TD) struggled to get open against Brian Williams, but showed again his ability to make plays out of nothing when he went up in front of Williams to haul in Favre's pass in the first quarter. He then had the ability to stay on his feet and run through two defenders into the end zone. Walker made a 12-yard reception in the 3rd quarter, fighting hard for about 5 extra yards after the catch, but the drive stalled on 4th down at the Vikings 15-yard line.

Donald Driver (3-28 receiving on 3 targets, 1-14 rushing, 1 Fumble Lost) gave the Vikings life with his fumble on a 14-yard end-around, when Corey Chavous knocked the ball loose at the end of the play. With the Packers leading by 14 and the Packers showing no signs of being stopped, the play turned the game around for Minnesota. Driver's longest reception was 14 yards as well.

TE: Bubba Franks (2-24 receiving on 2 targets) caught a nice pass from Favre in the left corner of the end zone, giving Green Bay a 21-10 lead in the 2nd quarter. He also caught a 7-yard pass on the Packers final drive.

K: Ryan Longwell (4 XP, 2-2 FG) has been money all year long and proved it again with field goals as time expired in each half.

Pass Defense: Ahmad Carroll got abused, while Al Harris played well. S Darren Shaper was not at his best in his return, failing to get in position on a handful of passes over the middle. Green Bay had four sacks, including two by Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila on back-to-back plays.

Rush Defense: Green Bay's early leads and success against the run helped dissuade the Vikings from ever trying to move the ball on the ground. Bhawoh Jue led the Packers with 9 tackles.

Chicago Bears 19 at Tennessee Titans 17 (OT)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Chicago Bears

In a game highlighted by defense and special teams, the Bears won in dramatic fashion in overtime. The Bears' DE Alex Brown sacked Titans QB Volek in the end zone causing a fumble, the ball was recovered by OT Miller in the end zone but Miller was tackled for the safety. This was only the second game in NFL history to end in overtime on a safety; the last time was in 1989. The Bears defense also came up big just before halftime as DE Michael Haynes intercepted QB Volek's swing pass attempt and rumbled 45 yards for a touchdown, shocking the Tennessee fans and Coach Fisher. The Bears special teams also contributed to the victory as R.W. McQuarters returned a punt 75-yards for a score in the third quarter. On his very next punt return attempt McQuarters ran this one back for an 85-yard touchdown but the play was called back due to illegal block against Chicago that was well behind the play. The Bears special teams combined for over 200 yards in punt returns and kickoff returns.

Anthony Thomas had a decent game playing for the injured and inactive Thomas Jones. Thomas rushed for 72 yards, most of them in the second half but was unable to score a touchdown.

Rookie QB Craig Krenzel ran his record as the Bears starter to 3-0 but again was not impressive. Krenzel completed 10 passes on 28 attempts, had two interceptions and two fumbles. Krenzel was unable to move the Bears offense for most of the contest but he managed to lead the team on a 65-yard drive in the fourth quarter that resulted in a field goal to put the game into overtime.

The Bears offense had a dismal first half against the Titans defense and managed just 38 total yards of offense on 31 plays from scrimmage. They failed to convert on a Titans' turnover deep in Tennessee territory into any points as K Paul Edinger missed a field goal. Krenzel and the Bears' offense had (-8) net passing yards in the first half and two turnovers but went to the locker room with the game tied at 7-7.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans QB Billy Volek had a very impressive game statistically compared to the counterpart for the Bears but Volek came away with the loss. Volek completed 27 passes on 44 attempts for 334 yards in the game and two touchdowns and one costly interception that was returned for a touchdown for Chicago. Volek also had a fumble in the end zone in overtime that resulted in a safety and a Titans loss. Volek's two touchdown passes were to Derrick Mason for 29 yards and Drew Bennett for 47 yards.

Chris Brown started off the game running hard and making cuts inside and outside while carrying the ball nine times in the first quarter alone. Brown's turf toe injury initially didn't appear to be a problem and it looked like he was on his way to another 100-yard game. However, after Brown fumbled on back-to-back Titan possessions in the second quarter, he seemed to lose his confidence and became far less aggressive running the ball for the remainder of the game. Coach Jeff Fisher said after the game that the toe was still a problem for Brown and may have contributed to his play.

Drew Bennett was the offensive highlight for the Titans in the game catching 6 passes for 148 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that put the Titans ahead. Bennett had four catches on the day for 20 or more yards and got plenty of looks from Volek throughout the entire game.

On the defensive side of the ball for the Titans, DE Kevin Carter had an outstanding performance collecting 11 tackles, including 7 solos, recorded three sacks and forced a fumble in the game. Also have a nice game for the Titans defense was OLB Keith Bullock who had 13 tackles in the game and recorded a half sack.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Chicago Bears

QB: Craig Krenzel (10-28-116, 2 Int's, 1-9 rushing, 1 Fumble Lost) The good news for Chicago fans is that rookie Craig Krenzel is 3-0 as a starter which is something that previous starter Jonathan Quinn was unable to achieve, the downside is how long can the Bears continue to win with Krenzel putting up these types of numbers? With RB Thomas having a tough time gaining yards in the first half, Krenzel was asked to move the team through the air which his was not able to accomplish. Krenzel threw for a mere 19 yards in the first half on 5 completions and was consistently missing his targets downfield. The bright spot in the game for Krenzel fans was late in the fourth quarter when he was successful in moving the team down the field for a field goal to tie the game at 17-17. On the drive, Krenzel was 4 of 7 for 65 yards including two passes over 20 yards.

RB: Anthony Thomas (29-79 rushing, 3-10 receiving on 6 targets) Anthony Thomas had a long day against the Titans defense and found positive yardage tough to come by in the first half of the game. Thomas continued to run hard and aggressive in the second half of the game and found some success running outside against the Tennessee defense.

Thomas Jones was inactive for this game due to a turf toe injury.

WR: Bobby Wade (4-63 receiving on 6 targets, 3-21 rushing) Wade received several looks from QB Krenzel in the game and had a key 22-yard reception in the fourth quarter that put the Bears in field goal position to tie the game. In addition to the 22-yard catch, Wade also took a pass from Krenzel, made three defenders miss then was pushed out of bounds after gaining 32 yards on the play. Wade contributed 21 yards rushing on three end-around plays for the Bears.

David Terrell (1-11 receiving on 6 targets) Terrell had a terrible game for the Bears and did nothing to help his Krenzel's statistics dropping three of his six targets. Terrell's one catch in the game did happen to be a key one for the Bears. After the two-minute warning the Bears had a fourth and two and Terrell caught the 11-yard pass from Krenzel to keep the drive alive.

Bernard Berrian (1-8 receiving on 3 targets, 1-(-1) rushing) Berrian was not a factor in the game and had his only reception of the game in the fourth quarter. Berrian had one of his targets sail over his head right into the arms of a Tennessee defender.

TE: Desmond Clark (1-24 receiving on 3 targets) Desmond Clark caught his only pass of the game in the fourth quarter on the first play of the Bears' possession that tied the game. One of the targets intended for Clark was intercepted by Tennessee.

K: Paul Edinger (2-2 XP, 1-2 FG) Edinger made both of his extra points in the contest. He split the uprights on a 29-yard field goal attempt to tie the game late in the fourth quarter to force an overtime period. Edinger missed wide left on a 39-yard attempt in the second quarter.

Pass Defense: Although the Bears pass defense did give up over 300 yards passing to Titans QB Volek, including two touchdown passes they still managed to come up big when they needed a stop or turnover. The one interception the Bears had was huge, as DE Michael Haynes turned the crowd silent as he ran 45 yards for a touchdown. LB Brian Urlacher had an interception of Volek in the fourth quarter deep in Chicago territory but the referees' on the field ruled an incompletion, the play was not reviewed but the instant replay did appear to show that Urlacher had control and should have had an interception.

Rush Defense: The Bears rush defense tightened it's grip on the Tennessee rushing game in the second half and held RB Chris Brown to just 17 yards in the half. The Bears normally allow opponents 124 yards per game but held the Titans and Chris Brown to just 72 yards for the entire game. The defense did have 4 forced fumbles in the game; two of them were recovered by Chicago. They did not allow a rushing touchdown.

Tennessee Titans

QB: Billy Volek (27-44-334, 2 TD, 1 Int, 1-5 rushing) Volek started the game in the no huddle offense but after going a quick three and out the Titans elected to go with a huddle instead. Volek connected with Drew Bennett and Derrick Mason for most of the game including a touchdown to each. Volek had a 29-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Mason in man-to-man coverage on a nicely thrown ball down the left sideline that put the Titans on top 7-0. His second touchdown pass of the game was a 47-yard completion to Drew Bennett where Volek had great pass protection as he waited for his receiver to get separation from the defender. Volek had two costly mistakes in the game, the first was on a swing pass intended for RB Holcombe that did not have enough loft to get over the defensive line and was intercepted and returned for a touchdown just before half time. His second mistake, which cost the Titans the game, was the sack he took in the end zone where he fumbled the ball and the Titans recovered. Chicago scored a safety and won the game.

Steve McNair was active for this game and in uniform on the sideline and was available but did not play as he rested his injured sternum.

RB: Chris Brown (20-62 rushing, 2-6 receiving on 3 targets, 2 fumbles lost) Brown initially appeared to have no affect from the turf toe that has been nagging him the last few weeks and as a precaution the Titans trainers had crafted him a special shoe for protection in case the turf toe became a problem. Brown ran the ball well on the first several series although positive yards were tough but he did manage 45 yards in the first half. After the game, coach Jeff Fisher said that Brown's toe was still an issue and may have contributed to his play. He did have a couple of setbacks in the game that seemed to take his confidence and desire away thus leaving him ineffective running the ball. Brown had two fumbles in the game deep in his own territory on back-to-back possession for the Titans, which fortunately for Titans fans did not prove to be costly on the scoreboard but did prove to be costly for Brown's confidence. Brown was not in the game on the next two possessions before halftime. In addition to the fumbles, Brown was stopped on a fourth and one play by LB Brian Urlacher on the Titans second possession of the game.

Antowain Smith (2-4 rushing, 1-12 receiving on 1 target) Smith was not much of a factor as his only rushing attempts came late in the fourth quarter. His only reception came just before halftime to set up a long field goal attempt by the Titans.

Robert Holcombe (1-1 rushing, 2-14 receiving on 3 targets) Holcombe was not a factor as he carried the ball just one time in the game. He did catch two receptions came late in the game. His other target was the swing pass that was intercepted.

WR: Drew Bennett (6-148 receiving on 11 targets, 1 TD) Bennett had a huge day against the Bears defensive backs including a 47-yard reception for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Bennett showed some speed as he beat his defender S Michael Green downfield and caught the perfect spiral pass from QB Volek. Bennett had only 37 receiving yards on 3 receptions in the first half but turned it on the second half for 117 yards on his other 3 catches. He finished the game with an impressive 24.7 yards per catch in the game.

Derrick Mason (7-91 receiving on 9 targets, 1 TD) Mason had a very nice game for the Titans and saw plenty of looks from Titans QB Volek. Mason had a 29 yard touchdown reception in the first quarter that put the Titans in the lead. Mason had two 17 yard receptions in the fourth quarter that set up the go-ahead touchdown pass to Bennett.

Eddie Berlin (1-26 receiving on 1 target) Berlin was not a factor in the game but did have a 26 yard reception that later resulted in a field goal for Tennessee.

TE: Shad Meier (4-18 receiving on 6 targets) Meier got most of the looks from Volek at the Tight End position although none were targets in the end zone. Meier caught 3 of his 4 passes in the first half of the game for just 11 yards.

Erron Kinney (2-14 receiving on 3 targets) Kinney had no impact in the game. He caught one pass in the first quarter and one in the fourth quarter.

K: Gary Anderson (2-2 XP, 1-1 FG) Anderson made both of his extra points in the game. He also connected on a 33 yard field goal in the fourth quarter to cut the Bears lead to 14-10.

Craig Hentrich (0-2 FG) Hentrich was used by Tennessee for two long field attempts neither of which were successful. Hentrich missed wide ride from 58 yards away to end the first half. He also tried a 52 yard attempt at the end of regulation that was blocked by Chicago.

Pass Defense: The Titans pass defense play very well throughout the game allowing just 116 yards passing to Bears QB Craig Krenzel. The Titans CB Andre Dyson has two interceptions during the game to bring his team leading total to four on the year. They also managed to sack QB Krenzel five times in the game and held the Bears to minus 8 yards passing in the first half.

Rush Defense: The Titans rush defense held the Bears RB Anthony Thomas to just 72 yards rushing on 29 attempts for an average of 2.5 yards per carry. The Tennessee defensive linemen were able to get great penetration against the Bears offensive line and stopped Anthony Thomas for negative yardage or no gain on nine of his rushing attempts.

Buffalo 6 at New England 29

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Buffalo Bills

Anyone not using a fork for their Sunday dinner may have been sticking it in Drew Bledsoe. He's done. An absolutely dreadful performance against a New England secondary decimated with injuries should finally end the debate on whether Bledsoe has any gas left in the tank. Consider that after passing for 26 yards on the opening drive, Bledsoe threw for just 8 yards on the following six drives. He also threw 3 horribly-thrown interceptions.

Willis McGahee looked impressive on the opening Buffalo drive. However, he did not get much of a chance to display his talents after the Bills fell behind early. The Patriots seemed intent on stuffing the line of scrimmage, forcing the Bills to pass.

Eric Moulds looks at times like he is going through the motions. His mental lapses include drops, short-armed attempts at passes, and jumping for passes on throws that didn't require leaps to catch.

New England Patriots

Tom Brady led his team to almost 450 yards of offense against a division foe with a vaulted defense. He routinely had plenty of time to throw the ball. Even his lone mistake of an interception was due to a receiver slipping and falling down on the route.

Corey Dillon put up huge stats against a team that earlier this season held him in check. His 151 rushing yards were the most allowed by a Buffalo defense that had not allowed 100 yards to any rusher yet in 2004. He looked explosive to the outside and could have rushed for even more had he not missed the second half of the 2nd quarter with a thigh bruise. He was reported to be "questionable to return" but did return in the 3rd quarter and looked as effective as ever.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Buffalo Bills

QB: Drew Bledsoe (8-19-76, 3 Int, 1-8 rushing) Take into account that by the time the Bills got their first possession in the 3rd quarter, they were losing 23-0. Bledsoe was even incapable of "garbage time production" throwing for just 42 yards in the 2nd half. He ended the game with a quarterback rating of 14.3. All three of his interceptions were horribly thrown balls and he could have thrown at least one additional interception that Rodney Harrison could not hang onto. One of the interceptions was thrown directly to Troy Brown (#80) who was covering the alleged intended receiver Eric Moulds (#80). It may have been a really bad pass, or it could have been that Bledsoe wishes he was still throwing to Patriot uniforms.

RB: Willis McGahee (14-37 rushing, 1-12 receiving, 1 target) looked impressive on the opening drive and appears to be gaining confidence in his own abilities. Unfortunately, he is in an offensive system that simply is not moving the football or scoring.

WR: Eric Moulds (5-46 receiving on 11 targets) at times looked disgusted with the futility of the offense. He dropped a pass and short-armed another catchable-but-errant Bledsoe throw at the beginning of the second half. One especially telling play came in the 4th quarter on a 4th down attempt where he jumped unnecessarily for the ball landing with both feet out of bounds. He could have made the reception for the 1st down without leaping.

Lee Evans (1-15 receiving, 3 targets,1 drop) was unable to make an impact on the game.

Josh Reed was declared inactive for this game.

TE: Tim Euhus (1-3 on 2 targets).

K: Ryan Lindell's only action came on the 2nd half kickoff.

Special Teams: Did what the Bills' offense could not do all game. They scored a touchdown. Jonathan Smith scored on a 70 yard punt return.

Pass Defense: Sacked Tom Brady twice and came up with an interception, however one of the sacks occurred when Brady got his foot caught by the center. The interception occurred when Bethel Johnson fell down on his route.

Rush Defense: Were pushed around by the New England front surprisingly easily. They surrendered 208 yards rushing.

New England Patriots

QB: Tom Brady (19-35-233, 2 TDs, 1 Int, 1-2 rushing) put up monster stats considering his team rushed for 208 yards and were up 20-0 going into the second half. Brady is getting plenty of time to throw the ball and the results are evident. He spread the ball around to ten different receivers.

RB: Corey Dillon (26-151 rushing, 1-5 receiving, 1 target) busted off a 30 yard run on the opening drive and the only thing that slowed him down all game was a thigh bruise that held him out of the game for 7 minutes of the game in the 1st half. Despite not getting any touchdowns, he is getting touches in the red zone. He carried the ball 4 times in the red zone all for positive yards, but was unable to score.

Kevin Faulk (13-61 rushing, 2-16 receiving on 2 targets) looked impressive in support of Corey Dillon.

WR: David Givens (5-66 receiving, on 11 targets) was looked to often by Brady and made a nice catch working the middle of the field finding space between the coverage. He looks to be Brady's first option on many plays, however if he is not open, Brady immediately seems to shift and find an open target.

David Patten (3-43 receiving, 1 TD on 7 targets) was wide open for his touchdown catch when the defensive back fell down in coverage.

Troy Brown (2-23 receiving, on 4 targets) showed that in addition to his defensive abilities in intercepting passes, he is still used on the offensive side of the field.

Bethel Johnson (1-47 receiving, on 2 targets) made a big catch on a deep pass.

TE: Daniel Graham (1-9 receiving, on 3 targets).
Christian Fauria (1-5 receiving, 1 TD on 1 target.

K: Adam Vinatieri (2 XP, 5-5 FG) looked about as reliable as Adam Vinatieri.

Pass Defense: Held the Bills to just 81 passing yards while intercepting 3 passes and sacking the quarterback 3 times.

Rush Defense: Held the Bills to 50 yards rushing partly due to the fact that the Bills fell behind early and often in this game.