WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Cleveland Browns

Rookie tight end Kellen Winslow, who managed only 1 catch for 11 yards in the game, suffered a broken fibula and is expected to miss 6 weeks.

Unless you started kicker Phil Dawson, you probably didn't want any Cleveland Browns players in your lineup this week. Jeff Garcia was intercepted 3 times while throwing for only 71 yards, William Green was held to 52 yards rushing, and Andre Davis led all Browns receivers with 39 yards on 3 receptions. An ugly day all around.

Garcia was harassed in the pocket all day long by the Cowboys, and did not appear to be on the same page as his receivers on several plays. Despite coming into the game with the highest quarterback rating ever among visiting passers at Texas Stadium, Garcia's terrible outing netted him a 0.0 quarterback rating, while all 3 of his interceptions came in the 2nd half of the game on drives which could have tied the Cowboys or taken the lead.

Green ran hard and showed the ability to run over defenders, but not the ability to run around them, which contributed heavily towards his 2.7 yards per carry in the game. James Jackson had a great day, gaining 50 yards on only 3 carries, but all 3 of those carries were in passing situations and caught the defense off guard. Lee Suggs was inactive for the game.

While the Browns receivers, Quincy Morgan in particular, were able to get open in the secondary and beat the cornerbacks deep, Jeff Garcia was unable to put the ball on target, frustrating Cleveland's talented receiving corps. .

Dallas Cowboys

QB Vinny Testaverde put up nice yardage stats, throwing for 322 yards and a touchdown. But he gave up 3 costly interceptions, all in the final 18 minutes of the game. Yet the Cowboys held on to win the game and a late 37-yard completion to Terry Glenn proved to be a major part of that. Were it not for a great defensive play by Cleveland and a drop by Julius Jones 2 plays later, Testaverde would likely have had a second touchdown throw in the game.

RB Julius Jones broke his shoulder and will miss 6-8 weeks. Eddie George started the game and saw the vast majority of touches, but this truly was a running back by committee against Cleveland. George started and played in the Cowboys' first series, rookie Julius Jones played the second, and ReShard Lee came in to work the third possession. As the game progressed, George and Jones split time in the backfield, with Lee coming in for one more series. George wound up with 18 carries and 62 yards, also getting consecutive carries from inside the Cleveland 10-yard line, culminating in a 3 yard touchdown run. Jones had a more modest 16 yards on 5 carries and lost a fumble. But he showed the ability to pick up a blitzer in the backfield, and gained 3 yards on a tough 4th & 2 carry. Lee gained 15 yards on 4 carries, and was not especially impressive.

Among the receivers, it was all about Terry Glenn and tight end Jason Witten. Glenn led all receivers with 6 catches, 90 yards, and 10 targets, but Witten caught all 6 of his targets for 82 yards. Witten seemed absolutely unstoppable in the game. Keyshawn Johnson was targeted on 3 plays which seemed specifically designed for him, and was robbed of two potential touchdown catches: the first when Vinny Testaverde under threw him on a flea flicker play (Johnson was tackled on the 1 yard line as a result), and the second when the Browns' Earl Little made a spectacular play to knock down a pass, after Johnson had beaten coverage.

The Cowboys defense were the real heroes of the game, however, keeping Cleveland out of the end zone for the entire game, and allowing Dallas to come away with the win despite giving up 4 turnovers and being penalized 11 times for 120 yards.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Cleveland Browns

QB: Jeff Garcia (8-27-71, 3 INT, 4-34 rushing) came into this game with a 104.0 quarterback rating at Dallas' Texas Stadium (best all-time among visiting quarterbacks), with 9 touchdown passes against 0 interceptions. He lowered that rating significantly with his 0.0 QB rating Sunday. Garcia was harassed constantly in and out of the pocket and had some communication problems with his receivers. Of the interceptions, one was a perfectly thrown ball which bounced off of running back James Jackson's hands and into the arms of cornerback Pete Hunter, and another came when receiver Quincy Morgan sat back on his route instead of running to the ball, allowing Terence Newman to run around him for the pick. However, Garcia was lucky to have Cowboys' safety Roy Williams drop what would have been a fourth interception. Garcia also missed on several deep throws to wide open receivers. Quincy Morgan did drop one pass in the end zone, but the play would have been negated regardless by an illegal formation penalty. In all, Garcia and the Browns tried to go deep 7 times in the game, and netted only a 30-yard pass interference penalty for their efforts.

Luke McCown (0-1 passing) was brought into the game to throw a "Hail Mary" pass on the final play of the game, because of his superior arm strength compared to Garcia.

RB: William Green (19-52 rushing, 1-2 receiving on 1 target) showed some positives in the game, running hard into contact to gain the tough yards, but did not show the field vision to run around defenders and into the open field. His best effort of the day came when he ran over Cowboys' safety Tony Dixon for an extra 4 yards at the end of a 16-yard gainer. His lack of overall success was a combination of the Cowboys' tenacious run defense, mediocre blocking by his offensive line, and his own inability to improvise when the planned point of attack was occupied. Green also had what could have been a costly fumble at the end of a run, inside his own 15 yard line. Fortunately for him, the ball took a lucky bounce out of bounds before a Dallas defender could fall on it.

James Jackson (3-50 rushing, 1-1 receiving on 3 targets) was used in obvious passing situations and as a part of the two-minute offense, situations which helped contribute to his lofty yards per carry average in the game. Jackson did make a nifty cutback late in the 2nd quarter which led to a 38-yard gain. That was the longest play of the day for the Browns, and the longest run of Jackson's career. On the receiving end, Jackson missed a ball thrown right into his hands, which wound up being intercepted.

Lee Suggs was inactive for the game, despite promising reports earlier in the week which indicated he may be available for action.

WR: Andre Davis (3-39 receiving on 7 targets) led the Browns in all receiving categories, which should give you an idea about just how bad the offense was on Sunday. He was also involved in Cleveland's second-longest offensive "play" of the day, which was a 30-yard pass interference call which Davis drew on Terence Newman.

Quincy Morgan (1-11 receiving on 7 targets) seemed to have little problems getting open in coverage, particularly on deep patterns, but just couldn't connect with Jeff Garcia. Morgan made a great fake on a fly route early in the game to get wide open behind the secondary, but the throw was badly off target. He also had a drop in the end zone (which would have been negated by penalty anyway), and was open in the end zone on another play where the pass was under thrown. Garcia overthrew him on another fly pattern where Morgan had a step on his defender. Morgan's biggest mistake of the day came when he failed to come back to the ball on a short curl, allowing the defender to jump in front of him for an interception, and earning the ire of Garcia on the sideline.

Dennis Northcutt (1-7 receiving on 6 targets) had no more luck hooking up with Garcia's passes. Ironically, he was used primarily as a possession-type receiver in the game, running mostly short to medium routes over the middle.

TE: Kellen Winslow (1-11 receiving on 7 targets) was heavily utilized in the Browns' passing game, but again couldn't get to the errant throws of Jeff Garcia. On one 3rd down target near the end of the first quarter, Winslow was lined up outside as a wide receiver and drew the target, but appeared to miss his read on the blitz and ran a fly route, while Garcia threw to an out pattern. Coach Davis is using Winslow as a rusher on the punt return team, convinced that the tight end will be able to block 2-3 punts over the course of the season. This use on special teams backfired, when Winslow left the game with a broken fibula suffered after an onside free kick with 8 seconds left in the contest.

K: Phil Dawson (4-4 FG) had a productive day for the Browns, connecting on kicks of 22, 23, 45, and 49 yards. He also took the free kick following a safety with 8 seconds left in the game and did a remarkable job of kicking it onsides, allowing the Browns to recover it for one final play. With Mike Vanderjagt missing a kick last week, Dawson now has the longest active streak of consecutive field goals made, with 16 in a row.

Pass Defense: Despite the three interceptions of Vinny Testaverde, Cleveland still allowed over 300 yards to the venerable passer and notched only one sack in the game. While there were some great individual efforts in the game, particularly by free safety Earl Little, the Cowboys receivers found themselves open in the secondary quite often and it was only some good recoveries and some bad passes which held Testaverde to a still very good 66% completion ratio. The Browns were unable to achieve pressure on the quarterback on a regular basis.

Run Defense: While the Browns technically allowed 126 rushing yards in the game, 33 of those came on a faked punt, when linebacker Dexter Coakley took a direct snap and broke it down the middle of the field. Against the Cowboy's running back trio of Eddie George, Julius Jones, and ReShard Lee, the Browns gave up only 93 yards on 27 carries, or 3.4 yards per carry, building off the success they enjoyed against Jamal Lewis last week. As the clock was ticking down in the 4th quarter and the Cowboys needed only to run the ball effectively to notch the win, Cleveland stiffened up even more, surrendering only 6 yards on 4 Eddie George runs in the Cowboys' final drive.

Dallas Cowboys

QB: Vinny Testaverde (23-35-322, 1 TD, 3 INT) became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for back-to-back 300 yard games after his 40th birthday. But Testaverde's three interceptions, all in the final 18 minutes of the game while attempting to protect a slim lead, could not have pleased Coach Bill Parcels in the least. However, it was Testaverde's key 37-yard completion to Terry Glenn which prolonged the Cowboy's final drive, and allowed them to run the clock down to 22 seconds before punting the ball back to Cleveland. Testaverde's lone touchdown pass on the day was a 1-yard completion to little-used tight end Jeff Robinson, coming on the heels of a successful flea flicker play which netted 36 yards. Had Testaverde not under thrown receiver Keyshawn Johnson on the flea flicker, that play would have resulted in the touchdown. One of Testaverde's interceptions was just the result of a great play by Anthony Henry, who jumped the route at the last second, but the other two could definitely have been prevented. Testaverde was also victimized by a drop on the sidelines by running back Julius Jones, who was uncovered on the play and could have run it on for a 31-yard touchdown, and also by a great play by Earl Little to tip away a sure 36-yard touchdown strike to Keyshawn Johnson.

RB: Eddie George (18-62 rushing, 1 TD, 2-17 receiving on 4 targets) accomplished on his second carry of the game what Jamal Lewis failed to do in an entire game against the Browns last week--break a run for more than 9 yards. George gained 11 on that play and saw the bulk of the action in the Cowboys' backfield during the game, including consecutive carries from inside the Cleveland 10-yard line late in the 3rd quarter. On the second of those two carries, George punched it in for a 3-yard touchdown.

Julius Jones (5-16 rushing, 2-14 receiving on 5 targets) broke his shoulder and will miss 6-8 weeks. Jones saw his first action as a professional, with mixed results. While he looked good running the ball and made an excellent block on a third down blitz, he also lost a fumble on his third carry of the game, and dropped what could have been a long touchdown pass play later in the game. The fumble was challenged, and while replays did not conclusively show that he was down before losing the football, it did appear that the ball popped out when his elbow hit the ground, which would not have been a fumble. On a much more positive note, Jones was entrusted with a 4th & 2 carry early in the 3rd quarter, and converted with a 3-yard gain. Jones was brought into the game as the feature back on the Cowboys' second drive of the game, and then split time with Eddie George later in the game. Jones appeared to jam either his left wrist or thumb on his dropped pass, but returned to the game and did not show any ill effects.

ReShard Lee (4-15 rushing) got a chance to showcase his skills on Dallas' third possession of the game, and did nothing to distinguish himself in a positive or negative aspect. CBS announcer Phil Simms said that in an interview with Bill Parcels earlier in the week, Parcels had explained Lee's relative lack of playing time by saying, "I'm not positive what I'm always gonna get" with Lee, which Simms took to mean a lack of consistency in pass blocking and running routes..

WR: Terry Glenn (6-90 receiving on 10 targets) appeared to have Testaverde's confidence. While Glenn failed to score a touchdown despite his lofty receiving numbers, he did garner one end zone target in the game, and caught a key 37-yard pass on 2nd & 9 late in the 4th quarter, which allowed the Cowboys to run all but 22 seconds off the clock. Interestingly enough, two of Testaverde's 3 interceptions were on passes intended for Glenn.

Keyshawn Johnson (2-57 receiving on 3 targets) had a much more active day than his stat line would indicate. Johnson was targeted on a flea flicker play in the Cowboys' first drive of the game, and found himself wide open after the Browns' defense bit hard on the run fake. However, Vinny Testaverde under threw the pass, and as a result Keyshawn had to wait on the ball and was tackled on the one yard line. Had the pass been thrown better, it would have been an easy touchdown. Johnson was also flagged for a costly "taunting" call, which offset an unnecessary roughness penalty on the defense which would have given Dallas a 1st & goal late in the second quarter (they instead had to settle for a field goal). On the only pass targeted to Johnson which he didn't catch, Earl Little made a great play to knock the ball down, preventing what would have been a Johnson touchdown. Finally, Johnson was actually brought into the game as a defensive back on Cleveland's final "Hail Mary" play, and wound up knocking the ball down.

Antonio Bryant (3-54 receiving on 5 targets) found his way onto the field in 3 receiver sets, and had a pretty decent outing. Bryant showed excellent concentration on one 37-yard reception, when he initially juggled the ball, and then finally hauled it in for the catch with a defensive back literally wrapped around his shoulders.

TE: Jason Witten (6-82 receiving on 6 targets) clearly outshone the vastly more hyped Kellen Winslow in the game, and made a convincing argument to be added to the list of top tight ends in the league. Witten caught every ball thrown his way. He was wide open in the end zone on one other play, but Testaverde didn't see him and opted to throw to Terry Glenn instead. The Cowboys used Witten in much the same fashion as a Tony Gonzalez or Todd Heap, splitting him out as a wide receiver, and often putting him in motion. Witten even chipped in two tackles after Testaverde interceptions. In another interview earlier in the week, Parcels said that Witten "inspires me to coach" with his desire to learn and improve his game.

Jeff Robinson (1-1, 1 TD receiving on 1 target) showed up in the box score with the touchdown, but is actually the Cowboys' third-string tight end, and is normally used only as a blocker.

K: Billy Cundiff (2 XP, 1-2 FG) barely missed a 49 yard field goal in the game, hitting the right upright of the goal post, and successfully converted a 30-yard try.

Pass Defense: A large part of why Jeff Garcia had such a bad game can be directly attributed to the pressure the Cowboys defense was able to exert on the Browns' passer. While the Cowboys only managed one sack in the game, it should be noted that Garcia is one of the most mobile quarterbacks in the league, and had to use that mobility on nearly every play to escape from one or more Dallas players who had penetrated into the pocket. While Terence Newman did get an interception in the game, he appeared to be a weak link in the Dallas secondary, having a lot of trouble maintaining coverage against the speedy Quincy Morgan, and getting completely turned around and taken out of the play by a Morgan fake on a hitch and go route.

Rushing Defense: Dallas gave up 136 yards on the ground in the game, but held William Green to only 52 yards on 19 carries. The rest of the yardage came on Garcia's 4 scrambles for 34 yards and the 50 yards that James Jackson picked up on 3 carries, all on draw plays in passing situations. It was truly a team effort, as safety Roy Williams led all Dallas defenders with only 5 tackles in the game.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens' offense was effective only in spurts. Most of Baltimore's yards in this game came on a few long plays, both through the air and on the ground. The passing game was effective only sporadically, particularly after the loss of Todd Heap to a second quarter ankle injury. Kyle Boller posted unspectacular passing numbers, but made good decisions, often pulling the ball down and running as opposed to forcing throws into coverage. Boller did not need to throw much, as the Ravens held the lead all game long, and were content to grind it out on the ground and run the clock.

The rushing attack was similarly inconsistent. 79 of Baltimore's 172 rushing yards came on 5 carries, while their remaining 36 carries netted a total of only 93 yards. Outside of a couple of early runs, Jamal Lewis did not manage to get past the line often, as the Steelers repeatedly put eight men in the box to stop him. Chester Taylor showed a better burst upfield on his 9 attempts.

Defensively, the Ravens were rock-solid. The run defense limited Staley to 4 yards or less on the bulk of his rushes, and Maddox was under fire early and often from a very effective pass rush. Baltimore forced three turnovers and knocked Maddox out of the game with an elbow injury early in the third quarter. Pittsburgh was completely stymied offensively in the first half, and while a few cracks in the armor were shown late, the Ravens made big plays defensively when needed. Paramount was Terrell Suggs' 24-yard fumble return, which set up a TD, and Chris McAllister's 51-yard interception return touchdown, which put the game out of reach.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers never really got in sync offensively in this game. The passing game was virtually non-existent with Maddox at the helm in the first half. Maddox was under constant pressure, was forced to throw the ball away on a number of occasions, and never really got comfortable in the pocket. Ben Roethlisberger came in early in the third quarter, after Maddox suffered an elbow injury, and enjoyed a roller-coaster of a debut. The offense moved a lot better with Roethlisberger under center, but some critical rookie mistakes also cost the Steelers a chance to get back in the game.

Duce Staley was relatively effective on the ground in limited action. Rushing against the Ravens is tough work, and Pittsburgh was forced to abandon the run by the end of the third quarter, curtailing Staley's productivity. From the look of things, Verron Haynes appears to be auditioning for a role as Staley's primary back-up, while Jerome Bettis may be relegated to goal-line work. With no such opportunities in this one, the Bus was on the field for one play, and got no touches.

The Steelers' defense played better than the 30 points allowed would attest. Two of the Ravens' touchdowns were a direct result of mistakes by the offense; the aforementioned McAllister interception return, and a 1-yard Jamal Lewis touchdown on the play after the Maddox fumble. When not given the short field, Baltimore was not able to break through the Steelers' defense, mustering only one long TD drive, in the first quarter. The Steelers did, however, give up far too many plays on third-and-long, and forced no turnovers, which was the difference in the ball game.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Baltimore Ravens

QB: Kyle Boller (10-18-98, 8-34 rushing) Boller was not forced to throw much in this game, as his relatively meager totals suggest. He had a 39-yard TD pass on a nifty flea-flicker nullified by an illegal motion penalty. The Steelers blitzed frequently, leaving the middle of the field open in front of him, and Boller took advantage of this, with scrambles of 8 and 18 among his 34 rushing yards. His numbers on the ground would look even more impressive were an additional 14-yard run not wiped out by a clipping penalty. Throwing the ball, Boller was predictably erratic, making several nice throws, but also overthrowing open receivers on a couple of occasions. He seemed to look for the same receivers repeatedly, especially after Heap went out, as Randy Hymes was targeted on 5 of the 9 passes thrown after that point.

RB: Jamal Lewis (24-62 rushing, 2 TD) Lewis was very effective early on, breaking 2 and 3 tackles per run on an impressive game-opening drive. Lewis had 7 carries on this drive alone for 36 yards, capped by a 3-yard TD. After this, he was largely stopped, as the Steelers committed more manpower to the cause of slowing him down. Lewis did break off a 12-yard run as the Ravens were salting away the victory in the fourth quarter, but aside from that, gained only 14 yards on 16 carries.

Chester Taylor (9-76 rushing) Chester Taylor showed tremendous speed and elusiveness when given room to run. Taylor ripped off runs of 11, 20, and 36 yards and was also able to grind out tough yardage when needed. From the looks of this game, legal troubles for Lewis may not be the death knell for the Ravens that some had predicted it would be, as Taylor showed the type of skill that could land him a role as a feature back someday in the near future.

WR: Kevin Johnson (2-32 receiving on 4 targets) Johnson made a nice grab for a gain of 23 yards in the second quarter to convert a 3rd and 16. This was the primary highlight in an otherwise quiet day.

Randy Hymes (3-24 receiving on 7 targets) Hymes was the recipient of an apparent 39-yard touchdown in the first quarter, but that play was called back due to a Baltimore penalty. The surprising fact to note about Hymes' day was that he was by far the most targeted Baltimore receiver. In fact, no wide receivers besides Hymes and Kevin Johnson were targeted all game long.

TE: Todd Heap (3-27 receiving on 4 targets) Heap was clearly the focal point of the Ravens' passing attack early on, as Boller looked his way on virtually every pivotal play in the first half. Unfortunately, Heap was sent to the sidelines in the second quarter when Steelers LB James Farrior landed on his ankle during a running play. The nasty-looking injury finished Heap's day. Preliminary reports from the training room indicated that x-rays were negative.

Terry Jones (1-11 receiving on 1 target) Jones saw one look after replacing Heap following the injury.

Daniel Wilcox (1-4 receiving on 2 targets) Wilcox was platooned with Jones in the TE spot after Heap went down and saw limited looks.

K: Matt Stover (3 XP, 3-3 FG).Stover hit three short field goals, the longest for 35-yards.

Pass Defense: The Ravens pass defense was strong, recording 4 sacks, as well as forcing a fumble and intercepting 2 passes. The easy interceptions came as Roethlisberger and his receivers were clearly not on the same page. Both picks were thrown directly to Baltimore defenders, Adalius Thomas and Chris McAlister, who also recorded a TD on a 51-yard return. Deion Sanders was effective before leaving the game with a second quarter hamstring injury, as he was able to keep pace with Plaxico Burress and Antwaan Randle-El, against whom he was frequently matched. Sanders did draw a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty when he removed his helmet during a midfield dance following a punt return.

Rush Defense: Baltimore's rush defense was solid as always, allowing 93 yards on 25 carries. The Steelers were able to muster only 2 runs of over 10 yards all day long, and after the Ravens claimed the lead, the run-stoppers were effectively given the rest of the afternoon off.

Pittsburgh Steelers

QB: Ben Roethlisberger (12-20-176, 2 TD, 2 Int) Roethlisberger looked like a player seeing his first action. The biggest play of his game came on what appeared to be a sure interception, as a shaky pass went through the hands of Ed Reed and was caught by Hines Ward, who turned upfield for a 58-yard gain. He produced two touchdowns. The two interceptions he threw were ugly, as Baltimore defenders simply had to stand in place and catch balls thrown directly at them. To his credit, he did make some really nice throws when given time to look down field, and showed very nice touch on his passes when needed. He will likely start next week. Says coach Bill Cowher, "Ben's our guy right now. He's got an opportunity to play next week. He's going to make more throws and we're going to make more plays."

Tommy Maddox (4-13-67, 1 fumble lost) Maddox was very ineffective in this game. He repeatedly failed to move the chains, as the Steelers were held scoreless the entire time he was in the game. He was knocked out very early in the second half, as his arm was hit during a pass attempt and buckled with the contact. The extent of the injury is not known at present, but is definitely elbow-related. Maddox spent the second half on the sidelines talking to Roethlisberger with his throwing arm in a sling.

RB: Duce Staley (16-57 rushing, 1-9 receiving on 4 targets) Staley's fantasy output was tempered by the fact that the Steelers were playing catch-up for much of the game. He did run with authority, breaking tackles and gaining extra yardage on a number of carries. Many Staley owners are likely curious about his use in goal-line situations, but the only time the Steelers were in the red zone, they were in the no-huddle offense so we weren't able to see much.

Verron Haynes (7-34 rushing, 2-6 receiving on 2 targets) Haynes was good again in limited action. He frequently spelled Staley on third-downs, and posted a 12-yard gain on an inside draw just before halftime.

WR: Hines Ward (6-151 receiving, 1 TD, on 8 targets) Ward was a spot for the Steelers from a fantasy standpoint. He again made the most of his opportunities, including the 58-yard reception he received when Ed Reed missed a sure INT. Ward made a nice catch on a slightly under thrown ball in the end zone for his lone TD, and was open in the end zone on a couple of other occasions, but was missed by Roethlisberger.

Plaxico Burress (2-30 receiving on 9 targets) Burress had another disappointing game, finishing with only 30 yards. His day could have been a lot better were it not for a bad drop of a Roethlisberger pass, and a questionable no-call on Deion Sanders. On the latter, it appeared Sanders may have made contact with Burress before the ball got to him, preventing him from possibly hauling in a 20+ yard pass. Burress was effectively blanketed by the Baltimore secondary most of the game, however, and really did not have many chances to make an impact. A 2-point conversion pass to him was overthrown.

Antwaan Randle-El (3-29 receiving, 1 TD, on 5 targets, 1-1 rushing) Randle-El made a nice play on a 3-yard TD pass from Roethlisberger early in the 4th quarter. The play was a quick slant in the middle of the field, and Randle-El was able to corral the pass and extend the ball across the goal line as he was being tackled. A reverse run with him in the third quarter failed to bear fruit, and he really was not given much space to operate when he caught the ball. A 10-yard reception on third down was ruled incomplete after replays showed the ball hit the ground before he had possession.

Lee Mays (1-8 receiving on 2 targets) Mays only saw the field in 4 receiver sets.

TE: Jay Riemersma (1-10 receiving on 1 target) Riemersma went to the ground to catch a 10-yard pass on the only ball thrown his way.

K: Jeff Reed (1 XP, 0-1 FG) Reed missed a 48-yard try wide right into a strong wind in the second quarter.

Pass Defense: The Steelers' pass defense did a nice job covering the Baltimore receivers, but failed to garner any turnovers. Deshea Townsend and Aaron Smith recorded sacks in the game, but many other possible sacks were turned into nice ground gains by a resourceful Boller.

Rush Defense: The Pittsburgh rush defense was tough for the most part, despite allowing 172 yards. Much of this yardage was given up on a few big plays; unfortunately, in a game like this one, that's about all that needed to be ceded to build an insurmountable deficit. The first and fourth quarters were a lot more shaky for this unit, the second and third, much more stout.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Houston Texans

Despite an attractive fantasy line, David Carr looked bad and was ineffective especially early in this game. He is staring at his intended receivers and the defenders are reading and reacting to that often knocking passes away from them. Carr did not complete a pass until the second to last play in the 1st Quarter and had 90 passing yards at the half. He padded his stats late in the game playing catch up and finally did begin hitting his targets effectively. However he was still not very effective in the downfield pass with nearly one third of his passing yardage going to his running back.

Domanick Davis accounted for 173 of the 425 offensive yards for the Texans. His two fumbles could have been avoided and he has now fumbled four times in two games. It did not seem to affect the confidence that the coaches and team have in him because the series that followed his second fumble began with a pass to Davis, followed by a Davis run up the middle.

Andre Johnson only caught 3 passes, However one of those passes was a 54-yard touchdown. Johnson was targeted 10 times in the game and was robbed of another 30-yard plus reception on a bad call near the end of the game when he was clearly forced out by the defenders.

Detroit Lions

Joey Harrington had an up and down day. His stat line was helped by two fantastic Roy William touchdown receptions and a 1-yard pass to Cory Schlesinger standing alone in the end zone. He threw two interceptions, one of which was negated on a phantom roughing the passer penalty, the other a badly telegraphed pass. He threw for just 35 yards in the first half but warmed up in the second half to finish with 176 passing yards.

The box score won't yet show it but Kevin Jones may be an elite back in the making. He demonstrated on a few runs his power, speed and balance. He only carried the ball 12 times in the game despite averaging 4.8 yards per carry.

Roy Williams had a huge impact on this game despite catching only 4 passes. His two second half touchdown receptions were the difference in the game. One of them was a leaping 31-yard reception in double coverage with one of the defenders draped all over him. The other he caught the ball at the sideline in the end zone and dragged both feet. He looks like a veteran WR on the field.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Houston Texans

QB: David Carr (23-34-313, 2 TD, 1 Int, 5-30 rushing) finished with good fantasy totals but his play against what was thought to be a suspect Lions secondary proved to be less than stellar. His first two passes were easily batted away by the defenders in coverage because Carr was staring at his targets from the moment the ball was snapped. Later, his interception was an errant pass intended for Domanick Davis. The only reason we know it was intended for Davis because Carr stared at him for a while prior to throwing it. He did come out firing in the second half and made a nice touchdown throw to Corey Bradford, reading the breakdown in the defense that left Bradford in single coverage. The other touchdown pass was a deep pass play to Andre Johnson that was slightly under thrown, but Johnson was so wide open on the play, he made the catch and managed to score.

RB: Domanick Davis (25-78 rushing, 11-95 receiving on 12 targets, 2 fumbles lost) is the key component to the Texan offense. They began the game with four straight running plays to Davis. He accounted for 41% of the Texan's offensive yardage. He appears to be either the primary or secondary target when David Carr drops back to pass. His fumbles may become a problem now that he has four in two games.

Tony Hollings has a knee injury and did not appear in the game.

WR: Andre Johnson (3-86 on 10 targets, 1 TD, 1-1 rushing) only caught 3 passes but managed to reach the end zone on a long touchdown pass in the second half. He had an early pass reception on a swing out pass negated on a false start penalty when the play was whistled dead as he caught the ball. His touchdown was a beautiful catch as Johnson beat the defender by two steps and even though he had to slow down as the ball was slightly under thrown, he managed to shrug off the defender and score. In the 4th quarter, he was robbed of a long reception to the 1-yard line when the refs inexplicably ruled him out of bounds. He was clearly in bounds as he was leaping toward the center of the field for the ball when the defender made contact with him in mid-air forcing him out. The play was not reviewed. He was targeted in the red zone for a touchdown on that drive but the pass was overthrown.

Corey Bradford (3-52 on 6 targets, 1 TD) made a couple of nice catches including his touchdown. Early in the game he was targeted on a deep pass where he beat the defender and was grabbed resulting in a long pass interference penalty.

Jabar Gaffney (1-25 on 2 targets) was not an active part of the passing game. If Carr's primary receiver was not open, he often dumped the ball off to Davis. Gaffney was targeted on a 2-point conversion which he dropped.

TE: Mark Bruener (1-6 on 1 target) Bruener was not a real factor in the game at all.

Billy Miller (0-0 receiving on 1 target) had one reception negated by a penalty.

K: Kris Brown (1 XP, 1-1 FG) Brown made a 34-yard field goal in the first quarter.

Pass Defense: Houston sacked Joey Harrington twice but once was when Harrington ran out of bounds 1 yard behind the line of scrimmage. They did pressure him most of the day and contained him to 176 yards passing.

Rush Defense: Held Detroit to only 94 rushing yards, however not counting Harrington's scrambles Detroit only ran the ball 19 times. Kevin Jones showed that they could be run against but Detroit never really got into a rhythm in the run game.

Detroit Lions

QB: Joey Harrington (18-25-176, 3 TD, 1 Int, 3-17 rushing) played poorly in the first half throwing for only 35 yards. He came out in the second half and totaled 141 passing yards including some fantastic catches by Roy Williams. Harrington is consistently throwing short passes even on 3rd downs when he needs 9 or 10 yards for a first down. He ran out of bounds taking a 1-yard sack when he could have thrown the ball away. After getting the ball with 1 minute on the clock in the first half, he promptly lead his team to a quick 3 and out leaving Houston with 35 seconds to attempt a last minute score. In short he is still showing immaturity and poor decision-making. Despite that, he lead his team to the win. He had a second interception negated by a roughing the passer penalty.

RB: Kevin Jones (12-57 rushing, 1-13 on 1 target) ran hard and effectively showing power speed and balance especially on a 16-yard gain to the outside where it appeared he had little running room. Jones burst through defenders, shed a tackle, and balanced along the sideline for a first down run. It is unclear why he only was given 12 rushes on the day, because averaging 4.8 yards per carry it looked like he could have run at will over the Texans.

Artose Pinner (6-19 rushing, 1-7 on 1 target) spelled Jones at times and was neither impressive or ineffective. He had a 6-yard run and other than that was rather pedestrian.

Cory Schlesinger (2-13 receiving on 3 targets, 1 TD) was not an active part of the offense, however his 1-yard touchdown reception was on 1st down.

WR: Roy Williams (4-73 receiving on 9 targets, 2 TD) Despite the fact he only caught four passes, he scored two touchdowns. One was a very nice catch, the other was an outstanding reception. Williams hauled in the 31-yard touchdown reception leaping and catching the ball in full extension, in double coverage with one of the defenders draped all over him.

Tai Streets (4-32 receiving on 5 targets) was targeted in the red zone for a touchdown but was interfered with giving Detroit 1st and goal on the 1 on which they capitalized with a touchdown.

Az-Zahir Hakim (2-26 receiving on 3 targets) did not appear to be any more involved in the passing game despite the absence of Charles Rogers.

TE: Stephen Alexander (2-13 receiving on 3 targets) caught the opening two passes but then was only thrown to once more.

K: Jason Hanson (4 XP, 0-1 FG) uncharacteristically missed a 47-yard field goal but saved a touchdown by making a tackle on a kickoff return.

Pass Defense: The Lions were ineffective, giving up 313 passing yards. They sacked David Carr 5 times and forced him to hurry many of his throws.

Rush Defense: This unit limited the Texans to just 112 yards rushing which included 30 yards by David Carr on scrambles. They also forced and recovered two fumbles.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Buffalo Bills

The Bills continue to struggle on offense. Buffalo's offensive line failed to protect quarterback Drew Bledsoe, allowing 7 sacks. The line also did a miserable job of opening holes for the running game as Buffalo had 67 rushing yards on 24 attempts, an average of just 2.8 per carry. The offense's struggles in 2003 cost former head coach Gregg Williams his job, but after two games in 2004, the Mike Mularkey version doesn't look much better.

Bledsoe had a poor game behind the shaky O-line. He completed 13 of his 24 attempts for 198 yards, with 1 touchdown and 1 interception, but he picked up 65 of those yards on a 4th down desperation heave to wide receiver Lee Evans with less than two minutes to play. Bledsoe's only touchdown came two plays later, on a pass he forced into coverage. Eric Moulds caught the ball after it was tipped by an Oakland defender. Of course, it is difficult for any quarterback to look good when he gets sacked 7 times.

For a team with two talented running backs, the Bills showed little commitment to the running game. Starting RB Travis Henry scratched out 67 yards on 21 carries, with a long run of only 8 yards. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Henry was stuffed on 4th and goal from inside the 1-yard line. Henry slipped on his first two carries and changed to longer cleats, but never did look completely comfortable. Willis McGahee was an afterthought, getting just 2 rushing attempts for a negative 3 yards.

Two special teams penalties cost the Bills dearly. In the third quarter, Terrence McGee took a kickoff return from his own 1 to the Oakland 11, but a holding penalty moved the ball back to the Buffalo 18. In the fourth quarter, Nate Clements returned a punt 63 yards to the Raider 11, but another hold wiped out the play and forced the Bills to start at their own 16. Given better field position on those two plays, perhaps Buffalo could have put more points on the board.

Oakland Raiders

One of the greatest streaks in sports history came to an end in this game. Oakland wide receiver Jerry Rice had zero receptions, breaking a string of 274 consecutive games with at least one catch. Quarterback Rich Gannon only threw two passes in Rice's direction; both on the same drive late in the second-quarter, and both fell incomplete. Late in the game, nursing a 10 point lead, the Raiders chose to pound running back Amos Zereoue up the middle to keep the clock running rather than throw to Rice.

Gannon had a so-so game throwing the ball, but he showed he still can take off and run when necessary. Gannon completed 19 of 27 passes for 209 yards. His one touchdown, to wide receiver Ronald Curry, converted a third-and-27 situation at the Buffalo 43. Gannon added 24 yards rushing on 4 carries, not bad for a QB in his 18th year in the NFL and will turn 39 in December.

Ronald Curry was Gannon's primary target on several third downs in the first half. Curry caught the ball the first 4 times it was thrown to him, and all 4 converted third downs, one was good for a TD. Curry's fifth and final catch picked up 22 yards on first and 20 following a holding penalty. Curry led the team with 5 receptions for 89 yards. He would have had a sixth reception and an additional 10 yards, but a third-quarter grab was wiped out by another hold.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Buffalo Bills

QB: Drew Bledsoe (13-24-198 passing, 1 TD, 1 Int). Bledsoe spent much of the afternoon picking himself up off the ground from the 7 sacks he absorbed. He took a head shot in the second quarter that left him holding his helmet for several seconds, but managed to shake it off. The interception came on a pass that was too high and too hard for RB Travis Henry to handle, and the ball bounced right into the arms of the Raiders' Ray Buchanan. Bledsoe, along with the rest of the Buffalo offense, looked out of synch all day. Even when Bledsoe had time to throw, he seemed to have trouble finding any receivers open downfield and was forced to throw short. WRs Eric Moulds, Bobby Shaw and Josh Reed had only 2 receptions each.

RB: Travis Henry (21-67 rushing, 2-10 receiving on 4 targets) Henry slipped on his first two carries, and seemed to have trouble making the transition from turf to natural grass. He switched to longer cleats. On the first play of the fourth quarter, with his team facing fourth and goal at the 1 and a chance to tie the game, Henry tripped over the leg of one of his blockers and failed to reach the end zone. Henry also had a pass go off his hands that ended up being intercepted, but in his defense, the ball was a bullet that was thrown too high.

Willis McGahee (2 for -3 rushing) McGahee wasn't on the field much, as Buffalo stuck with Travis Henry most of the game. On Buffalo's first possession, McGahee lost 10 yards on an ill-fated draw play on third and long. On the Bills' field goal drive in the second quarter, McGahee picked up 7 yards to convert third and 6.

WR: Lee Evans (1-65, 2 targets) Here's how bad the Buffalo passing game was: Evans only needed one late-game catch to lead the team in receiving yardage. With 1:20 to play, he somehow got behind Oakland's prevent defense on fourth and 18 from the Buffalo 30 and nearly broke it for a touchdown. The only other time Bledsoe threw the ball Evans' way was in the second quarter.

Eric Moulds (2-41 receiving on 7 targets, 1 TD; 1-3 rushing) It took the Bills until midway through the second quarter to make their first attempt to throw to their No. 1 receiver, and Moulds drew a 28-yard pass interference penalty on Charles Woodson on the play. Moulds' first catch came in the third quarter on a nicely executed pattern. Evans ran the safeties deep, and Moulds came across the middle and made the reception for 36 yards. Moulds scored Buffalo's only TD on a great catch of a tipped ball. He snagged the ball with one hand and managed to drop his left knee in the end zone before tumbling out of bounds.

Josh Reed (2-29 receiving on 5 targets) Reed had a key catch and run for 14 yards on a third and 3 in the fourth quarter.

Bobby Shaw (2-22 receiving on 2 targets) As was the case with all of the Buffalo receivers, Shaw didn't do much. But, he did catch the ball both times it was thrown to him. His first catch was good for 10 yards, but came up six yards shy of a first down. Shaw's only other reception came in the third quarter.

TE: Mark Campbell (2-20 receiving on 3 targets) Campbell put the Bills in a position to score when he took a Bledsoe pass 11 yards to the 1-yard line on the final play of the third quarter. However, Travis Henry was stopped on fourth and goal.

K: Rian Lindell (1-1 FG, 1-1 XP) Lindell made the only two kicks he was asked to attempt.

Pass Defense: Buffalo's pass defense was reasonably good. The Bills gave up 209 yards to Rich Gannon and picked up 2 sacks.

Rush Defense: Buffalo's run defense was solid, allowing 73 yards on 26 carries, a 2.8-yard average.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Oakland Raiders

QB: Rich Gannon (19-27-209 passing, 1 TD, 4-24 rushing) Gannon showed there is life in his legs after all. Late in the second quarter, he scampered for 20 yards to pick up a third and 10. However, he took an ill-advised sack at the end of the first half that cost the Raiders a chance to kick a field goal. Gannon showed good arm strength on two deep balls: a 41-yard pass to Jerry Porter that got the Raiders out of the shadow of their own goal posts, and a perfect, 43-yard strike to Ronald Curry that converted third and 27.

RB: Amos Zereoue (9-24 rushing, 3-25 receiving on 3 targets) Zereoue came off the bench, but got the majority of the carries in the fourth quarter when the Raiders were working on the clock. With a 10-3 lead and 6:52 to play, Oakland got the ball at midfield. Of the next eight plays, six were Zereoue runs and one was a pass to Zereoue.

Tyrone Wheatley (10-21 rushing, 1-0 receiving on 1 target) Wheatley started but didn't do much. His biggest contribution came late in the game, when he picked up 7 yards on third and 1 from the Buffalo 27. The first down helped the Raiders take nearly two more minutes off the clock before kicking a field goal that gave them a 10-point lead.

J.R. Redmond (2-8 rushing, 2-15 receiving on 3 targets) Redmond split third-down duties with Zereoue. He nearly picked up a first down on a reception on a third-and-11 situation in the third quarter, but was stopped a yard short.

WR: Ronald Curry (5-89 receiving on 6 targets, 1 TD) Gannon seemed to be looking for Curry on nearly every third down in the first quarter. And why not? Curry kept picking up first downs, including a 43-yard TD grab on third and 27.

Jerry Porter (3-45 receiving on 4 targets, 1 for -4 rushing) On Oakland's second possession of the game, Porter caught back-to-back passes for 41 and 4 yards. He didn't get much action after that, catching one more pass for no gain. Porter and Curry were the only Raider wide outs to see the ball.

TE: Doug Jolley (4-31 receiving on 4 targets) Jolley made a terrific, one-handed catch on a ball thrown behind him.

K: Sebastian Janikowski (2-2 FGs, 1-1 XP) Janikowski had a perfect day, though he only attempted short field goals of 21 and 33 yards

Pass Defense: The Raiders pass defense had a great day, sacking Drew Bledsoe 7 times and limiting him to 198 passing yards. The one TD allowed came on a tipped pass. The only negative was allowing a 65-yard completion late in the game while in a prevent defense.

Rush Defense: The Raiders stuffed the Bills most of the day and didn't allow Travis Henry to control the game. Oakland held Henry on fourth and goal from the 1 when a TD would have tied the score.

San Francisco 49ers

QB Ken Dorsey made his first NFL start, and looked shaky from the outset. Under early pressure, Dorsey missed on all of his first-quarter attempts, going 0-5. After the questionable start, things did get better. Dorsey connected on 18 of his next 26 passes, but most were of short range.

WR Curtis Conway, starting in place of the injured Cedrick Wilson, was targeted often by Dorsey. Conway was his go-to receiver, getting 14 targets and hauling in 8 for 112 yards.

RB Kevan Barlow had a strong first half, which kept San Francisco in the game as Dorsey warmed up his arm. Barlow was just 5 yards shy of 100 with two touchdowns at halftime. However, his workload took a toll, and Barlow was forced to try and work through a rib injury that ultimately sidelined him in the final quarter.

New Orleans Saints

RB Deuce McAllister's early exit was the major story of this game, despite the Saints victory. McAllister suffered a high ankle sprain during the game, and left midway through the first quarter. He is slated for an MRI on Monday.

Behind McAllister, RB Aaron Stecker is the clear-cut backup as the Saints are extremely thin at RB. New Orleans recently cut Ki-Jana Carter, leaving just Stecker, McAllister and FB Mike Karney on the roster. Depending on the outcome of McAllister's MRI, Ki-Jana Carter may be wearing a Saints' jersey again soon.

QB Aaron Brooks was asked to pick up the offense with McAllister's early departure, and Brooks responded with a strong first half. Brooks was 14-19 for 195 yards and 2 scores at halftime, pacing the Saints to a 20-17 margin.

WRs Joe Horn and Donte' Stallworth had strong performances. Stallworth had a career-high nine catches. Both found the end zone, as the passing attack led the way for a New Orleans victory.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

San Francisco

QB: Ken Dorsey (18-32-205, 1 Int) had a difficult beginning to his first NFL start, failing to connect on his first five attempts. After warming up, Dorsey was a respectable 18 for 26 in passing until his final desperate pass was intercepted on the final play of the game.

Dorsey keyed in on Curtis Conway as his main receiver, looking towards him on 14 targets. Dorsey did not go deep very often, but when he did his passes took a long time to arrive. This may have helped, since on two occasions San Francisco advanced due to defensive pass interference.

RB: Kevan Barlow (20-114 rushing, 2 TD, 2-9 receiving on 2 targets) had an excellent first half, carrying 13 times for 95 yards and both of his touchdowns. Barlow began to labor in the third quarter, and was seen on the sideline having his ribs taped / wrapped. Barlow was on the sideline all of the final quarter, replaced by Terry Jackson and Jamal Robertson.

Terry Jackson (5-28 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 2 targets) was used more frequently in the second half with Barlow sidelined. Jackson lost a 37-yard catch on a swing pass in the final minute of the game due to a questionable penalty on Brandon Lloyd. It would have put San Francisco in a first-and-goal at the 1-yard line.

Jamal Robertson (9-38 rushing, 1 TD, 1-10 receiving on 1 target) gained all of his rushing yardage in the final quarter of the game, carrying nine times while Barlow was sidelined. Robertson scored his first NFL touchdown on a 1-yard dive to put the 49ers ahead 27-23 with 7:07 to play. However, Robertson gave the Saints new life late in the game when he fumbled his final carry away - a turnover that setup the winning drive for New Orleans.

Robertson was also the featured kick return specialist, gaining 183 yards in that capacity.

FB Fred Beasley (0-0 rushing, 1-7 receiving on 1 target) caught one pass but was never much of a factor rushing although his blocking was welcomed by Barlow.

WR: Curtis Conway (8-112 receiving on 14 targets) was the go-to receiver for Ken Dorsey, getting over 40% of the looks from the QB. Conway was easily the most targeted player on the field for the 49ers, as he was called upon to start due to Cedrick Wilson's being deactivated due to injury. Conway responded to the challenge and broke the 100-yard milestone.

Brandon Lloyd (1-7 receiving on 3 targets) was not much of a factor in the game as a receiver, but Lloyd did have a costly penalty in the final moments of the game. With Terry Jackson catching a swing pass in the left flat and carrying the ball 37 yards to the Saints' 1-yard line, Lloyd was flagged for a questionable pass interference as he started to block too soon. This was a 47-yard penalty in-effect, placing the ball back at the Saints' 48 with just 12 seconds remaining in the game.

Arnaz Battle (0-0 receiving on 3 targets) drew a 31-yard pass interference penalty in the second quarter, but did not record a catch. Battle also was the 49ers' punt returner.

Cedrick Wilson did not play due to a hamstring injury.

TE: Eric Johnson (5-60 receiving on 6 targets, 1 fumble lost) did not receive any looks from Ken Dorsey until the second half. Johnson was responsible for one of the two San Francisco turnovers, dropping the ball during a tackle after a 10-yard catch in the third quarter.

K: Todd Peterson (3-3 XP, 2-2 FG) connected on all his attempts, making field goals of 30 and 33 yards.

Pass Defense: Aaron Brooks had a field day against San Francisco, facing little pass rush. The Saints dissected the 49ers secondary for 292 yards and 3 touchdowns, all to different receivers. Donte' Stallworth set a personal record for most catches in a game, and both he and Joe Horn exceeded 8 catches and 90 yards. San Francisco managed to record just two sacks despite the emphasis on the Saints' passing game due to Deuce McAllister's first quarter injury.

Rush Defense: Despite the meager New Orleans rushing totals (24-46, 1.9 yards per carry), San Francisco did not dominate the line of scrimmage. With Deuce McAllister out, the Saints put the offense squarely upon Aaron Brooks and the WR corps. Add in a few bad exchanges from center to QB and the dominance through the air, and the Saints did more to stifle their own run offense than did San Francisco.

New Orleans Saints

QB: Aaron Brooks (25-34-279, 3 TD, 6-4 rushing) was asked to carry the majority of the offensive workload once RB Deuce McAllister left the game. Fortunately for Brooks' owners and the Saints, Brooks answered the call admirably. Brooks picked apart the San Francisco defense for 3 touchdowns to three different receivers, and seemed to have all the time he needed.

Pay little attention to the paltry rushing numbers, but do take note that half the carries were fumble recoveries of poor center exchanges. Brooks may suffer a few fumbles not of his own accord due to this later in the season.

RB: Deuce McAllister (3-1 rushing, 1 fumble lost) suffered a high ankle sprain in the first quarter on his third carry of the day. McAllister was tackled for a loss and fumbled the ball to San Francisco, then was assisted off the field. Later on the sideline McAllister was having his ankle worked on, and it was noted by the commentators that there was no tape on his ankle - a rarity in their opinion for a running back. McAllister is slated for an MRI on Monday.

Aaron Stecker (15-41 rushing, 6-19 receiving on 6 targets) picked up the remainder of the rushing workload for New Orleans, but it was evident that the running game was virtually abandoned once McAllister left the game.

For fantasy owners of McAllister, Stecker is the clear-cut backup for the Saints. New Orleans has only two running backs and one fullback Mike Karney on the roster, as they recently cut RB Ki-Jana Carter to bolster the roster in other places.

WR: Donte' Stallworth (9-113 receiving on 12 targets, 1 TD) was the most targeted receiver, and set a personal best with nine catches on the day. Stallworth was also just one yard short of tying his career game record. His ninth and final catch was the most important one, as Stallworth scored the winning touchdown for the Saints on their final scoring drive.

Joe Horn (8-94 receiving on 11 targets, 1 TD) was his normal Pro-Bowl caliber self, approaching 100 yards despite double-coverage for most of the day. Horn also drew a 40-yard pass interference call in the first half.

Jerome Pathon (2-53 receiving on 4 targets, 1 TD) contributed nicely to the offense as the third wide receiver, gaining 53 yards and scoring his touchdown before halftime.

Michael Lewis (0-0 receiving) was the kick return and punt return specialist for New Orleans, finishing with 114 return yards.

TE: Ernie Conwell (0-0 receiving on 2 targets) was not a factor in the game.

Boo Williams (0-0 receiving on 0 targets) was not a factor in the game.

K: John Carney (3-3 XP, 3-3 FG) connected on all his attempts, making field goals of 32, 36 and 37 yards.

Pass Defense: QB Ken Dorsey failed to connect on a single pass in the first quarter, facing considerable pressure. While Dorsey eventually settled down and completed 18 of 32 passes, only two were for 20 yards or more. The defense finished with two sacks, two fumble recoveries and closed with an interception on the last passing play of the game.

Rush Defense: San Francisco managed two rushing touchdowns and 120 yards in the first half. Had RB Kevan Barlow remained healthy, the Saints rushing defense looked susceptible. All three touchdowns came on the ground, and the running game even without Barlow kept San Francisco within striking distance of a victory.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

New England Patriots

The Patriots continued their winning ways against the Cardinals, but they failed to dominate this game from start to finish. Despite shutting down the Cardinals run game and applying heavy pressure to McCown in the passing game, 3 Patriots turnovers in the first half kept the Cardinals in the game. The Patriots did improve in the 2nd half of the game, and eventually took control of the game on both sides of the football.

Corey Dillon was a workhorse for the Patriots, carrying the ball 32 times for 158 yards. Although he failed to record a touchdown, he ran the ball effectively all afternoon, taking advantage of gaping holes in the Cardinals defense. Any concerns about Dillon having a limited role in the Patriots passing offense were put to rest in this game.

Tom Brady looked a bit rusty early in the game, missing several open receivers and badly over-throwing David Givens for his first interception. He did establish Daniel Graham as his favorite red zone target, throwing 2 TDs to the third-year tight end. David Givens also emerged as Brady's favorite target at WR. Givens caught 6 passes for 118 yards. Deion Branch left the game with an ankle injury at the end of the first half.

Except for one Cardinals drive in the 3rd quarter, the Patriots defense was dominant against both the run and the pass. The defense was also highly effective in the red zone.

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals managed to stay in this game despite a poor offensive effort. On a few occasions the Cardinals looked like an OK football team, but for most of the afternoon they played sloppy football. They were unable to take full advantage of New England turnovers, settling for field goals despite recovering the football deep in New England territory.

McCown had a poor afternoon, throwing for 160 yards with 2 interceptions and no touchdowns. His throws were inaccurate and frequently were forced into double and triple coverage. In his defense, McCown was often hurried by a relentless Patriots pass rush. Larry Fitzgerald was his favorite target on the afternoon, with 5 catches for 36 yards on 13 targets.

Emmitt Smith had little room to run against the Patriots run defense, and ended his day with 13 carries for 31 yards. For what it's worth, he was the only Cardinal to have a rushing attempt. He scored a touchdown on a one-yard goal line plunge.

The Cardinals defense was largely ineffective. The three first-half Patriots turnovers were the result of good fortune and not good play. They included a fumbled pitch back to Dillon, a badly overthrown Brady pass, and a Hail Mary at the end of the half.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

New England Patriots

QB: Tom Brady (15-26-217, 2 TD, 2 Int, 1 Fumble lost, 5-3 rushing) did not play his best game as a New England quarterback, although he did improve vastly in the second half. In the first half he missed several open receivers, and badly overthrew Givens for an interception. He cannot be blamed for his second interception, which came on a Hail Mary at the end of the first half. The fumble was also not his fault, as it was the result of a pitch back that was dropped by Corey Dillon. Brady hit his tight end Daniel Graham for both of his touchdown passes.

RB: Corey Dillon (32-158 rushing, 0 TD, 1-1 receiving on 1 target ) found lots of running room against the Arizona defense, and the Patriots did not hesitate to go to the well often. The Patriots opened the game with a heavy dose of Dillon, as he finished the first quarter alone with 51 yards on 8 carriers. Although he didn't score, Dillon did have a 1-yard touchdown run called back on an illegal motion penalty. Dillon was helped off the field with an apparent injury to his neck early in the fourth quarter, but came back in the game to help the Patriots run out the clock.

Patrick Pass (4-7 rushing, 0 TD, 2-27 receiving on 4 targets) was used mainly to spell Dillon, but was targeted twice in the red zone. On the first target he was wide open and was badly overthrown by Brady. He also fumbled at the end of a long screen pass, but Deion Branch recovered.

Rabih Abdullah (1-4 rushing) got his lone carry at the end of the game.

Kevin Faulk was inactive due to the passing of his mother.

WR: David Givens (6-118 receiving on 11 targets, 0 TD) emerged as Brady's favorite target at WR. Brady threw his way often, especially after Branch left the game at the end of the first half. He had a great diving catch on a 28-yard pass play, and seemed to be open in the middle of the field throughout much of the game.

David Patten (2-39 receiving on 5 targets, 0 TD) WR2 begin writing here. David Patten had a quiet game. He was overthrown by Brady on one deep route.

Deion Branch (1-7 receiving on 2 targets, 0 TD) left the game at the end of the first half after being chopped by a teammate who had been blocked in the back on an interception return. He did not return.

Troy Brown (1-6 receiving on 2 targets, 0 TD) returned punts, but otherwise saw limited action. He was overthrown by Brady on a deep post route in the fourth quarter.

TE: Daniel Graham (2-21 receiving on 3 targets, 2 TD) made the most of the two passes thrown his way, catching them both for touchdowns. He is emerging as the top Patriots pass-catching tight end, particularly in the red zone. No other Patriots tight end had a pass thrown their way.

K: Adam Vinatieri (2 XP, 3-3 FG) Vinatieri was perfect on the day, connecting from 29, 28, and 24 yards out.

Pass Defense: The Patriots pass defense applied constant pressure on McCown, forcing errant and ill-advised throws. They finished the day with 5 sacks and two interceptions, and allowed only 160 total yards in the air.

Rush Defense: After a disappointing game against the Colts in week one, the Patriots rush defense returned to its 2003 form against the Cardinals. They allowed only 50 total yards on the ground, and eventually forced the Cardinals to abandon the run.

Arizona Cardinals

QB: Josh McCown (13-29-160, 0 TD, 2 Int, 3-19 rushing) looked like a young quarterback on a bad team for most of the afternoon. Under constant pressure from the Patriots pass rush, he was plagued by inaccurate throws and poor decision-making. On one series which began at the New England 9, he was sacked on successive pass plays for minus-24 yards. The commentators for the game felt that McCown was holding onto the ball for too long, although he did manage a slight improvement in the second half. He also had 5 balls batted down at the line of scrimmage.

RB: Emmitt Smith (13-31 rushing, 1 TD, 0-0 receiving on 1 target) had nowhere to run all afternoon. If you take away his long run of 8 yards, his remaining 12 carries resulted in 23 yards. His touchdown came on a 1-yard goal line carry following a Ty Law pass interference penalty. He was also targeted on a two-point conversion attempt.

Josh Scobey (0-0 rushing, 0 TD, 1-42 receiving on 1 target ) was responsible for the Cardinals longest play from scrimmage on the day, a 42 yard screen pass which took him to the New England 3-yard line.

WR: Bryant Johnson (3-39 receiving on 7 targets, 0 TD) was the top Cardinals receiver with 39 total yards. He was targeted in the end zone on a 5-yard pass play on which Ty Law committed pass interference.

Larry Fitzgerald (5-36 receiving on 13 targets, 0 TD) was McCown's clear number one target, as the quarterback frequently locked in on the rookie receiver. Fitzgerald made the most of limited opportunity, as most of the balls that were thrown his way were not actually catchable.

Karl Williams (0-0 receiving on 3 targets, 0 TD) was not a factor in the Cardinals passing game.

TE: Freddie Jones (4-43 receiving on 7 targets, 0TD) was a favorite receiver of McCown's. He was targeted once in the red zone.

K: Neil Rackers (0 XP, 2-3 FG) Neil Rackers showed off his leg strength, kicking field goals of 51 and 52 yards. He had a 58-yard attempt blocked at the end of the first half.

Pass Defense: The Cardinals pass defense was serviceable at times. They were able to apply some pressure to Brady early in the game, likely contributing to his errant throws. The first Cardinals interception came on a badly overthrown ball to Givens. The second interception was on a Hail Mary at the end of the first half.

Rush Defense: The Cardinals rush defense was abysmal. Corey Dillon was able to run seemingly at will against the defensive unit, which gave up a total of 172 yards on the ground.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Carolina Panthers

RB DeShaun Foster overcame inconsistent blocking to rush for 174 yards and a TD, despite getting stopped in the backfield eight times. While not a factor in the passing game (zero targets), Foster was still the focal point of the offense between the 20s. Foster had the longest gain of the game, a 71-yard run up the middle early in the fourth quarter that set up his 3-yard TD run on the next play. Foster only got one touch on the five plays Carolina ran inside the 10.

WR Keary Colbert got his first NFL start, replacing the injured Steve Smith. Colbert's 7 targets led the team. He overcame two first-half drops to make a two big catches in the third quarter, including his first NFL TD.

QB Jake Delhomme threw some inaccurate passes, and a few into coverage, but still managed to throw three TDs. The Panthers preferred play-action passes to runs at the goal line, throwing two short TDs to tight ends (one to Kris Mangum, one to Mike Seidman) off of play-action.

The Panthers' pass rush came through in the fourth quarter, sacking Trent Green three times, forcing and recovering a fumble, and producing a hurried throw that resulted in an interception for CB Chris Gamble.

Kansas City Chiefs

RB Priest Holmes had one of his least productive games as a Chief, gaining just 82 yards from scrimmage and scoring one TD. The running game never got into the flow, and Holmes was less involved than usual in the passing game. Holmes left the game with a leg injury in the fourth quarter, but was spotted on the sidelines late in the game.

TE Tony Gonzalez struggled to get open with a CB covering him most of the game, but he still managed 4 catches for 63 yards on 9 targets. Though he did not score, Gonzalez was targeted twice in the end zone, drawing a pass interference penalty on one play that set up Priest Holmes' TD.

WR Eddie Kennison pulled a hamstring in the second quarter that knocked him out of the game.

QB Trent Green cooled off badly after a hot start (6-7-70 on opening drive), and did not throw a TD pass. The loss of Kennison tightened up the field, and Green rarely had open receivers.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Carolina Panthers

QB: QB Jake Delhomme (16-29-180, 3 TD, 2 INT, 1-0 rushing) made several poor decisions and throws, but still got the win. After a shaky first half, Delhomme engineered a 16-play, 80-yard TD drive to open the second half that took 8:13 off the clock. Delhomme completed four passes on third down on that drive, including a TD pass to Keary Colbert. Delhomme's other two TD passes came on goal-line play-action passes to tight ends. He threw two INTs to CB Eric Warfield, one of which was returned for a TD.

RB: DeShaun Foster (32-174 rushing, 1 TD, 0 targets) was the focus of the offense between the 20s. Thanks to inconsistent blocking from the guards and center, Foster was tackled in the backfield eight times and stopped for no gain on three other plays. But when the Chiefs DTs didn't break through, Foster was elusive and effective. Early in the fourth quarter, Foster broke a 71-yard run up the middle, then scored on a 3-yard run on the next play for the game's final TD. Of the five plays Carolina ran inside the KC 10, Foster only touched the ball once, with Carolina preferring play-action passes or the QB sneak.

Brad Hoover (1-(-1) rushing, 4-37 receiving on 4 targets) had a TD reception overturned by a replay challenge. Hoover was ruled to have stepped out of bounds on the 1-yard line before stretching the ball into the end zone. He was usually a secondary option in the passing game, releasing to the flat when the Chiefs weren't blitzing.

Nick Goings (2-6 rushing, 1-19 receiving on 1 target) was used primarily as a blocker for Foster.

Rod Smart (3-4 rushing) got one carry in the first half spelling Foster, and two garbage-time carries.

WR: Keary Colbert (3-46 receiving on 7 targets, 1 TD) was inconsistent in his first NFL start. On Carolina's first play from scrimmage, Colbert drew a defensive pass interference penalty for an 18-yard gain. He had two drops, including one with 0:14 left in the first half that cost Carolina a field-goal opportunity. He made up for his drops in the third quarter - one sprawling grab across the middle on a ball thrown behind him converted a third down, keeping a drive alive that finished with Colbert catching his first NFL TD. The TD was a 9-yard pass that Colbert caught in the end zone as his man fell down.

Muhsin Muhammad (2-26 receiving on 6 targets) suffered from poor passes and his own lack of concentration. He was open for a sure 32-yard TD in the first quarter, but Delhomme overthrew him. Muhammad committed three penalties at the line of scrimmage - two illegal motion, and one illegal formation.

Ricky Proehl (4-48 receiving on 6 targets) rarely saw the field outside of 3-WR sets, but he led Carolina in receptions and receiving yards. All four of Proehl's catches resulted in Carolina first downs, two converting on third down. He did most of his damage across the middle. Proehl was the intended receiver on CB Eric Warfield's INT return TD.

TE: Kris Mangum (1-3 on 2 targets, 1 TD) was targeted twice, both in goal-line situations. Mangum caught a 3-yard TD pass on a play-action pass that appeared to have no chance. Delhomme was spun around by a defender, but managed to throw the ball in Mangum's direction before going down, and Magnum pulled it in for a TD.

Mike Seidman (1-1 on one target, 1 TD) was open to catch a 1-yard TD on a play-action pass, his only target of the day.

K: John Kasay made all four PATs he attempted. He did not attempt a field goal.

Pass Defense: was caught off-guard when the Chiefs called five play-action passes on their first six plays, but played great after the opening drive. Kansas City only completed one 20-yard pas after the opening drive. In the fourth quarter, Carolina's pass rush produced three sacks, a fumble that the Panthers recovered, and a hurry that resulted in an interception by CB Chris Gamble.

Rush Defense: Gave up little yardage on runs between the tackles, and did an excellent job containing Priest Holmes.

Kansas City Chiefs

QB: Trent Green (17-34-187, 0 TD, 1 INT, 2-15 rushing) completed 6 of 7 passes on the opening drive, but struggled the rest of the game. He rarely had open receivers to throw to, forced several passes into coverage, and was sacked three times in the fourth quarter, losing a fumble on the third.

RB: Priest Holmes (16-66 rushing, 1 TD, 3-16 receiving on 4 targets) never got into a rhythm in the running game, barely averaging over four yards a carry. There was little running room between the tackles, and Holmes had difficulty finding running lanes on the outside. He was not much of a factor in the passing game either, targeted just four times, and never for long gains. His TD run was a 1-yard plunge over the pile. Holmes left the game in the fourth quarter with a leg injury, but remained on the sidelines late in the game. Coach Dick Vermeil said he was fine after the game.

Tony Richardson (0-0 rushing, 3-7 receiving on four targets) did not carry the ball, and was targeted only once after the Chiefs' opening drive.

Derrick Blaylock (3-13 rushing, 1-5 receiving on three targets) got the call when Holmes left the game. He was the runner or targeted receiver on Kansas City's last five plays from scrimmage.

WR: Johnnie Morton (5-76 receiving on 9 targets) was Kansas City's go-to guy on third down. Six passes were thrown his way on third down, and he converted four of them, including a 31-yard reception late in the first half. He dropped one pass, but the other targets that weren't receptions were poor throws.

Eddie Kennison (1-20 receiving on 2 targets) pulled a hamstring on a deep pass pattern in the second quarter. He did not return.

Dante Hall (0-0 receiving on 1 target, 2-15 rushing) played much of the game at WR, but was only targeted once. He did gain 15 yards on two running plays.

Richard Smith (0-0 receiving on 2 targets) did not catch a pass, but had incomplete passes thrown his way on back-to-back plays in the fourth quarter. He did not play in the first three quarters.

TE: Tony Gonzalez (4-63 receiving on 9 targets) was covered by a CB most of the game, and he had some trouble getting open. He drew a 21-yard defensive pass interference penalty that set up the Chiefs' first TD. Gonzalez lined up outside on many plays, more often after Kennison left the game. The Chiefs threw to him twice in the end zone.

K: Lawrence Tynes made a 33-yard field goal to open the scoring, and missed a 47-yarder late in the first half.

Pass Defense: The Chiefs intercepted two passes despite not generating much of a pass rush all day. CB Eric Warfield had both of the picks, returning one 43 yards for a TD to give the Chiefs a 17-14 lead. They gave up two play-action passes for TDs around the goal line.

Rush Defense: Consistently burst through the middle to stuff plays before they began, tackling Foster in the field eight times. But if the DTs didn't blow up the play, the run defense was sub par, missing several tackles, and giving up a 71-yard run to Foster in the fourth quarter.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks defense won this game. Seattle held an opponent to less than seven points in consecutive games for the first time in more than twenty years, and they did this without star LB Chad Brown and first round draft pick DT Marcus Tubbs. This defense is playing well, and has potential to be playing even better later in the season.

QB Matt Hasselbeck was hurried and hit often. He only completed three passes in the second half, and none at all in the third quarter. However, he rebounded after an early interception and didn't make mistakes that would have cost Seattle the win.

RB Shaun Alexander had little to no room to run. Seven of his seventeen carries went for one yard or less. Alexander displayed no ill effects from last week's knee injury. Backup RB Maurice Morris was only given three carries and FB Mack Strong had his customary two carries in the game.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Backup QB Chris Simms replaced an ineffective Brad Johnson early in the second quarter. Simms did give the Buccaneers a small lift and led them on two 71-yard drives that resulted in field goals. However, the Tampa Bay offense was futile throughout the game. Head coach Jon Gruden did not immediately name a starting QB for week three.

RB Charlie Garner was used in a similar fashion to when he and Tampa Bay head coach Jon Gruden were paired in Oakland. Garner posted nearly six yards per carry and was used over and over again in the short passing game (9 targets).

WRs Michael Clayton (8 targets) and Tim Brown (9 targets) started the game and were the only Buccaneer receivers that were targeted consistently. Both were targeted in the customary short routes utilized by the west coast offense, but Clayton saw more action down field.

Some of the name recognition is gone from the Buccaneer defense, but this unit is still good enough to shut down any NFL offense on any given Sunday. They utilized a variety of blitz packages and owned the line of scrimmage on running plays.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Seattle Seahawks

QB: Matt Hasselbeck (12-26-147 passing TD, INT, 1-2 rushing) Hasselbeck put up his worst stat line in nearly two years, but under the circumstances an argument could be made that he did a good job of simply not losing the game. The Tampa Bay front seven hit Hasselbeck too many times to count. They brought multiple players from different directions all game long. On the series that Tampa Bay rushed only four, Hasselbeck hit WR Koren Robinson for the only Seahawk touchdown. The TD pass came on a slant and go (double move). Hasselbeck made a beautiful pump fake that made the cornerback bite on the slant and Robinson was wide open down the sideline. Hasselbeck's interception came in the first quarter. The ball was tipped up into the air by LB Derrick Brooks on a quick slant and batted around by the two players before being picked off. The bulk of his passes were off target in the game, but this was mostly due to the very tight coverage that the Tampa Bay secondary was blanketing the receivers with. Hasselbeck was being safe and trying to avoid throwing interceptions. In his post game interview, head coach Mike Holmgren took full responsibility for the lack of pass protection. He commented that he felt that he didn't put Hasselbeck in a position to be successful.

RB: Shaun Alexander (17-45 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 1 target) If we assume that last week's knee injury wasn't a factor, Alexander reverted to something from last season that the Seattle coaching staff won't be pleased with when they examine the game tape. Alexander continually fell backwards and to the side when meeting a tackler. He didn't lower his shoulders and drive into the pile when there wasn't any running room. Other than this, it was clear that Alexander wasn't worried about his knee injury from the previous week. Alexander's one target in the passing game was a departure from the typical Seattle game plan. It wasn't clear if they were trying to limit his normal workload or if it was part of the Seattle plan.

Maurice Morris (3-2 rushing, 1-2 receiving on 2 targets) Morris didn't receive any more touches than he normally does, but he was definitely on the field for more plays.

Mack Strong (2-11 rushing 1 fumble, 0-0 receiving on 2 targets) Strong fumbled after a three-yard carry in the first quarter. His other carry was a draw play on third and long that nearly got the first down.

WR: Darrell Jackson (5-50 receiving on 12 targets) The discrepancy between Jackson's reception total and target numbers was due to the Tampa Bay defense. Many of his targets were overthrown and nowhere near completions. When QB Matt Hasselbeck had to get rid of the ball, his first look was always towards Jackson. At the onset of the third quarter Jackson dropped two consecutive passes. Each was thrown high and would have been a tough reception, but he got his hands on each one. On the next play Jackson recovered with a third down reception just short of the sticks. He broke a tackle and fought for the necessary yardage, but the play was called back because of a penalty on the offensive line.

Koren Robinson (4-66 TD receiving on 5 targets) Robinson and Hasselbeck hooked up on a well executed pump and go pattern. Robinson sold the slant pattern well, and then busted it up field leaving the cornerback stumbling to catch up. This was nice, but Robinson's best catch came late in the game on a third down conversion when the Seattle offense as a whole was struggling. Robinson laid out parallel to the ground and extended fully to snag a Hasselbeck pass. This is particularly big for Robinson as the Seattle coaching staff has invested extensive time into Robinson's hands. One of Robinson's biggest knocks has been his penchant for letting passes get into his chest and body instead of snatching the ball with his hands. No drops for Robinson this week.

Bobby Engram (1-12 receiving on 3 targets) Engram's lone reception came late in the game when the Seattle offense was struggling to stay on the field. Uncharacteristically, Engram's other two targets early in the game were on deep routes down the seam.

TE: Jerramy Stevens (1-16 receiving on 2 targets) Stevens reception in the second quarter came on a drag underneath that he turned up the sideline for a nice gain. His other target was a reception on third and 10 that he nearly turned into a first down. It was a quick dump pass straight up the field. The play was called back due to a penalty.

Itula Mili (0-0 receiving on 0 targets) Mili entered the game on dual tight ends sets and short yardage plays, but was not targeted in the game.

K: Josh Brown (1 XP, 1-1 FG: 44) Nothing to report. The ball was placed in front of Brown twice and he kicked it through the uprights twice.

Pass Defense: Seattle used zone blitz schemes throughout the game. However, they were only sporadically able to put pressure on the Tampa Bay QBs. DE Chike Okeafor nearly ended the game with two near sacks on the last Buccaneer possession, but each ended up being personal fouls resulting in 30 yards of offense for Tampa Bay. Grant Wistrom recorded two sacks and forced a fumble. The Seattle defensive backs intercepted two passes and nearly picked off several others. Safety Terreal Bierria made a fantastic open field tackle on a swing pass to RB Jamel White at the Seattle one-yard line saving a touchdown. After QB Chris Simms fumbled the snap on the ensuing play the Buccaneers had to settle for a FG.

Rush Defense: The Seahawks gave up large chunks of yardage to RB Charlie Garner on draws and delays up the middle, but the run defense wasn't really tested as Tampa Bay passed the ball more than twice as often as they ran it.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

QB: Brad Johnson (4-7-34 passing INT, 1-3 rushing) Johnson was pulled from the game after the fourth Tampa Bay possession. During this first four series the Buccaneers ran fifteen plays for a total of 38 yards including an interception by Johnson on a weakly thrown ball. Johnson appeared quiet and frustrated on the sideline when shown on TV.

Chris Simms (21-32-175 passing INT, 4-13 rushing) Simms threw some very nice balls, and he made some terrible decisions. However, Simms twice led Tampa Bay on seventy-one yard drives that saw the Buccaneers get inside the Seattle ten-yard line. Each drive resulted in a chip shot field goal. Simms kept drives alive with sharp execution of the short passing game. He also delivered a strike on a deep post to WR Charles Lee for thirty-five yards. On the negative side, he fumbled twice and threw an ugly interception that ended the Buccaneers hopes on their last possession. He also threw another interception just before that play that was negated by a roughing the passer penalty. One fumble came on third and one at the Seattle one-yard line (botched snap). The other came after scrambling and getting sacked that resulted in a turnover.

RB: Charlie Garner (13-75 rushing, 6-24 receiving on 9 targets) Garner looked very quick. He accelerated through holes with authority making nice cuts reminiscent of his 2002 days in Oakland. Garner was used as an outlet in the passing game a lot, but he wasn't able to break any of those receptions for longer gains.

Jamel White (4- -5 rushing, 1-1 receiving on 1 target) White spelled Garner in the game. His first two carries in the first quarter resulted in -4 and -2 yards. Each time he was hit deep in the backfield. White nearly scored a TD at the end of a long Buccaneer drive in the second quarter. He took a swing pass in the flat to the one-yard line, but was stopped by a nice open field tackle.

Mike Alstott (2-6 rushing, 1-6 receiving on 3 targets) Alstott was barely utilized in the game. He had a one-yard carry near the goal line in short yardage. Alstott also had a nice reception on a third and five play in the fourth quarter to keep a drive alive. Seattle came on an all-out-blitz on the play and QB Chris Simms made a nice quick throw.

WR: Tim Brown (7-49 receiving on 9 targets) Six of Brown's receptions were on short slants and underneath routes. He had one reception of more than ten yards (fourteen yards on a crossing route). Brown is still able to gain separation to get open, but didn't gain more than a yard or two after each catch. Late in the game Brown was targeted once in the end zone. Brown also returned punts in the game.

Michael Clayton (6-61 receiving on 8 targets) Rookie Michael Clayton was targeted down field more than Tim Brown. He made two nice leaping receptions snatching the ball out of the air with his hands. Clayton uses his size well to shield off defenders.

TE: Ken Dilger (1-12 receiving on 1 target) Dilger caught his only target in the second quarter. Dilger started the game at TE.

Rickey Dudley (1-17 receiving on 2 targets) Dudley's second target in the fourth quarter drew a pass interference flag on DE Grant Wistrom (zone blitz coverage).

K: Martin Gramatica (0 XP, 2-2 FG: 24, 27) Gramatica his both his chip shot field goal attempts.

Pass Defense: The Buccaneer pass rush came from all directions. They hit and harassed QB Matt Hasselbeck time and time again. They forced Hasselbeck to throw the ball sooner than he wanted to on most plays. LB Derrick Brooks tipped a pass intended for WR Darrell Jackson that got bounced around in the air before Brooks picked it off. Brooks was also a force at the line of scrimmage attracting attention from offensive linemen that allowed others to break free into lanes to attack QB Matt Hasselbeck. Seattle was baffled by the various blitzes that Tampa Bay showed. The activity behind the line of scrimmage on the Tampa Bay side of the ball would have driven any QB nuts trying to decipher what was coming. In conjunction with all these blitz packages starting cornerbacks Kelly and Barber did an excellent job in press coverage on the outside.

Rush Defense: Tampa Bay gave up twelve yards to RB Shaun Alexander on his first carry, then gave up 3, -1, -2, 2, 5, -1, 3, 5, 1, 5, 6, -1, 1, and 1. Throw in the 1, 4, and -3 to backup RB Maurice Morris and you have a recipe for line of scrimmage domination. The overall intensity that the Buccaneer front seven brought to the game was impressive.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Denver Broncos

In a contest where both teams attempted to give the game away, it was Quentin Griffin's fumble that proved to be the difference maker. Down by a point, the Broncos had driven to the Jaguars 23 yard line, setting up what would have been a 40 yard field goal for Jason Elam. When Mike Shanahan elected to run one more play, Jake Plummer delivered the ensuing handoff to Quentin Griffin slightly low. Griffin never had control and the ball was recovered by OLB Akin Ayodele to end the Broncos threat and secure a win for the Jaguars.

Quentin Griffin had a tough time against the stingy Jaguars D. After averaging almost 6.8 yards a carry last week against the Chiefs, Griffin managed just over 2.6 yards per carry, gaining 66 yards on 26 carries. Griffin found little running room inside and often tried to bounce runs outside, but was unable to break any long runs. Griffin's longest run of the day went for only 9 yards. Griffin got two carries inside the Jaguars 6 yard line, but was unable to score.

Rod Smith was Jake Plummer's main weapon racking up 83 yards on 6 catches and 11 targets. Whenever the Broncos needed a first down, Plummer looked Rod Smith's way. Plummer generally played a smart football game, throwing for 250 yards. However, Plummer was unable to generate big plays when the team needed it. He was unable to lead Denver to a TD and the Broncos converted only a third of their third down tries. Plummer will share some of the blame for the Griffin fumble. Said coach Mike Shanahan, "I don't think he (Griffin) ever had it. It is different if a guy has it in his stomach and somebody strips it. He never got it from the quarterback. I'm not sure if Jake stumbled or what happened."

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars were able to escape with a win by using a smothering rush defense and a "bend but don't break" passing defense. The Jaguars defense was able to keep Quentin Griffin in check leaving him no room to run inside and rarely letting him turn the corner. However, the defense nearly cost Jacksonville the ball game. DE Lionel Barnes was flagged for roughing the passer after Jake Plummer's pass fell incomplete on 3rd and 4, keeping the Broncos last drive alive. DE Paul Spicer broke his leg in the second half and is likely done for the year.

The Jaguars won for the second week in a row without producing any top-tier fantasy performances. The offense put up only seven points, but in this game it proved to be just enough. The Jaguars have yet to produce either a 100 yard rusher or receiver so far this season. Byron Leftwich has yet to throw for 150 yards in a game this season.

Fred Taylor was clearly frustrated by a lack of running room in this game. Taylor managed only 54 yards on 16 carries. After getting swarmed by defenders in the backfield two plays in a row, an agitated Taylor pounded the playing field in frustration. Taylor looked good in this game on the few occasions that he had some running room. He ran with power and shiftiness. His foot injury did not seem to hamper him. The Jaguars were desperate enough to try and get Taylor into space that they opened up the second half with Greg Jones at halfback and Taylor lined up as a wide receiver. When that drive stalled, the experiment ended.

Byron Leftwich had another mediocre game statistically, throwing for 120 yards and a TD. Leftwich is still not showing the necessary touch on many of his short throws. Despite being double covered by Pro-Bowl CB Champ Bailey, Jimmy Smith continued to be Leftwich's security blanket in this game. Jimmy Smith's six targets were only one less than the seven distributed to the rest of the Jaguars receiving core. At times it felt like Smith was the only receiver on the field for Jacksonville. Earnest Wilford again proved to be an effective red zone threat for the Jaguars, stretching out to score the only TD of the game.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Denver Broncos

QB: Jake Plummer (23-39-250, 6-24 rushing) Jake Plummer continued his trend of above average play for most of the game interspersed with a few critical errors. On the last offensive play of the game for the Broncos, Plummer delivered a handoff to Quentin Griffin slightly low. Griffin fumbled the ball off his hip and it was recovered by the Jaguars, securing a Jacksonville win. Plummer looked best in this game when the run was working, rolling out on play action fakes. Plummer was unable to lead the offense to a TD and the Broncos were able to convert on only a third of their tries on third down.

RB: Quentin Griffin (25-66 rushing, 5-29 receiving on 6 targets, 1 Fumble lost) Griffin's botched handoff with 37 seconds left lost this game for Denver. Down by a point, and on the Jaguars 27 yard line, the Broncos attempted to run one more play. Jake Plummer delivered the handoff low and it bounced off Griffin's hip. Jacksonville OLB Akin Ayodele recovered the ball to extinguish the Broncos last chances. Griffin was hit hard and often by a relentless Jaguars defense. At once point Griffin's jersey was shown with two small holes in the front prompting the announcers to remark that Griffin had been taking "bullets" from the Jaguars defense all afternoon. Griffin found little running room inside this game, often being met by multiple Bronco defenders. Griffin was the primary back throughout this game, only being spelled by Tatum Bell when he needed a rest. However, Bell's role at this point seems to be no more than to give Griffin a breather. Whether that will continue after Griffin's fumbling problems remains to be seen, though Shanahan defended Griffin in the post-game press conference. Griffin remained in the lineup both in short yardage and goal line situations. However, Griffin received two carries inside the 6 yard line on a drive early in the 2nd quarter and was unable to score. Griffin was stuffed on a critical 3rd and 1 by DT Willie Blade for a two yard loss forcing the Broncos to punt on their next to last drive.

Tatum Bell (4-16 rushing) Bell surprisingly entered the game on the Broncos first series, spelling Griffin after he had three straight carries. Bell at this point is only relieving Griffin when he needs a rest, but may be able to jockey for more playing time after Griffin's recent fumbling problems.

Reuben Droughns(1-2 receiving on 1 targets) Droughns caught a pass for a 1st down on a 3rd and 1. He did not have any carries in this game.

Garrison Hearst did not play due to an ankle injury.

WR: Rod Smith (6-83 receiving on 11 targets) Rod Smith was the go to guy for Jake Plummer in this game. Of Smith's six receptions, five of them went for first downs. Smith also caught a 30 yard pass that was called back due to offensive holding. Smith pulled double duty playing the role of punt returner as well as wide receiver in this game. Smith fielded 3 punts for 30 yards. Smith muffed one of the punts, but was able to recover the ball himself.

Ashley Lelie (3-53 receiving on 7 targets) Lelie caught a 39 yard bomb from Plummer down to the Jaguars 6 to setup the Broncos only trip to the red zone all day. Lelie was targeted in the end zone two plays later, but the ball was overthrown by Jake Plummer.

Nate Jackson (2-25 receiving on 3 targets) Jackson made both of his catches on the Broncos last drive. Jackson caught a critical 20 yard pass on that drive that moved the Broncos deep into Jacksonville territory.

Darius Watts (1-11 receiving on 4 targets) Watts came away with only 1 catch on his four targets. Watts was the intended receiver on a Jake Plummer bomb, but the ball was under thrown. Watts had to come back to the ball but was unable to come down with the catch. Watts dropped another catchable ball later in the game.

Champ Bailey (0-0 receiving on 1 target) Champ Bailey was inserted at WR for a handful of plays in this game, but didn't make much of an impact. He was targeted on the last drive of the game, but was unable to make the catch.

TE: Dwayne Carswell (3-35 receiving on 3 targets) Carswell caught all three of the balls thrown his way for 35 yards. Carswell was guilty of a holding penalty in the 4th quarter that stalled a Broncos drive.

Jeb Putzier (2-12 receiving on 2 targets) Putzier caught both of the passes thrown his way. He made a great catch where he had to drag both feet inbounds at the sideline.

K: Jason Elam (0 XP, 2-3 FG) Jason Elam hit two of his three field goal tries on the day. Elam hit a 45 yard try that bounced off the upright and fell through for the score. On Elam's 52 yard attempt, the ball was hit right down the center and appeared to have enough distance, but at the last minute the ball seemed to fade and the kick fell just short of being good.

Pass Defense: The Broncos pass defense gave up only 120 yards passing against the Jaguars. Champ Bailey lined up against Jimmy Smith and the two battled all day. Bailey was able to deflect a few balls, but for the most part that battle was a push. The Broncos defense was able to sack Leftwich twice. Denver was particularly effective on 3rd downs, allowing Jacksonville to convert on only 1 in 10 chances. DE Lionel Barnes committed a critical error hitting Jake Plummer late and drawing a roughing the passer penalty that kept the Broncos last drive alive.

Rush Defense: The Denver rush defense bounced back after giving up over 150 yards to Priest Holmes last week. The Broncos D didn't allow Fred Taylor any room to operate. Taylor was often met by Jaguars defenders as soon as he touched the ball. Often, Taylor would cut to avoid the first defender and would be hit hard by another Bronco waiting for him. The Broncos held the Jaguars to 67 yards rushing total.

Jacksonville Jaguars

QB: Byron Leftwich (8-16-120, 1 TD, 2-8 rushing) Byron Leftwich continues to struggle despite leading the Jaguars to consecutive victories. While Leftwich throws a great deep ball, he lacked touch on his shorter throws in this game. Often receivers had to stop and wait for the ball or jump into the air to make the catch. Rarely did Jaguars receivers catch the ball in stride. Leftwich looked for Jimmy Smith early and often in this game despite the fact that Smith was being covered by Pro-Bowler CB Champ Bailey. Leftwich threw a 12 yard TD pass to Earnest Wilford early in the second quarter. While not known for his scrambling ability, Leftwich was able to ramble for a 1st down on a broken play early in the fourth quarter.

RB: Fred Taylor (16-54 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 0 targets) Taylor simply had no room to run against a tough Broncos defense. Taylor showed power and elusiveness on the few runs that he was able to get into any kind of space, but those runs were few and far between. Often Taylor would receive the handoff in the backfield and immediately be greeted by a defender. Taylor pounded the grass in frustration after being hit in the backfield and dropped for a loss on consecutive plays. In an effort to get Taylor into space, he lined up as a wide receiver to start the second half with Greg Jones as the tailback. Once that drive stalled, Taylor returned to his tailback role.

Greg Jones (2-9 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 1 target) Jones got his first carry in the 2nd quarter with the Jaguars in the red zone and promptly fumbled it away. Luckily, the Jaguars recovered and still managed to score on the drive. Jones was benched until the 2nd half. On the opening drive of the second half, the Jaguars opened with a formation that saw Jones line up at tailback with Fred Taylor split wide. Two plays into the drive, Jones validated his reputation as not being much of a receiver by dropping a pass that hit him right in the hands. Jones didn't play again the rest of the game.

LaBrandon Toefield (2 - (-4)rushing, 1-5 receiving on 1 target) Toefield had a rough day, with carries of minus 5, minus 2 and 1 yard. He also drew a holding penalty late in the game.

WR: Jimmy Smith (3-69 receiving on 6 targets) Smith was Leftwich's primary target in this game and had a pretty good game considering he was shadowed by shutdown corner Champ Bailey for most of the day. Smith almost pulled in a long pass down the sidelines early in the game, but Bailey was able to reach in and slap the ball away at the last minute. Smith was able to rebound for a 28 yard catch on the next drive which was challenged by the Broncos but upheld. Smith was to be the intended target on a fade route on the play right before Wilford's touchdown catch, but the play was blown dead by a false start penalty.

Earnest Wilford (1-12 receiving on 1 target, 1TD) Wilford's one catch of the day proved to be the only TD in this game. On 3rd and 10 from the Denver 12, Leftwich hit Wilford over the middle. As the defender tried to wrap up Wilford on the 2 yard line Wilford extended over the goal line for the score. This marks the 2nd week in a row that Wilford was targeted in the red zone and scored.

Reggie Williams (1-19 receiving on 2 targets) Reggie Williams was invisible for most of this game. Early in the 4th quarter, Williams dropped a catchable ball on 3rd and 2 to stall a Jaguar drive. He bounced back to make a big first down catch on the next drive.

Troy Edwards (2-15 receiving on 4 targets) While Edwards is technically the third receiver on the Jaguars team, he looked like the clear number two in this game. Leftwich looked for Edwards when he couldn't find Jimmy Smith. On one occasion, Edwards stretched out to try and pull in an overthrown Leftwich pass, but was unable to make the catch. Later on, Edwards let a ball bounce out of his hands that was almost intercepted.

TE: George Wrighster (0-0 receiving on 1 target) The tight end was an afterthought in the Jaguars offense as Wrighster was unable to come down with his only target.

K: Josh Scobee (1 XP, 0-0 FG) Scobee hit his only extra point try of the game. With the state of the Jaguars offense, Scobee doesn't look like much of a fantasy option right now.

Pass Defense: The Jaguars pass defense gave up 250 yards passing to Jake Plummer and the Denver passing attack, but yielded no touchdowns. The defense was unable to get a lot of pressure on Jake Plummer in the game and did not get a sack. Often Plummer had time to throw and could find the open man. However, the Jaguars clamped down on 3rd down, allowing the Broncos to complete only a third of their 3rd down tries. Their defense took a hit when DE Paul Spicer broke his leg early in the 3rd quarter.

Rush Defense: The Jaguars defense extended their streak of not allowing a 100 yard rusher to 17 games. The Jaguars run defense lived up to their reputation holding Quentin Griffin to 2.6 yards per carry after he average almost 6.8 a carry against the Chiefs last week. Collectively, the Jaguars held the Broncos to 106 yards rushing.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

New York Jets

RB Curtis Martin continues to turn back the clock, as he rolled for 119 yards on 32 carries. Most importantly, he also found the end zone two times for the second consecutive week. He has now doubled his touchdown total for the entire 2003 season.

QB Chad Pennington is as workmanlike as they come, but he shows a flair for the big play every now and then as well. He completed two passes of over 40 yards, and finished with tremendous numbers for a second straight week. He is an every week start in any fantasy setup right now.

WR Justin McCareins was very quiet in this game. He caught just 2 balls for 9 yards, and was only targeted 3 times in the entire game. Santana Moss hauled in 4 passes for 97 yards to take up the receiving slack.

C Kevin Mawae suffered a broken right hand. It was not known how much time he would miss.

San Diego Chargers

QB Drew Brees was removed from the game in the fourth quarter. At the time, the announcers speculated that he was being benched. The benching immediately followed perhaps his best pass of the afternoon, so the timing of the benching was odd. Following the game, it was revealed that Brees had suffered a concussion and that was why he came out. Coach Marty Schottenheimer was adamant in his post game remarks that Brees was pulled due to the concussion.

RB LaDainian Tomlinson continues to do what he can. He totaled 163 yards on just 22 touches and scored. He suffered an injury to his right big toe. The early reports are calling it "jammed" as the team is stopping short of calling it turf toe as of Monday morning. Keep an eye out for the official word.

TE Antonio Gates was unable to keep up his stellar play of a week ago. He was called for several penalties, dropped many catchable balls, short-armed several more, and his slip and fall was directly responsible for one of the Brees interceptions.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

New York Jets

QB: QB Chad Pennington (22-29, 258 yards passing, 2 TD) finished with exceptional numbers once again. 76% completion percentage is incredible at this level. There was a brief rough spot during the game when Pennington inexplicably sailed a couple passes. And he had a couple of throws that could have been interceptions. But he got himself under control and finished off the Chargers with precision. He began well, lofting a perfect pass into the waiting arms of WR Jonathan Carter. He capped his day with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Chris Baker that all but put the game away. It seemed as if anytime the Chargers got close, Pennington was there to put out the fire and restore order for New York.

One odd note during the game: Pennington may have lost a touchdown on a pass to Chris Baker early in the game. The one replay that was available to CBS was inconclusive as to whether Baker caught the ball or just trapped it. The ruling on the field was an incomplete pass, but Baker was adamant that he had caught it. The Jets challenged, but there was an apparent equipment malfunction (don't worry, no bare breasts were revealed) with the replay booth. It was unclear whether the referees actually saw the play in the replay booth, but the official came back onto the field and said that Baker had trapped the ball. Later, the announcers relayed two separate accounts - 1) Officials didn't see the replay, and they awarded the Jets their timeout back, followed by 2) Officials DID, in fact, see the replay, and it showed the ball to be incomplete, so the Jets would be cost a timeout. Since option two was the ultimate result and the Jets lost a timeout, it appears that was the case - or at least it was the story they gave. Pennington owners will NOT be happy if they lose their matchup this week by less than 6 points. The Jets settled for a Doug Brien field goal on the next play.

RB: Curtis Martin (32-119, 2 TD rushing, 6-25 receiving on 6 targets) was the workhorse, and in the process became the Jets' all-time leading rusher, passing Freeman McNeil, who had 8,074. Because of the tremendous success the Jets had running the ball, Pennington's play-action passes worked to perfection. Martin, after nearly rushing for 200 yards last week, laid the groundwork for Sunday's offense as well. He had 22 carries in the first half alone, and thoroughly dominated the Chargers. It seemed as if he was never tackled by anyone but a defensive back. The most important aspect of Martin's performance? Even when the Jets got to the red zone and goal line, LaMont Jordan was nowhere to be seen. Martin carried from the 1 early in the game and was stuffed. Very telling was the fact that Herm Edwards went right back to him on the next play, and Martin ended up scoring. He later got another short-yardage touchdown carry, which he also converted. He later received three more carries from the 5-yard line on two separate drives. Even though he didn't score on those, his presence on the field led to the Jets two other scores. Martin drew a huge crowd of Chargers every time they thought he was getting the ball, leaving Jerald Sowell and Chris Baker wide open for each to catch short touchdowns from Chad Pennington.

Jerald Sowell (5-56 receiving on 7 targets, 1 TD) was extremely active in the passing game. Pennington targeted him early and often, and he was the beneficiary of a short score when the Jets got close.

WR: Santana Moss (4-97 receiving on 5 targets) wasn't thrown the ball very often, but when he was thrown to, he made the most of it. He had a highlight-reel 48-tard reception late in the contest. On an under thrown ball, and despite being mugged by Quentin Jammer, Moss made a terrific adjustment on the ball and for a great catch. This Jets passing offense is similar to last year's in its efficiency, but different in the distribution. With a rejuvenated Curtis Martin and the addition of Justin McCareins, Moss may not see quite as many targets as he did a year ago. But the upside is that with less pressure on him to perform, he should be locked up in a lot of one-on-one matchups and his production will be just as good or better than a year ago. That certainly seemed to be the case Sunday.

Justin McCareins (2-9 receiving on 3 targets) was quiet. He wasn't even thrown to until there were 43 seconds left in the first half. He did receive a red zone look, but that was the extent of his impact.

TE: Chris Baker (3-20 receiving on 6 targets, 1 TD) was the primary pass-catcher at tight end for New York. His day could have been even bigger had it not been for an odd replay challenge (see: Chad Pennington). As it was, Baker was a favorite target of Pennington on the day and still managed to come up with a 1-yard score. On that play, the entire Charger defense seemed to converge on Curtis Martin on the ball fake, leaving Baker wide open in the end zone.

K: Doug Brien (4 XP, 2-2 FG) made all of his kicks without any fanfare.

Pass Defense: A week after Drew Brees lit up the Texans, the Jets showed they are a whole lot better than Houston. Despite failing to sack Brees or replacement Doug Flutie, they hurried both of them into poor decisions. What's more, the Chargers outside receivers had a ton of trouble getting open at all. Put it this way: As of 10:30 remaining in the third quarter, the Chargers had a total of ONE passing yard. They allowed Doug Flutie to march downfield for a late score, but they were playing an extremely soft zone at the time. It was unclear why they were doing so, since they were only up by 13 at the time. They intercepted two Drew Brees passes. The Jets ranked last in the NFL in creating turnovers in 2003 with just 20. Already in 2004, they have six. CB Donnie Abraham should have had another interception on a ball that seemed better suited for the route he ran rather than the one of the man he was covering, Eric Parker. San Diego's best success came on a 59-yard reception by LaDainian Tomlinson off a screen. He broke several tackles and wasn't stopped until he had rumbled deep into New York territory.

Rush Defense: It's a great day for your run defense when you can hold one of the NFL's best backs under 100 yards rushing. The trend in recent seasons has been for the Jets run defense to be brutal for about half the season, then make vast improvements as the year goes on. After facing two quality backs the first two weeks and holding each in check (87 yards to Tomlinson IS holding him in check), the Jets are off to a good start.

San Diego Chargers

QB: Drew Brees (8-19-146 passing, 1 TD, 1 fumble lost, 2 Int) should perhaps suffer more concussions in the future. According to NFL.com, Brees was 3 of 12 for 74 yards with two interceptions before the concussion. Afterward, he was 5-of-7 for 72 yards and a TD. Still, following his best play of the day, a beautiful 33-yard touchdown pass, Brees was pulled in favor of Doug Flutie. Brees didn't agree with the decision, and was seen angrily ripping off his chinstrap upon being informed that Flutie was going in. Brees wasn't without blame, but he was also limited by numerous mistakes by those around him. Antonio Gates was the biggest culprit, with at least one drop that would have gone for 30 yards, two more catchable drops, and finally a play on which he slipped where Brees was picked off. Brees did his share of damage, as he fumbled and lost a snap on a possession when San Diego was driving. The biggest issue with the Chargers offense is that Brees has no time to throw.

Doug Flutie (7-16-77 yards passing, 2-14 rushing, 1 TD) came on in relief of Brees when the starter suffered a concussion. He led the Chargers downfield on a scoring drive, but the Jets were in an extremely soft defense the entire time. Flutie seemed to favor Antonio Gates, who caught 3 of Flutie's 7 completions.

RB: LaDainian Tomlinson (19-87, 1 TD rushing, 3-76 receiving on 5 targets [2 targets from Brees, 3 targets from Flutie]) can only do so much. 59 of his yards came on a simple screen pass that he took up the gut and then broke several tackles. Tomlinson fumbled the ball right on the out of bounds line at the end of that run; had it been fumbled a foot to the left, the Jets would have easily recovered it. Earlier in the game, Tomlinson fumbled a handoff from Drew Brees but recovered it in the shadow of his own end zone. Despite these two miscues, he was efficient. He showed his exceptional vision and anticipation that enables him to do what he does. Tomlinson suffered an injury to his right big toe. The early reports are calling it "jammed". Keep an eye out for the official word.

WR: Reche Caldwell (4-67 receiving on 6 targets, 1 TD [4 targets from Brees, 2 targets from Flutie]) wasn't a huge factor in the game, but was the recipient of the only passing touchdown of the day for San Diego. Caldwell had earlier dropped a long pass from Brees that was put right on his fingertips, but he was unable to haul it in.

Eric Parker (2-19 receiving on 4 targets [2 targets from Brees, 2 targets from Flutie]) had a bad game. First, he fumbled a punt return when he was trying to do too much with it. Then, at the end of the game, he couldn't hang onto a ball in the end zone. It would have been an impressive catch, but it was a catchable ball. In between those two, Parker did a whole lot of nothing. He had a tough time getting any separation, and wasn't heard from much.

TE: Antonio Gates (4-39 receiving on 10 targets [5 targets from Brees, 5 targets from Flutie]) did not have a good game at all. He fell down on one route that led to a pass intended for him to be intercepted by New York. He also short-armed another ball that could have gone for a big gain. He dropped several catchable passes, including one that was easily a 30-yard gain. He also appeared to slightly injure himself late in the contest, but there was nothing in the news or notes about an injury.

Pass Defense: Oh, what could have been. This unit allowed two big plays of over 40 yards to be completed, and had no answers for the Chad Pennington play-action touchdowns. Still, that wasn't the worst aspect of their performance. No, that would be the turnovers that they left out on the field. Sammy Davis, Terence Kiel, and Jamar Fletcher each had golden opportunities to intercept Pennington passes, but were unable to do so. The Fletcher near-pick was especially costly, because he could have prevented a Jets score. The ball was intended for TE Anthony Becht and Fletcher was in perfect position to take the pass and return it for a score, as there was no one in front of him. But he dropped it, and the Jets ended up kicking a field goal.

Run Defense: Curtis Martin basically had his way with them in the first half. They could do nothing to contain him, and it enabled the Jets to control the clock for much of the first half. They didn't fare much better in the second half, because every time the Jets neared the end zone, San Diego sold out on the run, which enabled Pennington to loft two easy scores to other players. LB Randall Godfrey suffered a concussion in the first quarter and did not return.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

St. Louis Rams

Unable to establish any kind of running game, the Rams relied on QB Marc Bulger's arm to move the ball. Bulger was under heavy duress from the Atlanta defense throughout the first half, but was nearly perfect going 14-15 for 140 yards. Given time to throw in the third quarter, Bulger was deadly and rallied St. Louis from a 10-point deficit to pull even at 17-17. After the Falcons scored a TD to go back ahead 24-17 early in the fourth quarter, Bulger once again felt the heat from the Atlanta pass rush. Throwing from his end zone, he had the ball swatted from his hand and recovered in mid-air for the defensive TD. Two plays later, Bulger sailed a pass over WR Dane Looker's head and was intercepted.

RB Marshall Faulk saw a sea of red everywhere he turned. Faulk was completely bottled up by the swarming Falcons defense and held to an abysmal 12-20 rushing effort. The Rams and Faulk received a scare in the second quarter when he took a helmet to his left knee and hobbled off the field. Faulk returned later in the drive to skip into the end zone untouched for a 1-yard TD. Unlike last week, Faulk received the only goal line touch in the game.

With the ground game virtually useless, WRs Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce came up huge and amassed a combined 17 receptions for 223 yards and a TD. Bruce was again Bulger's favorite receiver (13 targets) as he worked the middle of the field. Holt (10 targets) effectively worked the sidelines and caught all but one of the passes thrown his way. Holt made a fantastic catch for a 33-yard TD in the end zone, coming back for the ball and leaping in the air.

The Rams defense was unable to contain QB Michael Vick and the defensive line's aggressive pass rush left them too far up the field and the middle wide open. With Vick doing most of the damage, St. Louis surrendered a massive 242 yards on the ground and a 6.37-yard per carry average.

Atlanta Falcons

QB Michael Vick looked more like a running back than a quarterback as he dazzled the crowd and the Rams defense with his tremendous running ability. Vick destroyed the St. Louis defense by constantly pulling the ball down and breaking off big runs for a total of 109 yards rushing in the game. He looked like a veteran of the newly installed West Coast offense, throwing the ball with zip and accuracy. Vick often rolled out on a naked bootleg and either threw a quick pass or took off running if his receivers were covered. He played an outstanding game and made smart decision throughout. The only downside of his performance was Vick was twice kept out of the end zone, tackled at the 2-yard line on both occasions, after runs of 7 and 14 yards.

RB Warrick Dunn got the bulk of the carries for the Falcons, but was kept in check by the Rams defense only garnering 43 yards on 14 carries. However, Dunn was on the field for all goal line opportunities and delivered with a pair of 2-yard TD runs. While TJ Duckett led all running backs with 52 yards rushing, 43 of those yards were gained after Dunn left the game early in the fourth quarter with a sprained left knee. Duckett did take full advantage of the opportunity, using his smash mouth style to control the ball and kill the clock. The seriousness of Dunn's injury was not known after the game.

The Falcon's pass catchers took a back seat to the Michael Vick rushing show and it was FB Justin Griffith who did the most damage, hauling in 4 catches for 78 yards and a TD.

The Atlanta defense was the true hero for the Falcons in this game. They shut down the running attack of the Rams forcing the running backs to run sideways and only allowing a paltry 30 yards rushing for the game. The swarming defense used the risk/reward style of defense blitzing QB Marc Bulger early and often putting constant pressure on the quarterback. Their final numbers were 11 blitzes, 5 sacks, 2 turnovers and a defensive TD.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

St. Louis Rams

QB: Marc Bulger (24-31-285, 1 TD, 1 Int, 1 fumble lost) played remarkably well despite being under constant pressure from the blitzing Falcons defense. Without the benefit of a ground game, Bulger was forced to put the ball up often. He hung in the pocket and finished the first half an impressive 14-15 for 140 yards. Bulger can afford to takes chances, often throwing into double coverage because his talented receivers of Holt and Bruce just find a way to come down with the ball. Bulger's 33-yard TD pass to Holt was thrown into blanketing coverage, but Holt made a nice adjustment to the ball and came down with the catch. Bulger received a huge break in the second quarter when a defensive holding penalty nullified an interception returned for a TD on a poorly thrown screen pass intended for Marshall Faulk. The offensive line that played so well against the Arizona Cardinals in the first week failed to protect Bulger in the fourth quarter resulting in back to back costly turnovers and ending the Rams chances. Bulger missed his chance for another TD in the second quarter when Bruce was tackled at the 1-yard line after his momentum was slowed by the ball being thrown behind him.

RB: Marshall Faulk (12-20 rushing, 1 TD, 5-21 receiving on 6 targets) was smothered by the Falcons defense all game. Faulk was gang tackled and even when he released out of the backfield for pass routes, defenders blanketed him. Faulk did receive the only goal line carry going untouched for a 1-yard run on fourth and goal to score the Rams first TD. Faulk took a crunching hit from a defender's helmet to his left knee, but was able to shake it off and return to the game after a short rest on the sidelines.

Steven Jackson (3-10 rushing) had a miserable game. Jackson failed to pick up a blitzing DB and resulted in Bulger being sacked for a 10-yard loss. On a bright note, Jackson did keep the drive alive by using a strong second effort after being initially stopped to pick up a first down on a fourth and one carry. Jackson's biggest blunder came early in the fourth quarter after the Falcons had gone back ahead 24-17. After catching the ensuing kickoff in the end zone for a touchback, Jackson received a personal foul penalty when he threw the ball at an Atlanta player. The Rams offense started with poor field position and after a sack back to the 1, Bulger was stripped of the ball and the fumble was snatched out of mid-air for a defensive TD.

WR: Torry Holt (9-121 receiving on 10 targets, 1 TD) was able to hurt the Falcons secondary by using his speed and precise routes to get open on the sidelines. Holt scored a 33-yard TD in the corner of the end zone by shedding tight coverage and coming back and leaping for the slightly under thrown Bulger pass. Holt led all receivers with 9 receptions for 121 yards. Holt had his first catch of 14 yards voided by an ineligible player downfield penalty.

Isaac Bruce (8-102 receiving on 13 targets) was again Bulger's favorite target, having 13 passes thrown his direction. Bruce expertly worked the middle of the field and caught several big gainers on crossing routes. Bruce was denied what might have been a 5-yard TD reception after being tackled at the 1-yard line. The pass was thrown slightly behind him. If he'd been hit in stride, Bruce would have walked into the end zone.

Dane Looker (2-41 receiving on 5 targets) had a 28-yard catch down the seam early in the third quarter, but was otherwise kept in check by the secondary. Looker had an 11-yard reception nullified late in the game by a face mask penalty on the offense.

TE: Brandon Manumaleuna was not targeted by Bulger in the game and was primarily kept in to help block the relentless pass rushers of Atlanta.

K: Jeff Wilkins (2 XP, 1-1 FG) converted on his only field goal attempt from 46 yards.

Pass Defense: The Rams were unable to stop Vick from running at will. The defensive linemen were out of position and allowed Vick to break containment on numerous occasions. The secondary did a nice job of blanketing the Falcons receivers and only allowing short passes. OLB Pisa Tinoisamoa had 8 tackles, 1 assist, and recorded the only sack of Vick.

Rush Defense: Plain and simple, the Rams rush defense was dreadful. Although they were able to put a lid on RB Warrick Dunn, the Atlanta offensive line overpowered the Rams defenders. Being out of position, over pursuing and poor tackling led to their demise.

Atlanta Falcons

QB: Michael Vick (14-19-179, 1 TD, 12-109 rushing) was deadly with his feet. Vick gashed the Rams for several long runs and used his excellent cutting ability and speed to frustrate the would be tacklers. Vick used the Rams aggressive pass rush against them by moving up in the pocket and taking off running at will. Vick was very sharp in the passing attack, throwing quick, accurate passes and finishing with a respectable 179 yards passing. On the Falcons second drive of the game, Vick faked a toss right and hit FB Justin Griffith for a 3-yard TD pass. Vick's only mistake on the game came when he missed WR Dez White on a long bomb after White had beaten defenders by five yards down the sideline. Vick also had the misfortune of being tackled on the Rams 2-yard line two separate times after nice runs. Overall, Vick looked very comfortable in the West Coast offense and played extremely well.

RB: T.J. Duckett (9-52 rushing) took advantage of the injury to Warrick Dunn to pound his way for 52 yards on the ground. Although 43 of those yards were gained after Dunn went down, he ran hard and was hitting the holes quickly. Duckett tallied a commendable 5.78-yards per carry.

Warrick Dunn (14-43 rushing, 2 TDs, 1-1 receiving on 1 target) had trouble getting past the defensive line and was held to just over a 3-yard per carry rushing effort. Dunn continues to be the goal line option for Atlanta and the offensive line opened huge holes to allow him to score on a couple of 2-yard TD runs. Dunn sprained his left knee and missed most of the fourth quarter.

FB Justin Griffith (1-3 rushing, 4-78 receiving on 4 targets, 1 TD) was a weapon out of the backfield. He led all Falcons receivers in catches and yards. Griffith did most of the damage on the Falcons first TD drive, catching a screen pass from Vick and lumbering down the sideline for 62 yards to the St. Louis 20. Four plays later, Vick hit a wide-open Griffith out in the flat for a 3-yard TD pass.

WR: Dez White (3-24 receiving on 4 targets, 1-26 rushing) led all Atlanta receivers in catches and yardage. White broke off a huge 26-yard run on an end around mid way through the fourth quarter.

Peerless Price (2-18 receiving on 4 targets, 1-9 rushing) was only targeted once in the first half and had no catches. At the start on the second quarter, Price looked to be stopped for a big loss on an end around, but he reversed direction and picked up blockers for a 9-yard gain.

Brian Finneran (1-9 receiving on 1 target) caught his only pass early in the second quarter and was not thrown to again.

TE: Alge Crumpler (3-49 receiving on 4 targets) provided solid blocking for the Falcons ground attack and gave Vick a good option in the passing game. He used his size and remarkable speed to provide an outlet for Vick when under pressure. Crumpler made a heads up play when he snatched a deflected pass out of the air and bulldozed his way for a 7-yard gain.

K: Jay Feely (4 XP, 2-2 FG) Jay Feely converted on both his field goal attempts from 25 and 35 yards. Feely caught the Rams off guard kicking an on-side kick after the Falcons first TD and diving to recover the kick himself.

Pass Defense: The Falcons gave up 285 yards passing in this game and could not stop WRs Holt and Bruce from getting open. CBs Jason Webster and Kevin Mathis did their best to slow them down but weren't very effective. The defense was constantly in QB Marc Bulger's face and wore down the Rams offensive line into submission. DE Brady Smith turned the tide of the game when he beat OL Orlando Pace and slapped the ball out of Bulger's hand and recovered the ball in mid-air in the end zone for the TD. DE Patrick Kerney sacked Bulger twice and his pressure contributed to CB Aaron Beasley's interception to put the game out of reach. Atlanta recorded 5 sacks, forced two turnovers and scored a defensive TD.

Rush Defense: The Falcons rush defense was tremendous only allowing the Rams a total of 30 yards for the game and a miniscule 2-yard per carry average. They never allowed RB Marshall Faulk to get into the flow of the game and forced the Rams to throw the ball into the face of a blitzing rush. LB Keith Brooking shined with 7 tackles.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Miami Dolphins

The entire Dolphins offense started poorly, with the first offensive play of the game for Miami an offsides committed by "everyone but the center." The defense did their best to keep the team in the game, but in the end it wasn't enough.

QB AJ Feely struggled to move the ball under intense pressure from the Bengals defense which rushed and hit him all night. He was constantly harried, rushed, and hit, to the point where Randy McMichael was seen yelling at the offensive line. He did have better protection later in the game and was able to throw the only offensive touchdown of the game.

RB Lamar Gordon was used extensively in the game, rushing 19 times. He was also targeted for more passes than any other Miami player. In fact he was used for 4 out of the first 5 Miami plays. The bad news is that he only gained 22 yards on those 19 carries.

Both WR Chris Chambers and TE Randy McMichael were common targets in the passing game, and made the most of every opportunity that was given to them.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals only touchdown was an interception return. This tells you what you need to know about both the defense and the offense. This game was very much a defensive battle, and in the end the defensive touchdown was what won the Bengals this game, not their offense.

Carson Palmer threw many short passes, but was unable to complete the longer throws. He finished 21 of 38 but no completions were longer than 20 yards. WR Chad Johnson had a quiet game, as he was the focus of Sam Madison's attention, who did a good job of sticking close to him.

The running game wasn't able to accomplish much either. Rudi Johnson found some success in the first half, but was almost totally ineffective in the second half of the game.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Miami Dolphins

QB: AJ Feeley (21-39-218, 1 TD, 2 Int, 1-3 rushing) Feeley was hit and harassed all game. It was not unusual to see defenders flying through the line without even getting chipped by a back or a lineman. He was constantly under pressure. On the rare plays that he did have some time to make a play, he was able to get the ball to his receivers.

Feeley was only sacked twice, but that was primarily because he did a good job of getting rid of the ball. But this lead to some poor throws. There were at least three passes that should have been interceptions by the Bengals, that weren't. Two of these passes hit the defensive player in the chest.

RB: Lamar Gordon (19-22 rushing, 8-44 receiving on 12 targets) Gordon had all sorts of problems running the ball. It was a rare play where he got to the line of scrimmage without being hit at least once. When he did have a bit of room in the backfield, he seemed to run hesitantly, and often the running lanes closed as he got there. Gordon had to fight for every yard he gained. He was very involved in the passing game with 12 targets, where he added 44 yards.

WR: Chris Chambers (5-69 receiving on 7 targets, 1 TD) Chambers was clearly a target that Feely looked for. However, Feely and Chambers seemed out of synch at times. At least twice it was clear that the route that Chambers ran was different from what Feely thought Chambers was going to run. His touchdown catch was a great one. He jumped up to catch a tipped pass and managed to keep both feet in. He made another nice catch where he laid out to snag a pass.

Derrius Thompson (1-7 receiving on 2 targets) Thompson was used later in the game, but was only targeted twice.

Marty Booker (1-5 receiving on 5 targets) Booker was a frequent target, but he was unable to convert all but one of the attempts. This was due to a combination of strong defense, rushed throws by Feely and solid play from the Bengals' defense.

TE: Randy McMichael (6-93 receiving on 9 targets) McMichael continues to be a focal point of the offense. He is playing up to the task. McMichael made a heads up play on one of the passes targeted for him that fell incomplete - it was a short pass from Feely, while Feely was under pressure. This throw was long, and McMichael made a good effort to tip the ball away from the defender so that it would not be intercepted.

When he had the chance he did everything he could to make a play. For example, he had a long catch where he literally dragged a defender who was hanging onto his jersey for four or five yards. He almost made it to the endzone but was stopped just short.

Donald Lee (1 Target) Lee was targeted once, but he was unable to make the catch as the pass was errant.

K: Olindo Mare (1 XP, 2-2 FG) Mare made field goals of 43 and 47 yards. He had to make the last 47 yard kick twice because the Dolphins snapped the ball despite a time out taken by the Bengals.

Pass Defense: The Miami pass defense played well containing Chad Johnson and pressuring Carson Palmer. They allowed only 147 yards in the air. The Dolphins held the Cincinnati offense to just field goals.

Rush Defense: The rush defense looked much improved over last week. They gave up 94 yards, but when it came down to it, they were able to make a stop when it needed to be made. They did not give up a run longer than 14 yards. The Miami defense was the only things that kept them in the game.

Cincinnati Bengals

QB: Carson Palmer (21-38-147, 1 Int) Carson Palmer was forced to live off of the short pass. He was accurate enough to not lose the game. He managed to protect the ball and was only intercepted once, but he was clearly struggling under the pressure from the Miami Defense. He also spread the ball around, targeting nine different receivers at least once.

RB: Rudi Johnson (22-67 rushing, 1-4 receiving on 1 target) Johnson was contained by the Miami run defense. He was able to break off two runs of about 14 yards, but all his yards were hard fought. In fact, his last five runs totaled a loss of three yards. When the Bengals were ahead, they seemed to rely on the short passing game as often as the run.

Kenny Watson (4-9 rushing, 3-6 receiving on 3 targets) Kenny Watson came in occasionally in relief of Rudi Johnson, and he was not any more effective than Johnson was.

Jeremi Johnson (1-1 rushing) Jeremi Johnson, the fullback, carried the ball once for a single yard.

WR: Peter Warrick (6-51 receiving on 9 targets) Peter Warrick was targeted often, but all of the passes were fairly short. He did miss on three passes, which were not perfectly thrown, but were catchable. One of his receptions was just a short shovel pass, which may as well have been a running play, but he did manage to get 11 yards on that attempt. With Chad Johnson drawing the attention of the secondary, Warrick was a popular target for Palmer.

Chad Johnson (3-45 receiving on 6 targets) Johnson had a quiet game mostly because of coverage from Sam Madison. He was targeted more often later in the game, but his third chance to catch the ball didn't come until the third quarter. One of the few long passes Carson Palmer attempted was to Chad Johnson, but the pass was incomplete into double coverage. If Johnson could have drawn single coverage, he might had have had a touchdown.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh (1-13 receiving on 2 targets) Houshmandzadeh made an acrobatic catch along the sideline on one of the two attempts to get him the ball.

TE: Tony Stewart (2-17 receiving on 7 targets) Stewart was targeted often on the short passing routes, but only managed 2 receptions.

Matt Schobel (4-12 receiving on 7 targets) Schobel made most of his catches late in the game, with five of the times he was thrown to came in the fourth quarter.

Reggie Kelly (1- -1 receiving on 1 targets)

K: Shayne Graham (1 XP, 3-4 FG) Graham missed his first field goal attempt of 38 yards, going wide right. After that he made field goals of 48, 36, and 39 yards (a last second game winner).

Pass Defense: The pass defense came out strong and stayed that way. Feeley was constantly under pressure and was forced into bad decisions. But even with this performance, they could have played better. There were two passes that hit defensive players in the chest, which where then dropped instead of being intercepted. One interception that the Bengals did make went all the way back for a touchdown.

Rush Defense: The Bengals rush defense was oppressive. They swarmed through the offensive line, constantly hitting Gordon in the backfield. There wasn't an anything Miami could do to get the running game moving against the Bengals.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Indianapolis Colts

RB Edgerrin James looked great but sustained a hamstring injury that the team says will cause him to be listed as doubtful for week 3. James started slow in the first half, seemingly not having a great game, and like the James of old, finished the game with 124 yards and 2 TDs. This was arguably the best he has looked in a long time. He ran with power and was explosive.

The Colts played poorly in the first half, staying alive on Titan penalties and good fortune. Manning was held in check by a strong Titan pass defense, and James was unable to get going. That all changed in the second half as the Colts offense came alive.

With Harrison facing double and sometimes triple coverage, WR Reggie Wayne is taking the opportunity to display his skills. With 11 targets, 119 yards, and a TD, Wayne is looking like the complement to Harrison that the Colt's have been hoping to have for years now.

Tennessee Titans

Chris Brown became only the third back in franchise history to run for 100 or more yards in each of his first two starts (in the 1st half-alone in both games). Earl Campbell did it in 1978, and Gary Brown in 1993. Brown showed some speed, hitting the hole well. He looks very confident with the ball.

The thought was that TE Dallas Clark might supplant Pollard this season. If this game is any indication that might be premature. Clark did play in the game, but was never targeted, and was not a thought in the offensive attack. Pollard on the other hand scored, and was a vital part of the offense in the second half when the Colts started to roll on the Titans.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Indianapolis Colts

QB: Peyton Manning (24-33-254, 2 TD, 2-5 rushing) Manning and the whole offense came out of the gates slowly, with Manning throwing for only 84 yards in the first half. Manning exploded in the second half with 170 yards while throwing 2 TDs. Manning had all day to throw with the excellent protection the offensive line provided.

RB: Edgerrin James (21-124 rushing, 2 rushing TDs, 2 for 3 receiving on 2 targets)
James lost rushes of 3, and 1 yards nullified by penalties. He started slow with only 24 yards in the first half, but really came on in the second half, highlighted by a 30 yard TD run. James rushed for 100 of his 124 yards and two touchdowns in the second half. The team stated Monday morning that James suffered a hamstring injury and that he will be doubtful for week 3.

Dominic Rhodes (1 target) Rhodes returned 3 kickoffs for an average of 21 yards. Rhodes was not a factor in the offense.
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WR: Marvin Harrison (10-98 receiving on 12 targets, lost fumble) Harrison got off to a slow start, and was double if not triple covered on most plays. The coverage on Harrison really gave Wayne a chance to shine. Harrison fumbled the ball when RDT Albert Haynesworth poked the ball out of his arms and RCB Samari Rolle recovered the fumble for Tennessee.

Brandon Stokely (2-27 receiving on 5 targets) Stokely was the target of the Manning's first pass in the game, and wasn't looked to again until the second half, when he failed to catch 3 of the 4 balls thrown his way. As Harrison and Wayne put on a show, Stokely had a poor outing.

Reggie Wayne (7-119 receiving on 11 targets, TD) Wayne's TD came on a slant pattern where he was heavily covered in traffic. The TD that eventually went to TE Marcus Pollard seemed destined to be Wayne's, but it just wouldn't happen. The Colt's ran an 18 Slant where Harrison is double covered, leaving Wayne 1-1 on a deep out. Wayne caught the ball, but lost his footing on what would have easily been a long TD. Then the Colt's come back on the very next play, ran the 18 slant back to back, leaving Wayne single covered with a step on LCB Andre Dyson on the deep out towards the goal line, and Manning just over threw him for what would have also been a score.

TE: Dallas Clark did play in the game, but was never targeted.

Marcus Pollard (3-7 receiving on 4 targets, TD) Pollard started slow, and was not targeted at all in the first half of play. Pollard scored while standing alone in the back of the end zone. It was a fake to James from the Colts base Stretch package. Manning faked the Stretch to James, and found Pollard all alone in the back of the end zone.

K: Mike Vanderjagt (4 XP, 1-1 FG)

Pass Defense: RDE Dwight Freeney (2 tackles, 1 assist), RDE Robert Mathis (1 tackle), and LDE Brad Scioli (1 tackle) all got in the Titans backfield recording sacks. Freeney's sack came as he was virtually untouched with just a shoulder block, and showed great speed in bringing down McNair. LCB Nick Harper (5 tackles, 1 assist) stole a TD right out of WR Derrick Mason's hands for an interception.

Rush Defense: LOLB David Thornton (9 tackles, 1 assist) lead the team in stops. Playing in the place of injured starter Mike Doss, SS Cory Bird (9 tackles, 1 assist). The Colts were over run by Brown in the first half (104 rushing yards and a TD), but then held him to 48 yards in the second half.

Tennessee Titans

QB: Steve McNair (25-39-273, interception, 2 for 2 rushing with a TD, lost fumble) McNair's only score was a rushing TD on a 1-yard QB sneak. McNair had WR Mason targeted for a TD in the left side back of the end zone, but Mason ran out of field before he could reel it in. McNair ran the exact same play on the very next snap for what would have also been a TD, but WR Bennett let it slip right through his hands. McNair also lost a sure TD when Colts CB Nick Harper pulled the ball out of Mason's hands in the end zone.

RB: Chris Brown (26-152, TD, 1 for 8 receiving on 4 targets) Lost 4 yards rushing due to penalties. Brown rushed for over 100 yards in the first half. Capped by a 30 yard rushing TD. Brown was held to 48 yards and zero passes thrown to him in the second half as the fortunes for both teams reversed.

Antowain Smith did not play in the game.

Robert Holcombe (1-2 rushing, 1 target) Holcombe did an excellent job blocking for the Titans, but was a statistical non-factor in the game.

Troy Fleming (1-4 receiving on 1 targets) Fleming's only catch was a fake punt thrown from Punter Craig Hentrich on 4th and 10. Fleming picked up 4 of the 10 yards needed.

WR: Derrick Mason (8-104 receiving on 12 targets) Mason showed his great speed turning a simple 4-yard pass into a 33-yard gain. Mason's first lost TD came when McNair threw an out to him in the left side back of the end zone, but Mason ran out of field to successfully reel it in. Mason would have put yet another TD into his stats on the day, but LCB Nick Harper literally pulled the ball out of his hands in the end zone for an interception. After the game, Mason blamed himself for the lost TD, saying it was his fault for relaxing. "I just relaxed there a little bit after I caught the ball," Mason said. "I should have clutched it tighter."

Drew Bennett (7-85 receiving on 13 targets) Bennett lost a TD on a timing pass from McNair that went right through his hands in the left side of the end zone. In a minor scare, Bennett took a hard helmet shot from LCB Nick Harper to the left side of his body. He was slow getting up, and was helped from the field. He just had the wind knocked out of him, as the returned later.

Eddie Berlin (1-19 receiving on 2 targets) Berlin didn't enter the game until the last desperation drive by the Titans. He was targeted twice, catching a pass. He was a non-factor in the game, and most likely only played in the final drive to get some experience.

TE: Erron Kinney (6-45 receiving on 6 targets) Kinney caught every ball thrown his direction, and served as a great safety net for McNair.

Ben Troupe (2-12 receiving on 2 targets) Like Kinney, Troupe caught every ball thrown to him.

K: Gary Anderson (2 XP, 1-1 FG)

Pass Defense: Very little pressure on QB Manning, no sacks, interceptions from the Titans. The Titans did a good job of slowing Manning down in the first half, but was unable to contain him in the second half. The Titan DBs almost seemed to stop playing in the second half after performing well early.

Rush Defense: RCB Samari Rolle (6 tackles, 1 assist) lead the team in stops, and recovered a fumble. The Titans had not allowed an opposing back to rush for 100 yards against them in 29 straight home games and stuffed James in the first half, holding him to 24 yards on the ground. James was unstoppable in the second half, shredding the Titans for 100 yards and 2 rushing TDs.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

New York Giants

The Giants rebounded nicely from last week in largely a defensive effort propelling them to the first win of the Coughlin era. New York forced seven turnovers (4 interceptions and 3 fumble recoveries) and scored once on defense. The Giant offense looked good in the first half but seemed to play "prevent offense" in the second half as Coughlin seemed content to rely on the play of the swarming defense to bring them the win.

As FOX announcers Troy Aikman and Cris Collinsworth stated, Kurt Warner is starting to look like, well Kurt Warner. Warner displayed good decision making and accuracy and had a beautiful long pass to Tim Carter for a 38 yard score. In route to 232 yards, Warner spread the ball around nicely to Toomer, Hilliard, Shockey and Carter.

The New York running game was largely ineffective as the team went for just 62 yards on 28 carries for just 2.2 YPC. Tiki Barber (18 rushes for 42 yards) and Ron Dayne (9 rushes for 12 yards) again split carries with Dayne getting the short yardage work. However, once again New York had trouble converting on short yardage situations as Dayne failed to convert on 3rd and 2 and subsequent 4th and 1 plays. Dayne was able to convert on two 2nd and 1 situations.

Washington Redskins

The Redskins looked unbeatable on the first drive with a steady diet of Clinton Portis and a perfectly executed play action touchdown pass from Mark Brunell to TE Chris Cooley. Portis rushed for 23 yards and Brunell was 3 for 3 with two of those completions coming off play action.

Why go into so much detail about the first drive? Because it was pretty awful from there on out. This did not have the look of a team coached by Joe Gibbs. The remainder of the first half series went like this: Punt, Lost Fumble, Punt, Fumble returned for TD, INT, Punt, Missed FG. To top it off, starting the second half, Brunell injured his hamstring on a designed roll-out to the left. Brunell was replaced by Patrick Ramsey and Portis promptly fumbled the ball away.

Of note, the usually secure Portis lost 2 fumbles in the contest. In relief, Ramsey threw 3 interceptions, two of them right to Giants defenders Gibril Wilson and Brent Alexander. Ramsey seemed to jump start the offense when he came in, but quickly fell into inconsistency…throwing a nice touchdown pass to Portis, but the above mentioned 2 awful interceptions and a then a third interception in the end zone.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

New York Giants

QB: Kurt Warner (22-33-232, 1 TD) Warner seems to be settling into the Giants system and looked a little like his old self. Warner was under heavy pressure in the beginning of the game, but was able to counter the Redskin blitzes by hitting various receivers. Accordingly, the Redskins adjusted and stopped sending as much pressure. Warner threw a deep touchdown pass to WR Tim Carter in the beginning of the 2nd quarter which shifted the momentum of the game. Warner was effective in spreading the ball around to 6 different receivers. Warner's fumbling problem resurfaced on the first series, but the ball was recovered by Tiki Barber

RB: Tiki Barber (18-42 rushing, 0 TD, 2-27 receiving on 5 targets) Barber had a rough outing running the football. Barber only was able to run for 2.33 yards per carry. He was also absent from the game in nearly all short yardage situations (even second and short). Barber's touches are supposed to be limited in order for him to be fresh and come up with the big play, yet Barber only had one carry go for over 8 yards. Also, Barber had fewer pass plays designed for him run this week.

Ron Dayne (9-12 rushing) Dayne did not get as much work as last week, but was once again the short yardage back. Dayne was 2 for 4 on converting in short yardage; the two he picked up being on second down runs. Dayne's other five runs were uneventful with a long gain of 4 yards.

WR: Amani Toomer (6-64 receiving on 11 targets) Toomer had another quiet day. Despite the 11 targets, Toomer managed just 64 yards. It appears Toomer is not getting as deep as he used to or the Giants are just not taking any shots to him. Toomer did convert a key 3rd down late in the game to keep a clock killing drive going.

Ike Hilliard (4-37 receiving on 5 targets) Hilliard also had a quiet day with 37 yards on 5 targets. Of note, the Giants love to use the wide receiver screen to get Hilliard the ball in the open field.

Tim Carter (3-63 receiving on 3 targets, 1-8 rushing, 1 TD) Carter may be emerging as the deep / speed receiver for the Giants. Carter easily beat the coverage on his long TD reception and actually had to wait for the ball. Carter was able to haul in all three of his targets and had an end around for 8 yards

TE: Jeremy Shockey (5-36 receiving on 7 targets, 0 TD) Shockey still appears to be shaking off some rust from his time missed between the end of last year and the preseason. Once again, Shockey dropped a ball while turning up field before hauling in the reception. Shockey also saw a reception with a screen, a strategy the Giants are using more often it seems.

K: Steve Christie (2 XP, 2-4 FG) Christie came up badly short on two long field goals (47 and 51 yards) into the strong winds of the Meadowlands. He was able to connect from 38 and 22 yards.

Pass Defense: Night and day. The Eagles torched the Giants last week but this looked like a different team. The Giants were able to come up with 4 interceptions and could have had 2 more. Corners Allen and Peterson were improved over last week, and FS Alexander came up with two big interceptions. It certainly helps that the Giants were able to get pressure on the Redskin quarterbacks through DC Tim Lewis' blitzing schemes.

Rush Defense: After the first drive, the Giants rushing D also tightened up. They were able to force two fumbles against the normally sure handed Clinton Portis. The Giants two mountainous DTs did a good job of clogging the middle.

Washington Redskins

QB: Mark Brunell (10-18-92, 1 TD, 1 Int, 1 Fumbles lost, 2-27 rushing) Brunell started this game running the Gibbs offense very well. Brunell was also moving very fluidly in and out of the pocket. Then basically, the wheels came off. Brunell started looking uncomfortable and lost his timing. The offense was struggling mightily when he had to leave the game with a hamstring problem. Brunell was harassed by the Giant blitzing when he was in the game causing both a lost fumble and intercepted screen pass.

Patrick Ramsey (9-18-142, 1 TD, 3 Ints, 2-17 rushing) Ramsey displayed his trademark inconsistency from a year ago. Ramsey came out looking pretty good with a 51 yard completion to Rod Gardner, only to throw an interception 3 plays later in the end zone (the most forgivable of his interceptions). Ramsey threw 2 more picks directly at Giant defenders later in the game, one of which he clearly should have thrown away while outside the pocket. Ramsey was able to thread a nice 13 yard touchdown pass to Clinton Portis to bring the Redskins within 6 early in the 4th quarter.

RB: Clinton Portis (20-69 rushing, 0 TD 2-29 receiving 1 TD on 7 targets, 2 Fumbles lost) No doubt about it, Portis is the centerpiece of the Redskin offense. As Portis goes, the Redskins go. However, this was not a great day for Portis due to the 2 fumbles lost. The Giants were able to key in on stopping the running attack daring the Redskins to beat them through the air often bringing 8 in the box. This strategy worked as Portis average 3.45 YPC. Portis also managed 13 and 16 yard receptions (and one drop that would have gone for at least as many yards). However, the sudden butterfingers might be a cause for concern as is the exposure of the Redskins passing game.

Ladell Betts (3-11 rushing) Betts received a handful of carries spelling Portis in the second half.

WR: Laveranues Coles (9-100 receiving on 15 targets, 0 TD, 1-(-)16 rushing ) Coles had a nice outing against the Giant secondary, with a very encouraging number of targets. He did it without any huge plays as his biggest reception was a 22 yard gain late in the game. Coles also had an end around sniffed out by Norman Hand resulting in a 16 yard loss. Also of note is two of the Ramsey interceptions were intended for Coles down the field.

Rod Gardner (3-66 receiving on 11 targets, 0 TD) Gardner was able to come up with one big play getting deep on Will Peterson (surprising since Gardner fills the possession receiver role). However, being targeted 11 times and coming up with 3 receptions is not very encouraging.

To be fair to the Washington wide receivers, they were not helped by the play of Brunell and Ramsey.

TE: Chris Cooley (3-14 receiving on 4 targets, 1 TD) Cooley's big play of the game was sneaking free on a play action pass on the first drive of the game for a score.

The Redskins seem enamored with sliding their TEs into the flats on play action passes but use them interchangeably. Aside from Cooley, this strategy worked three times on the day also resulting with one reception each for Mike Sellers (1-14 receiving on 1 target) and Walter Rasby (1-11 receiving on 1 target).

K: John Hall (2 XP, 0-1 FG) John Hall seemed to still be struggling from the hamstring injury he suffered against Tampa Bay. Hall aggravated the injury covering a kickoff return early in the game. On his only field goal attempt, Hall missed at the end of the half bouncing the ball off the upright.

Pass Defense: The Redskin pass defense game up 155 through the air in the first half and gave up one long gain. The Giants seemed content to not do anything risky in the second half, so it is difficult to analyze the pass defense. The Redskins did not come up with any interceptions.

Rush Defense: The Redskin rush defense looked very good against the Giants holding them to a low YPC. However, this may be a bit misleading as the Giants were in obvious clock-kill mode from the mid-third quarter on.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears stunned the Green Bay Packers in Lambeau Field 21-10, earning their first win against the Packers in their last seven tries. Two series', one before and one after halftime, decided the game. With Green Bay facing a 1st and goal at the Chicago 2-yard line two minutes before the end of the first half, Bears LB Brian Urlacher stuffed Packers RB Ahman Green in the backfield, forcing a fumble. FS Mike Brown scooped up the ball and took it 95 yards to the house for a 14-3 Bears lead at the half. The Bears then took the opening kickoff of the second half and drove 79 yards in six plays, all by RB Thomas Jones, for another touchdown. Suddenly a game that looked like it was going to be 10-7 Packers at the half was instead a commanding 21-3 lead for Chicago.

RB Thomas Jones excelled for Chicago, gaining 152 yards on 23 carries and a score. He had just 12 yards in the first quarter, but got going after that. His 54-yard run early in the second half set up his own 1-yard plunge three plays later. Jones looked much quicker than backup Anthony Thomas, who came in late to run the clock out.

QB Rex Grossman was fairly efficient, putting up 132 yards on just 10 completions. He threw one interception and was fortunate to avoid two more. Grossman had a 4th quarter fumble overruled by replay. Unlike last week, Grossman seemed to favor WR Bobby Wade, instead of David Terrell. Grossman's lone touchdown went to FB Bryan Johnson and gave the Bears a 7-3 lead in the 2nd quarter.

Wade caught three passes for 42 yards and ran for 23 more. David Terrell was nonexistent until the 4th quarter, when he fumbled an ill-advised end around deep in Packers territory. Green Bay recovered and had new life for a moment, but could not capitalize.

The win was costly for the Bears, as free safety Mike Brown left the game with an right Achilles' tendon injury late in the game, and is out for the year.

Green Bay Packers

Green Bay moved the ball well all day long, but made enough mistakes to thwart any chance at victory over the Bears. Ahman Green was productive as usual with 128 yards on 24 carries, but his aforementioned fumble at the goal line was the turning point of the game.

QB Brett Favre threw for 252 yards and a touchdown, but also had two costly interceptions. Both came on overthrows, one intended for WR Donald Driver in the first half, and the other for TE Bubba Franks on the Packers next to last drive.

WR Javon Walker was Favre's favorite target for big plays and on third downs, and he cashed in with seven catches for 102 yards. Walker snared a game-high 44-yard catch in the 2nd quarter, which resulted in a missed field goal by PK Ryan Longwell.

In the second half, the Packers had a couple of chances to get back in the game after a 19-play, 89-yard drive cut the Bears lead to 21-10. WR Robert Ferguson, who caught the Packers lone touchdown, dropped a potential big play on 3rd down, forcing a punt. Their next drive ended with a Favre interception, and the last chance ended with an incompletion on 4th down at the Bears 11-yard line.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Chicago Bears

QB: Rex Grossman (10-18-132, 1 TD, 1 INT, 4-7 rushing) completed passes to five different players, only one of them being a wide receiver. His up-and-down performance was characterized by a first quarter drive where he made an excellent throw on a rollout to WR Bobby Wade for 19 yards to the Packers 27-yard line. Two plays later, he overthrew Bobby Wade and was intercepted by Packers S Darren Sharper. He made a nice touchdown toss to FB Bryan Johnson in the second quarter. In the 4th quarter, Grossman was hit as he threw and fumbled at the Bears 36, but replay officials overturned it.

RB: Thomas Jones (23-152 rushing, 1 TD, 1-7 receiving on 3 targets) was outstanding. He took control in the second half. He opened the quarter with a 7-yard reception, then carried for 2, 54, 11, 4 and finally a 1-yard touchdown run. On the 54-yard run, Jones went untouched up the middle of the Packer defense and showed pretty good speed. Jones later had a 16-yard score called back on a holding penalty.

WR: Bobby Wade (3-42 receiving on 6 targets, 0 TD, 2-23 rushing) did most of his damage in the first quarter. He looked good early, but disappeared when Packers DB Mike McKenzie came into the game.

David Terrell (0-0 receiving on 2 targets, 0 TD, 1-(-15) rushing, 1 Fumble lost) was non-existent until the 4th quarter when the Bears, milking the clock and a 21-10 lead with about four minutes to go, called an ill-advised end around at the Packers 25. Terrell was hit by Michael Hawthorne for a 15-yard loss and fumbled. Only a saving tackle by T Josh Tait prevented Packers LB Nick Barnett from taking it all the way. Terrell was targeted twice and drew a pass interference call.

TE: Desmond Clark (2-43 receiving on 3 targets, 0 TD) had a 31-yard catch over Hawthorne on the Bears first drive, but was not used much thereafter.

K: Paul Edinger (3 XP, 0-1 FG) missed a 45-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter.

Pass Defense: The Bears secondary came up with big plays when they needed to. Michael Green and Bobby Gray intercepted passes, and Green finished with nine tackles. The Bears were unable to get major pressure on Favre throughout the game, but also did not give up many big plays.

Rush Defense: Brian Urlacher's hit and Mike Brown's return was the play of the game. Other than that, the Packers ran well, but the Bears held tough in the red zone. Urlacher finished with 6 tackles and 2 assists.

Green Bay Packers

QB: Brett Favre (24-42-252, 1 TD, 2 INT, 1-9 rushing) was a little off in this game, overthrowing the deep ball a few times, twice resulting in interceptions. His 4th quarter interception was well over a wide-open Bubba Franks and effectively ended the game. He seemed to have no problem throwing the ball up for grabs, a couple times for no apparent reason. He was not helped by key 3rd down drops by Walker in the first half and Ferguson in the second, both of which stalled potential scoring drives. Favre had a rare carry for nine yards and a first down on a well executed bootleg. His 44-yard pass to Walker was a thing of beauty, landing perfectly on Walker's left shoulder.

RB: Ahman Green (24-128 rushing, 0 TD, 2-7 receiving on 3 targets, 1 Fumble lost) played well but was struck by the fumble bug once again. Before his 2nd quarter fumble, he had 5, 3, 7 and 11 yards and looked poised to give the Packers the lead. Green only had 11 yards after the midway point of the 3rd quarter, as the Packers were forced to throw often, and once again he was not a factor in the passing game.

WR: Javon Walker (7-102 receiving on 11 targets, 0 TD) caught a nice 44-yard pass from Favre in the 2nd quarter, leading to a missed FG by Longwell. He was Favre's favorite target on third down plays, and had a solid game overall. However, he had a poor dropped pass on a 1st quarter slant that stopped a drive. Walker was open in the right corner of the endzone in the 4th quarter, but Favre overthrew him.

Robert Ferguson (4-50 receiving on 8 targets, 1 TD) caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Favre where he was able to get wide open in the left corner of the endzone. Later, he would drop a 3rd down pass that would have gone for at least 30 yards and given Green Bay a chance at the comeback.

Donald Driver (5-49 receiving on 10 targets, 0 TD) was not targeted in the 1st quarter, but received 10 chances after that. Relegated to possession receiver, his longest reception went for 16 yards. He was targeted deep in the second quarter, but Favre overthrew into double coverage and was intercepted by Michael Green.

TE: Bubba Franks (1-9 receiving on 4 targets, 0 TD) was not a factor. He had a 15-yard touchdown catch nullified by his own pass interference penalty.

K: (1 XP, 1-2 FG) missed from 45 yards out when he hit the right upright. He also made a 25-yard kick.

Pass Defense: Darren Sharper came up with an interception and seven tackles, but the Packers managed only one sack. Overall, they did a solid job versus Grossman, but did not make the big play when they had chances. Na'il Diggs had the lone sack.

Rush Defense: After a rough first half, Chicago ran all over Green Bay in the second. The absence of Grady Jackson clearly hurt, as Thomas Jones made easy pickings up the middle. Diggs had two nice tackles for losses in the first half, to go with his sack, but disappeared in the second.