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

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

Joe

PS - These reports will be available online at the Footballguys.com website later on today in a much better looking format. I'm just sending to you now as I know many of you want these just as soon as they're finished.

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Joe Bryant
Owner - www.Footballguys.com

Thanks to Footballguys recap writers: Andrew Abouzeid, Mike Anderson, Michael Bartlett, Bill Brown, Michael Brown, Christopher Clark, Timothy Creech, Cathy Fazio, Bradley Gabbard, Cory Gilbert, Chris Gilman, Anoop Jalan, Alex Knapik, Jeff Lewis, Scott Martin, John Matthes, Doug Mobley, David Oleyar, Jeff Pasquino, Greg Porzucek, Steve Prosapio, David Shick, Jeff Siedsma, Dave Teller, Chris Thomas, Dave Thompson, Rob Umberger, Mark Westmyer, George Willock, and Todd Young

Edited by Joe Bryant with Cathy Fazio

New York Giants 26 at Dallas Cowboys 10

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

New York Giants

The Giants opened up the offense, attempting a number of very deep passes to the wideouts. They did not connect on any of the long passes, but were close on several occasions. Warner looked outstanding throwing the football, as his passes resembled the crisp spirals we used to see in Saint Louis. He has tossed the occasional risky pass, but all in all Coughlin is putting Warner in position to be able to connect on some big plays. This is a reflection on his confidence in not only Warner to make good decisions and make the throws, but also on the offensive line to be able to give enough time for the QB to spot receivers deep downfield.

Tiki Barber just gets it done. He was plodding along with very little production until late in the contest, when two huge plays got him back on track in a big way. First, he broke a 58-yard run up the middle and later took a short pass and turned it upfield for a 55-yard gain.

Steve Christie nailed all four of his field goal attempts, including ones from 51 and 47 yards out. This is noteworthy because he missed all three of his field goal attempts last week.

WR Tim Carter injured his hip and left the game. He did not return. After the injury, any deep balls went in the direction of Amani Toomer.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys' passing game never got it going. Vinny Testaverde was hurried, but more than that it just seemed like no one was ever open. About the only receiver who was open on any kind of a regular basis was Keyshawn Johnson, and even he wasn't terribly productive.

Eddie George did very well early on, but the score dictated that he wouldn't see the field much late in the contest. He carried 15 times for 75 yards, which is good. But 24 of those yards came on a single carry, and his very next carry after that big run was a play where he was stuffed on 4th and 1.

Keyshawn Johnson scored his first touchdown of the season, while Terry Glenn and Antonio Bryant weren't heard from much. Bryant injured his leg late in the contest and limped off the field. He appeared to be in a lot of pain, as there were audible screams coming from him when the FOX cameras got in close.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

New York Giants

QB: Kurt Warner (18-33-217, 1 TD passing) played an excellent game. He made quality decisions throughout the contest and really led the Giants. Tiki Barber is the one who put up the gaudy stats, but it was Warner's poise in the pocket and crisp throws downfield that set the tone for the Giants offense. When Barber and the run game struggled for the first three quarters, it was Warner who kept them in it. He was under heavy pressure early on, but still was able to make all of the throws. He nearly threw a touchdown pass early on, but Tim Carter dropped the pass in the back of the end zone. Warner's pass was slightly behind Carter, but he was still open and should have come down with the ball. Warner later did throw a touchdown to Jeremy Shockey from a yard out, and nearly had one late on a screen to Tiki Barber. Barber scampered down the left sideline and seemed headed for the end zone, but was caught from behind. There was only one instance where Warner was almost intercepted, and it came off of a deflection. Other than that, he was pretty flawless. Head coach Tom Coughlin opened up the playbook and allowed the offense more freedom, as Warner attempted at least 4 deep passes. While they did not connect on any of them, it did illustrated Coughlin's confidence in the offense to make plays. Warner lost 18 receiving yards on a completion to Jeremy Shockey that was called back due to penalty.

RB: Tiki Barber (23-122, 1 TD rushing, 5-76 receiving on 8 targets) was excellent. Barber was bottled up for much of the afternoon and had seemingly no holes to run through. At one point, the Giants even resorted to throwing the ball on a third and one, because Barber was having such trouble finding any room. But he just kept pounding, and late in the contest found enough daylight to bust a 58-yard run up the left side. He did an outstanding job of following his blocks, and wasn't tackled until in the red zone. He also took extra care to ensure he wouldn't lose the football at the end of the run. Later, with the Giants trying to seal the game away, Barber took a simple screen and scampered 55 yards up the gut to put the Giants in position to win. A few plays later, Barber took a carry into the end zone from the three for a touchdown. Any fears about Barber losing carries this season have got to be completely gone by this point. He is an every down back. He stays in on goal line, short-yardage, between the 20's, passing downs, everything. The only time he ever comes out is to get a breather after a long run.

WR: Amani Toomer (6-66 receiving on 9 targets) wasn't involved a ton in the early going, but saw his targets once Tim Carter left the game with an injury. It wasn't that Carter was taking targets away from Toomer, but they were making an effort to hit the home run ball with Carter. Once he came out, Toomer saw those deep looks. And late in the game with the Giants trying to put it away, it was the Toomer/Barber connection that saw the majority of the targets. One blemish on Toomer's day was a fumble when he didn't protect the football as he was being tackled.

Ike Hilliard (2-31 receiving on 5 targets) wasn't utilized much, though he did see more looks once Carter went out.

Tim Carter (0-0 receiving on 3 targets) didn't catch a pass, but his name should be mentioned for negative reasons. He dropped what would have been a sure 33-yard touchdown early on in the contest, though the ball was thrown slightly behind him. He was later targeted on another deep pass down the middle of the field, but the ball was overthrown. Carter was later seen limping into the locker room with what was called a hip injury. He did not return.

TE: Jeremy Shockey (5-44, 1 touchdown receiving on 8 targets) had his second consecutive productive game after an early season slump. Shockey was targeted early and often once again, and responded with a solid effort. On his touchdown, he was lined up split out wide with no one on him initially. The Dallas defense appeared confused as to who was going to cover him, and finally Roy Williams made his way over. Warner lofted the ball to the corner and Shockey out-muscled and pushed off Williams for the football. Shockey lost 18 receiving yards on a play that was called back due to penalty.

K: Steve Christie (4-4 FG, 2 XP) responded very well to an awful game last week. He missed all three of his field goal attempts last week in Green Bay, but nailed all four attempts this week and played a key role in the win. He hit from 47 and 51 yards perfectly centered down the middle, and hit his other two attempts as well. Coughlin had said earlier in the week that he would encourage Christie to work through it, and the confidence shown in him appears to have worked.

Pass Defense: This unit did a great job against a Dallas passing offense that was, up to this point, very effective. Early on, it appeared Dallas was going to try and establish a run game, which they did. But the passing game never caught on and never got into a rhythm. There were two plays on which the Giants could have created turnovers, both of them near-interceptions by CB Will Allen. Vinny Testaverde's first pass of the game was an out route that Allen jumped the read on and would have taken in for a score, except he dropped the ball. Allen also nearly intercepted a pass thrown by Keyshawn Johnson later in the game, but dropped that one as well. The Giants came up with a huge stop on a fourth and one call by Parcells when they stuffed Darian Barnes short of the first down. The fact that they allowed only 126 passing yards to Testaverde, who has been throwing up some big yardage games thus far, cannot be understated. It was this aspect of the game and the seeming inability of the Cowboys to play catch-up, that did them in. According to NFL.com, the Giants lost starting defensive tackle Fred Robbins to a sprained shoulder during the game.

Run Defense: Eddie George averaged 5.0 yards per carry, and that includes a 24-yard run he had early on. Dallas ran fairly well at the outset of the game, as Richie Anderson had a number of solid runs that went for first down yardage. But in the second half, the Giants didn't have to worry about the Dallas rushing game much as they opened up a lead and it made the Cowboy attack very one-dimensional.

Dallas Cowboys

QB: Vinny Testaverde (15-24-126, 1 TD, 1 INT) didn't put up the gaudy stats on this day. His receivers had a lot of trouble getting open in the Giants' secondary, though Testaverde wasn't completely blameless for this one. In fact, in perhaps a precursor of things to come, Testaverde's first pass of the game was nearly picked off for what would have been an easy touchdown by Will Allen, but the cornerback dropped the ball. Testaverde was intercepted late in the game on a heave downfield to Antonio Bryant at the goal line. These two passes go to show why interception numbers are sometimes not indicative of what happened. The first pass should have been intercepted, but wasn't. The second pass had to be thrown as Dallas played catch-up and wasn't really Testaverde's fault, but that's the one that hurts his numbers. Another poor play by Testaverde was taking a sack with Dallas in field goal range. Following the sack on third down, Billy Cundiff was short on a 52-yard field goal attempt that would have likely been good had Dallas been in the original spot.

RB: Eddie George (15-75 rushing) played perhaps his best game of the season, which should tell you all you need to know about his fantasy prospects. He looked good early on, and included in his stats was a 24-yard scamper up the left side. But his next carry, a 4th and one plunge up the middle, resulted in lost yardage and more resembled the George we've come to expect. As the game wore on, George saw a lot of his carries go in the direction of…

Richie Anderson (9-56 rushing, 2-9 receiving on 2 targets). Anderson showed a good burst through the hole and always fell forward, picking up an additional 3-4 yards on each carry as he was hitting the ground. Most running backs are tackled and fall down, but Anderson always seems to sort of glide toward the ground and always pick up a couple extra yards.

WR: Keyshawn Johnson (4-43, 1 TD receiving on 6 targets, 0-1 passing) was the only Dallas receiver worth mentioning in this one. He didn't put up huge stats, but he did manage to score his first touchdown of the season. What's more, the touchdown came one play after he had a ball go off his fingertips in the corner of the end zone. So they targeted him twice in a row down near the goal line, and he came up with a nice catch on the second one. Johnson also attempted his second career pass in the game. He lofted a pass across the field to Richie Anderson, who was open for a moment. Had the ball been thrown a little harder or if it didn't have to go all the way across the width of the field, it may have gone for a touchdown. As it was, CB Will Allen jumped in front to break it up, and nearly picked it off.

Antonio Bryant (1-15 receiving on 3 targets) wasn't heard from until late in the contest. With the Cowboys trying to heave the ball downfield to Bryant in the end zone, he came away limping towards the sidelines and seemingly in a hurry to receive medical attention. Once he got to the sideline, he fell to the ground in agony. When the FOX cameras got in close on him, he could be heard screaming in pain. This likely happens a lot during the course of an NFL game and we just don't hear it, but it certainly didn't sound good to hear Bryant in so much agony. One of the worst aspects about the injury for Bryant is that the injury was one of the only times his name was mentioned all game.

Terry Glenn (2-24 receiving on 3 targets) was a product of the Cowboys' game plan in this one. The two receptions he did make resulted in some very nice moves after the catch and at least signs of life from Dallas, but they were too few and too far between.

TE: Jason Witten (5-35 receiving) did not have a great game. He caught 5 balls, which is very good, but his 35 yards were weak for the number of receptions he had. In addition, he had a very costly fumble just before halftime as Dallas was driving to open up their lead. Instead, the turnover led to a Giants' field goal that cut the Dallas lead to 10-6.

K: Billy Cundiff (1-2 FG, 1 XP) nailed a 41-yard field goal early on, but later went on to miss from 52 yards out. The kick was short, and came on the heels of a Vinny Testaverde sack. Had Testaverde not been sacked, Cundiff probably would have been close enough to nail the kick.

Pass Defense: They caught several breaks during the game, namely the dropped touchdown by Tim Carter early on. They also managed to force a fumble on Amani Toomer at the end of one of his receptions. And yes, they did manage to get good pressure on Kurt Warner throughout the contest. Yet despite all of these factors, they never seemed to be able to make plays when they needed them most. The Giants converted several third and long situations, and were given several gift first downs on Dallas penalties. The Cowboys really shot themselves in the proverbial foot with penalties today, as the Giants had more than one drive extended due to foolish penalties on the Cowboys. On the Giants' lone passing touchdown of the game, there was a mix-up in coverage on the Dallas side that resulted in Roy Williams getting over to cover Jeremy Shockey one-on-one. Warner simply lofted the ball up to Shockey, who pushed off on Williams slightly, for the score and the lead. The clincher was a short pass to Tiki Barber on third down that looked like a simple screen but that Barber took up the middle of the Dallas defense for a key 55-yard gain. According to NFL.com, Dallas rookie cornerback Bruce Thornton hurt a knee.

Run Defense: They were seemingly on the way to a productive day defending the run in the second half. Tiki Barber had been bottled up all game long and had nowhere to run. At one point, they even forced the notoriously conservative Giants to attempt a pass on third and one, which they did not convert. Then, suddenly, Barber busted through the hole and broke a couple of weak tackle attempts en route to a 58-yard run up the left side. His other 22 carries went for just 64 yards, to give you an example of how effectively they shut down Barber outside of that run. But after that run, things fell apart for Dallas, as they then allowed Barber a tough 3-yard touchdown run following a long run after the catch on a screen.

Cleveland Browns 23 at Pittsburgh Steelers 34

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland running game could be described as stagnant, to be generous. The Browns were unable to get anything going on the ground all day, and were forced to all but abandon the run by the third quarter. Their struggles are evidenced by the fact that Jeff Garcia actually led the team in rushing, picking up 41 yards on a number of scrambles forced by the Steelers' pass rush. Lee Suggs led the team with 11 carries, but gained only 30 yards, and was repeatedly stuffed at the line of scrimmage. Surprisingly, William Green looked quicker than Suggs, and was far more effective getting past the line, but received limited carries.

Jeff Garcia and the Cleveland passing attack were predictably average in this one. Garcia threw for 210 yards, but nearly 25% of this yardage came on a single bomb to Andre Davis in the 4th quarter. Garcia threw one TD pass late in the game, after the Steelers had shifted into what amounted to a prevent defense. It was primarily Garcia and the passing game's inability to convert on third downs, 2 for 12 in the game that stifled the Cleveland offense and prevented them from mounting many quality drives.

Defensively, the Browns were porous. They failed to slow Pittsburgh down on the ground, or through the air, and the Steelers would have likely continued scoring had they not been content to run the clock for most of the second half. The highlight of the day for Cleveland occurred in the first quarter, when Chris Crocker intercepted a deflected pass, and returned it for a touchdown.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Duce Staley registered his third straight 100-yard game, the first time in his career that he has done so. The run blocking for Staley continues to be excellent, and he looks primed to continue compiling excellent yardage totals, his 117 yards came in only three quarters. The really good news for Staley owners is that he finally posted a TD, breaking off a 25-yard score on Pittsburgh's third play from scrimmage. Jerome Bettis continues to get the short-yardage work; he was in the game exclusively inside the five yard line, and on a number short yardage situations.

Ben Roethlisberger continues to improve with each outing. The Browns were unable to sack Roethlisberger all game long, as he frequently rolled out of the pocket to avoid the blitz, and made plays downfield while on the run. The rookie accounted for two touchdowns today, one on a 6-yard run, the other on a 37-yard toss to Plaxico Burress. Burress was outstanding in the game, abusing Browns corner Anthony Henry all game long. Most impressively, the Steelers were able to convert on 7 of 13 3rd downs, despite an average of almost 7 yards to go in these situations. Roethlisberger stood tall in the pocket and made accurate throws when needed. Unless he is hurt or struggles mightily against tougher defenses over the next few weeks, Tommy Maddox's career as a Pittsburgh starter is all but over.

The Steelers' defense was stout. They forced only one turnover, a late fumble by Garcia, but tightened up whenever the Browns crossed midfield. The run defense was extraordinary, bottling Lee Suggs completely. One disturbing trend, however, is their propensity to pick up personal fouls on over-aggressive plays. The defense was whistled for 2 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for the second straight week. This must be curtailed, as against more potent offenses, allowing teams to sustain drives through penalties will come back to bite them. This may be something to watch in leagues which score defenses based on points and/or yards allowed.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Cleveland Browns

QB: Jeff Garcia (16-34-210, 1 TD, 5-41 rushing, 1 fumble lost) Garcia showed his athletic ability in this game, repeatedly running away from pressure and turning would-be sacks into positive yardage. He was relatively accurate throwing the ball, but was heaving it into tight coverage most of the game, as the Browns could not sustain anything on the ground and the Steelers played back against the pass. His score came on a 7-yard strike to Andre Davis in the fourth quarter. He also lost a critical fumble in the fourth quarter which ended any hope of a Cleveland comeback.

RB: Lee Suggs (11-30 rushing, 3-20 receiving on 8 targets) Suggs was very ineffective in the game. Aside from an 11-yard run in the third quarter, he was rarely able to get beyond the line of scrimmage all game long. He showed very little burst through the holes, and was wrapped up well by the Pittsburgh defense. Suggs was pretty heavily targeted coming out of the backfield, but a number of these were desperation throws by Garcia, who was trying to avoid being sacked. The 8 targets resulted in little in terms of production.

William Green (3-27 rushing) Green started the game for the Browns, and then gave way to Suggs with about 5 minutes to go in the first quarter. Likewise, he started the second half before being replaced, but the Browns ran surprisingly little while he was in the game. Green's average of 9 yards per carry suggests that the Browns might want to keep him in the mix. He showed good speed and the ability to break tackles during his limited time on the field.

WR: Andre Davis (5-101 receiving, 1 TD on 10 targets) Davis racked up the bulk of his numbers on the Browns' only TD drive of the game. He followed a 50-yard catch down the sidelines with a 7-yard TD grab. Davis was the most frequently targeted Cleveland receiver on the day, and the only one who produced from a fantasy standpoint.

Dennis Northcutt (4-33 receiving on 8 targets, 1-0 rushing) Northcutt saw a number of targets on the afternoon, but didn't have a very good day. He dropped one easy ball, and wasn't able to compile much in the way of yards after the catch. He took the ball once on a reverse, but was stopped at the line.

Quincy Morgan (1-15 receiving on 3 targets) Morgan continues to disappoint. He received very few looks from Garcia, and was blanketed by the Steelers' secondary all day long.

TE: Aaron Shea (1-35 receiving on 2 targets) Shea caught one ball on a broken play. Garcia scrambled away from pressure and found a wide-open Shea across the middle of the field for 35 yards. This was it in the way of fantasy production from the Cleveland TEs.

K: Phil Dawson (2 XP, 3-3 FG).Dawson hit from 24, 34, and 46 yards, without a miss.

Pass Defense: Cleveland's secondary was torched by Roethlisberger all game long. Allowing a rookie QB to complete nearly 80% of his passes does not bode well for this unit. As mentioned, they did chalk up a few points for fantasy owners with the first quarter interception return TD. The unit also failed to register a sack.

Rush Defense: The Browns' run defense was unable to contain the Steelers' ground game. Pittsburgh was able to rack up 170 yards and 3 TDs rushing the ball. Cleveland will really need to shore up this unit if their defense is to stop anyone this season. With the injuries they have suffered on the line, and the lack of playmaking linebackers, fantasy owners will likely garner very strong numbers from RBs facing the Cleveland defense.

Pittsburgh Steelers

QB: Ben Roethlisberger (16-21-231, 1 TD, 1 INT, 6-13 rushing, 1 TD) Roethlisberger threw for 199 of his 231 yards in the first half. The Steelers all but ditched the passing game in the second half, as they had grabbed a huge lead and were primarily concerned with controlling the clock. Roethlisberger attempted only 5 passes in the entire second half. His rushing TD came in the first quarter on a heady play on which he had no receivers open, tucked the ball in, and brought it in from 6 yards out. The interception he threw was not his fault; a perfectly thrown ball ricocheted off the hands of Antwaan Randle-El and into the arms of Cleveland DB Chris Crocker. Roethlisberger played an excellent game, and the potential existed for a boatload of points had Cleveland been able to stay in the game and force the Steelers to pass more after halftime.

RB: Duce Staley (24-117 rushing, 1 TD) Staley was superb again, and finally reached pay dirt on a 25-yard scamper. But he continues to be mysteriously underutilized in the passing game. This marks the second consecutive week that he was not even targeted by Roethlisberger. His value is further curbed by the fact that Jerome Bettis is receiving all the goal-line carries. However, head coach Bill Cowher remarked before the game that Jerome Bettis' inclusion in all the Steelers' short-yardage packages is primarily a result of Staley's relative unfamiliarity with the offense. Whether or not this means that Staley will get more looks at the goal line going forward remains to be seen. Staley received a very heavy load in the third quarter, as the Steelers ran on virtually every play.

Jerome Bettis (14-34 rushing, 1 TD) Bettis not only received all of the work inside the 5-yard line again, but also was the feature back for the entire fourth quarter, as the Steelers elected to rest Duce Staley's ailing toe. This fact bears noting, as it seems that Bettis, and not Verron Haynes, would receive the bulk of the carries for Pittsburgh in the event of a severe injury to Staley. Bettis scored on a 3 yard run in the third quarter which effectively iced the game.

Verron Haynes (2-6 rushing, 1 for -1 receiving on 1 target) Haynes saw limited action as a third-down back.

WR: Plaxico Burress (6-136 receiving, 1 TD on 9 targets) Burress finally had the big game that his owners were waiting for. He continues to be Roethlisberger's favorite target, as the QB seems to take long looks down the field before checking off to his underneath receivers or backs. Things could have been ever better, as a "no-call" on a play which easily could have drawn a pass interference flag prevented Burress from grabbing a second TD. Burress made a nice fingertip catch on a hitch-and-go down the sideline, and also made a heady play for his TD. On the play, Roethlisberger rolled right, freezing the safeties and Burress slid behind them into the clear at the goal line. Roethlisberger's pass was true, and Burress was able to walk in to the end zone.

Hines Ward (6-61 receiving on 6 targets) Ward continues to catch everything thrown to him. Over the last two weeks, he has 12 receptions on 13 targets. However, teams are investing more heavily in containing him, which is providing more opportunities for Burress. If the Steelers are consistently able to get the ball deep to Burress, it may cause defenses to shift back to more frequent double coverage on Plaxico, which will lead to bigger numbers from Ward. A lot of both his and Burress' success will be dictated by the defensive schemes of their opponents, as Roethlisberger is proving adept at taking what the defense gives him.

WR: Antwaan Randle-El (2-29 receiving on 5 targets) Randle-El did not have a good game. He was contained on all of his punt and kickoff returns, and caused the lone Steelers turnover, when a well-thrown pass caromed off of his hands for an easy pick.

TE: No Pittsburgh TE received a target this week.

K: Jeff Reed (4 XP, 2-2 FG) Reed connected from 26 and 47 yards.

Pass Defense: The Steelers' pass defense did a pretty solid job, sacking Garcia twice and forcing a number of errant throws due to pressure in the backfield. They kept Garcia from completing even 50% of his passes, and a number of well-thrown balls were deflected away by this opportunistic unit. Clark Haggans recovered a Garcia fumble late in the game for their only takeaway.

Rush Defense: The Pittsburgh rush defense was outstanding, holding the Browns to only 98 yards, 41 of which were gained by Garcia on scrambles. Suggs was unable to get off all game long, and this completely stalled the Cleveland offense. The run defense may have been the single biggest factor in the victory.

Jacksonville Jaguars 21 at San Diego Chargers 34

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville played this entire game from behind, caused in part by Byron Leftwich interceptions (intended for Reggie Williams and Ernest Wilford), a Reggie Williams fumble, and the inability of the defense to stop the Chargers. Playing from behind, Leftwich threw the ball frequently, finishing 36/54 for 354 yards, 1 passing touchdown and 1 rushing touchdown, much of which came in the 4th quarter.

Byron Leftwich's favorite targets in this game were Jimmy Smith (8/113 on 12 targets) and Reggie Williams (3/24 on 10 targets), though the lone passing touchdown went to Cortez Hankton (1/7). Troy Edwards (4/46 on 6 targets) contributed, though the emergence of rookie wide receiver Ernest Wilford (2/48) was somewhat limited in week five as he only saw three passes. With both TEs George Wrighster and Kyle Brady inactive in this game, Todd Yoder (3/21) and Brian Jones (1/10) teamed to receive 6 targeted passes on the day.

In limited opportunities, Fred Taylor ran the ball well (11/62), however trailing by a two touchdown deficit or more much of the game, he was not utilized running the ball significantly. Taylor responded in the passing game in the second half, and finished with seven catches on the day, including ten targets. In short yardage situations, Taylor was removed for Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala, who scored a rushing touchdown in the second quarter of play after three attempts from inside the two yard line. Both LaBrandon Toefield and Greg Jones also saw time, however neither carried the ball, and were utilized only in the passing game.

San Diego Chargers

Playing at home in the powder blue uniforms from the glory days of the 1960's, the Chargers jumped out to a commanding lead of 21-0, and never looked back. Drew Brees led the Chargers to a 3-2 record by making good decisions throughout the entire game. Brees finished with a 116.0 passer rating by completing 17/26 for 226 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Antonio Gates continued to be the Brees' favorite receiver, targeted 11 times en route to an 8 reception, 93 yards and 2 touchdown finish. The wide receivers were not utilized a great deal in this game, as Reche Caldwell (3/20) was the only wideout to catch a pass. Kassim Osgood was targeted twice, and Tim Dwight and Micah Ross also saw action in this game. Eric Parker was active for this game, however did not make an appearance, in part due to the progression and outcome of the game.

LaDainian Tomlinson (19/62) was limited for much of the afternoon, as the stout Jaguars front line knew he would be running much of the time. Tomlinson contributed in the receiving game (4/78) and even lined up in the shotgun while taking two plays as the quarterback. Tomlinson left the game limping with one minute remaining in the third quarter and the Chargers up 27-7. It was speculated that he may have tweaked a groin injury, however official word from the press box was that he was being rested due to the score of the game. Jesse Chatman (11/103, 1 TD) came in and produced very well in Tomlinson's absence, breaking through for long runs of 31 and 41 yards.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Jacksonville Jaguars

QB: Byron Leftwich (36-54-354, 1 TD, 2 Int, 3-10 rushing, 1 rushing TD) For the second straight week, Jacksonville fell behind, and asked Byron Leftwich to put the ball in the air. Both times, the results have been productive for fantasy owners, however, he has not been able to bring the Jaguars back in either game. Leftwich's numbers through three quarters were quite modest, however he was able to run and throw for touchdowns in the fourth quarter of this game while San Diego played a bend but don't break defense. Taking advantage of his opportunities, Leftwich completed 67% of his passes in this game at a rate of 6.6 yards per passing attempt. Both of his interceptions were on passes intended for rookie wide receivers (Reggie Williams and Ernest Wilford) and may just be attributed to growing pains. Leftwich did however keep the defense on their toes by spreading the ball with targets to 12 different Jaguars players (5 wide receivers, 2 tight ends, 5 running backs)

RB: Fred Taylor (11-64 rushing, 7-44 receiving on 10 targets) As the Jaguars fell behind early by a score of 21-0, Taylor's rushing opportunities were somewhat limited within this game. Most disturbing to Taylor owners however had to be the scoring drive in the second quarter where the Jaguars had 1st and Goal from the 2, and gave the ball to Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala on three straight plays. When the Jaguars fell behind early, they had difficulty completing short passes out of the backfield to Taylor, and brought in LaBrandon Toefield to fill that role, however Taylor returned to be the every down back in the 2nd half and saw a total of 10 targets on the game. 7 of Taylor's 11 carries were up the middle, and the Jaguars found success there, as he gained at least four yards on 6 of the 7 carries.

RB: Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala (4-6 rushing, 1 TD, 3-20 receiving on 3 targets) Fuamatu-Ma'afala was used as the short yardage back, taking over a role that it was believed the bruising rookie Greg Jones out of Florida State was capable of handling. Fuamatu-Ma'afala scored his touchdown in the second quarter on his third attempt from within the two yard line, and was looked to later in the game as the short yardage back near the goal line.

RB: LaBrandon Toefield (3-22 receiving on 3 targets) LaBrandon Toefield saw almost all of his action in this game during the 2nd quarter trying to help bring the Jaguars back into the game, receiving 3 balls out of the backfield, however did not play a major role once the Jaguars believed they had a chance to get back into this game.

RB: Greg Jones (1-1 receiving on 2 targets) Was phased out of the short yardage and goal line role this week in favor of Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala, however was still a minor part of the game plan.

WR: Jimmy Smith (8-113 receiving on 12 targets) When Byron Leftwich really needed a completion or a big play, he consistently looked to Jimmy Smith, who came through for the sophomore quarterback. Jimmy Smith showed his veteran presence by pulling in 67% of the balls thrown to him.

WR: Troy Edwards (4-46 receiving on 6 targets) Though Troy Edwards only caught 4 passes, he ran precise routes and was in sync with Byron Leftwich, catching most everything thrown his way (he did however have a 9 yard reception called back due to offensive pass interference).

WR: Reggie Williams (3-24 receiving on 10 targets, 1 fumble lost) The rookie first round receiver had a rough day, capitalizing on only 30% of the balls thrown to him, and coughing up the ball in San Diego territory after the Jaguars had already fallen behind 14-0. Additionally he was the targeted receiver on one of Leftwich's interceptions and though very talented, is showing difficulty in adjusting to the NFL through 5 games.

WR: Ernest Wilford (2-49 receiving on 3 targets) Used primarily as a red zone threat early in the season, Ernest Wilford has seen more and more action in between the 20's, including all three passes in this game. Like Reggie Williams, he was also the intended target of a Leftwich interception and made need more time to adapt.

WR: Cortez Hankton (1-7 receiving on 1 targets, 1 TD) After going through his progressions, Leftwich found Cortez Hankton in the back of the end zone on his only target of the day, and first of the season.

TE: Todd Yoder (3-21 receiving on 4 targets) With George Wrighster inactive for the game, Todd Yoder got the start and was targeted often in the beginning of the game, making the most of his opportunities.

TE: Brian Jones (1-10 receiving on 2 targets) Another beneficiary of Wrighster's injury, as he saw a role in the passing game; whereby the Jaguars tight ends accumulated 6 targets on the week, which should continue to bold well for George Wrighster when he returns.

K: Josh Scobee (3 XP) In a game of catch-up, Josh Scobee did not have any field goal attempts, but was successful in all three of his extra points.

Pass Defense: Gave up two early touchdown passes from Drew Brees to Antonio Gates, and was not tested a great deal after that. Allowed Drew Brees to rack up 211 yards on just 26 passing attempts and did not have any sacks, surprising from one of the better defensive units in the league.

Rush Defense: The rush defense limited LaDainian Tomlinson to a 2.9 yard per carry average, however they gave up long runs of 31 and 41 yards to Jesse Chatman in the 4th quarter which distorted the numbers. It should be stated that with a big lead, the Jaguars defense knew what was coming, and for the most part stopped it until Chatman provided a change of pace late in the game.

San Diego Chargers

QB: Drew Brees (17-26-211, 2 TD, 2-1 rushing) Drew Brees looked to build upon his productive season, and hold off Phillip Rivers a little bit longer. He trusted no one more than TE Antonio Gates to help him achieve that goal, looking at Gates 11 times, especially early, and connecting on two touchdowns with Gates to put up solid numbers which included a 65% completion percentage and 8.7 yards per passing attempt average. It should be noted Phillip Rivers was the #2 quarterback for this game, and Doug Flutie was listed as inactive / emergency QB.

RB: LaDainian Tomlinson (19-56 rushing, 1TD, 4-78 receiving on 6 targets) Tomlinson was limited to just a 2.9 yard per carry average, but many of his rushing attempts came after the Chargers had established a lead, and the Jaguar defense was keying on the run. The alarming part may be that just 3 of his 19 rushes was longer than three yards, capped by a 22 yard run around the right end. The most interesting plays in this game had Tomlinson lining up in the shotgun as the quarterback, where he took the direct snap. Tomlinson left the game limping in the fourth quarter, and his was speculated he may have tweaked his groin injury, however word from the press box was that he was resting due to the present score and eventual outcome of the game. Hopefully this is just minor and won't limit Tomlinson in practice this week, however it may be a situation to monitor throughout the week.

RB: Jesse Chatman (11-103 rushing, 1TD, 1-17 receiving on 1 target) Stepping in to replace Tomlinson, Chatman made the most of his opportunities, breaking off consecutive runs of 31 yards and 41 yards, and showing a burst of speed to give hope to the Charger faithful in the event of an injury to Tomlinson.

WR: Reche Caldwell (3-20 receiving on 4 targets) Was the primary wide receiver target, however the downfield threat was rarely utilized once the Chargers took a commanding lead.

WR: Kassim Osgood (2 targets) Started opposite of Caldwell, and saw two balls, however did not finish with any catches.

WR: Eric Parker (Did Not Play) Was active in this game, however the coaching staff chose not to utilize him when they felt that it was not necessary. Wide receivers Tim Dwight and Micah Ross were worked into the game to provide the team with options in multiple wide receiver sets.

TE: Antonio Gates (8-93 receiving on 11 targets, 2 TD) The former basketball player from Kent State built upon a season where he already had 23 catches for 249 yards and 1 touchdown by solidifying himself as a red zone threat in catching two early touchdowns. Nearly half of Brees' passes were targeted to him, and the two seemed to be in tune with one another, especially in the first half where Gates was utilized heavily.

K: Nate Kaeding (4 XP, 2-2 FG) In addition to 4 extra points, the rookie kicker out of Iowa also added 21 and 28 yard field goals and moved to a perfect 7/7 on the season in the capacity. With 38 points on the season, Kaeding is on pace for a very solid season of 122 points.

Pass Defense: The secondary came up with 2 key interceptions, and came up with solid play on the final Jacksonville drive, preventing the Jaguars from getting back into the game. The downside was that they gave up 354 yards. The Chargers picked up 3 sacks on the game and forced Leftwich to move around in the pocket and scramble on a frequent basis.

Rush Defense: The rush defense had the Chargers offense to thank, as they allowed Fred Taylor to average 5.6 yards per carry, but were not tested considerably once the Jaguars fell behind.

Carolina Panthers 17 at Denver Broncos 20

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Carolina Panthers

RB Stephen Davis warmed up for the game, but according to coach John Fox, Davis didn't look like he was able to cut well enough to play. Fox deemed Davis inactive for the game. As a result, RB DeShaun Foster started in the Panthers' backfield for the third consecutive week.

Already thin at running back, Carolina could not afford to lose Foster - but that is exactly what transpired. In the second quarter, Foster left the game with an undisclosed left shoulder injury and did not return. It was later reported that Foster has a broken collarbone. With kick return specialist / running back Rod Smart also ailing and deactivated, Carolina was reduced to running the ball with the likes of Nick Goings and Brad Hoover.

After the injury to Foster, Carolina was forced to emphasize the passing game. Again, Carolina has been hard hit with the loss of WR Steve Smith, forcing rookie WR Keary Colbert into the starting lineup. Colbert rose to the occasion, catching 4 balls for 115 yards and a score. Colbert accounted for well over half the Carolina passing yardage and was the most targeted Panther by QB Jake Delhomme.

The biggest plays for Carolina did not come on offense, but rather on defense and special teams. DE Julius Peppers made two consecutive outstanding plays against the Broncos on 3rd- and 4th-and goal situations in the third quarter. Peppers forced Denver QB Jake Plummer out of bounds at the 1-yard line on 3rd down, then on 4th as Denver went for the touchdown, Peppers intercepted Plummer's pass in the end zone and returned it 101 yards inside Denver's 5. This set up Carolina's final score of the game.

Carolina had one last scoring opportunity, but special teams penalties cost them the chance to tie the game. Carolina lined up for a 43-yard FG attempt, but a false start and a personal foul pushed them back out of field goal range. The play was blown dead, but Kasay actually followed through on the kick and it would have been good if the play had been live.

Denver Broncos

RB Quentin Griffin was hampered all week with an ankle injury and was deactivated for this game. Griffin's absence opened the door for RB Reuben Droughns to start for the first time. Droughns answered the call with an outstanding performance, gaining nearly 200 yards rushing and scoring a touchdown on a goal-line shovel pass. It remains to be seen whether this opportunity for Droughns makes him the next Mike Anderson. And how it will affect Griffin. Tatum Bell was a non factor.

QB Jake Plummer had a modest performance, completing under 60% of his passes and throwing two touchdowns and two interceptions. Plummer started well, completing 4 of his first 5 passes, but then he connected just once for his next 8. His halftime numbers were a paltry 8-18-108-1-0, where the touchdown was the shovel pass to RB Droughns. Plummer improved for the second half, going 9-11, but the two misses were costly. Both of his incompletions wound up in the clutches of Carolina, who had two interceptions in the third quarter. One interception was picked off in the end zone and returned by Julius Peppers 101 yards.

WR Rod Smith had his usual productive day, catching the most passes of any Denver receivers. Smith finished with 4 catches and 60 yards, and he also was responsible for keeping Carolina from returning the first Plummer interception all the way to the end zone. Smith chased down DE Julius Peppers, racing over 100 yards to make the tackle.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Carolina Panthers

QB: Jake Delhomme (13-20-173, 1 TD, 0 INT, 4-3 rushing, 1 rushing TD) completed 65% of his passes, but could only produce one score for Carolina. Delhomme managed the game adequately, but without a productive running game due to the absence of both RB Stephen Davis and RB DeShaun Foster, Delhomme had difficulty consistently moving the offense. Delhomme took manners into his own hands, or feet, as he ran for the only Panther rushing touchdown. Delhomme turned the corner on a bootleg and ran in for a 1-yard score in the fourth quarter.

RB: Stephen Davis warmed up for the game, but was not able to cut well enough for coach John Fox to activate him. He's said earlier in the week that it would take a hurricane or tornado to keep him playing.

RB DeShaun Foster (5-18 rushing, 2-0 receiving on 2 targets) started in the Carolina backfield for the third consecutive week, but was forced to leave the game in the second quarter due to an injury. It was reported during the game as a left shoulder injury, but was later updated as a broken collarbone. No word yet as to how long Foster will be out.

Nick Goings (12-22 rushing, 1-(-4) receiving on 1 target) was forced into tailback duty after Foster was injured, but he did not produce much at all. Goings mustered no more than 5 yards on any of his 13 touches, three of which went for a loss.

Brad Hoover (5-21 rushing) helped share the workload with Nick Goings after the loss of DeShaun Foster, but Hoover had little impact in the game. Aside for one 10-yard run in the fourth quarter, all of his other carries were for under 5 yards.

WR: Keary Colbert (4-115 receiving on 6 targets, 1 TD) was the most targeted and most productive receiver. Colbert scored the only aerial touchdown on the day for Carolina, and was consistently the lone deep threat for the Panthers. All of Colbert's catches went for at least 21 yards, including his 26-yard touchdown and a 45-yard completion in the third quarter. Colbert was the key factor in the Carolina passing game, gaining over half the yardage and four of the five passing first downs.

Ricky Proehl (3-35 receiving on 5 targets) was targeted five times, but only caught one ball for over 10 yards. Proehl dropped one ball in the first quarter.

Muhsin Muhammad (1-9 receiving on 3 targets) contributed just one catch for 3 yards in the second quarter. Muhammad was not a significant factor in the game.

TE: Michael Gaines (2-18 receiving on 2 targets) caught both balls that came his way, a 12-yard pass in the second quarter and a six-yarder in the fourth quarter.

K: John Kasay (2-2 XP, 1-1 FG) connected on both of his extra points and his lone "official" field goal of 53 yards. We state it as his only "official" try, since he also connected from 43-yards on a play blown dead due to a false start penalty in the fourth quarter. This was significant in that it was immediately followed by a personal foul penalty that took Carolina out of field goal range, and Carolina never had another legitimate chance to even the score.

Pass Defense:

QB Jake Plummer was rolling out of the pocket all day, and was able to complete just under 60% of his pass attempts. Carolina only recorded one sack, but they did come up big with two interceptions. The first was nearly returned 100+ yards for a score, but it did set up the second Carolina offensive touchdown. Despite the interceptions, Plummer connected on 9-11 passes in the second half and was able to prolong drives against Carolina.

Rush Defense:

Denver RB Reuben Droughns, starting in place of the injured Quentin Griffin, had a career day. Droughns had 193 rushing yards on 30 carries, averaging over 6 yards a carry. Droughns and the Broncos moved the chains all day against Carolina, who seemed unable to stop the Bronco running game.

Denver Broncos

QB: Jake Plummer (17-29-226, 2 TD, 2 INT, 4-8 rushing) started quickly, completing 4 of his first 5 passes. Plummer slumped until halftime, finishing the first half with just 8 completions on 18 attempts. Plummer awkwardly flipped a touchdown shovel pass with his left hand to RB Reuben Droughns. Plummer had a much better second half, although the successes were tempered by his two third-quarter interceptions. Plummer was 9-11 in the second half with a touchdown, and his two incompletions were the interceptions. The first was nearly returned 100+ yards for a touchdown on a play where Plummer tried to force a pass into the end zone on a fourth-and-goal situation.

RB: Quentin Griffin (INACTIVE) was unable to play in the game due to his ankle injury.

Reuben Droughns (30-193 rushing, 4-18 receiving on 6 targets) started for Denver in the backfield once Griffin was unable to play. Droughns had a career day, gaining over 200 all-purpose yards on 34 touches. Droughns scored the first touchdown for Denver on a shovel pass from QB Jake Plummer. Droughns had 98 yards rushing in the first half, and added another 95 in the second. It remains to be seen how much of a contributor Droughns will be once Griffin returns from injury.

Tatum Bell (2-5 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 1 target) had just two carries, both in the first half. Bell's contributions were not of significance in the contest.

Kyle Johnson (1-31 receiving on 2 targets) contributed with one catch out of the backfield, making a nice catch-and-run for 31 yards in the first quarter.

WR: Rod Smith (4-60 receiving on 7 targets) had the most targets in the for Denver. Smith contributed 47 of his 60 yards in the first half. Smith's most significant contribution of the second half had to be running down the recipient of QB Jake Plummer's first interception. Carolina's DE Julius Peppers was running for a touchdown when Smith, after 100 yards, made the tackle to save the score. Carolina did wind up scoring, but it was still a remarkable play. Smith also drew a pass interference penalty on the final drive of the game.

Ashley Lelie (2-52 receiving on 5 targets) was used as the deep threat for Denver, getting a number of looks downfield. Lelie and Plummer finally connected for the big play, a 39-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Lelie made a nice over-the-shoulder catch and slid his feet behind him to stay in bounds. This catch proved to be the winning score for Denver.

Darius Watts (1-14 receiving on 3 targets, 1-4 rushing) caught just one pass, but it came at a big point in the game. Watts made a third-down catch for 14 yards late in the fourth quarter, a tumbling grab that helped Denver to control the time of possession at the end of the game. Watts also contributed a four-yard carry on a double reverse.

Nate Jackson (1-6 receiving on 1 target) made his lone catch in the third quarter for 6 yards.

DB Champ Bailey (1 target) lined up in the 5-wide formation as a 5th receiver, but was unable to catch the one ball that came his way.

TE: Dwayne Carswell (4-45 receiving on 5 targets) contributed significantly in the second half. All of his four catches came after halftime, and three of them were of enough yardage for a Denver first down.

Patrick Hape (0-0 receiving on 1 target) was not a factor in the game.

K: Jason Elam (2-2 XP, 2-2 FG) connected on all his attempts, making field goals of 32 and 33 yards.

Pass Defense:

The Broncos were able to contain all the Carolina receivers except for WR Keary Colbert, who had more than half of the Panthers' passing production. Denver did not produce much pressure on QB Jake Delhomme, logging just one sack and no interceptions. Denver kept all the other receivers in front of them, and they were fortunate that Delhomme was not very accurate. Delhomme was only able to connect on just one touchdown pass.

Rush Defense:

The Carolina running attack was pretty much finished once RB DeShaun Foster left the game due to a broken collarbone. After that, Nick Goings and Brad Hoover tried to keep the semblance of a running game, but Carolina could get nothing going on the ground. Carolina finished with just 64 rushing yards on 24 attempts and a measly 6 first downs via the ground.

Detroit Lions 17 at Atlanta Falcons 10

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Detroit Lions

Outside of committing 12 penalties in the game, the Detroit Lions looked poised and confident on the road against a tough Falcons defense. The Lions committed to the run early, and stuck with it throughout the game, despite facing a stingy Falcons run defense. A key moment came midway through the 3rd quarter, when Roy Williams limped off the field after a defender rolled up onto his ankle. The team is calling it a sprain and he'll be further evaluated Monday to determine the severity.

Joey Harrington threw the ball with accuracy and made good decisions in this game. After establishing the run early, Harrington had options in the passing game early on, and was able to complete his first eight passes. However, after losing Roy Williams in the 3rd quarter, the Lions offense had considerably more difficulty moving the football. Harrington's only touchdown of the day was a 39-yard touchdown pass to Hakim.

In the run game, Artose Pinner played a solid but not spectacular game. Steve Mariucci showed confidence in his 2nd year back, giving him 23 carries on the day for 68 yards, including multiple goal line opportunities. Pinner's touchdown, the Lions first rushing touchdown of the season, came on 3rd and goal from the 6-inch line. Shawn Bryson was used sparingly, primarily as a 3rd down back and in passing situations.

The Detroit defense played very well in both the passing and the run game. They forced 4 turnovers in this game, and came up with 6 sacks, as they applied heavy pressure to Vick throughout the contest.

Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta's bid to become the first Falcons team in franchise history to start the season 5-0 was cut short due to costly turnovers and a generally inconsistent offense. Atlanta moved the ball sporadically throughout the game, but never seemed to be able to put together a sustained drive.

Michael Vick played inconsistently, at times making brilliant plays, but at other times making poor decisions throwing the football. He failed to register a touchdown on the day, but was responsible for two lost fumbles and a costly interception that was returned to inside the Falcons 5-yard line. In Vick's defense, the Lions defense did a great job covering the Falcons receivers downfield. Alge Crumpler did not get his first reception until two minutes were remaining in the game. Vick did look to his wide receivers more than he had in the Falcons first 4 games this year. Peerless Price finished the day with 5 catches for 84 yards on 9 targets.

Warrick Dunn and the Atlanta run game was bottled up most of the afternoon. Dunn finished the day with 44 yards on 18 carries, but did manage an additional 31 receiving yards. He scored the lone Falcons touchdown in the game on a 2-yard touchdown run.

On special teams, the Falcons dug into their bag of tricks, converting successfully on a fake punt which sustained a drive that led to Dunn's touchdown. The Falcons failed to convert on a fake field goal at the end of the first half, on which the Falcons snapper threw a short pass to Jay Feely short of the first down marker.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Detroit Lions

QB: Joey Harrington (16-24-146, 1 TD, 5-2 rushing) played a solid, efficient game against a tough Atlanta defense. His throws were accurate and he made good decisions against a heavy Falcons pass rush. He completed his first 8 passes of the game, but seemed to have fewer open targets in the second half, particularly after the early departure of Roy Williams. He did make one notably poor throw behind Roy Williams on a post route that would have likely been taken for a touchdown. His touchdown throw came on a short slant route to Az-Zahir Hakim, on which the receiver broke several tackles before scampering for a 39-yard touchdown.

RB: Artose Pinner (23-68 rushing, 1 TD, 1-11 receiving on 1 target) filled in very effectively for Kevin Jones, who sat out with a high ankle sprain. Despite his modest 68 total rushing yards, Pinner was pivotal to the Lions offense. Pinner showed no fear running between the tackles, and fought hard for yards against the stingy Falcons run defense. Steve Mariucci showed faith in the second year player, feeding him the ball on 3 consecutive plays inside the Atlanta 5 late in the 2nd quarter, which led to his only touchdown of the day.

Shawn Bryson (5-31 rushing, 0 TD, 3-13 receiving on 3 targets) was used primarily to spell Pinner and in 3rd down passing situations. His first carry went for 28-yards, the Lions longest run of the season.

Cory Schlesinger (0-0 rushing, 0 TD, 0-0 receiving on 0 targets) left early in the game with a hamstring injury.

WR: Az-Zahir Hakim (3-64 receiving on 5 targets, 1 TD) had a 39-yard touchdown catch on which he broke several tackles on his way to the end zone. Harrington looked toward Hakim more after Williams left the game, and Hakim will likely become the Lions top receiver if Williams misses any time.

Roy Williams (3-18 receiving on 4 targets, 0 TD) left the game in the 3rd quarter with a sprained ankle. Even when he was in the game he did not factor heavily into the Lions play mix. He did miss out on a potential scoring opportunity on a post pass that was thrown behind him by Harrington.

Tai Streets (2-7 receiving on 5 targets, 0 TD) was not a significant factor in the game. He was targeted on a fade in the end zone, but failed to make a play on a slightly under thrown ball.

TE: Stephen Alexander (2-15 receiving on 3 targets, 0 TD) had two receptions for 15 yards.

Steve Trejo (1-11 receiving on 1 target, 0 TD) caught one ball for 11 yards.

K: Jason Hanson (2 XP, 1-2 FG) had one 23-yard field goal, but also missed wide right on a 48-yard attempt.

Pass Defense: The Lions pass defense was impressive in this game. Most notably, they held Alge Crumpler to one catch on the afternoon. Despite not having Dre Bly in this game, they tightly covered the Falcons receivers for most of the game. They also kept Vick from getting too comfortable in the pocket, forcing him to fumble 3 times, 2 of which led to turnovers. The Lions pass defense also managed 6 sacks and an interception.

Rush Defense: The Lions rush defense did a very good job of containing Warrick Dunn and the Falcons running attack. The Falcons were held to 94 total yards on the ground.

Atlanta Falcons

QB: Michael Vick (18-29-196, 0 TD, 1 Int, 2 Fumbles lost, 5-29 rushing) was both hot and cold in this game, but in the end his mistakes proved costly for the Falcons. For most of the game, Vick seemed determined to make something happen with his arm, as he scrambled only as a last resort. His highlight of the day was a perfectly thrown 49-yard downfield pass to Peerless Price on a play in which he was forced to scramble to his left. But Vick had trouble throwing the short pass at times, and was intercepted on a pass that he forced into Price in the center of the field. He also fumbled 3 times, 2 of which were recovered by the Lions.

RB: Warrick Dunn (18-44 rushing, 1 TD, 5-31 receiving on 9 targets) had difficulty finding anywhere to run against the Lions stout run defense. He had a bit more success catching the ball out of the backfield, and would have had even more receiving yards had it not been for several poorly thrown passes by Vick. Dunn did drop a wide open swing pass early in the game, which would have gone for double digit yardage. His touchdown came on a short 2-yard touchdown run.

Justin Griffith (3-21 rushing, 0 TD, 1-(-1) receiving on 1 target ) was used to spell Dunn, but was not a major factor in the game.

T.J. Duckett (0-0 rushing, 0 TD, 0-0 receiving on 0 targets) was given no opportunities to run or catch the ball in this game.

WR: Peerless Price (5-84 receiving on 9 targets, 0 TD) was the beneficiary of a Falcons game plan that looked to involve the team's wide receivers more heavily than in previous games this year. Although he did not score, Price was targeted early and often in the game, and made a nice adjustment on a Vick scramble that resulted in a 49-yard reception.

Brian Finneran (3-45 receiving on 3 targets, 0 TD) had a modest day. His most notable catch was a 26-yard reception thrown by Chris Mohr, the Falcons punter, on a fake punt.

Dez White (3-26 receiving on 5 targets, 0 TD) had 3 catches for 26 yards.

Allen Rossum (0-0 receiving on 0 targets, 0 TD, 1-0 rushing) carried the ball on a reverse for no gain. He also had a costly fumble on a punt return that led to a Lions field goal.

TE: Alge Crumpler (1-24 receiving on 4 targets, 0TD) was blanketed by the Lions defense and was not a factor in the game. His only catch of the day came with 2 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter.

Dwayne Blakley (1-13 receiving on 1 target, 0 TD) was not a factor in the game.

K: Jay Feely (1 XP, 1-1 FG) made good on his one 27-yard field goal attempt. He was robbed of a chance for 30-yard field goal at the end of the 1st half when the Falcons elected to go for a fake, which they failed to convert. He also missed out on a 50-yard attempt when the Falcons chose to go for it on 4th and 5 early in the game.

Pass Defense: The Falcons pass defense played well, pressuring Harrington often and holding the Lions to 146 yards in the air with one touchdown. They had three sacks on the day.

Rush Defense: The Falcons rush defense allowed 101 hard-earned yards to the Lions running attack. The run defense was a bit soft early in the game, seemingly caught off guard by the Lions run-oriented play calling, but they quickly adjusted. They yielded one rushing touchdown on the afternoon.

Minnesota Vikings 34 at Houston Texans 28 (OT)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings offense threw a whopping 50 pass attempts in their overtime win this week against Houston; Culpepper was hot as he connected on 36 of those attempts for 396 yards and 5 touchdowns. Both Moss and Robinson caught two touchdown passes each, including a 50 yard long touchdown for both receivers. The 50 yard bomb to Robinson was the game winner in overtime.

With Michael Bennett, Onterrio Smith, and Moe Williams out for various reasons, fourth team rookie Mewelde Moore made the start. Moore rushed for 92 yards on 20 attempts (4.6 yards per carry) and added another 90 yards from the air. Notably the Vikings had no interceptions or fumbles against the under whelming Houston defense.

The Vikings defense was impressive in the first half, holding the Texans scoreless and only yielding 100 yards of total offense. The second half was quite a different story, as the Vikings gave up 4 touchdowns which allowed the Texans to tie the game and force overtime.

Houston Texans

The Texans offense was lackluster in the first half, and never really did get the running game going. Carr was able to heat up in the second half, throwing 3 scores and tying game late in the fourth quarter. Carr ended the day with 372 yards passing, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. The leading receiver was Andre Johnson with 170 yards and 2 touchdowns, followed by Derick Armstrong who pulled down 101 yards and one touchdown.

Although he scored a touchdown, Domanick Davis only managed 31 yards on the ground on 14 tries, posting a meager 2.2 yards per carry average. Davis was slightly more effective in the passing game where he caught 4 passes for 31 yards.

The Houston defense was unable to stop the Vikings in any phase of the game. They were unable to create any turnovers although they did sack Culpepper 3 times. The Texans gave up 5 touchdowns and 510 yards of total offense, most of it through the passing game.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Minnesota Vikings

QB: Daunte Culpepper (36-50-396, 5 TD, 6-30 rushing) Culpepper had the kind of day every fantasy owner dreams of as he easily picked apart the Houston secondary. Two of his five touchdowns were 50 yard strikes, one of which was the game winner in overtime.

RB: Mewelde Moore (20-92, 12-90 receiving on 14 targets) With Michael Bennett hurt, Moe Williams hurt, and Onterrio Smith serving a suspension - rookie Moore got the start. With only one NFL carry before today's game Moore performed admirably, racking up 182 combined yards and posting a suitable 4.6 yards per carry average.

Larry Ned (1-9 receiving on 1 target) Ned had little involvement in the offense, since Moore and Culpepper were the only Vikings that even attempted to rush.

WR: Marcus Robinson (9-150, 2 TD receiving on 15 targets) With the Texans often trying to double team Moss, there were a lot of opportunities for Robinson. After dropping a would be game winning touchdown pass in overtime Robinson redeemed himself by snagging the 50 yard game winning score.

Randy Moss (5-90, 2 TD receiving on 9 targets) Even facing double coverage early and often Moss still managed to post two scores and nearly a hundred yards. One touchdown was for 1 yard, one was for 50 yards.

Kelly Campbell (2-21 receiving on 3 targets) Campbell wasn't used a lot in the Vikings aerial assault. The few passes that didn't go toward Robinson, Moss, or Moore were spread out between the other receivers.

Nate Burleson (3-16, 1 TD receiving on 4 targets) Burleson found the end zone on a 5 yard toss from Culpepper.

Keenan Howry (1-3 receiving on 1 target) Howry found more work on special teams than in the passing game.

TE: Richard Owens (3-17 receiving on 3 targets) Rookie tight end Richard Owens made good on all 3 attempts thrown his way, but didn't see a significant share of the action.

K: Morten Andersen (4 XP) The 44 year old kicker went 4 for 4 on his extra point attempts

Pass Defense: The Minnesota pass defense looked stout in the first half but then fell apart in the second half. They let Carr pass for 3 touchdowns and nearly 300 yards in the second half.

Rush Defense: Other than giving up the 1 yard touchdown to Davis, the Minnesota rush defense looked solid holding the Texans to 3.1 yards per rushing attempt.

Houston Texans

QB: David Carr (27-43-372, 3 TD, 3-21 rushing) After getting of to a slow start Carr turned it on in the second half, rallying form a 21 point deficit to send the game into overtime. He seemed to have no problem in finding his top weapon Andre Johnson twelve times, twice in the end zone. Carr is developing a reputation for being a fourth quarter quarterback.

RB: Domanick Davis (14-31, 1 TD rushing, 3-21 receiving on 7 targets) Although some thought Wells might make an appearance after Davis couldn't get going in the first half, Davis was the only tailback to log any rushing attempts. Davis was able to punch in the one yard attempt for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

WR: Andre Johnson (12-170, 2 TD receiving on 17 targets) Johnson is definitely the main receiving threat for the Texans with 17 balls thrown his way. It was a 22 yard touchdown to Johnson that forced the game into overtime.

Derick Armstrong (6-101, 1 TD receiving on 6 targets) Armstrong didn't see a pass until the fourth quarter, where he helped mount the comeback contributing 101 yards and a score.

Jabar Gaffney (2-30 receiving on 2 targets) Gaffney had a key 22 yard catch early on the first Texan scoring drive.

Corey Bradford (2-13 receiving on 5 targets) Bradford was not much of a producer against the Vikings.

TE: Mark Bruener (1-27 receiving on 2 targets) Bruener didn't factor in much for the Houston passing game, other than his blocking skills.

K: Kris Brown (4 XP) Brown was also 4 for 4 on extra point attempts.

Pass Defense: The Houston pass defense was terrible. It gave up 5 touchdowns and 396 yards through the air.

Rush Defense: The Houston rush defense was nearly as bad giving up an average of 4.7 yards per rush; Culpepper ran for 30 yards and rookie fourth team running back Mewelde Moore ran for 90 yards.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20 at New Orleans Saints 17

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Chris Simms made his first NFL start and played efficiently behind a conservative game plan before coughing up the ball on the Bucs second offensive possession. Simms injured his left (throwing) shoulder on the play and was replaced by Brian Griese. Bucs wide out Michael Clayton dropped what should have been Simms' first NFL touchdown on a corner route in the end zone. Coach Gruden challenged the call, but the replay official determined that Clayton did not have possession in bounds before letting go of the ball.

Brian Griese took over for the injured Simms and immediately went three and out. On the Bucs next possession, he established a nice rhythm and led the team to a long field goal. From that point forward, Griese seemingly put his inconsistent past behind him and managed the Bucs offense admirably in leading the team to their season's first victory. Coach Gruden may have an interesting quarterback decision ahead of him.

Apparently having Jon Gruden on the sidelines made the Bucs think they were the Raiders. Tampa was called for 11 penalties totaling 65 yards. While most were nagging 5-yarders, they stalled offensive drives and gave the Saints extra scoring opportunities. Back-to-back delay of game penalties against the Bucs punting unit forced Josh Bidwell to punt from the back of his end zone, giving the Saints a very short field to score on (and score they did.) In the third quarter, the Saints had a first and goal from the two yard line. The Bucs defense held, but on the ensuing field goal attempt one of their linebackers climbed up the back of a lineman resulting in a personal foul penalty against Tampa and another set of offensive downs for the Saints. The Saints scored two plays later.

New Orleans Saints

Aaron Brooks was far from efficient, completing just under 50% of his passes for a paltry 106 yards. His two passing TDs salvaged what could have been a dismal fantasy performance, but his rookie-like mistakes may have owners second-guessing his potential as a fantasy starter. The Bucs never sacked him and seldom hurried him, opting to use tight zone coverage over blitzes. Brooks responded to the lack of pressure with a number of inaccurate throws resulting in one interception and another near interception. His receivers were able to get separation from the Tampa defenders on several occasions, but Brooks' overthrows and under throws made life difficult for them.

Deuce McAllister returned from his high ankle sprain injury and had a "feast or famine" outing. Of his 21 rushing attempts, a third of them went for 1 yard or less. Another third went for 8 yards or more, including a pair of 16 yarders. The vast majority of his rushes went up the middle and game commentators often pointed out McAllister's inability to effectively make cuts, presumably due to his ankle injury. McAllister also fumbled twice, one of which was returned for a Tampa Bay touchdown by Ronde Barber.

While Tampa's special teams mistakes provided the Saints with extra opportunities, it was the Saints own mistakes and penalties that stalled out drives and limited their production at all positions. It's difficult to tell whether this Saints team is up and coming or on the way out and their inconsistent play is hindering fantasy performances.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

QB: Brian Griese (16-19-194, 1 TD, 5-minus 2 rushing) Griese wasn't spectacular, but showed excellent efficiency and game-management skills in this game. He showed accuracy downfield when necessary, but mostly followed a conservative game plan that featured a near 50/50 mix of pass and run. His lone touchdown pass (the only Bucs offensive TD today) came on a strike up the middle to an inexcusably wide-open Ken Dilger. The Tampa rushing game was mostly ineffective, so Griese controlled the clock on their last two possessions with primarily short, high-percentage passes.

QB: Chris Simms (5-8-68, 0 TD, 1 fumble lost) Simms looked sharper than expected in his first NFL start, efficiently marching the Bucs down the field on their first possession, setting up a chip shot field goal. The drive should have resulted in Simms' first NFL touchdown, but receiver Michael Clayton couldn't maintain possession in bounds on a well-placed pass in the corner of the end zone. Unfortunately, a hard sack and fumble on the Buc's second possession led to a shoulder injury and an early exit for Simms.

RB: Michael Pittman (15-51 rushing, 5-29 receiving on 5 targets) Pittman's 80 total yards from scrimmage was certainly nothing spectacular, but he played his role in this offense. His yards per carry average would have been slightly better had his three runs of 7, 6 and 2 yards not been nullified by penalty. Four of his five targets came in the fourth quarter as the Bucs concentrated on clock management with short passes. Pittman's longest run from scrimmage was 10 yards.

RB: Mike Alstott (4-8 rushing, 2-7 receiving on 4 targets) The Saints did a good job of keeping the big back's yardage to a minimum.

RB: Greg Comella (1-12 receiving on 1 target) One target, one catch, one first down. Not a bad day for a blocking fullback.

WR: Charles Lee (4-76 receiving on 6 targets) Lee appeared to have excellent chemistry with both Simms and Griese. He made an alert route adjustment and hauled in a slightly under thrown Griese pass for a 28 yard gain in the third quarter.

WR: Michael Clayton (4-61 receiving on 5 targets, 2-24 rushing) Outside of dropping a Chris Simms pass in the end zone, the speedy rookie looked good, hauling in the other four balls tossed his way and garnering first downs on both of his rushing attempts.

WR: Tim Brown (1-6 receiving on 1 target) Brown was mostly used in fair catching punts on this day.

TE: Ken Dilger (3-60 receiving on 3 targets, 1 TD) Dilger made the best of his three targets, taking his first catch untouched up the middle of the field for a 45-yard touchdown. Michael Clayton drew triple coverage leaving Dilger all alone with a clear path to pay dirt.

TE: Will Heller (1-11 receiving on 2 targets) Heller accrued just enough yards to make up for his pair of false start penalties.

K: Martin Gramatica (2 XP, 2-3 FG) The once automatic one hit from 23 and 53 early on and later missed from 41.

Pass Defense: The Bucs defense contained Aaron Brooks and crew by keeping its backs in zone coverage most of the game. Brooks was not sacked in the game and seldom saw Tampa rushers in his vicinity. Nevertheless, Brooks couldn't seem to find a passing groove and his statistics suffered. Brian Kelly's interception of an under thrown Brooks pass in the fourth quarter was the team's only pick.

Rush Defense: Deuce McAllister averaged nearly five yards per carry in attacking the heart of the Bucs defensive line, reeling off a handful of large gains in the process. They also allowed Aaron Stecker a huge 23-yard gain around the left end, but held him to four yards on three other carries. When it really mattered, the Bucs "D" kept New Orleans from scoring on two consecutive rushes from the Tampa Bay two-yard line. Tampa also stripped McAllister twice in the game, returning one for a touchdown.

New Orleans Saints

QB: Aaron Brooks (11-23-106, 2 TD, 1 Int, 0 Fumbles lost, 3-15 rushing) Brooks never really seemed to find a groove against the Bucs zone defense. His 17-yard touchdown hookup with Boo Williams was certainly the day's highlight for Brooks. His other touchdown pass was more a product of opportunity than his performance. Brooks overthrew Williams on a play that would have likely resulted in a touchdown and under threw him on another play resulting in an interception. Brooks showed his usual mobility in scrambling away from the Bucs' rush on the two occasions where it was necessary.

RB: Deuce McAllister (21-102 rushing,1 Fumble lost) McAllister returned from his high ankle sprain and was successful in piling up yardage through the middle of the Bucs' defensive line. He never attempted to get outside the tackles, a fact that game commentators attributed to Tampa's speed on defense and McAllister's sore ankle. His two fumbles can be attributed to sloppy ball carrying, as he wasn't hit hard on either. McAllister caught one pass for one yard on one target, but the play was nullified by a holding penalty.

RB: Aaron Stecker (4-27 rushing, 4-15 receiving on 4 targets) Stecker made his contributions spelling McAllister and on passing downs.

RB: Mike Carney (1-1 rushing) The hulking rookie fullback was unable to get into the end zone from the Bucs 2 yard line.

WR: Joe Horn (4-40 receiving on 7 targets, 1 TD) Horn dropped a very catchable ball on the Saints first possession to set the tone of the game for New Orleans. He was Brooks most targeted receiver on the day, unfortunately Brooks failed to connect on more than half of his passes. Horn's touchdown reception came on a three-yard strike after the Bucs' field goal unit allowed the Saints a second set of "and goal" downs.

WR: Donte Stallworth (1-27 receiving on 4 targets) Stallworth's lone reception was sandwiched between two long McAllister runs during the Saints third quarter touchdown drive. The only other time Stallworth touched the pigskin came when he alertly covered up McAllister's second quarter fumble.

TE: Boo Williams (2-24 receiving on 6 targets, 1 TD) Williams' stats could have been better, but he apparently wasn't a large enough target for the struggling Aaron Brooks. Brooks under threw him for an interception and overthrew him when he had a step on coverage and likely would have scored.

TE: Ernie Conwell (0-0 receiving on 1 target) Conwell was likely the end zone target of an Aaron Brooks pass that was tipped by the Bucs at the line of scrimmage.

K: John Carney (2 XP, 1-1 FG) Carney hit from 47 yards on his only attempt.

Pass Defense: The Saints managed to record four sacks on the day and gave up only one offensive touchdown, but they allowed Tampa Bay's quarterbacks to connect on 21 out of 27 passes. This was too much for their struggling offense to overcome.

Rush Defense: The Saints defensive line recovered from last week's Emmitt Smith show, holding the Bucs' running backs to just over three yards per carry. Unfortunately, Tampa Bay countered with an effective short passing game and it was enough to hand New Orleans their second consecutive loss at the hands of a previously winless team.

Baltimore Ravens 17 at Washington Redskins 10

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Baltimore Ravens

At halftime, Jamal Lewis had 19 rushing yards on 10 carries, and the Ravens trailed 10-0. But after a fumble recovery and a punt return staked Baltimore to a 14-10 advantage, Lewis took over, finishing the game with 116 yards on 28 carries and notching his second 100 yard game of the season. Unfortunately, with Lewis pleading guilty to criminal charges earlier in the week and the league handing down a 2 game suspension, Lewis will not be able to add to those totals until Baltimore's week 9 game against Cleveland.

Kyle Boller's game was also a tale of two halves, although hardly the same story. Boller was 8 of 15 for 77 yards and three interceptions in the first half, prompting the Ravens to ground the passing game almost entirely after the break. Boller attempted only 3 passes in the second half, completing one for 4 yards. One of Boller's interceptions was not his fault, as he threw a perfect pass which his receiver then batted up into the air. However, his other two looked much like the kind of mistakes which plagued Boller during his rookie season last year, and could easily have cost Baltimore the game had the defense and special teams not picked up the slack.

On defense, cornerback Deion Sanders picked up his first interception since returning to the league, plucking the ball out of the air just in front of the receiver on a deep pass, but it was safety Ed Reed who stole the show, forcing a fumble while sacking quarterback Mark Brunell, and then picking up the ball and returning it for a 22 yard touchdown. Return specialist B.J. Sams added a 78 yard punt return for a touchdown, the second straight game in which Sams has scored on a punt return.

Washington Redskins

Clinton Portis did not fumble the ball, but his 53 yards on 25 carries can hardly be an encouraging sign to his fantasy owners, even coming against the Ravens' vaunted defense. The offensive line was unable to open holes for Portis during the game, and he was often hit by one or even two defenders behind the line of scrimmage. In leagues which award points per reception his 4 catches are promising, but overall it was a disappointing game which can hardly be blamed on Portis alone.

Laveranues Coles and the Redskins receivers in general struggled to get free against the Ravens secondary, and often had only a few seconds to do so before Mark Brunell was forced to throw it away or scramble out of the pocket. After a season high of 122 receiving yards last week, Coles was held to only 25 yards on 3 catches in the game…and led all Redskins receivers. Rod Gardner managed only 1 catch for 9 yards, while second-year receiver Taylor Jacobs had 2 catches for 18 yards in the game. Rookie tight end Chris Cooley added 2 catches for 12 yards, and his second touchdown of the season.

Mark Brunell faced an onslaught of blitzers on almost every passing attempt, and did well to accumulate what little statistics he did. For the game, Brunell was 13 of 29 for 83 yards and a touchdown, while also being picked off on a deep throw intended for Laveranues Coles. However, Brunell was sacked 3 times in the game, one causing a fumble which was returned for a touchdown, and was pressured nearly every time he dropped back into the pocket. His touchdown throw, to Chris Cooley, was a perfectly thrown pass between two defenders.

The Redskins defense managed three interceptions in the game and completely shut down the Ravens offense in the first half. In the second half, however, Jamal Lewis and the Ravens were able to run seemingly at will against them, all while attempting only 3 passes in the final two quarters. Washington added two sacks of Kyle Boller in the game.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Baltimore Ravens

QB: Kyle Boller (9-18-81, 3 INT, 7 for -6 rushing) completed his first three passes of the game, and then did little right from that point on. Boller's first interception was not his fault, as tight end Daniel Wilcox batted a perfectly thrown pass into the air where cornerback Fred Smoot made the play to pick it off. Boller's other two interceptions were both on badly thrown balls, however, as he missed intended target Randy Hymes and threw one ball directly to cornerback Shawn Springs for the second pickoff, while his third interception came in the face of a blitz, when Boller threw an ill-advised pass off his back foot, in the direction of Kevin Johnson. Johnson was barely able to tip the ball, and Redskins' backup defensive back Todd Franz made an excellent diving catch to record his first career interception. The three interceptions came on consecutive series, all during the second quarter of the game, and led to all 10 of Washington's points. Boller attempted only 3 more passes after that point, in 27 offensive plays. Boller's rushing numbers are heavily skewed by his 5 kneel downs in the game, for -8 yards.

RB: Jamal Lewis (28-116 rushing) was held to 19 yards on 10 carries in the first half of the game. That means that he gained 97 yards on only 18 carries in the second half, all with the Ravens clinging to a one-score lead and the Ravens not even pretending to have any interest in throwing the ball. Against a Washington Redskins defense that had ranked #1 in the league against the run and had not allowed a 100 yard rushing performance this season, Lewis gained 45 yards on 4 consecutive carries in the Ravens' first offensive series after taking the lead in the game. The offensive line opened up huge holes for Lewis and he hit them quickly and with authority, running through an arm tackle attempt by Redskins' linebacker Antonio Pierce en route to a 26 yard gain, his longest carry of the night. On the down side, Lewis will begin serving a league-mandated 2 game suspension in week 7, following the Ravens' bye next week.

Chester Taylor (7-43 rushing) assumed his normal role as Baltimore's third down back & backup to Jamal Lewis, and ran very well while giving Lewis some rest as the game wore down. Taylor showed the ability to find the hole and make positive yards after first contact, and at this point appears to be the likely #1 running option while Jamal Lewis serves his suspension.

Alan Ricard (1-3 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 1 target) got a rare carry in his role as lead blocker in the Ravens' running game, powering through the pile for a 3 yard gain after being hit at the line of scrimmage.

B.J. Sams (0-0 receiving on 1 target) was targeted once on a deep route early in the third quarter, after lining up for the play as a wide receiver. His biggest contribution came as the Ravens' return specialist, however, as Sams was able to break a punt return for a 78 yard touchdown. After faking a reverse on the punt return to Deion Sanders, which almost the entire Redskins' coverage team bought in on, Sams was able to race down the sideline for the score. This was the second consecutive game in which Sams returned a kick for a touchdown.

WR: Randy Hymes (2-34 receiving on 4 targets) had caught touchdowns in the last two games for the Ravens, but with Kyle Boller struggling under center and the defense and running game winning the contest, Hymes fell victim to a lack of opportunity in this game.

Kevin Johnson (1-21 receiving on 3 targets) may find his streak of 5 consecutive seasons with at least 57 receptions in jeopardy, due to the Ravens offensive scheme. Even considering that Baltimore threw only 18 passes in the entire game, the fact that only three of them were directed towards Johnson can hardly be encouraging news from the fantasy standpoint.

Clarence Moore (2-9 receiving on 4 targets) could have had a huge day were it not for two poorly thrown balls by Kyle Boller. Twice, Moore beat cornerback Shawn Springs on deep patterns, but Boller under threw him badly on the first attempt, and then overthrew him equally badly on the second. Since Moore was behind the defense on both plays, two well thrown balls could easily have added 143 yards and two touchdowns to his game totals.

Travis Taylor was inactive for the game, but is anticipated to return to action in week 7, following the team's bye.

TE: Daniel Wilcox (2-9 receiving on 3 targets) is listed as the third string tight end for Baltimore, but has seen action in two tight end sets with starter Todd Heap injured. His third target in the game was a perfectly thrown pass that Wilcox knocked up into the air, resulting in Kyle Boller's first interception of the game.

Terry Jones (2-8 receiving on 2 targets) started the game in the absence of Heap, with little impact.

Todd Heap was inactive while recuperating from his sprained ankle. The team hopes to have him back on the field in week 7, following their week 6 bye.

K: Matt Stover (2 XP, 1-1 FG) was successful on his only field goal attempt of the game, from 33 yards out.

Pass Defense: The Baltimore Ravens manhandled the Redskins offense in all aspects of the game. Mark Brunell was sacked three times (twice by linebacker Terrell Suggs), picked off once by Deion Sanders, and held to only 83 yards passing in the game. Safety Ed Reed had the biggest play of the game, beating a poor blocking attempt by Ladell Betts to run untouched to Brunell on a blitz. Rather than hitting the quarterback, Reed instead went directly for his outstretched arm, stripping the ball and then recovering the fumble himself and running it back 22 yards for a touchdown. The Ravens were able to get pressure on the quarterback throughout the game, and the secondary was more than able to keep up with Washington's talented receiving corps.

Run Defense: Baltimore excelled in this area, too, holding Clinton Portis to just 53 yards on 25 carries in the game, with his longest run going for only 9 yards. The Ravens plugged the gaps throughout the game, and as usual, did not miss tackles when in position to hit the runner. Linebacker Ray Lewis left the field in some pain early on after taking a helmet to his midsection, but returned to action and played the rest of the game without any ill effects.

Washington Redskins

QB: Mark Brunell (13-29-83, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1 fumble lost) struggled mightily in the game, but much of this can be directly attributed to the near-constant pressure which Baltimore was able to bring into the pocket. Brunell was sacked 3 times in the game, including a play where he was stripped of the ball by safety Ed Reed, who then ran the ball in for a Ravens touchdown. Brunell's only interception of the game came on a deep pattern to Laveranues Coles, who was double covered on the play. Cornerback Deion Sanders adjusted beautifully to the ball, making a fine over the shoulder catch just above the outstretched hands of Coles. Brunell did show outstanding arm strength and vision in threading a ball through traffic to tight end Chris Cooley, which resulted in a seven yard touchdown. Brunell was charged with a second fumble on a bad exchange with his center, but picked the ball up and completed a 3 yard pass to Clinton Portis on the play.

RB: Clinton Portis (25-53 rushing, 4-14 receiving on 6 targets) did the best he could in this game, but the holes just weren't there to run through. When he tried to run directly to the point of attack on a play, he was often faced with one or more defenders standing at or behind the line of scrimmage. When he tried to cut the ball back, he was often hit in the backfield before he could regain his momentum. On one play in particular, Portis was hit by safety Ed Reed almost before he could take the handoff, resulting in a 2 yard loss on third and 1. On the positive side, despite a number of hard hits, Portis was able to avoid putting the ball on the ground, finishing the game without a fumble.

Ladell Betts (1 for -1 rushing, 1-3 receiving on 3 targets) was again used instead of Portis on obvious passing downs, but missed a blocking assignment on safety Ed Reed. Reed then sacked Mark Brunell and forced a fumble, which he recovered and returned for a touchdown.

WR: Laveranues Coles (3-25 receiving on 8 targets) is starting to look like a guy to start every other week: he posted 100 yards and a touchdown in week 2, and 122 yards in week 4, while managing just 27, 42, and now 25 yards in the other games. He could have had a big game, however, were it not for an outstanding play by cornerback Deion Sanders, who went up to intercept a pass near the goalline just before Coles could haul it in for a 52 yard touchdown. Coles was also absolutely leveled by Ray Lewis early in the game, but returned to action on the next series.

Taylor Jacobs (2-18 receiving on 3 targets) saw action in three receiver sets for the Redskins, and recorded his first two receptions of the season.

Rod Gardner (1-9 receiving on 5 targets) was covered by all pro cornerback Chris McAlister for much of the game, and struggled to get open.

James Thrash did play on special teams in the game, but did not have a target on offense.

TE: Chris Cooley (2-12, 1 TD receiving on 4 targets) started the game at the H-back position, a hybrid tight end/fullback slot, and showed fine hands in catching a bullet thrown by Mark Brunell for a 7 yard touchdown. Cooley is becoming a favorite target for Brunell in the red zone, this being his fifth target inside the 20 this season, and second touchdown.

Walter Rasby started the game at tight end, but was not targeted in the passing game.

K: John Hall (1 XP, 1-1 FG) kicked a 26 yard field goal for the first points of the game, late in the second quarter.

Pass Defense: The Redskins were able to put heavy pressure on Kyle Boller in the first half, when the Ravens were still throwing the ball, but Boller's mobility limited them to only 2 sacks. However, the pressure led directly to one of Washington's three interceptions, and those turnovers in turn led to all 10 of Washington's points. With Washington thus dominating the passing game, Baltimore completely abandoned the pass in the second half, throwing the ball only three times in the final two quarters. In all, Kyle Boller managed only 81 yards passing.

Rushing Defense: In the first half of the game, the Redskins looked every bit like a defense ranked #1 in the NFL vs. the run, holding Jamal Lewis to just 19 yards on 10 carries. However, after the Ravens were able to build a slim lead early in the third quarter on defense and special teams, Washington suddenly seemed to lose their ability to stop the run, giving up 97 yards on 18 second half carries to Lewis as well as 43 yards on 7 carries for backup Chester Taylor. Part of the problem might have been the defensive front wearing down after 30 minutes against Baltimore's massive offensive line, but expect other opposing offenses to build off of this blueprint in future games.

St Louis Rams 33 at Seattle Seahawks 27 (OT)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

St Louis Rams

QB Marc Bulger kept his head in the game and recovered from three earlier interceptions to throw three late TD passes including the game winner in overtime. Bulger turned to little used targets TE Brandon Manumaleuna, WR Kevin Curtis, and WR Shaun McDonald after Seattle had taken his main targets away. Both WRs Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt were blanketed all game long.

RBs Marshall Faulk (16 touches) and Steven Jackson (7 touches) shared the ball, but Jackson was much more effective running and receiving. Faulk dropped two balls that hit him in the hands late in the game and appeared to have difficulty breaking tackles and gaining yards after contact. Jackson did not look quite as fast as Faulk, but ran with much more power. The two players are a sharp contrast in style.

The Rams defense looked very porous through the first three quarters against the run and the pass. However, they looked very stout shutting down the run when Seattle was trying to run out the clock in the fourth quarter. DE Leonard Little appears to be the primary playmaker on this defense. His ability to get off the line of scrimmage with explosive speed allowed him to be a disruptive force in the Seattle backfield on a few key plays.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks imploded and lost the game on their own. Almost every unit on the team can point to specific occurrences that led to the loss. The secondary allowed third string WRs to beat them deep. The offensive line couldn't gain one yard that would have ended the game. The quarterback missed an open receiver that would have ended the game. The defensive front allowed QB Marc Bulger to stand tall and survey the field down the stretch. The coaching staff played prevent-defensive and scared offense in the fourth quarter. It was a complete team loss.

QB Matt Hasselbeck played very well except for one play in the fourth quarter. Yes, he missed his chance to complete one ball that would have ended the game, but his receiving corps let him down throughout the game with countless dropped balls. In particular, WR Koren Robinson had the worst day. Two balls in particular were on passes that hit Robinson directly in the chest and there was no defensive back within five yards of him. WR Darrell Jackson was the exception catching everything within reach.

RB Shaun Alexander torched the Rams for 150 rushing yards including runs of 33, 22, and 41 yards. Alexander continues to dominate in the open field and makes great cuts once he breaks through the line of scrimmage. However, on occasion Alexander still has difficulty grinding out the important yards when they're needed. His last 8 carries went for -1, -3, 0, 0, 2, 7, 0, and 4 yards.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

St Louis Rams

QB: Marc Bulger (24-42-325 3 TD 3 INT passing, 4-9 TD rushing) Bulger had a surreal game. It was almost like it couldn't have happed like it did. Bulger started the fourth quarter by throwing his third interception. At this point in the game everything had gone wrong. All three of his interceptions came on under throws as he was being hurried into the throw by the pass rush. His first touchdown pass came on an absolute prayer to TE Brandon Manumaleuna. He was blanketed in triple coverage. Manumaleuna made an unreal grab. After this, Bulger's confidence soared and he threw perfect strikes down field on his other two touchdowns. Bulger's offensive line helped him tremendously keeping the Seattle pass rush at bay while he stood in the pocket and picked Seattle apart on four consecutive scoring drives. Early in the game Bulger gave a beautiful fake on a 9-yard bootleg run for a touchdown.

RB: Marshal Faulk (15-51 rushing, 1-4 receiving on 4 targets) Marshal Faulk was used very sparingly in the first half while the Rams struggled. However, when he touched the ball he gained decent yardage. His first five carries went for 4, 6, 6, 1, and 4 yards. Opening the third quarter the Rams attempted to pound the ball with Faulk exclusively. He was good for two consecutive first downs before Seattle was finally able to stuff him and force a St. Louis punt. After this Faulk had only two more carries in the game and two passing targets. Faulk dropped both passes.

Steven Jackson (5-64 rushing, 2-11 receiving on 2 targets) Jackson's first touch in the game was a 48-yard run off right guard. He exploded through the hole untouched and ran down the right side line breaking one tackle barely keeping his balance before being knocked out of bounds at the 9-yard line. It was his only carry in the first half. His next touch was a 3-yard carry followed by a 14-yard carry. However, the 14-yarder was called back because of penalty. Jackson's only other significant play was a 14-yard reception off a screen.

WR: Torry Holt (5-53 receiving on 9 targets) and Isaac Bruce (6-78 receiving on 8 targets) Bruce and Holt are paired together here for a reason. The Seattle game plan was to remove Holt and Bruce from the Rams' game plan. The plan worked marvelously through the first half. Their combined 5 receptions for only 39 yards was a testament to its effectiveness. Both Holt and Bruce were targeted on passes intercepted by CB Ken Lucas in the first half. It started to fall apart in the fourth quarter as QB Marc Bulger started hitting his other WRs for long gains. Holt remained mostly a non-factor through the game, but Bruce pulled in two 20+ yard receptions that led to the Manumaleuna touchdown and the game tying field goal.

Shaun McDonald (2-76 TD receiving on 5 targets) McDonald beat safety Terreal Bierria deep in overtime to score the game winning TD. It was a fly straight up the middle of the field and he simply blew by Bierria. His other reception was on 3rd and 8 and went for 24 yards setting up the Bulger to Manumaleuna touchdown. McDonald was the target at the beginning of the fourth quarter on QB Marc Bulger's final interception. McDonald was targeted earlier in the game on a ball that McDonald actually caught, but he had stepped out of bounds earlier and had not reestablished on the playing field before the catch.

Kevin Curtis (2-45 TD receiving on 2 targets) Curtis nearly doubled his career receiving totals with his 41-yard TD that pulled the Rams to within three points. Curtis beat two defenders down the left seam on the play. His other reception was at the beginning of the overtime. He was replacing WR Isaac Bruce who was on the sideline for a non-described reason.

Dane Looker (1-16 receiving on 2 targets) Looker was targeted on a deep ball to the endzone in third quarter. He pulled in his lone reception in the fourth quarter that led to the game tying field goal. It was 3rd and 7 from the Seattle 34-yard line.

TE: Brandon Manumaleuna (3-33 TD receiving on 3 targets) Manumaleuna made the reception of his career with a leaping grab surrounded by three Seattle defenders. The ball was just inches over the outstretched hand of LB Anthony Simmons, but Manumaleuna was able to uses his considerable height to pull it down and keep the Rams hopes alive. His second reception on the game came on 3rd and 9 and went for 21 yards and led to a Jeff Wilkins field goal.

K: Jeff Wilkins (3-3 XP, 2-2 FG 39 36) Wilkins was perfect in the game. There was nothing in particular of consequence to report.

Pass Defense: DE Leonard Little was the only disruptive force on the field for the Rams. He was able to get to QB Matt Hasselbeck three times, and record a sack once. The sack forced a fumble. The other two times Hasselbeck was able to leave the pocket and still complete a pass. The Rams lost FS Aeneas Williams because of a pinched nerve in his neck in the first half. Seattle WRs were able to run free through the secondary. No passes were close to being intercepted.

Rush Defense: The Rams front seven gave up several long gains through monster holes early in the game. They buckled down and did a great job of stuffing the run forcing the Seahawks offense off the field with several three and outs in the second half. However, it wasn't so much a great job by them as it was predictable that Seattle was going to try and run out the clock. DT Tyoka Jackson was lost to a strained hamstring in the first half.

Seattle Seahawks

QB: Matt Hasselbeck (20-35-216 2 TD passing, 2-13 rushing) Hasselbeck was handcuffed by his coaching staff and his receiving corps. On the last three Seattle possessions the guys up top opted to ram RB Shaun Alexander into the line of scrimmage 6 times for little to no gain. The Rams had stacked the line knowing Seattle would attempt to run out the clock. The receivers were even less help dropping seven passes in the game. Hasselbeck did a great job moving around in the pocket buying time. He was under moderate pressure and hit only a few times. On one play, Hasselbeck hung in the pocket and got off a 13-yard completion to TE Itula Mili, but took a tough helmet-to-helmet blow to the head. Hasselbeck left the game for one play, but returned immediately.

RB: Shaun Alexander (23-150 TD rushing, 1-4 receiving on 1 target) Alexander posted 102 total yards in the first half, and opened the third quarter with a 41 yard run. From that point on Alexander only gained 11 more total yards. Alexander often had no where to run as the Rams stacked the line of scrimmage expecting Seattle to try and run out the clock. On his longer runs in the game Alexander made several amazing cuts in the open field at just the right point to break if for even longer gains. Alexander was uncharacteristically targeted only one time in the game.

Maurice Morris (2-5 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 3 targets) Morris had his usual carry in the first quarter, and then only saw limited duty through the rest of the game. Morris was targeted with one unusual pass. QB Matt Hasselbeck lofted a deep ball down the right sideline for Morris in the third quarter. Morris was open and had the ball just go off his hands. It was tough to determine whether or not he would have been in bounds had he pulled it in.

Mack Strong (3-19 rushing, 3-5 receiving on 4 targets) Strong saw his normal workload in the game after returning from a knee injury two weeks ago. Strong had a nice 12-yard run on 3rd and 11 that caught the Rams by surprise right up the gut.

WR: Darrell Jackson (5-91 TD receiving on 8 targets) Jackson continues to cement himself as number one WR in Seattle. He caught everything within reach. He had a short reception in the opening quarter called back due to a penalty. To open the second quarter QB Matt Hasselbeck missed an open Jackson on a deep seam route that could have been a TD. On the next play Hasselbeck missed Jackson again with a bad pass. His 56-yard TD reception was over the top down the right sideline. He beat the cornerback at the line of scrimmage and never looked back. The safety was absent from the play.

Koren Robinson (5-59 receiving on 9 targets) Koren Robinson is taking his pass dropping to a new level. Three drops in the game. Two of the drops in the second quarter came on passes where Robinson was WIDE open. The secondary left him alone and was no one near him. One of the passes could have gone for a huge gain down the sideline. QB Matt Hasselbeck continued to target Robinson even after his drop in the third quarter. Robinson rebounded with two catches in the fourth quarter including a 10-yard completion that he had to leap high to grab. Robinson took a nasty shot in the lower back on the play and bounced right back up and into the huddle. Earlier in the game Robinson was targeted on a deep ball down the left sideline, but it would have been an amazing catch had he come up with it.

Bobby Engram (1-2 receiving on 4 targets) Engram and QB Matt Hasselbeck couldn't connect. Engram was twice open and Hasselbeck simply missed him. The important one was in the fourth quarter on a third down. The pass was thrown at Engram's feet.

TE: Jerramy Stevens (3-35 TD receiving on 6 targets) Stevens saw his greatest amount of action so far this year including five of his targets in the first half. His 24-yard touchdown reception was on a deep fade. Stevens made a fantastic leaping grab over the top of the safety. Very few TEs in the league could have made this play. On Stevens next two targets he recorded two dropped passes. Both are plays that any NFL TE should have made.

Itula Mili (2-20 receiving on 2 targets) Both of Mili's receptions occurred in the first half. His second one of 13 yards came on a play where QB Matt Hasselbeck was under heavy pressure and set up a FG attempt by PK Josh Brown.

K: Josh Brown (3-3 XP, 2-3 FG made 48 42 missed 42) Brown missed what could have been the difference in the game. It was his first miss of the season. Brown also took on the punting duties after P Tom Rouen sustained what is being reported as a pulled hamstring. His only punt went for 35 yards.

Pass Defense: The Seahawks made a considerable effort to remove the Rams starting wide receivers from the game. At the end of the third quarter WRs Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce had combined to catch 8 passes for 69 yards. CBs Ken Lucas and Marcus Trufant made a significant statement that they should be considered as one of the better pair of shutdown corners in the league. However, starting safety Terreal Bierria was torched deep late in the game twice while in a prevent defense by the Rams backup WRs allowing Shaun McDonald and Kevin Curtis to get behind him. The Seattle pass rush was able to hurry QB Marc Bulger into several mistakes early in the game. DE Chike Okeafor recorded two sacks and was able to cause Bulger to move around in the pocket more than he wanted to. When Seattle blitzed they were able to bring pressure from several different angles. Seattle moved to a prevent defense late in the game and only blitzed one time down the stretch.

Rush Defense: The run defense wasn't really tested as St. Louis opted to throw more than twice as many times as they ran the ball. They allowed a long run of 48 yards to RB Steven Jackson that was almost called back by flag (appeared to be a hold), but the referee waived off the flag. Other than this play, the longest gain by a Rams RB was only 7 yards by Faulk.

Buffalo Bills 14 at New York Jets 16

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

New York Jets

The New York Jets continue their winning ways besting the Bills on a Doug Brien FG with under a minute remaining. The Jets were ahead and in cruise control until the fourth quarter of the contest. The Defense was dominating the dormant Bills attack and the offense was managing to, at times, move the ball on the Bills. However, a few miscues kept the Bills in the game including a missed Brien FG, a Chris Baker fumble and a Chad Pennington interception (both turnovers deep in Bill territory).

Chad Pennington had a nice afternoon fantasy wise accumulating 304 passing yards and 1 TD against 1 INT on a dump-off while avoiding a sack. Pennington was on with his accuracy (31-42 comp-attempt) although he was not able to get the ball in the end zone on several drives. However, Pennington calmly gathered the troops and led the Jets on the game winning drive going 7-8 for 49 yards.

The ageless Curtis Martin was held under 100 yards on the ground for the first time this year, gaining just 77 yards on 22 carries. However, Martin was able to gather 100 total yards by chipping in 23 receiving yards. Of note, the commentators commented that Martin is on a pace to set NFL records for carries and yards, and quoted Coach Edwards stating that Lamont Jordan will be getting more involved starting next game.

Santana Moss seemed more involved in this contest than his stat line indicates. Pennington targeted Moss several times in the end zone, but Moss finished with 62 yards on just 2 receptions. Moss also nearly took a punt return for the distance

Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills were sleep walking through this contest for most of the afternoon until approximately twelve minutes to go in the fourth quarter where Jeff Posey intercepted an errant Chad Pennington dump off to Curtis Martin. After being shutdown most of the day by the Jets Defense, Drew Bledsoe and the Bills starting clicking, connecting on two fourth quarter touchdown passes to put the Bills ahead 14-13 with six minutes remaining. Bledsoe first hit TE Mark Campbell from 16 yards out, and then Lee Evans on a beautiful long ball from 46 yards out to put the Bills ahead.

Travis Henry was seeing a majority of the work until experiencing an ankle problem. Thereafter, Willis McGahee took over and sparked the first Bill TD drive with a 21-yard run off the left side of the line. Henry was able to return near the end of the game.

The Bills Defense continues to be impressive and the obviously stronger unit on this squad. The Bills became the first team this year to hold Curtis Martin to under 100 yards. Pennington did manage 304 through the air, but took 42 attempts to get there.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

New York Jets

QB: Chad Pennington (31-42-304, 1 TD, 1 INT) This was definitely an uncharacteristic amount of passes thrown by the Jets this afternoon with Pennington letting it fly 42 times. Probably most impressive, even more so than his stat line, was Pennington's poise and leadership at the end of the first half and with the game on the line in the fourth quarter. Pennington was calm in leading the Jets on scoring drives in both these situations. Pennington did have a little trouble with the long ball, which is where several of his incompletes came from. The longest completion of 41 yards was mostly the YAC work of WR Santana Moss. However, Pennington did do a good job of not forcing the ball downfield and checking off to RBs Curtis Martin and Jerald Sowell.

RB: Curtis Martin (22-77 rushing, 0 TD, 6-23 receiving on 7 targets) Going into the game, Martin had accumulated over 92% of the total Jets rushing yardage and was on a pace to break NFL records for attempts and yards…amazing for a back in the league for 10 years. However, as mentioned above, it appears the Jets may be pulling in the reigns on Martin in the future. All that aside, Martin did not have as big a game as we have grown accustomed too this year. While still managing 100 total yards, he gained just 77 yards on the ground for about 3.3 yards a carry. Martin was a factor in the passing game as Pennington had trouble finding openings down the field.

Jerald Sowell (6-23 receiving on 10 targets) As with Martin, Jerald Sowell was the recipient of several check downs or dump-offs after Pennington peered down field.

WR: Wayne Chrebet (8-90 receiving on 8 targets) Wayne Chrebet surprisingly had the biggest day of any Jet receiver. As always, Chrebet is Pennington's favorite target on third down. Chrebet has a knack for finding the first down marker and hauling in the reception just on the other side of it.

Santana Moss (2-62 receiving on 7 targets, 1-8 rushing) The bad news is Santana Moss only caught two balls…the good news in one of them went for 41 yards and Moss was targeted in the end zone on several occasions as we still await his first TD on the year. Moss was also instrumental in drawing flags in the secondary when he was unable to make the reception. Moss' one rushing attempt was on a third and short on the first drive getting around the left side for 8 yards.

Justin McCareins (2-32 receiving on 4 targets) McCareins only managed two receptions on the day of 17 and 15 yards off four targets.

TE: Chris Baker (3-33 receiving on 4 targets, 1 TD, 1 Fumble Lost) Baker seems to be the favorite of the two Jet tight ends. Baker hauled in three catches for 33 yards including the lone Jet touchdown. Unfortunately, Baker did lose a fumble near the end of the second quarter deep in Bills territory ending a probably scoring drive.

Anthony Becht (2-20 receiving on 2 targets) Becht spread out his two receptions very evenly…one of the first Jet possession and one on the last Jet possession.

K: Doug Brien (1 XP, 3-4 FG) Doug Brien started off the game by missing a 29-yard FG after an impressive opening drive. Brien redeemed himself by hitting all three of his other attempts including the game-winner from 38 yards out.

Pass Defense: The Jets pass defense had a good afternoon just giving up 197 yards and managing an interception and collecting 4 sacks (3 by John Abraham). The pass defense had one breakdown where Lee Evans was able to beat David Barrett for a 46 yard score.

Rush Defense: The Jets held the Bills as a team to 80 yards on the ground for 3.6 a carry and held Travis Henry to just 33 yards on 12 carries…a very fine effort.

Buffalo Bills

QB: Drew Bledsoe (16-29-197, 2 TD, 1 Int) Drew Bledsoe continued to struggle in this game until the light came on in the fourth quarter. Bledsoe had done very little all day until leading the Bills on back to back 4th quarter scoring drives to put the Bills in front. Bledsoe's first scoring throw was a bullet to TE Mark Campbell for a 16 yards. The second scoring throw was a nice looking bomb to rookie Lee Evans. Bledsoe's INT came on the last play of the game on a desperation heave. Of note, Bledsoe appears to wince after a few of his throw prompting the announcers to wonder if he is playing hurt with an injury to his ribs or elbow.

RB: Willis McGahee (8-42 rushing, 1-2 receiving on 1 target) Willis McGahee was playing second fiddle to Travis Henry until Henry had to come out with an ankle problem. Up until this point McGahee and Henry had both been contained by the Jets defense. However, McGahee provided the key play on the Bills first scoring drive in the fourth quarter nearly going all the way on a 21-yard carry off the left side.

Travis Henry (12-33 rushing 0-0 receiving on 1 target) Henry was largely ineffective managing just 33 yards and under 3 yards per carry and a long of 14 yards. Henry was regularly held to little or no gain with not much else to report…except to watch for his health status.

WR: Eric Moulds (6-54 receiving on 10 targets) Not surprising, Moulds led the Bills in targets. However, he was held to just 54 yards on 6 grabs. Moulds was unable to get free deep either with his longest reception being 17 yards.

Lee Evans (1-46 receiving on 1 target, 1 TD) Evans made his one target a big one blowing by a Jet defender and catching a beautifully thrown ball from Bledsoe.

Bobby Shaw (3-37 receiving on 7 targets) Bobby Shaw had a humble afternoon as well with 37 yards on three receptions and seven targets.

TE: Mark Campbell (1-16 receiving on 2 targets, 1 TD) Campbell came through with a very big catch in the fourth quarter to pull the Bills within 6 on the scoreboard. Campbell was able to beat the Jet defender over the middle of the field an catch a laser from Bledsoe.

K: Rian Lindell (2 XP, 0-0 FG) Lindell did not attempt a field on the day and his both his extra points.

Pass Defense: The Bills pass defense did give up some numbers today, but still did their job as the Jets needed 42 attempts to rack up those yards. This unit managed an interception and two sacks against Pennington.

Rush Defense: Excellent job in holding down the red hot Curtis Martin and the Jets as a team to 3.7 yards per carry as the Jets had been running all over opponents up to this point in the season.

Oakland Raiders 14, Indianapolis Colts 35

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Oakland Raiders

Jerry Rice was limited to one target that resulted in a catch. However, the catch was negated due to a penalty, leaving him with no stats on the day. After the game, Rice had this to say "I have always pretty much had it in my hands," Rice said. "It's different now. I don't know if this situation is going to work out here next year or not."

WR Ronald Curry clearly outplayed Jerry porter. He found ways to get open, and was the focal point of the Raiders passing offense. Catching 10 of 13 targets, he was the Raider's star of the game. Most importantly, Collins seemed to look for Curry first, not Porter. Porter just seemed to be the second read on the day and maybe the 3rd behind TE Anderson.

The Raiders were held to just 53 yards on the ground, 41 of them coming from Amos Zereoue. You need to know that Zereoue had a 56-yard TD called back on a penalty, and could have finished with 97 rushing yards, 53 receiving yards, and a score.

RB Zack Crockett stayed on the bench, as Justin Fargas was the one to come into the game for the one-yard TD.

Keep an eye on 7th round draft pick TE Courtney Anderson. He didn't get into the game until the second half, but once in the game, just seemed to click with Collins, seeing 5 targets, gaining almost 40 yards on 3 catches, and adding a score. The only player targeted more than Anderson in the second half was Curry. Anderson seemed very quick for his huge frame.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts dominated this game from the outset. They came out of the gate throwing, and then they realized that the Raiders simply weren't going to bring pressure or even blitz. All the Colts had to do is block a couple of key people and James had all the room in the world to run. The Raiders gave this game away on defensive play calling that focused on taking away the deep ball and Harrison, and the Colts were all too happy to take it.

James posted his 3rd 100-yard rushing game of the season. The Colt's offensive line dominated the Raiders. James is a great back but these were huge holes.

The Colt's Defense allowed 53 rushing yards, sacked Collins 4 times, picked him off 3 times, and returned an interception for a TD. The Raiders were out matched on both sides of the ball, and believe it or not, the score is much closer than the game was.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Oakland Raiders

QB: Kerry Collins (28-44-245, TD, 3 INT, 1-6 rushing, fumble) Collins played very poorly. That said, Collins was very patient throwing underneath the coverage. The Colts did an excellent job in taking away the long ball, and to Collins' credit, he didn't force the ball anywhere near as often as he could have, taking what he was given to keep the chains moving. The Colt's Defense dominated this game, but Collins held up well, and didn't totally lose his head despite getting sacked 4 times, and throwing 3 interceptions.

Rich Gannon was shown on TV actively watching the game from the Owner's box. He was wearing a full rigid neck brace.

RB: Amos Zereoue (10-41, 7-53 receiving, 7 targets) This wasn't as bad as it would seem. With the Colts taking away the run, Zereoue averaged over 4 yards a rush, and added over 50 yards receiving. He runs like a bowling ball, and made some nice gains when he got started. Zereoue broke a 56-yard TD off the right tackle that was nullified due to offensive holding on Frank Middleton. Owners do need to know that Zereoue failed twice from the 1-yard line before Fargas came in the game and scored the TD

JR Redmond (1-5, 2-11 receiving, 4 targets) Redmond was barely a factor in the game, with one carry, and a couple of dump off passes.

Justin Fargas (1-1, TD) Fargas' TD came with Zereoue failed to get in the end zone on back to back tries. Fargas come in for one play, and promptly put it in the end zone. He did nothing else on the day.

WR: Ronald Curry (10-72, fumble, 13 targets) Curry was the focus of the passing attack. He had a fantastic day. Curry had 5 targets in the first half (double that of Porter), and 8 targets in the second half (almost double that of Porter). He showed good route running, great hands, and great movement without the ball finding ways to get open. He clearly was the #1 receiver on the field for the Raiders. In a game where every aspect of the Raiders offensive attack struggled, Curry played well.

Jerry Porter (4-35, 7 targets) Porter couldn't find any room in the first half. It wasn't from insurmountable coverage, he just didn't find ways to get open. Porter came on in the second half as the Raiders were throwing the ball on every down, but he still seemed to pale in comparison to what Curry was doing.

Doug Gabriel (1-24, 7 targets) Gabriel had a bad game. He couldn't catch anything. The only bright spot that could have been was on a 3rd and 13 at about mid field. Gabriel worked free in single coverage, and had a step, but Collins overthrew him.

Jerry Rice (1 target) Rice was not looked to in the first half; in fact he only played in one series. He gained 6-yards on a reception in the second half that was nullified due to a roughing the passer call. It's painful to watch a player of his stature stand on the side line while Gabriel flubs everything thrown his way over and over again.

Alvis Whitted (1 target) Whitted was not a factor in the game.

TE: Courtney Anderson (3-38, TD, 5 targets) 7th round draft pick, rookie Anderson looked like he should have been drafted on the first day. Anderson didn't get into the game until the second half, then almost became the focal point of what was working for the Raiders. At 6'6", 270 lbs, he moves extremely well. His 1st NFL TD came on a seam pass right between the corner and the safety. He moves much quicker than you would have expected.

Doug Jolley (1-12, 1 target) Jolley was a non-factor in the game, targeted once in the first half before giving way to Anderson.

K: Sebastian Janikowski (2-2 XP)

Pass Defense: NT Ted Washington (Tackle) was awarded a sack on Manning, however, Manning gave himself up in lieu of taking the hit. RCB Philip Buchanon (3 tackles) intercepted Manning. This was a very poor showing. They weren't aggressive, and barely if ever even blitzed the passer.

Rush Defense: ROLB Travian Smith (8 tackles, 1 assist) lead the team in stops. The rush defense was totally ineffective. James had more rushing lanes on any given play than he knew what to do with.

Indianapolis Colts

QB: Peyton Manning (16-26-198, 3 TDs, INT, 2-0 rushing) Manning's receivers were open all day, and Manning threw for less than 200 yards. If OC Tom Moore had wanted to, Manning could have thrown for 400+ yards. The running game was Hot, and it was featured.
Manning had all the time in the world, and he gave himself up on his only sack. Manning made mostly perfect reads with the balls he did throw, driving down the field for 3 first half passing TDs.

RB: Edgerrin James ( 32-136, TD, 2-19 receiving, 3 targets) With James leading the attack, the Colts dominated the pace of play. James had an excellent game, although he seemed to struggle at the goal line. Some examples would be 1st and goal at the 1 - loses 3 yards, 1st and gold from the 3 - 2-yard loss, 1st and goal - James stopped for no gain. All in all, the holes provided by the line were huge. A couple of times James didn't seem to know where to run, and jumped back and forth before moving forward. The issue wasn't that he couldn't find a hole, but that he couldn't decide what hole to take. He had that much room on the day.

Dominic Rhodes (6-14, 1-20 receiving, 1 target) Rhodes got carries as James took himself out of the game to rest. Rhodes single reception in the game came with him starting in the backfield, and advancing into the middle of the field for a 20-yard reception.

James Mungro (1-1 receiving, receiving TD, 1 target) For the second week in a row, Mungro was targeted a single time, and catches a 1-yard TD.

WR: Marvin Harrison (3-44, 5 targets) Harrison was taken out of the game with multiple coverage working against allowing the Colts to have the deep ball. In fact, take away his 33-yard gain that came against the Raiders playing zone and Harrison had a terrible day. He couldn't get open easily, compared to Wayne and Stokley who seemed to be open all game. Add in that James couldn't be stopped, and you have a poor outing for Harrison. Harrison did have an opportunity to score when Manning unsuccessfully targeted Harrison on 1st and goal from the 3 in the 4th quarter.

Brandon Stokley (3-41, 7 targets) Stokley caught a TD in the end zone, but the ball came loose as he made contact with the ground and was ruled incomplete. Dungy challenged the play, but it was not overturned. Stokley lost 20-yard gain when the ball went threw his hands, yet he failed to catch it. He lost yet another 10-yard gain when the pass went right through his hands for an incompletion.

Reggie Wayne (5-69, TD, 9 targets) Wayne's TD came on a play action to James. Wayne was wide open as the corner who was playing zone moved out of position to key on Stokley over the middle. Wayne lost what would have easily been another TD when both he and RCB Philip Buchanon both came down with the ball in the end zone, only Buchanon wrestled it away from him for an interception.

Brad Pyatt sprained his ankle on the opening kick off, and did not return to the game.

TE: Dallas Clark (1-4, TD, 3 targets) Clark's only catch was a TD on 2nd and goal at the 4. Of Clark's other two targets, he could have easily pulled in another TD when Clark was wide-open the in end zone on 2nd and goal, but Manning just overthrew him.

Marcus Pollard was not active for the game.

K: Mike Vanderjagt was not active for the game.

Matt Bryant (5-5 XP, 0-1 FG)

Pass Defense: LCB Nick Harper (2 tackles, 2 assists), Cato June, and LCB Jason David all picked off Collins. DE Robert Mathis (6 tackles, 1 assist) sacked Collins twice.

Rush Defense: ROLB Cato June (9 tackles, 2 assists) lead the team in stops. The Defense almost completely shut down the rushing attack. Limiting the Raiders to 53 yards on the ground.

Arizona Cardinals 28 at San Francisco 49ers 31 (OT)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Arizona Cardinals

Running back Emmitt Smith had a nice encore to his 127-yard rushing day the week before with 63 yards on 16 attempts against the 49ers. His 10-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter was vintage Emmitt - spotting the cutback lane, darting to his left, then juking a defender just short of the goal line. However, the 35-year old future Hall of Famer left the game in the fourth quarter with a groin injury. The injury later was described as not serious, but bears watching.

Josh McCown, in his third year out of Sam Houston State, continues to develop into a pretty good NFL quarterback. McCown threw for 231 yards and 3 touchdowns, and his only interception came on a pass that was deflected by a defensive lineman. His first TD was lucky - he threw a floater up for grabs from the San Francisco 16 and tight end Freddie Jones came down with the ball - but he also made a lot of good decisions. His third scoring pass was a thing of beauty: a 24-yard strike in the corner of the end zone to rookie Larry Fitzgerald that gave Arizona a 28-12 lead with eight minutes to play in the game.

With last season's Rookie of the Year, Anquan Boldin, still out with a knee injury, the Cardinals are looking to other receivers. Veterans did the job in the first half, as wide receiver Karl Williams had 4 receptions for 38 yards and tight end Freddie Jones caught a 16-yard TD pass. In the second half, rookie wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and second-year wideout Bryant Johnson were McCown's primary targets.

The Arizona defense entered the contest having not allowed a touchdown for 10 consecutive quarters dating back to second period of the Week 2 game versus the New England Patriots. The Cardinals stretched that streak to 13 quarters before the 49ers scored two TDs in the final four minutes of regulation, plus two 2-point conversions, to tie the game. Arizona's special teams gave up a 71-yard punt return to Arnaz Battle in the third quarter.

San Francisco 49ers

The 49er offense looked terrible for 55 minutes, but then rallied at the end of the game to pull out the victory. Quarterback Tim Rattay threw for a career-high 417 yards, with 169 of those coming after the third quarter. Prior to the fourth quarter, Rattay looked jittery in the pocket, made poor decisions and frequently overthrew his intended target. But, when the Niners fell behind by 16 points and were forced to go to a hurry-up offense, Rattay and his receivers suddenly clicked.

Eric Johnson set a San Francisco record for receiving yardage by a tight end. Johnson, who played wide receiver at Yale, had 162 yards on 13 catches. For the second straight game, Johnson carried the San Francisco offense. Johnson was listed as questionable with sore ribs but played after taking a pain-killing injection.

For the second consecutive game, the 49er defense lost a starter to a season-ending injury. Last week versus St. Louis, cornerback Mike Rumph broke his right arm. Against the Cardinals, all-pro linebacker Julian Peterson tore his left Achilles' tendon. Peterson was trying to avoid a chop block by an Arizona lineman and landed awkwardly on his left foot. Before the injury, Peterson led San Francisco in sacks. With Peterson and Rumph out for the year, and middle linebacker Derek Smith and defensive end Andre Carter expected to remain on the sideline for possibly several more weeks, the 49ers defense is vulnerable to opposing offenses.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Arizona Cardinals

QB: Josh McCown (19-34-231 passing, 3 TDs, 1 Int, 3-11 rushing). McCown took a dumb delay of game penalty early in the game, but played well after that. Late in the first quarter, his 8-yard bootleg on fourth and 1 from the Arizona 39 led to the Cardinals' first touchdown. McCown distributed the ball well, finding eight different receivers. He also showed the ability to handle the rush, completing several passes under duress. The three touchdown passes were his first of the season.

RB: Emmitt Smith (16-63 rushing, 1 TD, 0-0 receiving on 1 target) Smith had a nice game before departing in the fourth quarter with a groin injury. His longest gain was 16 yards, and he added a 12-yard run three plays later to set up Arizona's second touchdown late in the first half. Smith remains tied with Walter Payton for most 100-yard rushing games in a career (77).

Troy Hambrick (10-29 rushing, 2-11 receiving, on 2 targets, 1 TD receiving) In his first year with the Cardinals after four years as a Dallas Cowboy, Hambrick does a decent job as Smith's backup. His long run of the day was 11 yards, and his second longest was 8 yards, so he gained only 10 yards on his other eight rushes. Hambrick's 2-yard TD reception gave Arizona a 14-3 lead late in the second quarter. It was the first touchdown catch of his career. With three minutes to play in the game, and Arizona trying to run out the clock, Hambrick gained nine yards on a screen pass but was stopped one yard short of a first down.

Larry Croom (0-0 rushing, 1-8 receiving on 2 targets) The rookie from UNLV made a minimal contribution on offense. He also returned kickoffs.

Obafemi Ayanbadejo (0-0 rushing, 1-7 receiving on 1 target). Ayanbadejo caught the only pass thrown his way.

WR: Larry Fitzgerald (5-94 on 6 targets) Fitzgerald pulled down the first touchdown of his pro career in the fourth quarter, beating 49er cornerback Ahmed Plummer in the end zone. Fitzgerald made the catch despite having his helmet turned sideways because Plummer pulled his facemask. The No. 3 pick of the 2004 NFL draft, Fitzgerald entered the game as Arizona's leading receiver and tied for second among rookies with 17 catches. McCown threw his way only once in the first half, but he made a nice catch for a 23-yard gain one play before the Cardinals' first TD.

Karl Williams (4-38 receiving on 6 targets) All of Williams' receptions and targets were in the first half. He contributed an 11-yard reception on Arizona's first touchdown drive, and a 20-yard catch on the team's second TD march.

Bryant Johnson (3-45 receiving on 8 targets) As was the case with Fitzgerald, Johnson didn't get a lot of opportunities in the first half, but came on strong in the second. Johnson's first reception of the game was a 24-yard catch on the first play of the fourth quarter. He added a 12-yard reception two plays later, as the Cardinals marched to a touchdown.

TE: Freddie Jones (2-20 receiving on 5 targets, 1 TD) Jones dropped the first ball thrown to him, but later helped out McCown by making a nice catch for a score on a wobbly pass.

Lorenzo Diamond (1-8 receiving on 2 targets) Diamond's only reception of the game came on Arizona's opening drive. He dropped a pass in the second quarter and didn't see the ball again.

K: Neil Rackers (4-4 XP, 0-0 FG) Rackers made all four extra points but did not attempt a field goal.

Pass Defense: While Tim Rattay threw for 417 yards, he had to put the ball in the air 57 times to amass that total, and the 49er offense accounted for only two field goals in the first 55 minutes. The Cardinals sacked Rattay 5 times for 26 yards in losses, and the pass rush forced him to alter numerous other throws.

Rush Defense: The Cardinals' run defense was excellent, allowing just 57 yards on 19 carries, a 3.0-yard average. Injuries to San Francisco's offensive line may have contributed to the fact there were no holes, but Arizona's D-linen and linebackers played well.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

San Francisco 49ers

QB: Tim Rattay (38-57-417 passing, 2 TDs, 0 Int, 3-14 rushing, 1 2-pt conversion rushing and 1 2-pt conversion throwing) It might sound strange after a 400-plus-yard passing day, but Rattay did not look very good for most of the game. He still is trying to get acclimated to the offense after missing minicamp and training camp with a torn groin muscle and inflamed forearm, respectively. For the second week in a row, Rattay was sacked and had the ball knocked out of his hands on the first play of a possession, leading to a touchdown for the opposition. He overthrew numerous receivers and seemed frustrated for three quarters. In the fourth period and overtime, however, when San Francisco was forced to go to a no-huddle offense, he was clutch. His 23-yard TD pass to Brandon Lloyd that brought the Niners to within two points with one minute to play was a perfect rainbow in the back of the end zone where only his receiver could catch it. He then hooked up with Lloyd on the 2-point conversion to tie the game. Rattay also ran for a 2-point conversion.

RB: Kevan Barlow (14-34 rushing, 3-23 receiving on 7 targets) With his offensive line banged up and seemingly still slowed by a sprained knee he suffered against the New Orleans Saints Sept. 19, Barlow struggled all day. His longest rush was only 7 yards, and his longest reception 9 yards. He saved his best for last, though. After the ignominy of two dropped passes and a ball bouncing off his helmet during regulation, Barlow caught a pass from Rattay in overtime and picked up 9 yards to the Arizona 17 to set up the winning field goal.

Jamal Robertson (2-9 rushing, 3-24 receiving on 4 targets, 1 fumble lost) Robertson has earned the ire of the 49er coaching staff with his fumbling, and he laid the ball on the ground twice in this game. He recovered his first fumble, but the play was wiped out by a holding penalty. Robertson contributed 2 catches for 14 and 4 yards on San Francisco's second field goal drive, but didn't touch the ball again after his second fumble was recovered by Arizona and cashed in for a touchdown.

Terry Jackson (0-0 rushing, 1-8 receiving on 1 target) Jackson's one reception came on a safe pass in a third-down-and-20 situation from the 49er 18-yard line in the third quarter.

WR: Brandon Lloyd (5-56 receiving on 11 targets, 1 TD, 1 2-pt conversion receiving) Lloyd had a game similar to Kevan Barlow: he had three passes go off his hands during what seemed to be a long, losing day. But, the second-year receiver came through in the clutch. Lloyd laid out to catch a 23-yard pass in the back left corner of the end zone to bring the 49ers to within two points. Lloyd then ran a quick slant and caught the tying 2-point conversion pass despite being dragged down by a defender. Lloyd's heroics were all the more impressive when it was revealed after the game he was battling cramps and playing at less than 100% with an injured groin.

Curtis Conway (5-56 receiving on 6 targets) Conway caught the only pass thrown to him in the first half: an 18-yard reception in the second quarter that helped set up a 49er field goal. Conway had 2 catches in each of San Francisco's two fourth-quarter touchdown drives.

Cedrick Wilson (4-45 receiving on 8 targets) Wilson had receptions for 12 and 13 yards on the 49ers' two first-half field goal drives. He committed a holding penalty that helped kill a third-quarter possession. His longest catch of the day was a 17-yarder on San Francisco's first TD drive in the fourth quarter.

Arnaz Battle (1-2 receiving on 1 target) The second-year player out of Notre Dame scored his first career touchdown on a 71-yard punt return in the third quarter.

TE: Eric Johnson (13-162 receiving on 16 targets, 1 TD) Johnson didn't see the ball in the first quarter, but dominated from that point forward. His touchdown catch plus Rattay's run on the 2-point conversion brought the 49ers to within eight points with 4:35 to play. In overtime, Johnson's 23-yard reception put the ball at the Arizona 16 and helped set up the winning field goal.

Aaron Walker (3-41 receiving on 3 targets) San Francisco's first play of the day was an 18-yard completion to Walker, who had a reception on each of the 49ers' first three possessions.

K: Todd Peterson (3-3 FGs, 0-0 XP) One week after attempting zero kicks against the Rams, Peterson converted all three field goal tries - including the game-winner in overtime. He was successful on 37- and 42-yard attempts in the second quarter, and the OT field goal was from 32 yards out.

Pass Defense: The 49ers are being ravaged by injuries. With Julian Peterson going out for the year, San Francisco is minus four defensive starters. Rookie Shawntae Spencer started at cornerback for Mike Rumph with predictable results - receivers were open on almost every play. The Niners generated just 2 sacks for 14 yards in losses, but one came with 30 seconds to play, just after San Francisco tied the game. Linebacker Jamie Winborn had the Niners' only interception.

Rush Defense: San Francisco did a so-so job against the run. Arizona rushed for 103 yards on 29 tries, a 3.6-yard average.

Miami 10 at New England 24

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Miami Dolphins

Don't let Jay Fiedler's final statistics fool you. While he and many of the Dolphins ended the game with respectable to good fantasy statistics, they all came in garbage time. Garbage time essentially consisted of most of the second half. Fiedler left the game a few plays early when he was knocked to the ground with what appeared to be a rib injury.

Running back Leonard Henry left the game early but it was not reported that he was injured. Brock Forsey took over the running back duties and was semi-effective rushing for 44 yards on 13 carries. He got most of those carries in the first half when the game still was on the line.

Marty Booker and Chris Chambers made some fantastic catches and ended with respectable numbers. Don't let Chambers 37 yards receiving lead you to believe he is not involved in the offense, he was targeted 14 times.

Randy McMichael made the most of his 4 receptions rumbling over defenders for 62 yards.

New England Patriots

This team is in a phenomenal groove and despite easing up in the second half against the Dolphins, allowed only a field goal and kept the game well in hand winning their 19th straight.

Tom Brady passed for an amazingly low 76 yards on just 19 attempts. He completed just 7 passes but two of those were for touchdowns. He attempted only 4 passes, and didn't complete any in the second half.

Corey Dillon put up huge stats through virtually only 2 quarters of this game but left the game after a 36 yard run to the 4 yard line with 10 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter. He tweaked his ankle but would have been able to return to the game if needed.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Miami Dolphins

QB: Jay Fiedler (20-41-251, 1 TD, 1 Int, 3-6 rushing, 1 fumble lost) threw just four completions for just 40 yards in the first half but came out in the second half firing the football effectively. The Patriots seemed content to give up yardage without allowing touchdowns in the second half. Fiedler put up a valiant and gutsy effort symbolized by one play where pressured he scrambled from the pocket on 3rd down and long yardage and fighting for the yard marker had the football stripped away. He fought hard but just couldn't get things going his way.

RB: Brock Forsey (13-44 rushing) came into the game in the second quarter and picked up 27 yards on his first 4 carries. He was not as effective in the second half and was spelled with Sammy Morris.

Leonard Henry (5-10 rushing, no catches on 1 target) made little impact and left the game in the second quarter and did not return.

WR: Marty Booker (7-123 receiving on 11 targets) made two nice 4th down receptions to extend Miami drives. He also made a fantastic 45 yard catch down at the 1 yard line. Unfortunately Miami was unable to score from first and goal from the 1.

Chris Chambers (6-37 receiving, 1 TD on 14 targets, 1-(-3) rushing) was much more involved in the offense than his 37 yards would indicate. He was targeted often with the passes being off-the-mark and he contributed some to the low number by dropping 1 pass. He did make a fantastic diving touchdown grab that not many receivers would make and had a 6 yard reception nullified when Miami accepted a 5 yard defensive holding penalty.

TE: Randy McMichael (4-62 on 7 targets) is one of Fiedler's favorite receivers. He ran over defenders seemingly each time he caught the ball.

K: Wes Welker (1 XP, 1-1 FG) Before the game, Olindo Mare was declared inactive because of a calf muscle strain. Kick returner Wes Welker was forced into duty never having kicked a field goal or extra point professionally. In fact, he'd attempted only one extra point try in college that he missed. He managed to connect on both his extra point and short field goal try but Miami had to pass on a couple key field goal opportunities.

Pass Defense: Played well but were not tested considering New England threw the ball under 20 times. They did get a sack and interception.

Rush Defense: Were pushed around by the New England front surprisingly easily. They surrendered 135 yards rushing.

New England Patriots

QB: Tom Brady (7-19-76, 2 TDs, 1 Int, 4-(-1) rushing) was extremely efficient with 2 TDs on just 7 completions. Brady simply wasn't needed in this one and may have been a bit woozy from a blow to his face that opened up a nasty gash on his chin. His numbers are even more ridiculous when you consider that on a 3rd and 13 where he threaded a ball to David Patten working on Sam Madison for a 28 yard first down. That means his other 18 attempts netted him only 48 yards.

RB: Corey Dillon (18-94 rushing) put a hurting on the Miami defense early pounding away for 41 yards on 12 rushes with 11 minutes left in the 2nd quarter. His 3rd quarter run (and final run of the day) showcased all his skills as he burst to the outside, powered through a would-be tackler and balanced himself down the sideline for a 36 yard run. He left the game with what looked to be an ankle tweak. When asked if he could have returned, he said it was the coach's decision to hold him out. He said he could have returned to the game if they'd asked him to.

Patrick Pass (10-37 rushing) carried the ball just 11 times over the past 3 years for New England but bulldozed through the Miami defense in the 3rd and 4th quarters for a 3.7 yard-per-carry average.

Kevin Faulk (1-1 rushing, 1-14 receiving on 1 target) made his debut but was not used much in the offense as they went to the bigger backs when Dillon was out of the game.

Rabih Abdullah (5-4 rushing 1 TD) came in for Corey Dillon at the 4 yard line and pounded in for the touchdown. This appeared to be more because Dillon was having his ankle looked at and/or because he was tired after his 36 yard scamper, than because Dillon was being pulled at the goal line.

WR: David Givens (4-33 receiving, 1 TD on 9 targets) was looked to often by Brady and was wide open on the touchdown pass because of a very effective play action pass.

David Patten (1-28 receiving on 3 targets) had a drop negated on a roughing the passer penalty and made a nice reception on his catch but was not needed today.

TE: Daniel Graham (1-1 receiving, 1 TD on 3 targets) was all alone in the end zone for his touchdown as he ran a beautiful crossing route that Miami didn't account for. He dropped a pass when two defenders sandwiched him and also was targeted in the end zone for another touchdown and drew a pass interference penalty.

K: Adam Vinatieri (3 XP, 1-2 FG).

Pass Defense: Miami battered and beat poor Jay Fiedler much of the day. They simply refused to allow him to pass in the first half and seemed content to allow him to complete the ball and keep the clock moving in the second half. It resembled a cat playing with a defenseless mouse.

Rush Defense: 67 yards rushing may bring smiles to beleaguered Miami fans these days but they were not able to effectively run the ball for extended periods of time. One play typified the day when a nearly 400 pound Keith Traylor demolished a 200 pound Brock Forsey. Sometimes life just isn't fair.