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

Buffalo Bills 6 at Baltimore Ravens 20

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Buffalo Bills

Travis Henry returned to action and started the game for the Bills, but was outshone by Willis McGahee against one of the toughest run defenses in the league. Henry managed only 27 yards on 7 carries, 19 of those yards coming on a late draw play, while McGahee ran strong on his way to 58 yards on 16 carries. While Bills head coach Mike Mularkey has been adamant in saying that Henry is his starter, McGahee certainly appeared to be the better back in this contest, and the carry numbers were clearly in McGahee's favor.

Drew Bledsoe was victimized by terrible offensive line play, which led to four sacks, and by some poor efforts by his receivers. In all, Bledsoe threw for 203 yards, but was picked off 4 times, 3 of those interceptions coming on passes which were deflected. Bledsoe had two passes dropped in the end zone in the game, both by wide receiver Eric Moulds. Bledsoe also fumbled the ball after being sacked from behind.

Moulds led the way for the receivers, catching 6 passes for 96 yards, but had one bad drop in the end zone and failed to come down with another tougher pass which he none the less got both hands on. Josh Reed started opposite Moulds and had 4 catches for 32 yards, while rookie Lee Evans was held without a reception, despite being targeted in the red zone twice. Tight end Mark Campbell chipped in two catches for 36 yards.

On defense, the Bills matched the Ravens' total of four quarterback sacks, but were unable to come up with enough big plays to offset the offense's turnovers. Despite holding Baltimore to under 200 yards of total offense, Buffalo still found itself down by 2 scores with minutes left to play in the fourth quarter.

Baltimore Ravens

With Jamal Lewis serving a league suspension and Todd Heap still out with a sprained ankle, the Ravens turned to third down back Chester Taylor to shoulder the offensive load, and he responded with a 21 carry, 89 yard effort, both career highs. Rookie Musa Smith saw his first regular season action in the backfield, but managed only 11 yards on 6 carries. Fellow rookie and return specialist B.J. Sams scored a 5 yard touchdown on the first carry of his NFL career.

Kyle Boller failed to throw for 100 yards for the third game this season, yet remarkably is 3-0 in those games. Boller started off hot, completing his first 8 passes of the game, but then went just as cold and finished 10 of 19 for 86 yards, failing to complete a single pass in the second half. While Boller did lose a fumble early after being blindsided on a sack, he did not throw any interceptions in the game, and had a tough break when Daniel Wilcox fell down in the end zone before he could run under a perfectly thrown Boller pass.

Travis Taylor returned to the starting lineup after missing the last 4 games and made a pair of spectacular catches for 52 total yards, his only receptions in the game. Kevin Johnson and Randy Hymes had one catch apiece, totaling 8 yards. Terry Jones filled in for Heap at tight end, catching 2 passes for 8 yards.

The Ravens' defense is often referred to as one of the best in the league, but outdid even itself in this game, chalking up 4 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 4 interceptions, and an interception return for a touchdown by Deion Sanders. Sanders also lined up on offense for 4 plays, but his only touch resulted in a 10 yard loss on an end around. Ravens left tackle Jonathan Ogden left the field late in the game, after apparently injuring his left hamstring.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Buffalo Bills

QB: Drew Bledsoe (20-36-203, 4 INT, 1 fumble lost) had a terrible stat line for the game, but was not helped at all by the rest of his offense. The Bills' offensive line failed to provide protection for Bledsoe, resulting in four sacks and numerous pressures, and two of Bledsoe's four interceptions came on balls tipped by his own receivers. His first pick, which Deion Sanders returned for a touchdown, came on a screen pass intended for Willis McGahee. The ball was deflected by another Ravens' defensive back into Sanders' hands. Rookie receiver Lee Evans later had a ball skim off his hands on the goal line, which cornerback Chad Williams intercepted and returned 93 yards to set up a field goal. Bledsoe's fourth interception came on a pass which bounced off veteran receiver Eric Moulds' hands. Only one of the interceptions was truly and completely Bledsoe's fault, that being Deion Sanders' second pick of the game, in which Bledsoe locked on to Lee Evans in the end zone, allowing Sanders to adjust to the ball and make a nice catch. Bledsoe's fumble came when he was sacked from behind by linebacker Terrell Suggs.

Bledsoe's day was further dampened by a number of dropped balls by his receivers, including two very catchable passes which Eric Moulds failed to come down with in the end zone.

RB: Willis McGahee (16-58 rushing, 1-1 receiving on 3 targets) did not start the game, but came away with the lion's share of the touches at running back and looked good doing it. For the second game in a row, McGahee really turned things on in the fourth quarter, gaining 26 yards on 5 carries in the final period, including his long run of the game on a 15 yarder. McGahee ran very strong, rarely being taken down by the first man to hit him and powering through a few tackles for extra yardage. He also showed excellent acceleration to the hole, which enabled McGahee to make short gains out of plays where many backs would have been stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage. On a negative note, he looked terrible giving up the chase on a Chad Williams interception.

Travis Henry (7-27 rushing, 2-6 receiving on 2 targets) started the game, but was not even as good as his stat line indicates, as 19 of his rushing yards came on a draw play with just over 2 minutes remaining in the game and his team trailing by 14 points. While it is possible that Henry was still bothered by the foot injury which kept him out of last week's game, Henry was clearly outplayed by McGahee in this match.

Daimon Shelton (0-0 rushing, 4-26 receiving on 4 targets) had a nice game catching the ball, but was not an integral part of the Bills' attack.

WR: Eric Moulds (6-96 receiving on 11 targets) has now caught at least one pass in 100 straight games, but dropped two very costly ones in this game which would have resulted in Bills' touchdowns. His first end zone drop was just a ball which the normally sure-handed receiver missed, while the second was due in part by excellent coverage by cornerback Chris McAlister. Moulds did make one excellent catch on a deep ball over corner Gary Baxter, which resulted in a 49 yard gain to set up a field goal.

Josh Reed (4-32 receiving on 9 targets) started the game opposite Moulds, but was done in by a combination of tight coverage and Ravens pressure on his quarterback. Reed was covered by All Pro cornerback Chris McAlister for much of the day, and was not able to create separation on those occasions.

Sam Aiken (1-6 receiving on 1 target) got into the game in 4 receiver sets and had a minimal impact.

Lee Evans (0-0 receiving on 4 targets) was used as the #3 receiver by the Bills and targeted often when he was in the game, including twice in the red zone, but was unable to record a reception. Two of Drew Bledsoe's four interceptions came on passes intended for Evans.

TE: Mark Campbell (2-36 receiving on 2 targets) matched his season-high 36 receiving yards of last week, but was not utilized very often in this game. Campbell's chances were likely hurt by the score, as Buffalo was forced to use 4 and 5 receiver sets while attempting their fourth quarter comeback.

K: Rian Lindell (2-2 FG) converted on kicks of 24 and 21 yards in the game, which speaks volumes about the Bills' red zone offense.

Pass Defense: The Bills held the opposing quarterback under 100 passing yards for the contest, but that fact comes with a grain of salt as it was Kyle Boller of the Ravens, who has failed to reach the century mark in 3 games now this season, and is 3-0 in those games. Buffalo was able to create pressure on the quarterback, with defensive end Aaron Schobel recording two of the team's four sacks as well as a forced fumble. The secondary struggled in the early going, though, as Boller was able to complete his first 8 passes and 10 of his first 11. Buffalo stiffened in the second half, holding Boller without a completion.

Run Defense: The Bills got a reprieve with Jamal Lewis missing the game due to his suspension, but still allowed 100 yards and a touchdown on the ground to Baltimore. Chester Taylor led the way, averaging more than 4 yards per carry and totaling 89 yards on the ground. Linebackers Takeo Spikes and London Fletcher were a force on run defense, compiling 15 tackles and 5 assists between the two of them.

Baltimore Ravens

QB: Kyle Boller (10-19-86, 1 fumble lost, 2-5 rushing) started out on fire, completing his first 8 passes including a 47-yard deep throw to Travis Taylor. However, Boller quickly cooled after that point, and did not complete a single pass in the second half of the game. Boller's stats were hurt when tight end Daniel Wilcox tripped over his own feet while running to a ball in the corner of the end zone. The pass was thrown perfectly by Boller under heavy pressure, but fell incomplete with his receiver falling down. Boller's fumble came when he was blindsided by defensive end Aaron Schobel early in the game, and led to a Bills' field goal. While the Ravens must have been happy to see Boller complete that long pass, the completion was due much more to Taylor's effort than to the throw, which hung up in the air and could have been picked off.

RB: Chester Taylor (21-89 rushing, 2-11 receiving on 2 targets) started the game with Jamal Lewis serving a league-mandated 2 game suspension, and easily surpassed his former career highs of 10 carries and 76 rushing yards in a game. Taylor, who is normally utilized as the third down back in Baltimore's offense, showed excellent vision and surprising power in the game, at one point breaking three tackles on a 15-yard run.

Musa Smith (6-11 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 2 targets) saw action at running back but looked shaky. On one run in particular Smith ran directly into the pile and was stopped at the line of scrimmage, never seeing a gaping hole just a few steps to his left. Smith's best effort of the day came on a third and one carry from the Buffalo 13 yard line, where he was able to find a crease and gain 6 yards.

B.J. Sams (1-5, 1 TD rushing) is better known as the Ravens' return specialist, but made good on his first NFL carry, hurdling one tackler in the backfield and then outrunning the rest of the defense to the corner and the end zone.

Alan Ricard (1-0 receiving on 1 target) started the game at fullback.

Jamal Lewis did not play while serving the first of a two-game league suspension. All Pro and starting left tackle Jonathan Ogden suffered an apparent left hamstring injury late in the game and was carted off the field. Despite this, the injury did not appear to be serious.

WR: Travis Taylor (2-52 receiving on 3 targets) returned to the starting lineup for the first time since week 1, and had a much better game than his stat line would indicate. Taylor's first catch only went for 5 yards, but was a spectacular diving effort over the middle of the field. On his second reception, Taylor made a fine adjustment on a deep ball that hung, going up over defensive back Terrence McGee and outwrestling him for the ball.

Kevin Johnson (1-5 receiving on 2 targets) might be reconsidering his initial enthusiasm over joining the Baltimore Ravens.

Randy Hymes (1-3 receiving on 2 targets) returned to his role as the #3 receiver with Travis Taylor back from injury, and had a very quiet day.

Deion Sanders (1 for -10 yards rushing) is not officially a WR/DB yet, but did line up on offense for four plays in this game, getting the ball on an all-fated end around which lost 10 yards.

TE: Terry Jones (2-8 receiving on 3 targets) got another start with Todd Heap still nursing an ankle injury.

Daniel Wilcox (1-7 receiving on 2 targets) was targeted on consecutive plays in the red zone, catching the first ball, and then tripping over his own feet before he could run under a perfectly thrown fade in the end zone.

Todd Heap did not play while recovering from a sprained ankle, but could return next week versus Philadelphia.

K: Matt Stover (2 XP, 2-3 FG) was successful on kicks of 19 and 24 yards in the game, but missed a 50 yard attempt short and to the right.

Pass Defense: While Drew Bledsoe managed to throw for 203 yards in the game, the Ravens' pass defense was nothing short of brilliant, compiling four sacks, a forced fumble on a sack, and four interceptions. Deion Sanders led the way, picking off two passes and returning one 48 yards for a touchdown. Sanders' other pick came in the end zone to kill a promising Bills drive. Chad Williams also picked off a Bledsoe pass in the end zone and returned it 93 yards, but quite literally ran out of gas before he could score. Linebacker Terrell Suggs chipped in two sacks and the forced fumble, and defensive end Anthony Weaver actually lost what would have been a fifth sack and another forced fumble on a penalty. Gary Baxter shone in coverage, breaking up 3 passes.

Rushing Defense: Baltimore held the Buffalo duo of Travis Henry and Willis McGahee to only 85 yards on 23 carries, and much of that came late in the game with the Ravens laying back to protect a lead. The Ravens simply dominated the line of scrimmage, pushing around the Bills blockers and plugging what little gaps they managed to open. As usual, linebacker Ray Lewis led the team with 8 tackles.

New York Jets 7 at New England Patriots 13

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

New York Jets

WR Justin McCareins had his first big game as a Jet. McCareins hauled in 6 receptions for 83 yards and was constantly targeted by QB Chad Pennington at key moments down the stretch.

RB Curtis Martin was finally held in check on his twenty carries. Head Coach Herm Edwards continues to say that LaMont Jordan will see more and more work as the season goes on in an attempt to keep Martin fresh, but today the carries were distributed 20-3 in favor of Martin. This is something to keep in mind, as Martin has mentioned being somewhat run-down in recent weeks.

The Jets' pass defense always seemed one step behind today. They got a good amount of pressure on Tom Brady up front, but were unable to do much in the defensive backfield to keep the receivers in check. Brady completed 20 of 29 passes against them.

New England Patriots

The Patriots set the new all-time regular season record for consecutive games won, with 18 in a row. It was also their 21st win in a row overall, including playoffs.

QB Tom Brady had a very efficient afternoon, completing 20-29 passes for 230 yards and a score. He didn't turn the ball over, and targeted David Givens much more than any other receiver, including Daniel Graham. His check-down option all game long was Kevin Faulk, who responded with a game-high 6 catches.

RB Corey Dillon became the first running back to go over 100 yards against the Jets all season, totaling 115 yards on 22 carries. 44 of those yards came on one carry.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

New York Jets

QB: Chad Pennington (19-30-162 yards passing, 3-15, 1 TD rushing) played his usual smart, efficient game. The Jets had him attempt two long bombs to WR Jonathan Carter on the Jets' first possession of the game, but they could not connect on either of them. As the game wore on, Pennington seemingly got more comfortable and his throws were much better. He nearly engineered a game-winning drive towards the end of the fourth quarter, but had his 4th down pass attempt to Wayne Chrebet knocked away by Rodney Harrison. Pennington completed a pass to Chris Baker, who was taken down at the 1-yard line. Just when it appeared Curtis Martin was going to nab the touchdown, the Jets called a play-action which Pennington took into the end zone himself for the score. So he didn't lose out on the score. One play he did lose out on, however, was on that late-game drive. He threw a pass to Justin McCareins in the end zone that McCareins actually had in his hands for a moment but it was knocked away by two Patriots' defenders simultaneously, costing Pennington both a touchdown for his stats as well as costing the Jets an opportunity to beat the Patriots. Pennington was nearly intercepted by Asante Samuel on a crossing route, but that was the only scare of the day for him.

RB: Curtis Martin (20-70 rushing, 2-0 receiving on 3 targets), the NFL's leading rusher coming in, was finally held in check. The going was tough early on, and never really got much better as the game wore on. Martin's longest carry of the day went for just 9 yards, and he was pretty much a non-factor in the passing game as well. On the Jets' last possession, Martin was stuffed for a 3-yard loss on third and five, putting the Jets in a precarious 4th and 8 situation that they could not convert. Earlier in the game, Martin had converted a third and 5 run for the first down, but on this play New England was ready for it. Martin did have one bright spot, as he moved past the legendary Jim Brown and into seventh place on the NFL's all-time rushing yardage list.

LaMont Jordan (3-21 rushing, 1-2 receiving on 1 target) again saw very little action, but was once again productive when given the opportunity.

Jerald Sowell (2-13 receiving on 2 targets) had a costly fumble at the New England 15-yard line early in the game. He wasn't even hit on the play; he merely dropped it as he was running and New England recovered. Sowell was not thrown to again in the game.

WR: Justin McCareins (6-83 receiving on 9 targets) was clearly the go-to guy for the Jets with Santana Moss slowed by a hamstring injury. McCareins began getting looks early and was Pennington's favorite target on the potential game-winning drive for New York that came up just short. On that drive, McCareins nearly was the hero for New York. Pennington lofted one to the end zone for him, and the ball was actually in McCareins' hands for a brief moment, but it was knocked away by two Patriots' defenders. Had McCareins made the catch, it would have been an incredible grab, and as it was it was a tremendous job just to make it as close as it was, but he couldn't hang on.

Santana Moss (2-12 receiving on 3 targets) was basically a non-factor. He wasn't even thrown to until there were a little over five minutes left in the first half. He was utilized on a reverse once, and then not thrown to again until the last drive of the day. On that drive, he dropped one short pass that would have gone for a first down and then caught the very next pass that DID go for a first down. That was the extent of his contribution to the passing game.

Wayne Chrebet (1-18 receiving on 3 targets) was the target on the last play of the game that fell incomplete. He didn't play a very big role in the game, but the fact Pennington was going to him with the game on the line shows the confidence he has in Chrebet to make plays at big moments. Unfortunately for him, there was too much traffic around the ball and it was knocked away.

TE: Chris Baker (3-26 receiving on 3 targets) was the Jets' second-leading receiver for the game, and nearly had an even better day than what his stats show. He caught a pass from Pennington that took him down to the 1-yard line. Three more feet and Baker would have had a touchdown.

Anthony Becht (2-8 receiving on 3 targets) was a non-factor and should not be on anyone's fantasy rosters except in the deepest of leagues.

K: Doug Brien (1 XP) converted his only extra point attempt.

Pass Defense: The defensive line did a very good job up front of getting pressure on Tom Brady for most of the game. The one time they did not get pressure on him was just before halftime. Brady executed the two-minute offense to perfection and got New England in position for a score just before halftime. Following a roughing the passer penalty, the Pats found themselves at the 7 yard line of New York with eleven seconds left in the half. New York only rushed three linemen, which gave Brady more than enough time to find David Patten in the end zone for what turned out to be the last points of the game and the game-winning score. The Jets sacked Brady three times and also forced a fumble on Dan Klecko. The only time they came close to an interception was on a pass that Donnie Abraham nearly picked off. Shaun Ellis limped off the field late in the contest, but no update was given on his condition. LB Jason Glenn appeared to injure his right arm or shoulder, and was in a lot of pain. He left the field, but no update was given on his condition, either.

Run Defense: Corey Dillon found the going very tough early on, and was stifled by New York until very late in the game. But Dillon this year has just found a way to get his yards. He finally broke free for a 44 yard burst that was made possible by a great move and a missed tackle by New York. The Jets also allowed Dillon to pick up the necessary yardage on their last possession to put the game away for the Pats.

New England Patriots

QB: Tom Brady (20-29-230, 1 TD, 3 for -3 rushing) wasn't asked to make any huge plays in this game, but he did manage to engineer what would turn out to be the game-winning drive for the Patriots. With New England trailing 7-6 just before halftime, Brady led the Patriots down into the red zone of New York. With just 11 seconds remaining in the half and no timeouts, coach Belichick let the team try one more pass to score a touchdown. The move paid off, as Brady found David Patten in the back of the end zone for the score. The Patriots couldn't get much offense going in the second half, and there was a lot of pressure by New York on Brady, but he didn't make any mistakes under pressure. He was nearly intercepted by CB Donnie Abraham, but that was the closest he ever came to turning the ball over.

RB: Corey Dillon (22-115 rushing) continues to make his case for "2004 Stephen Davis". The free agent signing has provided the Patriots with yet another offensive weapon, one that they haven't had on a consistent basis even in their Super Bowl seasons. Dillon had trouble getting much early on, as the Jets were intent on keeping him from busting out. But finally, he broke free on a 44-yard run late in the third quarter, which he demonstrated his still-outstanding moves on. With the Patriots trying to run out the clock on their last possession, they handed the ball off to Dillon three consecutive times. The carries resulted in 10 yards gained, which allowed them to kneel out the final three plays and win the game.

Kevin Faulk (4-21 rushing, 6-44 receiving on 8 targets) played a huge role in the passing game today, leading all players in receptions. Faulk was the check-down for Tom Brady, but was the main option on several other plays. Faulk's numbers could have been even better, but he tried to run too soon on a 2nd and 29 pass attempt. He turned to run without the ball, and he would have picked up a minimum of twenty of those yards.

WR: David Givens (5-107 receiving on 6 targets) Givens led all receivers with over 100 yards, and was Brady's number one option for much of the game. One interesting note: each of Givens' 24 receptions this year have resulted in a first down.

David Patten (3-33, 1 TD receiving on 8 targets) was actually targeted more than Givens, and was the recipient of the only touchdown pass of the day. But he wasn't able to do as much with his opportunities over the long haul.

Bethel Johnson (2-18 receiving on 3 targets) caught two relatively short passes, but nearly came up with one big one. There was a ball thrown deep for him that appeared to be catchable, but the ball glanced off his facemask. In his defense, there were defenders all over him, and it would have been an outstanding reception had he held on.

TE: Daniel Graham (2-21 receiving on 3 targets) was quiet for much of the game. Whether it was a concerted effort by New York to take him out of the game or just a case of him not getting himself involved was unclear. He dropped the first pass thrown to him, but was still targeted twice more as the game went along. In fact, one of his catches was a very tough grab in traffic on which he was really drilled from behind. His name was called less and less with each passing quarter, however.

K: Adam Vinatieri (2-2 FG, 1 XP) nailed each of his first half field goal attempts, from 41 and 27 yards out.

Pass Defense: Despite the diminished role of playmaker Santana Moss, the Jets actually did fairly well against the Patriots. At one point in the second half, Pennington had only thrown two incomplete passes against the vaunted Patriot secondary, both long bombs to Jonathan Carter. Any time the Jets tried something shorter, it worked. That is, until late in the game. The Jets got just close enough to make it appear that they were heading in for the game-winning score, but a tough 4th and 8 pass attempt to Wayne Chrebet was broken up by S Rodney Harrison.

Run Defense: The one area that was thought to have been the Patriots' biggest weakness early on ended up being a strength this afternoon. They held Curtis Martin down all game long and never allowed him to get into any sort of a rhythm. His longest carry of the day went for just 9 yards, and those 9-yarders were few and far between. Martin averaged just 3.5 yards per carry for the day. About the only time the Patriots didn't come up big was when the Jets got down the goal line. They sold out on the Martin handoff, and Pennington took it around to the corner for the score. Only two defenders stayed at home on the play, but the Jets had blockers out in front of their QB. The run defense came up with perhaps the second-biggest play of the day (after the 4th down incompletion). On the next-to-last play of the game for New York (a third and five situation), the Jets tried a draw up the middle. It was snuffed out by New England, who had seen the very same play earlier in the contest. It set the Jets up in a difficult fourth and 8, which they were unable to convert.

San Diego Chargers 17 at Carolina Panthers 6

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

San Diego Chargers

Drew Brees showed poise and confidence in leading his team to a win on the road. His offensive line is giving him time to throw and Brees has responded with decent, if not good, passing numbers.

LaDainian Tomlinson played only one of the Chargers' final three series. His replacement, Jesse Chatman, ran very well. But Chatman was on the field for some key series which means that Tomlinson's absence is something to take note of. This isn't a deal like Priest Holmes sitting out during a blowout. Tomlinson suffered through a difficult game scoring a touchdown on an 8-yard run on an otherwise sub-par day. It was not reported why he left the game.

Keenan McCardell was very active in the offense after less than a week learning the Chargers system. Drew Brees seemed to already have a rapport with McCardell. He made an impact already in this game.

Carolina Panthers

Jake Delhomme played even more poorly than his stats indicate. He drove the Panthers down the field in their first drive of the game for a field goal. It was their first score in their first possession. Nine seconds later his defense forced a turnover giving them the ball on the Charger 34 yard line but even aided by 2 defensive penalties, Delhomme was unable to give his team a 10 point lead. They settled for a field goal and didn't score again. In his defense, his receivers dropped more passes than they should have.

Brad Hoover rushed for more than twice as many yards as LaDainian Tomlinson. He routinely burst through the line of scrimmage and kept the Panthers in the game with his 4.1 yards per carry. He had two drops, one of them that would have gone for a big gain in the passing game.

Keary Colbert led Carolina in receiving and also drew a 35-yard pass interference penalty.

Muhsin Muhammad caught only 3 passes, but was targeted often in the game, including three different touchdown targets. On two of them he was interfered with and one would have made the highlight reels had he held onto the ball for a touchdown.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

San Diego Chargers

QB: Drew Brees (21-32-196, 2 for -2 rushing) shook off a first half where he threw for only 70 yards, and led his team to a key road victory. He spread the ball around between his major receivers and seemed to find the open man often. He showed preference to Antonio Gates and Keenan McCardell on key 3rd down plays.

RB: LaDainian Tomlinson (17-47 rushing, 1 TD, 1 fumble lost, 3-13 receiving on 4 targets) was not his normal self. He fumbled on his first carry, dropped his first pass attempt, had only 10 yards rushing at halftime and was stuffed on his first carry of the second half. He was pulled on the Chargers' final series of the third quarter that spilled into the fourth quarter. He appeared in the next series carrying the ball 3 times for 9 yards. He did not come onto the field during the Chargers' final series with them leading 10-6.

Jesse Chatman (8-69 rushing, 1 TD) cemented the game with a 52-yard run with time running down in the 4th quarter and the Chargers leading by 4 points.

WR: Keenan McCardell (5-65 receiving on 6 targets) It didn't take long for McCardell to become the Chargers' top wide receiver. It was uncertain if, or how much he would be involved in the offense in his first week. McCardell looked sharp getting open at key times. Not included in his stats is a key pass interference penalty where he beat the corner deep. His 23-yard reception in the 3rd quarter sparked the Chargers' offense and lead to their first touchdown.

Eric Parker (4-47 receiving on 6 targets) caught a huge 16-yard reception on 3rd and 8 with less than 3 minutes left in the 4th quarter.

TE: Antonio Gates (7-61 on 8 targets) is clearly Brees' favorite receiver and led the Chargers in receptions and receiving yards. Gates is clearly the first option on 3rd down, yet Carolina was unable to stop him.

K: Nate Kaeding (1 XP, 1-2 FG). He missed a 29- yard field goal but connected from 44 yards.

Pass Defense: One of the worst pass defenses in the NFL shut down Carolina's pass offense. They committed a few pass interference penalties but did not give up a pass longer than 16 yards. They sacked Delhomme once and came up with an interception.

Rush Defense: Their stout rush defense this season gave way to Brad Hoover who nearly rushed for the century mark against them.

Carolina Panthers

QB: Jake Delhomme (17-36-155, 1 Int) is just not playing good football right now. It is becoming apparent that he is not a playmaker. He was unable to throw a touchdown and heaved his 10th interception of the year which leads the league.

RB: Brad Hoover (24-99 rushing, 2-6 on 4 targets) ripped off a 16-yard run on the first series and often carried the Carolina offense with his bruising runs. He had a 1-yard touchdown called back on an illegal shift penalty. He showed his limitations unable to make plays in the passing game. He dropped a screen pass early and dropped a pass on a seam route that would have gone for a big gain.

WR: Keary Colbert (7-71 receiving on 10 targets) would have surpassed 100 yards receiving had he not been interfered with by Quentin Jammer. He is not being looked to in the red zone.

Muhsin Muhammad (3-28 receiving on 7 targets) Delhomme looked to him quite often in key situations but they were often unable to connect. Muhammad was targeted twice in the red zone but was held and interfered with.

Ricky Proehl (0-0 receiving on 3 targets) failed to make a catch.

TE: Michael Gaines (1-14 receiving on 4 targets) performed like the rookie that he is. He had an easy touchdown pass go right through his hands. He also failed to prevent the interception on a ball that Delhomme threw up for him in single coverage. A more experienced receiver would have acted more like a defender and made sure the pass was not intercepted.

K: John Kasay (2-3 FG) Kasay missed a 46-yard field goal attempt.

Pass Defense: Sacked Brees only 1 time and did not provide much pressure.

Rush Defense: Seemed intent on stopping Tomlinson and did in fact limit him to 47 yards. They limited the Chargers to 54 yards through 57 minutes. They then gave up the 52-yard run that sealed the game.

Chicago Bears 7 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 19

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Chicago Bears

The Bears began the day as a team in search of a starting quarterback. During the week the Bears' coaching staff elected to give the incumbent starter, Jonathan Quinn 60% of the practice snaps and rookie Craig Krenzel 40%. Quinn had looked terrible in the last two games, and the thought was that he would be replaced by Krenzel if things didn't change.

Quinn really lost his shot at getting at least decent looking numbers when on their very first play, the Bears had a 77-yard screen pass to Thomas Jones for a touchdown called back due to a penalty. Overall, whenever the Bears made a good play and seemed to be developing some momentum, they would start committing penalties or make a turnover. The quarterback scenario played out exactly as expected, with Quinn displaying inaccuracy, slow decisions, and the ability to consider only his first option. Krenzel replaced Quinn in the second half and while doing nothing exciting, was able to probably lock up the starting spot just by looking less nervous in the pocket.

The Bears' running attack was once again led by Thomas Jones who continues to impress as a versatile offensive weapon. At one point during the game, trainers were looking at him on the sidelines, but Jones never missed a beat or showed any ill effect, speculation on the field was a thigh bruise. Anthony Thomas saw a little more action than in past weeks, but is still obviously entrenched as strictly a backup to Jones.

The performance of the Bears' wide receivers and tight ends were heavily influenced by the unsettled quarterback situation during the game. Rarely were any throws on target or close enough to allow the receiver to gain any yards after the catch. Justin Gage led the Bears in catches with only four.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

At the beginning of the day, the future was looking brighter for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After suffering injuries and holdouts with their wide receivers, Joe Jurevicius was finally healed and would be seeing his first game action of the year. Their schedule is also looking better with most of their remaining games against teams with losing records. At the end of the day, the team got their win, but things are looking bleaker at running back Mike Alstott had to leave the game with a knee injury.

Tampa Bay began the game with two short drives where the offense did not look sharp. That was followed by two drives of over 95 yards each for the team's first two scores. From the third drive on, the team used a solid mix of runs and passes to their backs, with a number of longer throws mixed in.

Brian Griese was pressured frequently early, which resulted in a sack and incompletions. Griese seemed to then settle down and take command of the offense. He produced a fairly effective effort without any turnovers. He was barely called on in the fourth quarter to throw a pass, as the team was trying to run out the clock.

The Tampa Bay running game was effective on the day, gaining 138 yards. Michael Pittman was the featured back, and displayed quick moves and strength, even running over and dragging a Bears' safety for an extra 4 yards and a first down. At times in the first half, Mike Alstott looked unstoppable. However when they neared the goal line, the Bears' defense seemed to concentrate on him and limit his gains. The Buccaneers' running backs did nothing to diffuse their reputation for fumbling as both Alstott and Pittman each lost the ball in the second half. In Alstott's defense, his fumble occurred when he suffered a leg injury. The rushing touchdown total for the season was doubled when Pittman crossed the goal line in the second half.

The big receiving news from this game was supposed to be all about Joe Jurevicius' return to the field. While Jurevicius had a good game, Michael Clayton decided to steal all the headlines by being Griese's primary target, making great athletic catches, and hauling in their only receiving touchdown. The Tampa Bay tight ends were rarely targeted and did not seem to be part of the game plan.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Chicago Bears

QB: Craig Krenzel (9-19-69, 1 Int, 1-4 rushing) The Bears may have found their new starting quarterback. Krenzel looked more poised and comfortable behind center than Quinn, and delivered a few passes actually into the hands of his receivers. He made a rookie mistake in the fourth quarter throwing a pass high in traffic, to fullback Bryan Johnson, who tipped the ball into a Tampa defender's hands. He did show some potential though, making a great throw to Bernard Berrian while under a heavy rush.

Jonathan Quinn (5-9-47, 1-3 rushing) Quinn looked like a player who has a problem dealing with pressure and expectations. He looked especially nervous whenever it was an obvious passing down. Granted, poor offensive line play resulted in long third downs, but Quinn either held onto the ball too long, or threw passes well short or well past his receivers.

RB: Thomas Jones (13-52 rushing, 1 TD, 3-13 receiving on 3 targets) Jones again was the star of the team, accounting for the Bears only touchdown and being the primary focus of the entire offense. He was a flag away from having a much bigger game. On the game's first play he outran the entire Buccaneers' defense on a 77-yard screen pass that was called back for a penalty.

Anthony Thomas (5-17 rushing, 2-4 receiving on 2 targets) Thomas got on the field for longer than in past weeks. He played two series in the first half and was even targeted on two passes.

Bryan Johnson (0-0 receiving on 1 target) Johnson on the day blocked well for Thomas Jones. It was his tip that allowed Ronde Barber to get an easy interception and set up Tampa's fourth quarter rushing score.

Jason McKie is only mentioned due to his attempt at a short kickoff return to start the second half. He fumbled, was injured on the play, and set the Bears back into a deeper hole.

WR: Justin Gage (4-43 receiving on 6 targets) Gage was the lone semi-bright spot on the Bears' receiving core. As he has done in past games, he showed the ability to make athletic catches, take a hit, and hold onto the ball.

Bernard Berrian (1-14 receiving on 2 targets) Berrian did not do much to stand out as a receiver, but did make a notable play on special teams. Filling in for the normal lead blocker on a kick return, Berrian froze and was run into from behind by the kick returner.

Bobby Wade (1-11 receiving on 6 targets) Wade was targeted frequently, but most of the throws were out of his reach.

David Terrell (0-0 receiving on 4 targets) Terrell was responsible for the penalty that nullified Thomas Jones' 77-yard touchdown reception on the Bears' very first play of the game.

TE: Desmond Clark (3-31 receiving on 3 targets) Clark and any of the Bears tight ends were only targeted after Krenzel got into the game. One of Clark's catches was for a 14-yard gain.

Dustin Lyman (0-0 receiving on 1 target) Lyman was not much of a factor in the game.

K: Paul Edinger (1 XP) Edinger did not miss a field goal this week.

Pass Defense: The Bears' pass defense started off hot, with rookie Tommie Harris sacking Griese on his first pass play. Early in the game, the Bears put good pressure on Griese and forced a number of errant throws. The Buccaneers hit their longest pass play of the day when Brian Urlacher was unable to keep up with Michael Pittman, and Griese was able toss up a lob that went for 46 yards. After Tampa was able to establish the run, Griese frequently had plenty of time to survey the field and make accurate throws.

Rush Defense: The Bears' rush defense played as they have most of the year, letting opposing teams gain large chunks of yardage, with a number of tackles for loss sprinkled in-between. In the first half, the Bears' linebackers were missing tackles, allowing big gains. They played better in the second half, forcing two fumbles and finishing tackles when they weren't being blocked.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

QB: Brian Griese (15-23-163, 1 TD, 2 for -1 rushing) Griese looked unsettled at the start of the game, and had some difficulties with the Bears' early pass rush pressure. After Tampa Bay had some success in the rushing game, Griese was given more time and settled in to making more accurate throws. Griese came close to having a second touchdown, but overthrew Joe Jurevicius.

RB: Michael Pittman (23-109 rushing, 1 TD, 2-55 receiving on 3 targets, 1 Fumble lost) When given a little room to run, Pittman was shifty and quick and able to break some good sized gains. Pittman showed good strength, usually requiring more than one tackler to bring him down. Pittman went out late in the game when he was hit low in the leg on a tackle for a loss. He was able to leave the field under his own power. It was later disclosed that Pittman had been suffering from back spasms that had been bothering him even before the game started. Pittman had a 46-yard catch out of the backfield after outrunning Brian Urlacher. He might have been able to gain even more on that play if Griese would have hit him in stride.

Mike Alstott (7-29 rushing, 2-8 receiving on 3 targets, 1 Fumble lost). Early in the game, Mike Alstott was running over defenders for big gains. He was generally used very effectively, giving the Buccaneers a bruising presence to contrast the shifty Pittman. He fumbled in the second half when his right leg was caught under a defender. The injury looked serious when it occurred, and Alstott required two trainers to help him off the field. He was later seen on a golf cart heading to the locker room. The team is now calling it an MCL injury and Alstott will be further evaluated Monday. "We lost Mike Alstott," said coach Jon Gruden. "We don't know the exact severity of the injury but we'll update you [on Monday]. We're very disappointed; we just hope it's not a severe injury."

Jamel White (4-5 rushing, 1-1 receiving on 2 targets) White was brought in when Pittman needed a rest, and at the end of the game when he left the game with an injury.

WR: Michael Clayton (6-62 receiving on 7 targets, 1 TD, 1 for -4 rushing) Clayton really stood out as the best receiver on the field. He was Griese's favorite target and showed good body control, making catches on some balls thrown behind him. He was not tackled easily and made gains after catches.

Joe Jurevicius (2-21 receiving on 4 targets) Jurevicius appeared to be playing without any after effects from his earlier injury. His 2 receptions were on back-to-back plays in the second quarter. Jurevicius almost had a 20-yard touchdown catch, but the pass was thrown a little two high to bring in.

Tim Brown (1-13 receiving on 1 target) Brown had only one catch and was not much of a factor as a receiver. He did return punts, and made some good veteran decisions knowing when to make fair catches and when to let them go.

TE: Will Heller (1-3 receiving on 2 targets) Heller's most notable play was a great block to seal off the Bears' safety and allow a big outside running gain. He was also targeted on Tampa's failed two-point conversion attempt. The tight ends were generally not used much by the Buccaneers.

Ken Dilger (0-0 receiving on 2 targets) Dilger had an 8-yard catch nullified by a penalty.

K: Martin Gramatica (1 XP, 2-2 FG) Gramatica made the most of his appearances, making each kick. The Buccaneers elected to go for a two-point conversion on their second touchdown.

Pass Defense: The fast Buccaneers defenders created chaos with their pass rush. Just the threat posed by Simeon Rice and company forced the Bears' offensive line into frequent false starts and numerous mistakes. The Buccaneers had 4 sacks, and had the Bears' quarterbacks under pressure for most of the game. Ronde Barber's interception was due to being in the right place at the right time, when the Bears' receiver tipped the ball.

Rush Defense: The Buccaneers' rush defense was solid overall, but did give up some sizable gains to Thomas Jones. Their rush blitzes were very effective in stuffing Bears' running backs behind the line of scrimmage.

Atlanta Falcons 10 at Kansas City Chiefs 56

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta defense, ranked #1 against the run going into this game, gave up 271 rushing yards on their way to becoming the first team in NFL history to give up 8 rushing touchdowns in a single game. The Falcons' defensive line was dominated by the Chiefs' offensive line, consistently being pushed backwards on running and passing plays.

QB Michael Vick did not score through the air or on the ground. Sacked four times by the Chiefs' pass rush and knocked down on several other plays, Vick never got into a rhythm in the passing game and over half his passing yards came on a 56-yard screen pass to RB Warrick Dunn early in the fourth quarter. Vick was benched with 8:10 left and the game out of reach.

Warrick Dunn got the bulk of the running back load, and was Atlanta's most effective weapon in a meager offensive day. Atlanta ditched any running back by committee plans when they fell far behind, going with Dunn when they needed to score quickly. T.J. Duckett only added 8 yards on 4 carries.

RB Allen Rossum returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown, Atlanta's only touchdown in the game.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs became the first team in NFL history to score 8 rushing touchdowns in a single game. 8 trips to the red zone resulted in 8 rushing TDs, 4 by Priest Holmes, and 4 by Derrick Blaylock. Holmes left the game during the third quarter, spraining his ankle 1 yard short of the fifth touchdown. The injury was not believed to be serious, as Holmes was spotted standing on the sideline in the fourth quarter, asking to return to the game.

Trent Green completed 74% of his passes, but did not throw a TD. 4 Chiefs' pass plays finished inside the Atlanta 5, but short of the end zone. Green had plenty of time to throw and find open receivers, and he completed passes to seven different receivers, all of whom produced at least one double-digit gain. Green was pulled early in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach for the Falcons.

The Chiefs' pass defense had their best outing of the season, holding Vick to 7 completions of his 21 attempts, and no TDs. The pass rush produced four sacks, and contributed to two Vick's interceptions. The Chiefs blitzed frequently, often sending six men on the pass rush in an effort to stop Vick before he got started.

Tony Gonzalez had a quiet day in the passing game, but was a big factor in run blocking. The running game was so effective; the Chiefs did not run any play-action passes near the goal line, plays that usually feature Gonzalez.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Atlanta Falcons

QB: Michael Vick (7-21-109 passing, 2 INT, 6-62 rushing) spent most of the day getting hit by the Chiefs' pass rush. Kansas City blitzed often, usually sending six men after the QB on passing downs. Vick was sacked 4 times, and threw 2 interceptions. Vick led the Falcons in rushing, thanks to a 32-yard scramble on a broken pass play. Atlanta featured Vick in the red zone, calling rollouts and runs for Vick near the goal line, even going with an empty backfield on one play from the Kansas City 1 yard line. Vick was benched in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach.

Matt Schaub (2-4-9 passing) replaced a healthy Vick in the fourth quarter when the game was 49-10. He threw four passes in his first series, and Atlanta failed to make a first down.

RB: Warrick Dunn (11-49 rushing, 2-72 receiving on 2 targets) led Atlanta in carries and receiving yards. He was the featured back, especially when Atlanta fell behind and called more passing plays. Dunn did not score, but his 56-yard screen pass reception was Atlanta's longest gain of the game.

T.J. Duckett (4-8 rushing) was not a factor. When Atlanta fell behind, they utilized Dunn. Three of Duckett's carries were runs up the middle during the last series of the game. Duckett stayed on the bench in the first quarter when the Falcons drove inside the Kansas City 10.

Justin Griffith (2-8 receiving on 4 targets) was used primarily as a run blocker or pass protector. Two of his targets came on back-to-back plays after Vick left the game.

Allen Rossum did not play from scrimmage, but returned a punt 75 yards for a TD, Atlanta's only touchdown of the game.

WR: Peerless Price (2-21 receiving on 9 targets) was the most targeted Falcons' receiver, but he only finished with two receptions. Price was often double-covered when the ball came his way, and the Chiefs caught as many balls thrown at him as Price did - both of Kansas City's interceptions came on passes intended for Price.

Dez White (0-0 receiving on 2 targets) did not catch a pass. Vick targeted him in the end zone on a fourth-down play late in the game, but White was double-covered, and the pass was knocked down incomplete.

Michael Jenkins (0-0 receiving on 0 targets) had a 9-yard run called back on a penalty.

TE: Alge Crumpler (3-27 receiving on 6 targets) led the Falcons in receptions. Crumpler dropped a sure touchdown in the third quarter. He slipped behind a blown zone coverage, and Vick threw him a pass at the goal line with no one within 10 yards of him. Crumpler reached up with one hand, and failed to make the catch.

K: Jay Feely (1-1 XP, 1-1 FG) made a 19-yard field goal, and converted his extra point attempt.

Pass Defense: The secondary was picked apart, largely because the defensive line struggled to generate a pass rush. While the pass defense did not give up any touchdowns, they gave up many first downs, and 3 deep completions set up short rushing touchdowns. Screen pass defense was also a problem, giving up long screen pass receptions to both Priest Holmes and Derrick Blaylock.

Rush Defense: The #1 ranked rushing defense before the game became the first team in NFL history to give up 8 rushing touchdowns in a single game. The Chiefs' offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage, consistently creating running lanes. FB Tony Richardson and TE Tony Gonzalez also finished key blocks in the running game, turning short gains into first downs and touchdowns.

Kansas City Chiefs

QB: Trent Green (20-27-269) Green punished the Falcons' secondary with several big gains. Kansas City spent most of the first quarter establishing the run, and then Green found plenty of time to throw, and completed passes to 7 different receivers, and all of them caught passes for double-digit gains. Green's 74% completion rate moved the chains, but the Chiefs did not score through the air. 3 pass plays finished inside the 5 yard line, but the Chiefs' receivers were unable to score. The Chiefs' running game was so strong in short-yardage; they did not attempt a pass inside the Atlanta 10.

Todd Collins (0-1-0 passing) entered the game in the fourth quarter after the game was out of reach. He was in for 15 plays, and the Chiefs ran the ball on 14 of them.

RB: Priest Holmes (22-139 rushing 4 TD, 3-41 receiving on 3 targets, 1 fumble lost) had plenty of running room thanks to outstanding blocking from the Chiefs offensive line and FB Tony Richardson, and Holmes cashed in the opportunities with 4 touchdowns. Holmes was rarely touched in the backfield, and did an excellent job setting up his blockers to create more running room downfield. 2 of Holmes's scores were running left behind LT Willie Roaf, and two were in or over the pile at the goal line. If there was bad news to Holmes's game, the normally sure-handed Holmes fumbled twice, losing one of them. Holmes left the game in the third quarter after spraining his ankle while getting tackled just 1 yard short of a fifth TD. The injury did not appear to be serious, as Holmes was later spotted standing up on the sideline asking to return to the game.

Derrick Blaylock (19-90 rushing 4 TD, 3-46 receiving on 4 targets) took over for Holmes in the second half, and the Chiefs' offense did not miss a beat. Blaylock ran well in space, making defenders miss to gain extra yards. Like Holmes, Blaylock scored 4 touchdowns on the ground. Like Holmes, Blaylock added a long gain with a 30-yard screen pass reception to his rushing totals.

Tony Richardson (6-29 rushing, 3-36 receiving on 3 targets) spent most of the game in his usual role, blocking for Priest Holmes, and catching the occasional pass in the flat. His blocking was a big contribution to Kansas City's 8 rushing touchdowns, and he was rewarded with six carries on six consecutive plays on Kansas City's final drive.

Larry Johnson did not play.

WR: Johnnie Morton (4-48 receiving on 7 targets) was the most targeted Chiefs' receiver, and was the target on the only 2 pass plays the Chiefs called in the red zone. He fell a couple feet short of a TD late in the fist half, tackled inside the 1 with 0:02 left in the half. Holmes scored on the next play.

Eddie Kennison (3-52 receiving on 6 targets) led the team in receiving yards. In addition to his 52 receiving yards, Kennison drew a pass-interference penalty for a 15-yard gain. Two of Kennison's receptions nearly were scores, tackled once on the Atlanta 2, and pushed out of bounds once at the Atlanta 3.

Dante Hall (2-27 receiving on 4 targets, 2-13 rushing) did not play as much as usual; the 2-back sets were too successful running the ball. Hall did gain 12 yards on an end around, and took one of his receptions to the Atlanta 4 before being tackled.

Chris Horn (0-0 receiving on 1 target) saw the field some in the second half after the game was out of reach.

TE: Tony Gonzalez (2-19 receiving on 3 targets) was not too involved in the passing game, but his blocking on running plays was outstanding.

K: Lawrence Tynes (8-8 XP) Tynes did not attempt a FG, but converted all 8 of his extra point attempts

Pass Defense: The pass rush was outstanding, sacking Vick four times and knocking him down on several other plays. That pressure was also largely responsible for Vick being held to 33.3% passing and throwing two interceptions. Eric Warfield nearly scored on his INT, running it back to the Atlanta 6.

Rush Defense: The run defense was nothing special, but that did not matter, as Atlanta had to abandon the run when they fell far behind. Dunn broke off an 18-yard gain. Vick's 32-yard scramble was technically Atlanta's longest ground gain, but that play was a designed pass, Vick tucked and ran when we couldn't find an open receiver.

St Louis Rams 14 at Miami Dolphins 31

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

St Louis Rams

Marc Bulger threw for almost 300 yards in this game, but couldn't make enough big plays to lead the Rams to victory. St. Louis was able to convert only 2 out of 13 3rd down attempts. On 4th and 1 at the Miami 15 yard line, Bulger fooled the Miami defense and ran untouched up the middle on a quarterback sneak for a touchdown. Bulger hurt his shoulder after being sacked from the blind side by Jason Taylor. After the series, both Rams backup quarterbacks were shown warming up, but Bulger was able to finish the game.

Simply put, Torry Holt was invisible in this game. Miami schemed to limit Holt's impact, double and sometime triple covering him. That plan was effective, as Holt was held to 1 catch for 4 yards. After Bulger was intercepted in the end zone trying to force the ball into a triple covered Holt, he only looked Holt's way one more time the rest of the game. Bulger instead preferred to hit Isaac Bruce and Shaun McDonald who found much softer coverage.

Coming into this game, Marshall Faulk had not rushed for 100 yards against the Dolphins in 10 games over the course of his career. That streak was extended to 11 games, despite the fact that Faulk ran very well. His rushing totals were limited by his lack of carries, not his production. Faulk received only 12 carries, but was an effective threat catching passes out of the backfield. He finished with 74 yards receiving on 8 catches.

Miami Dolphins

Someone might have expected a lot of trick plays out of the Rams in this game, but it was instead Miami that was used chicanery in their favor. Both Sammy Morris and Marty Booker attempted passes. The Dolphins picked up a first down on a fake punt where Morris took a direct snap up the middle for the first down. The Dolphins played like a team with nothing to lose in this contest and had their best performance of the year on both sides of the ball.

Fiedler looked rather pedestrian for most of the afternoon, but made several key throws that helped Miami to their first victory. Fielder often held the ball too long when he couldn't find an open receiver and was sacked six times because of it. Fiedler's 203 yards passing yards were aided by his receivers picking up yards after the catch. Chris Chambers helped pad Fiedler's stats when he took a short slant pass and sprinted 71 yards for a Miami touchdown. Randy McMichael also scored a long touchdown on a play where a Ram zone blitz left McMichael covered only by a defensive lineman. Fiedler quickly spotted McMichael running down the seam and hit him for an easy 42-yard touchdown.

Sammy Morris provided a capable ground game for the Dolphins for a second week in a row. Morris picked up 83 yards on the ground and was able to run in a 13-yard touchdown. Travis Minor returned from his ankle injury in this game, but Morris still received the lion's share of the carries.

The 4 touchdowns the Dolphins scored in this game were as many as they had scored through their first six games combined.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

St Louis Rams

QB: Marc Bulger (23-39-295, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1-15 rushing, 1 TD) Bulger was not able to make enough big plays against a Dolphins' defense that was geared toward taking away Torry Holt. While he was able to throw for almost 300 yards, the Rams couldn't keep drives alive converting on only 2 of 13 3rd down attempts. Bulger threw an ugly interception to Sammy Knight trying to get the ball to Torry Holt in the end zone. On the play, Holt was initially double-covered and a third defender came over to help. Bulger took a quarterback sneak 15 yards up the middle on a 4th and 1 for a touchdown on a play where everyone in the stadium expected the Rams to run the ball. Bulger injured his shoulder after taking a hard sack from Jason Taylor. He stayed in the game, but after the series, both Chris Chandler and Jeff Smoker were shown warming up. Bulger was able to play through the pain and complete the game however. On the Rams' last drive, Bulger was sacked by Zach Thomas to end any last ditch hopes of a comeback.

RB: Marshall Faulk (12-61 rushing, 8-74 receiving on 9 targets) Faulk extended his streak of not being able to pick up 100 yards rushing against the Dolphins to 11 games. While Faulk had a limited number of carries, he was used extensively on screen passes from Bulger. Faulk was effective running the ball against the Dolphins defense, often breaking the first tackle. Late in the game, Faulk took a pitchout 6 yards to pickup a crucial first down for the Rams on 4th and 5. This setup McDonald's touchdown a play later and got the Rams back in the game.

Steven Jackson (6-27 rushing, 2-18 receiving on 2 targets) Jackson entered the game on the Rams' first series, but received only six carries. Jackson is getting his carries every week, but there doesn't seem to be any discernable pattern to how he is used. In this game, Jackson spelled Faulk occasionally, got some short and goal line carries and occasionally lined up in a two back set with Faulk. Jackson had an 8-yard carry where he almost scored called back due to a holding penalty. On the play, Jackson bounced the play to the outside, juking a defender, running down the sideline and diving for the corner of the end zone. It appeared that Jackson scored, but the officials ruled that he went out of bounds just short of the goal line. The play was close enough to challenge, but was made moot by the penalty.

Joey Goodspeed (1-10 receiving on 1 target) Fullback Joey Goodspeed was able to pick up a first down on his only reception of the game.

WR: Isaac Bruce (5-98 receiving on 6 targets, 0-1 passing) Isaac Bruce benefited from the Dolphin's tight coverage on Holt, pulling in 5 of his 6 targets and coming up just short of a 100 yard day. Bruce attempted a long pass for Torry Holt on a trick play that the Rams had rehearsed during the preseason. Bruce's throw sailed on him and Holt had to go out of bounds to get it. Bruce picked up a big 36-yard gain on a play action pass during the Rams' lasting scoring drive.

Shaun McDonald (4-77, 1 TD receiving on 10 targets) McDonald was the biggest beneficiary of the attention the Dolphins' secondary paid to Torry Holt. McDonald's 10 targets led all St. Louis players. 8 of McDonald's 10 targets came on the Rams last 2 drives. McDonald's 15 yard touchdown in the 4th quarter pulled the Rams to within 10 points. On that play, McDonald caught the ball over the middle at the Dolphins' 5 yard line and cut to the left side, picking up two key blocks in route to the end zone for the score.

Torry Holt (1-4 receiving on 4 targets) The Miami defense worked hard to take Holt out of the game and were successful in doing so. Holt was double covered through most of the contest and Bulger simply looked to his other receivers. Holt was the target on Bulger's interception, trying to force him the ball in the end zone but Holt was surrounded by three defenders and the pass sailed on Bulger for an easy interception. Holt was the intended target on Bruce's pass, but the throw was off the mark. Holt was able to come down with the pass, but he did so out of bounds. Holt's lone reception was a 4 yard gain late in the 3rd quarter.

Dane Looker (1-9 receiving on 2 targets) Looker came up just short of a first down on his only reception, setting up Bulger's 15-yard touchdown run on 4th and 1 on the next play.

Kevin Curtis (0-0 receiving on 2 targets) Curtis was targeted twice but couldn't haul in a pass. On one of those plays, Curtis went over the middle and was leveled by CB Patrick Surtain, forcing him to drop what would have been a first down reception.

TE: Cam Cleeland (1-5 receiving on 3 targets) Cleeland outperformed Manumaleuna, but that's not saying much. Cleeland hauled in one of his three targets for five yards.

Brandon Manumaleuna (0-0 receiving on 0 targets) Manumaleuna is technically the Rams starting tight end, but is usually afterthought in their offense. This game was no exception as Manumaleuna didn't receive even one target.

K: Jeff Wilkins (2 XP) Wilkins hit both of his extra points. While Wilkins was never brought on to attempt a field goal, he was reportedly kicking well in pre-game warm-ups and could have kicked more than extra points had the game situation dictated it.

Pass Defense: The Rams' defense did a good job of getting to Jay Fiedler, sacking him 6 times. Aeneas Williams let a pass go through his hands that turned into a Randy McMichael reception. The Rams' defense shut down Fielder and the Dolphins' passing attack for most of the day, but had several defensive breakdowns where they gave up big plays. Those big plays were the difference in this game.

Rush Defense: Sammy Morris was effective running the ball against the Rams' defense, despite the fact that he was held to just under 3 yards a carry. Morris scored a touchdown and provided enough of a threat that the Rams couldn't go all out to stop the pass.

Miami Dolphins

QB: Jay Fiedler (13-17-203, 2 TD, 2 for -2 rushing) Jay Fiedler was able to gut out Miami's first win of the season despite being sacked 6 times. Often Fielder would not be able to find an open receiver and would simply lower his head as the pocket collapsed around him. While he was unspectacular on the day, Fiedler was able to make some key plays when Miami desperately needed them. A lot of Fiedler's yardage came after the catch, as his receivers made big plays. Right before the half, Fiedler hit Randy McMichael who was wide open down the center of the field for a 42-yard touchdown. Late in the game, he completed a pass to Chris Chambers on a short slant and Chambers was able to take the reception the distance for a 71 yard touchdown.

RB: Sammy Morris (28-83 rushing, 1 TD, 3-8 receiving on 3 targets) Morris was the primary ball carrier in this game, despite the fact that Travis Minor returned from an ankle injury. Morris was able to punch in Miami's 1st rushing touchdown of the season early in the first quarter. Morris took the ball up the middle and made a hard cut to juke a defender. He almost fell down, but was able to regain his balance by pushing off the ground and ran untouched the rest of the way for the score. Morris also was the designed passer on a halfback pass, but was buried by Rams' defenders after not being able to find an open man. Morris took a direct snap up the middle on a fake punt early in the second half for a first down.

Travis Minor (3-21 rushing, 1 TD) Minor played sparingly in his first game back from an ankle injury. He was able to score a touchdown in this contest though. Minor took the handoff and bounced out to the right side, diving for the pylon for his first score of the season.

Rob Konrad (1-2 receiving on 1 target) Konrad was not much of a factor in this game, but was able to catch his only target.

WR: Chris Chambers (3-128 receiving on 5 targets, 1 TD, 1-15 rushing) Chambers was quiet for most of this game except for two big plays. On the first, Chambers found himself uncovered, after Marty Booker took a reverse. Booker then lofted him a 48-yard option pass. Chambers hit the ground as he made the reception, but popped back up and ran to the end zone thinking that he had scored. The officials however ruled that Aeneas Williams had touched Chambers when he was down and Sammy Morris scored on the next play. Late in the game, Chambers took a short slant pass 71 yards for the touchdown. Chambers also picked up 15 yards rushing on a reverse. Chambers had a critical error in the 4th quarter when he fumbled the ball away while being tackled. The call was reversed after a Miami challenge as officials ruled that Chambers never had control of the ball, although the call was debatable.

Marty Booker (3-35 receiving on 5 targets, 1-1-48 passing) Early in the game, Booker lofted a tight spiral to Chris Chambers that setup Miami's first score and set the tone of the game for the Dolphins. On the play, Booker took the handoff on a reverse and spotted Chambers streaking down the middle of the field uncovered. He then put the ball where only Chambers could get it. If it had not been for Aeneas Williams coming over to help out on the play, Chambers would have likely scored. Outside of the trick play Booker was quiet on the day, catching three passes, the longest of which was only 15 yards. Booker did drop a ball that would have been a Miami first down, but made up for it, hauling in a first down reception on the next play.

Derrius Thompson (0-0 on 0 targets) played in this game, but didn't receive a target.

TE: Randy McMichael (4-78, 1 TD receiving on 4 targets) McMichael made up for a costly holding penalty that pushed the Dolphins out of field goal range, by catching a 42-yard touchdown pass on the next play. On the play, the Rams came on a zone blitz and McMichael found himself being covered by a defensive lineman. He ran right down the seam and took a soft Fiedler pass the distance. McMichael was shaken up early in the game on the play where Sammy Morris attempted an option pass, but re-entered the game on the next series and appeared to be fine. McMichael also made a great play at the end of the game, leaping over a defender as he ran down the sideline to pick up a first down.

K: Matt Bryant (4 XP, 1-1 FG) Bryant hit his only attempt from 43 yards out.

Pass Defense: The Dolphins schemed to take Torry Holt away from the Rams' offense and it worked flawlessly. Holt was almost always double covered and was sometimes triple covered by Dolphins' defenders. The smothering defense limited Holt to one catch for 4 yards. While Bulger threw for just under 300 yards, it took him almost 40 attempts to do so. Miami was able to clamp down when it mattered most, allowing the Rams to convert just 2 of 13 third down attempts.

Rush Defense: Marshall Faulk and Steven Jackson both ran well against the Dolphins, averaging just under 5 yards a carry between the two of them. Faulk in particular broke a lot of tackles. They were only given Faulk and Jackson a combined 18 carries.

Detroit Lions 28 at New York Giants 13

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Detroit Lions

The Lions played an impressive game on both sides of the ball and had no turnovers as they won their third game on the road this year something they have not been able to do in the previous three seasons. The Lions' victory ended the Giants' four game win streak. Also of note, the Lions scored 4 touchdowns on 4 trips to the red zone.

QB Joey Harrington looked impressive after a poor performance a week ago versus the Green Bay Packers. Harrington completed 18 of 22 passes for 230 yards and no interceptions. Harrington orchestrated a 70 yard drive on the Lions first possession of the game, capped by a touchdown pass to Roy Williams.

Roy Williams, who was listed as questionable for the game, returned to the Lions' offense and made his impact early in the game catching an 18-yard touchdown pass from Joey Harrington on the Lions' first possession of the game.

Rookie RB Kevin Jones led the Lions in rushing with 65 yards on the ground. Jones's performance led the Lions setting a season high for rushing with a total 115 yards in the game. Jones scored the first touchdown of his career on a 2 yard run in the third quarter that put the Lions ahead 14-10. Jones ran for 44 yards on 3 carries on the go ahead drive in the third quarter. Jones averaged 5.0 yards per carry on 13 carries in the game.

New York Giants

Tiki Barber continued his impressive season and added to his league leading yards from scrimmage with 172 total yards. Barber provided over 50% of the Giants total offense for the game. Barber, aided by a key block by Rookie WR Jamaar Taylor, took a screen pass from Kurt Warner down the middle of the field for a 62-yard touchdown reception. As Barber raced towards the end-zone, it appeared he glanced up at the jumbotron to check for defenders behind him. During the contest RB Tiki Barber surpassed the 6,000 rushing yards mark for his career.

Kurt Warner threw for 270 yards in the game, most of which came in the first half. Warner completed 15 of 19 attempts for 205 yards in the first half with a touchdown. On the downside, Warner threw a critical interception in the end zone just before halftime and fumbled the ball 3 times in the game although only 1 fumble was lost to the Lions.

The Giants' defense did not force any turnovers in the contest and seemed to fall apart in the second half of the game. After holding the Lions' running backs to only 28 yards on the ground in the first half they allowed 87 yards and two touchdowns in the second half.

The Giants' offense failed on 2 fourth down attempt including a 4th and 4 at their own 22 yard line when they were behind by 8 points. The Lions would go on to score after the turnover on downs to put the game out of reach.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Detroit Lions

QB: Joey Harrington (18-22-230, 2 TD, 2 for -2 rushing) Harrington looked nothing like the quarterback of a week ago passing for 230 yards and finishing the game with a quarterback rating of 140.5. Harrington came out on throwing on the first series of the game and connected on 4 of 5 pass attempts for 71 yards. He capped the drive with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Roy Williams. Harrington connected on three third-down passes on the Lions first scoring drive. After the Giants cut the Lions lead to one, Harrington showed confidence and poise and drove the offense 70 yards in 9 plays and capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to WR Reggie Swinton.

RB: Kevin Jones (13-65, 1 TD rushing, 0-0 receiving on 1 target) Kevin Jones was the leading rusher for the Lions and had his best performance of the year against a usually tough Giants' run defense. RB Jones scored the first touchdown of his NFL career on a 2-yard run that put the Lions in the lead for good.

Artose Pinner (9-36, 1 TD rushing, 1-6 receiving on 1 target) Pinner saw most of his action late in the game but did manage to find the end zone on an 8-yard touchdown run around the right end. The touchdown by Pinner was late in the fourth quarter.

Shawn Bryson (5-16 rushing, 2-32 receiving on 2 targets) Bryson was not a big factor in the Lions game plan but he did have a key 19-yard reception on 3rd and 15 which kept the first drive alive for the Lions.

Stephen Trejo (2-19 receiving on 2 targets) started for the Lions at FB in place of the injured Cory Schlesinger and caught 2 passes for 19 yards.

WR: Roy Williams (4-67, 1 TD receiving on 6 targets) Williams scored the first touchdown of the game on an 18-yard bullet from QB Harrington. The touchdown was the fifth of the season for Williams who continues to impress during his rookie season. Something to watch is the ankle injury that left Williams questionable for the start of this game as he did leave the field hobbling late in the fourth quarter as it appeared he may have aggravated the injury.

Reggie Swinton (3-32, 1 TD receiving on 3 targets) Swinton made the most of his start replacing an injured WR Hakim with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Harrington late in the fourth quarter. Swinton had a key 20-yard catch on a 3rd and 7 situation that led to his scoring reception later in the drive.

Tai Streets (1-22 receiving on 3 targets) Street caught his only pass of the game in the first quarter of the game.

TE: Stephen Alexander (5-52 receiving on 5 targets) Alexander had a nice game for the Lions and started off the game with a 24-yard reception on the Lions first play from scrimmage. Alexander caught a pass on 3 of the 4 Lions' scoring drives.

K: Jason Hanson (4/4 XP) Hanson was perfect on four extra point attempts in the game.

Pass Defense: The Lions' pass defense allowed 250 yards in the game and put plenty of pressure on Giants' QB Kurt Warner. The Lions did sack the quarterback 6 times in the game and came close on several other occasions. They forced 6 Kurt Warner fumbles and a total of five for the game but only managed to recover one of those miscues. CB Chris Cash starting for an injured Fernando Bryant had an interception just before halftime in the Lions end zone that appeared to turn the momentum in Detroit's favor.

Rush Defense: The Lions' rush defense was stellar in the game and held the Giants rushing attack and Tiki Barber to a total of 75 yards and no touchdowns. The Lions defense has not allowed a 100 yard rusher this season and a total of 12 games dating back to last season when Seattle's Shaun Alexander eclipsed the century mark.

New York Giants

QB: Kurt Warner (23-34-270, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1 fumble lost) Warner threw with confidence and accuracy for the first half of the game connecting on 15 of 19 attempts. His bright moment of the game was a perfectly executed screen pass to RB Tiki Barber that went for a 62-yard score for the Giants. Warner again had the Giants on the move before halftime driving the team to the Lions' 11 yard line. On 1st and 10, Warner was under pressure, rolled to his right and appeared to toss the ball in the end zone for WR Amani Toomer. Instead of the Giants scoring the touchdown the Lions defender jumped in front of Toomer for the interception and touchback. The turnover proved to be devastating for Warner and the Giants as the offense never seemed to get back in a rhythm after the interception. In the second half Warner was less than impressive as he completed 8 of 15 attempts for a dismal 65 yards. Warner did fumble three times in the game but the Giants recovered two of the fumbles.

RB: Tiki Barber (22-70 rushing, 7-102, 1 TD receiving on 10 targets) Barber had another great performance for the Giants and managed to score their only touchdown on the afternoon. Tiki Barber had a rough time gaining yards on the ground but continued to run hard and look for opening in the offensive line. Barber found most of his success running to the outside including his longest gain of the day of 11 yards. As a receiver, Tiki Barber was the favorite target of Kurt Warner catching 7 of 10 passes thrown his way. Barber took a screen pass from Kurt Warner, waited for his blockers and found a hole up the middle and showed his speed as he found the end zone 62 yards down field for a touchdown. One blemish on the day for Tiki Barber was a fumble but he recovered it himself.

WR: Ike Hilliard (5-42 receiving on 5 targets) Hilliard got involved in the game early catching three passes during the Giants' first series. He had a couple of nice grabs in the rest of the game but was not a key factor in the passing game after his quick start. Hilliard did have a fumble in the game that went out of bounds and New York maintained possession.

Amani Toomer (2-50 receiving on 6 targets) Toomer did get quite a few looks from Warner throughout the game including the interception in the end zone but did not have a reception in the second half. He did have a nice 21-yard reception in the second quarter that led to a Steve Christie field goal. This was the 89th consecutive game with a catch for Toomer.

Jamaar Taylor (2-16 receiving on 2 targets) Rookie WR Jamaar Taylor had the first reception of his career on a pass from Kurt Warner in the second quarter. Taylor made a key block on the touchdown reception by Tiki Barber.

TE: Jeremy Shockey (2-25 receiving on 4 targets) Shockey had a 19-yard reception that he showed his strength and power and he fought for extra yardage before being tackled. His reception moved the Giants into Lions' territory which later resulted in a Steve Christie field goal.

K: Steve Christie (1-1 XP, 2-2 FG) Christie converted his only extra point attempt of the game. He also was a perfect 2 for 2 on field goal attempts converting on short attempts of 19 and 25 yards.

Pass Defense: The Giants' pass defense allowed 230 yards through the air to Joey Harrington in the game. They also gave up two touchdown passes of 18 yards and 2 yards. The Giants' pass rush had 3 sacks during the game but really did not put a lot of pressure on Harrington. They did force a fumble by Joey Harrington but it was recovered by the Lions. They did not have an interception in the game.

Rush Defense: The Giants' rush defense which averages 124 yards per game to their opponents did manage to hold the Lions to 115 yards in the game which is an improvement, however they struggled in situations when the needed to stop the Lions. The rush defense also allowed their first and second rushing touchdowns of the season to the Lions. As a side note, Coach Tom Coughlin benched starting Barrett Green for being late for a meeting during the bye week. Nick Greisen got the start in place of Green.

Philadelphia Eagles 34 at Cleveland Browns 31 (OT)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Philadelphia Eagles

Thanks to a David Akers 50-yard field goal in overtime, the Eagles emerged victorious in their most closely contested game of the season. Following a Cleveland third quarter touchdown that put the Browns ahead 24 to 21, the Eagles had to play from behind for the first time all year. The Eagles won the game on their 2nd possession of overtime.

Donovan McNabb had a terrific afternoon, throwing for 376 yards and 4 touchdowns. With plenty of time to find open receivers downfield, McNabb opened up the vertical passing game. Highlights included a 65-yard pass to Todd Pinkston to open the game, a 39-yard touchdown pass to Terrell Owens, and a 40-yard touchdown pass to Terrell Owens. Terrell Owens had his 4th straight game with 100+ yards, finishing with 109 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The Eagles running game was a mixed bag. Brian Westbrook, who left the game with an apparent chest injury in the 3rd quarter, was held to only 43 yards rushing. Dorsey Levens carried the rushing load effectively in Westbrook's absence, picking up 48 yards on 7 carries, most of them in overtime. The Eagles did not pick up a rushing touchdown on the afternoon.

Yielding 31 points and 394 yards of total offense, the Eagles' defense had its worst performance of the season. In the first half alone, the Eagles' rushing defense was abysmal, allowing Browns rushers 123 yards on 17 carries. In the second half, the Eagles were more effective at stopping the run, but gave up several big gains in the passing game. The Eagles' defense finished with 1 interception and 2 fumble recoveries, with both fumble recoveries coming on special teams.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns gave a gutsy performance against the Eagles, refusing to yield at home to unbeaten Philadelphia. On offense they offered a balanced attack, initially relying heavily on the run, then later in the game moving the ball effectively through the air. Defensively they failed to make big plays, but did manage a number of key stops in the 2nd half to keep the game within reach.

Jeff Garcia was at his best in this game, moving around deftly in the pocket to avoid the Eagles' persistent blitz and make plays downfield. Garcia relied heavily on his tight ends, throwing for a combined 87 yards to Aaron Shea and Steve Heiden. Garcia finished the day with 236 yards in the air, 1 passing touchdown, and 1 rushing touchdown. With 4 catches for 70 yards on 11 targets, Dennis Northcutt emerged as Garcia's favorite wide receiver. In his first game in Cleveland, Antonio Bryant played sparingly and had 26 yards on 2 receptions. Andre' Davis did not play in this game, and his replacement Andre King left the game in the first quarter with a lower leg injury.

The Browns utilized an effective running back by committee approach against the Eagles. Lee Suggs finished the day with 78 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown. Not wanting to be outdone, William Green managed 64 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown. Both backs enjoyed great success running against a porous Eagles' run defense, especially in the first half.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Philadelphia Eagles

QB: Donovan McNabb (28-43-376, 4 TD, 1 Int, 2-28 rushing) tied his career best by throwing for 4 touchdowns against the Browns. He started the game on fire, throwing a perfect 65-yard bomb to Todd Pinkston on the first play, and then hitting Chad Lewis for a 10-yard touchdown strike on the next play. He went on to complete his first 8 passes. McNabb had plenty of time in the pocket most of the afternoon, and effectively spread the ball around to 10 different receivers. He scrambled infrequently, but did have a 28-yard run in the overtime period to set up the game-winning field goal. McNabb's lone interception came on a ball intended for L.J. Smith that was forced into double coverage.

RB: Brian Westbrook (13-43 rushing, 3-17 receiving on 5 targets) was relatively quiet in this game before he was forced to leave with an apparent chest injury in the 4th quarter after being slammed to the ground. He did have a couple of nice runs, but was kept largely in check most of the afternoon. On one red zone series in the 4th quarter, Westbrook was dropped for a loss on consecutive carries. Westbrook was also fairly limited in the passing game, although this can be attributed to McNabb's wealth of open options downfield.

Dorsey Levens (7-48 rushing, 1-12 receiving on 2 targets) received the bulk of the Eagles carries after Westbrook's exit. Levens ran effectively between the tackles against a tired Browns' rushing defense in overtime, helping to set up David Akers for the game-winning field goal.

Josh Parry (2-22 receiving on 2 targets) made the most of his opportunities, catching both balls thrown his way after dropping two passes in the previous game.

Reno Mahe (2-18 receiving on 3 targets) played sparingly, but did have a few opportunities after Westbrook left the game.

WR: Terrell Owens (4-109, 2 TD receiving on 7 targets) had his 4th straight 100+ yard game, posting 109 yards on 4 catches with 2 touchdowns. His first touchdown came on a 39-yard pass from McNabb. He scored his second touchdown on a 40-yard sideline route. He was tagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty when he ripped down a sign in the end zone. Owens left the game for a brief stint in the 2nd half with an apparent thumb injury, and was relatively quiet after that.

Todd Pinkston (6-100 receiving on 10 targets) emerged as McNabb's favorite target of the day. Not only was Pinkston targeted often by McNabb, but he was thrown to on a number of deep passes, although a deep connection was made only on the first throw of the day, a 65-yard catch. Pinkston was unable to find the end zone.

Freddie Mitchell (2-31 receiving on 3 targets) was not heavily involved in the game. He was targeted on a deep post pattern, but the ball was underthrown and hit the defender in the back of his arm.

Greg Lewis (1-24 receiving on 1 target, 1-2 rushing) made a big third down catch to keep an Eagles touchdown scoring drive alive in the second quarter. He also carried the ball for a short gain on an end around.

TE: Chad Lewis (5-37, 1 TD receiving on 7 targets) had a solid afternoon. He scored the Eagles first touchdown of the day when he was wide open in the end zone for a 10-yard strike from McNabb.

L.J. Smith (2-6, 1 TD receiving on 4 targets) scored on a shovel pass from McNabb at the goal line. Otherwise, he was not a big factor in the game. Smith also had a bad drop on a short underneath throw on which he would have had plenty of room to run after the catch.

K: David Akers (4 XP, 2-2 FG) had a perfect afternoon, with a 38-yard field goal and a 50-yard game-winner in overtime.

Pass Defense: The Eagles pass defense had a decent game, allowing 236 total yards in the air and one touchdown. The Browns passing attack was more effective in the second half, when the Eagles played 8 men in the box to stop the run. The Eagles generated good pressure on their pass rush, but Garcia proved elusive and adept at hitting receivers while scrambling. They finished with one interception and 3 sacks.

Rush Defense: The Eagles' run defense was abysmal in the first half, allowing the two-headed monster of Suggs and Green 123 yards in just one half of football. Following adjustments in the second half, the Browns had difficulty running the ball and turned more to their passing game. The Eagles gave up just 42 rushing yards in the second half and overtime period.

Cleveland Browns

QB: Jeff Garcia (21-32-236, 1 TD, 1 Int, 4-21, 1 TD rushing) cannot be blamed for this Browns loss. He proved his versatility, making plays with his athleticism, but also standing calm in the face of frequent blitzing by the Eagles. Garcia relied heavily on his two tight ends in the passing game, targeting them a combined 12 times. Garcia was most effective while scrambling to his right, and completed many of his passes while on the run. Garcia's touchdown throw to Steve Heiden came on a short out pattern that the tight end turned up field. On his rushing touchdown, Garcia took on Eagles' safety Brian Dawkins head on at the goal line, and managed to find the end zone despite a hard hit from Dawkins.

RB: Lee Suggs (15-78 rushing, 1 TD, 2-5 receiving on 5 targets) and William Green (14-64 rushing, 1 TD, 1-3 receiving on 1 target) were used interchangeably with good success. The Browns showed no preference for either Suggs or Green, as both backs were used in key situations throughout the game. Both backs also broke runs of 10+ yards. Green's touchdown run, his first of the season, came on a 10-yard scamper off left tackle. Suggs scored on a 13-yard cutback. Suggs was targeted more often in the passing game, although neither back figured prominently into the Browns' throwing attack.

WR: Dennis Northcutt (4-70 receiving on 11 targets) was Garcia's favorite target in the Browns revamped passing offense. With Andre' Davis out, Andre King out, and Antonio Bryant still learning the offense, Northcutt was the go-to guy for Jeff Garcia. His most impressive catch of the day came on a 42-yard sideline route on which he beat Eagles cornerback Lito Sheppard.

Frisman Jackson (3-45 receiving on 3 targets, 1 fumble lost) replacement for the injured Andre King, made the most of the throws that came his way, all of them in the 4th quarter and overtime.

Antonio Bryant (2-26 receiving on 2 targets) New Cleveland Browns' wide receiver Bryant did not play very much, but did manage two catches on the afternoon.

Andre King left the game in the first quarter following a lower left leg injury in the first quarter.

Andre' Davis sat out with an injured left big toe.

TE: Aaron Shea (6-45 receiving on 8 targets) figured prominently into the Browns' passing game. Garcia frequently threw to Shea when the Eagles' pass blitz forced him to get rid of the ball quickly.

Steve Heiden (3-42, 1 TD receiving on 4 targets) was also integral to the Browns offense. His touchdown catch was the first one for him in two years.

K: Phil Dawson (4 XP, 1-1 FG) had a perfect afternoon with 4 extra points and a 38-yard field goal.

Pass Defense: The Browns' underwhelming pass defense had difficulty stopping Donovan McNabb and the Eagles' many offensive weapons. The Browns failed to pressure McNabb for most of the afternoon, and allowed 376 total yards in the air. They did manage one interception on a poorly thrown ball by McNabb.

Rush Defense: For most of the game, the Browns' run defense did a nice job containing Brian Westbrook and the Eagles' running attack. It was not until the fourth quarter and in the overtime period that the Eagles were able to amass significant yards on the ground. The Browns gave up 121 total rushing yards, 28 of which came on a Donovan McNabb scramble in overtime.

Seattle Seahawks 17 at Arizona Cardinals 25

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks as a team appeared lackadaisical and uninspired. They seemed to be going through the motions. Their body language told the story more than the score. There was lots of head hanging and silence on the sidelines.

QB Matt Hasselbeck was simply awful. "You can put all the blame on me," he said. "I was just bad. I feel like I really let my teammates down today. I really have no answers. I just couldn't get it going. I don't know why. I don't know what the deal was, but it was my fault." His four interceptions (two in the fourth quarter) cost Seattle any chance they had to pull out a win.

The target distribution among the receiving corps was Jackson-15, Robinson-10, Rice-7. Newcomer Jerry Rice started the game (3WR set) and was targeted five times in the first half. His one reception converted a third down. Rice filled the role usually reserved for WR Bobby Engram who missed the game with an ankle injury. It has yet to be fully determined how Rice will be used. Clouding the situation more, the NFL has yet to make a determination on whether or not WR Koren Robinson will be suspended.

If your opponent owns RB Shaun Alexander, keep an eye out as we believe he was credited with a seven-yard carry in the first quarter than was really FB Mack Strong's. Obviously, Footballguys is NOT an official stat source, we're just telling you what we saw. Keep en eye on NFL.com (or your league's official stat source) and see how they handle it. Every league needs to have an "official" source for stats. Right or wrong, you have to agree on one source. For questions on this ruling, Footballguys subscribers can contact our Ask the Commish service to settle disputes. Here is the link. Please use the Ask the Commish service instead of emailing Joe on this.

Arizona Cardinals

RB Emmitt Smith broke the 100-yard mark for the second time in three games. Smith ran very well making several very nice cuts in the open field leaving a few DBs grasping at air.

QB Josh McCown was unspectacular in the win, coming very close to blowing the game. His errant fourth quarter pass to TE Freddie Jones was overthrown and returned by CB Ken Lucas for what looked like a back breaking TD. If his counterpart on the other sideline had not played far worse, the Cardinals would have been chalking up another loss.

WR Bryant Johnson was targeted more than twice as much as rookie WR Larry Fitzgerald, but posted fewer yards. Johnson worked the underneath routes and quick slants while Fitzgerald was running deep sideline routes and fly patterns. Fitzgerald made a fantastic leaping grab on the touchdown play using his hands to rip the ball away while fighting with CB Marcus Trufant. There was solid coverage on the play, but Fitzgerald simply made a superb reception.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Seattle Seahawks

QB: Matt Hasselbeck (14-41-195 TD 4 INT passing, 1-9 rushing) Hasselbeck was atrocious. He was uncharacteristically off target throughout the game. The Cardinal defensive backs did a good job covering receivers, but Hasselbeck was all over the place with his attempts. Several of his were balls overthrown, under thrown, and just plain off line. In particular, he couldn't connect with WR Koren Robinson. Two balls deep down the sideline to Robinson (both caught) were thrown too far out of bounds. Another to Robinson into the end zone was overthrown. Hasselbeck was visibly shaken on the sideline after the game. He took full responsibility for the loss in his post game interviews. His first interception was thrown into coverage. His second interception was tipped at the line of scrimmage. His third interception was on a deep slant. It may have been WR Darrel Jackson's fault on this one. Hasselbeck threw the ball leading Jackson to the middle of the field, but Jackson cut the route off early. The last interception was horribly under thrown towards WR Koren Robinson.

RB: Shaun Alexander (12-57 TD rushing, 0-0 receiving on 1 target) Alexander had little room to run. However, he only had four carries and one passing target in the first half. One of the carries credited to Alexander (7 yards) was done so incorrectly. The player was actually FB Mack Strong. Making matters worse the television announcers also didn't notice the error. Expect the NFL to correct this later in the week. Alexander broke off two longer runs in the second half. His 34-yard run right up the middle gave the Seahawks a huge boost and led to Seattle's only offensive TD. Again, Footballguys is NOT the official stat source. Check out our Ask the Commish feature if you need to settle a dispute with your league http://apps.footballguys.com/04davies_needaruling.cfm

Maurice Morris (1-0 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 1 target) Morris' returned kicks in the game. He was in the game on several third down plays. His only passing target was a pass out of the backfield in the flat that didn't develop as QB Matt Hasselbeck was under heavy pressure.

Mack Strong (1-3 rushing, 2-19 receiving on 3 targets) Strong had two first quarter carries, and then no more for the rest of the game. His 12-yard reception in the flat came on 3rd and 8. Strong nearly scored getting down to the Cardinal one-yard line.

WR: Darrell Jackson (8-117 TD receiving on 15 targets) Jackson was targeted heavily and consistently throughout the game. He caught a garbage 30-yard pass at the end of the first half. The ball was tipped at the line of scrimmage on a hail-Mary pass. Jackson made a nice adjustment running back to the ball. His TD came on a goal line play. Jackson ran all the way across the formation just behind the line of scrimmage.

Koren Robinson (2-32 receiving on 10 targets) Robinson was the main victim of QB Matt Hasselbeck's poor play. He was open in the end zone in the third quarter. He also had a step on the DB down the sideline early in the fourth quarter. On both plays Hasselbeck missed Robinson with an overthrow. Robinson caught two balls down the sideline in the first half that were both out of bounds. Robinson may be to blame on these because he's not allowing enough room for Hasselbeck to deliver the ball to his outside shoulder. Robinson is allowing the DB to force him to close to the sideline. On the next to the last play before the half, Robinson made another sideline mistake preventing Seattle from having an attempt at a long FG. Robinson was alone just beyond the first down marker and stepped on the sideline before making the reception. Instead of attempting the FG, the penalty backed Seattle up five more yards. On a positive note, Robinson made a tremendous athletic grab on a 26-yard slant. Robinson leapt high in the air and took a huge hit from the safely, but popped back up quickly. The play was on 3rd and 10 during Seattle's last possession just before Hasselbeck threw his fourth interception.

Bobby Engram (DNP due to ankle injury)

Jerry Rice (1-10 receiving on 7 targets) Rice started the game because Seattle was in a three WR set. Rice filled Engram's role in the game. Rice was able to gain enough separation to make receptions, but Hasselbeck missed him with errant passes. Rice did have a drop on his last target of the first half. His lone reception came on a third down play. Rice did a good job of shielding the defender from the play with his body.

TE: Jerramy Stevens (1-17 receiving on 2 targets) Stevens lone reception came on 2nd and 10. It helped lead to Seattle's lone TD in the third quarter.

K: Josh Brown (2-2 XP, 1-1 FG 54)

Pass Defense: The Seattle front seven did a good job of putting pressure on QB Josh McCown. They sacked him three times causing two fumbles. One resulted in a turnover. The defensive backs and linebackers did a noticeably good job of breaking down and making solid quick tackles on receivers as soon as they caught the ball stopping several plays just short of first downs. CB Ken Lucas returned a McCown pass 21-yards to put Seattle ahead 17-16. The pass was terribly overthrown and more of a poor throw than a great play by Lucas. DE Antonio Cochran was bringing pressure on McCown and may have made him deliver the ball earlier than he wanted to. CB Marcus Trufant had good coverage on the long TD to WR Larry Fitzgerald, but Fitzgerald made a great play on the ball.

Rush Defense: The Seahawks were able to contain RBs Emmitt Smith and Troy Hambrick on first and second down all game long. They stuffed holes and kept the Cardinals in long down and distance situations. However, late in the game on two specific running plays (2nd & 10, 3rd and 9) CB Ken Lucas missed easy tackles on RB Emmitt Smith. They two plays went for a first down (14 yards) and a touchdown (23 yards). If Lucas makes either tackle the end of the game situation could have changed drastically. Seattle played the bulk of the game without all three of their starting LBs. Backup OLB Tracy White was everywhere making plays (10 tackles, 3 assists). OLB Chad Brown may return to the lineup within the next two weeks.

Arizona Cardinals

QB: Josh McCown (22-36-212 TD INT passing, 3-3 rushing, 1 lost fumble) McCown didn't lose this game, but he almost did on several occasions. He fumbled twice when sacked both times in the first half. The second play came on 4th and 1. Arizona called a play action pass, but McCown was caught backpedaling and off balance when DE Chike Okeafor forced the fumble. His two longest passes of the game came on the Cardinal's first possession. He caught CB Marcus Trufant with a double move for thirty-nine yards down the sideline to WR Larry Fitzgerald. He then followed it up with a deep ball to Fitzgerald for the score. It probably wasn't a good choice, but Fitzgerald bailed him out with a great catch. McCown's interception was a terrible pass. He simply overshot TE Freddy Jones and almost handed Seattle the win. McCown's accuracy worsened during the game. He threw for a total of only 43 yards in the second half. It was either the play calling of the quarterback. One of the two started playing scared and allowed Seattle to get back into the game.

RB: Emmitt Smith (26-106 TD, 4-30 receiving on 4 targets) Smith moved past Walter Payton on the all time list with his 78th 100-yard game. Smith was bottled up for most of the game. Seventeen of his twenty-six carries went for two yards or less. Smith was particularly effective in open space. He cut well and made defenders miss on four specific plays; a 23-yard reception on the game's first drive, a 26-yard run in the third quarter, and two longer runs at the end of the game. CB Ken Lucas was embarrassed on the two later runs. Smith made him miss badly as he came off left tackle and cut hard back up field as Lucas was left grabbing air.

Troy Hambrick (7-16 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 0 targets) Hambrick had all seven of his carries in the first half, but didn't fair any better than Smith. Hambrick actually had more carries than Smith in the first quarter (3 to 2).

WR: Larry Fitzgerald (4-73 TD receiving on 6 targets, 1- -7 rushing) Fitzgerald had his negative seven-yard rushing attempt to open the game. It was an end around option pass, but Fitzgerald opted not to the throw the ball. He put a great move on CB Marcus Trufant immediately following that play causing Trufant to hesitate and Fitzgerald blew by him for a 39-yard reception. His 25-yard TD was a very tough catch. He went up with Trufant all over him. Trufant actually had a hand on the ball and his arm, but Fitzgerald had a vise-like lock on the ball at its highest point.

Bryant Johnson (7-54 receiving on 13 targets) Johnson saw a flurry of targets in the second quarter (8). All of these targets were within ten yards of the line of scrimmage, but he broke a tackle twice picking up some extra yards. Johnson would have been the target on Fitzgerald's end around option pass. Just before halftime the Cardinals tried to hit Johnson within one yard of the line of scrimmage several times allowing him to go one on one with CB Ken Lucas, but Lucas was able to wrap him up quickly each time. Johnson wasn't targeted down field at all in the game.

TE: Freddy Jones (4-35 receiving on 6 targets) Each of Jones' receptions occurred in different quarters. He wasn't the first option of many plays. It was evident that QB Josh McCown was checking down to Jones on several plays. He was overthrown on his first target in the fourth quarter. The pass was intercepted and returned for a TD. There was nothing Jones could have done to prevent the play from happening.

K: Neil Rackers (2-2 XP, 3-3 FG 55, 55, 50) Rackers was amazing hitting three FGs from beyond fifty yards. Each kick was a solid kick that easily cleared the cross bar. Rackers has five FGs from at least fifty yards already this season. The NFL record is eight for an entire season. Also of note, Rackers put a kickoff out of bounds at the Seattle one-yard line allowing Seattle to start at the forty-yard line.

Pass Defense: The pass rush only sacked QB Matt Hasselbeck once and didn't put many hits on him in the game. However, the defensive backs as a unit were all over the Seattle receivers. Not many receivers were ever clearly open for Hasselbeck, and when they were he was erratic with his accuracy. CB Duane Starks played with a brace to help his ailing shoulder, but it didn't seem to hinder his movement at all.

Rush Defense: The Cardinal front seven was geared up to shut down RB Shaun Alexander. Aside from the 34 and 16-yard runs, they kept Alexander pinned down well hitting him in the backfield several times. Both of these runs came right up the gut catching the Arizona LBs blitzing from the outside.

Dallas Cowboys 20 at Green Bay Packers 41

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys and their unbalanced attack were unable to sustain enough offense to stay close against a Green Bay Packers team that scored at will all day long. Early on Dallas looked to be effective in the passing game, but their inability to run the ball rendered them one-dimensional and Green Bay took advantage.

QB Vinny Testaverde threw for 308 yards and did not turn the ball over. He hooked up with new WR Quincy Morgan on a 53-yard pass deep over the middle on the Cowboys second drive of the game, leading to a field goal by PK Billy Cundiff and the Cowboys final lead of the game at 6-3. From there it was all Green Bay until Testaverde hit TE Jason Witten from 42 yards out to cut the Packers lead to 27-13.

WR Keyshawn Johnson caught 5 passes for 73 yards, but was not particularly effective after the first 20 minutes. Newcomer Quincy Morgan, acquired in the Cowboys trade of WR Antonio Bryant to Cleveland this week, made his presence felt early with a 53-yard catch in the 1st quarter. He left the game in the 4th quarter with a pulled hamstring. WR Terry Glenn caught just one pass, on Dallas opening drive, and aggravated a sprained right foot.

RB Eddie George ran for 41 yards on 10 carries, including a 5-yard score in the fourth quarter, but was ineffective throughout most of the game. He and running-mate Richie Anderson were bottled up most of the game by Green Bay's unusually stout defensive-line performance. Anderson had one 27-yard burst, but lost two yards on his other four carries.

TE Jason Witten played a superb game, catching eight of the nine passes thrown his way for 112 yards, including a nice 42-yard scoring strike. He went over Packers DB Al Harris for the touchdown.

The Cowboys defense was a sieve from the beginning. Green Bay scored on their first seven possessions and Dallas never could stop either the run or the pass. Once Green Bay took the lead in the second quarter, the defense rolled over. Dallas allowed 7.1 yards per rush and 8.4 yards per pass.

Green Bay Packers

QB Brett Favre and RB Ahmad Green led a balanced offense to seven consecutive scores to start the game as the Green Bay Packers won their first home game of the season. The Packers threw for 220 yards and passed for 260 yards, and looked like they could have done plenty more of either.

Favre played his second consecutive excellent game, throwing touchdown passes to WRs Javon Walker and Donald Driver. His first incomplete pass of the 2nd half came with less than four minutes left in the game.

Ahman Green finally broke loose with a 90-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter and finished with 163 yards on just 15 carries. Green also capped the Packers second drive with a 1-yard plunge for a 10-6 lead. Najeh Davenport filled in capably for Green, mostly late in the game with the score out hand.

WR Javon Walker showed no ill-effects from his rib injury and is quickly establishing himself as Favre's top target anytime he's on the field. Walker converted four third-down passes into first downs, keeping drives alive. He also had the Packers longest reception of the game, a 44-yard catch in the 1st quarter.

For the second week in a row, the Packers allowed a running back to vulture a potential Favre touchdown pass. This time it was Tony Fisher throwing an 8-yard pass to TE Bubba Franks for a 27-6 Green Bay lead early in the second half.

Green Bay's defense played stuffed Dallas' running game, but was unable to stop Jason Witten. S Darren Sharper left the game with a sprained left knee and will have an MRI on Monday.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Dallas Cowboys

QB: Vinny Testaverde (25-35-308, 1 TD, 1-0 rushing) played a very solid game but got little help from his running game. He hooked up with Quincy Morgan early for 53-yard pass, a beautiful deep strike down the middle. With Green Bay controlling the ball for most of the 2nd and 3rd quarters, Testaverde struggled to keep a rhythm going, but did manage a 42-yard scoring pass to TE Jason Witten in the 3rd quarter. The pass was a nice touch pass over a Packers defender. Late in the game, Testaverde looked to Witten often, completing five passes to the TE in the 4th quarter alone.

RB: Eddie George (10-41 rushing, 1 TD, 1-10 receiving on 1 target) scored easily from 5 yards out in the 4th quarter, but by then the game was well out of reach. George accumulated 23 yards on the Cowboys opening drive, but was silent from then until the 4th quarter.

WR: Keyshawn Johnson (5-73 receiving on 8 targets) started off hot, catching 3 passes for 46 yards in the first 17 minutes. He missed a chance for a score on the Cowboys second drive when Packers DB Al Harris knocked the ball away from him at the last minute.

Quincy Morgan (4-76 receiving on 5 targets) blazed past S Darren Sharper for a 53-yard catch on the Cowboys second drive, setting up a field goal. Morgan caught four of the five passes thrown his way and looked to be in sync with his quarterback before leaving the game with a hamstring injury late in the 4th quarter, on the Cowboys final drive..

TE: Jason Witten (8-112 receiving on 9 targets, 1 TD) was the offensive standout for Dallas, scoring from 42-yards out in the 3rd quarter and catching 5 passes for 49 yards in the 4th quarter. Along with his 42-yard score, Witten caught a 24-yard pass in the 4th quarter, despite getting interfered with on the play. Witten did drop a pass at the Green Bay 10-yard line on the Cowboys second drive, but it would not have gone for much had he caught it.

K: Billy Cundiff (2 XP, 2-2 FG) made field goals of 24 and 46 yards on the Cowboys first two possessions.

Pass Defense: Dallas never stopped the passing game and only got limited pressure on Brett Favre. Eric Ogbogu had the Cowboys lone sack, but took a facemask penalty on the play and Green Bay scored two plays later. CB Terence Newman dropped an easy interception on the Packers final drive of the first half, which resulted in a Green Bay field goal.

Rush Defense: Green Bay averaged 7.1 yards per carry, much of it on Ahman Green's 90-yard run. Dallas' run defense might have looked better had the pass defense not allowed so many 3rd down conversions. The Packers maintained possession more with the passing game than their running game. LB Bradie James led the Cowboys with 7 unassisted tackles, 9 total.

Green Bay Packers

QB: Brett Favre (23-29-258, 2 TD, 1-4 rushing) played excellent football, engineering seven consecutive scoring drives to start the game. He hit Javon Walker for 44-yards on the Packers opening possession, a nice touch pass on third down. He hit Walker again on a bullet of a 5-yard pass for a second-quarter touchdown and a 17-6 Green Bay lead. That strike capped an eight minute drive that seized control of the game. Later Favre completed a 33-yard pass to Donald Driver for his second touchdown pass of the game. On Green Bay's opening drive he overthrew a wide-open Driver in the end zone and Green Bay had to settle for a field goal.

RB: Ahman Green (15-163 rushing, 2 TD, 3-4 receiving on 4 targets) had his two longest runs of the season and scored two touchdowns. He ran for 31 yards on the first play of the 2nd quarter when he made a nice cutback to the left on Dat Nguyen. Green capped that drive with a 1-yard run. At the end of the 3rd quarter, Green ran untouched 90 yards for the Packers final touchdown and a 41-13 lead. He took a pitch to the left, made a tackler miss and outran the defense to the end zone. Green was given the remainder of the day off after that run.

WR: Javon Walker (8-129 receiving on 10 targets, 1 TD) showed no sign of the rib injury that bothered him last week. He started the game with a 44-yard catch deep down the right sideline on the Packers opening drive. Later he scored on a 5-yard pass when he got himself open between two defenders and Favre fired it in to him. Favre is now looking for Walker on nearly every 3rd down attempt, and converted four of them. Walker showed not only the ability to get open downfield, but also catch the important quick slant passes that keep drives alive.

Donald Driver (3-52 receiving on 4 targets, 1 TD) was wide open in the left side of the end zone on the Packers opening drive, but Favre made his worst throw of the game, a couple feet over Driver's head. In the 3rd quarter Favre found him open again on the left side of the field over CB Terence Newman, for a 33-yard score.

TE: Bubba Franks (1-8 receiving on 1 target, 1 TD) made the most of his one target when RB Tony Fisher took and handoff from Favre, rolled right, and hit Franks in the back of the end zone for an easy score.

K: Ryan Longwell (5 XP, 2-2 FG) made a 26-yard field goal and a 40-yard field goal to end the first half.

Pass Defense: Green Bay allowed 7.8 yards per pass and managed little pressure, tacking on just two sacks against an offense that was forced to throw most of the game. S Darren Sharper was beaten badly on a poor matchup with Quincy Morgan and later left the game with a sprained knee.

Rush Defense: The return of NT Grady Jackson made the Packers run defense look like a new unit entirely. Dallas was unable to run the ball until late in the game in passing situations.

Jacksonville Jaguars 27, Indianapolis Colts 24

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Jacksonville Jaguars

Looking for his first 100-yard rushing game, Fred Taylor carried 20 times for 107 yards and caught five passes for 67 yards. Taylor looked like a strong all-purpose back, and was very involved in the passing game as one of Leftwich's first reads. Taylor being used in the passing game was not an afterthought like sometimes in the past, but a part of the game plan. His only weakness for whatever reason is down at the goal line. Taylor's first three opportunities inside the Colt's 5 yard line all resulted in negative yards gained.

On the last drive, Leftwich took a hit to the right side that put him on the ground rolling and grimacing. The Jaguars had to use a time out to allow Leftwich to compose himself. He was able to play out the final few plays. Leftwich started the game 10 for 10 with 101 yards and a TD.

Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis looked rusty coming off a bye week, they committed a season-high 11 penalties, turned the ball over twice and yielded 414 yards to the Jaguars.

WR Reggie Wayne pushed QB Peyton Manning with one hand during a discussion on the sideline, as Indianapolis was to start their final drive. The reported "shoving match" was not shown in real time, but was caught by the camera, and replayed a number of times as the game came to an end. This is only speculation, but word out of Indianapolis was that Manning was trying to gather all the WRs before the final drive, Wayne walked away from him disinterested because of his lack of targets in the game which brought about Manning yelling at him, Wayne yelling back, and then Wayne pushed Manning with one hand. The look on Stokley's face was one of shock. After the game, Manning had this to say "Reggie's one of my favorite players on the team. It was just frustration" and called it a non-issue. Expect it to be totally blown out proportion by the media.

In the fourth quarter Manning hit Harrison in the back of the end zone for an apparent nine-yard touchdown. But Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio called for a challenge of the play, and Harrison had stepped out of the back end of the end zone before catching the pass. The TD was overturned. The extra point following Harrison's TD was kicked by the Colts but the officials ruled that Jaguar coach Jack Del Rio had thrown his challenge flag before the kick.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Jacksonville Jaguars

QB: Byron Leftwich (23-30-300, 2 TDs, INT, 2-3 rushing) Leftwich fumbled on the goal line, but it should be noted that the center never got the ball off the ground, and Leftwich never had a shot at it. Leftwich was at his best in the fourth quarter, engineering three scoring drives. Leftwich had a lost opportunity when his pass was battled down on 3rd and 5 from the 8

RB: Fred Taylor (20-107, Fumble, 2-67 receiving, 7 targets) Taylor showed great patience and running skills waiting for blocks to develop, and then hitting holes hard. Taylor slowed up and went out of bounds on a brilliant 29-yard run, and then took himself out of the game for a few plays, It turned out to be nothing, and Taylor was back in after 2 plays. Taylor was stopped at 3rd and 1 from the 3-yard line in the red zone. Taylor had 5 targets that he didn't catch come his way.

Greg Jones (3-10, 3 targets) Jones carried the ball 3 times, twice as Taylor took himself out of the game. None of the carries were important. He also failed to catch every ball thrown his way.

LaBrandon Toefield (2-8, 1-5 receiving, 1 target) Toefield had 2 four yard carries, and a reception. He was a non factor with Taylor running so well.

Marc Edwards (1-4 receiving, 1 target) Edwards was not a factor in the game.

WR: Jimmy Smith (5-113, TD, 7 targets) Leftwich came into the game looking for Reggie Williams, to the expense of Smith. As the game wore on, Williams became an after thought, and Smith started to shine. 6 of his 7 targets came in the second half as Leftwich went to the air, and looked for Smith on almost every play.

Troy Edwards (3-32, 3 targets) Edwards was not a factor in the passing game that only really looked for Smith and Taylor as the game went on.

Reggie Williams (2-19, 5 targets) Williams was targeted early in the game, and was Leftwich's first read for most of the first half. As he proved ineffective, Leftwich just stopped looking for him.

Ernest Wilford (1-9, 1 target) Wilford caught a two-point conversion pass.

TE: Todd Yoder (3-26, 3 targets) Really a non factor in the game, although he did catch all three safety value passes thrown his way.

Kyle Brady (2-25, 2 targets) Brady scored his first TD of the season on a 4 yard pass early in the game. He added another 21-yard reception later in the game.

K: Josh Scobee (1-1 XP, 4-4 FG) Scobee kicked a season-long 53-yard field goal with 38 seconds left in the fourth quarter to win the game. After Scobee kicked the game winning FG, he did receive contact from a Colt player. He rolled around on the field and some people believe he was faking an injury trying to draw a penalty. Scobee then left the field under his own power taunting the crowd shaking his fists in the air as the announcers were trying to figure out who would take the kickoff with Scobee injured. The announcers also questioned why a rookie kicker would so incite the Indianapolis crowd at home like that, not the best move. On the proceeding kickoff, Scobee came back in and nailed a booming kick.

Pass Defense: LB Greg Favors sacked Manning. The pass defense put no real pressure on Manning during the game.

Rush Defense: SS Darius Donovin (5 tackles, 2 assists) lead the team in stops. LB Mike Peterson (5 tackles) formerly of Indianapolis recovered Stokley's fumble.

Indianapolis Colts

QB: Peyton Manning (27-39-368, 3 TDs) Manning had all day to throw, and was virtually unchallenged by the Jaguars defense in the game. Manning looked for Stokley out of the slot all day, even more than he targeted Marvin Harrison. Although Manning was not pressured by the Jaguar defense, he didn't look razor sharp. Although you can't really argue with 368 yards and 3 TDs.

RB: Edgerrin James (18-87, 6-54 receiving, 7 targets) James used the great running lanes that were provided for him. He looked sharp, and could have had a great game if the Colts were their usual self. James just never got the opportunity to really get going as the game wore on. For example, the Colts only managed 7 offensive plays in the entire 3rd quarter.

James Mungro (1-16 receiving, 1 target) Like Clockwork, Mungro caught his one pass on the game, only this time it wasn't for a 1-yard TD.

WR: Marvin Harrison (5-70, 2 TDs, 10 targets) Early on, Harrison faced double coverage on every man-to-man defensive play, and he couldn't get going. As the game progressed, the Jaguars went to more zone, and put the double team on Stokley when in man-to-man, freeing up Harrison to have a much better outing. Although he was only able to catch 5 passes, 2 of them were TDs. Harrison lost a 9-yard TD when he caught the ball, and it was ruled a TD. After a Jaguar challenge, the TD was over turned because Harrison stepped out of bounds before the catch. The Colts were very quick to kick the extra point and actually got the kick off but the referees ruled that Jaguar coach Jack Del Rio had thrown his challenge flag before the kick.

Brandon Stokley ( 7-112, Lost Fumble, 13 targets) Stokley was overthrown by Manning on his first pass of the game. Stokley was Manning's first read and favorite target for most of the game. Manning favoring of Stokley was so apparent that when Harrison scored his 1st TD, he was in single coverage, while Stokley was blanketed in triple coverage. Stokley lost what would have been a reception on a pass interference call, and he lost a 14-yard reception on an offensive holding call on LT Tarik Glenn.

Reggie Wayne (2-28, 3 targets) Outside of pushing Peyton Manning on the sidelines, Wayne was a non factor on the day. He took a couple of double teams early in the game, but it quickly switched to single coverage, and Wayne just didn't get open. Manning concentrated on Stokley for the majority of the game, much to Wayne's seeming frustration. The cameras caught Wayne and Manning yelling on the sideline just before the last Colt's drive. Wayne shoved Manning with one hand. Manning said the incident was just frustration and a non issue.

TE: Dallas Clark (3-36, TD, Lost Fumble, 3 targets) Clark caught everything thrown his way, and had 3 very nice catches and a TD, however, it could be argued that he lost the game for the Colts with his fumble that resulted in a FG.

Marcus Pollard (3-52, 4 targets) Pollard had an Average, but not spectacular game. Pollard was targeted in the back of the end zone on what could have been a TD, but Manning overthrew him.

K: Mike Vanderjagt (3-3 XP, 1-1 FG)

Pass Defense: RDE Dwight Freeney (3 tackles) sacked Leftwich twice, with DE Robert Mathis (1 tackle) adding another. RCB Jason David (4 tackles) intercepted Leftwich. RCB Joseph Jefferson (5 tackles, 1 assist) was injured on his first play back from injury. He was able to leave the field on his own power, and returned later. SS Mike Doss (5 Tackles, 1 assist) also returned after missing the last 5 weeks due to injury.

Rush Defense: LCB Nick Harper (7 tackles, 1 assist), and ROLB Cato June (7 tackles, 2 assists) lead the team in stops. Although the Defense didn't get a ton of pressure on Leftwich, they did swarm the ball, and used speed to gang tackle throughout the game.

Tennessee Titans 3 at Minnesota Vikings 20

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans were their own worst enemy as they committed numerous, untimely penalties (12-85 yards) and turned the ball over four times. Whether it was QB Steve McNair or backup QB Billy Volek at the reins, the offense looked out of sync and failed to produce any points after a field goal on the opening drive of the game.

QB Steve McNair was knocked out of the game on the first play of the second quarter after he was brought down hard by an aggressive Vikings' pass rush. McNair reaggravated his sternum injury and did not return, going just 2-for-5 for 2 yards. His replacement, Billy Volek struggled mightily, throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble as he failed to rally the Titans.

RB Chris Brown had 31 yards on 4 carries in the Titans opening drive, but had just 10 rushing attempts after that and finished with only 55 yards.

WR Derrick Mason was the only wide receiver for the Titans to have more than one catch as he totaled 8 receptions for 85 yards on 12 targets. Rookie TE Ben Troupe was forced into starting duty with top TE Erron Kinney still nursing a strained right calf and backup TE Shad Meier recuperating from his appendectomy. Troupe showed off his athletic ability hauling in 6 catches for 57 yards on 10 targets.

Minnesota Vikings

QB Daunte Culpepper did not have the huge numbers of past weeks, throwing for just 183 yards and 1 TD, but he played an excellent game. Culpepper completed 80% of his passes going 24-for-30 and did not have a turnover. He managed the offense very well and picked apart the Titans defense with short and medium ranged passes.

RB Mewelde Moore shined for the third week in a row as ran through tacklers for 138 yards on 20 carries. Moore also contributed with 5 catches for 30 yards out of the backfield. Michael Bennett returning from knee surgery, spent more time riding the stationary bike on the sidelines than he did on the field. Bennett had just one carry for no gain midway through the second quarter. Moe Williams received all the goal line carries and punched in a 1-yard TD run.

WR Randy Moss started his 102nd consecutive game, but hampered by his strained right hamstring was used as a decoy on just two plays in the first half. Moss did not come out for the second half and the Vikings said he had aggravated the injury. Or as coach Mike Tice said, "It was never un-aggravated.'' Culpepper seemed unfazed by being without the services of his leading receiver and completed passes to 7 different players. Nate Burleson led all receivers with 6 catches for 53 yards on 9 targets. Marcus Robinson contributed with a 2-yard TD catch.

The Vikings defense had their best performance of the year yielding its lowest points total in 98 games since a 24-3 victory over Cincinnati on Nov. 15, 1998. They seemed to be in the right place at the right time as they caused 4 turnovers by Titans QB Billy Volek and after surrendering a field goal on the opening drive, shut out Tennessee.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Tennessee Titans

QB: Steve McNair (2-5-2 passing) was unable to atone for his dreadful performance last week against the Houston Texans as he was knocked out of the game on the first play of the second quarter. McNair was in the game for Tennessee's only scoring drive of the game, a 40-yard field goal on their opening possession. McNair re-injured his bruised sternum and was in street clothes for the second half.

Billy Volek (17-36-190, 3 INTs, 1 fumble lost) replaced McNair and was able to move the offense, but he could not overcome several offensive penalties and his own mistakes. Volek's first two INTs were the result of underthrown passes to open receivers. With the Titans trailing 17-3 early in the third quarter and having a second-and-goal at the 5, Volek was picked off by LB Raonall Smith in the end zone. Volek was miserable in the fourth quarter going 3-for-14 for 36 yards, losing a fumble, and throwing his third INT off a tipped pass.

RB: Chris Brown (14-55 rushing, 2-18 receiving on 3 targets) looked good on the opening drive rushing for 31 yards on 4 carries, but was shut down by a swarming Vikings' defense the remainder of the game. Brown managed just 18 yards on 6 carries in the second half.

Troy Fleming (1-12 receiving on two targets) had his only reception late in the third quarter. Fleming pounced on a fumble by TE Ben Troupe later on in that same drive.

FB Robert Holcombe (1 target) was primarily used as a pass blocker.

WR: Derek Mason (8-85 receiving on 12 targets) was Volek's favorite target and seemed to get open at will against the Vikings' secondary. Mason was a victim of poor QB play and his teammates' mental errors. Mason was wide open in the end zone when LB Raonall Smith intercepted Volek's underthrown pass and had 2 catches for 30 yards nullified by offensive penalties.

Drew Bennett (1-18 receiving on 5 targets) made his first and only reception for 18 yards early in the third quarter. Midway through the second quarter, Bennett had beaten CB Antoine Winfield deep down the left sideline, but the pass was badly underthrown and intercepted. He looked to be still bothered by the calf injury he battled all week. At one point, he needed help getting off the field.

Eddie Berlin (1-6 receiving on 5 targets) could have had a huge day if Punter Craig Hentrich had been his QB. Berlin received his only catch on a pass thrown by Hentrich on a fake punt play in the fourth quarter and converted on fourth-and-four for the first down.

Jason McAddley (1-2 receiving on 3 targets) caught his only reception midway through the third quarter.

Darrell Hill (1 target) was targeted late in the game and was not a factor.

TE: Ben Troupe (6-57 receiving on 10 targets) played a big role in the Titans passing game. Although he did drop a perfectly thrown pass and fumbled once, Troupe showed off his great ability to run after the catch by hurdling a would be tackler and picking up 19 yards after a short screen pass.

K: Gary Anderson (1-1 FG) connected on his only attempted field goal from 40 yards on the opening drive.

Pass Defense: The Titans were unable to get much pressure on Daunte Culpepper and he picked them apart, completing 80% of his passes. Tennessee was determined not to be beaten by the long pass and gave up a lot of short completions underneath the zone. Free Safety Lamont Thompson had his interception of Culpepper called back because on a defensive off sides penalty. Although the Titans only gave up 183 yards passing, it was more due to the ineffectiveness of their offense rather than their stellar play.

Rush Defense: Tennessee was manhandled by the Vikings' huge offensive line and Mewelde Moore torched them for 138 yards on 20 carries, a gigantic 6.90-yard per carry average. LB Keith Bulluck was all over the field accounting for 9 tackles, 4 assists, and a sack.

Minnesota Vikings

QB: Daunte Culpepper (24-30-183, 1 TD) worked without Randy Moss as he spread the ball around to 7 different receivers. Culpepper showed great patience as he took what the Titans defense gave him and chewed them up with short, precise passes. He managed the clock very well and led the Vikings offense on several time consuming drives. Culpepper had a pass intercepted, but he forced the ball deep after he saw the defense jump off sides for the free play. At the end of the first half, he hit a wide-open Marcus Robinson for a 2-yard TD pass, his only on the day. Culpepper, while on the roll to his right, had a beautiful 33-yard TD strike to Robinson nullified by an offensive holding penalty previously on that TD drive.

RB: Mewelde Moore (20-138 rushing, 5-30 receiving on 6 targets) ran through gaping holes provided by his offensive line and used his speed to outrun Titan defenders. Moore showed excellent leg drive and continuously broke tackles to turn small gains into big yardage. Early in the fourth quarter, Moore ran around the left side and scampered down the sideline for a huge 33-yard gain. He also showed off his soft hands hauling in 5 catches for 30 yards. Moore set a team record with 610 total yards over his last three games, breaking Chuck Foreman's three-game mark of 573 in 1976.

Moe Williams (3-10 rushing, 1 TD, 1-1 receiving on 2 targets) was used as the third down and goal line back and bulled his way in for a 1-yard TD run for the Vikings first TD early in the second quarter. Williams received all the goal line carries and was usually inserted into the game when the Vikings reached the red zone.

Michael Bennett (1-0 rushing) received his only touch midway through the second quarter for no gain and was relegated to the bench for the rest of the day.

WR: Nate Burleson (6-53 receiving on 9 targets) was Culpepper's favorite target and led all receivers with 53 yards receiving. Burleson is a solid third receiver and provides a nice compliment to Moss and Robinson. The three receivers, when healthy, arguably make up the best receiving corps in the NFL. Burleson set up Moe Williams 1-yard TD run with a catch for 17 yards down to the 1. On the Vikings second TD drive just before halftime, Burleson had catches for a third down and fourth down conversion.

Marcus Robinson (3-33 receiving on 3 targets, 1 TD) caught everything thrown his way, including a 2-yard TD reception just before halftime. Robinson had a 33-yard TD catch taken away by an offensive holding penalty just 4 plays before his TD grab. On the play, Robinson came back to a scrambling Culpepper, caught the ball along the sidelines and then broke a tackle to get into the end zone.

Kelly Campbell (2-16 receiving on 3 targets) had both his catches in the first half.

Randy Moss (0 targets) started his 102nd consecutive game, but was held without a catch for the first time in his seven-year career. Moss was in for just two plays in the first half and he was not a threat on either play. Moss did not come out for the second half and the word from the Vikings' bench was that he had aggravated his right hamstring injury. Coach Mike Tice said after the game that "It was never un-aggravated.'' Moss looked to be way less than full speed on the two plays he was in the game.

TE: Jermaine Wiggins (6-36 receiving on 6 targets) caught every pass thrown his direction by Culpepper. Wiggins does not seem to be having trouble with any lingering effects from his broken hand. His best catch came late in the second quarter when Culpepper flipped him the ball as he was being sacked and Wiggins turned what looked to be a loss into a 10-yard gain.

Sean Berton (1-14 on 1 target) hauled in his only reception midway through the first quarter on a short dumpoff and then rumbled for 14 yards.

K: Morten Anderson (2-2 XP, 2-2 FG) opened up and ended the scoring for the Vikings converting on his two field goal attempts both from 29 yards.

Pass Defense: The Vikings brought heavy pressure all game long and knocked Steve McNair out of the game on the first play of the second quarter. The Minnesota secondary seemed to have a nose for the ball as they grabbed 3 interceptions, had 2 sacks, and recovered a fumble. They allowed the three-headed monster of McNair, Volek, and Hentrich just 188 net yards passing and did not allow a TD.

Rush Defense: Although Chris Brown burned the Minnesota rush defense for 31 yards on 4 carries on the first drive of the game, they completely bottled him up for the rest of the game. The Vikings only surrendered a miserly 55 net yards rushing for the game and took away the rushing attack from the Titans.

New Orleans Saints 31 at Oakland Raiders 26

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

New Orleans Saints

For the first 28 minutes the New Orleans offense couldn't do anything right - until quarterback Aaron Brooks began connecting with wide receivers Joe Horn and Jerome Pathon. The Saints went three-and-out on their first four possessions, then squandered a potential field goal try on their fifth drive thanks to an intentional grounding penalty on Brooks. Late in the second quarter and into the third, however, Brooks led the Saints on three quick touchdown drives that turned a 9-0 deficit into a 21-9 New Orleans lead. Brooks completed 23 of his 39 attempts for 282 yards, with 1 touchdown. He was not intercepted.

The New Orleans running game was practically non-existent - despite Oakland's status as the 28th-ranked rushing defense entering the contest (average of 138 yards per game allowed on the ground). The Saints tried hard to establish the run in the first half, but the Raiders consistently bottled up Deuce McAllister, who finished with 42 yards on 24 carries. McAllister managed two short rushing touchdowns in the third quarter, but both were set up by Aaron Brooks' passing. The New Orleans ground game picked up just 42 yards on 28 attempts, 1.5 per carry.

Joe Horn and Jerome Pathon came up big when their team needed them. Horn absorbed a wicked hit from Oakland free safety Ray Buchanan in the first quarter that forced a drop, and didn't make his first reception until late in the second quarter, but he was the guy Aaron Brooks was looking for on most third downs in the second half. Horn ended up with 123 yards on 9 receptions. Pathon added 79 yards on his 6 catches, and held on to a 20-yard gain that helped set up the first Saints touchdown despite a helmet-to-helmet personal foul on Nnamdi Asomugha.

Oakland Raiders

In direct contrast to New Orleans, the Oakland offense was able to move the ball early in the game, but couldn't punch it into the end zone. The Raiders picked up at least one first down on each of their first five possessions, but those drives netted just nine points on three Sebastian Janikowski field goals. Oakland did a lot of things pretty well, finishing with 110 more total yards than New Orleans (432 to 322), but couldn't get crucial completions to keep drives alive. The Raiders didn't get their first touchdown until the fourth quarter - on a 34-yard pass from Kerry Collins to tight end Doug Jolley - and it took a New Orleans safety falling down for Collins to finally find an open receiver in the scoring zone.

Kerry Collins threw for 350 yards and 2 touchdowns, spread the ball around to nine different receivers, and he was not sacked in 45 pass attempts, but it seemed as if he and his team could have had so much more. On Oakland's first three possessions, the Raiders faced third-and-short situations in New Orleans territory, but Collins threw incomplete each time (one was dropped). The Saints pass rush was AWOL for most of the game, so Collins had plenty of time to throw; yet he completed 57.8 percent (26 of 45). The few times New Orleans applied meaningful pressure, Collins hurried his throws, including his one interception.

With Tyrone Wheatley and Justin Fargas hurt, Amos Zereoue was given a big workload early. Zereoue had 11 of his 21 carries, 36 of his 70 rushing yards, and his only reception in the first quarter. On one drive, he handled the ball on six consecutive plays. However, with the Raiders unable to culminate drives with touchdowns, Oakland stopped looking for Zereoue and seemed to forget about him for stretches.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

New Orleans Saints

QB: Aaron Brooks (23-39-282 passing, 1 TD, 0 Int, 3-0 rushing). Brooks looked skittish for much of the first half. In the second quarter, he made a terrible decision to try to launch a left-handed, Garo Yepremianesque "pass" while being sacked. He was flagged for intentional grounding, which took New Orleans out of field goal range, but the flutterball was nearly intercepted. The next time the Saints had the ball, though, Brooks led his team to a touchdown. On the TD throw, Brooks was flat-footed, but had enough arm strength to gun the ball to reserve tight end Lamont Hall in between two defenders.

RB: Deuce McAllister (24-42 rushing, 2 TDs, 3-17 receiving on 4 targets) McAllister was reasonably productive, but he had to be expecting more against the porous Oakland rush defense. His longest run was only 6 yards. When the Saints had the ball near the goal line, it was McAllister who got the call. His two third-quarter touchdowns came on runs of 3 yards and 1 yard. In the final possession of the game, when New Orleans was trying to run out the clock, McAllister carried four times before Brooks did two kneel downs.

Aaron Stecker (1-0 rushing) In his first year with the Saints after four years in Tampa Bay, Stecker did not get many opportunities in this game.

WR: Joe Horn (9-123 on 14 targets) As was the case with the entire New Orleans offense, Horn got off to a slow start. He was targeted only once in the first quarter, and did not make his first catch until the second, but was Brooks' primary receiver the rest of the way. Horn had two receptions for 35 yards on the first Saints' TD drive near the end of the first half, then added two for 37 on the second touchdown drive in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, after Oakland pulled to within 21-19, Horn grabbed two more clutch passes, both on third downs, to help set up a field goal.

Jerome Pathon (6-79 receiving on 10 targets) Pathon didn't see the ball in the first quarter, but caught all four passes thrown his way in the second. Pathon picked up the Saints' first first down of the game with a 26-yard catch, his longest of the day. Pathon later helped set up New Orleans' third touchdown with a 9-yard reception on a quick hitch that he took to the Oakland 3-yard line.

Michael Lewis (2-36 receiving on 2 targets) Lewis is better known as a kick return specialist than a wide receiver, but he made the most of his opportunities, catching both passes thrown his way. Lewis made a big contribution on the Saints second possession of the third quarter with a 30-yard reception to convert third and 10 from the New Orleans 38.

Donte' Stallworth (1-15 receiving on 2 targets) Stallworth came out of the previous game against Minnesota with a contusion on his ribs, and saw limited action. His one catch was clutch, as it converted third and 7 at the Oakland 27. Three plays later, McAllister scored on a 1-yard run.

TE: Boo Williams (1-8 receiving on 5 targets) Williams' only reception of the game helped set up a McAllister touchdown run in the third quarter.

Lamont Hall (1-4 receiving on 1 target, 1 TD) The reserve tight end made his first reception of the season count as he scored the first touchdown of the game for the Saints. It was just the second career TD for Hall.

K: John Carney (4-4 XP, 1-1 FG) Carney made all four extra points plus a clutch, 41-yard field goal in the fourth quarter after Oakland crept to within two points.

Pass Defense: The New Orleans pass defense was hit and miss. Oakland's Kerry Collins threw for 350 yards, but he needed 45 passes. Whenever the Raiders threatened in the first three quarters, though, the Saints defense was able to hold them to field goal attempts. New Orleans failed to sack Collins and had no consistent pressure, but the pass rush forced one interception.

Rush Defense: Despite their weak numbers against the run (the Saints were allowing 151.2 yards per game through the first six weeks, 31st out of 32 NFL teams), New Orleans was able to contain Oakland's running game. The Raiders managed 82 yards on 24 attempts, 3.4 yards per carry. The longest rush of the day was an 8-yard run by Amos Zereoue in the first quarter.

Oakland Raiders

QB: Kerry Collins (26-45-350 passing, 2 TDs, 1 Int, 1-3 rushing) The veteran quarterback from Penn State has not had a lot of success since taking over for the injured Rich Gannon. Collins overthrew a few open receivers and forced other passes into coverage. Although he threw 2 TDs, he struggled to lead his team into the end zone on other drives and too often settled for field goals. Although most leagues don't worry about the wins, they just look at the stats and 350 yards with 2 TDs is an excellent game. It's just frustrating as he could have had even more.

RB: Amos Zereoue (21-70 rushing, 1-9 receiving on 2 targets) Zereoue got a lot of action early, but didn't get a lot of looks late in the game as the Raiders passed extensively. The former Steeler didn't show a lot of speed: his longest rush was 8 yards. The Saints are the second-worst team in the league against the run, so these numbers are somewhat disappointing.

Zack Crockett (2-9 rushing, 2-17 receiving on 3 targets) Crockett provided some production as a backup to Zereoue. Crockett's only two rushes came on back-to-back plays early in the second quarter. Both of his receptions came on a Raider touchdown drive that closed the third quarter and started the fourth. Crockett's 9-yard catch converted a third and 1 at the New Orleans 43 on the first snap of the fourth period. Oakland scored on the next play.

J.R. Redmond (0-0 rushing, 3-10 receiving on 4 targets) Redmond worked strictly as a pass-receiving running back. His first two catches produced just 2 yards and 1 yard, and were short of first downs, leading to Oakland punts. He added a 7-yard reception during a Raider TD drive in the fourth quarter.

WR: Jerry Porter (6-113 receiving on 12 targets, 1 TD) Porter continues to be a big-play receiver, despite having an inconsistent quarterback throwing to him. He didn't get a lot of looks in the first half (1 reception on 3 targets), but he was on fire in the second. His final two catches of the day were good for 29 yards down to the New Orleans 3-yard line, then, after a holding penalty, for 13 yards and a touchdown.

Doug Gabriel (4-59 receiving on 8 targets) The second-year wide receiver from Central Florida is one of the reasons why the Raiders traded Jerry Rice for a seventh-round draft pick. Gabriel is willing to make the tough catch. In the second quarter, he had two receptions in three plays, good for 14 and 23 yards, to set up Oakland's third field goal. Gabriel added a 16-yard catch on Oakland's final scoring drive.

Ronald Curry (3-21 receiving on 5 targets) Curry has good size for a wide receiver, and seems only to need chances. He caught both passes thrown to him in the first half. In the fourth quarter, he drew an illegal contact penalty that helped set up a field goal.

Alvis Whitted (1-32 receiving on 2 targets) Whitted showed his blazing speed in the opening quarter with a 32-yard reception to help set up Oakland's first field goal. The Raiders promptly forgot about him, throwing just one more pass his way. Whitted added a 36-yard kickoff return.

TE: Doug Jolley (4-72 receiving on 7 targets, 1 TD) Jolley dropped the first pass thrown his way, but ended up with a great day. He showed good speed on his 34-yard TD reception - his first of the season - to get the Raiders back in the game early in the fourth quarter. The New Orleans safety fell down on the play, leaving Jolley wide open.

Courtney Anderson (2-17 receiving on 2 targets) Anderson made the most of his limited opportunities, catching both passes attempted to him.

K: Sebastian Janikowski (4-4 FGs, 2-2 XP) Janikowski made every kick asked of him, though Raider fans probably would rather him attempt four extra points and two field goals, rather than the other way around. Janikowski accounted for all of Oakland's scoring in the first half with field goals of 28, 42 and 44 yards. He added a 40-yarder in the fourth quarter.

Pass Defense: Oakland's pass rush flustered Aaron Brooks early in the game, but could not sustain the effort for four quarters. Charles Woodson appeared to bang knees with Joe Horn and had to sit out part of the game. Without Woodson, the Raiders did not have a cornerback who could match up one-on-one with Horn - leading to several key completions.

Rush Defense: Oakland did an excellent job against the run, especially considering their low place in the NFL defensive standings. New Orleans rushed for 42 yards on 28 attempts, a paltry 1.5-yard average.