|
|
Login / Signup | ||
|
 |
Pre · 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 17 · P1 · P2 · P3 · P4 |
Hi Folks, Joe PS - These reports will be available online at the Footballguys.com website later on today in a much better looking format. I'm just sending to you now as I know many of you want these just as soon as they're finished. ************************************** Joe Bryant Thanks to Footballguys recap writers: Andrew Abouzeid, Mike Anderson, Michael
Bartlett, Bill Brown, Michael Brown, Christopher Clark, Timothy Creech, Cathy
Fazio, Bradley Gabbard, Cory Gilbert, Chris Gilman, Anoop Jalan, Alex Knapik,
Jeff Lewis, Scott Martin, John Matthes, Doug Mobley, David Oleyar, Jeff Pasquino,
Greg Porzucek, Steve Prosapio, David Shick, Jeff Siedsma, Dave Teller, Chris
Thomas, Dave Thompson, Rob Umberger, Mark Westmyer, George Willock, and Todd
Young New England Patriots 20 at Pittsburgh Steelers 34 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Pittsburgh Steelers The Steelers dominated this game on both sides of the ball virtually from the opening kickoff. The running attack was the key to the victory. The Steelers piled up 210 yards on the ground, and were able to churn out first downs repeatedly in the second half to run the clock down on New England. Duce Staley posted his fifth 100-yard game of the season, despite playing only three quarters. Jerome Bettis played the fourth quarter and finished with 65 yards and a TD. Ben Roethlisberger was outstanding again, completing 75% of his passes. More importantly, he didn't turn the ball over for the third consecutive game. Roethlisberger spread the ball around effectively and repeatedly managed to avoid the Patriots' pass rush. He was not sacked in the game and was consistently able to move around in the pocket and make plays. Roethlisberger connected with Plaxico Burress for two first-quarter TDs before basically handing off to Staley and Bettis for the majority of the second half. Defensively, the Steelers were excellent. They were able to neutralize the Patriots' running game without Corey Dillon early, and New England abandoned the run altogether by the second quarter. Against the pass, the Steelers secondary allowed some completions when New England went into their no-huddle offense. However, they were able to force three turnovers and sack Tom Brady 4 times. One of these sacks forced an early fumble which led directly to a touchdown, and one of Brady's picks was taken back 39 yards for a score. New England Patriots The Patriots ran only 5 running plays in the entire game. Without the injured Corey Dillon, the Patriots were unable to capitalize on Pittsburgh's injuries on the defensive line. After the Steelers jumped out to an early lead, the Patriots basically threw on every down, without so much as a token run attempt to keep the defense honest. Kevin Faulk led the team with 4 yards rushing, which tells you all you need to know. Tom Brady was unable to get the Patriots' offense in sync all game long. He did finish with 271 passing yards and 2 touchdowns, much of which came late after the outcome was no longer in doubt. The telling stat is that Brady dropped back to throw 47 times in this game to accumulate those numbers. Uncharacteristically, Brady turned the ball over 3 times, which led to 17 Steelers points. David Givens was the recipient of both of Brady's touchdown tosses, and 101 of his passing yards. The Patriots' defense was unable to stop the Steelers, though to be fair, they faced terrible field position for most of Pittsburgh's drives. The highlight for this unit is that they stopped the Steelers, who rank first in the NFL in red-zone TD percentage, twice in that area. They were unable to force any turnovers or sack Roethlisberger even once, and coming up on the short end of the turnover battle ultimately cost the Patriots any chance to be competitive. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Pittsburgh Steelers QB: Ben Roethlisberger (18-24-196, 2 TD, 5-3 rushing) Roethlisberger's star continues to rise. He connected on touchdowns of 4 and 47 yards to Plaxico Burress in the first quarter, and threw for nearly 150 yards before halftime. After the half, the Steelers were basically content to move the ball on the ground and eat up the clock. However, when called upon to make throws for first downs, Roethlisberger consistently came through. He did miss an open Jay Riemersma in the end zone in the second quarter, missing what would have been his third TD pass of the game. He continues to run the offense effectively and play turnover-free football. RB: Duce Staley (25-125 rushing) Staley racked up 125 yards on the ground in only three quarters. Staley was consistently able to pick up 5-6 yards a carry, as the Steelers' offensive line imposed their will on the New England defense. Staley was lifted in goal-line situations, which is nothing new, and also sat out the fourth quarter to rest his ailing toe and ankle. He was not targeted in the passing game. Jerome Bettis (15-65 rushing, 1 TD, 0-0 receiving on 1 target) Bettis punched in his eighth TD of the season on a 2-yard plunge in the 3rd quarter. "The Bus" also played the entire fourth quarter and was able to ice the victory with 65 yards and repeated first downs. Surprisingly, he was targeted once by Roethlisberger, but the pass was incomplete. Verron Haynes (3-17 rushing, 2-18 receiving on 2 targets) Haynes was very effective in limited time. He was used primarily on draw plays against the Patriots' nickel package when the Steelers were attempting to move into field goal range. He also picked up 18 receiving yards on 2 screen passes. Dan Kreider (0-0 rushing, 1-13 receiving on 1 target) Kreider caught one pass for 13 yards on the Steelers' final drive, which ran out the clock and ended the game. WR: Plaxico Burress (3-63 receiving, 2 TD on 6 targets) Burress scored both of his TDs early in the game. In the second half, the Steelers switched to a straight ball-control offense, and Burress' contributions came strictly in run blocking. He continues to show good effort on the field, and has become a reliable target for Roethlisberger both deep and in the red zone. Plaxico made nice catches on both of his touchdowns, showing excellent body control to get his knee down in bounds on the 4-yarder. He had an additional 10-yard catch wiped out by an offensive interference penalty. Hines Ward (6-58 receiving on 7 targets, 1-11 rushing) Ward was covered by Ty Law early on, until Law left the game late in the first quarter with an ankle injury. Ward again caught just about everything thrown to him, and was very effective on screens and on a reverse. However, he was kept out of the end zone for the fourth straight game. Ward was denied a touchdown on a last-second deflection by Randall Gay, and was also stopped at the 1-yard line on another reception. Antwaan Randle El (6-44 receiving on 6 targets) Randle El was targeted more frequently this week than the past few games. He did fumble the ball once, but the Steelers were able to recover. TE: Jay Riemersma (0-0 receiving on 2 targets) Riemersma was denied a touchdown when Roethlisberger threw a pass over his head into the end zone. K: Jeff Reed (2 XP, 2-2 FG) Reed drilled two short field goals, from 19 and 29 yards. Pass Defense: The pass defense made big plays when needed. Deshea Townsend had a Tom Brady pass thrown directly into his hands, which he returned for a 39-yard TD. Ike Taylor made a sensational play to intercept another Brady pass on which he leaped in front of Bethel Johnson to pull the ball in. The Steelers also got four sacks in the game, three by Joey Porter. During the second half, in which the Patriots threw on literally every play but one, the Steelers' secondary did a nice job of keeping the receivers in front of them and wrapping up well. Rush Defense: The Steelers' run defense had a short night's work, allowing only 4 yards on 5 carries. They didn't have to do much, but the effort would have to be considered a huge success. New England Patriots QB: Tom Brady (25-43-271, 2 TD, 2 INT, 1 fumble lost) Brady's performance in this game was very uneven. He looked sharp when running the hurry-up offense, as in the final two minutes of the first half. On that drive, he was able to move the Patriots 56 yards for a TD with only 1:58 on the clock. However, as mentioned, his turnovers basically cost New England any chance of staying in the game. The Steelers blitzed often, and seemed to rattle Brady, who was not his usual calm, composed self in this game. RB: Kevin Faulk (5-4 rushing, 8-72 receiving on 9 targets, 1 fumble lost) Faulk did nothing in the run game, but was quite effective catching the ball out of the backfield. He did cough the ball up on the first play of the second half, which led to the Steelers' touchdown which put the game away. WR: David Givens (8-101, 2 TD receiving on 13 targets) Givens was the lone fantasy standout for New England. Benefiting from New England's pass only strategy from the second quarter on, Givens was heavily targeted, and grabbed touchdowns of 2 and 23 yards in the second and fourth quarters, respectively. Troy Brown (5-59 receiving on 7 targets) Brown had a quiet 59 yards in the game, including a 19-yard grab in the fourth quarter which helped set up the Patriots' second touchdown. David Patten (4-39 receiving on 10 targets) Patten did not have a big game, despite being targeted quite a bit. He did have a 2-yard catch taken away when the Steelers successfully challenged that he trapped the ball against the turf. Bethel Johnson (0-0 receiving on 2 targets) Both passes intended for Johnson were intercepted by Pittsburgh. TE : Daniel Graham (0-0 receiving on 1 target) and Christian Fauria (0-0 receiving on 1 target) Neither Patriots' tight end was able to make a reception. K: Adam Vinatieri (2 XP, 2-2 FG) Vinatieri made 2 field goal attempts of 25 and 43 yards. Pass Defense: The Patriots' pass defense was unable to contain Roethlisberger and the Steelers' passing game early. After giving up the two touchdown passes in the first quarter, the Steelers went to the ground for most of the rest of the game. The Patriots' secondary, already hampered by the loss of Tyrone Poole, lost Ty Law to an ankle injury in the first quarter. They were unable to come up with stops on a number of critical plays in the second half and failed to give the ball back to the offense. Rush Defense: The Patriots were absolutely manhandled on the ground, particularly in the second half. At one point, the Steelers ran the ball on 12 consecutive plays. Even knowing the run was coming, the Patriots could not defend against it, and the Steelers were able to run out the final 6:30 of the game running the ball almost exclusively. They were equally ineffective whether Staley or Bettis was lined up in the backfield, and their shortcomings basically sealed the loss for New England. Atlanta Falcons 41 at Denver Broncos 28 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons were extremely impressive on the road in Denver before their bye week. The Falcons looked nothing at all like the team that gave up an embarrassing 8 rushing touchdowns against the Chiefs last week. On offense they controlled the ball and the clock, thanks to inspiring running and passing by Michael Vick. On defense they were able to stop the run and create turnovers in the passing game. At quarterback, Michael Vick had one of his best games as a professional. Armed with a revised game plan that allowed him to run first, pass second, and move freely around in the pocket, Vick gained huge chunks of yardage on the ground. His running game set up the Falcons' passing game, allowing Vick to make accurate throws downfield. Alge Crumpler, with 7 receptions for 86 yards, was Vick's favorite target of the day. Vick also completed just his second and third touchdown passes of the year to a wide receiver, hitting Peerless Price on both of them. The Falcons' leading rusher in the game was Michael Vick, who finished with 115 yards on the ground, his fourth career 100+ yard rushing performance. In the backfield, Warrick Dunn and T.J. Duckett shared the football, and both scored a touchdown on the day. Dunn finished with 33 yards on 15 attempts, and an additional 7 yards receiving. Duckett had 45 yards on 8 carries. Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos followed up on their poor Monday Night outing with another lackluster performance. At the beginning of the game, the Broncos looked impressive, marching down the field for touchdowns on consecutive possessions. However, the Broncos' defense could find no answer for Michael Vick and the Falcons' offense, which scored 31 unanswered points. On offense, the Broncos shot themselves in the foot repeatedly with penalties and turnovers. Jake Plummer's performance in this game cannot be judged solely on the basis of his gaudy fantasy numbers with 31 completions for 499 yards and 4 touchdowns. The bulk of Plummer's passing yardage came in the second half, when the Broncos were playing catch-up football. Plummer did make a number of great downfield throws to his wide receivers, but he also missed some open targets and had 3 costly interceptions. He spread the ball evenly between Rod Smith, Ashley Lelie, and Darius Watts. Watts began to emerge in this game as a big time receiving threat for the Broncos. Rod Smith put forth a Herculean effort, finishing with 208 receiving yards. Smith, Lelie, and Watts each had a touchdown on the afternoon. Reuben Droughns ran well early in the game, but his totals 15 rushes for 49 yards and 6 receptions for 63 yards were kept in check, as Denver fell behind early and was forced to pass often. Droughns also had several big gains called back due to penalties. No other Broncos' running back was utilized in this game. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Atlanta Falcons QB: Michael Vick (18-24-252, 2 TD, 12-115 rushing) had an outstanding game. Implementing a new look game plan that allowed him to roam the pocket and take-off with the football, Vick was able to get in a groove early and keep the Broncos' defense guessing. After breaking off several long runs, including a 43-yard scamper on the first Falcons offensive series, Vick enjoyed great success in the passing game. He threw the ball downfield with touch and accuracy, and made sound decisions all afternoon. His two touchdown strikes to Peerless Price were perfectly thrown, as were most of his passes all day. RB: T.J. Duckett (8-45 rushing, 1 TD, 1 fumble lost) had a solid game, making the most of his limited rushing attempts. Despite losing a fumble on his second carry of the day, Duckett was given important carries late in the game when the Falcons were running out the clock. His touchdown came on a 21-yard run into the middle of the Broncos' defense. Warrick Dunn (15-33 rushing, 1 TD, 1-7 receiving on 4 targets) found limited running room in this game and was used sparingly in the passing game. He scored on a 6-yard run between the tackles. Justin Griffith (2-14 receiving on 3 targets) was used primarily as a blocking back, but did see limited action as a receiving back. WR: Peerless Price (2-59 receiving on 3 targets, 2 TD, 1-25 passing) had his best game of the season. He made two big catches, scoring touchdowns on both of them. His first touchdown catch came on a beautifully thrown 34-yard pass down the left sideline. Price also tried his hand at quarterback, connecting with Dez White on a 25-yard pass off an end around. Dez White (3-46 receiving on 3 targets) was not a major factor in the passing game. He did catch a 25-yard pass from Peerless Price. Michael Jenkins (1-46 receiving on 1 target, 1-2 rushing) had his first NFL catch, a 46-yard reception. He would have taken it to the end zone for 80 yards, but he barely stepped out of bounds. Brian Finneran (3-19 receiving on 4 targets) was not a major factor in this game. TE: Alge Crumpler (7-86 receiving on 8 targets) continued his evolution as Michael Vick's favorite target and safety valve. Crumpler seemed to get open at will against the Broncos secondary, especially when Vick was scrambling and in trouble. The only thing he didn't do on this day was score. K: Jay Feely (5 XP, 2-3 FG) hit field goals of 24 and 43 yards. He missed a 49-yard try. Pass Defense: The Falcons' pass defense gave up a horrendous 499 yards in the air, but didn't play as poorly as this stat might suggest. Many of these yards came late in the game, when the Falcons had a big lead and the Broncos were throwing the ball downfield on virtually every play. The pass defense also came up with four interceptions, one of which was run back for a touchdown. Rush Defense: The Falcons' rush defense returned to its early season dominance against Reuben Droughns and the Broncos highly regarded offensive line. The Falcons allowed only 44 yards rushing to one of the league's strongest running attacks. Denver Broncos QB: Jake Plummer (31-55-499, 4 TD, 3 Int, 2-5 rushing) put up huge fantasy numbers, but likely cost the Broncos this game with his poor decision-making and lack of execution. Plummer threw very well early on, starting 6 for 6 and connecting with Rod Smith on a perfectly thrown deep pass for an 80-yard touchdown. But after leading the Broncos on successive touchdown drives to start the game, Plummer began throwing interceptions and missing his receivers. His second interception was particularly woeful - a short pass that hit Falcons linebacker Keith Brooking square in the chest. In the second half, Plummer threw downfield frequently, and began piling up the yardage. In the end, he spread the ball out well among Smith, Lelie, and Watts, all of whom had a touchdown in this game. RB: Reuben Droughns (15-49 rushing, 6-63 receiving on 7 targets) found decent running room on the Broncos first two possessions, but found limited success thereafter. He was given repeated carries inside the red zone at various times in the game, but was unable to find the end zone. Droughns was used sparingly in the second half, although he did gain healthy yardage in the passing game. WR: Rod Smith (9-208 receiving on 14 targets, 1 TD, 1-6 rushing) had a career-high 208 yards receiving, including an 80-yard touchdown on a deep post pattern. Smith was all over the field and was the centerpiece of the Broncos' offense on this day. Ashley Lelie (6-94 receiving on 14 targets, 1 TD) was targeted often late in the game when the Broncos were attempting to come from behind. He was targeted twice on consecutive deep throws in the third quarter, but both passes were overthrown. His touchdown came on a 35-yard pass in garbage time at the end of the game. Darius Watts (7-86 receiving on 13 targets, 1 TD, 1-8 rushing) finally lived up to all the pre-season hype, putting up big numbers in this game. Many of his yards came late in the game, but more importantly, he appeared to be developing a connection with Plummer. His first NFL touchdown came on a short 7-yard out. He could have had another touchdown, had he not allowed a Plummer pass to slip through his fingers in the end zone late in the game. TE: Jeb Putzier (2-47 receiving on 4 targets) was the most frequently targeted Broncos' tight end. He had a 38-yard catch on a wide open slant route. Dwayne Carswell (0-0 receiving on 2 targets) was not a factor in the game. Patrick Hape (1-1 receiving on 1 target, 1 TD) made the most of his 1 target, catching his third touchdown of the year in the back corner of the end zone. K: Jason Elam (4 XP, 0-0 FG) Elam converted all four of his extra point attempts. Pass Defense: The Broncos' pass defense gave up 277 yards in the air, and appeared flummoxed by Michael Vick and his many talents. The Broncos did pressure Vick often, but failed to bring him down with any success. They sacked him just once, and allowed two touchdowns in the air. Rush Defense: The Broncos' run defense played reasonably well against Dunn and Duckett, although both backs were able to find the end zone. Michael Vick presented a far greater challenge for the Broncos defense, which had no answer for the quarterback's frequent scrambling. The Broncos gave up 195 total yards on the ground. Jacksonville Jaguars 6 at Houston Texans 20 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Jacksonville Jaguars Although the Houston defense did not allow any touchdowns, the Jaguars were still very much in the game with 52 seconds to go. It was at that time that Byron Leftwich threw an interception that was returned by Texan defensive back Demarcus Faggins for a 43-yard touchdown. This effectively ended a game that was pretty close all day. Jimmy Smith was the only Jaguar who had a productive fantasy showing with 117 receiving yards. Byron Leftwich threw for 227 yards and 2 interceptions. Fred Taylor, who left after the first half due to a hip pointer, only managed 9 yards on 3 carries; in fact the Jaguars as a team only managed to gain 39 yards on the ground all day. The Jacksonville defense held the Texans to 2.9 yards per rush attempt but still allowed 93 yards. The pass defense gave up 276 yards and a touchdown to Houston quarterback David Carr. Houston Texans The Texans did not have any easy day of it, both Jabar Gaffney and Andre Johnson lost fumbles. Gaffney led Houston in receiving yards with 5 receptions for 88 yards. While Johnson logged 74 yards on 9 catches. Even though his teammates had troubles hanging on to the ball, Carr was able to lead the Texans to 2 field goals and a touchdown while throwing for 276 yards. Domanick Davis had opportunity in the way of 22 carries but was only able to manage 56 yards; he had another 39 yards receiving. Jonathan Wells was used sparingly, rushing for 2 yards on 4 attempts and pulling in 2 catches for another 7 yards. Although held to 2.9 yards per rush as a team, Houston was able to move the ball in critical situations, gaining 6 first downs via the run. The Texans' defense looked solid; although they only sacked Leftwich once, they had a fumble recovery and 2 interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. They held Fred Taylor to 9 yards on the day, and kept Leftwich and company from scoring any touchdowns. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Jacksonville Jaguars QB: Byron Leftwich (25-40-227, 2 INT, 2-5 rushing) Leftwich has been developing a reputation for fourth quarter heroics, but he couldn't deliver them in this game. With less than a minute left and the opportunity to tie or win the game in his hands he threw a critical interception that was returned for a touchdown. After being shaken up Leftwich came out for a couple plays in the second quarter. David Garrard (2-2-28) Garrard came in the game for 2 plays in the second quarter; both were successful throws to Jimmy Smith. RB: LaBrandon Toefield (5-22 rushing, 4-28 receiving on 5 targets) Toefield played the second half, with Fred Taylor out with a hip pointer. He was able to rush for an average of 4.4 yards per carry, but saw too little action be a major contributor. Fred Taylor (3-9 rushing, 1-10 receiving on 1 target) Taylor only carried the ball 3 times in the first half, so he had very little involvement in the offense. He left the game late in the second quarter with a hip pointer. Greg Jones (2-3 rushing, 1-3 receiving on 1 target) Jones saw limited duty in short yard situations. WR: Jimmy Smith (9-117 receiving on 13 targets) Smith was the leading receiver for the Jaguars after having the ball thrown his way 13 times. He fumbled the ball out of bounds on the Houston 34 - the drive ended in a field goal after they could not convert the third down that followed the fumble. Troy Edwards (5-43 receiving on 8 targets) Edwards, while not spectacular, performed more often than not when called upon. Reggie Williams (5-27 receiving on 7 targets) The rookie Williams saw nearly as may balls as Edwards but was not as successful at converting them into yardage. TE: Brian Jones (1-18 receiving on 1 target) Jones, another rookie, caught the only ball thrown his way. K: Josh Scobee (2-3 FG) Scobee hit field goals from 36 and 44 yards, and missed an attempt wide right from 49 yards. Pass Defense: The Jacksonville secondary was lackluster as they allowed the Houston offense 276 yards and a touchdown through the air. They were unable to sack David Carr. Rush Defense: The rush defense was a little more impressive holding Domanick Davis to 56 yards rushing, and holding the Texans as a whole to under a hundred yards rushing. Houston Texans QB: David Carr (26-34-276, 1 TD, 3-15 rushing) Carr looked sharp in leading his team to victory. He left the game for one play in the third quarter after his already injured ankle was hit. He was able to return on the Texans' next possession. Tony Banks (0-1) Banks came in for one play, which was an incomplete third down pass to tight end Billy Miller. RB: Domanick Davis (22-56 rushing, 5-39 receiving on 5 targets) Davis was held under 100 total yards; the Jaguars just weren't giving much up to the run. He seemed to run hard, there just wasn't much there. Jonathan Wells (4-2 rushing, 2-7 receiving on 2 targets) Wells didn't see many opportunities outside of one time consuming drive late in the fourth quarter. He was stifled on all rushing attempts. WR: Jabar Gaffney (5-88 receiving on 6 targets, 2-15 rushing, 1 fumble lost) Gaffney nearly had a rushing touchdown but fumbled the ball away at the 1-yard line. He looked to be celebrating early and the ball came out of his hands for a touchback. The officials made the call after Gaffney had embarrassingly jumped into the stands to celebrate the touchdown. Andre Johnson (9-74 receiving on 12 targets, 1 fumble lost) Johnson also fumbled away a ball, but at least did not fumble away a touchdown. Even though he didn't end the day with a touchdown or the most yardage, he is clearly Carr's go to guy. Corey Bradford (3-52, 1 TD receiving on 6 targets) Bradford scored on a 15 yard strike from Carr on the Texans' second drive of the game. Derick Armstrong (1-11 receiving on 1 target) Armstrong, who had a big week against Minnesota a couple weeks ago, had a quiet day Sunday. TE: Billy Miller (1-5 receiving on 3 targets) Miller didn't see much action in the passing game with only 3 balls going his way all day. K: Kris Brown (2 XP, 2-2 FG) Brown hit field goals from 21 and 38 yards. Pass Defense: The Houston pass defense was very effective in stopping Leftwich and company. They allowed no touchdowns and intercepted him twice, one of which was run back for a 43-yard touchdown. Rush Defense: The rush defense stopped the Jaguars' rushing attack cold. They only allowed the Jaguars 39 yards and 3 first downs on the run. Cincinnati Bengals 20 at Tennessee Titans 27 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Cincinnati Bengals Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson looked sharp in the Bengals' first offensive possession, completing passes at will until penalties slowed them down and they had to settle for a short field goal. Unfortunately for the Bengals, Tennessee adjusted and limited Chad Johnson's success for the balance of the game. Penalties were the downfall of the Bengals' offense any time they managed to get something going. One second quarter drive began at their 35-yard line and ended six plays and three penalties later with a punt from their own 18-yard line. Rudi Johnson found absolutely no success until the last play of the third quarter. He had ten of his rushes stopped for 2 yards or fewer and notched only two runs greater than ten yards. This lack of rushing room put added pressure on Carson Palmer and the Bengal passing game Tennessee Titans The Titans could have opened the game with two touchdowns rather than two field
goals if it weren't for a pair of dropped balls. Drew Bennett managed to get
both hands on a Volek pass in the corner of the end zone, but Deltha O'Neil
managed to get a finger in there and knock it out. On the next Titans' offensive
drive, rookie Troy Fleming had the Bengals' secondary beaten up the sidelines
and Volek hit him in the hands, but Fleming couldn't make the grab. Still, Derrick
Mason helped Volek amass numbers that most owners would be happy getting from
their back-up QB with his 210 yards and 2 touchdown passes. Titans' coaches showed their willingness to take risks. Just before the two-minute warning, with the punting unit on the field, punter Craig Hentrich took a short snap and rushed ahead for nine yards and a first down. Later in the same drive, with three ticks left in the half, the Titans opted to eschew an easy field goal on fourth and goal from the Bengals' 1-yard line and instead ran a brilliant play action fake leading to a Shad Meier touchdown. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Cincinnati Bengals QB: Carson Palmer (20-36-247, 1 Int, 1 fumble lost) Palmer looked sharp in the Bengals' opening drive, completing his first six pass attempts, but penalties killed the drive and the team settled for a Shayne Graham field goal. It would prove to be Palmer's brightest moment as the Titans' pass rush combined with Bengals' offensive penalties kept him looking out of sync for much of the balance of the game. Palmer's third quarter 62-yard completion to T.J. Houshmandzadeh accounted for 25% of Palmer's total passing yards and occurred only because two Titans' defenders missed a tackle on the short pass and Houshmandzadeh scurried up the sideline. Palmer did show some life in the game's waning moments as he drove the team to the Titans 9 yard line before being forced out of the pocket and fumbling on a blind side hit by Albert Haynesworth to end their comeback opportunity. Palmer's lone interception came in the third quarter when a Titans' pass rusher caught a piece of Palmer's hand as he threw. RB: Rudi Johnson (17-57 rushing, 1 TD, 2-4 receiving on 2 targets) Johnson had trouble getting started in this game, managing only 20 yards on 13 carries until the last play of the third quarter when he rambled for 11 yards. His longest rush to this point was 4 yards. Three plays later, Johnson scored a touchdown on a 6-yard run. He rattled off an 18-yard run later, but wasn't a significant factor as the Bengals were playing catch up in the 4th quarter. Kenny Watson (2-13 receiving on 2 targets) Watson was not a fantasy factor. WR: T.J. Houshmandzadeh (4-81 receiving on 7 targets) Not a bad stat line, but 62 of those yards came on a short pass play where two Titans' defenders got in each other's way and missed a tackle, allowing Houshmandzadeh to scamper up the sideline for a big gain. His 7 targets were second, behind only Chad Johnson. Chad Johnson (6-67 receiving on 11 targets) Johnson was targeted on Palmer's first three passes of the game and caught them all. He caught one more ball that drive, but the Titans adjusted their coverage and held Johnson to only two more catches the rest of the game. Johnson did have a 17-yard grab called back by penalty. Kelly Washington (3-55 receiving on 5 targets) Washington made the most of his catches garnering first downs on all three. Of his other two targets, one drew a defensive pass interference penalty and the other was unloaded out of bounds in his general vicinity. TE: Matt Schobel (1-10 receiving on 1 target) It's hard to be a fantasy factor when you're sharing time with two other tight ends. Tony Stewart (1-9 receiving on 1 target) Stewart made one receptions for 9 yards on his lone target. Reggie Kelly (1-8 receiving on 3 targets) Kelly was targeted once in each or the first three quarters. K: Shayne Graham (2 XP, 2-2 FG) Graham scored a 28-yard field goal to open scoring for the Bengals and nailed a 50 yard attempt in the 3rd quarter. Pass Defense: When your opponent's back-up quarterback completes two-thirds of his passes on the day and you don't record a sack until the 4th quarter, things aren't going well. The Bengals were either unable or unwilling to cover Derrick Mason as he had his way with them. The Bengal's secondary did manage an interception return for touchdown, but only because confusion between QB and WR sent Mason inside while Volek threw outside. While this play kept the Bengals in the game, it was nowhere near spectacular. Rush Defense: Like most running backs who have faced the Bengals this season, Chris Brown was successful. Turf toe and all, Brown exploited holes in the defensive line over and over, gaining yardage in huge chunks throughout the game. Tennessee Titans QB: Billy Volek (21-32-210, 2 TD, 1 Int, 3-4 rushing) Volek looked poised in the pocket and his offensive line gave him plenty of time to operate. He connected with Derrick Mason repeatedly and could have doubled his touchdown total for the game had Drew Bennett and Troy Fleming not dropped a pair of very catchable balls. Volek's only real mistake of the game came in the third quarter when his receiver, Derrick Mason, broke inside and Volek threw outside for an easy Bengal interception that was returned for a touchdown. RB: Chris Brown (32-147 rushing, 1 TD, 4-23 receiving on 4 targets) Brown apparently hadn't heard about the turf toe injury that made him a near game time decision because he ran over, around and through the Bengal's defensive line all day long. He totaled six runs of 10 yards or more and reeled off several other nice chunks of yardage. Just as important, Brown was given more opportunities to score with 5 red zone carries, nearly half of the Titans total red zone plays. He shared the backfield with rookie RB Troy Fleming on a few passing downs, but did not lose any rushing attempts to him. He was back in the protective walking boot after the game and said the toe caused him problems in the game but he fought through the injury. Robert Holcomb (1-4 rushing, 1-9 receiving on 1 targets) Troy Fleming (2-50 receiving on 4 targets, 1 TD) Fleming capitalized on his looks by catching a nice 13-yard TD from Billy Volek as well as a big 37-yarder, but earlier dropped a likely TD pass in the 2nd quarter. WR: Derrick Mason (8-85 receiving on 13 targets) Mason had his way with the
Bengal secondary and racked up his yardage early while Tennessee's other wide
receivers saw only 3 targets combined. Mason likely could have posted even better
stats, but the Titan rushing game was so successful that his services weren't
needed. Eddie Berlin (1-4 receiving on 1 target) Berlin was not a fantasy factor. TE: Ben Troupe (2-33 receiving on 3 targets) Shared playing time with Shad Meier and made the best of it. Shad Meier (3-6 receiving on 4 targets, 1 TD) Caught all 4 balls tossed his way, the Titans opted to take a penalty instead of one of his catches including the short touchdown. All four of his targets took place in the 2nd quarter. K: Gary Anderson (3 XP, 2-2 FG) Anderson hit from 23 and 45 yards in the second quarter. Pass Defense: After surrendering easy yardage in the Bengals' opening drive, the Titans buckled down and held Cincinnati scoreless for the balance of the first half. The Titans' pass rush caused Carson Palmer's late third quarter interception as his hand was hit while throwing and the ball found a crowd of three Titan defenders downfield. A number of Palmer's passes were swatted right back in his face by an aggressive Titan pass rush. Albert Haynesworth ended the Bengal's fourth quarter comeback attempt when he cause Carson Palmer to cough up the ball on the Titan 9-yard line. Rush Defense: The Titans' run defense kept Rudi Johnson in check for the majority of the game. Johnson had runs of 11 and 18 yards late in the game as well as a 6-yard touchdown run, but was otherwise shackled by an aggressive defensive line. New York Giants 34 at Minnesota Vikings 13 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW New York Giants Tiki Barber is making an early case for the league's most valuable player. Barber enjoyed yet another stellar game, going over 100 yards rushing and scoring two touchdowns. About the only downer on his fantasy line was that since the score was so out of hand at such an early juncture, Mike Cloud came in late and scored two rushing touchdowns. The announcers speculated that Cloud was going to now be the Giants' short-yardage back for the foreseeable future, but we've heard that several times already this year and Barber continues to get the touches. QB Kurt Warner continued his renaissance season. A week after his worst game of the year, Warner enjoyed a very good day. Despite huge amounts of pressure often right in his face, Warner stood tall and never appeared tentative or indecisive. He nearly had a great statistical day, but three times he completed passes to players who were tackled at or inside the 1-yard line. The Giant defense came up absolutely huge against one of the league's best offenses. Of course, the Viking offense was severely hampered by a much-less-than-100% Randy Moss, but they still had all of their other weapons available. The Giants did a fantastic job of shutting down Minnesota's offense in every phase of the game, and were never really threatened. They took a shutout into the fourth quarter, but allowed two garbage time scores. Minnesota Vikings This team obviously misses Randy Moss. For the second straight game, the passing unit wasn't up to its usual dominance. Most observers felt that the Vikings would be able to still work efficiently because the players around Moss were good enough to pick up the slack. But it's become quite apparent that they had it the wrong way; it's Moss who made those guys good by taking off so much pressure. With no one there to draw double-and triple-teams, players like Nate Burleson, Kelly Campbell, Jermaine Wiggins, and Marcus Robinson don't find themselves so wide open. And with the Giants able to play straight-up coverage on the receivers, it also enables them to keep more players at home in the box to shut down the running game. Look for more teams to adopt this philosophy in coming weeks until Randy Moss is healthy. Moss was supposed to play a bigger role this week, but didn't even make it back onto the field for the second half. He reportedly re-aggravated the hamstring injury late in the week in practice, but it wasn't reported. He played in 4 of the Vikings first 16 plays and caught what would have been a TD but was ruled correctly out of bounds. He was definitely limited by the hamstring though when he was in the game. In the second half, he came out in street clothes and was limping badly along the sidelines. Mewelde Moore had his first bad game of the year. He was targeted on a pass on Minnesota's first play from scrimmage. The ball was actually thrown backward, and Moore thought it was incomplete after it hit his hands. The Giants, however, realized it was a lateral and quickly pounced on what turned out to be a fumble. Moore's day went downhill after that, as Michael Bennett received the next several carries. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW New York Giants QB: Kurt Warner (13-21-144 passing) didn't light up the stat sheets, but he played very well and helped move the chains. Despite the Vikings getting a lot of pressure on Warner, he was hit seven times in the first half alone, he remained upright and did a fine job. Announcer Troy Aikman commented several times on how impressed he was by Warner's ability to move from such a different system in Saint Louis to the one he is in now. Aikman also said that people were going to assume Warner isn't having a great year because he isn't putting up huge stats, but that he's playing some of the best football of his life. Today's game was a great example of that. Warner made all of the throws when he needed to, though his efficiency won't show up in the stats. Warner nearly did have a great statistical day, though. Twice he completed passes to Jeremy Shockey in which the tight end was tackled at the 1-yard line. Another time, Warner found Visanthe Shiancoe, who was also tackled at the 1. Another play, Warner actually completed a 17-yard touchdown pass to Amani Toomer but had the play called back due to a holding penalty on Wayne Lucier. So even though Warner's stats don't look all that impressive, he was extremely close to a four-touchdown day. That isn't to say he was perfect. He made his mistakes, including two fumbled exchanges from the center and one other fumble, all of which were recovered by New York. On another play, he should have been intercepted in the end zone by S Corey Chavous. Chavous had the ball in his hands but just dropped it somehow. Eli Manning came in the game late for Warner and saw his first extensive playing time since Week 1. He did not attempt a pass. RB: Tiki Barber (24-101, 2 TDs rushing, 1-10 receiving on 2 targets) enjoyed another extremely productive day. Going into the game, he had the third-highest yards from scrimmage total after 7 weeks in NFL history, behind only Jim Brown and Marshall Faulk. Barber gave way to Mike Cloud when the game got out of hand, but Cloud found himself shaken up on one play so Barber returned in the fourth quarter. He came away unscathed, and even tacked on a few more yards to push him over 100 yards rushing on the day. Mike Cloud (9-55, 2 TDs rushing), as noted, did very well in relief of Tiki Barber. Cloud, as he did last year with New England, showed an innate ability for finding the end zone. He scored twice from short distance to really put the game away, and continued his strong running in the fourth quarter. Cloud was shaken up during the quarter, and eventually gave way to Barber again. Ron Dayne was inactive for the game. WR: Amani Toomer (3-31 receiving on 8 targets), whose status for the game was in question, could have had a much bigger day. Despite hamstring woes, the Giants stretched him by sending him deep on a couple of routes. They were unable to connect, and Toomer pulled off a difficult feat by getting called for offensive pass interference twice. Toomer was targeted in the end zone on several occasions, but was unable to come up with the score. Actually, on one play he did score from 17 yards out, but the play was called back due to a penalty on Wayne Lucier. Toomer finished out his day by dropping a wide-open pass at the 10-yard line that would have been a big gainer, though probably not a touchdown. Ike Hilliard (2-8 receiving on 4 targets), Jamaar Taylor (1-19 receiving on 3 targets), and Willie Ponder 1-3 receiving on 1 target) each played very minimal roles in the offense. TE: Jeremy Shockey (3-60 receiving on 4 targets) had a big game that could have been a huge game. Shockey's day got off to a good start when he drew a 38-yard pass interference penalty on Corey Chavous. Later, Shockey caught a pass that he took down to the Minnesota 1-yard line. He appeared to hurt his hand on the play, but it wasn't mentioned again during the game. Finally, late in the game he took a pass to the outside from Warner and ran over and through Vikings defenders on his way to what appeared to be a touchdown. Shockey, however, was ruled down at the 1-yard line for the second time in the game. He also had an excellent catch on a ball that was slightly overthrown by Warner. Shockey tipped the pass in the air with one hand and, as he was falling, cradled the ball into his chest for the first down. K: Steve Christie (2-2 FG, 4 XP) nailed a 50-yard field goal following the Daunte Culpepper fumble early on. He later connected from 30 yards out to make it a 20-0 game. Pass Defense: Considering the team they were going up against, the Giants' pass defense was unbelievably good. Not only did they keep Daunte Culpepper and company out of the end zone until garbage time, but they also intercepted him twice and recovered a fumble in the process when the game still was a game. Early on, the Giants were helped by a bevy of drops from Minnesota receivers, as well as Daunte Culpepper being clearly off his game. But they still did what they needed to do in coming up with turnovers and turning them into points. One player in particular who came up huge was Gibril Wilson. He registered 5 tackles and recorded an interception on a poorly thrown ball by Culpepper. The Giants could have and should have had at least one more interception than what they ended up with, but considering Culpepper had only been intercepted 3 times all year coming into the game, the Giants can't complain with getting two. They put good pressure on Culpepper all day long, and forced him into some decisions he probably didn't want to make. Perhaps the most important aspect was the realization at a very early point that Randy Moss was clearly not himself. They got away from paying so much attention to him, and instead focused on defending each Vikings player equally. Run Defense: It seemed like Minnesota was down 17-0 before anyone knew what had hit them, so it was tough for them to really get into any sort of running rhythm. They did total 93 yards on the ground, but they were a very hollow 93. The Giants led by so much at such an early point that it didn't really matter if Minnesota wanted to pick up 4 and 5 yards per play, so long as the clock continued moving. Minnesota Vikings QB: Daunte Culpepper (24-42-231, 1 TD, 2 INT, 5-32 rushing, 1 fumble lost) easily had his worst game of the season. His very first play of the game was a lateral to Mewelde Moore that was thrown slightly behind the running back. The ball bounced off Moore for a fumble, charged to Culpepper since Moore never actually possessed the ball, and the Giants recovered. It was all downhill after that. Without Randy Moss to take pressure off the other receivers, Culpepper was left with a mediocre receiving unit that had a ton of trouble getting open against base coverage. Early on, Culpepper sailed a ball beyond a streaking and open Kelly Campbell for what could have been a touchdown. A few plays later, he under threw Marcus Robinson on a deep route that could have easily gone for a touchdown. Robinson still made the catch in heavy traffic, but it should have gone for 6. Culpepper's two interceptions were both his fault. On the first one, he rolled out to his left and tried throwing across his body to Jermaine Wiggins, but the throw had very little on it and was picked by S Gibril Wilson. The second seemed to be a case of miscommunication between Culpepper and Nate Burleson. According to the announcers, Culpepper will often throw to a receiver's back shoulder on certain routes if he's between defenders. But Burleson was clearly covered on the play, and the pass should have never been thrown. Will Allen watched the ball right into his chest and took it the other way. Culpepper did manage to throw one touchdown, late in garbage time to Nate Burleson. He nearly had one earlier in the game to Randy Moss, but it was just a little too far to the sidelines and Moss was unable to remain in bounds. RB: Mewelde Moore (8-29 rushing, 1-26 receiving on 2 targets) had a much tougher time than he's been used to in recent weeks. Moore's day began very inauspiciously when he fumbled his first touch of the game. The fumble was given to Daunte Culpepper, who had lateraled the ball to Moore. Moore didn't get the fumble charged to him because he never actually possessed the ball, but it was clearly his fault. The next few carries went to Michael Bennett. With Onterrio Smith due to return from his suspension, and with Michael Bennett already cutting into his touches, Moore did not do a very good job of staking his claim as any kind of featured back. Moore was apparently dinged up during the game, because his name was mentioned alongside other injured Vikings, but no report was given on his condition. Michael Bennett (5-20 rushing, 1 TD rushing, 6-18 receiving on 7 targets) played in his first game this season. While much of Bennett's work came when the game was already out of reach, he did get several early carries after the Moore and Culpepper fumble miscue. Bennett didn't light it up or break any long runs, but he did manage to find the end zone late in the fourth quarter with New York playing a very soft defense. WR: Randy Moss (0-0 receiving on 1 target) was nothing more than a decoy once again. Moss actually beat his defender down near the goal line on one play and came very close to scoring. He actually caught the ball in the end zone but couldn't get both feet in bounds. Moss came out in street clothes to begin the second half, and was limping noticeably on the sidelines. He apparently aggravated the hamstring late last week in practice but it wasn't reported. If he were to miss any more time, it would appear that it would severely hurt the Vikings' offense as a whole. The loss of Moss as a legitimate weapon seemed to be the primary reason Minnesota was unable to move the ball with any consistency. Nate Burleson (6-43, 1 TD receiving on 10 targets) was the primary beneficiary of Culpepper's passes late in the game. He had a very quiet first half, but caught several balls late in the contest to finish with a decent statistical day. He dropped what should have been a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, but Culpepper went right back to him on the next play, and this time he caught the ball for the score. Unfortunately for him, he then dropped the subsequent two-point conversion attempt. Marcus Robinson (4-91 receiving on 7 targets) seemed to be the only Viking on the field who was consistently producing throughout the contest. He made a number of very tough catches in traffic with several players literally hanging onto him. His first reception could have gone for a touchdown because he got well beyond the Giant defenders, but Culpepper badly under threw the football. Kelly Campbell (3-18 receiving on 6 targets) looked to be the go-to guy in the early going. On the Vikings' first few possessions, it was the Kelly Campbell show as he got nearly all of the targets from Culpepper. But as the game went along, Campbell's opportunities were fewer and further between. His only second-half target was a deep ball on which he managed to draw a pass interference penalty, but that was the extent of his work. He nearly scored early on in the contest on a deep ball, but was just overthrown by Culpepper. TE: Jermaine Wiggins (3-27 receiving on 6 targets) didn't catch a single pass until very late in the game when it was totally out of reach. He was targeted several times early on, but seemed to almost disappear between the first and fourth quarters. K: Morten Andersen (0-1 FG, 1 XP) missed what should have been a chip shot 38-yard attempt early in the game. The missed field goal in and of itself wasn't so terrible, but considering Minnesota already had suffered two turnovers, a long pass interference penalty, and couldn't move the ball offensively, it helped contribute to the feeling of impending doom for Minnesota. Pass Defense: While Kurt Warner didn't light them up stat-wise, he made all of the throws when he needed to. Despite a lot of pressure on the Giants' quarterback, he was knocked down countless times and sacked 5 times, he always got himself back up and did what he needed to in order to move the ball. S Corey Chavous had a rough game. First, he was whistled for a pass interference penalty on Jeremy Shockey. Then, he dropped an easy interception in the end zone. The ball was actually in his hands in the air, but he dropped it as he was landing. Run Defense: They allowed the Giants to run on, over, and through them to the tune of 168 yards on the ground. They had absolutely no answer for Tiki Barber, who once again went over 100 yards. And when Mike Cloud entered the game, he fared even better despite the Vikings knowing just about every play was a running situation. DE Kenechi Udeze sprained an ankle and did not return. Detroit Lions 21 at Dallas Cowboys 31 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Detroit Lions Detroit came into the game trying to keep their 3-0 road record untarnished,
but mistakes and penalties were their downfall. The Lions, who could have tied
for the NFC North lead with a win, had 10 penalties for 112 yards. WR Roy Williams was unable to go due to his ankle injury, but his replacement Az-Zahir Hakim led all receivers with 4 catches for 90 yards on 5 targets. CB Dre' Bly returned a Vinny Testaverde interception 55 yards for a TD midway through the second quarter and later added another acrobatic INT in the end zone midway through the third quarter. FS Brock Marion also intercepted a Testaverde pass at the Detroit 5 at the end of the first half to keep the score knotted at 14. Dallas Cowboys QB Vinny Testaverde overcame 3 INTs by throwing 3 TDs and running for another TD. Testaverde's 3-yard TD scramble early in the third quarter was his first rushing TD since 1998 when he was with the New York Jets and put the Cowboys ahead for good. Testaverde's first INT that was returned for a TD was not his fault as WR Keyshawn Johnson ran the wrong route. The Cowboys used the running game to keep the ball away from the Detroit offense and dominate in time of possession. RB Eddie George was the workhorse as he had season high totals of 31 carries for 99 yards. All totaled, Dallas rushed the ball 41 times for 127 yards helping the Cowboys keep the ball 17 more minutes than the Lions. WR Terry Glenn is lost for the remainder of the season after being placed on the injured reserve list with his injured foot. WRs Quincy Morgan and Dedric Ward were inactive due to injuries, so it left Keyshawn Johnson as the only receiver in the lineup who had ever caught a pass in an NFL game. Although Johnson ran the wrong route on the first ball thrown to him accounting for an INT returned for a TD, he redeemed himself by later catching TD passes of 26 and 38 yards. Johnson accounted for all but one of the receptions by Dallas wide receivers and finished with 3 catches for 80 yards on 6 targets and 2 TDs. TE Jason Witten was more involved in the passing game due to the inexperience of the Dallas wide receivers other than Johnson. Witten led all receivers with 9 catches for 84 yards on 9 targets. He caught a 17-yard TD pass down the middle of the field for the first Dallas TD. Coming into the game, the Cowboys defense was ranked last in the league surrendering more than a 5-yard per carry average. However, the rush defense was outstanding, limiting the Lions to a meager 39 yards on 14 carries. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Detroit Lions QB: Joey Harrington (19-32-255 passing, 2 TD, 1 INT, 1-(-1) rushing) moved the offense well, leading the Lions on an opening drive for a 1-yard TD pass to Kevin Jones. In that drive, Harrington was perfect going 4-4 for 55 yards and the TD pass. The Lions' offense did not threaten again until late in the third quarter when a 53-yard field goal attempt was turned into a punt after a false start penalty. Harrington has excelled in the fourth quarter this year and made the game close when he hit WR David Kircus for a 50-yard TD pass that made it 24-21 with 5:29 left in the game. The Cowboys answered with Keyshawn Johnson's second TD of the game and Harrington was intercepted on his next pass attempt and the game was put on ice. Harrington was at a big disadvantage missing his top playmaker in Roy Williams. RB: Kevin Jones (11-36 rushing, 4-11 receiving on 5 targets, 1 TD) looked good
on the opening drive rushing for 19 yards on 3 carries and capping off the drive
with a 1-yard TD reception. However, Jones lost his FB Trejo to injury at the
end of the first quarter and totaled a miserable 15 yards on 7 carries the rest
of the way. FB Stephen Trejo (1-7 receiving on 1 target) playing in place of the injured Cory Schlesinger was hurt at the end of the first quarter and did not return to the game. The Lions' rushing attack faltered badly after Trejo left the game. WR: Az-Zahir Hakim (4-90 receiving on 5 targets) started for the injured Roy Williams and was playing on a bad ankle himself. Hakim had a 39-yard reception down to the Dallas 11 on the opening drive. He made a 29-yard reception on third down to gain the first 1st down for the Lions midway through the third quarter. David Kircus (1-50 receiving on 5 targets, 1 TD) made his first and only reception for a 50-yard gain for his first career TD midway through the fourth quarter. On the play, Kircus made an amazing catch reaching behind him and wrestling the ball away from CB Lance Frazier. Reggie Swinton (2-33 receiving on 3 targets) caught a quick swing pass and raced down the left sideline for 24 yards early in the second quarter. Tai Streets (2-16 receiving on 5 targets) had both his catches in the first half, but did not catch another pass after a punishing hit from safety Roy Williams in the second quarter. TE: Stephen Alexander (2-25 receiving on 4 targets) caught his first pass in the opening drive for 10 yards and was tackled at the Dallas 1. Alexander caught his only other ball for 15 yards midway through the fourth quarter. Casey Fitzsimmons (1-9 receiving on 1 target) caught the only pass thrown his way late in the second quarter for 9 yards. On the play, Fitzsimmons drew a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty on the defense when he was hit out of bounds. K: Jason Hanson (3-3 XP) had a 53-yard field goal attempt canceled by a false start penalty late in the third quarter. Pass Defense: The Lions' pass defense was unable to put much pressure on Vinny Testaverde and he picked them apart, completing 79% of his passes. However, they picked off 3 Testaverde passes and returned one for a TD. Even though they created timely turnovers, the pass defense was burned by 3 TD passes of 17, 26, and 38 yards. Rush Defense: Detroit did an adequate job of holding the Cowboys runners to a 3.1 yard per carry average, but could not come up with the big play to stop Dallas. Testaverde, two weeks shy of his 41st birthday, surprised the Lions' run defense with a 7-yard QB draw on fourth-and-3 from the Detroit 35 late in the second quarter and again with a 3-yard scramble for a TD on the second play of the third quarter. Dallas Cowboys QB: Vinny Testaverde (19-24-235 passing, 3 TD, 3 INT, 2-10 rushing, 1 TD) keyed in on Jason Witten on the opening drive and 5 of his 6 completed passes were thrown to him including the 17yard TD pass. Testaverde's first pass to Keyshawn Johnson midway through the second quarter was intercepted and returned for a TD after Johnson mistakenly turned in when he should have turned out. His next pass to Johnson provided a much better result as Testaverde hit him down the middle for a 26-yard TD strike late in the second quarter. Testaverde threw his second INT at the Detroit 5 as he was trying to hit Johnson in the end zone just before halftime. Unfazed by the INTs, Testaverde opened the third quarter with a deep bomb to Johnson off a flea flicker from Richie Anderson and drew a 43-yard pass interference penalty against CB Chris Cash. Testaverde shocked the Lions' defense on the very next play as he rolled right into the end zone untouched for a 3-yard TD run. Testaverde put the game out of reach as he hit Johnson once again on a perfect 38-yard TD strike late in the fourth quarter. RB: Eddie George (31-99 rushing, 2-14 receiving on 2 targets) had been complaining
about not getting enough touches and got his wish as Dallas repeatedly handed
him the ball. George put forth a strong effort as he ground out 99 yards on
31 carries. George's longest rush came midway through the second quarter as
he ran up the middle and then bounced it outside for a 21-yard gain. George
had a balanced game as he amassed 57 yards on 15 carries in the first half and
compiled 42 yards on 16 carries in the second half. He helped sustain several
long drives and helped Dallas rule the time of possession. FB Darian Barnes (2-6 receiving on 2 targets) had two catches for short gains, both in the first half. Barnes did a nice job opening holes for George and providing excellent pass blocking for Testaverde. WR: Keyshawn Johnson (3-80 receiving on 6 targets, 2 TD) had a big burden to shoulder as he entered the game as the only Dallas wide receiver in the lineup with a catch of their NFL resume. Johnson ran the wrong route on the first pass thrown his way and Dre' Bly turned his mistake into a 55-yard return for a defensive TD. Johnson atoned for his blunder catching the very next pass directed his way and bouncing off a defender for a 26-yard TD late in the second quarter. Testaverde targeted Johnson in the end zone when Brock Marion intercepted the pass just before halftime. Johnson drew a 43-yard pass interference call against the Detroit defense on the first play of the third quarter. He added his second TD late in the fourth quarter when he burned the Lions' secondary for a game securing 38-yard TD catch. Johnson was the intended target on all 3 of Testaverde's interceptions. Patrick Crayton (1-30 receiving on 2 targets) was activated from the practice squad Saturday. Crayton's only catch was a huge one, grabbing a 30-yard reception for a third down conversion late in the game. Randal Williams (1-13 rushing) started the game in place of injured WR Quincy Morgan. Williams did not have a pass thrown his direction and his only touch of the game came on an end around for 13 yards and a third down conversion just before halftime. TE: Jason Witten (9-84 receiving on 9 targets, 1 TD) caught every pass thrown his direction by Testaverde and was clearly his favorite target of the game due to the inexperience of the Dallas wide receivers. In the opening driving of the game, Witten had 5 catches for 52 yards, including a 17-yard TD reception. Witten finished the first half with 57 yards on 6 receptions and in the game he had 3 third down conversions. K: Billy Cundiff (4-4 XP, 1-1 FG) converted on his only field goal attempt from 40 yards midway through the fourth quarter. Pass Defense: The Cowboys pass defense played well despite losing starting CB Tyrone Williams to a strained hamstring on the fourth play of the game. Although they only recorded one sack in the game, it came on fourth-and-1 play from the Dallas 37 early in the fourth quarter. CB Lance Frazier had an apparent INT ripped away from him by WR David Kircus and turned into a 50-yard TD midway through the fourth quarter. Frazier redeemed himself as he intercepted Harrington's next pass and iced the game. Rush Defense: The Dallas rush defense came into the game as the worst run defense in the league. They were excellent as they completely shut down Kevin Jones and only allowed a trivial 2.79-yard per carry average for the game. The Cowboys did not allow a rushing TD and stopped Jones for no gain on first-and-goal carry from the Dallas 1 early in the first quarter. Indianapolis Colts 35 at Kansas City Chiefs 45 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Indianapolis Colts After last weeks little shove from Wayne to Manning, experts and laymen all over the country questioned whether or not it would hurt Wayne's relationship with his Quarterback. It was much to do about nothing as every pass of the Colt's first series went to Wayne. By the end of the game, Manning had impressive stats with 472-yards and 5 TDs. However, Manning couldn't find a rhythm during the game, where 50% of his first half passes were incomplete. Manning didn't enjoy the protection he has enjoyed so far this season. He was not as sharp as his stats might indicate, and didn't seem fully in command of the field. He was reacting rather than being in charge, and overthrew his receivers pass after pass in the first half. As the second half set in, Manning looked like what we have come to expect, it was just too little too late. Kansas City Chiefs The Chief's offensive line dominated the Colts. Holmes was able to leap, skip, and slash his way through the defense play after play. Holmes had two 21-yard carries in one series alone. Holmes was able to advance the ball at will, taking opportunity after opportunity to not only take the massive amount of yards given, but to pick up additional yards on almost every run. TE Tony Gonzalez was a force in the passing attack. He was open most of the game, and was able to use his height as a difference maker. With 4 targets in the first half, and 5 in the second, Gonzalez only failed to catch one of the 9 passes thrown his way. The Colts were unable to take him out of the game, and he was able to power forward with the ball after the catch. He and Holmes were the pieces of the offense that kept Green out of trouble, and the chains moving. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Indianapolis Colts QB: Peyton Manning (25-44-472, 5 TDs, INT) Manning came out of the game almost unable to complete a pass. He went 3-10 in the first quarter and 7-16 in the second quarter. Manning settled down in the second half, and put on a passing workshop trying to get the Colts back in the game. Manning was 15-18 in the second half, as he picked the Chief's defense apart seemingly at will. This was a tale of two very different halves. RB: Edgerrin James (10-34, 6-90 receiving, 7 targets) Like the rest of the Colts, James couldn't get going in the first half, and then the rushing attack was almost unused in the second half as Manning went to the air to get the Colts back in the game. James was however a force in the passing game catching 6 of the 7 passes that came his way on the day. The bulk of James' receiving yards came on a 50-yard screen play. This was not the usual dominating display from the Colts. Dominic Rhodes (1 for -3) Rhodes was not a factor in the game, losing 3-yards
on his only carry. Brandon Stokley (2-35, 6 targets) Like the rest of the team, Stokley couldn't seem to catch a ball in the first half. As the second half played out, the Colts went to a 2 TE set to provide Manning with much needed extra protection, and Stokley simply wasn't on the field. Reggie Wayne (6-119, 2 TDs, 12 targets) After last weeks little shove, Wayne was targeted from Manning on the first 2 passes of the game, and 4 of the first 5 passes of the game. Manning opened the game with a long bomb to Wayne who he calls "one of his closest friends on the team". Both of Wayne's TDs came in the second half as the Colts were running a 2 TE set to provide Manning with extra protection. Wayne was able to get open as the safeties continued to bite up on the TEs leaving Wayne either open or in single coverage. TE: Dallas Clark (3-88, fumble, 4 targets) Clark pulled down a 44 yard reception and made the most of his other two catches as well. Marcus Pollard (3-21, TD, 3 targets) Pollard caught all 3 balls thrown his way. His only receptions of the first half came back to back in the Chief's red zone resulting in his TD. On the actual score, the Chief's defenders concentrated on Harrison, leaving Pollard softly defended. Pollard caught an additional pass in the second half. K: Mike Vanderjagt (5 XP, 0-1 FG) Pass Defense: SS Mike Doss (7 tackles, 1 assist) sacked Trent Green. Outside of that sack, the Colts simply didn't get any pressure on Green throughout the game leaving him plenty of time to survey the field and make passes. Rush Defense: ROLB Cato June (9 tackles) led the team in stops. The Rush defense couldn't stop Holmes as he ran wild. Kansas City Chiefs QB: Trent Green (27-34-389, 3 TDs, 3 for -3 rushing) Green was crisp and sharp, completing 14 consecutive passes in the first half. He also went 5-5 on the Chief's last scoring drive to put the game out of reach. Green was able to keep the offense moving, and scoring on almost every possession. There was virtually no pressure on Green throughout the game, and he was able to pick the Colts defense apart with the time he was provided. RB: Priest Holmes (32-143, 3 TDs, 2 fumbles, 3-82 receiving, 5 targets) Holmes' 9th 3 TD game moved him into a tie for second place with Emmitt Smith all-time. After leading the Chiefs 60 yards down the field on the first possession of the game, Holmes fumbled the ball away at the Colt's 4-yard line. Outside of that, Holmes couldn't be stopped. His leaping, slashing running style carved through the Colts defenders. Holmes took advantage of the huge holes and displayed great vision picking up yard after yard, with many extra efforts to gain additional yards. Larry Johnson (1-19) Johnson had the last carry of the first half . With 4 seconds left in the first half, and the Colts in prevent, Johnson's carry was for 19-yards from the Chief's 45. Outside of that carry, he did not contribute to the game. Derrick Blaylock (3-18, 2-19 receiving, 2 targets) Blaylock bruised his thigh, and there was no information on the severity. Blaylock took some red zone attempts at the end of the first half as the main ball carrier for the series. He didn't score, and was not in the game outside of that otherwise successful series. Blaylock lost a 16-yard reception called back on roughing the passer. Tony Richardson (1-1, 1 target) Richardson had a single catch for a yard. As usual, his primary contributions were in blocking for Holmes. WR: Johnnie Morton (5-69, TD, fumble, 2-26 rushing, 7 targets) Johnnie Morton put on quite a celebration display after catching his TD when he dropped to the ground, and did the "worm" dance. Morton was very active in the passing game in the first half leading all Chiefs in targets with 5. Morton made some great moves both with and without the ball to keep the offense moving. As the second half came around, the Colts increased the defense on Morton, basically taking him out of the game. The Chiefs didn't falter as TE Tony Gonzalez took over the load for the passing game. Eddie Kennison (5-50, 7 targets) Kennison looked sharp in the game, catching almost everything that came his way. With the Colts keying on Morton in the second half, Kennison kept the chains moving, finding ways to stay open. Dante Hall (3-43, 4 targets) Hall was able to help the team in the second half as the Colts defense started keying on Morton. All 3 of Hall's receptions came in the second half, as he gained 42 yards. TE: Tony Gonzalez (8-125, 2 TDs, 9 targets) Gonzalez was the key to the game, as he was always open in the first half when Green was able to spread the ball around and use all his receivers. In the second half when the Colts were concentrating on taking away some of Green's weapons, Gonzalez still found a way to be open on almost every play. After catching the ball, he ran with power, and he was able to pull in a few tough high receptions in the passing game that were thrown where only he could make the catch. K: Lawrence Tynes (6-6 XP, 1-1 FG) Pass Defense: SS Greg Wesley intercepted Manning. The Chiefs did put some pressure on Manning. Watching the game, the first half was the first time this season that Manning didn't seem in control of everything. The Colts actually had to totally restructure their offensive attack in the second half going to a 2 TE formation to provide Manning much needed extra protection. Rush Defense: LCB Eric Warfield (7 tackles, 1 assist) led the team in stops. The rush defense held James in check in the first half, and enjoyed almost no competition in the second half as the Colts had to go to the air to get back in the game. Baltimore Ravens 10 at Philadelphia Eagles 15 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Baltimore Ravens Kyle Boller had his best game of the season in his sixteenth career start, throwing for 223 yards and a touchdown on 24 of 38 passing, but it was not enough to get the Ravens a win. Boller, who had thrown for 167 yards in his last two starts combined, led the Baltimore offense on two scoring drives, including a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Wilcox. Boller did have one interception in the game, but that came on a Hail Mary pass to end the first half. The running game was with out not only suspended back Jamal Lewis, but also All Pro tackle Jonathan Ogden. Chester Taylor ran for 78 yards in 18 carries, and backup Musa Smith added 25 more on 5 attempts of his own. However, starting center Mike Flynn returned to action, and the Ravens will get Lewis back from his suspension for next week's contest. Unheralded rookie receiver WR Clarence Moore had a fine game, catching 3 passes for 82 yards, including a 52-yard reception to set up the Ravens' touchdown. Travis Taylor also had a good day with 6 receptions for 80 yards. With starting tight end Todd Heap still nursing a sprained ankle, Terry Jones and Daniel Wilcox split the load and combined for 8 catches, 36 yards, and a touchdown, with Wilcox hauling in 5 for 26 and the touchdown. After creating 5 turnovers and scoring a defensive touchdown last week, the Ravens defense came back to earth against Philadelphia. Baltimore was able to force one turnover on a Donovan McNabb fumble and notched 2 sacks against the Eagles' passer, but could not get into the end zone. Despite holding the high-powered Eagles' attack to just 298 net yards and 15 points, the Ravens lost the game. Philadelphia Eagles Terrell Owens caught 8 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown, marking his fifth consecutive 100 yard game and his 9th touchdown in the first 7 games of the season, and leading the Eagles to their first 7-0 start in franchise history. Owens did it almost single-handedly, with more than a third of Philadelphia's total net yards and their only touchdown of the game. Todd Pinkston had just 1 catch for 16 yards before leaving the game with an ankle injury, and no other Eagle wide receiver had a catch. Tight ends Chad Lewis and L.J. Smith combined for 5 catches and 62 yards. As odd as it sounds, Donovan McNabb was outplayed for much of the game by Kyle Boller, finishing with 1 touchdown and 219 yards on 18 of 33 passing. McNabb added 36 yards on the ground, but fumbled the ball on the Baltimore 1 yard line after a tackle, ending an Eagles' drive. With Brain Westbrook out with a broken rib, veteran Dorsey Levens got the start but managed only 40 yards on 12 carries. Second year back Reno Mahe provided support with 22 yards on 5 attempts, including an 18 yard gain on his first carry of the game. Neither back was able to move the ball with any consistency against the Ravens' defense. Ordinarily, holding an opposing offense to 10 points and 327 net yards would be considered a good outing, but against a Baltimore Ravens team missing its two biggest offensive weapons, the Eagles have to consider these results mixed at best. Philadelphia managed 2 sacks in the game, along with an interception. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Baltimore Ravens QB: Kyle Boller (24-38-223, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1-7 rushing) enjoyed his best game of the 2004 season, although in a losing effort. Boller started the game hot, completing 7 of his first 8 passes, with the lone incompletion being a deep ball which was on target, but broken up nicely by the defensive back. Throughout the game the quarterback looked much more settled in the pocket, with his passes far more accurate than in previous games this season. The Ravens' only touchdown drive of the game was anchored by Boller's 52-yard completion to rookie wide receiver Clarence Moore, and finished with a 7-yard catch and run to tight end Daniel Wilcox, marking Boller's first touchdown pass since week 4. Boller did fumble the ball once after being hit hard on a sack, but the Ravens were able to recover the ball. His only interception of the game came on a Hail Mary pass at the end of the first half, after the ball had been batted around by several players. Ravens' Head Coach Brian Billick played up the fact earlier in the week that this marks Boller's 16th NFL start, or the equivalent of one full season under center. RB: Chester Taylor (18-78 rushing, 1 fumble lost, 4-18 receiving on 6 targets) made his second consecutive start in relief of the suspended Jamal Lewis, and performed well against a tough Eagles' defense. Taylor once again showed excellent vision and the ability to break arm tackles, and excelled in his normal role as a receiver out of the backfield. Of the 6 balls targeted to Taylor, 4 resulted in completions while the other 2 were both deflected at the line of scrimmage. Taylor lost a fifth reception for 9 additional yards to a defensive penalty. His fumble came when he was stripped of the ball, and was just his fifth fumble in 206 career touches. Musa Smith (5-25 rushing, 1-6 receiving on 1 target) again saw limited action, but performed well when given the chance as his 5.0 yards per carry shows. With Jamal Lewis set to return next week, however, Smith's touches are likely plummet. B.J. Sams (1-2 rushing, 1-2 receiving on 1 target) got both of his touches on third downs, and both times came up a yard short. His reception was on a shovel pass. Alan Ricard (2-1 rushing, 1 for -1 receiving on 1 target) started at fullback. WR: Clarence Moore (3-82 receiving on 4 targets) enjoyed his finest day as a pro, more than tripling the amount of receiving yards he had posted thus far in his rookie season. Moore made an outstanding catch along the sidelines for his first reception of the game, gaining 16 yards on a third and 9 play from inside their own 5 yard line. Moore was also able to beat veteran defensive back Lito Shepard for a 52 yard reception, which keyed the Ravens' only touchdown drive of the day. Moore was credited with 4 targets in the game, but one was a Hail Mary pass which Moore was one of several players to touch the ball before it was intercepted. Travis Taylor (6-80 receiving on 12 targets) was Kyle Boller's favorite target in the game, and responded with a fine day. Taylor appeared very focused in the game, something which had been a problem for him in past seasons, and has shown a willingness to make the tough catch in traffic since his return from a groin injury. The Ravens' final drive of the game ended on a play in which Taylor came close to making a spectacular circus catch on a pass thrown well behind him. He managed to adjust in mid-stride and get a hand on the ball, and then nearly caught it on the deflection while falling backwards. Kevin Johnson (0-0 receiving on 2 targets) did not start the game, as the Ravens tried some trickery by lining Deion Sanders up at wide receiver on their first play. But Johnson did play as the #2 receiver opposite Taylor throughout the game. Johnson was wide open on a 15 yard post pattern on one play, but Kyle Boller's throw hit the turf 5 yards in front of him. Randy Hymes was not targeted in the game. TE: Daniel Wilcox (5-26, 1 TD receiving on 6 targets) had a fine game serving as a short yardage check-off option for Kyle Boller. Wilcox's touchdown catch came when he caught a 2 yard pass and then quickly turned up field, diving into the end zone for a 7-yard score. Terry Jones (3-10 receiving on 4 targets) started the game at tight end, but was overshadowed on this day by Wilcox. Todd Heap was inactive for the game with a sprained ankle, but may return for next week's game. K: Matt Stover (1 XP, 1-1 FG) was successful on a 44 yard attempt, kicking into a significant wind. Pass Defense: The Ravens managed just 2 sacks against Donovan McNabb and allowed Terrell Owens to catch 8 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown, but still gave a solid effort against the Eagles passing attack, limiting McNabb to just 219 total passing yards and the one touchdown. Baltimore was also able to stop Philadelphia on 9 of 11 third down plays, although one of the successful third down tries went for a touchdown. Run Defense: The Eagles had just 98 rushing yards in a game in which they were attempting to protect a lead, and that includes 36 yards on scrambles by Donovan McNabb. Baltimore was able to limit running backs Dorsey Levens and Reno Mahe to less than 4 yards per carry in the game, led by Ray Lewis' 6 tackles. Safety Will Demps made a fine play to outwrestle an Eagles player for the loose ball after Ed Hartwell stripped Donovan McNabb at the Baltimore 1 yard line. Philadelphia Eagles QB: Donovan McNabb (18-33-219, 1 TD, 1 fumble lost, 6-36 rushing) struggled to find a rhythm against the Ravens' aggressive defense, and actually finished the game with both a lower completion percentage and fewer passing yards than Baltimore quarterback Kyle Boller. While the pressure brought on by Ravens' blitzes certainly contributed to a sub par outing, McNabb's accuracy was also off at times, as was his timing with his receivers other than Terrell Owens. McNabb obviously leaned heavily on Owens in the game, with nearly half of his throws being directed to Owens. His fumble came on a scramble, when a hit from behind jarred the ball out of McNabb's hands just one yard short of a touchdown. RB: Dorsey Levens (12-40 rushing, 2-10 receiving on 3 targets) got the start for the Eagles with Brian Westbrook inactive due to a broken rib. While the Baltimore Ravens have a habit of making many running backs look bad, Levens certainly didn't impress with his 12 for 40 effort, featuring a long run of just 8 yards. With the Eagles ahead by 5 points and trying to run out the clock on their last two drives, Levens managed just 2 yards on 2 carries. Reno Mahe (5-22 rushing, 1-8 receiving on 1 target) began the game with a bang, breaking off an 18-yard run on his first carry, but managed only 4 yards on his final 4 attempts. Josh Parry (0-0 rushing, 1-22 receiving on 2 targets) played at fullback for Philadelphia, and doubled his career receiving yards after making his first two NFL receptions last week. WR: Terrell Owens (8-101, 1 TD receiving on 15 targets) continues to impress as an Eagle, notching his fifth consecutive 100 yard receiving game and hauling in his ninth touchdown of the season. As if that wasn't enough, Owens was also wide open and would have scored an easy touchdown on a trick play in which tight end Mike Bartrum attempted a pass after a lateral. Bartrum, however, showed why he plays at tight end and not quarterback when he missed Owens by a good 7 yards. The Ravens were able to hold Owens in check for the first half, limiting him to just 2 catches for 19 yards before the break, but Owens exploded in the second half. Owens actually managed to throw even more fuel onto the fire revolving around his rivalry with linebacker Ray Lewis, spoofing Lewis' trademark dance after scoring his touchdown on an 11-yard catch and run. Todd Pinkston (1-16 receiving on 1 targets) started the game opposite Owens, but left the field with some help after suffering a right knee injury in the second quarter. No further update was offered. Greg Lewis (0-0 receiving on 2 targets) got into the lineup when Pinkston left the game, but was not able to record a reception. Freddie Mitchell (0-0 receiving on 1 target) did not catch a pass in the game. Billy McMullen (0-0 receiving on 1 target) had his only target inside the red zone, but was not able to catch the ball. TE: Chad Lewis (3-34 receiving on 4 targets) posted yet another solid but unspectacular receiving day. The sure-handed Lewis had an uncharacteristic drop on his fourth target. L.J. Smith (2-28 receiving on 2 targets) was also the intended target of a Donovan McNabb 2 point conversion attempt, but the play was broken up. Mike Bartrum (0-1 passing) juggled a backward lateral from Donovan McNabb for several moments before launching a badly under thrown pass towards the wide open Terrell Owens. K: David Akers (3-3 FG) connected on field goal attempts of 20, 41, and 43 yards in the game. Pass Defense: Considering the foe that they faced, the Eagles pass defense came up well short of the mark in giving up 223 yards and a touchdown through the air. Philadelphia managed just two sacks, both by Jevon Kearse, despite the Ravens being without starting left tackle Jonathan Ogden, and cornerback Lito Sheppard was beaten badly by a rookie wide receiver for a 52-yard reception. Strong safety Michael Lewis left the game early after two players landed awkwardly on his ankle, but returned to action and intercepted a Kyle Boller Hail Mary pass in the end zone. Rushing Defense: Faced with a largely one-dimensional opposing offense, the Eagles stacked the box with as many as 8 players to guard against the run, and as a result were able to hold Chester Taylor to just 4.3 yards per carry, nearly a yard under his season average. Backup running back Musa Smith averaged 5 ypc on 5 attempts, although 13 of his yards came on one carry. Safeties Lewis and Brian Dawkins totaled 13 tackles in the game. Oakland Raiders 14 at San Diego Chargers 42 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Oakland Raiders The Raiders spent much of the afternoon attempting to come from behind, however found very little success in this venture, as the Chargers took away the vertical passing attack and forced the Raiders to attempt to move the ball underneath. Kerry Collins finished with 263 yards and 1 TD, but two interceptions victimized thoughts of mounting a comeback. Jerry Porter (4-50) was the most targeted receiver in the game, but he did not pick up his first catch until the 2nd half. The Raiders looked to Doug Gabriel (3-50) often in the 1st half, but did not look the former Hurricane's way very often as the game progressed. With Ronald Curry limited, the Raiders used their running backs extensively in the passing game, and for the most part decided to forego the rushing attack. Tyrone Wheatley returned to the lineup in Week 8, and contributed 23 yards on 4 carries along with a touchdown, however it was not clear whether he had regained his starting job, and this a situation that bears monitoring, especially given the fact that he did not receive a carry in this game until the second half. Amos Zereoue pulled in 5 balls for 42 yards, but was completely shut down in the rushing game, where he finished with negative one yard on 6 attempts. Justin Fargas was again inactive with a turf toe injury. Warren Sapp was seen on the sidelines yelling at coach Norv Turner. Turner seemed to take it for a while before he was able to calm Sapp down. Sapp later downplayed it saying he was "in a funk" and frustrated that Charger TE Antonio Gates was so wide open when the Raiders had declared covering Gates a priority. San Diego Chargers Simply everything went right for the Chargers in this game as the Chargers moved to 5-3 for a share of the lead with Denver in the AFC West and heading into their Week 9 matchup at home versus New Orleans. Drew Brees had about as perfect a game as one could dream up, finishing 22/25 for 281 yards and 5 touchdowns, where the three incompletions could be attributed to balls intentionally thrown out of bounds or batted at the line. Antonio Gates was the primary benefactor of Brees' looks in the end zone, picking up 2 touchdown catches on an afternoon where he finished with a 5-63 day. Eric Parker was heavily targeted between the 20's, and finished with 6 catches for 91 yards, and Keenan McCardell saw his starting role increased in this offense, adding a touchdown to go along with his 4 catches and 55 yards. In a game the Chargers dominated, LaDainian Tomlinson was only asked to carry the load for just over two quarters of play. Upon taking a 35-7 lead early in the 3rd quarter, Tomlinson was not asked to carry the ball after this point, but had put up solid numbers prior to this, with 19 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown. As has been a reoccurring theme, Jesse Chatman came into this game late and ran the ball very well, with 69 yards on 12 carries in this game. There was no new injury news to report, and it appeared that Tomlinson came out of the game in similar health to when it began, so his role in this offense should remain the same as the Chargers take on the Saints in Week 9 and head into the bye in Week 10. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Oakland Raiders QB: Kerry Collins (24-39-263, 1 TD, 2 Int) On a day when everything was clicking with the Chargers offense, Kerry Collins was unable to command enough drives down the field to remain competitive in this game. Collins finished the game with a 68.6 passer rating, and averaged just over 6 yards per attempt in the 42-14 loss. Despite the installation of the Vertical Passing Attack in the Oakland offense, the Raiders were most effective in this game running screens and short passes to the running backs. RB: Tyrone Wheatley (4-23 rushing, 1 TD, 4-22 receiving on 4 targets) Tyrone Wheatley came into the game early in the second quarter after Amos Zereoue had just pulled in a 12 yard reception, and capitalized from the 5 yard line with a rushing touchdown in his first action in a number of weeks. Wheatley caught every ball which came to him, and ran the ball effectively when given the chance, however the Raiders had for the most part abandoned the running game due to the score of the game. RB: Amos Zereoue (6-(-1)rushing, 5-42 receiving on 6 targets, 1 fumble lost) Amos Zereoue was unable to get anything going in the rushing game, finishing with -1 yards rushing on 6 carries. Zereoue served as more of a factor in the passing game as the game progressed, which would have been his role in this offense in the offense at the beginning of the season with all of the running backs healthy. Zereoue's fumble came in Oakland's final series of the game when they trailed 42-14, so it should have little impact on how Norv Turner moves forward with a starting RB selection going into Week 9. Fantasy owners should keep in mind that the Raiders have a Week 10 bye, and Turner may have different plans for Week 9 and Week 11. RB: J.R. Redmond (1-0 rushing, 3-29 receiving on 4 targets) Utilized as a receiving back in this offense, Redmond pulled in 3 balls on the night. RB: Zack Crockett (1 target) Zack Crockett had his only touch of the afternoon nullified by a penalty. RB: Justin Fargas (DNP, Inactive) Fargas continues to suffer from a turf toe injury, and with the bye coming up in Week 10, owners may have to be content with a "hopeful" return in Week 11. The Raiders brass has been somewhat quiet on this matter, listing him as questionable recently, and allowing him to practice, however not activating him to play. WR: Jerry Porter (4-50 receiving on 11 targets) Similar to last week, Jerry Porter's primary production came late in this game, when he picked up 4 second-half catches, and was Collins' primary target, especially late in the game when the Raiders were attempting to make a comeback. WR: Doug Gabriel (3-50 receiving on 8 targets) Gabriel was targeted quite often early in this game, however Gabriel was unable to maintain his momentum, and saw his targets diminished as the game went on, especially after Collins' second interception of the afternoon, which was targeted for him. Gabriel finished with 94 yards on 5 kickoff returns. WR: Johnnie Morant (1-20 receiving on 1 target) The rookie Johnnie Morant was activated for this game in place of Alvis Whitted, and came up with a 20 yard catch on his only target. WR: Ronald Curry (2 targets) Curry had his role reduced this week due to an injury, and saw just 2 balls the entire game. WR: Alvis Whitted (Inactive) TE: Doug Jolley (3-22 receiving on 3 targets, 1 TD) Doug Jolley made a nice catch for a TD to reassert himself in the Oakland offense. Upon falling behind, the Raiders appeared to utilize their pass catching TE more, and Jolley was able to somewhat take advantage of that. TE: Courtney Anderson (1-28 receiving on 1 target) The superior blocking tight end, Courtney Anderson had his opportunities limited when the Raiders fell behind in this game. K: Sebastian Janikowski (2-2 XP) Due to limited opportunities, Janikowski was only able to attempt the 2 extra points. Pass Defense: The Raiders were unable to stop Drew Brees and the Chargers offense at any point throughout this game, allowing 281 passing yards and 5 touchdowns. Coming into the game, the Raiders pass defense was allowing 212 yards and 1.6 touchdowns per game, so this effort was clearly inferior and certainly their worst of the season. Rush Defense: Similar to the pass defense, the rush defense was ineffective at stopping the Chargers, who piled up 154 yards on 36 carries (4.3 yards per carry), even though Tomlinson never touched the ball after the 1st series of the 2nd half. San Diego Chargers QB: Drew Brees (22-25-281, 5 TD, 2-21 rushing) Drew Brees finished the game with a perfect 158.3 passer rating, and found everything firing on all cylinders in this game. Brees finished the game with an 88% completion percentage and an 11.2 yards per passing attempt average. Of the 3 balls which were incomplete, one was knocked down at the line, and two were clearly thrown out of bounds in an attempt to get rid of the ball. Brees had plenty of time to throw the ball all day, and controlled the game from the kickoff to the final whistle. RB: LaDainian Tomlinson (19-71 rushing, 1TD, 1-7 receiving on 2 targets) Tomlinson contributed for 78 all-purpose yards and a touchdown in just over two quarters of play. Tomlinson was present in the game, but did not receive another carry or target after the Chargers took a 35-7 lead early in the second quarter. Tomlinson's touchdown came on 2nd and goal from the 1 yard line, after he had failed to gain any yards on 1st down, rewarding the Chargers for their persistence. RB: Jesse Chatman (12-69 rushing) As has been the case in recent weeks, the flow the game has given Jesse Chatman the opportunity to showcase his skills, and Chatman responded by averaging over 5.5 yards per carry. With Tomlinson's groin on the minds of the Charger's coaches, Chatman should continue to receive a number of carries, especially in games where the Chargers are leading or trailing by a large deficit. RB: Lorenzo Neal (5-14 rushing, 2-14 receiving on 2 targets) The fullback Neal received a number of carries in this game to spell Tomlinson and Chatman, and to try to pound the ball down the Raiders' throats while running out the clock. WR: Eric Parker (6-91 receiving on 8 targets) As the Chargers moved the ball down the field, Parker was the most targeted receiver, and he pulled in everything which came his way. Penalties and passes clearly thrown out of bounds but credited in his direction account for the difference in receptions and targets. While Parker was heavily targeted in between the 20's, Brees looked for larger built targets in the red zone and, as a result Parker was not targeted there. WR: Keenan McCardell (4-55 receiving on 5 targets, 1 TD) With just over 10 days on the squad, McCardell has already quickly found a place in the Chargers starting lineup and in the reads and progressions of Drew Brees. As the two continue to gain more experience with one another, McCardell may begin to overtake Eric Parker in terms of targets between both the 20's and in the redzone. WR: Tim Dwight (1-23 receiving on 1 target, 1 TD) Tim Dwight made the most of his opportunities, and pulled in a nice 23 yard catch for a touchdown at the end of the 1st half, in addition to picking up 71 yards as a kick returner. WR: Kassim Osgood (0 targets) Osgood was active in the game, but did not receive any targets. WR: Bobby Shaw (0 targets) Shaw was active in the game, but did not receive any targets. TE: Antonio Gates (5-63 receiving on 7 targets, 2 TD) Antonio Gates has proven his role as Drew Brees' favorite target in the end zone, picking up two more touchdowns this week. There were two interesting plays to note in Gates' log for Week 8. Gates was able to draw a defensive pass interference in the end zone late in the 1st quarter which led to the Tomlinson rushing touchdown. To even out this misfortune for Gates' owners, Marty Schottenheimer made an interesting decision to go for it on 4th and goal from the 1 yard line while already leading 35-7 late in the 3rd quarter, for which Gates was the recipient of his 2nd touchdown. TE: Justin Peelle (3-28 receiving on 4 targets, 1 TD, 1 fumble lost) Peelle's primary contribution came on his 17 yard touchdown catch to cap off the Charger's opening drive of the game, and Brees felt comfortable going back to him throughout the game. K: Nate Kaeding (6-6 XP) The rookie out of Iowa has been fantastic all season long, but probably doesn't mind the days where he just goes out and kicks 6 extra points. Pass Defense: The Chargers were able to keep most everything underneath, and were able to pick off two passes from Kerry Collins and sack him once. The secondary and passing attack had the advantage of knowing that Collins was throwing on virtually every play, and were able to key in on him, limiting the Raiders to just 14 points on the afternoon. Rush Defense: Tyrone Wheatley, Amos Zereoue and J.R. Redmond combined for just 22 yards on 11 carries, as the offensive success of the Chargers forced the Raiders to play catch up and abandon the rushing game, where they were only able to average 2.0 yards per carry against the Chargers defense that was one of the better units in the league coming into the game. Carolina Panthers 17 at Seattle Seahawks 23 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Carolina Panthers Carolina continues to play hard for head coach John Fox as they slide toward the bottom of the NFC South. The injury riddled Panthers kept the game close and showed no signs of quit, just like they've done in most of their other losses. After starting the game attempting to have a balanced offense, QB Jake Delhomme's first read on nearly every pass play was to WR Muhsin Muhammad. RB Joey Harris showed some flashes of productivity. He showed a burst to the edge and the ability to make defenders miss. FB Brad Hoover was only used to pound the ball between the tackles. Seattle Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander made excellent cuts in the open field to break three runs of at least twenty-three yards. Seattle featured Alexander giving him thirty-five touches that he turned into 208 combined yards. QB Matt Hasselbeck executed the short passing game as well as could be expected in the first half (except for the interception). He was much more accurate than he was in a horrid showing last week, but virtually every throw he made in this game was within ten yards of the line of scrimmage. The most telling stat with regard to the Seattle offense was that they didn't have to punt until late in the third quarter, but still only managed twenty-three points. They continue to "shoot themselves in the foot" with penalties, turnovers, and dropped passes. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Carolina Panthers QB: Jake Delhomme (19-36-248 2TD INT passing, 3-18 yards rushing) Delhomme played well enough to win this game, and made only one big mistake. And that mistake may not have been his fault. His lone interception came on a deep slant to WR Ricky Proehl. Either Proehl ran the wrong route, or Delhomme threw the wrong pass. When Delhomme was able to stand tall in the pocket he was able to deliver balls accurately all over the field, but when he was forced to scramble he had trouble on the run. Delhomme was radar locked into WR Muhsin Muhammad, but came off him to find secondary WRs when necessary. In the third quarter Delhomme missed three chances for another TD pass. Two went towards WR Muhsin Muhammad on controversial pass interference penalties (or non-penalties), and the other went towards TE Kris Magnum. Delhomme had Magnum open behind the LB, but overthrew the pass. RB: Brad Hoover (7-20 rushing, 1-7 receiving on 1 target) Hoover was used between the tackles exclusively. He hit the line of scrimmage hard each time, but didn't have much daylight. Hoover is being used as a stop-gap player until RB Stephen Davis is ready to go again. On a 4th and 1 play in the second quarter Hoover was called for a false start. The penalty pushed Carolina out of FG range and forced them to punt. Joey Harris (9-45 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 2 targets) Harris was given a few toss sweeps and running plays off-tackle. He definitely has the quickness to get to the outside, and also has the elusiveness to make people miss. Harris was targeted deep down the sideline on a pass play near the end of the third quarter. Nick Goings (1-11 rushing, 2-14 receiving on 3 targets) Goings was used exclusively as a third down RB. His one carry came on a third down draw play. All of his receptions came on third down as well. WR: Muhsin Muhammad (8-105 2TD receiving on 11 targets) Muhammad was the Panther offense in the second and third quarters. He manhandled the Seattle DBs with his size, and made several tough grabs. In the third quarter he was targeted on consecutive plays in the endzone. Each play drew a pass interference flag, but neither resulted in a penalty against the defense. The first flag was picked up as the pass was un-catchable. The second flag was for offensive pass interference. Muhammad pushed off to get separation. His second TD came on 4th down and goal. The reception occurred at the goal line, and he was tackled back into the playing field. The play had to be reviewed and was overturned. Originally the ruling was that he was down at the one-yard line. Early in the game Muhammad nearly cost the Panthers a great scoring opportunity. Muhammad was flagged for a penalty nullifying a nine-yard gain to the Seattle one-yard line, but rebounded with his first TD reception on the very next play. Keary Colbert (4-100 receiving on 5 targets) Colbert caught three balls (12, 14, and 12 yards) until the Panthers last offensive possession. Colbert got behind CB Ken Lucas for a 63-yard reception that set up WR Muhsin Muhammad's second TD keeping the Panther's chances alive. Ricky Proehl (0-0 receiving on 4 targets) Proehl wasn't a part of the Panther offense until late in the game. He was targeted three times in the last few Panther possessions. QB Jake Delhomme was very upset with Proehl on a deep slant that was intercepted. Delhomme threw the pass as if Proehl was going to turn the pattern in, but Proehl ran it like a deep post. TE: Kris Magnum (4-21 receiving on 8 targets) Magnum was targeted on a deep ball early, but then disappeared until late in the third quarter. Magnum saw a flurry of targets in garbage time as Seattle allowed Magnum to catch easy passes in the middle of the field. Magnum got behind the linebacker once in the endzone on a deep pattern, but QB Jake Delhomme over threw the pass. K: John Kasay (2-2 XP, 1-1 FG 30) There was nothing of consequence to report with regard to the Carolina kicking game. Pass Defense: The Panther pass rush sacked QB Matt Hasselbeck only once, but they were able to flush him from the pocket on multiple occasions. The problem at this point was Hasselbeck was then able to burn them with his legs a few times. DE Julius Peppers was able to put some heat on the quarterback and forced Hasselbeck into his one interception. In the first half the Carolina DBs allowed Hasselbeck to complete fourteen of seventeen passes. Rush Defense: Carolina had trouble containing RB Shaun Alexander. This was particularly true when Alexander ran off left tackle behind LT Walter Jones. The Panthers were consistently getting dominated at the point of attack on that side as Alexander was easily getting past the line of scrimmage without being hit. The Panthers were also not prepared to handle the few carries that FB Mack Strong was given as a change of pace. Strong also was able to grind out good yardage on first and second down as well. Any game in which you yield 237 rushing yards, you're not really giving your team much of a chance to win. Seattle Seahawks QB: Matt Hasselbeck (21-30-201 TD INT passing, 7-24 rushing) Word out of Seattle this week was that they were going to "simplify" things for Hasselbeck. The translation of this was that Seattle was going to restrict his ability to audible at the line of scrimmage. Out of the gate, Hasselbeck completed his first nine passes, and fourteen out of seventeen in the first half. The three incompletions were two passes toward TE Jeremy Stevens, and a drop by FB Heath Evans that would have been an easy first down. One of the incompletions towards Stevens inside the five-yard line was intercepted. Hasselbeck had severe pressure from DE Julius Peppers and made a poor decision to throw the pass. Hasselbeck was definitely sharper this week in terms of his accuracy, but he didn't deliver more than a few balls deep down field, and none of them were completed. However, Hasselbeck did throw a nice deep ball to reserve WR Alex Bannister in the endzone, but Bannister couldn't make the play. On an odd note, Hasselbeck muffed a snap in the fourth quarter on a FG attempt that would have iced the win. Hasselbeck has been holding for the past two weeks due to the injury to punter Tom Rouen. RB: Shaun Alexander (32-195 TD rushing, 3-13 TD receiving on 5 targets) Alexander was the star of this show. His ability to rip off long runs and make great cuts in the open field set up his own two short TDs. Each of Alexander's carries for more than ten yards (23, 15, 38, and 44) came on running plays behind LT Walter Jones. When Jones collapses that side of the field, Alexander has the ability to end up one on one with a LB or DB in open space. His ability to make one guy completely miss gives him the chance to break off the longer runs. His TD reception in the first quarter came off a play that Hasselbeck checked down to him after going through his passing progression. Maurice Morris was injured (concussion) on the opening kickoff return and did not return. Mack Strong (4-18 rushing, 3-21 receiving on 3 targets) Strong was effective with a few surprise carries that caught the Panthers off guard, but Strong's real value to the Seahawks came on his receptions. Two of his receptions came on third downs. Each was a situation where QB Matt Hasselbeck used Strong as an outlet receiver and Strong had to run for the first down. WR: Darrell Jackson (6-71 receiving on 10 targets, 1 fumble lost) Jackson fumbled twice in the game, but he doesn't have a history of this and it should probably be viewed as an aberration. Both fumbles came immediately after the receptions. Each was worthy of being reviewed to see if he had possession. Jackson was a perfect six for six on targets and receptions in the first half. His first target in the third quarter might get counted as a drop. The throw was low, but Jackson had both his hands on it, and probably should have made the catch. He was also targeted twice in the endzone in the second half. Koren Robinson (3-52 receiving on 3 targets) All three of Robinson's receptions in the game came on crossing routes underneath. This allowed Robinson to turn up field and gain yards on his own on two of the three plays. Robinson gained half of his total yardage after his receptions with his legs. Jerry Rice (1-6 receiving on 1 target) Rice caught his only ball in the second quarter, and then left the game with a sprained ankle. He did not return. TE: Jerramy Stevens (3-16 receiving on 5 targets) Stevens had two receptions early in the game, but was used sparingly through the rest of the game. He was targeted in the endzone once in the second quarter on a quick TE dump, but the ball was tipped away by a LB. He was also targeted inside the five-yard line, but a poorly thrown ball by QB Matt Hasselbeck was intercepted. Itula Mili (2-22 receiving on 3 targets) Both of Mili's receptions came in the second half. His other target drew a pass interference flag on a LB. K: Josh Brown (2-2 XP, 3-3 FG 27 45 22) Brown missed out on the opportunity to kick a fourth field goal at the end of the game when QB Matt Hasselbeck muffed the snap and didn't get the ball down for Brown. Pass Defense: LB Chad Brown returned to the Seattle lineup, but he added little to the pass rush. Seattle failed to sack QB Jake Delhomme in the game, and hit him only a few times. The Seattle DBs had no answer for WR Muhsin Muhammad. Multiple times in the game Muhammad appeared to be running free in the secondary. CB Ken Lucas allowed WR Keary Colbert to get behind him for a sixty-three yard gain inside the final four minutes giving the Panthers hope. Rush Defense: The Seahawks did an excellent job of stuffing the run up the gut. FB Brad Hoover found little room between the tackles on his few carries. However, RB Joey Harris was able to hit the edges for a few longer gains. Arizona Cardinals 14 at Buffalo Bills 38 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Arizona Cardinals The story leading into this game was the return of Pro-Bowl wide receiver Anquan Boldin. But with heavy rain and 30 mph winds, the Cardinals instead opened with a game plan that emphasized pounding the run with Emmitt Smith. Smith looked good early on in this game, picking up yards in big chunks on cutback runs. Smith even managed to drag 335 lb DT Sam Adams for an extra couple of yards in the early going. But as the Bills were able to get more and more penetration as the game went on, the Cardinals running game became less effective. As the Cardinals found themselves trailing by double digits, they had to scrap the game plan of pounding the ball with the run and started going to the air. Windy conditions combined with a ferocious Buffalo pass rush lead to McCown's worst performance of the year. McCown was under constant pressure and was forced to throw a lot of passes away. He was particularly out of sync with Larry Fitzgerald and was unable to complete a single pass to the prized rookie. McCown's lone touchdown was a late throw to Bryant Johnson with the game was out of reach. Although Anquan Boldin didn't technically start for Arizona, he entered the game a minute into the contest. Upon entering the game, he instantly became McCown's favorite receiver, leading the Cardinals in both receiving yards and targets. Boldin showed no ill effects of the meniscus injury that kept him out of the first part of the season. He made several clutch catches for Arizona that kept drives alive, although he couldn't hold on to a short pass on 4th down late in the game when the Cardinals were desperate. Larry Fitzgerald had the worst game of his professional career. He was held without a catch and seemed to lose McCown's trust after a miscommunication where McCown thought Fitzgerald was going to run a different route. Fitzgerald was third on the team in targets in this game. His five targets trailed both Boldin(9) and Johnson(7). In addition to not catching a ball, Fitzgerald drew a 15 yard unnecessary roughness penalty for shoving a defender after a play was over. Buffalo Bills Buffalo's 38 points were remarkable considering that they didn't force a turnover and passed for only 81 yards. The Bills were able to score consistently by starting many drives with short fields setup by their 204 return yards. The Bills had four scoring drives of 30 yards or less and scored a touchdown on Terrance McGee's 87 yard kickoff return. McGahee started the game at tailback for Buffalo and received almost all of the rushing workload, relegating Travis Henry to a cameo appearance. In strong winds and intermittent rain, Buffalo was content to let their offense run with McGahee and fed the second year back 30 carries. McGahee responded with his second 100 yard game of the season and his first two touchdowns. He also had a third touchdown called back due to a holding penalty. Travis Henry didn't enter the game until midway through the fourth quarter and carried one time for 2 yards. Because of the sloppy field conditions and the effective running game, Buffalo didn't go to the air much in this contest. Drew Bledsoe passed for only 81 yards, but threw two touchdowns and limited his mistakes. Eric Moulds was Bledsoe's favorite receiver on the day, hauling in 3 catches for 40 yards and catching a touchdown on a fade route. No other Bills' receiver was a factor in this game. Josh Reed left the game with a knee injury after taking a helmet in the knee
on a punt return. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Arizona Cardinals QB: Josh McCown (9-24-101, 1 TD, 1-3 rushing) Constant defensive pressure by Buffalo lead to McCown's worst performance of the year, despite the return of Pro-Bowl wideout Anquan Boldin. The Buffalo defense owned the Cardinal offensive line, particularly up the middle. Because of that pressure, McCown often had a defender his face after dropping back. McCown seemed to be especially out of sync with Larry Fitzgerald, unable to complete a pass to Fitzgerald, despite 5 balls thrown his way. McCown had Fitzgerald streaking down the sideline wide open, but put way too much on the throw and it sailed incomplete. McCown's only touchdown of the day came on the last Arizona drive as the Cardinals took several shots into the end zone. McCown looked for Fitzgerald and Boldin in the end zone on two previous downs before finally finding Bryant uncovered for the score. RB: Emmitt Smith (22-64 rushing, 1-5 receiving on 1 target) Emmitt Smith looked good early in the game, running with power and picking up nice gains on frequent cutback runs. Particularly impressive was a run where Smith drug 335 lb DT Sam Adams for an extra couple of yards after Adams had Smith wrapped up. But as the game wore on, the Bills were able to get more defensive pressure up the middle of the Arizona line, and Smith was less effective. Smith had a nice 20 yard run on Arizona's first drive called back due to a holding penalty. Troy Hambrick (13-53 rushing) Hambrick spelled Smith and ran somewhat effectively. Hambrick's stats were padded by a 20 yard gain on a draw play late in the game with Buffalo holding a commanding lead. SS Lawyer Milloy stripped Hambrick of the ball early in the second quarter, and the fumble was recovered by Buffalo. The Cardinals were lucky enough that the play was negated by a defensive penalty and went on to score a touchdown on the drive. Obafemi Ayanbadejo (1-4 rushing, 1 TD) Ayanbadejo received his only carry of the day on the goal line and ran around right end for an easy touchdown. WR: Anquan Boldin (4-50 receiving on 9 targets) Boldin didn't start the game for the Cardinals, but entered the game about a minute in. He instantly became McCown's favorite receiver, leading the Cardinals in both receiving yards and targets. Boldin caught the first pass by a Cardinals' receiver, catching a jump ball that McCown lofted under a heavy pass rush. That play kept a Cardinal drive alive. He made another great grab on 3rd down on a series that lead to an Arizona touchdown. Boldin was the target on a 4th down in the third quarter, but he couldn't make a tough catch as he fell to the ground. McCown heaved a prayer up for Boldin in the end zone on the Cardinals' final drive. Boldin caught the ball in the front right corner of the end zone, but his second foot came down out of bounds. Bryant Johnson (3-38 receiving on 7 targets, 1 TD) Despite the return of Boldin, Johnson still received a high number of targets. Johnson's touchdown came late in the game, on a series where each of the Cardinals' starting wide receivers was targeted in the end zone on consecutive plays. Johnson beat the coverage and found himself uncovered in the back of the end zone a 28 yard score. Earlier in the fourth quarter, Johnson killed a drive when he dropped an easy catch on third down after getting hit by DB Jabari Greer. Larry Fitzgerald (0-0 receiving on 5 targets, 1-4 rushing) Fitzgerald was held without a catch for the first time in his professional career. Fitzgerald just seemed to be out of sync with McCown in this game. Early on, Fitzgerald went deep and McCown expected Fitzgerald to run a quick out, leading to an ugly incompletion. In the second half, Fitzgerald was streaking down the right sideline and was wide open after beating the coverage, but McCown badly overthrew the ball. Fitzgerald uncharacteristically dropped an easy pass over the middle for what would have been a short gain. After shoving a defender at the end of a play, Fitzgerald drew a 15 yard penalty for unnecessary roughness. TE: Freddie Jones (1-8 receiving on 2 targets) Jones was not targeted much by McCown in this game, pulling in one of his two targets for an eight yard gain. K: Neil Rackers (2 XP, 0-1 FG) After a sack seemingly pushed the Cardinals out of field goal range, Rackers was brought on to attempt what would have been an NFL record 65 yard field goal. Rackers is known for having a strong leg and the kick seemed feasible considering he was shown hitting from a similar distance in pre-game warm-ups and had a strong wind at his back. However, Rackers kick barely made it to the goal line, and the live ball was returned for a short gain by the Bills special teamers. Pass Defense: The Cardinals passing defense didn't need to do much in this game as Buffalo did most of their damage on the ground. When the Bills were faced with a 3rd and long however, Bledsoe was able to loft an easy touchdown on a fade route to Eric Moulds. On the next Bills' drive they let backup TE Tim Euhus slip into the flat for a touchdown that put the game away. CB David Macklin had a Bledsoe pass thrown right to him, but had it go right through his hands. Arizona was unable to sack Drew Bledsoe on the day. Rush Defense: The Cardinals gave up their first two rushing scores of the year in this game. McGahee actually had a third rushing touchdown called back because of a holding penalty. McGahee consistently found room to run against the Cardinals defense. DE Bertrand Berry made a great tackle of McGahee chasing him down in the open field on 3rd down to end up a Buffalo drive. Buffalo Bills QB: Drew Bledsoe (8-17-81, 2 TD, 1-0 rushing) Bledsoe was not asked to do much in this game. He often had great field position to work with due to Arizona's offensive struggles and the fantastic performance by the Bills' special teams. The field position combined with the sloppy conditions lead to Bledsoe handing the ball off to Willis McGahee for much of the afternoon. On the few occasions that Bledsoe did throw the ball, he was effective. Bledsoe threw two fourth quarter touchdowns to put the game out of reach. The first touchdown was a fade route to Eric Moulds in the back of the end zone. For his second score, Bledsoe found backup tight end Tim Euhus open in the flat for a 12 yard touchdown. Bledsoe's only mistake came when he threw a pass directly to CB David Macklin in the second quarter, but Macklin dropped the ball. Shane Matthews (0-0-0, 2-minus 3 rushing) Matthews entered the game late on Buffalo's last drive to hand the ball off and to take a knee. He didn't attempt a pass. RB: Willis McGahee (30-102 rushing, 2 TD, 1-9 receiving on 2 targets) McGahee started the game at tailback for Buffalo and was the Bill's primary offensive weapon in this game. Until the final drive when the backups entered the game, McGahee received 30 of the Bills' 31 carries. McGahee ran with power and speed, displaying a wicked stiff arm. McGahee scored his first two touchdowns as a Buffalo Bill in this game. For the first, McGahee took the ball on a quick trap and walked into the end zone untouched around the right side. On the second, McGahee got a series of goal line carries late in the game, finally bulling up the middle for a one yard score. McGahee actually had a third touchdown in this game that was called back to due to a holding penalty. It wasn't a perfect day for McGahee however. He was the target on a Bledsoe dump off pass when Bledsoe was under a heavy blitz, but McGahee didn't even turn around to see the pass as it hit the ground behind him. McGahee also had a blooper-worthy play as he chased down a fumbled snap and was the only player within 5 yards of the ball, but slipped on the wet turf and could only watch as other players vied for the football. Travis Henry (1-2 rushing) Travis Henry didn't enter the game until there were nine minutes left to play. He took his one carry for two yards. In garbage time, it was Joe Burns, not Henry, that ran out the clock. Joe Burns (4-27 rushing) Joe Burns entered the game on Buffalo's last drive with the game out of reach for Arizona. Burns took four handoffs from Shane Matthews. The highlight was when Burns took the ball off left tackle for a 21 yard gain. Daimon Shelton (1-2 receiving on 2 targets) FB Daimon Shelton was the target of two Drew Bledsoe passes, catching 1 of them for two yards. WR: Eric Moulds (3-40 receiving on 6 targets, 1 TD) Moulds continues to be the Bills' most effective receiver. He caught a fade route in the back corner of the end zone early in the fourth quarter to open up a 17 point Buffalo lead. Moulds was Bledsoe's first and only read on the play, and easily came down with the ball for the score. Moulds should have scored a second touchdown late in the fourth quarter when he found himself wide open down the right sideline, but lost his balance and stepped out of bounds at the 2-yard line setting up McGahee's second touchdown. Moulds also threw a key block on a long McGahee run early in the first quarter. Lee Evans (1-9 receiving on 2 targets) Evans didn't catch a pass until midway through the third quarter. He was targeted in the end zone on a long Bledsoe throw late in the game, but was blanketed by CB Renaldo Hill who easily deflected the ball. Josh Reed (0-0 receiving on 0 targets) Reed was injured returning a punt two minutes into this game. Reed was hit in the knee by LB Levar Wood's helmet during a punt return. Reed laid on the ground for a few minutes. He was later shown walking on the sidelines on his own power. He did not return to the game and the extent of his injury is unknown. TE: Mark Campbell (0-0 receiving on 2 targets) Campbell started the game at tight end for the Bills, but was unable to pull in either of this two targets. Tim Euhus (2-21 receiving on 2 targets, 1 TD) After a McGahee touchdown was called back due to a holding penalty, Bledsoe found Euhus in the flat for a 12 yard touchdown. K: Rian Lindell (5 XP, 1-1 FG) Lindell hit all 5 of his extra points and a 25 yard field goal. Pass Defense: Josh McCown found himself under heavy pressure by the Bills pass rush all day long. The Bills were able to rack up three sacks. LB Jeff Posey forced a fumble as he hit McCown as he attempted a pass late in the second half as the Cardinals were driving toward a field goal. The play was negated by penalty but SS Coy Wire sacked McCown on the next play, effectively taking the Cardinals out of field goal range. The Bills managed to leave Bryant Johnson uncovered for a touchdown late in the game, but at the point the game was out of reach. Rush Defense: DT Sam Adams and DT Pat Williams clogged the middle of the line, giving Arizona little room to run. Emmitt Smith ran effectively on the first couple of Arizona drives, but as the game wore on, Smith found less and less running room. Green Bay Packers 28 at Washington Redskins 14 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers used a brilliant offensive start to jump out to a quick 17-0 lead after their first three possessions, then held on late to secure a 28-14 win over the Washington Redskins. QB Brett Favre, playing with a right hand injury, started out hot and finished with 289 passing yards and a touchdown, while leading the Packers to the early lead, but faded down the stretch. His three interceptions kept Washington in the game until the final minutes when RB Ahman Green scored from 11 yards out to seal the win. Green played well against a tough Washington defense that came into the game ranked first in the NFL. He finished with only 70 yards rushing, but managed two touchdowns and was finally a factor in the passing game, catching four balls for 73 yards. WR Javon Walker scored another touchdown, a wide-open 9-yard catch in the 2nd quarter that put Green Bay ahead 17-0. He was once again Favre's favorite target on 3rd down, including a big 18-yard catch on the Packers second drive, and received eight targets in all. He did, however, fumble after a would-be 3rd down conversion in Redskins territory, stalling a Packer attempt to at to their 17-7 lead just before the half. WR Donald Driver was less of a factor, catching just 2 passes for 48 yards. 41 of those yards came on a deep pass over the middle on the Packers opening drive of the game, and his other 7-yard catch also came on that drive. Green Bay's defense played well for the third straight game, bottling Washington up until the 4th quarter. Even then, the Redskins scoring opportunities were due more to Favre's interceptions than Washington sustaining drives. Prior to the 4th quarter, Washington's longest drive was just 31 yards. Green Bay became the first team to rack up over 300 yards of offense against Washington this season, finishing with 361. Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins rallied from 17-0 down in the 2nd quarter to eventually cut the Green Bay lead to 20-14 in the 4th quarter. James Thrash's illegal motion penalty that wiped out a 43-yard pass to RB Clinton Portis will be blamed for costing the Redskins a potential 21-20 lead late in the 4th quarter. But the Redskins should look to their entire offense, particularly QB Mark Brunell, whose erratic passing helped put the Redskins in a big hole early. Brunell completed 25 of 44 passes, but was intercepted twice and threw woefully off-target early on, costing the Redskins any chance at sustained drives. After the penalty negated the Redskins touchdown, Brunell threw his second interception of the day, right at Green Bay's Al Harris, to end the Redskins chance at victory. CB Shawn Springs intercepted two Brett Favre passes, setting up both Redskin scores, but Fred Smoot's interception went for naught when Clinton Portis had his catch and run for an apparent go-ahead score nullified by Thrash's penalty. The penalty minimized what could have been a quality game by Portis. He finished with 70 rushing yards and 17 receiving yards on 7 catches. WR Rod Gardner was Brunell's favorite target in the red zone, catching both Redskins touchdowns, despite catching only 3 passes for 41 yards on the day. WR Laveranues Coles had 7 catches for 84 yards, but was unsuccessful on a couple targets in the red zone. After struggling early, the Redskins managed to shut down the Packers until their final possession. Leading 20-14, Washington allowed Ahman Green to move the ball right down the field and waltz in from 11 yards out for the clinching touchdown. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Green Bay Packers QB: Brett Favre (20-32-289, 1 TD, 3 INT) started off hot, but cooled off after leading Green Bay to an early 17-0 lead. In the second half, his right hand appeared to bother him, but it was not apparent whether that had anything to do with his three interceptions. Favre hit Donald Driver for 41 yards on the Packers opening drive, setting the tone early. On the next drive he hooked up with Robert Ferguson for 48 yards on a perfectly thrown ball down the left sideline. After an easy touchdown pass to Javon Walker for a 17-0 lead, Favre struggled. Springs picked him off on the Packers next drive, stepping in front of TE Bubba Franks. He led a two-minute drill to end the half, but Walker's fumble ended that drive. Springs jumped a slant for Favre's second interception, then Washington's Fred Smoot intercepted a pass thrown up for grabs, intended for Ferguson. RB: Ahman Green (24-70 rushing, 2 TD, 4-73 receiving on 4 targets) scored his first touchdown from one yard out. He capped the Packers scoring in the 4th quarter, running nearly untouched from 11 yards out. In between he also caught a 48-yard pass from Favre, a swing pass caught in stride wide open in the right flat. The best sign may have been the Packers clinching drive, when the Packers trusted the fumble-prone RB and were rewarded with 4 carries for 36 yards. WR: Javon Walker (5-57 receiving on 8 targets, 1 TD, 1 Fumble) managed to get wide open in the end zone for the second week in a row and catch a 9-yard pass for a touchdown. The drive before that, he caught a key 3rd-down pass for 18 yards. He ended the Packers final drive of the first half by catching a pass for 1st down yardage, but lost the ball when the Redskins Walt Harris knocked the ball loose. Donald Driver (2-48 receiving on 7 targets) caught both his passes on the Packers opening drive. In the 3rd quarter Driver found himself wide open down the left sideline, but Favre barely overthrew him and the ball bounced off his fingertips. TE: Bubba Franks (1-7 receiving on 2 targets) caught another ball in the red zone, as usual, but failed to score on it. He was the intended receiver on Springs' first interception, and failed to come back for the ball. K: Ryan Longwell (2XP, 2-2 FG) made field goals of 37 and 39 yards. Pass Defense: Bhawoh Jue filled in nicely for injured S Darren Sharper. He and Al Harris each intercepted passes and Green Bay pressured Brunell all day, recording 4 sacks. Harris interception came right after Portis had his touchdown catch called back. Rush Defense: Green Bay stood in well against Portis, allowing him just 70 yards. Portis' longest run was 15 yards. Washington Redskins QB: Mark Brunell (25-44-218, 2 TD, 2INT, 1-5 rushing) was erratic early, costing his team a couple of third-down conversions. He overthrew WR Taylor Jacobs on the Redskins opening drive, and missed another conversion on the next drive with when his pass was thrown too high for his receiver to run after the catch. He did hit WR Rod Gardner twice on scoring strikes, and had one to Portis called back, but he followed that up with a poor throw into double coverage that Al Harris intercepted to seal the game for Green Bay. RB: Clinton Portis (17-70 rushing, 7-17 receiving on 12 targets) would have had a better day if not for the Thrash penalty. He ran well, but Green Bay's early lead negated his impact. Despite 12 targets and seven receptions, Portis managed just 17 receiving yards, including a 7-yard loss on one screen pass. WR: Rod Gardner (3-41 receiving on 9 targets, 2 TD, 1-6 rushing) had trouble shaking Al Harris between the twenties, but got loose twice for touchdowns in the red zone. His second touchdown was a nice pattern to the left middle of the end zone, which cut Green Bay's lead to 20-14. He was also the intended receiver on Brunell's final interception, but the ball never got near him. Laveranues Coles (7-84 receiving on 14 targets) was the Redskins possession receiver, with his longest catch going for 17 yards. He was targeted twice in the endzone, but Brunell overthrew him once and under threw him the other time. TE: Chris Cooley (2-23 receiving on 2 targets) was not a major factor in the game. K: Ola Kimrin (2 XP, 0-1 FG) missed a 35-yard field goal that would have cut the Packers lead to 20-10 early in the 4th quarter. The ball bounced off the left upright. Pass Defense: The Redskins allowed nearly 300 passing yards, but most of the damage came early. They struggled against the deep pass, but Shawn Springs nearly made a game of it with two big interceptions. Rush Defense: Green Bay was able to control the ball on their final drive and run it in rather easily. Overall, Washington limited Green Bay to 88 yards rushing, 3.1 yards per carry. San Francisco 49ers 13 at Chicago Bears 23 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW San Francisco 49ers Quarterback Tim Rattay was a late scratch from the 49er starting lineup. The Associated Press reported he had a right forearm injury, but the ESPN game announcers repeatedly referred to Rattay's recurring groin and shoulder problems. Regardless of the reason, Ken Dorsey, in his second year out of Miami (Fla.), started for the third time this season. Dorsey was criticized unmercifully by the ESPN crew for a lack of arm strength, but he rarely had a chance to set his feet and throw because the patchwork 49er offensive line allowed at least one Bear to penetrate on nearly every pass play. Dorsey's one interception came with less than four minutes to play and was quite costly: rookie cornerback Nathan Vasher took it back 71 yards for a touchdown that increased Chicago's lead from three points to 10. Eric Johnson was the forgotten man for San Francisco. He was thrown to just once in the first three quarters of play and three times in the entire game. Johnson's only reception came with 3:34 to play in the fourth quarter. Through the first seven weeks (six games for the 49ers), Johnson led all NFL tight ends in catches with 45. Earlier this month, he had back-to-back games of 10-113 versus the St. Louis Rams and 13-162 against the Arizona Cardinals (the latter effort set a San Francisco record for receiving yardage by a tight end). The San Francisco offense managed just 162 total yards, the team's worst showing since 1978 - the year before Bill Walsh took over as head coach. The running game was non-existent for most of the contest, as the 49ers gained just 12 yards on the ground in the first half. Running back Kevan Barlow did not have a carry longer than 8 yards before he broke one for 16 yards in the fourth quarter. Barlow finished with 56 yards on 18 carries. The only 49er touchdown of the night was scored by the defense. With the Bears leading, 7-0, in the first quarter and threatening to score again with a third and goal at the San Francisco 12-yard line, Chicago quarterback Craig Krenzel was sacked and fumbled. Cornerback Dwaine Carpenter scooped up the loose ball and took it 80 yards for the score. Chicago Bears Running back Thomas Jones left the game in the first quarter due to a sprained foot. He had one carry for 1 yard on the Bears' first play from scrimmage. Anthony Thomas took over and played well - especially in the first quarter. This season, Thomas had appeared in five games, and had just 16 rushes and 48 yards and 2 receptions for 4 yards. Against the 49ers, he had 98 yards on 25 carries plus 4 catches for 46 yards. Rookie quarterback Craig Krenzel made his first NFL start Sunday night, just one week after his professional debut against Tampa Bay. The results of Krenzel's first three possessions showed why coaches hate starting rookie QBs. His first pass, on Chicago's second offensive play, was good for a 49-yard touchdown to fellow rookie Bernard Berrian. However, the next two drives ended in turnovers. Facing a third-and-goal situation at the 49er 12, Krenzel fumbled and the ball was returned for a game-tying touchdown. Four plays later, his pass sailed over Berrian's head and was intercepted by Ronnie Heard. Bobby Wade, a second-year receiver out of Arizona, had the most touches of anyone on the Chicago offense other than Krenzel and Thomas. Wade caught 3 passes for 33 yards and ran the ball twice for 5 yards. Wade's first carry, on an end around in the first quarter, lost 3 yards. His 8-yard run on a reverse late in the third quarter helped set up Paul Edinger's third and final field goal, which gave the Bears a 16-13 lead. Wade was a dual receiving/running threat in college, and appears to be continuing in that role in the NFL. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW San Francisco 49ers QB: Ken Dorsey (16-36-122 passing, 0 TD, 1 Int, 2-5 rushing) Pressed into service for the injured Tim Rattay, Dorsey had a rough night. The Chicago pass rush harassed him constantly, and many of his 20 incompletions were hurries. He wasn't as bad as ESPN's Joe Theisman tried to make him sound, but he wasn't particularly good, either. Dorsey made little effort to look for tight end Eric Johnson, the team's most potent offensive weapon, and many of his passes were low. On the plus side, he completed passes to eight different receivers. Two replay challenges went against the 49ers and Dorsey: a reversal took away what appeared to be a completion to Brandon Lloyd that would have been a first down (leading to a missed 50-yard field goal), and Nathan Vasher's knee touched the ground at the beginning of his interception return for a TD, but it was ruled he was bobbling the ball and therefore was not down by contact. RB: Kevan Barlow (18-56 rushing, 3-16 receiving on 3 targets, 1 fumble lost) Barlow has struggled to find running room all season, and his troubles continued Sunday night in Chicago. With a second-string offensive line and a young quarterback, Barlow had 2 carries for a net zero yards in the first quarter, and a meager total of 8 yards on 7 rushes in the first half. Early in the third quarter, one play after San Francisco recovered an Anthony Thomas fumble, Barlow gave the ball right back with a fumble of his own. His biggest contribution was a 16-yard run (by far his longest of the night) in the fourth quarter that converted a third-and-4 situation. Fred Beasley (3-1 rushing, 2- -1 receiving on 5 targets) The normally reliable Beasley had a poor night. He dropped a pass in the second quarter, and was stuffed for no gain on a third and 1 run in the fourth. Terry Jackson (0-0 rushing, 2-7 receiving on 3 targets) Jackson had 1 reception in the first quarter and 1 in the second in limited playing time. WR: Brandon Lloyd (5-63 receiving on 11 targets, 0 TD) Lloyd had an up-and-down game. He was the busiest 49er receiver in the first half with 3 catches and 6 targets. Lloyd did not have a pass thrown in way in the third quarter as the Niners tried to run more to take pressure off Dorsey. When the team fell behind by three points in the fourth quarter, Lloyd was the target on 5 passes. He appeared to make a clutch, third-down reception, but it was taken away on a questionable replay overturn. Lloyd was the target on the late pass that was intercepted and returned for a TD. Arnaz Battle (1-20 receiving on 3 targets) The second-year player out of Notre Dame showed good toughness on his one reception as he broke a tackle and moved the ball into Chicago territory. The 49ers kicked a field goal later in the drive to go ahead, 13-10. Late in the second quarter, Battle had a pass go off his hands, though it would have been a difficult catch. Curtis Conway (1-4 receiving on 2 targets) Like TE Eric Johnson, Conway was surprisingly quiet. He had the most receptions of any San Francisco wideout through the first six games (25), but had just 1 catch for 4 yards. Cedrick Wilson (0-0 receiving on 5 targets) Wilson had a forgettable night as he failed to catch any of the passes thrown his way. He dropped a pass on San Francisco's final play, though the ball was low. TE: Eric Johnson (1-9 receiving on 3 targets) Johnson was all but ignored: he didn't see the ball in the first or third quarters, had 1 target in the second, and didn't make his first catch until late in the game. On some plays, the Bears were double-teaming him, and on others, the pass rush forced Dorsey to get rid of the ball too early, but with the offense struggling even to make first downs, getting the ball to Johnson should have been the priority. One can only assume that point will be discussed in practice this week. Aaron Walker (1-4 receiving on 2 targets) Walker's only catch came in the third quarter. He drew a pass interference penalty in the fourth period. K: Todd Peterson (1-1 XP, 2-3 FGs) For a guy who is not known for having a strong leg, Peterson had a nice game. He twice gave the 49ers the lead in the first half on field goals of 48 and 51 yards. The 48-yarder barely snuck over the crossbar, and the 51-yarder hit the bar and bounced over. His previous long for the season was 42 yards. Peterson's lone miss was from 50 yards, was into the wind, and there was a bad snap. Pass Defense: Despite the fact they were coming off their bye week, the 49ers continue to operate without several defensive starters - including both cornerbacks. You have to remember that this was against a rookie quarterback in his first NFL start. CB Dwaine Carpenter scored the team's only touchdown on a fumble return, but he later dropped an interception in the end zone that would have prevented the Bears from kicking the field goal that gave them a 16-13 lead. The Niners generated 5 sacks for 34 yards in losses, including 2 each by linebacker Jamie Winborn and defensive tackle Bryant Young. Free safety Ronnie Heard had the Niners' only interception. Rush Defense: San Francisco did a decent job against the run after allowing Anthony Thomas to rush for 58 of his 98 yards in the first quarter (on only 7 carries). Chicago rushed for 120 yards on 33 tries, a 3.6-yard average. Chicago Bears QB: Craig Krenzel (13-25-168 passing, 1 TD, 1 Int, 4-9 rushing). Krenzel had a spectacular introduction to the home crowd, completing a 49-yard bomb for a touchdown on the Bears' second play from scrimmage. He followed that with a fumble in the red zone and an interception at midfield on Chicago's next two possessions. The turnovers led to San Francisco's first 10 points. Krenzel was bothered several times by the blitz and overthrew open receivers. He should have had at least one more interception, but Dwaine Carpenter dropped a ball in the end zone. Overall, Krenzel did a decent job in his first career start. RB: Anthony Thomas (25-98 rushing, 0 TD, 4-46 receiving on 4 targets, 1 fumble lost) Thomas had a great first quarter, was held in check for much of the game, then helped the Bears run out the clock with tough running in the fourth period. After stepping in for the injured Thomas Jones, his first carry went for 12 yards. He closed the first quarter with his longest run of the night: 28 yards. He had 58 yards on 7 carries in the first period. His longest reception of the night (30 yards), also came in the first quarter. With 2:34 to play, Chicago gave Thomas the ball four straight times. He gained 5 yards, then 4, was stopped for no gain, then powered for 5 yards on fourth and 1 to seal the deal. Bryan Johnson (0-0 rushing, 3-5 receiving on 5 targets) Johnson has yet to record his first carry this season, but he is a reliable receiver out of the fullback spot. Thomas Jones (1-1 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 0 targets) The Bears' starting running back left the game on the team's third offensive play with a sprained foot. He did not return. WR: Bernard Berrian (1-49 receiving on 4 targets, 1-7 rushing) Berrian scored the first touchdown of his career in the first quarter on a 49-yard streak. He did not catch another pass, but drew an illegal contact penalty in the third quarter. Berrian had a 7-yard run in the third quarter. Bobby Wade (3-33 receiving on 9 targets, 2-5 rushing) Wade had one completion each in the first, third and fourth quarters. Krenzel tried to get Wade the ball four times in the second quarter, but failed to connect a legal completion. One pass bounced off Wade's hands, and Wade later was flagged for offensive pass interference, wiping out a 16-yard gain. David Terrell (1-14 receiving on 3 targets) Terrell was the team leader in receiving yards coming in with 277 (on 17 catches), but had a quiet night. He made a nice catch on a low pass for his only reception with four seconds left in the second quarter, but Paul Edinger missed a 53-yard field goal on the next play. TE: Desmond Clark (1-21 receiving on 2 targets) Clark made a good catch on a pass that was up for grabs when Krenzel's arm was hit while throwing. Clark was the target in the end zone when Krenzel tried to force a pass that should have been intercepted by Dwaine Carpenter. K: Paul Edinger (2-2 XPs, 3-4 FGs) Edinger has a lot of leg, and displayed it Sunday night. He was good from 52 and 45 in the second quarter (the former hit the crossbar and bounced over - both kickers pulled that trick on Halloween). He was barely short on a 53-yarder into the wind at the halftime gun, but booted one from 27 yards away to give the Bears a 16-13 lead early in the fourth quarter. Pass Defense: The Bears did a good job of limiting San Francisco's pass offense with a strong rush. Chicago sacked Dorsey 3 times for 22 yards in losses and forced at least 15 hurries. The Bears could have had one or two more interceptions, but dropped catchable balls. Rush Defense: The Bears' run defense was excellent, allowing just 62 yards on 23 carries, a 2.7-yard average. Then again, San Francisco has not run the ball all year thanks to a beat up offensive line. |
|
|
Site Map | Contact
Us | Login
/ Signup
©Copyright Footballguys.com 2003, All rights reserved. |