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

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

Joe

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

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Joe Bryant
Owner - www.Footballguys.com

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

Edited by Joe Bryant with Cathy Fazio

New York Jets 29 at St. Louis Rams 32

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

New York Jets

The Jets played the overtime session of this game knowing they were already in the playoffs, but you wouldn't have known it based on the way they played. Head coach Herm Edwards elected to leave all of his starters in the game and go for the win. They had a chance to win it, but Doug Brien missed a 53 yard field goal in the overtime session. The Jets will travel to San Diego for a first round playoff matchup against the Chargers next weekend.

RB Curtis Martin continues to pile up accolades. In this game, he passed Eric Dickerson for fifth place on the all-time rushing yardage list and then later passed Jerome Bettis for fourth. He also became the Jets all time leader in yards from scrimmage. Martin finished the 2004 regular season with a career high 1,697 rushing yards.

WR Wayne Chrebet suffered what was termed a mild concussion and did not return to the game. With a history of concussions like Chrebet has, one has to wonder if he'll be able to suit up next week.

St. Louis Rams

The Rams overcame three more turnovers to win against New York, and will head into the postseason with an 8-8 record and a minus-24 turnover differential. But, as has been the case so many times during this current Rams' era, they made big plays that were the difference in the game.

QB Marc Bulger had a monster fantasy day, going over 400 yards and throwing three scores. Perhaps most amazingly, he did all that with a running game that totaled 47 yards on the ground in nearly five quarters of action.

WR Torry Holt's big plays were pretty much the difference here. Despite not being involved much early, Holt made his catches count. He scored two long touchdowns, and added another acrobatic catch on a late drive.

S Adam Archuleta got a huge reprieve when Jeff Wilkins connected on the game winning field goal. With the Jets driving for the game tying kick in regulation, Archuleta allowed a potential interception at the goal line to bounce right off his hands. Had he secured the pass, the Rams could have knelt out the clock and won it right then. Two plays after the near pick, Doug Brien's field goal sent the game into overtime but the Rams were able to prevail anyway.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

New York Jets

QB: Chad Pennington (21-36-181, 1 TD, 3-17 rushing) had a relatively effective game. On one play in particular, Pennington had a wide-open Santana Moss streaking down the sideline. Had Pennington led the receiver a little more, it would have gone for a touchdown. As it was, the ball was under thrown and Moss had to come back for it, and the pass was broken up. In Pennington's defense, he did take a vicious helmet to helmet hit just as he threw, which likely disrupted his timing on the play. All in all, it was a typical Chad Pennington type performance. Several screens, lots of hitches and hook routes, nothing too extravagant. Pennington had a little trouble getting the Jets' offense into the end zone, however. If it weren't for a great effort after the catch by TE Chris Baker, the Jets offense may not have found the end zone all game, despite moving the ball almost at will in the early portions. The Jets' offensive line seemed to have a lot of trouble with the quick Rams' defensive lineman. This was never more evident than on each of the career high six times Pennington was sacked. Pennington nearly lost the game for New York even before the overtime session when he put a ball right in the hands of Adam Archuleta at the Rams' 1 yard line. Luckily for the Jets, Archuleta dropped the ball and two plays later, Doug Brien kicked the tying field goal.

RB: Curtis Martin (28-153 rushing, 2-22 receiving on 2 targets) failed to find the end zone, but that takes nothing away from his performance today. For a running back to even be on the field at Martin's age is testament enough. To be a workhorse back like he is and pile up the number of carries he has is incredible. But to carry the ball 28 times and have that kind of success in Week 17 in a game that, at the start at least, your team thought they needed to win to get into the playoffs is simply remarkable. Martin carved up the Rams throughout the game, and wore them down much more than he did. In the course of the game, he vaulted past both Eric Dickerson and Jerome Bettis on the all-time rushing yardage list and now sits at fourth place. He also became the Jets' all time leader in yards from scrimmage, passing Don Maynard.

LaMont Jordan (7-23 rushing, 1-1 receiving on 1 target) had a fairly limited role today and didn't break any huge runs.

WR: Justin McCareins (6-62 receiving on 8 targets) led the Jets in both receptions and receiving yards, as well as being targeted more than any other player. As the season has worn on, McCareins has seen his role grow more and more each week.

Santana Moss (4-28 receiving on 7 targets, 1 for -13 rushing) had another disappointing fantasy day, capping off an ultimately disappointing season. One play in particular, however, really evidenced why all of the blame can't just be heaped on Moss. He had gotten wide open against the Rams' secondary and could have waltzed into the end zone for a touchdown had Chad Pennington been able to put the ball out in front of him. But, as has been the case many times this season, Pennington's throw fell short of its target and the ball fell harmlessly incomplete. His -13 yard run came on an end-around that he fumbled. He tried doubling back to pick up yardage, but by that point it was too late and there were Rams' defenders all over him.

Wayne Chrebet (2-18 receiving on 3 targets) caught 2 early passes, but then left the game with a mild concussion. Chrebet has an extensive history of concussions and it is unclear what his status will be for the remainder of the season and, quite possibly, his career. He was replaced by Jerricho Cotchery.

Jerricho Cotchery (2-15 receiving on 6 targets) saw plenty of passes come his way, but was only able to catch two of them. He will try to fill the possession receiver role until Wayne Chrebet can return.

TE: Chris Baker (1-8, 1 TD receiving on 2 targets) was only thrown to twice in the game, but he made the most of the opportunities. He caught a simple TE screen pass from the 8 yard line and made several nice moves before diving into the end zone for the Jets' only offensive touchdown of the game.

K: Doug Brien (3-4 FG, 2 XP) connected on three field goal attempts, with his only miss being a costly one. The Jets lined up for a 53 yard attempt in overtime to win the game. Brien's kick had enough distance, but he pushed it just wide. That set up the Rams with great field position, and they won it on their ensuing drive. Brien connected from distances of 47, 33, and 27 yards out.

Pass Defense: Put it this way: the Jets gave up over 400 yards and three touchdowns through the air, and if not for a couple of breaks, things could have been even worse. First, Erik Coleman intercepted a Marc Bulger pass right at the goal line. Replays showed that the ball may have hit the ground during the interception, but perhaps not. And then the Jets' biggest play of the game, a touchdown return by LB Jonathan Vilma, came off a deflection that was batted in the air. Later, Isaac Bruce injured his hip and had to leave the game. He was in and out for much of the second half. If not for Shaun Ellis recording three sacks in the game, and those earlier breaks, things would have been quite bad for New York. David Barrett had absolutely no chance against Torry Holt after the end of the first quarter, and Marc Bulger and the receiving corps made play after play in the overtime session to get the Rams into range for the eventual game-winning kick. The Jets' defensive backs, especially, did a horrid job of coverage on any and all Rams receivers.

Run Defense: The Jets did a stellar job in this phase of the game, allowing the Rams just 47 yards rushing on 19 carries (2.5 YPC). However, the time they really could have used a big play was after the Rams scored to take a one-point lead. RB Stephen Jackson took the ensuing 2 point conversion try in, which gave the Rams a 3 point advantage. The Jets managed to drive downfield and kick a field goal on their ensuing possession, but all it did was tie the game rather than win it.

St. Louis Rams

QB: Marc Bulger (29-39-450, 3 TD, 2 Int, 1-6 rushing) didn't appear on his way to a big fantasy day judging by the early numbers. The Jets controlled the ball for much of the first half, and Bulger and the Rams were unable to get into a passing rhythm. But once they did, it never slowed down. Bulger completed over 70% of his passes, and led the Rams downfield on the eventual game winning drive in overtime. Bulger didn't have the backing of a very good running game in this one, so much of it was on him. He was spot on with many of his pass attempts, and really looked good. One of the interceptions was a poor decision, but may not have actually been an interception. It was ruled as such, despite the possibility that the defender dropped the ball. The second interception came off a deflection and right into the arms of Jonathan Vilma, who returned it for a touchdown. But Bulger shook off the turnovers and played a very good game when it mattered most.

RB: Stephen Jackson (10-29, 1 TD, 4-51 receiving on 4 targets) didn't light up the stat sheet, but he made three of the biggest plays of the game and was very instrumental in the Rams winning. With Marshall Faulk nearly invisible for much of the game, it was Jackson who got the calls at the key moments. First, he scored on a 20 yard touchdown run (a run on which he broke some tough tackles) early in the third quarter to put the Rams up 21-10. He later scored the 2-point conversion that put the Rams up by three. And finally, it was Jackson's 22 yard reception of a swing pass on the game winning drive that put the Rams in position to try the eventual game winning field goal.

Marshall Faulk (7-15 rushing, 1-11 receiving on 1 target) did not have a good game. His longest run of the game went for just 5 yards; he averaged just over 2 yards per carry, caught 1 pass, and was responsible for a horrendous job of tackling Jonathan Vilma during his interception return. The announcers made no mention of it, but during Vilma's return, Faulk stood waiting for him near the goal line and was the last line of defense between Vilma and a touchdown. Rather than bear down and try to stop Vilma from scoring, Faulk pulled a Roger Dorn-type ole move and allowed him to walk past him for the touchdown.

WR: Torry Holt (7-116, 2 TD receiving on 12 targets) made several key plays and really opened things up for the rest of the Rams' receivers. Holt wasn't even targeted until there was 1:44 left in the second quarter, but made up for his lack of action in a big way. His first target bounced off his fingertips in the back of the end zone, but that was the fault of Marc Bulger rather than Holt. The next time Holt saw a pass was less than a minute later. Following a Bulger interception, the Jets went three-and-out. On the first play of the possession, Bulger lofted a bomb to Holt in the end zone. He had badly beaten his primary defender, and now had to fight off the safety for the ball. He did. Opening the second half, Holt made a great catch along the sidelines to prolong a drive that eventually led to a Stephen Jackson touchdown run. Finally, Holt added another touchdown late in the fourth quarter that featured another bad job by Jets defenders and six more points for the Rams.

Isaac Bruce (5-86, 1 TD receiving on 7 targets) started off very well, but slowed down as the game wore on. He scored on an early possession when the Jets somehow lost track of him near the end zone. Unfortunately for Bruce owners, he also coughed up a fumble that led to a Jets' field goal. He also suffered some sort of hip injury. He limped very gingerly off the field after initially suffering the injury, but then returned to action. He was then seen heading for the locker room, but later returned. His impact after the injury was minimal.

Kevin Curtis (6-99 receiving on 8 targets) picked up the slack when Bruce was hurting. Four of Curtis' six receptions came after the first half, and he benefited greatly by the extra attention being paid Torry Holt.

TE: Brandon Manumaleuna (2-32 receiving on 2 targets) wasn't utilized much, but he came up with a huge reception in the overtime session. Despite his size, Manumaleuna has some of the best hands in the league, and demonstrated that aspect of his game once again today.

K: Jeff Wilkins (1-1 FG, 3 XP) hasn't quite had the season he did a year ago, but he made the all important game winning kick today at least. After a Stephen Jackson reception set it up, Wilkins booted a 31-yard field goal that won the game and sent the Rams into the postseason.

Pass Defense: They didn't give up many yards or any touchdowns through the air, but the Rams' pass defense also didn't help their cause much, either. There was one play in particular that really could have cost them. With the Jets knocking on the doorstep of their end zone, Chad Pennington fired a pass over the middle right into the waiting hands of Rams' safety Adam Archuleta. Had Archuleta hung onto the ball, the Rams could have knelt out the clock on their next possession and won the game, clinching a playoff berth. But Archuleta couldn't hold on. He dropped the pass, the Jets soon after kicked the game-tying field goal, and it took overtime for the Rams to win the game. Had they not been able to take it in overtime, Archuleta would have had to endure a very long offseason. That lone play didn't define the Rams' defense for the day, of course. They did manage to sack Chad Pennington 6 times, and constantly put pressure on him all game long. DE Bryce Fisher, in particular, seemed to be just about everywhere during the game, especially early on. DE Tyoka Jackson was hurt late in the contest, but no updates were given on his condition.

Run Defense: The Jets totaled 183 yards on the ground, with Curtis Martin the main culprit doing damage, as he accounted for 153 of those yards. The Rams basically had no answers for Martin, and that enabled the Jets to control the ball and milk the clock for much of the first half. It was no surprise, then, that the Jets led the time of possession battle 11:53 to 3:52. Martin averaged over five yards per carry, and he was the catalyst behind both the game tying field goal in regulation and the potential game winning field goal in overtime.

Cleveland Browns 22 at Houston Texans 14

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Cleveland Browns

After losing 9 straight games, the team rallied behind interim coach Terry Robiskie and moved the ball effectively in a winning effort against a Houston team that had not allowed a touchdown for over 12 quarters, though the Browns only made it into the end zone once during the game. Phil Dawson provided most of the highlights on the day, kicking 5 field goals on 5 attempts, from 22, 22, 29, 45 and 45 yards.

The return of Kelly Holcomb at quarterback sparked a stagnant offense, as Holcomb completed 20 passes out of 29 attempts for 228 yards and 1 touchdown. Both Antonio Bryant (7 catches for 87 yards) and Dennis Northcutt (5 catches for 85 yards) benefited from his return, as Holcomb was able to get the ball downfield to both receivers. Holcomb looked underneath occasionally, finding Steve Heiden for his only touchdown pass.

For the third straight game, Lee Suggs went over the 100 yard mark, and clearly staked his claim for the starting running back role heading into the 2005 season. William Green saw very little action in this game, getting just 2 carries for no yards.

Houston Texans

A week after dominating Jacksonville on the road, the Texans could not put together a gameplan to rally to an 8-8 season, and were generally outplayed at home on the final weekend of the season. David Carr went 15 out of 25 attempts, but was unable to get the ball downfield at all throughout the day, finishing with just 114 yards and 1 TD.

No wide receiver saw more than 5 targets in this game, and no wide receiver, including Andre Johnson, Corey Bradford, Jabar Gaffney and Derrick Armstrong had more than 2 catches in this game. Domanick Davis led the team in receptions with 5 catches and 42 yards, and tight end Billy Miller finished with 3 catches for 20 yards.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Cleveland Browns

QB: Kelly Holcomb (20-29-228, 1 TD, 2 Int, 2 for -2 rushing) Holcomb's only start of the season prior to this game was his 5 TD performance in a 58-48 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, but a rib injury sent him back to the sidelines before returning for the final week of the season, with the opportunity to showcase his skills with free agency pending in his future. Holcomb made the most of this performance, completing 69% of his passes, and averaging 7.9 yards per passing attempt in a 22-14 victory over the Houston Texans. Holcomb did throw two interceptions to somewhat dampen the performance, but finished with a 75.1 passer rating on the day, and nearly a 100 passer rating on the season, though not throwing enough passes to qualify.

RB: Lee Suggs (26-131 rushing, 3-23 receiving on 4 targets) Suggs scampered for his third straight 100 yard performance, and has defined his role as a cornerstone of the franchise as the new Browns move forward. Suggs averaged over 5 yards on the day, though he did not find the end zone.

William Green (2-0 rushing) William Green failed to do anything in this game, and the former first rounder gained just 37 yards on 30 carries over the final 5 weeks.

WR: Antonio Bryant (7-87 receiving on 10 targets) Antonio Bryant looked very good for the Browns, finishing with 42 catches, 546 yards and 4 TD in 10 games with the squad. It will likewise be interesting to see what role Bryant takes in the Browns' offense next year when Andre Davis and Kellen Winslow return from injuries and a new offense is potentially installed.

Dennis Northcutt (5-85 receiving on 5 targets, 1-4 rushing) Playing perhaps his final game as a Cleveland Brown, Northcutt opened the game with a 48-yard reception, and built on that production primarily through the second half of this game, catching all 5 passes thrown his way.

TE: Steve Heiden (2-20, 1 TD receiving on 3 targets) With the injury to Kellen Winslow early in the season, Steve Heiden made the most of his opportunities as a pass catching TE in this offense, finishing with 28 catches and 5 TD's on the season, including the only Browns' touchdown in this game.

Aaron Shea (2-5 receiving on 3 targets) The Browns' offense seemed to be most effective throughout the season when they had multiple tight ends involved in the offense, and Shea's input in this game helped keep multiple drives moving.

K: Phil Dawson (1-1 XP, 5-5 FG) Dawson finished the season on a high note by tying a team record with 5 field goals made on 5 attempts.

Pass Defense: The Browns were able to shutdown the deep passing game of the Texans, and limited Houston to just 102 net passing yards on the day, forcing Carr to continually dump down to Domanick Davis and Billy Miller on a day that the wide receivers only caught 6 passes for 54 yards.

Rush Defense: The focus of this game was clearly in shutting down the pass, as Domanick Davis and Jonathan Wells were still able to run all over the Browns on this Sunday.

Houston Texans

QB: David Carr (15-25-114, 1 TD, 5-28 rushing) David Carr did not throw any interceptions in this game, but finished with just 4.5 yards per passing attempt in this game, and was unable to get the offense moving effectively throughout the game. With a 60% completion percentage and a touchdown, Carr finished with an 84.4 passer rating in this game.

RB: Domanick Davis (17-103 rushing, 1 TD, 5-42 receiving on 9 targets) Davis went over the 100 yard marker for the fourth time in 6 games, and provided almost all of the Texans' offense in this losing effort.

Jonathan Wells (2-5 rushing, 2-14, 1 TD receiving on 2 targets) Wells caught an early pass for a touchdown to cap off a season in which he scored 5 touchdowns.

WR: Andre Johnson (2-13 receiving on 5 targets) Andre Johnson did not catch a pass after the first quarter, but did draw a key pass interference which set up the 1 yard Domanick Davis plunge to close the score late in the game. Carr did not look downfield often in this game, and no one was hurt more by that than Andre Johnson.

Corey Bradford (2-24 receiving on 4 targets) Corey Bradford led wide receivers in yards in this game, but like Andre Johnson, had just 2 catches.

Jabar Gaffney (1-11 receiving on 3 targets) Gaffney also threw an incomplete pass in this game after taking a backwards pass from David Carr in an effort to likely stretch the defense.

TE: Billy Miller (3-20 receiving on 4 targets) Billy Miller had just 4 games all season with more than one catch, this being one of them, as Carr looked Miller's way often in the 2nd half.

K: Kris Brown (2-2 XP) Kris Brown had a pretty good season, finishing it by converting on both of his extra point attempts.

Pass Defense: The Texans' secondary was vulnerable all season long, and this game was no exception as the Browns were able to pick them apart all day, gaining 228 yards and a touchdown on the day.

Rush Defense: The Browns were able to move effectively against a rush unit that had held its ground throughout the season, where Suggs rumbled over them for 131 yards on this day.

Pittsburgh Steelers 29 at Buffalo Bills 24

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers' running attack was led by undrafted rookie Willie Parker. Parker took over the tailback spot midway through the second quarter and ran for 102 yards on only 19 carries. Duce Staley started the game, but played only a couple of series. Verron Haynes spelled him and played one series before ceding the role to Parker. Jerome Bettis was held out to rest a minor injury.

Tommy Maddox started the game at QB and played 3 quarters in place of Ben Roethlisberger, who was in uniform, but was held out to rest the rib injury he suffered in last week's game against Baltimore. Maddox threw for 140 yards and a TD but also threw 2 interceptions, one of which was returned for a go ahead touchdown by Buffalo. Brian St. Pierre took over for the fourth quarter and looked dazzling handing off to Parker. Plaxico Burress sat out to rest his hamstring, and Hines Ward was pulled from the game after he nabbed the 11 yards needed to get him over the 1,000 mark for the season. Antwaan Randle El was thus the primary receiver, and responded with 81 yards and a touchdown.

The Steelers only played their starters on defense into the second quarter, before rotating in the backups. Nickel back Ricardo Colclough had a big day with 2 sacks, one of which forced a Drew Bledsoe fumble, which James Harrison returned for a TD. Larry Foote also had a big day, forcing a fumble by Nate Clements on a punt return, and intercepting a Bledsoe pass deep in Buffalo territory.

Buffalo Bills

The Bills, desperately needing a win to make the playoffs, looked flat from the onset. Willis McGahee, with the exception of one first-quarter drive, struggled for yardage all day long. However, McGahee rewarded fantasy owners with 2 short TD runs, and also finished with 86 combined yards.

Drew Bledsoe was not given very much time to throw, and as a result, was off his game. Mobility not being his strong suit, Bledsoe was forced to rush his throws and subsequently short-armed a lot of them. 55 of his 189 passing yards came on one late toss to Lee Evans after the game was all but out of reach. Bledsoe threw no touchdowns and 1 bad interception at his own 25. Evans led the Buffalo receivers with 63 yards, including the long catch mentioned earlier, while Eric Moulds was held to only 37 yards on 4 receptions.

The Buffalo defense was its usual opportunistic self, garnering 3 turnovers. Nate Clements, who fumbled a punt in the first quarter, played possessed thereafter, forcing 2 fumbles and returning an intercepted Tommy Maddox pass 31 yards for a touchdown. However, they were repeatedly torched by Maddox on third downs, on which the Steelers converted over 60%. They could not stop Willie Parker in the second half, and the Steelers were able to run out the clock effectively in the endgame.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Pittsburgh Steelers

QB: Tommy Maddox (12-24-120, 1 TD, 2 INT, 1-2 rushing) Maddox played an uneven game, as is to be expected after 3 months of inactivity. He threw a 16 yard TD pass to Randle El, but also missed him on another first quarter drive on a play in which Randle El was wide open in the end zone. One interception was not his fault, as a perfectly thrown ball to Jerame Tuman was jarred loose and popped right into the hands of Takeo Spikes. The other was all on Maddox, as he forced a throw to the sidelines which Nate Clements was able to step in front of and run back for a TD.

Brian St. Pierre played the entire fourth quarter under center for the Steelers, but did not attempt a pass.

RB: Willie Parker (19-102 rushing, 2-4 receiving on 2 targets) Parker played the entire second half as the feature back and did an excellent job. 58 of his yards came on a single run late in the third quarter after Bills' kicker Rian Lindell missed a short field goal which would have given the Bills a four point lead. Parker's run led to a Jeff Reed field goal which gave Pittsburgh the lead for good.

Verron Haynes (8-22 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 2 targets) Haynes played in his customary role as third-down back, and also played one series at tailback. He had one nice run of 11 yards on a draw, but was otherwise contained.

Duce Staley (8-21 rushing) Duce Staley played the first two series of the game and received 8 carries. He was then removed from the game to be rested for the playoffs.

Dan Kreider (3-13 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 1 target) Kreider quadrupled his season carry total in this game, and gained 13 yards on 3 attempts.

WR: Antwaan Randle El (7-81, 1 TD receiving on 8 targets, 1 fumble lost) Antwaan Randle El was the Steelers' passing game in this one. After Hines Ward was pulled in the first quarter, Randle El received well over 50% of the targets for Pittsburgh and responded with 81 yards and a TD. As indicated earlier, he could have easily had a second TD, but Maddox threw behind him as he came free in the back of the end zone. Randle El did lose a fumble in the first quarter at midfield, which led to a Bills' touchdown.

Lee Mays (1-24 receiving on 4 targets) Mays made a big grab for 24 yards on a key second half drive, to help set up a Steelers' field goal. He was targeted once on a jump-ball fade pattern into the end zone, but Maddox's throw sailed over his head and out of bounds.

Hines Ward (2-11 receiving on 3 targets) Ward played 2 series, long enough to get over 1,000 receiving yards for the season, and then was pulled from action.

Plaxico Burress was inactive.

TE: No Steelers' TE caught a pass in this game.

K: Jeff Reed (2 XP, 5-5 FG) Reed hit from 22, 22, 31, 33, and 37 in the game, without a miss.

Pass Defense: The Steelers' pass defense was solid. They managed to maintain good pressure on Bledsoe all day, getting 3 sacks, and a number of hurries and batted balls. They also set up a score on Larry Foote's 1st quarter INT. Aside from one long bomb to Lee Evans late in the game, the Steelers' corners did a great job of stifling Evans and Eric Moulds, Buffalo's primary weapons in the passing game.

Rush Defense: The Steelers' run defense was terrific as well. With the exception of one first quarter drive on which McGahee was able to rip off two runs of over 10 yards, they held the Bills RB to 2 yards or less on most of his carries in the final three quarters. They held a strong Buffalo running attack to under 100 yards on the afternoon.

Buffalo Bills

QB: Drew Bledsoe (16-30-189, 1 INT, 1-0 rushing, 1 fumble lost) Drew Bledsoe played a poor game. He turned the ball over twice and did not throw a touchdown. He also had a number of other passes nearly intercepted, as he was never allowed to get comfortable in the pocket. Bledsoe was able to convert only 1 of 10 third downs in the game, and was not able to lead many sustained drives.

RB: Willis McGahee (18-79, 2 TD rushing, 1-7 receiving on 1 target) McGahee looked terrific on the Bills' second possession, on which he virtually single-handedly drove the Bills 50 yards for a TD, which he punched in from 3 yards out. From that point on, however, he was stonewalled on almost every rushing attempt. He did jam in another TD, on a one yard run in the fourth quarter.

Shaud Williams (1-2 rushing) Williams gained only 2 yards on his lone carry of the ball game.

Daimon Shelton (1-5 receiving on 2 targets) Shelton did not carry the ball, but did catch a swing pass for a 5-yard gain.

WR: Lee Evans (2-63 receiving on 6 targets, 1-15 rushing) Evans set up the Bills' final touchdown, and gave them their last gasp of life, with a big 55 yard grab late in the game. Evans' catch set up McGahee's second touchdown and pulled the Bills to within 5 points with under 2 minutes to play. Evans also gained 15 yards on a nice end-around reverse. He was otherwise quiet, and had no catches in the first three quarters.

Sam Aiken (4-52 receiving on 6 targets) Aiken equaled Moulds and Evans with 6 targets in the game. He was able to make 4 catches for 52 yards, and seemed to benefit from the extra attention being paid to Moulds and Evans. He was the Bills' most consistent receiving option in the game.

Eric Moulds (4-37 receiving on 6 targets) Moulds was effectively contained, as the Steelers were getting quick pressure on Bledsoe, and not allowing time for Moulds to complete most of his deep routes. As a result, a few throws in his direction were batted down or ended up badly under-thrown by Bledsoe. He was basically a non-factor in the game.

TE: Ryan Neufeld (3-15 receiving on 4 targets) Neufeld caught three short passes as a safety valve for Bledsoe.

Rod Trafford (1-10 receiving on 1 target) Trafford caught one pass for 10 yards in the game.

K: Rian Lindell (3 XP, 1-2 FG) Lindell hit from 37 yards out just before the half, but also shanked a crucial 28 yarder in the third which would have given Buffalo a 4-point lead.

Pass Defense: Buffalo did get 2 interceptions, but also failed to generate enough pressure on Maddox on third downs to keep him from making accurate throws. Antwaan Randle El was able to carve up the Buffalo secondary in the first half, before the Steelers went into run mode in the second.

Rush Defense: Buffalo's run defense was strong early, but tired as the game progressed. By the fourth quarter, the Steelers were running on every single play, but Buffalo still could not slow them down. Pittsburgh ran for 160 yards on the day and again were able to successfully eat up clock in the fourth quarter and protect their lead.

Miami Dolphins 23 at Baltimore Ravens 30

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Miami Dolphins

Sage Rosenfels got his first NFL start for the Miami Dolphins, and promptly hit Chris Chambers for a 76 yard touchdown on his first play from scrimmage. It was all downhill from there, though, as Rosenfels finished the game with 264 yards on poor 16 of 38 passing. Rosenfels also threw up three interceptions in the game.

Due largely in part to that touchdown catch, Chambers was able to post impressive numbers of 146 yard and a score on only 4 receptions in the game. Derrius Thompson, playing sparingly due to a hamstring injury, contributed just 1 reception for 13 yards, while Bryan Gilmore caught 3 for 47. Tight end Randy McMichael managed only 5 yards on 2 catches. Tight End Donald Lee and rookie receiver Ronald Bellamy rounded out the receiving corps with 3-25 and 1-8 receiving, respectively.

With the Dolphins being the only team in the league without a single 100 yard rushing effort this season, Sammy Morris almost put an end to that. Morris was cruising with 89 yards and a touchdown on just 12 carries when he was forced out of the game with an injury midway through the fourth quarter. Travis Minor came in on relief duty, but mustered only 8 yards on 8 carries, incredibly including a 10 yard gain.

Miami's defense and special teams failed to record a single sack or turnover in the game, but came up big for fantasy owners with a safety and a touchdown on a kickoff return.

Baltimore Ravens

Jamal Lewis needed 161 rushing yards to reach a large contract incentive for 1,000 yards in the season, and despite playing with a sore ankle, Lewis accomplished that with 167 yards on 34 carries in the game, including a touchdown. Backup Chester Taylor barely saw the field, finishing the game with 1 yard on 2 carries.

Kyle Boller isn't much of a fantasy option, but enjoyed a decent real NFL game for the Ravens, throwing for a touchdown and 142 yards on 14 of 27 passing, but more importantly not turning the ball over and not taking a single sack in the game.

With Todd Heap once again nursing a sore ankle and Travis Taylor also out, tight end Daniel Wilcox became Boller's favorite target for the game, recording 6 catches for 72 yards and making that one person somewhere out there who started him in their fantasy bowl game look like a genius. Rookie Darnell Dinkins added 2 receptions for 25 yards, while Randy Hymes led the wide receivers with 19 yards on a pair of catches. Tight end Terry Jones was the recipient of a shovel pass for Baltimore's only receiving touchdown of the game.

The Baltimore Ravens defense once again came through in a fantasy sense, recording 3 sacks, 3 interceptions, and a touchdown. Ray Lewis did not play due to his injured wrist.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Miami Dolphins

QB: Sage Rosenfels (16-38-264, 1 TD, 3 INT, 4-28 rushing) got his first career NFL start going with a bang, hitting a wide open Chris Chambers in stride down the left sideline for a 76 yard touchdown pass. Unfortunately for Rosenfels and the Dolphins, that was his only real highlight in the game, as he completed just 40% of his remaining passes for under 200 yards, as well as turning the ball over three times and taking a very costly sack on third down during a late drive. Rosenfels' first interception was the result of a spectacular defensive play by defensive end Jarrett Johnson, who leaped to tip a screen pass and then caught the deflection himself. Rosenfels was suckered in by safety Ed Reed on his second pick, when Reed feigned a move to the outside before breaking back over the middle to intercept the pass. The final interception was on an ill advised attempt to throw the ball away over the middle of the field before taking a sack, this coming on the Baltimore 1 yard line.

RB: Sammy Morris (12-89, 1 TD rushing, 1-13 receiving on 1 target) appeared well on his way to posting the first 100 yard rushing game of the season by a Dolphins running back, until he was forced from the game with an injury early in the fourth quarter. Morris did a great job of running against the tough Baltimore defense, finding the hole when it was there and improvising when it wasn't. The big play came on a third and 2 carry in the third quarter. Against an all out run blitz, Morris took the handoff and broke out of two arm tackles before bouncing outside to streak 35 yards for the touchdown.

Travis Minor (8-8 rushing, 1-7 receiving on 2 targets) took over in the backfield once Morris left the game, but clearly lacked the vision and explosiveness displayed by the starter. On a bizarre play late in the fourth quarter, Morris appeared to score a one yard touchdown which would have pulled Miami within 3 points of the Ravens. After being stacked up at the line of scrimmage, Minor lunged forward and extended his arms to push the ball over the goal line. The line judge on Minor's side of the field signaled touchdown on the field, but was later overruled by the head official, and the touchdown was taken off the scoreboard. Minor's second receiving target occurred two plays later, on what was really an attempt to throw the ball away which resulted in an interception.

WR: Chris Chambers (4-146, 1 TD receiving on 13 targets) blew by the Baltimore cornerback on the first play of the game, catching a beautifully thrown deep ball in stride and streaking into the end zone for a 76 yard touchdown. That was the only time in the game in which Chambers was able to create significant space in coverage, however, with his other receptions being much tougher catches in traffic. Chambers picked up an extra 14 receiving yards on a hook and ladder play with seconds left in the fourth quarter, in which Bryan Gilmore caught a short pass and then pitched it back to Chambers. With no time outs remaining, Chambers then failed to get out of bounds with the ball, and the clock expired before Miami could get another play off.

Bryan Gilmore (3-47 receiving on 8 targets) saw plenty of snaps with Derrius Thompson at less than 100% in an unexpectedly high scoring game, and did a fair job on short routes against a good Baltimore secondary.

Derrius Thompson (1-13 receiving on 3 targets) did start the game despite a hamstring injury which had him listed as "questionable" on the team's injury report, but was severely limited in his playing time.

Ronald Bellamy (1-8 receiving on 2 targets) saw some action in three receiver sets, and recorded his first career reception.

TE: Donald Lee (3-25 receiving on 5 targets) had a good game, but is hardly a threat to Randy McMichael's numbers.

Randy McMichael (2-5 receiving on 2 targets) saved his worst outing of the season for a week in which few fantasy leagues play. There was no obvious reason for his significantly reduced role in the offense this week.

K: Olindo Mare (3 XP, 0-1 FG) pushed a 53 yard field goal attempt well to the right.

Pass Defense: There were flashes of great play, including a great play by cornerback Sam Madison to break up a passing play which would have put Baltimore inside the Miami 20 yard line midway through the fourth quarter with a chance to put the game away. Overall, though, the Dolphins struggled to mount consistent pressure on Kyle Boller and to maintain good coverage on Baltimore's motley crew of receivers. Miami was unable to record a single sack in the game, nor were they able to force any turnovers.

Run Defense: 34 carries for 167 yards pretty much says it all, and Jamal Lewis accomplished that on a bum ankle. Miami struggled against the huge Baltimore offensive line all game long, and too often the second line of defense failed to plug the gaps opened up along the front. Zach Thomas enjoyed his usual strong game, recording 10 solo tackles including one for a loss on third down, which allowed the offense one last chance to tie the game in the fourth quarter.

Baltimore Ravens

QB: Kyle Boller (14-27-142, 1 TD, 4-22 rushing) had what is considered a fine game in this offense, throwing far more accurately than his completion percentage would suggest, avoiding the turnover, and throwing the ball away rather than taking a sack. Boller's touchdown was actually a shovel pass, thrown to tight end Terry Jones who was coming across the formation in motion at the snap. Boller also had what appeared to be a two yard touchdown pass to Randy Hymes, but Hymes was ruled out of bounds at the back of the end zone and replays proved inconclusive. Boller then missed out on what would have been at least a 40 yard gain on a beautifully thrown deep ball to Clarence Moore, when the defensive back made a great play to break up the pass.

RB: Jamal Lewis (34--167, 1 TD rushing, 0-0 receiving on 1 target) had been listed as questionable due to an ankle injury. While Lewis was expected to start the game anyway, it was thought that he would be limited to about 20 carries…this obviously was not the case. Part of the reason for his 34 carries may have been what has been described as a sizeable bonus clause in his contract for breaking the 1,000 yard barrier in this season, which he accomplished late in the game, but a bigger reason has to be the simple fact that he was undeniably effective against the Dolphins. Lewis, as usual, ran strong into the hole and ran over defenders when necessary. Lewis ran untouched up the middle and into the end zone for his two yard touchdown. Lewis was also involved in a strange play in this game, when he took a handoff on his own three yard line, then was stacked up and driven backwards at the five. Despite his forward progress having obviously been stopped, no whistle blew, and the Dolphins were able to strip the ball from Lewis' arms. Baltimore fell on the fumble in the end zone, which resulted in a Miami safety.

Chester Taylor (2-1 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 1 target) again got into the game on obvious passing downs, but as Baltimore found itself in few of those, Taylor spent most of the game on the sidelines.

Jamel White (1-0 rushing) likely got his last carry as a Baltimore Raven in this game.

WR: Randy Hymes (2-19 receiving on 5 targets) once again started in place of the injured Travis Taylor, and had a very frustrating game. First, Hymes was the intended target of a perfectly thrown end zone fade route from Kyle Boller, early in the first quarter. The defensive back grabbed Hymes' arm as he reached for the ball, preventing the touchdown catch but drawing a flag for pass interference. Hymes later made what appeared to be a spectacular leaping catch in the back of the end zone for a two yard score, but was shoved by a defender as he came down. The official ruling was that he caught the ball out of bounds, and a replay challenge did not show conclusive evidence that Hymes was able to get both feet down in bounds.

Clarence Moore (1-14 receiving on 3 targets) got a step on his defender on a fly route, but cornerback Sam Madison made a great recovery to break the pass up at the last instant, preventing what would have been at least a 40 yard catch.

Kevin Johnson (2-11 receiving on 4 targets) has now officially failed to catch 50 passes in a season for the first time in his career.

TE: Daniel Wilcox (6-72 receiving on 9 targets) started the game for the injured Todd Heap. Baltimore obviously saw something in the Miami defense which caused them to focus on getting Wilcox the ball, as he was the intended target of five of Kyle Boller's first six passes. In the end, Wilcox had easily the best game of his career, showing far better hands than he had earlier in the year in dropping several passes.

Darnell Dinkins (2-25 receiving on 2 targets) saw some action as the third tight end in this game.

Terry Jones (1-1 receiving, 1 TD on 1 target) came in motion across the formation on a first and goal from the Miami 1 yard line, catching a shovel pass from Kyle Boller and striding untouched into the end zone.

K: Matt Stover (3 XP, 3-3 FG) connected on kicks of 25, 19, and 33 yards.

Pass Defense: The Ravens' secondary looked absolutely dreadful on the first play of the game, as two defenders failed to pick up a receiver over the middle of the field. This forced safety Ed Reed to sprint forward to take up coverage on that receiver, while meanwhile Gary Baxter got turned around on the outside and was beaten by a good five yards by Chris Chambers. This resulted in a 76 yard touchdown play. Baltimore quickly regained its composure, though, to finish the game with three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and three sacks. Reed picked off his ninth pass of the season and returned it to inside the Miami 5 yard line, breaking the NFL record for interception return yards in a season.

Rushing Defense: The Baltimore Ravens clearly had a problem stopping Sammy Morris in this game. Despite getting good penetration at the line of scrimmage and doing a good job of plugging holes when they did develop, Morris was consistently able to get positive yardage against the Ravens. This could have been due in some part to Ray Lewis being inactive for the game with his wrist injury, but must be disturbing none the less for Baltimore's coaching staff.

Detroit Lions 19 at Tennessee Titans 24

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Detroit Lions

In spite of making 33 completions out of 49 attempts for 346 yards, Joey Harrington found it hard to make the completions when it most mattered. He threw 3 straight incompletions at the end of the game ending the Lions' opportunity for a win. Harrington connected with 9 different receivers throughout the course of the game. And he threw 2 touchdown passes, one to rookie Roy Williams, the other to fullback Cory Schlesinger.

With both Az-Zahir Hakim and Tai Streets inactive for the game, Joey Harrington found himself looking often to running back Shawn Bryson. Bryson received the bulk of Harrington's targets on screen passes and made 9 receptions for 63 yards on his 12 targets. Bryson also had a 37 yard reception brought back on a holding penalty.

Kevin Jones managed 72 rushing yards against the stingy Titans' defense. His longest rush was only for 13 yards.

Tennessee Titans

The first points of the game were scored by the Titans' defense. Keith Bullock recovered a dropped ball by Harrington and returned it untouched for a touchdown.

Rookie TE Ben Troupe was the leading receiver for the Titans with 4 receptions for 75 yards. Drew Bennett was fairly quiet throughout the game, and made 2 receptions for 50 yards. Although one of his receptions was for a 32 yard touchdown.

Before being knocked out of the game with what was called a sprained right shoulder injury, Billy Volek completed 16 passes out of 28 attempts for 175 yards. He did not play well until near the end of the first half, when he led the Titans on a scoring drive completing 5 passes for 74 yards, finishing with a touchdown strike to Drew Bennett.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Detroit Lions

QB: Joey Harrington (33-49-346, 2 TD, 1 INT, 2-13 rushing, 1 fumble lost) During the Lions' second drive, Joey Harrington dropped the ball and it was recovered by Keith Bullock who returned the fumble for a touchdown. With both Az-Zahir Hakim and Tai Streets inactive for the game, Harrington checked down to Shawn Bryson throughout the game. Harrington connected with Cory Schlesinger for a 21 yard touchdown. Harrington connected with Roy Williams for a 17 yard touchdown, but then made a poorly thrown pass on the unsuccessful 2 point conversion. With the game on the line and less than 2 minutes to play, Harrington threw 3 incomplete passes and turned the ball over on downs.

RB: Kevin Jones (19-72 rushing, 4-44 receiving on 5 targets) Kevin Jones showed great speed and ability to make cuts gaining yardage for the Lions.

Shawn Bryson (5-18 rushing, 9-63 receiving on 12 targets) Bryson was the favorite target of Harrington throughout the game, and was utilized in short drop off passes with regularity. Shawn Bryson gained 8 yards on a screen pass and then 5 yards on a second in the first quarter of play. Bryson had a 37 yard reception brought back on a holding penalty against the Lions.

Cory Schlesinger (2-23, 1 TD receiving on 3 targets) Cory Schlesinger made a 21 yard touchdown reception in the second quarter.

WR: Roy Williams (4-62, 1 TD receiving on 10 targets) Roy Williams made his first reception for a gain of 11 yards near the end of the first quarter. Williams was the intended receiver on Harrington's interception. Williams made a 17 yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. Williams was unable to make a reception on the 2 point conversion attempt.

Scottie Vines (2-40 receiving on 4 targets) Scottie Vines broke tackles to gain 26 yards on his first catch of the game. Vines was targeted deep near the end zone, but could only get one hand on the ball.

Reggie Swinton (3-25 receiving on 5 targets) Reggie Swinton made a reception near the sidelines but juggled it as we went out of bounds. He made a 14 yard reception on a fourth down conversion attempt. The conversion led directly to Schlesinger's touchdown.

David Kircus (2-18 receiving on 2 targets) David Kircus made a 12 yard reception over the middle of the field during the Lions' final drive of the game.

TE: Stephen Alexander (6-66 receiving on 9 targets) Stephen Alexander was targeted with Harrington's first pass of the game, but it was thrown incomplete. Alexander was targeted in the end zone. Alexander made his first reception for 9 yards at the start of the second quarter. Alexander made a 15 yard reception over the middle to gain a first down for the Lions.

Casey Fitzsimmons (1-5 receiving on 1 target) Fitzsimmons was not a factor in the Lions' game plan.

K: Jason Hanson (1 XP, 2-2 FG) Jason Hanson missed a 37 yard field goal, but the Titans were offsides on the play, and the Lions regained possession with a first down. The Lions were held on their next three plays to only 9 yards and Hanson made his subsequent 26 yard field goal attempt. He made a second field goal of 26 yards in the third quarter.

Pass Defense: The Lions held Billy Volek to under 200 passing yards, but they were unable to record a sack against him. Brock Marion nearly intercepted Volek, but was out of bounds when he came down with interception.

Rush Defense: The Lions were able to contain Antowain Smith and he only rushed for a total of 89 yards, 43 of those yards on one rush alone. But they were unable to stop him at the goal line as he scored once and had a second touchdown nullified by a holding penalty.

Tennessee Titans

QB: Billy Volek (16-28-175, 1 TD) Billy Volek made his eighth start this season. Volek was quiet until near the end of the first half. He connected on 5 out of 7 passing attempts for 74 yards finishing with a sharp 32 touchdown pass to Drew Bennett. Volek took a hit in the fourth quarter on a pass for Derrick Mason. He left the game with a sprained right shoulder injury.

Doug Johnson (2-5-42 passing, 2 for -2 rushing) Doug Johnson replaced Volek in the fourth quarter of play. His first pass was a very accurately thrown to Ben Troupe for 33 yards.

RB: Antowain Smith (21-89, 1 TD rushing, 3-16 receiving on 4 targets) Antowain Smith with Billy Volek made an incredible play during the opening drive. Volek had a pass tipped at the line of scrimmage. Volek attempted to bat the ball down so it would not be intercepted and knocked it right into the arms of Smith who gained 5 yards and a first down for the Titans. 43 of Smith's rushing yards came on a great run down the sidelines. A few plays later, Smith fought his way in to score a 2 yard touchdown run. Smith had a second touchdown negated with a holding penalty.

Troy Fleming (3-8 rushing, 3-12 receiving on 5 targets) Troy Fleming was targeted deep, but Volek overthrew him. Fleming was not a factor in the rushing game, but did make some short yardage receptions for the Titans.

WR: Drew Bennett (2-50, 1 TD receiving on 5 targets) Drew Bennett made an 18 yard reception. He made a 32 yard touchdown reception near the end of the half. Other than that, he was very quiet.

Derrick Mason (4-48 receiving on 10 targets) Derrick Mason made a great 19 yard reception over the middle near the end of the second quarter. On the next play, Mason bobbled a low pass from Volek and did not make the catch.

Eddie Berlin (1-11 receiving on 3 targets) Berlin was not a real factor in the game and made an 11 yard reception at the beginning of the third quarter.

TE: Ben Troupe (4-75 receiving on 5 targets) Ben Troupe made a 13 yard reception near the end of the first half. Troupe made an excellent 33 yard reception in the fourth quarter. But he was called for holding, negating Antowain Smith's touchdown rush.

Erron Kinney (1-5 receiving on 1 target) Erron Kinney made the first reception of the game for the Titans.

K: Gary Anderson (3 XP, 1-2 FG) Gary Anderson made a 40 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. He had a 27 yard attempt blocked.

Pass Defense: Keith Bullock returned a Joey Harrington fumble recovery for a touchdown. Andre Dyson intercepted Harrington and made some amazing cuts to gain 43 yards.

Rush Defense: The Titans kept rookie Kevin Jones to only 72 rushing yards on his 19 carries. They also recorded two sacks on Harrington.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7 at Arizona Cardinals 12

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay lost its fourth game in a row to finish 5-11, its worst record since also going 5-11 in 1993.

QB Chris Simms got his second start in place of the injured QB Brian Griese. Simms (16-32-224, 1 TD, 2 INT) connected on just half of his passes, and most were underneath or short patterns. While the lone touchdown was for 75 yards, the pass was less than 10 yards to WR Michael Clayton, who took it the rest of the way under his own power. Clayton was the most targeted receiver, getting 10 targets.

RB Michael Pittman contributed 80 all-purpose yards, 50 of them on the ground. Pittman had 16 of the 18 carries for Tampa Bay.

Arizona Cardinals

Arizona finished their season with a record of 6-10, and can hang their hat on a winning record (5-3) at home.

QB Josh McCown (16-36-115, 1 INT) did little to impress HC Dennis Green in attempting to secure the starting role for the Cardinals in 2005. McCown was erratic, completing less than half of his pass attempts and throwing no touchdowns despite never being sacked. Receivers were open often, yet he was consistently late and unable to find the open target.

RB Emmitt Smith had 23 carries but just 69 yards, as he fell short of his goal of 1,000 yards on the season.

K Neil Rackers kicked a career best 4 field goals for the total extent of the Arizona scoring. Rackers hit four of his six attempts, and it was noted during the game by the commentators that both errant kicks had high snaps.

The 12 points by Rackers help up thanks to a solid defense led by rookie DT Darnell Dockett, who had a sack, an interception, a pass deflection and a fumble recovery. The Cardinal defense had four sacks and four turnovers and were the dominant reason that Arizona won the game.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

QB: Chris Simms (16-32-224, 1 TD, 2 INT passing, 3-1 rushing) had his second start in place of the injured Brian Griese, and he had an average day. Most of his passes were short, with only three plays over 20 yards. His biggest play was a 75-yard touchdown pass to rookie WR Michael Clayton, a career long pass. However, the pass only went 5 yards, and Clayton ran for the next 70 yards.

RB: Michael Pittman (16-50 rushing, 3-30 receiving on 6 targets, 1 fumble lost) started the day well, gaining 11 yards on three carries on the opening possession. However, he only gained more than 5 yards twice more, a 17-yarder in the third quarter immediately followed by a 7-yarder. The 17-yarder was his only rushing first down.

Pittman also caught two shovel passes, the first for 10 yards and a first down. The third catch was his longest, a 20-yard screen in the first quarter, also for a first down.

Earnest Graham (1-12 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 1 target) officially had one carry for 12 yards and a first down in the third quarter. He also lost a 5-yard carry in the first quarter due to a penalty. The biggest opportunity for Graham was in the fourth quarter, where he was overthrown on a pass that he easily would have ran the distance (61 yards) for a touchdown.

Mike Alstott (1 for -1 rushing, 2-15 receiving on 3 targets) had a quiet day, catching a 12-yard pass in the second quarter for a first down and adding another 3-yard catch in the fourth.

WR: Michael Clayton (2-86, 1 TD receiving on 10 targets) caught only two passes, but he made the second one count. He caught a 5-yard pass from QB Simms and then ran another 70 yards after the catch for a 75-yard touchdown, his career best. Clayton ended the day and season in terrible fashion, dropping a 15+ yard catch on fourth down on the final drive. The catch would have extended their final possession.

Joey Galloway (3-48 receiving on 4 targets) caught three balls in the second quarter, all for first downs. Galloway also ran 5 punts back for a total of 10 yards.

Joe Jurevicius (3-20 receiving on 3 targets) caught just three passes for less than 10 yards each.

TE: Nate Lawrie (1-15 receiving on 1 target) made the catch on his only opportunity a 15-yard catch in the first quarter for a first down.

Billy Baber (1-7 receiving on 1 target) was signed off the practice squad on December 15th and caught one pass for 7 yards in the second quarter.

Ken Dilger (1-3 receiving on 1 target) caught just one 3-yard pass in the fourth quarter.

K: Jay Taylor (1 XP) had no field goal attempts and just one extra point chance, which he converted.

Pass Defense: While the Tampa Bay defense put little pressure QB Josh McCown, recording just 1 interception and no sacks, they were very fortunate that McCown was very inaccurate. Receivers were frequently open, but McCown was late or off target for much of the day.

Rush Defense: The Buccaneer defense kept the ground game for Arizona under wraps, allowing just 3.1 yards per carry for the game. Despite the Cardinals gaining over 100 yards rushing, it took them 34 carries to gain that yardage. Arizona kept going back to the run game not because of the success of it, but rather to try and control the clock and put the ball in the hands of RB Emmitt Smith. Even with all the rushing attempts, Tampa Bay held Arizona to just 3 rushing first downs.

Arizona Cardinals

QB: Josh McCown (16-36-115, 1 INT passing, 1 for -5 receiving on 1 target) threw the ball late and off target all day. McCown had trouble finding the open receiver and threw the ball up for grabs often. He was unimpressive and not sharp the entire day, missing opportunity after opportunity to complete passes.

RB: Emmitt Smith (23-69 rushing, 2-13 receiving on 3 targets) had an unimpressive day. He needed 134 yards to run for 1,000 for the season, but fell far short of that goal. Smith carried 23 times for no more than 7 yards on any carry, and gained no first downs.

Obafemi Ayanbadejo (6-31 rushing, 2-5 receiving on 3 targets) had his longest run of the year on his first carry, a 23-yard run for a first down in the opening quarter. He gained just 8 more yards on his next five carries. Ayanbadejo also added two catches for 5 yards in the second quarter.

Josh Scobey (1-8 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 1 target) had one carry in the third quarter for 8 yards. Scobey also ran 2 kickoffs back for a total of 41 yards.

WR: Larry Fitzgerald (3-36 receiving on 6 targets, 2-1 rushing) suffered due to the inability of QB McCown to get the ball to him, as he did get open. He caught just five "passes", as his two runs were laterals into the flat. The rushes were for 6 and -5 yards, hence the 1 yard rushing. Fitzgerald was targeted on a ball in the end zone in the first quarter but the ball was deflected by Tampa Bay.

Fitzgerald officially had 7 targets according to the NFL play-by-play, but he was not the target of the first interception - TE Freddie Jones was the target.

Anquan Boldin (3-31 receiving on 8 targets) caught four balls, but the 19-yard catch and run in the first quarter was nullified by a penalty.

Bryant Johnson (2-9 receiving on 6 targets) was open deep twice in the second quarter at the goal line, but QB McCown was late on getting him the ball and the defense caught up to it. Johnson only caught two short passes.

Karl Williams (1-8 receiving on 3 targets) caught only one pass for 8 yards in the third quarter. He also ran 3 punts back for a total of 45 yards.

TE: Freddie Jones (2-18 receiving on 7 targets) had two catches for 14 and 4 yards in the third quarter. Jones dropped a sure first down of 10+ yards in the first quarter. He was also the true target on the first interception (not Fitzgerald as listed in the NFL play-by-play), so he had 7 targets, not 6.

K: Neil Rackers (4-6 FG) kicked a career-high 4 field goals on six attempts. He hit from 40, 45, 39, and 31 yards, in that order. His two misses, from 35 and 47 yards, were mostly due to high snaps.

Pass Defense: The Arizona pass defense was led by rookie DT Darnell Dockett, who had a sack, an interception, a pass deflection and a fumble recovery. The defense kept Tampa Bay QB Chris Simms under constant pressure. They had four sacks and two on the afternoon as the Cardinal defense took over the game.

Rush Defense: The Cardinal defense kept the Tampa Bay run game in check, allowing just 62 yards on 21 attempts. The Buccaneers gained just two first downs on the ground, and could not amount any consistent rushing attack during the game.

Green Bay Packers 31 at Chicago Bears 14

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Green Bay Packers

QB Brett had a good game on just four series, throwing for two touchdowns and 196 yards on nine completions. Favre hooked up with TE Bubba Franks for a 17-yard score after Chicago had taken an early lead, then gave Green Bay the lead for good with a 38-yard pass to FB William Henderson.

S Darren Sharper then scored on a 43-yard interception return to make it 21-7 Green Bay, and Favre took the rest of the day of. Seldom-used backup QB Craig Nall began where Favre left off, hitting WR Javon Walker on a beautiful 25-yard pass into double coverage, and the Packers led 28-7 at the half.

Walker gave the Packers a scare in the 3rd quarter when he hit his head on the ground after catching a 43-yard pass from Nall. Walker left the game but was not injured, and finished with 82 yards and a touchdown on three receptions.

RB Ahman Green played sparingly, but set up the Packers first touchdown with a 23-yard screen pass on 3rd and 17. Backup RB Tony Fisher handled most of the workload after that, and managed 65 total yards for the game.

Favre won his 11th consecutive start on the road against Chicago. He passed the 4000 yard mark for the fourth time in his career, and the 30 touchdown mark for the eighth time.

Chicago Bears

After a quick start, QB Chad Hutchinson and the Bears struggled to consistently move the ball. Hutchinson's first pass went 63 yards to WR David Terrell and set up RB Thomas Jones first touchdown run of two yards. After that, Hutchinson spent much of the game on his backside, getting sacked nine times. He was accurate when given time to throw the ball, completing 20 of 29 passes for 196 yards and one interception (which was returned for a Packers touchdown).

Thomas Jones ran hard all game, and was quick getting to the hole on a handful of good runs. He finished with 108 yards and two touchdowns, giving him 948 yards and seven touchdowns for the season.

WR David Terrell made the biggest play of the game for Chicago, a 63-yard deep pass-and-run before being dragged down from behind at the two-yard line. That set up Chicago's first touchdown and a 7-0 Bears lead. Terrell finished with four catches for 99 yards.

The Bears defense played poorly all game long against the Packers passing attack, although they did limit Green Bay to just two yards per carry on the ground.

TE Desmond Clark caught three passes for 20 yards, but dropped a couple easy ones.

The Bears have now lost 21 of the last 26 meetings with Green Bay.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Green Bay Packers

QB: Brett Favre (9-13-196, 2 TD passing) was on fire from the beginning in limited action. The Packers first drive stalled when TE Bubba Franks dropped a pass on 4th and 1. Favre went back to Franks twice on the next drive, resulting in a 17-yard touchdown pass that tied the game at 7-7. After a failed third drive, Favre drove the Packers 86 yards in two plays and called it a day. He hit WR Donald Driver deep down the left sideline for 48 yards, and then hit William Henderson on a 38-yard pass in the right flat. Henderson waltzed in untouched after Bears DB Mike Green fell down trying to cover him out of the backfield.

Craig Nall (7-13-131, 1 TD passing, 1-9 rushing) looked quite good in the longest extended action of his three-year career. On his opening drive, Nall completed all three passes for 64 yards and a 25-yard scoring strike to Javon Walker. On the touchdown he threaded the needle on a bullet between two defenders, making one wonder whether he's been watching Brett Favre too much. He showed good ability to throw on the run, completing a number of passes on rollouts.

RB: Tony Fisher (19-42 rushing, 3-23 receiving on 3 targets) struggled to find yardage against a Bears defense that overplayed the run after the Packers jumped out to a big lead. He did manage a 10-yard run and a 16-yard reception.

Ahman Green (4-13 rushing, 1-23 receiving on 2 targets) played only the first quarter and set up Green Bay's first score with a nice run after the catch on a 23-yard screen pass on 3rd and 17.

William Henderson (2-53, 1 TD receiving on 2 targets) hit pay dirt after the Bears Green fell down trying to cover him out of the backfield on a 38-yard screen pass. As usual, he didn't carry the ball.

WR: Javon Walker (3-82, 1 TD receiving on 3 targets) made a nice catch on Nall's opening drive for a 25-yard score. He later gave Green Bay a scare after he hit the back of his head on the turf following a 43-yard reception of another bullet pass by Nall, but was not injured.

Donald Driver (1-48 receiving on 6 targets, 1 for -9 rushing) went up high for a catch deep down the left sideline for his only reception of the game.

Antonio Chatman (1-12 receiving on 3 targets) was not a major factor in the passing game, but caught Nall's nice pass over the middle after rolling to the left.

TE: Bubba Franks (4-59, 1 TD receiving on 5 targets) was Favre's main target early, and had one of his best games of the year. He left the game at one point in the 3rd quarter with an apparent injury to his left knee, but was walking fine on the sidelines shortly thereafter.

K: Ryan Longwell (4 XP, 1-1 FG) made his lone field goal, a 20-yard try.

Pass Defense: Green Bay's pass defense was pretty porous when they didn't get to the quarterback. However, they did get to the quarterback nine times for sacks, including four by Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila.

Rush Defense: The Bears averaged just over four yards per carry. Thomas Jones scored on two short touchdown runs. Nick Barnett had 11 tackles.

Chicago Bears

QB: Chad Hutchinson (20-29-196, 1 INT passing) played well when he wasn't being sacked. He showed a strong arm on his deep completion to David Terrell on the Bears opening dive, and was accurate all game long. His lone mistake came when he moved up in the pocket under pressure and fired late over the middle. The pass was intercepted by Darren Sharper and returned for a touchdown and a 21-7 Packers lead.

RB: Thomas Jones (26-108, 2 TD rushing, 3-4 receiving on 5 targets) scored on touchdown runs of two yards and one yard. His longest carry went for 18 yards. He looked very quick at times hitting small holes.

WR: David Terrell (4-99 receiving on 4 targets) caught the 63-yard pass that set up the Bears first touchdown. He was dragged down from behind at the two-yard line on the play.

Bobby Wade (4-27 receiving on 8 targets) was the Bears possession receiver, and showed pretty good hands on a couple passes.

Bernard Berrian (2-23 receiving on 2 targets, 1-2 rushing) caught a 17-yard pass on 4th down for Chicago in the 3rd quarter, a nice catch on a rocket throw by Hutchinson.

TE: Desmond Clark (3-20 receiving on 7 targets) dropped a couple passes despite being wide open on nearly every ball thrown his way.

K: Paul Edinger (2 XP) made both his extra point attempts.

Pass Defense: The Bears pass defense was miserable. If Green Bay needed to win this game, it looked like they could have scored at will.

Rush Defense: The run defense was much better, holding Green Bay to just two yards per carry. FS Todd Johnson led the team with 7 tackles.

Minnesota Vikings 18 at Washington Redskins 21

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings needed a victory to wrap up a wild card spot, but for the second year in a row Minnesota faded down the stretch. They lost to the Redskins because of penalties and missed opportunities. With the loss, the Vikings have lost their last 20 out of 22 games outdoors. Luckily for the Vikings, New Orleans beat Carolina and Minnesota snuck into the playoffs through the back door. After a 5-1 start, the Vikings lost 7 out of their last 10 games to finish at 8-8.

The Vikings offense played against an undermanned Washington secondary as starting cornerback Fred Smoot was inactive because of a bruised kidney and his counterpart cornerback Shawn Springs missed most of the second half with a stomach virus. However, Minnesota was their own worst enemy as they missed out on three potential touchdowns in the game. Tackle Adam Goldberg was responsible for two of them, as his false start penalty on third-and-goal at the 1-yard line killed a drive in the second quarter and his holding penalty nullified a 62-yard acrobatic TD reception by Randy Moss, early in the fourth quarter. On the next drive, Nate Burleson dropped a sure TD pass deep across the middle midway through the fourth quarter.

QB Daunte Culpepper completed 27 out of 44 passes for 299 yards and 2 touchdowns. Culpepper hit Moss for a 28-yard TD midway through the third quarter. Culpepper's second TD pass came with just 2 seconds left in the game when he threw the ball up for grabs and Marcus Robinson came down with the 38-yard TD catch.

The Vikings rushing attack was non-existent, as Culpepper was the leading rusher with 2 carries for 24 yards. Michael Bennett started and only gained 19 yards on 8 carries. Onterrio Smith and Moe Williams combined for a dismal 9 yards on 8 carries.

WR Randy Moss was targeted 12 times by Culpepper and grabbed 5 catches for 66 yards and a TD. Nate Burleson and Marcus Robinson combined for 7 catches for 100 yards and a TD. TE Jermaine Wiggins garnered 7 receptions for 58 yards on 11 targets.

Washington Redskins

The Redskins had nothing to play for, but the second ranked defense, missing some key players, came up huge. The aggressive defense dominated the Vikings' offensive line and harassed Daunte Culpepper through out the game. The Redskins recorded 4 sacks and forced Culpepper to throw the ball away on numerous occasions. The defense allowed just 52 yards rushing for the game.

RB Ladell Betts playing in place of the injured Clinton Portis, pounded the ball up the middle on route to a career high 118 yards on 26 carries and 1 rushing TD.

QB Patrick Ramsey completed 17 out of 26 passes for 216 yards with 2 touchdowns, 1 interception and a lost fumble. Ramsey used an effective short passing attack to pick apart the Vikings' defense and spread the ball around to 7 different receivers. Ramsey led the offense on three TD scoring drives, only the second time all season the Redskins had scored more than two touchdowns in a game. Ramsey connected with both his tight ends, Chris Cooley and Robert Royal, for short TD passes in the first half.

WR James Thrash led all Redskins' receivers with 5 catches for 81 yards on 5 targets.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Minnesota Vikings

QB: Daunte Culpepper (27-44-299, 2 TD passing, 2-24 rushing) was scrambling for his life against an attacking pass rush. Culpepper was able to buy himself time by being mobile in the pocket, but all too often was unable to find open receivers down field, due in large part to a blanketing Redskins' secondary. Without the aid of any ground attack, Culpepper was forced into throwing screen and short passes against the aggressive defense. On the opening drive of the third quarter, Culpepper was sacked three times. His first TD pass came midway through the third quarter when Randy Moss made a terrific diving catch in the end zone for 38 yards. Early in the fourth quarter, Culpepper hit Moss for a juggling 62-yard TD play, but it was brought back because of an offensive holding penalty. On the next drive, Culpepper hit Nate Burleson in stride on a deep crossing route and had a free pass to the end zone, but Burleson dropped the ball. Culpepper's second TD came on his last throw of the game with just 2 seconds remaining. He threw a Hail Mary pass into the end zone and Marcus Robinson skied above everyone to haul in the 38-yard TD pass. Culpepper converted the 2-point conversion with a shovel pass to Onterrio Smith. Culpepper has thrown a TD pass in 21 straight games.

RB: Michael Bennett (8-19 rushing, 3-24 receiving on 3 targets) had no holes to run through and his speed was neutralized by a gang-tacking defense. Bennett could only muster up 18 yards on 7 carries in the first half and had just one carry for 1 yard in the entire second half.

Onterrio Smith (5-5 rushing, 4-43 receiving on 6 targets) saw his first carry at the end of the first quarter and had as much success as Bennett as he was held to just 8 yards on 3 carries in the first half. Smith had just two carries in the third quarter and lost 3 yards to finish with 5 yards on 5 carries. However, Smith was an effective pass catcher out of the backfield, amassing 43 yards on 4 receptions. Smith also caught a shovel pass for a successful 2-point conversion to cap off the Vikings' last scoring drive.

Moe Williams (3-4 rushing, 1-8 receiving on 2 targets) was used as the third down and goal line back and was stopped short of the end zone on back-to-back rushes, early in the second quarter.

WR: Randy Moss (5-66 receiving on 12 targets, 1 TD) drew double coverage for most of the game and safety Sean Taylor was stuck to him like a glove. Moss caught his first pass for 8 yards on a WR screen at the end of the first quarter. On his 28-yard TD catch, Moss made a nice adjustment to come back for the ball and made a spectacular, diving catch in the end zone. Moss' best catch was for naught as an offensive holding penalty nullified an acrobatic 62-yard TD reception that he tipped to himself. Moss was shown walking to the locker room, before the Vikings attempted an onside kick with 2 seconds left in the game.

Marcus Robinson (3-51 receiving on 4 targets, 1 TD) caught his only pass in the first half for 7 yards at the end of the second quarter. Robinson's biggest catch came at the end of the game, when he out jumped everyone in the end zone for a 38-yard TD reception.

Nate Burleson (4-49 receiving on 9 targets) only catch in the first half came early in the second quarter and he warded off the first tackler with a great straight arm and picked up 13 yards. Culpepper targeted Burleson in the corner of the end zone, midway through the second quarter, but the pass was thrown wide. Midway through the fourth quarter, Culpepper threw a strike to Burleson on a deep crossing route and he had a clear path to the end zone, but the ball bounced off his hands for an incompletion.

TE: Jermaine Wiggins (7-58 receiving on 11 targets) had 2 catches for 27 yards, late in the second quarter. Culpepper looked to Wiggins often as he was scrambling away from pass rushers. Wiggins had for 16 yards and a fourth down conversion in the Vikings last scoring drive, at the end of the fourth quarter.

K: Morten Andersen (1-1 XP, 1-1 FG) converted on his only field goal attempt from 23 yards, early in the second quarter.

Pass Defense: Cornerback Antoine Winfield started the game, but was relegated to nickel coverage early on because of his ankle injury. Safety Corey Chavous broke his left elbow late in the game. Pro bowl defensive tackle Kevin Williams kept the Vikings in the game, recording an interception, two sacks, and causing a fumble by Patrick Ramsey.

Rush Defense: The Vikings rush defense was stout early on, allowing Ladell Betts just 48 yards on 17 carries through three quarters of play. But they were worn down by the Redskins' big offensive line and Betts exploded for 70 yards on 9 carries and a rushing TD in the fourth quarter.

Washington Redskins

QB: Patrick Ramsey (17-26-216, 2 TD, 1 INT passing, 1 for -1 rushing, 1 fumble lost) opened up the Redskins' conservative passing offense and took his shots downfield, completing 4 passes for 20 yards or more in the game. Coming into the game, the lackluster Washington passing attack had completed just 9 out of 66 attempts of 20 yards or more. Ramsey capped off the opening possession with a 6-yard TD toss to his rookie TE Chris Cooley. On the next drive, Kevin Williams intercepted Ramsey when he attempted a screen pass to Ladell Betts. Ramsey threw his second TD pass for 4 yards to a wide-open Robert Royal, just before halftime. Ramsey lost a fumble, late in the third quarter when he was sacked and stripped of the ball by Kevin Williams. Although he had two turnovers in the game, Ramsey made smart decisions and allowed his defense to dictate the pace of the game.

RB: Ladell Betts (26-118, 1 TD rushing, 1-5 receiving on 2 targets) started in place of injured Clinton Portis and his smash mouth style of running seemed better suited for the Redskins rushing scheme. Betts opened up the game with three consecutive rushes for 11 yards and a third down conversion. Betts was the intended target of a screen pass that was intercepted by Kevin Williams. Although Betts was held in check for the first three quarters, gaining just 48 yards on 17 carries, he flourished against a tired Vikings' defense in the fourth quarter. Betts capped off the Redskins' final scoring drive with a 1-yard TD run up the middle, early in the fourth quarter. Betts killed any chance of a late Minnesota rally by taking over the game with 8 minutes and 35 seconds left in the game and the Vikings trailing 21-10. Betts carried the ball 6 consecutive times for 56 yards, with his last run going for 27 yards through the right side. The Vikings offense did not get the ball back until after the two-minute warning.

Rock Cartwright (2-0 rushing) was converted from fullback to running back after Clinton Portis went down and Cartwright had his first two carries of the season in relief of Betts, late in the fourth quarter. His first carry was good for 2 yards and he lost 2 yards on his next carry.

WR: James Thrash (5-81 receiving on 5 targets) caught everything thrown his direction and was the leading receiver for the Redskins with 5 catches for 81 yards. Thrash's first catch for 11 yards was good for a third down conversion on the Redskins' opening drive of the game. Thrash also had a nifty 36-yard punt return on which he broke several tackles, early in the second quarter. Thrash was the deep threat for the Redskins' hauling in two catches for 20+ yards.

Taylor Jacobs (3-56 receiving on 4 targets, 1 for -6 rushing) Ramsey found Jacobs wide open down the middle after the Vikings' safeties bit on a fake handoff and he raced 45 yards before being tackled inside the 1-yard line.

Laveranues Coles (3-37 receiving on 4 targets, 1-6 rushing) made a big catch for 20 yards on his first reception, good for a third down conversion. Coles finished the first half with 3 catches for 37 yards and was not targeted in the second half.

Rod Gardner (1-9 receiving on 4 targets) only catch for 9 yards was good for a third down conversion, late in the third quarter.

TE: Chris Cooley (3-24 receiving on 5 targets, 1 TD) had his first catch on the Redskins' opening drive of the game for a 6-yard TD. Cooley's next catch for 6 yards was good for a third down conversion on the Redskins' second TD scoring drive. His last catch went for 12 yards and helped set up Washington's last TD scoring drive, early in the fourth quarter.

Robert Royal (1-4 receiving on 2 targets, 1 TD) had his only reception for a 4-yard TD catch, late in the second quarter.

K: Jeff Chandler (3-3 XP) did not have a field goal attempt in the game.

Pass Defense: The Redskins' pass defense was the real story of the game as they hounded Daunte Culpepper and did not allow him time to sit back in the pocket. They brought immense pressure from all sides and recorded 4 sacks and caused Culpepper to get rid of the ball before he wanted. The secondary blanketed the Vikings' receivers and when Culpepper did have time to throw, he had nowhere to go with the ball. This effort was even more noteworthy, given the fact they were without starting cornerback Fred Smoot and the other cornerback Shawn Springs missed considerable playing time in the second half because of a stomach virus.

Rush Defense: The Washington rush defense was without their leader linebacker LaVar Arrington, but they did not miss a beat as they manhandled the Vikings' offensive line and did not allow a rush of more than 6 yards to a Vikings' running back in the game. The trio of Michael Bennett, Onterrio Smith and Moe Williams was held to 28 yards on 18 carries, a feeble 1.56-yard per carry average. The Redskins only allowed 52 net yards rushing for the game and twice stopped Moe Williams on short-and-goal carries in the second quarter. The Vikings had 0 yards rushing in the second half.

Dallas Cowboys 24 at New York Giants 28

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Dallas Cowboys

If this was the final game of quarterback Vinny Testaverde's NFL career, the 18-year veteran certainly gave the fans a performance to remember him by. Testaverde completed 23 of 30 passes for 231 yards, with 1 touchdown and no interceptions. With his team down, 21-16, late in the fourth quarter, he led Dallas on a 12-play, 80-yard march that chewed 6:40 off the clock. Testaverde capped the drive with a 2-point conversion pass to tight end Jason Witten that gave the Cowboys a 3-point lead with 1:49 to play; before the Giants mounted a thrilling comeback of their own.

Running back Julius Jones capped an outstanding rookie campaign with 149 yards rushing on 29 carries, including a 1-yard touchdown run that gave the Cowboys their late lead. He added 46 yards on 5 receptions. Jones displayed power, speed and nimble feet all night long, often juking Giant defenders to the ground. On the Cowboys' last scoring drive, Jones carried on 7 of the 12 plays. His 23-yard burst up the middle gave Dallas a first and goal at the Giants 7-yard line. He was replaced by Eddie George for one play, then returned to carry 3 straight times for the TD.

Tight end Jason Witten also had a big night for Dallas, leading the team with 8 receptions for 77 yards. He scored on a 7-yard pass from Testaverde in the third quarter, and caught a 2-point conversion pass in the waning minutes of the fourth period.

New York Giants

The "win" or "loss" attributed to the starting quarterback often can be a misleading statistic, but Giants QB Eli Manning clearly was happy and relieved to get his first career victory in the final game of his rookie season. Manning entered the contest having thrown just 3 touchdowns and 8 interceptions in his 6 starts. Against Dallas, he matched his season total and set a career high with 3 TD passes against 1 interception. He might have had a turnover-free night, as his one pick bounced off the helmet of his intended receiver.

Running back Tiki Barber was a big reason Manning was credited with the "W" in this game. Barber rushed for 95 yards on 24 carries, but, more importantly, broke two Giants rushing records on the same night. He topped Rodney Hampton's career record, and Joe Morris' season record. In addition, Barber scored the winning TD on a 3-yard run with 11 seconds to play.

Wide receiver David Tyree had just 3 receptions in 15 games this season before he started in place of the injured Amani Toomer. He caught 7 passes for 71 yards, including a 15-yard scoring grab on the first play of the fourth quarter.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Dallas Cowboys

QB: Vinny Testaverde (23-30-231 passing, 1 TD, 0 Int, 1 2-pt conversion pass, 0-0 rushing, 1 fumble lost). Testaverde had a good night in his possible farewell to professional football. He moved around in the pocket when he needed to buy extra time and threw the ball extremely well. He opened the third quarter by going 7-for-7 passing on one drive, capped by a 7-yard TD pass to tight end Jason Witten. His only mistake was a fumble that set up a Giants touchdown, but it should be pointed out he never had a chance on the play. New York defensive end Osi Umenyiora roared right past Dallas tackle Flozell Adams and slapped the ball out of Testaverde's hand while he was still setting up to throw.

Patrick Crayton (0-1-0 passing, 0 TD, 1 Int). The Cowboy receiver under threw a wide-open Jason Witten on a trick play in the second quarter and was intercepted.

RB: Julius Jones (29-149 rushing, 1 TD, 5-46 receiving on 5 targets) The rookie from Notre Dame was the focal point of the Dallas offense from the beginning. Not only was he the workhorse on the ground, his first reception was good for 37 yards and he caught every pass thrown his way. Jones missed 8 of the first 9 games due to injury, but could be a breakout fantasy player in 2005.

Eddie George (1-2 rushing, 0 TD, 0-0 receiving on 0 targets). George got on the field for just one play - after Jones had a long run to get the Cowboys close to the goal line late in the game and needed a breather.

Lousaka Polite (0-0 rushing, 0 TD, 1-4 receiving on 1 target). The rookie from Pittsburgh was added from the practice squad for this game. He made his first NFL reception in his first career game.

Darian Barnes (0-0 rushing, 0 TD, 0-0 receiving on 1 targets). The fullback dropped the only pass thrown his way.

WR: Patrick Crayton (5-58 receiving on 5 targets, 0 TD). The rookie from Northwestern Oklahoma State stepped up after Keyshawn Johnson was injured. Crayton appeared in 6 games and had 7 catches prior to Sunday, but caught 5 for 58 yards against the Giants to lead the Dallas receiving corps.

Quincy Morgan (3-28 receiving on 5 targets, 0 TD) All 3 of Morgan's catches came in the second quarter. He might have had a fourth reception, but the ball was batted away. Testaverde overthrew Morgan in the fourth quarter, the only time he was targeted in the second half.

Keyshawn Johnson (1-18 receiving on 2 targets, 0 TD) Johnson injured his left ankle on his lone reception, early in the second quarter. As he was sliding to the ground, his cleats caught in the artificial turf.

Terrance Copper (0-0 receiving on 0 targets, 0 TD) Copper was in on numerous plays, but was not targeted.

TE: Jason Witten (8-77 receiving on 13 targets, 1 TD, 1 2-pt conversion) Witten has had a great season with 79 receptions and 903 yards coming into Week 17, and he continued his success against the Giants. Testaverde looked to Witten frequently, and he had nearly as many receptions (8) as the four Dallas WRs combined (9). He also was the target of WR Patrick Crayton on a trick play, and was open, but Crayton threw a poor pass that was intercepted.

K: Billy Cundiff (1-1 XP, 3-3 FG) Cundiff's first touch was a pooch punt out of field goal formation. Rather than try a 56-yarder and risk giving the Giants great field position, Cundiff dropped a punt dead at the 3-yard line. Late in the first quarter, he boomed a 40-yard field goal to open the scoring. He added 2 FGs after the two-minute warning in the second quarter: a 23-yarder to draw Dallas within 1 point, 7-6, and from 45 to give the Cowboys a 9-7 halftime lead.

Pass Defense: The Cowboys pass defense was mediocre. Dallas allowed only 137 net yards passing, but only sacked Eli Manning once for a 7-yard loss, and allowed 3 touchdown passes.

Rush Defense: Dallas stopped the Giants running game for most of the night, then Tiki Barber tore through them on the game-winning drive in the final two minutes. The Cowboys allowed 98 yards on 25 tries, 3.9 per attempt, but Barber gained 23 critical yards on 4 carries, including the go-ahead TD, when Dallas needed a stop.

New York Giants

QB: Eli Manning (18-27-144 passing, 3 TD, 1 Int, 0-0 rushing) Manning has looked a lot better in the final three games of his first pro season. After throwing 2 interceptions in each of his first 2 starts, and 3 of his first 4, he was picked off just 1 time in each of the last three contests. Manning's only interception against Dallas hit Tiki Barber in the head, bounced off numerous players, and finally was intercepted by Dat Nguyen. Manning threw a few passes that were uncatchable due to their height or velocity, but, overall, he looked comfortable in the pocket.

RB: Tiki Barber (24-95 rushing, 1 TD, 3-21 receiving on 4 targets) Barber broke Rodney Hampton's Giants rushing record on his final carry of the third quarter. He broke Joe Morris's season mark with his game-winning TD with 11 seconds left. If that wasn't enough, he scored on a 3-yard pass from Manning early in the fourth quarter. Barber led the NFL in all-purpose yards.

Ron Dayne (1-3 rushing, 0 TD, 0-0 receiving on 0 targets) The former Heisman Trophy winner capped a quiet season with a quiet night.

WR: David Tyree (7-71 receiving on 11 targets, 1 TD) Tyree enjoyed the best night of his pro career. The second-year wideout from Syracuse had a career-high 7 catches (previous best: 5 in his rookie year). He showed a willingness to go over the middle and reach up for high passes.

Ike Hilliard (3-22 receiving on 4 targets, 0 TD) Hilliard might have caught every pass thrown his way, but Manning's first try was too low. Hilliard made 2 receptions on one drive in the third quarter, but was not targeted after that.

Jamar Taylor (0-0 receiving on 2 targets, 0 TD) Taylor lost a 16-yard reception in the third quarter to a holding penalty. In the final minute of the third period, he drew a 43-yard pass interference penalty that gave the Giants first and 10 at the Dallas 19. New York scored two plays later.

Amani Toomer - Toomer sat out the game due to a hamstring injury that has bothered him much of the season.

TE: Marcellus Rivers (3-24 receiving on 5 target, 0 TD) Rivers did a good job of getting open underneath, and was targeted at least once each quarter.

Visanthe Shiancoe (2-6 receiving on 3 targets, 1 TD). The second year tight end out of Morgan State dropped a low pass from Manning late in the first quarter. However, Shiancoe came back with a nice catch of a bullet for a 2-yard TD pass early in the second period.

K: Steve Christie (4-4 XP, 0-0 FGs) Christie made all 4 extra point tries.

Pass Defense: The Giants sacked Vinny Testaverde 4 times, but only for 15 yards in losses. The defensive highlight was a fumble-causing sack by Osi Umenyiora. Other than that, New York did not do a lot to stop the Cowboys, as Testaverde passed for 231 yards and a TD without a pick.

Rush Defense: New York did a poor job against the run, allowing 151 yards on 30 attempts (5.0), though Julius Jones is an excellent back.

Indianapolis Colts 14 at Denver Broncos 33

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts took the field with their 1st team, and then proceeded to yank Manning and James after the 3 and out 1st series. By going 1 for 2, Manning finished the year with a 121.1 passer rating, easily breaking Steve Young's all-time record.

The Colt's second team receivers had a real opportunity to show something in this game with the starters sitting. They did a horrible job of taking advantage of it as a whole.

Denver Broncos

Denver, needing a win to get into the playoffs, came to play. The Colts did not. As the game wore on, the Broncos 1st stringers took control of the Colts 2nd and 3rd string team.

Plummer looked fantastic playing against 3 rookies in the Colts defensive backfield, and was able to finish the season with 4,089 passing yards, breaking the old record set by John Elway. Plummer also finished the season without throwing an interception, after throwing 20 throughout the year.

Lelie continued to showcase his deep game breaking ability with a 38-yard TD. Lelie finished the season with 7 TDs from 30 or more yards out.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Indianapolis Colts

QB: Jim Sorgi (16-25-168, 2 TD, 2 for -2 rushing) Sorgi took over for Manning after the 1st series. He looked sharp early on with Manning talking in his ear. He went 7-7 right out of the gate, and scored a TD to Harrison on his first drive. A combination of the fact that he is not Manning, and the Broncos defense began to hold him in check. Sorgi played well throughout the game. His second TD came on a short timing pass to Wayne, who grabbed the ball, spun past two defenders and took it 70+ yards for the score.

Peyton Manning (1-2-6) Manning took the 1st series, 3 and out, for the Colts. This allowed him to continue his streak of 112 straight games started. He stayed active throughout the game sending plays into Sorgi from the sideline.

RB: Dominic Rhodes (12-34) Rhodes filled in for James, and struggled. He fumbled the ball after taking the hand off on a safety blitz. The lost fumble resulted in a Bronco FG.

James Mungro (2-11 receiving, 3 targets) After not seeing the field except for kick returns in the first half, Mungro was targeted 3 times in the 2nd half.

Edgerrin James (1 for -2) James worked the first series with the 1st team offense, and took the remainder of the game off.

Dominic Rhodes (1 target) Rhodes was targeted late in the game.

WR: Reggie Wayne (3-90, 1 TD, 3 targets) The bulk of Wayne's yards and his TD came on a short timing pass where he had to make a move to catch the ball, and then made two great spin moves in the open field to juke two different defenders and take it 71-yards for the score. Wayne sat out the second half with the rest of the starters.

Marvin Harrison (5-33, 1 TD, 6 targets) Harrison played with Sorgi through the 1st half, catching a TD, and 5 of the 6 balls thrown his way. He like the rest of the first team sat out for much of the second half.

Brandon Stokley (1 target) Stokley played into the second half, but never caught a ball.

Brad Pyatt (2-12, 2 targets) Pyatt saw a target in both halves, and caught both balls thrown his way.

Aaron Moorehead (1-7, 3 targets) Moorehead couldn't take advantage of his opportunity, and really show something in the game. He played poorly.

Troy Walters (1-5, 1 target) Walters caught the only ball thrown his way in the first half.

TE: Ben Hartsock (2-12, 6 targets) With Pollard out of the game, and Clark pulled before the end, Hartsock got a chance to showcase his skills, and failed terribly. He caught nothing in the 1st half, and only caught a single ball in the second, and he was used in the offense.

Dallas Clark (1-4, 2 targets) On a very confusing play, Clark "catches" the ball, and is leveled by John Lynch. After first being ruled a Bronco TD, it too 10+ minutes to straighten everything out, but the end result was an incomplete pass. The biggest reason to mention it is that Clark was seen on the sideline talking in total disbelief that he fumbled the ball. He didn't have a clue what happened, and was hit that hard. He quickly returned to the game.

K: Mike Vanderjagt (2 XP, 0-0 FG)

Pass Defense: Harper and Bashir were inactive for the game as the Colts didn't take any chances of injury heading into the playoffs. The Colts went with 3 rookies in the defensive backfield, and it was evident.

Rush Defense: The rush defense matched up poorly with Bell, who ran over them almost at will.

Denver Broncos

QB: Jake Plummer (17-30-246, 2 TD, 7-15, 1 TD rushing) The Colts started 3 rookies in the defensive back field, and Plummer looked sharp. He was great out of the pocket scrambling with the ball, and on target with his receivers all game. Plummer scrambled for a nice 5-yard TD.

RB: Tatum Bell (16-91, 2-16 receiving, 2 targets) Plummer looked great, but it was Bell who was the star of the game. Splitting time with Droughns, Bell made the most of what he was given. He would have broken the 100-yard mark, but a 25-yard run was negated due to offensive holding. Bell ran with power, and looked fantastic.

Reuben Droughns (15-76) Droughns was not used in the passing game. Although he did a fine job rushing, he was outclassed in direct comparison to Bell who was on the field with him.

Cecil Sapp (4-32) All of Sapp's carries came in the last 6 plays of the game. Sapp carried 4 in a row, and Plummer took the last two snaps and knelled down with them.

WR: Rod Smith (6-76, 9 targets) Smith was completely wide open at the Colts 15 yard line, and dropped the ball through his hands. Outside of that, Smith did a great job catch most everything that came his way. He ran clean routes, and was in sync with Plummer.

Ashley Lelie (3-70, 1 TD, 6 targets) Lelie caught what would have been a TD, but his second foot came down out of bounds on the back of the goal line. Lelie's score in the game was an almost "no-look", over the shoulder pass where Plummer placed it perfectly, and Lelie just trusted that it would be there. He didn't even look up for it.

Darrius Watts (1 target) Watts was not a factor in the game.

TE: Jeb Putzier (3-67, 3 targets) For a TE, these are incredible stats. Putzier caught all three balls thrown his way, and took them for large gains. Given that his long catch was 24-yards, he was very productive each and every time he toughed the ball.

Dwayne Carswell (1-9, 2 targets)

Patrick Hape (2-8, 1 TD, 5 targets) Hape's score came on a very well executed play action pass.

K: Jason Elam (3 XP, 4-4 FG)

Pass Defense: The pass defense took a bit to settle in, almost as if they were afraid to come after the Colts. Sorgi come out hot, and took advantage of them. As the Colts took every meaningful player out of the game, the Broncos just shut them down.

Rush Defense: As with the Pass defense, the Broncos completely shut down the Colts second and third string, but was not very effective early on.

San Francisco 49ers 7 at New England Patriots 21

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers finished what may arguably be the worst season in franchise history finishing the season with a 2-14 record. The 49ers completed the season with three consecutive losses and locked up the first overall pick in next year's draft. Despite scoring first and forcing three turnovers in the first half, the 49ers eventually made the same costly mistakes that have plagued them all season. The inability to capitalize off of turnovers, poor play execution and untimely turnovers ultimately denied the 49ers an opportunity to end their dismal season with a shocking upset victory of the Patriots in Foxboro.

Ken Dorsey played a solid game for the 49ers, passing for 189 yards and one touchdown and no interceptions. Unlike several of his starts this season, Dorsey made some difficult passes look easy and did not attempt to force the ball to his covered receivers. He was very successful with the short passes and quick out routes but attempted very few passes deep down field. Dorsey's 4-yard touchdown pass to backup TE Steve Bush late in the first quarter ended the Patriots regular season record of scoring first in 20 consecutive games.

Kevan Barlow had 103 yards on 25 carries for the 49ers and became only the third running back this season to rush for over 100 yards against the Patriots' defense. Barlow struggled in the first half rushing for just 32 yards on 13 attempts as the Patriots' defense seemed to key on Barlow. The second half was a different story for Barlow as he busted two long runs, one for 20 yards another for 33 yards. This was just the second time this season Barlow has rushed for more than 100 yards in a game. Disappointed fantasy owners would need to look back to week 2 of the season when he rushed for 114 yards against the New Orleans Saints for his other 100 yard game.

With WR Brandon Lloyd inactive due to a foot injury suffered in last week's game and Cedric Wilson injured in the third quarter, talented Rookie WR Rashaun Woods saw his playing time increase this week. Woods led the 49ers in receiving yards with 76 yards on 3 receptions. Until the game today, Woods had caught just four passes for the entire season for 84 yards.

New England Patriots

With the No. 2 seed and first-round bye for the upcoming AFC playoffs already wrapped up, New England played like a team with nothing on the line for most of the first half. The defending world champions committed three turnovers in the first half and found themselves tied at halftime against the woeful San Francisco 49ers. The Patriots improved in the second half, scoring two touchdowns on their way to a second consecutive 14-win season and a run for another Super Bowl victory. The win also extended their home winning streak to 19 straight games.

No one was sure if, or for how long Tom Brady would play in a game meaningless for both teams but Brady saw 3 full quarters against San Francisco. It appeared that Coach Belichick was determined to leave his starters, including Brady, in the game until the Patriots had the game in hand. Brady turned in another solid performance completing 22 of 30 for 226 yards and two touchdown passes in three quarters of play. Despite committing two turnovers in the game, an interception and a fumble, Brady stayed poised and showed his leadership leading his team to three scoring drives of more than 50 yards.

It was a record setting day for Corey Dillon who capped a terrific season rushing for 116 yards on just 14 carries and one touchdown. Dillon, who was lifted after his 4th quarter touchdown, tied Curtis Martin's 1995 team record with his ninth 100-yard effort of the year and finished with a career-best 1,635 yards. The touchdown was number 12 on the season for Dillon which is also a career high for rushing touchdown in a season. For surpassing the 1,600 yard mark for the season, Dillon will earn a $375,000 bonus as part of his contract incentives.

PR/WR Bethel Johnson appeared to give the Patriots an early lead in the game after returning a punt 86 yards for a touchdown less than three minutes into the contest, but the score was nullified due to an illegal block in the back.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

San Francisco 49ers

QB: Ken Dorsey (18-29-189 passing, 1 TD) Ken Dorsey started his seventh game for San Francisco and had one of his better starts of the season. Dorsey displayed poise in the pocket and finished with a 92.5 quarterback rating after completing 18 of 29 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown. He did not commit a turnover, which has plagued him throughout the season, but instead of "locking" on to his receivers he went to his secondary receivers or threw the ball away. His lone touchdown pass of the game came in the first quarter on a 4-yard pass to back-up TE Steve Bush that put San Francisco in the lead 7-0.

RB: Kevan Barlow (25-103 rushing, 2-11 receiving on 3 targets) Kevan Barlow played like Head Coach Erickson had wished he played all season long. Barlow, for the second consecutive game ran hard, broke tackles and made something positive out of nothing against a tough defensive opponent. An example of Barlow's hard work paid off on a 33-yard run where he appeared to be stopped at the line of scrimmage but he kept his legs moving and broke out from the pack for the big gain. Barlow finished with 103 yards rushing, though he was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-1 at the New England eight yard line with less than nine minutes remaining in the game and some hope still remaining for the 49ers. He was successful on an earlier fourth-and-1 play but the drive resulted in a missed field goal.

Maurice Hicks (10-32 rushing, 2-10 receiving on 2 targets, 2 fumbles lost) Maurice Hicks was used primarily to give Barlow a breather in this game. Hicks had two fumbles in the game, the first proved to be a back-breaker for San Francisco as the 49ers where marching down the field for a possible score to tie the game in the third quarter. Hicks took the handoff from Dorsey but C Brock Gutierrez was knocked backwards by the New England pass rush and Gutierrez appeared to knock the ball from Hicks to force the fumble at the New England 33 yard line. Hicks lost another fumble on a fourth-down play deep in New England territory in the final minutes of the game.

WR: Rashaun Woods (3-76 receiving on 7 targets) Although Rookie Rashaun Woods did see some plays in the first half, most of his targets came in the second half of the game. Woods showed one late flash of his potential by taking a Dorsey pass 59 yards down the left sideline before being pushed out of bounds on the next-to-last play of the game. He did have an end zone target in the game but was overthrown by Dorsey.

Curtis Conway (4-44 receiving on 6 targets) Curtis Conway had a couple of nice catches in the game including a 14-yard grab that put San Francisco into field goal range in the second quarter. Of Conway's four receptions, three of them were for first downs.

Cedrick Wilson (1-7 receiving on 2 targets) Cedric Wilson caught his only pass of the game in the third quarter for a first down. His other target was a sideline target that Dorsey overthrew. Wilson left the game in the third quarter after breaking his leg on a kick return.

TE: Eric Johnson (3-28 receiving on 5 targets) Although Johnson's numbers were not great the last couple of games he finished the season with over 80 catches and 800 yards. Johnson caught a key pass on fourth-and-5 that kept a drive alive in the fourth quarter.

Steve Bush (2-10, 1 TD receiving on 2 targets) Back-up TE Steve Bush caught his first two passes of the season, including a 4-yard touchdown pass from Ken Dorsey in the first quarter. Bush was the secondary receiver on the play but took the Dorsey pass on the right side and lunged into the end zone for the score.

Aaron Walker (1-3 receiving on 2 targets) Aaron Walker had his only reception of the game in the first quarter that helped set up the 49ers touchdown.

K: Todd Peterson (1-1XP, 0-1 FG) Todd Peterson was successful on his only extra point attempt. Peterson missed his only field goal attempt in the game from 39 yard away as the ball hit the right upright and bounced away. It was Peterson's first and only miss inside 45 yards this season.

Pass Defense: The San Francisco pass defense allowed 231 net passing yards and two touchdowns in the game. They did have an interception by S Dwaine Carpenter on a deflected pass attempt to Corey Dillon which set up the 49ers only score of the game. Although both touchdown passes were short scores the 49ers did allow four receptions of more than 20 yards in the game and appeared to give the New England receivers too much cushion.

Rush Defense: The rush defense seemed to wear down as the game progressed and the Patriots offensive line took control of the line of scrimmage. They allowed a whopping 8.3 yards per carry to Corey Dillon and a touchdown. For the game, San Francisco allowed the Patriots to stampede them for 174 yards on the ground. A bright spot for the 49ers defense was DE John Engelberger who forced two fumbles, recovering one of them, and recorded their only sack of the game.

New England Patriots

QB: Tom Brady (22-30-226 passing, 2 TD, 1 INT, 1-3 rushing, 1 fumble lost) Tom Brady struggled with running the no huddle offense for the first couple of series as the Patriots had two turnovers on those possessions. Brady continued to use the no huddle periodically throughout the game. One of the turnovers was an interception by Brady on a slightly overthrown pass to Corey Dillon that was tipped by Dillon into the defenders hands. Brady riddled the San Francisco defense with a steady, efficient passing game and he scattered the ball to ten different receivers. He would finish the day with 226 yards and two touchdowns equaling a career high with 28 touchdown passes for the season.

Rohan Davey (1-4-10 passing, 1-3 rushing) Rohan Davey came into the game in the fourth quarter to replace Brady. Davey's only completion was a 10 yard pass to TE Jed Weaver. He had one target where he showed his arm strength and touch, throwing the ball approximately 45 yards in the air and dropping in right at WR Bethel Johnson's hands but the pass went off Johnson's fingertips for an incompletion.

RB: Corey Dillon (14-116, 1 TD rushing, 1-18 receiving on 2 targets, 1 fumble lost) Corey Dillon put an exclamation point to the end of his regular season as he pummeled the San Francisco defense for 116 yards and a touchdown in roughly three quarters of play. Dillon longest carry of the game was 29 yards which helped set up the Patriots second touchdown. Dillon sat out one series late in the third quarter and remained on the sideline for the remainder of the third quarter as it appeared his day was finished. However, as Rohan Davey replaced Tom Brady, Dillon returned to the game and two carries later found the end zone on a 6-yard touchdown run. Dillon's only blemish of the day was a fumble on New England's first series after an 18-yard gain on a screen pass.

Cedric Cobbs (5-20 rushing) Rookie Cedric Cobbs saw all of his carries on the Patriots last two possessions of the game. On Cobbs' first attempt of the game he took the ball around the right side for a 13 yard gain which gave the Patriots some breathing room from deep in their own territory.

Patrick Pass (4-16 rushing, 5-22 receiving on 6 targets) Patrick Pass was given several rushing attempt in the third quarter while Dillon was on the sideline. He was primarily used as a receiver out of the backfield where he is most effective.

Rabih Abdullah (2-5 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 1 target) Rabih Abdullah was not a factor in New England rushing attack but his one receiving target was an end zone target on a fourth down pass from Davey but the ball was knock loose on a crushing hit from CB Shawntae Spencer.

WR: Deion Branch (3-22 receiving on 3 targets, 1 TD) Deion Branch caught two passes early in the first quarter but his third reception went for an 8-yard touchdown. Branch was the recipient of a beautiful "pick" play ran by WR David Patten which allowed Branch to break underneath for the pass and beat the safety to the end zone.

David Givens (2-30 receiving on 5 targets) David Givens big reception of the game was a 22-yard grab over the middle that put New England at the 49ers two yard line, setting up the Patriots first score.

David Patten (1-23 receiving on 2 targets) David Patten's only reception of the game went for 23 yards that put New England in the red zone. Unfortunately, two plays later New England turned the ball over.

Bethel Johnson (2-15 receiving on 4 targets, 1-11 rushing) Bethel Johnson caught his only two passes in the second half and was not a big contributor to the passing game.

Troy Brown (1-6 receiving on 1 target) Troy Brown caught his only pass late in the third quarter and was not a factor.

TE: Jed Weaver (4-62 receiving on 6 targets) The third string TE and former 49er had his best game of the season with 4 reception and 62 yards. Weaver's biggest reception was a 25 yard catch over the middle that he leaped in the air and managed to hang on to the ball after a hard hit. All four of his receptions were for first downs.

Christian Fauria (3-37 receiving on 3 targets) Christian Fauria had one catch in each of the first three quarters. Fauria had a 20 yard reception in the first quarter.

Mike Vrabel (1-1 receiving on 1 target, 1 TD) Mike Vrabel came in as an eligible receiver at the TE position in New England's goal line offense. On first down Vrabel was a little anxious as was called for a false start, on the next play he found himself back on the sidelines but on the third play he was back in at TE and caught a touchdown pass. Vrabel faked blocking to the inside and cut to his left just across the goal line for the 1-yard touchdown reception. It was Vrabel's second touchdown reception of the season.

Daniel Graham - Starting TE Daniel Graham was inactive for the game allowing his sore ribs to heal before the playoffs.

K: Adam Vinatieri (3-3 XP) Vinatieri was successful on all three extra point attempts.

Pass Defense: With defensive backs Ty Law and Eugene Wilson inactive for the game, the injury riddled Patriots secondary still managed have a solid performance. They allowed just 189 yards passing from Ken Dorsey but did give up one touchdown pass in the first quarter. Other than a meaningless 59 yard pass play near the end of the game the longest reception allowed was just 14 yards.

Rush Defense: The rush defense was great in the first half but did show some weak spots in the second half allowing Kevan Barlow to rush for 71 yards. Barlow and Hicks rushed for a combined 135 yards. The only sack for New England was recorded by LB Willie McGinest. LB Tully Banta-Cain and CB Earthwind Moreland each had a fumble recovery for the Patriots.

Atlanta Falcons 26 at Seattle Seahawks 28

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Atlanta Falcons

While it was clear that this was a meaningless game for the Falcons, their starting units remained on the field for the duration of the game with the only exception being QB Michel Vick. He was removed from the game after three Falcon possessions netting a passing touchdown and a field goal.

RB Warrick Dunn was the workhorse for the Falcons with 28 touches in the game (25 carries and 3 receptions) and 151 yards of offense. RB T.J. Duckett spelled Dunn on an occasional series during long drives and handled some of the short yardage carries.

Seattle Seahawks

RB Shaun Alexander came up one yard short of Curtis Martin in the chase for the NFL rushing title. After the Seahawks scored with four and a half minutes left in the game the Falcons were able to drain the clock down to zero on their final possession. Alexander ran particularly hard in traffic and ground out some very tough yardage near the goal line.

QB Matt Hasselbeck was sharp and accurate in executing the short passing game. Hasselbeck did not throw the ball down field at all. His longest throw the game was within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage.

The Seahawks suspended WR Koren Robinson for the second time this season. Details were not released. Official word was that Robinson violated a team rule.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Atlanta Falcons

QB: Michael Vick (6-7-35 TD passing, 3-13 rushing) Vick made the hearts of Atlanta faithful sink with several mad-capped scrambles. He was hit when LB Chad Brown caught his arm in the throwing motion and another where his OG landed on top of him trying to get out of his way. It was quite clear that Vick does not know how to play the game "cautiously". On the first Falcon possession Vick marched Atlanta down the field with short crisp passing and a nice run of 12 yards. His touchdown pass to WR Peerless Price of 2 yards was a laser in the left flat. Vick often throws the ball very hard. Vick was seen for the duration of the game in conferences on the sideline with backup QB Matt Schaub and head coach Jim Mora.

Matt Schaub (14-22-132 TD INT passing, 2-7 rushing) Schaub had some shining moments in this game, but also had several dismal ones as well. He did a nice job of bringing the Falcon's back at the end of the game. However, during the bulk of the game he was terribly inaccurate on a few throws and nearly threw multiple interceptions. Beyond 10 yards Schaub did not show the necessary accuracy or timing to be successful as an NFL starting quarterback. There was one surprise. At the beginning of the Falcon's final possession Schaub executed a great play action fake and bootlegged naked around left end for an 8-yard gain on 3rd and 1.

RB: Warrick Dunn (25-132 rushing, 3-19 receiving on 3 targets) Warrick Dunn was impressive grinding out yardage between the tackles. On several runs Dunn was able to crouch down behind his linemen and wait for a hole to develop before he would shoot through for a solid gain. Dunn handled the lion's share of the running duties in every quarter of the game. RB T.J. Duckett replaced him on a few series, but they were rare. Dunn remained in the game during the entire drive in the fourth quarter when Atlanta nearly tied up the game. Dunn wasn't involved in the Falcon's passing game until this final drive. All three of his receptions were short dumps in the middle of the field that Seattle allowed them to have.

T.J. Duckett (8-52 rushing, 1-11 receiving on 2 targets) In the first half Duckett entered the game on the second or third series of the longer Falcon drives. He also came into the game on the short yardage and goal line situations. However, he wasn't able to convert on either of his these two carries in the first half. One was inside the Seahawk's 5-yard line. On the Falcon's second possession of the third quarter Duckett started as the tailback. On the first play Duckett burst through a hole and collided with SS Michael Boulware. Duckett absorbed the hit, bounced off, and sprinted down the right sideline for a 35-yard gain. Duckett had only one carry in the fourth quarter.

WR: Peerless Price (7-46 TD receiving on 11 targets) Price was targeted repeatedly on short outs and hitches for most of the game. His 2-yard touchdown from QB Michael Vick was an out in the left flat. Price caught three balls on the first Falcon possession from Vick. In the third quarter Price was the target on QB Matt Schaub's interception. The pass was thrown way behind Price. In the fourth quarter Price made a nice leaping grab across the middle for a 17-yard gain. The play helped to set up the second Feely field goal.

Brian Finneran (3-45 TD receiving on 5 targets) Finneran was targeted on two deep balls in the game. His first was a 26-yard fade route down the right sideline. His second was an incompletion thrown to the goal line. Finneran was targeted twice on the Falcons last possession of the game in the end zone. The first target on this series was a lobbed jump ball from QB Matt Schaub that was nearly intercepted by CB Ken Lucas. The other was across the back of the endzone for his touchdown off of a slant route.

TE: Alge Crumpler (DNP - injured knee) Backup TE Eric Beverly started in Crumpler's place, but wasn't targeted in the game.

K: Jay Feely (2-2 XP, 2-3 FG made 33, 40, missed 39) Feely hooked his 39-yard field goal attempt in the third quarter wide to the left.

Pass Defense: Atlanta dropped QB Matt Hasselbeck four times in the game, twice by DT Rod Coleman. The also caught Hasselbeck with a surprise corner blitz in the third quarter when CB Allen Rossom came off the edge unblocked. CB DeAngelo Hall was gifted an interception and touchdown when WR Jerry Rice fell down before he broke on a slant pattern. Hasselbeck's pass hit Hall in the chest and he was easily able to scoot down the sideline for the score. Seattle spent most of the game in a 3-WR set. The Atlanta safeties had a hard time staying with slot WR Bobby Engram.

Rush Defense: The Falcons front seven did a nice job of containing RB Shaun Alexander. The statistics show that Alexander netted a 4.1 ypc average, but 60 of his 80 yards came on 4 of his 19 carries. However, Atlanta didn't do a good job in short yardage situations. They never got penetration at the point of attack and allowed Seattle convert on all their short carries.

Seattle Seahawks

QB: Matt Hasselbeck (21-27-191 2TD INT passing, 1-1 TD rushing) Hasselbeck managed the short passing game well. He was decisive and quick to get the ball out and didn't make any of the horrendous throws that have spotted the season for him. If the injured elbow was still bothering him it wasn't obvious. However, if his target and distance selection was any indication it may have been a factor. Hasselbeck didn't throw a pass in the game more than 10 yards down field. Not even once. Hasselbeck's decision making was better in this game than it has been for most of the year. He was able to come off of his initial receiver quickly today. Several of his better passes were to secondary and tertiary receivers, including both of his touchdown passes. Hasselbeck's 1-yard touchdown sneak was run a bit awkwardly. He lowered his shoulder to push behind his center and guard, but got twisted backwards. When he extended the ball beyond the goal line it was laying on his back while on the pile.

RB: Shaun Alexander (19-80 TD rushing, 2-8 receiving on 2 targets) Alexander had about five or six great runs in the game, and a ton more that went nowhere. This has been his modus operandi over the past several years as a Seahawk. Alexander was caught behind the line of scrimmage several times in the game "dancing" while looking for an opening. Head coach Mike Holmgren has demanded him to pound the ball when there's not an obvious hole. On short yardage situations Alexander has excelled (especially goal line), but between the twenties it's been a different story. This was definitely a step backward in this ongoing battle. Alexander halted behind the line of scrimmage on at least eight of his carries. However, when the hole was there and Alexander hit it hard he accelerated with great burst. His pair of off tackle 10-yard gains were great examples of this in the first quarter. Also, his 29-yard run in the second quarter displayed his ability to make great cuts in the open field. Alexander has been used less this year in the passing game, but his over the should 9-yard reception in the second quarter was a very difficult catch.

Maurice Morris (0-0 rushing, 1-6 receiving on 1 target) Morris pulled in his 6-yard reception on 3rd and 16 just before the end of halftime.

Mack Strong (1-2 rushing, 2-8 receiving on 2 targets) Strong converted a 3rd and 1 in the second quarter just before the Hasselbeck to Jackson touchdown pass. All three of Strong's touches came in the first half. Seattle used more 2-TE formations in the second half.

WR: Darrell Jackson (3-18 TD receiving on 5 targets) Jackson was a non-factor for most of the game. His 3-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter came out of the slot. He simply sat down in the open part of the Falcon zone. Both of Jackson's other two receptions came at the outset of the drive that got Seattle the lead in the game. On the first play of the drive Jackson caught a quick slant and broke a tackle for 7 yards. On third down the same series Jackson was the intended receiver on the play, but was initially not open. He worked his way back to the sideline and found an opening where QB Matt Hasselbeck hit him for the first down.

Bobby Engram (6-79 receiving on 6 targets) Engram had a great game, but it wasn't done in his typical fashion. Engram is usually the third down specialist for the Seahawks working out of the slot against an opponents nickel cornerback or safeties. Only one of Engram's receptions converted a third down. He did the most damage on first and second down in this game. Of note in the fourth quarter, on 2nd and 11 Engram caught a short crossing route, but after a great stiff arm he raced up the sideline for a 23-yard gain.

Jerry Rice (0-0 receiving on 3 targets) Rice had his worst game as a Seahawk, by far. He dropped his first two targets. In the first quarter he began to make a move back to the middle of the field before securing the ball and the ball flung out of his hands as he spun. The second drop was on a slant. Rice didn't use his body to shield off the defender and couldn't make the play. His third target added insult to injury. Rice couldn't get off the line of scrimmage when bumped by CB DeAngelo Hall. Rice fell down on the slant route. The pass ended up hit hitting Hall in the chest and he zipped down the sideline for a touchdown. Rice wasn't targeted again in the game.

Koren Robinson (DNP - suspended for violating a team rule)

TE: Itula Mili (3-37 receiving on 4 targets) Mili started the game and was the target of the first Hasselbeck pass. Mili picked up 16 yards off of a bootleg where Hasselbeck rolled out to the right. Mili's second reception was up the seam for a 16-yard pickup in the second quarter. All three of Mili's receptions came on first down.

Jerramy Stevens (2-14 TD receiving on 3 targets) Stevens was targeted up the left seam in the second quarter. The ball whizzed past his head, as he didn't get turned around to even know the ball was coming. His 3-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter got Seattle the lead for good. The ball was thrown at his feet, but Stevens did a good job of going down to get the pass.

Ryan Hannam (2-14 receiving on 2 targets) Hannam caught a 6-yard pass on 3rd and 5 inside the 10-yard line just before the Stevens touchdown. His other reception came on first down in the fourth quarter. It was a mirror of the bootleg pass that Hasselbeck hit Mili with on the first Seattle play of the game.

K: Josh Brown (4-4 XP, 0-0 FG) Brown did not get the chance to attempt a field goal in the game. Of note, P Ken Walter had a punt blocked after the initial Seattle possession that lead the first Atlanta touchdown. Walter is the third punter that Seattle has had to employ this season.

Pass Defense: LB Chad Brown put his first hit on a quarterback in a long time. His fumble forcing sack of QB Michael Vick is the sort of big play element that Seattle has been lacking from its front seven this season. The Seahawks sacked Vick a second time before he left the game, but it was sort of comical. Vick ran about 20 yards all over the place before he collided with his own offensive guard and a Seahawk fell on him. FS Ken Hamelin was also credited with a sack after running down a scrambling Matt Schaub. The Seattle secondary only intercepted QB Matt Schaub once when CB Marcus Trufant picked off a poorly thrown ball, but CB Ken Lucas had two in his hands that were nearly intercepted as well. The first was a diving play that was reviewed by the replay booth (under 2:00 in the first half). Call could have gone either way. The second was on the final series of the game. Schaub threw a lobbed fade to WR Brian Finneran in the endzone, but the pass was under thrown and hit Lucas in the chest before it fell to the ground.

Rush Defense: The Seahawks yielded 204 yard rushing on 38 carries. They were consistently getting pushed around at the point of attack, and Seattle's linebackers and safeties did not do a good job in run support. On one particular play rookie SS Michael Boulware filled the hole well and met RB T.J. Duckett head on, but Boulware bounced off and Duckett raced up the sideline for 35 yards.

Cincinnati Bengals 38 at Philadelphia Eagles 10

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Cincinnati Bengals

Playing against the Eagles' second and third string units, the Bengals were successful in their bid to finish with a .500 record for the second year in a row. After coming out flat on offense with two consecutive 3 and outs, the Bengals found the end zone at the end of a 13-play drive and never looked back.

Jon Kitna filled in once again for the injured Carson Palmer. Kitna had an efficient performance, throwing for 160 yards and a touchdown. He took numerous shots at the end zone, but was able to connect only once. His lone touchdown pass came on a 20-yard throw to T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

After being held to just 28 rushing yards in the first half, Rudi Johnson found some running room in the second half. He finished with 99 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns. All of his touchdowns came on runs of 6 yards or less.

Five forced turnovers by the Bengal defense figured prominently into the storyline of this game. Two fumble recoveries and three interceptions, including a 36-yard interception return for a touchdown, helped the Bengals blow this game wide open in the second half.

Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles' coach Andy Reid took a very cautious approach to this meaningless game. A number of key Philadelphia players did not even take the field, including Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook, and Jevon Kearse. Most of the remaining Eagles' starters played for just a few series. Overall, the Eagles treated this game very much like a preseason contest.

Koy Detmer started at quarterback, and played for two and a half quarters. He was 17 of 31 for 202 yards and no touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions. Jeff Blake played the remainder of the game. He was 14 of 23 for 85 yards and a touchdown, but also threw an interception. Blark's interception came on his first pass of the game, and was returned 36 yards for a Bengal touchdown. Freddie Mitchell caught the lone Eagles touchdown on the afternoon. He finished with 76 receiving yards on 6 catches.

Reno Mahe and Eric McCoo saw the bulk of the action at running back for the Eagles. They finished with 54 and 26 yards respectively. Neither back found the end zone. Mahe was also used heavily in the passing game, where he managed 62 yards on 8 catches.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Cincinnati Bengals

QB: Jon Kitna (16-27-160, 1 TD passing, 3-11 rushing) had a quiet day at the helm, throwing for 16 completions on 27 attempts for just 160 yards. For the most part he played a good game, though he had difficulty hitting open receivers at times. His lone touchdown came on a 20-yard throw to Houshmandzadeh.

RB: Rudi Johnson (28-99, 3 TD rushing) took advantage of multiple Eagles' turnovers on his way to 3 touchdowns on the afternoon. Johnson had a long run of 25 yards on the day, but for most of the game had trouble finding running room against the Eagles' run defense. His three touchdowns came on runs of 5, 6, and 3 yards.

Kenny Watson (3-20, 1-9 receiving on 1 target) spelled Rudi Johnson in the game.

Jeremi Johnson (1-4 receiving on 1 target) was targeted in the red zone the one time the ball was thrown his way.

WR: T.J. Houshmandzadeh (6-71, 1 TD receiving on 8 targets) continued his emergence as a legitimate fantasy wide receiver. Houshmandzadeh's touchdown came on 20-yard fly pattern. He appeared to get away with a push-off just before catching the ball.

Chad Johnson (5-67 receiving on 15 targets, 1-18 rushing) was Kitna's favorite target, though he managed just 5 catches in the game. Johnson had 1 bad drop on a wide receiver screen, but the large gap between targets and catches can be attributed mostly to poorly thrown passes. Johnson came up limping after a long pass attempt in the first half, but managed to stay in the game.

Kelley Washington (1-3 receiving on 1 target) was not a factor in the game.

TE: Matt Schobel (1-4 receiving on 1 target) had 4 yards on his lone catch of the day.

Tony Stewart (1-2 receiving on 1 target) had just one catch on the day.

K: Shayne Graham (5 XP, 1-2 FG) missed a 37-yard field goal, but was successful on a 50-yard attempt.

Pass Defense: The Bengal's pass defense enjoyed success against the Eagles. They came up with 3 interceptions, including a 36-yard return for a touchdown. The unit also recovered a Koy Detmer fumble and notched 3 sacks on the day.

Rush Defense: The Cincinnati rush defense also played well, allowing the Eagles just 80 yards on the ground.

Philadelphia Eagles

QB: Koy Detmer (17-31-202, 2 INT passing, 1 fumble lost) started the game in place of Donovan McNabb. He began the game with 6 completions on his first 7 throws, but struggled after that. He had several passes tipped at the line of scrimmage, and overall found little success in throwing the Eagles' receivers. Detmer lost a fumble on a play in which he was blindsided. He also threw 2 interceptions, both on under thrown passes, one of which was in the end zone.

Jeff Blake (14-23-85, 1 TD, 1 INT passing) saw his first pass of the game intercepted and returned for a Bengal touchdown. After his poor start, Blake did manage to find a bit of a rhythm, connecting with three of the Eagles' wide receivers on a 9-play touchdown drive. His lone touchdown came on a 3-yard strike to Freddie Mitchell.

RB: Eric McCoo (9-54 rushing) showed off some of the playmaking ability that won him MVP honors in World Bowl XII. On this day he carried the ball just 9 times, but McCoo was the Eagles' leading rusher with 54 yards.

Reno Mahe (7-26 rushing, 8-62 receiving on 9 targets) struggled to gain significant yardage in the run game, but made the most of his many targets in the passing game. He finished with 88 total yards from scrimmage.

WR: Freddie Mitchell (6-76, 1 TD receiving on 6 targets) led all Eagles receivers with 76 yards on 6 catches. He scored for the second time this season when he caught an absolute bullet from Jeff Blake for a 3-yard touchdown.

Greg Lewis (6-53 receiving on 12 targets) was targeted often in this game. He managed 6 catches for 53 yards.

Billy McMullen (2-19 receiving on 12 targets) was also targeted heavily, though he caught just two balls on the afternoon.

TE: L.J. Smith (2-37 receiving on 4 targets) had a big 31-yard catch on the Eagles' first offensive play of the game, but managed just one additional catch after that.

Mike Bartrum (3-27 receiving on 4 targets), the Eagles' long snapper, saw action at tight end late in the game.

K: David Akers (1 XP, 1-2 FG) connected from 46 yards and missed from 45 yards.

Pass Defense: The Eagles' pass defense played reasonably well, as they held Jon Kitna and the Bengals to just 160 passing yards and a touchdown. However, the Eagles failed to sack the quarterback and were unable to force any turnovers.

Rush Defense: The Eagles' run defense played a forgettable game. They allowed 148 yards on the ground and were absolutely gashed in the red zone for 3 rushing touchdowns.

Jacksonville Jaguars 13 at Oakland Raiders 6

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville passing game was ineffective for most of the game. Part of the reason could be attributed to a very active Raiders defense, which forced Leftwich to run 10 times, and the rain that fell during most of the game. The other reason was a combination of Quarterback Byron Leftwich missing receivers as well as his receivers dropping some catch-able passes. The only explosive play in the passing game came when Leftwich threw a deep pass to wide receiver Ernest Wilford who leaped in the air and made a one-handed grab before falling to the ground for a 46-yard reception. Leftwich still finished with modest numbers of 15 completions in 28 attempts for 149 yards, no touchdowns and 1 interception.

The Jaguars running game missed Fred Taylor, who did not play due to injury. Greg Jones, LaBrandon Toefield and Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala combined for 52 yards rushing on 24 rushing attempts. That 2.2 yards-per-carry average reflected the lack of explosiveness in the running game. Jacksonville did not abandon the run though, as was evidenced by their only touchdown. After Wilford's 46-yard catch, which gave Jacksonville a first and goal at the 6-yard line, Jacksonville ran the ball three consecutive times, culmination in Greg Jones scoring. On that play Jones showed some speed as the play called for him to run left, which he did, outrunning the defense and scoring untouched.

Jacksonville's wide receivers put up mediocre numbers. Jimmy Smith had the most balls thrown his way (7) but only caught 3 of them for 22 yards. He did drop a deep pass one would expect him to catch that he could have run in for a touchdown. The other wide receivers had difficulty getting open, which was surprising considering both starting cornerbacks for the Raiders did not play in the game. When they did get open, it was on usually on short routes under 10 yards.

Oakland Raiders

The Raiders passing offense left a lot to be desired. Kerry Collins posted very bad numbers, finishing with 15 completions in 39 attempts for 142 yards and 3 interceptions. Collins attempted to throw deep several times during the game, and to a variety of receivers including his tight ends and all his wide receivers, but missed most of them. The Jacksonville pass defense played very well and forced Collins to make perfect throws which he was unable to do. Collins attempted to go to Alvis Whitted deep several times during the game, but connected with him just once despite 7 targets. The other Raiders receivers were not much more effective, with Jerry Porter being the most productive with 3 receptions.

Zack Crockett was the star of the running game, though he did not get going until the 4th quarter. Up to that point, the Raiders ground game was ineffective as the Jacksonville run defense plugged the few holes that opened up quickly. On one series in the 4th quarter, Crockett was the featured back and he ran effectively, including a 47-yard burst up the middle. The Raiders relied on him on this drive, running him 11 consecutive times for 78 yards to the 5 yard line. Crockett then caught a pass and ran to the 4-yard line. On the next play he ran for what appeared to be a touchdown, but the play was called back due to a tripping penalty, which put the Raiders in a 3rd and long situation. The ensuing play was a 10-yard reception by Alvis Whitted, setting up a 4th down play. That play resulted in Collins being intercepted in the end zone. Nonetheless, Crockett finished with very impressive rushing numbers of 134 yards on 22 rushing attempts.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Jacksonville Jaguars

QB: Byron Leftwich (15/28, 149 yards 1 INT, 10/41 rushing). Leftwich battled the rain and a surprisingly good Raiders pass defense most of the day. He was forced out of the pocket on numerous occasions and ended up leading Jacksonville in rushing yards. Leftwich was unable to get into a rhythm with his receivers, whether he was throwing short or deep. The interception was a result of his intended receiver, Reggie Williams, being closely defended when the ball arrived. As a result the ball bounced off Williams and the defensive back and a Raiders linebacker made a nice play to catch it before it hit the ground.

RB: Greg Jones (16/30 rushing 1 TD). Jones was unable to gain many yards against the Raiders. Almost all of his runs were designed to go up the middle, but he was stopped for little or no gain most of the time. His longest run was for 6 yards. Jones displayed some versatility on the touchdown he scored. Known as a power runner, he ran the ball to the left, displaying enough speed to outrun the Raiders defenders to score untouched from the 1-yard line.

LaBrandon Toefield (7/18 rushing, 2/26 receiving on 3 targets). Toefield was asked to run the ball more due to Taylor not playing, but looked more comfortable catching the ball in the passing game, than he did running up the middle.

Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala (1/4 rushing, 0 receiving on 1 target). Fuamatu-Ma'afala did not play much and his contributions were minimal.

Marc Edwards (0 rushes, 1/15 receiving on 1 target). Edwards was utilized almost exclusively as a blocker, but turned his lone opportunity into a 15-yard catch and run.

WR: Jimmy Smith (3/22 on 7 targets). Smith was not targeted as much as one would expect in such a big game for Jacksonville. He did get open deep once where he could have scored a touchdown, but uncharacteristically dropped the ball. His lack of production was also surprising seeing the Raiders were without their two starting cornerbacks.

Ernest Wilford (2/56 on 3 targets). Made a spectacular catch that led to Jacksonville's only touchdown. The ball was thrown deep and high, but Wilford leaped in the air, grabbed it with one hand, and then cradled it with both hands as he fell to the ground. He also made another tough catch while being closely defended by the Raiders, and hung onto the ball despite being hit hard. In his exuberance over getting the first down, he spiked the ball in the defender's face, drawing an unsportsmanlike penalty and costing his team valuable field position.

Troy Edwards (3/21 on 6 targets). Edwards had one 12-yard pass play that resulted in a first down, but did not contribute much otherwise.

Reggie Williams (0/0 on 1 target). The only time Williams was thrown the ball resulted in a Raiders interception as he could not gain separation from the defender.

TE: Kyle Brady (1/8 on 4 targets). Brady was used mostly as an outlet receiver when he was involved in the passing game, though Leftwich did target him once as a primary target.

Todd Yoder (2/8 on 5 targets). Yoder was also used in the same manner as Brady.

K: Josh Scobee (1 XP, 2/2 FGs). Scobee converted all of his scoring opportunities, connecting on field goals of 22 and 26 yards.

Pass Defense: The Jaguars' pass defense was aggressive, and applied pressure to Collins consistently. Their defensive secondary kept the Raiders receivers in check, and they did not allow many completions over 10 yards, while managing to intercept Collins three times. While they only recorded one sack, the Jaguars were able to keep pressure on Collins with a variety of blitzes.

Rush Defense: Through the first three quarters, the Jaguars rendered the Raiders running game nonexistent. Zack Crockett was able to get going against them in the 4th quarter, recording 78 of his 134 yards rushing on that drive. Apart from Crockett's TD run that was called back by penalty, Jacksonville's run defense stiffened when the Raiders get inside the 5-yard line. They did not allow the Raiders to score despite the Raiders attempting 5 running plays during the course of the game at or inside the 5-yard line. On the last series of the game, with the Raider down by 7 points, they had the ball 1st and goal at the 4-yard line. Crockett was stopped twice, and after a failed pass attempt, Jacksonville sacked Collins to end the game.

Oakland Raiders

QB: Kerry Collins (15/39, 142 yards, 3 INTs, 1/0 rushing). Collins was bothered by the Jacksonville defense, and as a result most of his passes were errant. He did not look comfortable throughout the game, either under throwing or overthrowing his receivers. Two of his three interceptions were a result of bad throws, and he could have been intercepted on two other occasions. On a few rare occasions he displayed the very strong arm that some think make him an ideal fit for the current version of the Raiders offense. However, he was awful during this game.

RB: Zack Crockett (22/134, 3/12 receiving on 3 targets). Crockett was by far the best Raider offensive option. Though most of his yards came in the 4th quarter, he ran with the power he is known for and displayed some surprising speed. Crockett showed his versatility in this game, not only running effectively, but catching the ball and lining up at fullback several times. Thanks to his single-handed efforts, he put the Raiders in position to tie the game at the end.

J.R. Redmond (1/7, 1/3 receiving on 3 targets). Not a factor running or catching the ball, though he was thrown to deep once and had his defender beat.

Amos Zereoue (4/5, 3/18 receiving on 6 targets). Zereoue was unable to get anything done running the ball, but was somewhat effective on screen passes.

Justin Fargas (1/1 rushing). Fargas did not play much.

WR: Jerry Porter (3/35 on 11 targets). Porter was targeted often by Collins but was unable to convert many of them. Collins missed him several times, but Porter dropped a couple passes he should have caught.

Doug Gabriel (2/30 on 6 targets). Gabriel was unable to separate from Jacksonville's defenders very often and settled for 2 receptions.

Alvis Whitted (1/10 on 7 targets). Collins tried to connect deep with Whitted several times but they were largely unsuccessful.

TE: Doug Jolley (2/34 on 4 targets). Jolley was able to get open deep a couple times during the game, and did well with his opportunities in the passing game.

Teyo Johnson (0/0 on 1 target). The big Tight End was not a factor in the passing game.

K: Sebastian Janikowski (0/0 XPs, 2/2 FGs). Janikowski made both the field goals he attempted, which were from 35 and 27 yards.

Pass Defense: The Raiders were very aggressive, and applied pressure on the Jacksonville quarterback most of the game. While they only recorded 1 sack, they pressured Leftwich numerous times, forcing him to scramble 10 times which is very high for a quarterback not known for his scrambling ability. Despite missing both starting cornerbacks, the Raiders defensive players did not allow the Jacksonville receivers to get deep very often.

Rush Defense: The Raiders' run defense, led by tackles Warren Sapp and Ted Washington, was stout throughout the game. Despite allowing a touchdown run by Greg Jones, they allowed Jacksonville's running backs a paltry 2.2 yards per carry average on 24 rushing attempts. Though they kept trying, Jacksonville was unable to gain many yards up the middle.

New Orleans Saints 21 at Carolina Panthers 18

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

New Orleans Saints

A month ago, the Carolina Panthers held Deuce McAllister to 22 rushing yards for the game. It appeared that Carolina had McAllister's number again, stuffing him repeatedly before he broke off a 71-yard run to set up Aaron Stecker's first quarter touchdown. McAllister would finish the first half with 98 yards on 14 carries and the game with 28 carries for 140 yards and a touchdown.

Quarterback Aaron Brooks had a modest 14 of 24day passing for 216 yards and one touchdown. He eluded the Panthers' frequent blitzes with some impressive moves and allowed only 3 sacks on the day. The key stat for Brooks was turnovers…zero lost fumbles and zero interceptions on the day.

The Saints' defense really came up big in this game by forcing and recovering three Carolina fumbles, keeping the Panthers' big play receivers in check and limiting Nick Goings to only 46 rushing yards.

Carolina Panthers

Carolina wide receivers really struggled early against the Saints' secondary with Muhsin Muhammad, Keary Colbert and Ricky Proehl recording only one catch a piece in the first half, though all three were for 20+ yards. Muhammad did break free on a go route in the second quarter, but Delhomme over threw him on what should have been an easy touchdown. Tight end Kris Mangum had it a bit easier hauling in three balls for 28 yards in the first half.

Quarterback Jake Delhomme launched 50 passes and completed less then half of them. Though the Saints did a nice job in coverage, many of Delhomme's incompletions were due to his own inaccuracy. He was also sacked five times and lost two fumbles.

Running Back Nick Goings recorded only 46 rushing yards, his lowest total since becoming the Panthers' starter in week 11. Though the Panthers never trailed by more than 11 points, they seemingly abandoned the run, giving Goings only 13 carries. Goings was able to pad his stats by catching six balls for 63 yards.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

New Orleans Saints

QB: Aaron Brooks (14-24-216, 1 TD passing, 5-11 rushing) Brooks played a very streaky game, throwing incompletions in clumps then stringing together a number of beautiful passes to sustain long drives. He used his legs to escape the Panthers' frequent blitz and picked up 11 yards on 5 runs. The success of the Saints' running game kept the defense honest and Brooks wasn't forced into attempting low-percentage passes, his usual demise.

RB: Deuce McAllister (28-140, 1 TD rushing, 1-14 receiving on 1 target) After opening the game with four yards on four carries, McAllister fought through a very small hole, broke two tackles and scampered for 71 yards, setting up the Saints' first quarter touchdown. Aaron Stecker scored on the next play while McAllister sat out to catch his breath. Late in the first half, McAllister's was given three tries to score from inside the Carolina 5-yard line and was able to go wide left and walk it in on third and goal from the one. If you ignore his 71-yard run, he averaged under 2.5 yards per carry, but of course that's not the way it works in the NFL or in fantasy football.

Aaron Stecker (1-7, 1 TD rushing) Stecker bulled in for a 7-yard touchdown while Deuce McAllister rested after his 71-yard run.

Mike Karney (2-6 rushing) The fullback was not a fantasy factor.

WR: Jerome Pathon (4-78 receiving on 5 targets) Pathon made some nice grabs and appeared to be Aaron Brooks' go to receiver in the first half, garnering four of his five targets before halftime.

Joe Horn (4-75, 1 TD receiving on 7 targets) Horn began the game slowly with his first three targets falling incomplete. His third quarter touchdown was a stroll in the park as he had the corner beaten by nearly five yards and the safeties were far too late to provide help.

Donte' Stallworth (3-31 receiving on 7 targets, 1-0 rushing) Stallworth's 21-yard reception in the second quarter was huge as he took a big hit and held on.

TE: Boo Williams (1-18 receiving on 1 target) Williams only target resulted in a clutch first down on third and ten.

Ernie Conwell (1-0 receiving on 1 target) Conwell was not a fantasy factor.

K: John Carney (3 XP, 0-1 FG) Carney missed wide left on his only attempt today.

Pass Defense: The Saints maintained constant pressure on Jake Delhomme and blanketed his big receivers tightly. When the Saints coverage faltered, Delhomme would help them out by throwing off-target. Game announcers commented that Mike McKenzie and Fakhir Brown were the best corners New Orleans has seen in the Jim Haslett era and that they were doing an excellent job on Muhsin Muhammad and Keary Colbert. The Saints' rush recorded five sacks on the day.

Rush Defense: The defensive line forced and recovered three Carolina fumbles today, two from Jake Delhomme and one from Nick Goings. Goings was held to only 46 rushing yards on the day, his lowest total as a starter this season.

Carolina Panthers

QB: Jake Delhomme (24-50-307, 2 TD passing, 2 fumbles lost) Delhomme had a very inconsistent game from beginning to end and finished with a less than 50% of his passes completed. He also lost two fumbles, one coming in the Saints' red zone after an impressive drive. He would recover to hit Muhsin Muhammad for a third quarter touchdown on a corner fade route, but had accuracy problems throughout the game. On one fourth quarter series, Delhomme over threw his intended receiver on three consecutive plays. But once again he recovered to lead his team down the field in the hurry-up offense for a late fourth quarter touchdown and drove the Panthers from their 2-yard line to the New Orleans 42-yard line in 46 seconds, giving John Casey an outside chance at tying the game with a 60-yard field goal.

RB: Nick Goings (13-46 rushing, 6-63 receiving on 9 targets, 1 fumble lost) Early in the game, announcers suggested that Goings could be the Panthers' starting running back of the future. He responded with an anemic 10 carry for 18 yards performance in the first half and was never able to get the running game on track. He looked a bit better in the second half and his contributions in the passing game gave him a decent stat line, but overall it was a disappointing outing for Goings owners. Goings did have a 16-yard run nullified by a holding penalty.

Brad Hoover (2 targets) Hoover was not a fantasy factor.

WR: Muhsin Muhammad (6-95, 2 TD receiving on 15 targets) Muhammad drew tight coverage most of the day, but still managed a strong game. He should have had a touchdown in the second quarter when he was a full five yards ahead of Mike McKenzie on a go route up the sideline, but Delhomme over threw him. Muhammad's third quarter touchdown came in tight coverage on a corner fade route as he tiptoed the sideline for the grab.

Keary Colbert (2-39 receiving on 12 targets) Colbert was victimized by Jake Delhomme's inaccuracy today as most of his 12 targets weren't catchable balls.

Ricky Proehl (2-25 receiving on 3 targets) Proehl is a reliable third receiver and little more.

TE: Kris Mangum (6-51 receiving on 9 targets) With Carolina's wide receivers being blanketed tightly, Mangum became Jake Delhomme's go to receiver for a good part of the game.

Mike Seidman (2-34 receiving on 3 targets) Seidman made a beautiful 27-yard reception falling backward. He also caught Jake Delhomme's pass for a 2-point conversion in the fourth quarter that made this a 3-point game.

K: John Kasay (1 XP, 1-2 FG) Kasay hit from a season-high 54 yards to give the Panthers an early lead, but missed a heroic 60-yard attempt that would have sent the game into overtime.

Pass Defense: The Panthers blitzed Brooks all day long and managed to flush him out of the pocket on numerous occasions, but recorded only 3 sacks. Unlike their earlier season match-up, the Panthers were unable to force Brooks into turnovers and that was the key to the game.

Rush Defense: The Panthers' limited Deuce McAllister to only 3 runs of 10 yards plus, unfortunately for them one of those went for 71 yards. They showed excellent pursuit in keeping McAllister from gaining positive yards on the outside and stopped him behind the line of scrimmage on four occasions.

Kansas City Chiefs 17 at San Diego Chargers 24

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Kansas City Chiefs

Despite playing against a lot of the Chargers' second stringers, the Chiefs were never within reach of a victory in this game. San Diego led 24-3 in the fourth quarter, before a couple of late scores made the final score look respectable. Through the first three quarters, the Chiefs made five trips to the red zone. They ended like this: interception, field goal, interception, turnover on downs, missed field goal.

The only thing that most fans will remember about this game is that Tony Gonzalez broke the record for receptions by a tight end in a season. Gonzalez's 14 receptions gave him 102 for the season, breaking Ben Coates' old record of 96. When the game fell out of reach for the Chiefs, they made it a priority to force feed the ball to Gonzalez to get him the record. He was targeted 23 times in this game.

Trent Green passed for 373 yards, but it took him 53 attempts to do so. San Diego defenders were able to pick Green off four times. While one of those throws was batted up in the air, the other three were simply thrown into coverage.

Larry Johnson had a big day receiving, but managed less than three yards per carry on the ground. Johnson had meager stats in this game until he punched in a couple of meaningless scores in the fourth quarter. At the end of the first half, Johnson was close to another touchdown. From 41 yards out Johnson took a screen up the sideline, diving for the end zone, but the officials ruled that Johnson was stopped an inch short of the goalline with no time left.

San Diego Chargers

The Chargers starting lineup on offense resembled what someone might expect to see in the second half of a preseason game. Drew Brees, LaDainian Tomlinson, Keenan McCardell, Antonio Gates and Eric Parker were all rested for next week's playoff game against the Jets. They were replaced respectively in the starting lineup by Doug Flutie, Michael Turner, Kassim Osgood, Justin Peelle and Malcom Floyd. Despite playing a lot of second team players, the Chargers coasted to an easy win against the Chiefs starters.

Doug Flutie played the first half, building a 17-3 lead before giving way to Phillip Rivers in the second half. Despite the lack of offensive weapons, Flutie had no problem moving the Chargers' offense. He scored on a quarterback sneak in the second quarter. Right before halftime, Flutie made a spectacular play running left and throwing across his body for a touchdown to Ryan Krause. Rivers started the second half and looked very much like a rookie. Rivers looked nervous in the pocket, often getting happy feet. Most of his completions came dumping off screen passes. Rivers did manage his first career touchdown pass, lofting a 13 yard score to Malcom Floyd in the fourth quarter.

Michael Turner and fullback Andrew Pinnock split the rushing duties, with Turner receiving about two thirds of the carries. Turner looked sharp in this game, showing good burst and often breaking tackles. He bounced his first carry to the outside and exploded for a 30 yard gain. Just before the half, Turner lost a costly fumble, but the Chiefs were unable to capitalize on it for any points. Pinnock struggled for most of the afternoon, averaging less than three yards a carry. He fumbled on the goalline but San Diego recovered.

6'5" Kassim Osgood and 6'6" Malcom Floyd gave the Chargers possibly the tallest set of wide receivers to start an NFL game. Both Flutie and Rivers capitalized on their receiver's height by lofting jump balls up high and letting the wideouts go up in the air for the ball. While Justin Peelle started in place of the rested Antonio Gates, Ryan Krause was the most effective Charger tight end, catching 5 balls for 81 yards and a score.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Kansas City Chiefs

QB: Trent Green (33-53-373, 1 TD, 4 INT passing, 1-7 rushing) passed for close to 400 yards, but struggled to put points on the board despite playing against many backups. Green was never sacked, but despite the lack of pass rush, turned the ball over four times. The first two interceptions were especially costly as they came in the red zone. Green looked for Tony Gonzalez early and often, targeting him a whopping 23 times. Late in the game, trailing 24-3 and with Gonzalez within reach of the record for receptions in a season by a tight end, Green looked for Gonzalez constantly, trying to force feed him the ball to get him the record. On 4th and 2 late in the game. Green looked for Gonzalez in the end zone but CB Hanik Milligan knocked the ball away to force a turnover on downs.

RB: Larry Johnson (17-46, 1 TD rushing, 8-115, 1 TD receiving on 10 targets) was held in check on the ground, but had a big day catching passes out of the backfield. For most of the game, Johnson was impressive, but it seemed like his statistics would not bear that out. After a 37 yard Dante Hall kick return gave San Diego the ball at the San Diego 41 yard line, Johnson took a screen pass up the sideline and narrowly scored with no time left. Johnson was very close to scoring, and the officiating crew had to confer before decided that Johnson had been stopped a few inches from scoring. In the third quarter, Johnson carried the ball from the 2 yard line, but was unable to score. But Johnson padded his stats at the end of the game during a late Chief's rally, scoring twice. The first score was a 2 yard plunge straight up the middle of the line. On the next possession, Green was under heavy pressure on 4th and 2 and dumped the ball to Johnson who exploded up the middle for the touchdown.

Tony Richardson (1-8 receiving on 3 targets) was mostly used as a blocker in this game, but did catch a few passes out of the backfield.

WR: Eddie Kennison (4-73 receiving on 9 targets) was the Chiefs' second option in this game, after the heavily targeted Tony Gonzalez. Late in the game Kennison took a short pass up the middle and was close to scoring, before being drug down at the 2 yard line for a 37 yard gain. This setup Larry Johnson's first touchdown on the next play. Kennison was the intended target on Green's second interception. Green thought that S Terrence Kiel was going to follow Gonzalez, but jumped in front of Kennison instead for the pick.

Samie Parker (3-18 receiving on 6 targets) started opposite Eddie Kennison in this game and hauled in three short receptions.

Chris Horn (2-12 receiving on 3 targets, 1-12 rushing) took an end around 12 yards for a first down early in the game.

TE: Tony Gonzalez (14-144 receiving on 23 targets, 1-5 rushing) broke the record for receptions in a season with 102, eclipsing Ben Coates' record of 96. Gonzalez was targeted an astronomical 23 times in this game. After falling behind, 24-3, the Chiefs made force feeding the ball to Gonzalez their first priority. Gonzalez was the target on Green's first interception, but LB Matt Wilhelm made a great diving interception to snag the ball. Gonzalez was close to scoring in this game several times. Early in the third quarter, Gonzalez took receptions down to the 6 and 2 yard lines respectively, one tackle away from scoring each time. Gonzalez was targeted in the end zone on fourth down on the same drive, but CB Hanik Milligan was able to jar the ball loose.

K: Lawrence Tynes (2 XP, 1-2 FG) hit a 50 yard field goal early in the second quarter on a kick that seemed to be going wide left, but it curved back through for the score. Tynes missed an easy 33 yard attempt wide right late in the third quarter.

Pass Defense: Playing against a 42 year old backup, and a rookie playing in only the second game of his career, the Chiefs defense managed one sack, no interceptions and lost the game. Not a great defensive effort against the pass. Flutie was particularly effective, and did a good job moving the offense against the Chiefs D.

Rush Defense: The Chiefs had a rough time stopping Michael Turner in his first career start. Turner has several long gains throughout the game. One run in particular made the Chiefs' run defense look shoddy as Turner took a handoff late in the game and broke three or four tackles in route to a 26 yard gain to setup a touchdown.

San Diego Chargers

QB: Doug Flutie (13-22-199, 1 TD passing, 3-25, 1 TD rushing) got the start and played well, directing San Diego to a 17-3 lead at the half before giving way to rookie Phillip Rivers. Flutie played well and did a good job of moving the offensive despite not having the luxury of Tomlinson, Gates and McCardell. In the second quarter, Flutie showed that he still is an effective runner, spinning away from a defender and rambling for a 20 yard gain. Two plays after completing a 28 yard pass to Kassim Osgood down to the Chiefs' 5 yard line, Flutie called his own number and punched in a touchdown on a quarterback sneak. Just before halftime, Flutie had another play that is sure to make all the highlight reels. Flushed from the pocket, Flutie ran to his left and then threw to his right, zipping a touchdown throw to Ryan Krause.

Philip Rivers (5-8-33, 1 TD passing, 2 for -1 rushing) played the entire second half for the Chargers. Rivers looked very much like a rookie at times in this game, often displaying happy feet. He got off to a rocky start when he scrambled out of the pocket despite good protection and chucked an ugly incompletion as he fell to the ground. The coaching staff kept Rivers on a fairly short leash in this contest. He looked downfield only occasionally, often dumping off screen passes. Rivers had an ugly fumble where he simply lost control of the football after a play-action fake, but was able to recover the fumble himself. In the fourth quarter, Rivers threw his first NFL touchdown, lofting a jump ball up for 6'6" Malcom Floyd in the end zone.

Drew Brees was rested for next week's playoff game against the Jets.

RB: Michael Turner (15-87 rushing, 4-8 receiving on 5 targets, 1 fumble lost) got off to great start, bouncing his first carry to the outside for a 30 yard gain before being knocked out of bounds. For most of the first half Turner did a great job filling in for LaDainian Tomlinson, showing a good burst and breaking tackles. However Turner made a critical mistake just before halftime. After receiving a short screen pass, Turner fumbled the ball away after a hit by CB Benny Sapp. The Chiefs picked up the fumble and got a good return, giving them a short field to work with, with about a minute left. Although the Chiefs were unable to capitalize on Turner's mistake, he was shown looking visibly upset on the sideline. Turner ran hard in the second half, determined not to be remembered for his untimely fumble. In the fourth quarter, Turner had a very impressive 26 yard run. He took the ball up the middle and broke three or four tackles before getting drug down at the 13 yard line. This set up River's first touchdown pass two plays later.

Andrew Pinnock (9-26 rushing, 3-26 receiving on 3 targets) got about a third of rushing workload in this game. Other than an 11 yard carry late in the first quarter, Pinnock struggled to find running room, gaining just 15 yards on his other 8 carries. Pinnock was given a goal line carry late in the first quarter, but fumbled it away. Luckily it was recovered by San Diego.

LaDainian Tomlinson was rested for next week's playoff game against the Jets. This broke Tomlinson's streak of 63 consecutive starts.

WR: Kassim Osgood (2-55 receiving on 4 targets) got the start at wide receiver as the Chargers rested their starters. Both of Osgood's receptions were long ones. The first was a 28 yard jump ball that Flutie lofted up just before taking a hard hit. Osgood caught the ball at the Chiefs' 5 yard line and San Diego scored two plays later. Just before the half, Osgood was targeted in the end zone running wide open down the right sideline. However, Osgood appeared to lose the ball in the sun and was unable to make the catch. It was reported that Osgood was injured at the end of the game during one of the Chiefs' onside kick attempts, but the extent of the injury is unknown.

Malcom Floyd (3-49, 1 TD receiving on 8 targets) caught Phillip Rivers' first career touchdown pass. Floyd found himself in one-on-one coverage down the left sideline, and Rivers lofted him a jump ball. After some contact, the cornerback fell down trying to get position on the 6'6" Floyd and Floyd easily snagged the touchdown catch.

Keenan McCardell and Eric Parker were both rested for next week's playoff game against the Jets. McCardell is resting a sore hamstring, but could have played if this game had playoff implications.

TE: Ryan Krause (5-81, 1 TD receiving on 6 targets) became one of the Charger's main offensive weapons with the San Diego starters resting. Krause often found himself open, and did a good job of catching the ball. 71 of Krause's 81 yards receiving came in the first half with Doug Flutie at the helm of the offense. Just before halftime, a scrambling Flutie found Krause in the middle of the end zone for a 10 yard touchdown.

Justin Peelle (1-13 receiving on 2 targets) started at tight end for San Diego, replacing the resting Antonio Gates, but Ryan Krause proved to be the more effective receiver of the two. Peelle caught Flutie's first pass of the day for a 13 yard gain, but didn't catch another ball the rest of the way. Peelle's other target was on a bomb, but he was never open on the play and the ball was knocked away.

K: Nate Kaeding (3 XP, 1-1 FG) hit from 35 yards out on the Chargers first drive, and then scored three extra points the rest of the way.

Pass Defense: San Diego was unable to sack Trent Green, but did a good job in their coverage picking Green off four times. Green did manage to pass for 373 yards, but it took him 53 attempts to do it. CB Drayton Florence picked off Green at the end of the game to extinguish a late Chiefs' rally.

Rush Defense: The Chargers' did a good job of containing Larry Johnson (on the ground) despite the fact that run stuffing DT Jamal Williams was rested. Johnson was held to less than three yards a carry, against the stout Chargers run defense.