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 17 at Pittsburgh Steelers 20 (OT)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

New York Jets

Neither of the touchdowns scored in the game by the Jets were scored by their offense in this overtime loss to the Steelers. Santana Moss had a relatively quiet day receiving and made only 4 receptions for 31 yards on his 8 targets, but he did return a punt 75 yards for a touchdown. Reggie Tongue returned an interception 86 yards for a touchdown.

After Doug Brien missed a 47 yard field goal attempt that would have given the Jets the lead, David Barrett intercepted Ben Roethlisberger and put the Jets back into scoring position. But Brien missed the 43 yard attempt that would have won the game for the Jets and his miss sent the game into overtime.

Chad Pennington had a relatively quiet day like his counterpart Ben Roethlisberger. Pennington made 21 completions of his 31 attempts for 182 yards. Roethlisberger had 181 yards on his 17 completions. Pennington looked to both Justin McCareins and Santana Moss and they received a combined 18 targets from him. McCareins led the Jets' receivers with his 5 receptions for 82 yards. One of those catches was a great 30 yard reception near the sidelines.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger only completed 4 passes out of 12 attempts in the first half of play. Three of those passes were to Hines Ward. In the fourth quarter, behind by 7, Roethlisberger led the Steelers downfield starting the drive with a 20 yard run. He completed 3 out of 4 passes for 20 yards, finishing with a 4 yard touchdown shovel pass to Hines Ward. Roethlisberger threw 2 interceptions in the game. Though Roethlisberger attempted a number of deep passes, in particular to Plaxico Burress, his longest pass of the game was only for 21 yards. And that was a short screen catch that Jerome Bettis was able to turn into yardage.

After Troy Polamalu intercepted Chad Pennington in the first quarter of play, Jerome Bettis capitalized with a 3 yard touchdown run. Bettis started the game at running back for the Steelers and led their attack with 101 rushing yards gaining those yards in his bruising style. Duce Staley saw limited playing time and rushed for 54 yards on his 11 carries.

Jeff Reed scored the 33 yard field goal in overtime to win the game for the Steelers.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

New York Jets

QB: Chad Pennington (21-33-182, 1 INT, 2-3 rushing) Chad Pennington opened with a 10 yard pass to Santana Moss. Pennington threw an interception in the first quarter of play. Pennington looked to Justin McCareins often throughout the game with 10 of his targets going to McCareins and completed a 30 yard pass to him. Pennington completed a 22 yard pass to Justin McCareins in the fourth quarter. Pennington threw two incomplete passes at the end of the opening overtime drive, forcing the Jets to punt.

RB: Curtis Martin (19-77 rushing, 4-29 receiving on 4 targets) Martin gained 12 yards on back to back carries in the third quarter, up to that point he had made 10 carries for 40 yards. His 77 rushing yards were hard fought for.

LaMont Jordan (5-30 rushing, 1-6 receiving on 1 target) LaMont Jordan saw his first time in the game in the second quarter. He made a 6 yard reception on a screen pass to the outside. Jordan made a great run up the middle to gain 20 yards with less than a minute in the first half.

Jerald Sowell (3-11 receiving on 4 targets) Jerald Sowell made his receptions on short passes from Pennington.

WR: Justin McCareins (5-82 receiving on 10 targets) Justin McCareins was the leading receiver and target for the Jets. He made a 30 yard reception right along the sidelines. On a play action fake, McCareins was targeted with a deep pass in the third quarter in double coverage and could not make the catch.

Santana Moss (4-31 receiving on 8 targets) Santana Moss made an 11 yard reception over the middle during the second quarter. Moss had what would have been a touchdown pass broken up by Willie Williams. Moss' best contribution to the game for the Jets was on special teams. He scored a touchdown on a 75 yard punt return.

Wayne Chrebet (0-0 receiving on 4 targets) Wayne Chrebet was unable to make a reception on third and long during the opening drive of the game.

TE: Anthony Becht (2-15 receiving on 2 targets) Anthony Becht caught both of the targets that came his way including a 13 yard reception to start the second quarter. Becht was called for a 10 yard holding penalty that backed up the Jets in overtime.

Chris Baker (2-8 receiving on 2 targets) Chris Baker made a 2 yard reception during the final minutes of the first half.

K: Doug Brien (1-3 FG, 2-2 XP) Doug Brien made a 42 yard field goal. He missed a 47 field goal attempt that would have given the Jets the lead with about 2 minutes left in the game. The attempt was just short and hit the cross bar to bounce no good. He had an opportunity to redeem himself by making the 43 yard game winning field goal but missed it to the left, sending the game into overtime.

Pass Defense: The Jets were able to keep Ben Roethlisberger to fewer than 200 passing yards. Reggie Tongue returned his interception to score a touchdown and give the Jets the lead in the third quarter. David Barrett intercepted Roethlisberger near the end of the game, but Doug Brien missed the field goal that would have given the Jets the win.

Rush Defense: A strong running game kept the Steelers in the game and wore down the Jets defense. The Jets gave up 193 total rushing yards, 101 of those to Jerome Bettis. Shaun Ellis forced and recovered Jerome Bettis' fumble in the fourth quarter. After the fumble recover, Ellis left the game and went to the locker room for an undisclosed reason, but he was able to return to the game.

Pittsburgh Steelers

QB: Ben Roethlisberger (17-30-181, 1 TD, 2 INT, 4-30 rushing) Ben Roethlisberger made a number of deep passing attempts in the first two series of the game, though the passes were incomplete, it was successful in stretching the Jets' defense. Roethlisberger only completed 4 passes out of 12 attempts in the first half of the game. Three of those passes were to Hines Ward. Roethlisberger was more accurate to start the third quarter and he made 5 straight completions in the third quarter. But he ended that streak with an interception. His interception was an under thrown pass and was returned for at touchdown. Roethlisberger made a shovel pass to Hines Ward for a 4 yard touchdown to tie the game. Roethlisberger threw his second interception with less than 2 minutes left in the game on a poorly thrown pass intended for Plaxico Burress.

RB: Jerome Bettis (27-101, 1 TD, 1 fumble lost, 1-21 receiving on 1 target) As is his style, Bettis powered forward to gain 101 yards in the game. He started the game for the Steelers as running back and was the featured back throughout. During the second drive of the game, Bettis gained 15 yards on 2 subsequent carries. After Pennington's interception, Bettis gained carried the balls 3 times for 16 yards, barreling in for a 3 yard touchdown. Bettis, who did not lose a fumble all season, fumbled the ball in the fourth quarter and it was recovered by the Jets.

Duce Staley (11-54 rushing) Duce Staley came into the game near the end of the third quarter after Bettis came out of the game after making his 21 yard screen catch. He gained 17 yards on 3 consecutive carries. Staley also played a large role in overtime, rushing for 28 yards on 6 carries. He helped to put the Steelers into position to make the game winning field goal.

Verron Haynes (1-8 rushing, 1-2 receiving on 2 targets) Haynes played a very limited role in the Steelers' offense.

WR: Hines Ward (10-105, 1 TD receiving on 14 targets) Ward received almost as many targets as the rest of the Steelers' combined. Hines Ward made a great jumping catch to gain 15 yards in the first quarter. He made an 18 yard reception in the second quarter. Ward scored his touchdown on a 4 yard shovel pass.

Plaxico Burress (2-28 receiving on 7 targets) Plaxico Burress was targeted deep with Roethlisberger's first pass of the game, but could not make the catch. Burress was targeted twice unsuccessfully in the end zone in the first half. Burress made his first reception halfway through the third quarter with a 17 yard catch. He had a catch broken up by David Barrett, but then made an 11 yard reception over the middle.

Antwaan Randle El (1-6 receiving on 2 targets) Antwaan Randle El made a 6 yard reception at the sidelines near the end of the first half, but it was not enough to gain the first down and the Steelers were forced to punt. Randle El was targeted on one of Roethlisberger's interceptions.

Lee Mays (2-19 receiving on 3 targets) Lee Mays made an 11 yard reception during the opening drive of the second half to gain a third down conversion. His second reception for 8 yards gained another third down conversion.

TE: No Steelers' tight end was even targeted in this game.

K: Jeff Reed (2-2 FG, 2-2 XP) Jeff Reed made a 45 yard field goal attempt and then the 33 yard game winning field goal in overtime.

Pass Defense: Like the Jets' pass defense, the Steelers held Chad Pennington to under 200 yards passing. Pennington was sacked a total of 3 times. Twice on a drive in the second quarter that led to the Jets settling for a field goal. Troy Polamalu intercepted Pennington. Willie Williams broke up what would have been a touchdown pass from Pennington to Moss. Williams then got pressure on Pennington two plays later, forcing Pennington to throw the ball away and the Jets to punt. Joey Porter was called for a roughing the passer penalty in the third quarter.

Rush Defense: The Steelers' kept the Jets running game to a total of 110 rushing yards. Curtis Martin was held to 77 rushing yards, his longest run went only for 13 yards.

St. Louis Rams 17 at Atlanta Falcons 47

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

St. Louis Rams

QB Marc Bulger kept the Rams in the game with two long first half touchdown passes, but couldn't over come the beating the Falcons put on him in the second half. He threw an interception and fumbled away the ball after a sack. He was also dropped for a safety in the fourth quarter. Bulger limped off the field several times after taking some big hits.

RB Marshall Faulk started the game and was effective early with five first quarter carries, but was replaced by rookie RB Steven Jackson in the second and third quarters. Both running backs ran hard and looked good at times, but the game situation forced the Rams to quickly abandon the run.

WR Isaac Bruce was unable to play due to his lingering groin injury. WR Kevin Curtis replaced him in the starting lineup led the Rams in receptions and yards along with a 57-yard touchdown that tied the game in the first quarter.

Atlanta Falcons

QB Michael Vick broke the NFL postseason rushing record with 119 rushing yards by a quarterback. Vick displayed the escapability that only he possesses when fleeing the pocket. Vick also threw the ball with zip and accuracy, but didn't need to throw much as the Falcons posted 327 yards rushing in the game.

RB Warrick Dunn was utilized as the featured running back in the first half. He responded with 126 rushing yards and two scores. Dunn ran untouched through large holes posting an eye-popping 15.8 yards per carry before half time. RB TJ Duckett was used in short yardage situation early and garnered most of the carries in the fourth quarter as the Falcons burned up the clock with a long drive.

The Atlanta defense pummeled QB Marc Bulger throughout the game creating two second half turnovers and a safety. The special teams also played a large role in the win with PR Allen Rossum breaking off three long punt returns including a 68-yard touchdown. Rossum set the record for punt return yardage in an NFL playoff game.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

St. Louis Rams

QB: Marc Bulger (22-34-299 2TD INT passing, 1-4 rushing, 1 fumble lost) Bulger started out well hitting on 11 of 17 for 190 yards and 2 touchdowns in the first half. His protection was good and he was able to move around in the pocket just enough to get the ball out and be effective. However, Bulger started taking some big shots in the second half when the score got out of hand. When the Rams were forced to abandon the run and start dropping back on every play, Atlanta was able to pin their ears back and collapse the pocket. Bulger was twice seen picking himself up off the ground in obvious pain after taking big hits. One shot from LB Keith Brooking forced a fumble. Bulger was sacked only four times, but he was hit on several other plays. When scrambling up into the pocket as the defense closed in he fell forward awkwardly and took a knee into his hip. On the safety by DE Brady Smith Bulger was slammed into the turf and had a fair amount of blood show up on his elbows from the turf burn. His interception was terribly overthrown.

RB: Steven Jackson (9-32 rushing, 2-5 receiving on 2 targets) Jackson replaced Faulk after Faulk had four early carries and remained the feature running back from that point on. Both of Jackson's first two carries were for losses. He was hit in the backfield and had nowhere to go. In the second quarter Jackson showed good burst and strength breaking off 9 and 15-yard runs. As the game got out of hand in the second quarter the Rams abandoned the run.

Marshall Faulk (7-30 rushing, 4-31 receiving on 4 targets) Faulk made it look easy early. He carried the ball on the first four plays of the game for 24 yards and two first downs. He then went to the bench and saw only three more carries in the game. Faulk was used on screen plays and out of the backfield on long yardage situations as the game progressed.

WR: Kevin Curtis (7-128 TD receiving on 10 targets) Curtis replaced WR Isaac Bruce in the starting lineup and responded with a 57-yard touchdown on the Rams first possession. Curtis scored on a crossing route that the Falcons ignored. The deep safety completely committed himself to deep help over the top on WR Torry Holt on the play. Curtis showed tremendous speed. He consistently gains separation from defensive backs coming out of his breaks.

Torry Holt (2-42 TD receiving on 5 targets) Holt drew lots of double coverage early in the game. His first target was on a deep ball down the left sideline, but into coverage. Holt dropped his next target before pulling in a 14-yard hitch. His 28-yard touchdown in the second quarter came on a double move. A fake from QB Marc Bulger freed up Holt on a deep corner route for the score.

Shaun McDonald (4-37 receiving on 6 targets) McDonald had the majority of his targets when the game got out of hand and the Rams went to four wide receiver sets. McDonald was flagged for an offensive pass interference penalty when he pushed off the corner back to gain separation.

Dane Looker (3-38 receiving on 5 targets) Looker was used as the third/fourth wide receiver along with McDonald.

Isaac Bruce (DNP) Bruce did not play due to his lingering groin injury.

TE: Brandon Manumaleuna (1-18 receiving on 1 target) Manumaleuna's only target came in he third quarter just before the Bulger interception. Manumaleuna also got in the way of the second half kick-off. The return man failed to call him off and the confusion resulted in terrible field position for the Rams to start the second half.

K: Jeff Wilkins (2-2 XP, 1-1 FG - 55 yards) Wilkins 55-yard field goal was the second longest in NFL playoff history. The kick was the final play in the first half.

Pass Defense: The Rams only yielded 84 passing yards, but the 119 rushing yards from QB Michael Vick could also be considered yardage allowed to the passing game. They weren't able to contain Vick in the pocket. When the coverage was solid down field Vick was able to tuck the ball and run for long gains. The pass rush was only able to "catch" Vick once when DE Leonard Little blew by TE Alge Crumpler like he was standing still for a 14-yard loss. FS Antuan Edwards dropped a sure interception in the first quarter. Three plays later RB Warrick Dunn scored on a 62-yard run.

Rush Defense: The Rams had no answer for the Falcon's rushing game. RB Warrick Dunn and QB Michael Vick both averaged 15.8 yards per carry in the first half. The front seven allowed monster holes to develop as Dunn ran into the secondary untouched on several plays. Making matter worse they didn't make tackles when they had the chance. St. Louis didn't maintain much gap discipline or back side contain either. As the game wore on individual players started trying to make plays on their own instead of taking care of their own role. DE Bryce Fisher in particular allowed QB Michael Vick to turn a bootleg into an 18-yard pickup when he allowed himself to get sucked into a play-action fake.

Atlanta Falcons

QB: Michael Vick (12-16-82 2TD passing, 8-119 rushing, 1 fumble lost) Welcome to the Michael Vick Experience. The TV commercial was not far from the reality of this game. Vick torched the Rams with his legs. While Vick completed 75% of his passes to boot, that percentage doesn't really tell the whole story. His 119 rushing yards mostly came on pass plays where Vick simply escaped from the pocket and scrambled. His speed to the outside on rollout plays and bootlegs is just too much for defensive linemen and linebackers that can't catch him. Not only is he fast, he has tremendous acceleration from a dead stop. His 47-yard run was a sight to behold. He dropped back and drifted to his left in the pocket, but then bolted forward through the line of scrimmage and back to towards the middle of the field before sprinting down the right sideline. Vick also had 9, 8, 15, 15, 7, and 16 yard runs. However, just before the half Vick stumbled at the end of one his scrambles and fumbled the ball before being hit. The turnover allowed the Rams to get a field goal. Yes, Vick was impressive running the ball, but he threw the ball well too. His 18-yard touchdown pass to TE Alge Crumpler was well thrown and accurate. Vick showed on several throws that he could throw it like a laser if needed. On an odd note, Vick split wide to the right on one play and caught a pass after a direct snap to RB Warrick Dunn. The play only went for 2 yards.

RB: Warrick Dunn (17-142 2TD rushing, 1-2 receiving on 1 target) Dunn had a huge first half. His eight carries went for 4, 3, 13, 62TD, 3, 21, 1, and 19TD. Two of the longer runs went off tackle. One carry was on each side of the line. The holes on both those runs were gapping. He never broke stride sprinting towards the sideline. His other two longer runs were straight up the gut. The interior blocking schemes were excellent. Dunn only had one man to beat on each play and he juked the Ram defender easily in both situations. In fourth quarter Dunn had a third touchdown run called back by a penalty. This one would have been the most impressive as he was weaving and juking his way in and out of St. Louis secondary players.

TJ Duckett (15-66 TD rushing, 0-0 receiving on 0 targets) Duckett entered the game on a 2nd and short in the first quarter. He was stuffed on this play for no yards, but after a failed quarterback sneak Duckett redeemed himself with a 5-yard power run on the left side bowling over defensive players. Duckett had two other impressive runs in the second quarter for 13 and 12 yards also. Duckett was absent from the game for a spell until the fourth quarter when the Falcons wound down the clock with a drive that nearly took ten minutes. Duckett kept the sticks moving and clock rolling.

WR: Peerless Price (3-22 TD receiving on 3 targets) Price didn't see his first target until the second quarter, but the prowess of the Falcon running game meant that Atlanta didn't have to throw. Price did a great job of keeping his feet in bounds on his 6-yard touchdown early in the third quarter. The play was an out route across the left front of the endzone. Price had to drag a foot at the last instant for the score.

Michael Jenkins (2-19 receiving on 3 targets) Jenkins converted a third down on a 14-yard hitch in the second quarter. He did a nice job of going down to get the ball on a low throw. In the third quarter Jenkins turned an out route up field when Vick rolled away from pressure towards his side of the field. Vick delivered the ball to him on his outside shoulder, but Jenkins got twisted up and couldn't make a play on the ball. His 5-yard reception in the fourth quarter was also a nice grab.

Brian Finneran (2-8 receiving on 3 targets) Finneran was targeted on a deep ball down the left sideline on the Falcon's first possession. His first reception for 6 yards converted a 3rd and 5 on the Falcons' third possession.

TE: Alge Crumpler (2-22 TD receiving on 3 targets) Crumpler was featured in the Falcon's first drive catching both his receptions including an 18-yard touchdown on a deep seam route. Crumpler gave way to backup tight end Eric Beverly through most of the second half. Beverly was flagged for two penalties while in the game (false start and a hold).

K: Jay Feeley (6-6 XP, 1-1 FG - 38 yards)

Pass Defense: The Falcons beat up QB Marc Bulger. They sacked him four times, but put several other big hits on him. Of note, the Atlanta front four was able to put plenty of pressure on Bulger without excessive blitzing. This allowed the Falcon linebackers to take deep drops into the secondary limiting the ability of the Rams to hit mid-range to deep in routes (the staple of the Rams offense). The Atlanta safeties provided deep help coverage on WR Torry Holt throughout the first half. This allowed WR Kevin Curtis to beat them deep on the first Ram touchdown. They also bought a pump fake from QB Marc Bulger in the first half for the other Ram touchdown.

Rush Defense: After allowing two first downs on four carries by RB Marshall Faulk, the Falcons front seven closed down the running lanes and dropped RB Steven Jackson for two consecutive losses when he entered the game. Jackson was able to burst through the Falcon's line for 9 and 15-yard gains in the second quarter, but quickly slammed the door again holding him to carries of 1 and -1 yards before halftime. Atlanta wasn't tested again in the game as Faulk and Jackson combined for only two second half rushing attempts.

Indianapolis Colts 3 at New England Patriots 20

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Indianapolis Colts

For the second year in a row, the Patriots stopped the high caliber Colts offense. Between the weather and the New England Defense, the Colts looked like an average team at best. The New England game plan to grind up the clock worked to perfection as it kept Manning and company off the field.

It could be argued that once again, the weather was a huge issue for the Colts. After rolling over most opponents this season, the Colts had to play outside in January instead of their nice 72-degree controlled dome stadium. The field was sloppy and cold, and the New England defense was able to take advantage of a team that seemed out of place.

New England Patriots

The conditions were just right for the Patriots' strategy. Run the ball, throw short passes and use up the clock. Brady and the offense put together their three most time-consuming drives of the season.

What a difference a change of address makes. For years, Corey Dillon was home watching the playoffs on the TV. This season he is playing in mid January in the snow, and put up 144 yards. Dillon ran with power, speed, and showed some great moves.

Pro Bowl defensive lineman Richard Seymour was sidelined with a knee injury, and starting cornerbacks Ty Law and Tyrone Poole are on injured reserve. But the Patriots' defense still stifled the fifth-highest scoring team in NFL history

One could argue that the weather conditions should have made it a little easier on the Colt's receivers as the WR always knows where they are going, and the defense has to react. The Patriots, playing a zone defense were able to cover all of the field, while the pass rush made this a long day for Manning and the Colts.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Indianapolis Colts

QB: Peyton Manning (27-42-238, Interception, fumble, 1-7 rushing) Manning is now 0-7 in Foxboro Stadium lifetime. Manning was frustrated, stopped, and hurried all game. Of Manning's 27 completions, 9 of them came on the last drive of the first half when the Colts offense was clicking. He missed a potential TD pass in the endzone that was nearly intercepted and the Colts only came away with a FG.

RB: Edgerrin James (14-29, 7-69 receiving, 12 targets) James had a terrible time rushing the ball. The conditions of the field were poor, certainly for James who plays his home games in a dome on turf. James was stopped cold in his tracks. James was a huge part of the passing attack as Manning was looking for places to put the ball, and the dump off was working.

Dominic Rhodes (1 for -2 receiving, fumble, 1 target) Rhodes caught a single pass. It was in the first half for negative 2 yards, and he was stripped of the ball in a great play by Tedy Bruschi.

WR: Marvin Harrison (5-44, 7 targets) Harrison caught all 3 balls thrown to him in the first half. All 4 of Harrison's second half targets came on the Colt's last desperation drive with less than 3 minutes on the clock.

Brandon Stokely (8-64, 11 targets) Outside of some dump off passes to James, Stokley was not only the bright spot of the offense, but the only truly effective weapon that the Colt's had. Stokley found himself matched up with a linebacker many times, and Manning was able to take advantage and exploit it. Unfortunately, Stokley alone was not enough as the entire Colt's offense was dominated by New England.

Reggie Wayne (3-35, fumble) Wayne's costly fumble in the 4th quarter with the Colts driving killed any hope of a comeback. The game was already most likely over, but the fumble was the end.

TE: Dallas Clark (2-26, 5 targets) Clark was targeted 3 times in the first half, catching 1 of them. From there, Clark never had another opportunity in the entire game until the last 40 seconds of regulation, when he was targeted back-to-back, catching on of them.

Marcus Pollard (1-2, 2 targets) Pollard's two targets came at the very start of the game. He caught one pass for 2 yards, failed to catch the other, and never saw another target for the rest of the game.

K: Mike Vanderjagt (1-1 FG)

Pass Defense: With the Patriots exploiting the Colts on the ground, Brady didn't have to take the team and carry them with the passing attack. Brady was able to move the ball well, but the Colt's Passing defense was not really tested the way the rushing defense was.

Rush Defense: Corey Dillon dominated the play of the game. He ran with power and speed, moving the ball at will. The Patriots were able to put together 3 of their longest drives on the season, and the Colts were unable to stop the attack.

New England Patriots

QB: Tom Brady (18-27-144, TD, 4-6 rushing, rushing TD) Brady spread the ball around to 10 different receivers. Brady was able to continue to use different targets, never locking in on anyone, and keeping the chains moving. Early on the Colts looked poised to keep the game under 20 total points. They were able to put pressure on Brady, and keep the entire offense in check. As the game went along, New England continued to pull ahead. Brady threw a TD pass to Givens in the 3rd quarter, and punched in a rushing TD in the 4th.

RB: Corey Dillon (23-144, 5-17 receiving, 5 targets) The game plan of the Patriots was to grind the ball on the ground and use the clock. After years of sitting at home in January, Dillon looked like a kid out there just having fun. Dillon had a 1-yard TD run nullified due to a false start penalty on the line to start the second quarter. The Patriots settled for a FG. Dillon caught all 5 passes thrown his way.

Kevin Faulk (11-56, 1-11 receiving) The one-two combination of Dillon and Faulk kept the chains moving in horrible weather conditions. Faulk averaged 5-yards a carry as a change of pace back. His only reception was for 11 yards.

Patrick Pass (1-14 receiving) Pass had a single reception for 14-yards in the second half.

WR: Deion Branch (1-15, 1-4 rushing, 3 targets) Branch caught his only pass on the day on the very first Patriot pass. It was a 15-yard gain to start the game on a strong footing for New England. He was targeted twice more in the game, but never made another reception. Branch had a 4 yard rush as he took the ball off right tackle in the beginning of the 4th quarter.

David Patten (1-12, 2 targets) Patten, like the rest of the passing offense, added his small part.

David Givens (4-26, TD, 8 targets) With the rushing attack working, the entire passing game was under utilized. Givens was far and away the focal point of the passing attack, and that was just on 4 receptions. Givens pulled down 3 of the 5 passes he received in the first half, but was unable to match that in the second as he caught just one pass.

Bethel Johnson (1-9, 1 target) One target for a reception towards the end of the first half.

Troy Brown (2-13, 3 targets) Brown was looked to in the first half, catching 2 balls. With the rushing attack working in the second half, Brown rarely saw the field again as the receivers rotated in and out. Brown was most useful on defense, making several good plays including a textbook pass breakup while defending Brandon Stokley.

TE: Daniel Graham (1-10, 1 target) Graham's only catch came late in the game.

Christian Fauria (1-17, 2 targets) Fauria saw two passes in the same drive.

K: Adam Vinatieri (2-2 XP, 2-2 FG)

Pass Defense: The pass defense just took Manning and the Colts out of the game. The line was able to get inside and disrupt the play of the Colts. One of the biggest things to note is that the defenders got their hands in the air when Manning attempted to pass, knocking down a number of balls.

Rush Defense: Pro-Bowl DL Richard Seymour was inactive for the game, sidelined with a knee injury. There was no Colts ground game. The Patriots closed the rushing lanes on the way to the passer. It was a very long day for James.

Minnesota Vikings 14, Philadelphia Eagles 27

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Minnesota Vikings

The Eagles were able to confound Minnesota's plans on both sides of the ball. Even on a specialty play which had been drawn up and practiced repeatedly in the past week, Minnesota couldn't pull things off. The Vikings had set up a fake field goal play in which wide receiver Randy Moss trotted towards the sideline as if he was leaving the game while the field goal team ran on, but then he was supposed to stop just short of the chalk and run a quick route towards the end zone. Moss was completely uncovered on the play, but after initially stopping as planned, he had to get off the field because the Vikings had 12 men on the field. Coach Tice tried to call timeout but was unable to. Backup quarterback and holder Gus Frerotte was forced to heave a desperation throw towards the end zone when he saw that his intended target was not on the field.

Daunte Culpepper had a tremendous amount of difficulty reading the Eagles' defense, and was often forced to scramble out of the pocket behind very poor pass blocking. Culpepper still managed to throw for 316 yards and a touchdown on 24 of 46 passing, adding 25 yards and another score on the ground, but threw two costly interceptions as well. Culpepper appeared confused at the line of scrimmage before several plays.

Randy Moss started the game despite an ankle injury, and played his usual number of downs. However, Moss was largely a non-factor, catching just three passes for 51 yards and not looking at all like his usual self on the field. Instead, it was veteran Marcus Robinson who paced the team in receiving, with five catches for 119 yards and a touchdown. Nate Burleson caught four passes for 50 yards, while Kelly Campbell added a seven yard reception. Tight end Jermaine Wiggins was open for much of the game, but only caught two balls for 26 yards.

Moe Williams was inactive due to an ankle injury, leaving the trio of Michael Bennett, Onterrio Smith, and Mewelde Moore to carry the rushing load. Bennett had just 36 total yards on 10 touches, and Moore was hardly used and finished the game with only 3 touches and 20 yards. Onterrio Smith did better, with seven carries for 35 yards and 28 more yards on 4 receptions. None of the three appeared able to pick up blitzers with any regularity.

The Vikings managed just one sack and a fumble on defense.

Philadelphia Eagles

Conventional wisdom held that with Terrell Owens inactive due to an ankle injury, wide receiver Todd Pinkston would have to excel if the Eagles were going to win the game. Instead, it was a combination of the strong defense, running back Brian Westbrook, and perennial underachiever Freddie Mitchell who carried the team to victory.

Westbrook had a great game, gaining 70 yards on only 12 carries and adding 47 more yards and a touchdown on 5 receptions. Westbrook also drew double coverage on many plays, freeing up the wide receivers in man on man situations. Veteran Dorsey Levens split the workload on the ground, but was able to pick up only 36 yards on 10 rushing attempts.

Donovan McNabb was clearly unfazed by the postseason atmosphere and any pressure which he might have felt, making good decisions in the pocket and firing accurate passes toward his receivers. McNabb finished the game with 2 touchdowns and 286 yards on 21 of 33 passing, but could have thrown for quite a bit more had the score not dictated a more run-oriented offense in the second half. Most importantly, McNabb did not commit any turnovers in the game.

Freddie Mitchell was excellent. While he finished the game with only 5 catches for 65 yards and a touchdown, Mitchell added another touchdown on a bizarre fumble recovery, and narrowly missed a third score when instant replay ruled that he had fumbled on the goal line before stretching for a 30 yard touchdown. Mitchell also recovered an onside kick attempt by Minnesota late in the fourth quarter. Second year speedster Greg Lewis hauled in a 52 yard pass on his way to 2 for 64 receiving numbers, while Pinkston added three catches for 46 yards. Tight end L.J. Smith had four catches for 52 yards, and indirectly led to a touchdown when he fumbled the ball which Mitchell recovered in the end zone.

Defensively, the Eagles were nothing short of brilliant, confusing Daunte Culpepper and the Vikings offense throughout the game and creating tremendous pressure on the quarterback on nearly every play. In all, Philadelphia tallied three sacks and two interceptions.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Minnesota Vikings

QB: Daunte Culpepper (24-46-316, 1 TD, 2 INT, 5-25, 1 TD rushing) looked out of synch early in the game, and had to deal with constant pressure from a variety of Eagles' blitzes throughout the game. The Eagles were also able to limit Culpepper with pre-snap movement and disguised zone schemes, all of which combined to make for a poor outing for the quarterback. Culpepper also showed a tendency to lock on to a single target during passing plays, missing wide open receivers on more than one occasion.

Culpepper's first interception was clearly not his fault, as linebacker Ike Reese made a very athletic play to jump up and tip the ball on the line of scrimmage, then locate and catch it for the pick. The second interception was a poor throw, however, as Culpepper did not see a wide open receiver further down the field and instead tried to force the ball to Onterrio Smith in tight coverage. Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter was able to jump the route for the easy interception. Culpepper, who has had trouble holding on to the ball at times during his career, also fumbled once while being sacked, but was able to recover the ball himself.

Culpepper's only touchdown pass of the game came late in the fourth quarter, when he hit Marcus Robinson in the end zone for what was largely a meaningless score. His touchdown run came early in the second quarter and pulled the Vikings within seven points, when Culpepper dropped back to throw, saw his receivers well covered, and tucked the ball and run to the right side, finally lowering his head to power the final yard into the end zone.

RB: Michael Bennett (8-37 rushing, 2 for -1 receiving on 3 targets) enjoyed some success running the ball early in the game, including a nice 18 yard run which got the Vikings into Philadelphia territory for the first time, that coming near the start of the second quarter. As the Eagles built up their lead, however, Bennett was largely taken out of the game plan, and did not have a single touch or target in the final 24 minutes of game time. Bennett clearly struggled in picking up the blitz, although it should be noted that he was tasked with blocking Jevon Kearse or Jeremiah Trotter on several plays, not an easy thing to do.

Onterrio Smith (7-35 rushing, 4-28 receiving on 9 targets) got the bulk of his action in the second half, with the Vikings forced to throw often while trying to erase a 14 point deficit. Smith had a pair of 10 yard runs late in the game, both coming on draw plays out of the shotgun formation, and used his blockers well on screen plays. Like Bennett, Smith also struggled in picking up the blitz against the talented Eagles' defense.

Mewelde Moore (1-0 rushing, 2-20 receiving on 2 targets) was used sparingly in the Vikings' offense, but showed pretty good receiving ability when given the opportunity to catch a pass.

Moe Williams was inactive for the game due to an ankle injury.

WR: Marcus Robinson (5-119, 1 TD receiving on 8 targets) used his big frame to great effect against the Eagles' somewhat undersized secondary, in particular on a 40 yard reception in the second quarter which set up the Vikings' first touchdown. Robinson was able to go up over cornerback Lito Sheppard to catch the under thrown Culpepper pass. Robinson displayed incredible hands and concentration on his touchdown catch, as he first caught the pass and held on despite a strong attempt by Sheppard to rip the ball out his arms. Sheppard finally managed to pull the ball away from Robinson at the back of the end zone, but Robinson, falling on his back, still managed to grab the ball out of the air. The play was ruled a touchdown before the ball came free, and was upheld after review, but Robinson's effort was no less spectacular for that fact.

Randy Moss (3-51 receiving on 12 targets) started the game and was not limited despite his ankle injury, but was largely ineffective. Whether he was bothered by his ankle or not, Moss was clearly not the explosive and physical player that he usually is in this contest.

Nate Burleson (4-50 receiving on 6 targets) did a fine job of getting open in his routes and creating yards after the catch in his role as the Vikings' third receiver, but was not given very many looks by Daunte Culpepper.

Kelly Campbell (1-7 receiving on 2 targets) played about as big a role in the offense as his stats would indicate. Campbell's only reception came in the red zone, on the play before Daunte Culpepper ran the ball in for a seven yard touchdown.

TE: Jermaine Wiggins (2-26 receiving on 3 targets) was left uncovered on several occasions and found himself wide open on others, but was not the target of a Daunte Culpepper pass until catching a 20 yarder late in the third quarter. Wiggins' third target was actually a desperation throw heaved toward the end zone by Gus Frerotte on the busted fake field goal play.

Sean Berton (1-16 receiving on 1 target) has nine career receptions in 30 regular season games.

K: Morten Anderson (2 XP, 0-0 FG) did not get to attempt a field goal, with the Vikings opting to run a fake late in the second quarter, and then being forced to go for it on fourth downs while trailing in the second half.

Pass Defense: With Terrell Owens inactive, one would have thought that the Vikings' secondary could contain the remaining Eagles receivers, but Minnesota was hurt by the elbow injury which forced safety and defensive leader Corey Chavous to sit out the game. With the defensive front unable to mount pressure on Donovan McNabb and the secondary unable to hold coverage on the Eagles receivers, only the lopsided score prevented McNabb from posting even more impressive numbers. Cornerback Brian Williams, who posted 74 tackles during the regular season, looked very weak in the game, missing a couple of tackles in the open field and being run over on two other occasions. The Vikings were utterly unable to stop Brian Westbrook out of the backfield.

Run Defense: While Minnesota only allowed 106 rushing yard to Brian Westbrook and Dorsey Levens in the game, the two Eagles tailbacks only attempted 22 rushes on the afternoon. When it came down to having to stop the run to stall a drive, the Vikings proved unable to accomplish the goal.

Philadelphia Eagles

QB: Donovan McNabb (21-33-286, 2 TD, 3-3 rushing) looked calm and collected in the pocket during the game, despite missing his top receiver in Terrell Owens. A large part of that can be attributed to the superb blocking that the Philadelphia offensive line provided for McNabb, as he was rarely forced to leave the pocket to avoid pressure and generally had clear passing lanes to work with. After leaning heavily on running back Brian Westbrook in the passing game early, McNabb did an excellent job of spreading the ball around as the game progressed.

McNabb's first touchdown throw was on a short fade route to Freddie Mitchell, who caught the ball just inside the pylon for a two yard score. McNabb later hooked up with Westbrook, who caught the ball two yards short of the end zone and then plunged in for the second passing score. McNabb later completed a pass to tight end L.J. Smith inside the five yard line on a bizarre play in which Smith fumbled the ball forwards, where Mitchell plucked it out of the air in the end zone. The play was officially scored as a 10 yard pass to Smith, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown by Mitchell.

RB: Brian Westbrook (12-70 rushing, 5-47, 1 TD receiving on 8 targets) played a huge part in the Eagles' offense in this game, both on the ground and through the air. While he only got 17 touches in the game, it was Westbrook who set the tone on offense and who often drew double coverage when slipping out of the backfield, freeing the wide receivers up in man on man. Westbrook was able to get the needed yardage on the ground, and almost single handedly carried the team downfield to their first touchdown, accounting for 48 of the Eagles' 55 total yards in that drive. Westbrook's only touchdown came on a short pattern in the red zone, where he caught the ball two yards short of the end zone and quickly turned up field for the seven yard score. As usual, Westbrook did a superb job in pass blocking.

Dorsey Levens (10-36 rushing, 1-5 receiving on 1 target) was used often to spell Westbrook, but clearly lacked the burst possessed by the Eagles' starting tailback.

Josh Parry (0-0 rushing, 1-7 receiving on 1 target) was initially ruled to have fumbled his only reception of the game, but replay showed Parry to have been out of bounds when he lost control of the ball. Parry was also able to draw a 25 yard pass interference penalty earlier in the game.

WR: Freddie Mitchell (5-65, 1 TD receiving on 9 targets, 1 fumble lost, 1 fumble recovered for TD) made an excellent case for himself as the player of the game, despite statistics that appear pedestrian at first glance. Mitchell clearly came to play, and excelled in the absence of Terrell Owens. Mitchell's receiving touchdown was on a two yard fade route to the end zone, where he was able to catch the pass and just barely slip inside the pylon for the score. Mitchell then "caught" a second touchdown, after tight end L.J. Smith fumbled the ball into the air, and Mitchell gathered it in on the fly in the end zone. Even Mitchell's own fumble was a great effort on his part, as he caught a pass ten yards shy of the end zone, broke two tackles, and attempted to lunge forward for the score. Mitchell was hit one yard shy of the goal line and lost his grip on the ball as he extended it forward. The play was initially ruled a touchdown, but overruled on replay and called a fumble and a touchback, as the ball rolled out of the side of the end zone before it could be recovered. Mitchell also recovered an onside kick attempt in the waning minutes of the game, to seal the Eagles' victory.

Greg Lewis (2-64 receiving on 4 targets) proved his worth as the Eagles' fastest receiver when he blew by his defender on a stop and go pattern and hauled in a 52 yard reception on a fine over the shoulder catch. That catch built up a lot of momentum in Philadelphia's favor, and led to their second touchdown of the day.

Todd Pinkston (3-46 receiving on 6 targets) was expected to be the one who had to cover for Terrell Owens, but did nothing of the sort in this game. Pinkston was largely an afterthought for the Eagles offense.

TE: L.J. Smith (4-52 receiving on 5 targets) got his share of looks in the game and made some nice catches as expected, but will show up in the highlight reels because of his worst play of the day. Smith caught a Donovan McNabb pass on the run at about the Minnesota 6 yard line, but a hard hit by cornerback Antoine Winfield forced the ball out of Smith's grasp. The fumble then flew eight yards forward, where teammate Freddie Mitchell caught it for the touchdown.

K: David Akers (3 XP, 2-2 FG) connected on chip shot field goals of 21 and 23 yards in the fourth quarter of this game.

Pass Defense: The Philadelphia Eagles truly shone in this facet of the game, with much of the credit going to defensive coordinator Jim Johnson. The Eagles mixed up aggressive blitzes with zone coverages, confusing quarterback Daunte Culpepper and getting pressure in the pocket on nearly every play. Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter seemed to be everywhere on the field, recording half a sack on numerous quarterback pressures, along with seven tackles and an interception. Jevon Kearse also looked to be in top form, picking up two half sacks and wreaking havoc on the Vikings' pass protection schemes. Linebacker Ike Reese added a fine interception of his own, jumping up to tip the ball at the line of scrimmage, and then pulling it in himself.

Rushing Defense: Against a fine running team, the Eagles did a good job of stopping the rush, limiting Minnesota to only 97 yards on the ground with 25 of those coming on quarterback scrambles. However, the Vikings were forced to all but give up on the run in the second half, once Philadelphia had built up a 14 point lead.