Editor: Joe Bryant. Game Recap Contributors: Mike Anderson, Michael Brown, Chris Burtt, J.D. Caldwell, David Dodds, Bobby Elder, Jim Enochs, Joel Faulhaber, Michael Flynn, Kevin Goldblum, Clayton Gray, Bob Harris, Fred Hebert, Jesse Hilsenrad, Drew Kendall, Jeff Lewis, Joey Matusek, Justin Oliver, Steve Prosapio, David Shick, Cody Smith, Scott Smith, Jeffrey Stout. Indianapolis 23 at Denver 20 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Indianapolis Colts: The weather was a huge factor in this game. The temperature was well below freezing, and it snowed the entire game. Great football weather. The field and the ball were extremely slippery. The football was fumbled a total of 6 time. Both teams were forced to play the best ball controlling, mistake-free football they could. This game could never turned the offensive battle that could have taken place in better conditions. QB Peyton Manning overcame the terrible weather and field conditions and led his team to a victory. He had trouble holding onto the slippery ball, fumbling it 3 times (recovered by the Broncos once). He also threw one interception and no touchdowns. While it sound like a lousy game, he threw the ball well. He completed 27 passes for 229 yards. He was able to get the Colts into scoring position over and over in snowfall. WR Marvin Harrison was Manning's favorite target. He caught 11 passes for 127 yards. He became the only player in history to catch 100 balls in 4 consecutive seasons. He is on pace to shatter Herman Moore's single season reception record (123). PK Mike Vanderjagt has officially redeemed himself. After missing 5 of his 9 previous attempts, he went 3-3 kicking the game tying 54 yard FG at the end of regulation and a 51 yarder to win. RB Edgerrin James looked good in his second game back but re-aggravated his ankle injury at the end of regulation. He ran for 84 yards and a touchdown. He also added 6 receptions for 31 yards. He was the primary back until he tweaked his ankle, when the Colts went with the fresh legs of James Mungro. Denver Broncos: QB Steve Beuerlein played well in his first official start for the Broncos. His numbers don't really tell the story because of the terrible conditions. He threw for 185 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. If it weren't for a couple of penalties, he would have thrown for about 50 more yards. Beuerlein would have won the game if Denver's defense could have held up at the end of the game. RB Clinton Portis got all but 4 carries in the game. He ran 88 yards and 2 touchdowns. Even on a slippery surface, this guy is explosive. WR Rod Smith was Beuerlein's favorite target. He caught 6 passes for 73 yards and a touchdown. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Indianapolis Colts: QB: Peyton Manning overcame the terrible weather and field conditions and led his team to a victory. He had trouble holding onto the slippery ball, fumbling it 3 times (recovered by the Broncos once). He also threw one interception and no touchdowns. While it sound like a lousy game, he threw the ball well. He completed 27 passes for 229 yards. He was able to get the Colts into scoring position over and over in snowfall. Harrison was his favorite target with 11 catches. RB: Edgerrin James looked good in his second game back. He ran for 84 yards and a touchdown. He also added 6 receptions for 31 yards. He was the primary back until overtime, when the Colts went with the fresh legs of James Mungro. James aggravated a right ankle injury. James Mungro had 7 carries for 22 yards and a touchdown. He came in as occasional relief for James, but was only used once in regulation time on a goal line carry. His run wasn't called a touchdown on the field, but the Colts challenged it and won. Mungro was the only running back used in overtime. The Colts realized that they had a good runner with fresh legs to be used at the end and didn't want to risk hurting James any further. He touched the ball 6 times in the final 9 overtime plays. WR: Marvin Harrison was Manning's favorite target. He caught 11 passes for 127 yards. He became the only player in history to catch 100 balls in 4 consecutive seasons. He is on pace to shatter Herman Moore's single season reception record (123). Qadry Ismail complimented Harrison well in his first game back. He caught 3 balls for 51 yards. Reggie Wayne has all but disappeared the last 2 weeks. He only caught 2 passes for 7 yards. He still isn't the reliable receiver. TE: Marcus Pollard caught 1 pass for 7 yards. Joe Dean Davenport, who played for his first time since week 4, got the bulk of the tight end work. He caught 3 passes for 19 yards, career highs for the second year player. Indianapolis Pass Defense: They didn't pressure Beuerlein all that much. He wasn't sacked once. Both Mike Peterson and David Gibson grabbed an interception. Indianapolis Rush Defense: They allowed just over 100 yards on the ground and 2 touchdowns. Indianapolis Special Teams: Mike Vanderjagt has officially redeemed himself. After missing 5 of his 9 previous attempts, he went 3-3. The wind and snow had no effect on him. Vanderjagt kicked the game-tying field goal, a 54-yarder, with 8 seconds left on the clock. His final one came in overtime. It was a 51-yarder into the wind. At first it looked like it might go wide left, but somehow it went through the posts to win the game. Denver Broncos: QB: Steve Beuerlein played well in his first official start for the Broncos. His numbers don't really tell the story because of the terrible conditions. He threw for 185 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. If it weren't for a couple of penalties, he would have thrown for about 50 more yards. Beuerlein would have won the game if Denver's defense could have held up at the end of the game. RB: Clinton Portis got all but 4 carries in the game. He ran 88 yards and 2 touchdowns. Even on a slippery surface, this guy is explosive. He fumbled the ball once, but recovered it himself. Maybe the best showing yet for Portis as he was clearly Shanahan's guy. Mike Anderson carried the ball twice for 8 yards. Olandis Gary had 8 yards on the ground and 10 yards in the air. WR: Rod Smith was Beuerlein's favorite target. He caught 6 passes for 73 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown was for 12-yards, that he caught in the middle and easily ran into the end zone. Ed McCaffrey caught 2 passes for 29 yards. One of the receptions was for 25 yards before he was pushed hard out of bounds. Portis ran in a touchdown 3 plays later. Ashley Lelie caught 1 pass for 23 yards. He caught another pass for 13 yards, but it was called back due to his own offensive pass interference. The penalty was questionable. . TE: Dwayne Carswell caught 3 passes for 21 yards. He made one really nice catch over his head. Denver Pass Defense: Rob Morris sacked Manning twice. Deltha O'Neal intercepted him once. They allowed Manning to throw for 229 yards in very slippery conditions, but kept him out of the end zone. Denver Rush Defense: They allowed 2 touchdowns, both goal line carries. James and Mungro were able to run on them pretty well. Denver Special Teams: Elam missed his first extra point in a long time. Deltha O'Neal ran a punt back for 51 yards in the 4th quarter. Portis scored 3 plays later. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Oakland 41 at Arizona 20 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Oakland Raiders Watching the week 11 performance at Denver and this game, Oakland is again one of the best offenses in the NFL - and that makes fantasy owners happy. This Oakland offense is almost impossible to stop given its multitude of weapons. The Raider rushing game is back. Charlie Garner had a great day and he torched Arizona for 182 total yards and a TD. Also, Tyrone Wheatley is suddenly re-emerging as a fantasy threat again. Wheatley had a bruising 82 yards rushing and a nice red-zone TD run. WR Jerry Porter isn't near the player that Terrell Owens is yet, but his combination of speed and size is deadly. Porter's emergence has made the Raiders nearly impossible to defend. QB Rich Gannon continues to march towards breaking Dan Marino's single-season record for passing yardage. Gannon is the best fantasy QB in the NFL. He picks apart almost every defense he faces, and Arizona was no different. Arizona Cardinals Jake Plummer had a horrible game. Plummer threw two interceptions and fumbled the ball on a play that was confounding. Marcel Shipp was the one bright spot in the entire game for Arizona. When the offensive line gave Shipp room to run, he displayed a bruising North-South combination of speed and power. Shipp had a very good game with 145 yards combined and a TD. Arizona allowed Rich Gannon to throw for 340 yards. Gannon dissected this unit like a surgeon and the Raiders carved up the Arizona front seven for 188 rushing yards. Arizona is just plain awful in every phase of the game. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Oakland Raiders QB: Rich Gannon continues to march towards breaking Dan Marino's single-season record for passing yardage. Gannon is the best fantasy QB in the NFL. He picks apart almost every defense he faces, and Arizona was no different. Gannon was unstoppable. His 37 yard TD throw to Jerry Rice was perfect, and it there don't seem to be a lot of reasons why Gannon won't continue this great play. WR: The ageless wonder Jerry Rice looks 20. He had a big day - finishing with seven catches for 110 yards and a nice 37 yard TD. Rice burned Arizona all day. Jerry Porter isn't near the player that Terrell Owens is yet, but his combination of speed and size is deadly and reminds some of Owens. Porter's emergence has made the Raiders nearly impossible to defend. Though Porter is often listed as being third on the Raider depth chart, watching this young man makes us think Porter has moved ahead of Oakland's #2 WR Tim Brown. Although Brown usually sees more targets thrown his way, Porter seems to do more with what he's given. With 3 WRs there's always the chance he gets lost (as he did last week) but his talent and physical abilities are clearly something to contend with. Tim Brown had a decent day that could have been much better. Brown caught a 20 yard TD pass that was nullified by an offsides penalty on Jerry Porter. RB: As if Oakland's passing game wasn't enough, coaches Callahan and Trestman have shown a renewed commitment to running the ball. Oakland's success running the ball only makes their offense more dangerous. Charlie Garner had a great day and he torched Arizona for 182 total yards and a TD. Garner was nimble on passing plays and he showed good power on running plays. Garner's day could have even been better because he had a TD called back because of a penalty. Tyrone Wheatley is suddenly re-emerging as a fantasy threat again. Wheatley had a bruising 82 yards rushing and a nice red-zone TD run. Wheatley is getting more opportunities, and he's making the most of them. TE: Doug Jolley caught three more passes on Sunday. The Raiders don't give the TE a lot of looks, but Jolley has clearly replaced Roland Williams as the primary pass-catching TE. Pass Defense Notes: The Raiders defended the pass very well. Plummer was only able to throw for 145 yards and the Raider defenders intercepted Plummer twice. Rush Defense Notes: This unit didn't play well in terms of stopping the run, but they did get a lot of good pressure on Plummer - forcing a fumble that set up an easy Oakland TD. Arizona Cardinals QB: Jake Plummer had a horrible game. Plummer threw two interceptions and fumbled the ball on a play that was confounding. Plummer may never thrive on a team that constantly plays from behind because he puts far too much pressure on himself to win the game by with his arm. This is a QB that may yet be a productive fantasy player some day - but not in Arizona. WR: Since the Cardinals could only muster 145 passing yards, there's really nothing to say here. Frank Sanders looked decent, but only had three catches. In a game where the Cardinals were playing catch-up all day, it's bizarre that this is the best numbers they could attain. RB: Thomas Jones mysteriously broke his hand this week, and that could mean big things for Marcel Shipp. Marcel Shipp was the one bright spot in the entire game for Arizona. When the offensive line gave Shipp room to run, he displayed a bruising North-South combination of speed and power. Shipp had a very good game with 145 yards combined and a TD. Shipp may finally be the first legitimate fantasy star the Cardinals have had in a long time. It remains to be seen if Shipp will be able to be this effective now that he's shown he can play this well. His performance will certainly force opposing teams to stop the Arizona RB. TE: Freddie Jones continued to be a non-factor with 3 catches for nine yards. After playing flat in both San Diego and now in Arizona, Jones can safely be called a bust. Pass Defense Notes: Arizona allowed Rich Gannon to throw for 340 yards. Gannon dissected this unit like a surgeon. Part of the credit you can lay on Rich Gannon the Raider Passing Game. But you also have to lay some blame on the weak pass defense. Rush Defense Notes: The Raiders carved up the Arizona front seven for 188 rushing yards. Arizona is just plain awful in every phase of the game. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ New York 14 at Houston 16 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW New York Giants QB Kerry Collins played an awful game completing only 18 of 41 passes and threw 2 interceptions to 1 touchdown. His passes were off target, behind receivers and often high. His interceptions were both deserved. His decision to throw to the middle of the field with no time outs and 22 seconds left in the game, gave them no chance at a field goal attempt. RB Tiki Barber gained 166 of New York's 381 yards. He had an explosive 70 yard run to set up his own touchdown and could have had more receptions had Collins checked down to him on dump off passes. WR Amani Toomer was extremely active in this game catching 8 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown was a great run after the catch as he split two defenders and darted into the end zone. TE Jeremy Shockey didn't get open anywhere near as much as he did last week but 4 catches for 60 yards is very respectable considering New York only passed for 214 yards. Houston Texans: QB David Carr was utterly ineffective for 3 quarters but came alive in the 4th quarter and showed why he will be a quarterback of the future. In the first half he had only 3 completions all to the tight end but survived heavy pressure and scrambled for 54 yards on the day. Both Jonathan Wells and James Allen fumbled on their first carry. That was their only similarity on the day as Wells carried for 68 yards and a touchdown and Allen averaged 0.2 yards per carry on his 5 carries. TE Billy Miller was very active in the Texan game plan. He caught 4 passes for 70 yards and had another catch that was inexplicably ruled incomplete on the field despite it clearly being a catch. It would have been called back on a penalty anyway. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW New York Giants QB: Kerry Collins played an awful game completing only 18 of 41 passes and threw 2 interceptions to 1 touchdown. His passes were off target, behind receivers and often high. His interceptions were both deserved. His decision to throw to the middle of the field with no time outs and 22 seconds left in the game, gave them no chance at a field goal attempt. RB: Tiki Barber gained 166 of New York's 381 yards. He had an explosive 70 yard run to set up his own touchdown and could have had more receptions had Collins checked down to him on dump off passes. He appeared open but Collins continued to misfire the ball downfield. Barber did lose a fumble on his first carry. He just dropped the ball without having anyone force it. Ron Dayne was not much of a factor rushing only 5 times for 21 yards. Although his accomplishment was that he was the only running back in the game not to fumble on his first carry. WR: Amani Toomer was extremely active in this game catching 8 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown was a great run after the catch as he split two defenders and darted into the end zone. Herman Moore did not catch a pass but was targeted a couple times. TE: Jeremy Shockey didn't get open anywhere near as much as he did last week but 4 catches for 60 yards is very respectable considering New York only passed for 214 yards. Giant Pass Defense: After their incredible play, this unit has got to be beside themselves after losing this game. They allowed the Texans only 10 completions for 103 passing yards and sacked David Carr 4 times. In the 3rd quarter Carr had more sacks than completions. Giant Rush Defense: The Giants held Houston to 123 rushing yards with 54 of those coming on David Carr scrambles. Giant Special Teams: If there is a grade lower than an "F" the Giant special teams would deserve it. Their poor coverage allowed the Texans excellent field position all day. They allowed a 39 yard punt return and the kickoff returns averaged over 20 yards. Matt Bryant missed a 33 yard field goal. Had he made that kick, the Giants likely would have won by a point. Worse yet, a 30 yard snap on a punt resulted in a safety which ultimately provided the Texans with their 2 point margin of victory. The snap had to be 10 yards over the head of punter Matt Allen and he made a good play to kick the ball out of the end zone rather than risk a touchdown. Houston Texans: QB: David Carr was utterly ineffective for 3 quarters but came alive in the 4th quarter and showed why he will be a quarterback of the future. In the first half he had only 3 completions all to the tight end but survived heavy pressure and scrambled for 54 yards on the day. RB: Both Jonathan Wells and James Allen fumbled on their first carry. That was their only similarity on the day as Well carried for 68 yards and a touchdown and Allen averaged 0.2 yards per carry on his 5 carries. In fact, one of Allen's rushes was for 6 yards and the remaining 4 lost 1 yard combined. WR: There is no reason for any fantasy team to consider starting a Texan wide receiver based on this game. Jabar Gaffney caught 2 passes for 14 yards while Corey Bradford caught one pass for 16 yards. TE: Billy Miller was again very active in the Texan game plan. He caught 4 passes for 70 yards and had another catch that was inexplicably ruled incomplete on the field despite it clearly being a catch. It would have been called back on a penalty anyway. Texan Pass Defense: This group was not as impressive as the stats may indicate. One of the two sacks, Kerry Collins tripped over his own center. The two interceptions were nothing fantastic just incredibly poor throws by Collins. Texan Rush Defense: Didn't do as poor of a job as Barber's numbers may indicate. They stuffed him nearly every time that the Giants tried to run between the tackles. Texan Special Teams: Did a good job of putting the offense in good field position most of the game. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Jacksonville 19 at Dallas 21 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Jacksonville Jaguars: RB Fred Taylor had a solid game with 20 carries for 100 yards. Taylor fumbled on the 1 yard line stretching for the end zone and Dallas recovered. WR Jimmy Smith remains the main target for Mark Brunell as he got 8 catches for 90 yards. Smith was held to shorter receptions and got his big gains against a prevent defense. QB Mark Brunell had a decent game going 22 of 40 for 202 yards with a TD and an INT. Brunell seemed to gain more confidence in throwing to Kevin Lockett who caught the 8-yard TD. Dallas Cowboys: WR Joey Galloway had an excellent game getting 8 catches for 90 yards and 2 TDs. Galloway showed his speed as he caught a 4-yard slant and slipped through the tackle for a 49-yard TD. Later, Galloway caught an 11-yard TD in the back of the end zone. QB Chad Hutchinson played a good game going 16 of 24 for 301 yards and 2 TDs and 2 INTs. Hutchinson struggled to hit receivers in stride and often threw behind the receiver. He also made very good reads and found the open receiver. RB Emmitt Smith had a solid game getting 20 carries for 73 yards and a TD. Troy Hambrick filled in nicely for 4 carries for 38 yards as his speed allowed for longer gains. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Jacksonville Jaguars QB: Mark Brunell - had a decent game going 22 of 40 for 202 yards with a TD and an INT. Brunell had some pressure throughout the game and struggled to find players deep. RB: Fred Taylor - had a solid game with 20 carries for 100 yards. Taylor was given very few cutback lanes to pick up big yards but did manage to juke and power his way to gain after gain. Taylor fumbled the ball on a goal line carry on the 1 yard line stretching for the end zone; Dallas recovered the fumble. He also had a slight contribution to the passing game with 3 catches for 29 yards. Stacey Mack - filled in for Taylor for 4 carries for 15 yards and powered his way to 3-yard TD. He vultured the TD as usual, but he was not used nearly as much as last week in other parts of the field. WR: Jimmy Smith - for the most part, was held to very short patterns but did manage to get some longer yardage against the prevent defense in the 1st half. Smith still had 8 catches for 90 yards and was the main target for the offense. Kevin Lockett - has gained some confidence from Brunell. Several passes were thrown in his direction. Lockett, however, only came out with 3 catches for 29 yards but did catch an 8-yard TD. TE: Kyle Brady - was a solid contributor in the passing game with 5 catches for 40 yards. Run Defense: did a decent job of holding the inside running of Emmitt Smith to 73 yards but had trouble containing Troy Hambrick as he was able to speed through holes and cutback for longer gains. Pass Defense: struggled throughout the game as Hutchinson picked the secondary apart and was able to hit receivers who broke away for big gains. Dallas Cowboys QB: Chad Hutchinson - had an excellent game throwing 16 of 24 for 301 yards with 2 TDs and 2 INTs. He's still learning as Hutchinson struggled to hit receivers in stride and often threw the ball behind or short of a receiver, both interceptions came from this. Hutchinson hit Rambo on a long pass for 47 yards and squeezed a pass in to Galloway who broke it deep for a 49 yard TD. RB: Emmitt Smith - played a solid game getting 20 carries for 73 yards and a TD. Smith didn't show the speed to break for long runs but did get a couple 10 yard runs. Troy Hambrick - did an excellent job filling in for Smith as he sped through a hole for a solid gain and cutback making moves for a good gain. Hambrick finished with 4 carries for 38 yards. He did lose a fumble though. WR: Joey Galloway - had a great day with 7 catches for 144 yards and 2 TDs. Galloway caught a 4-yard slant and busted past the CB for a 49-yard TD and he caught a pass in the back of the end zone for an 11-yard TD. Antonio Bryant - came up small in the game as he got 1 catch for 12 yards. Ken-Yon Rambo - used his speed to run past the safety for a 47-yard catch that would have been a TD if the pass was thrown deeper. Rambo had 2 catches for 65 yards. TE: Tony McGee and Mike Lucky - were very insignificant in the passing game but each caught a pass for a solid gain, McGee 13 yards and Lucky 22 yards. Run Defense: did a very good job of holding Taylor from breaking away and cutting back with big gains. Taylor still managed to get 100 yards on 20 carries. Pass Defense: had the receivers covered very well and tackled any receiver who caught a pass immediately. Dallas placed a fair amount of pressure on Brunell but only had 2 sacks. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Minnesota 17 at New England 24 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Minnesota Vikings The Vikings put themselves into a 21 point hole early but responded with 17 unanswered points to make a game out of it. They racked up over 400 yards of total offense but were unable to convert that production into scoring. QB Daunte Culpepper had yet another inconsistent game in an inconsistent season. After stalling two first-half drives with a bad intentional grounding penalty and a lost fumble, Culpepper completed 15 of 17 passes, including 2 TDs. Culpepper's passing touch then vanished, completing just 5 of his last 20 passes, mostly missing receivers on overthrows. RB Michael Bennett had just 55 rushing yards, lost a fumble in the red zone, and left the game with an injury late in the third quarter. He limped off the field unassisted. ESPN.com reports that Bennett strained his right calf. Moe Williams ran well in replacement, running 6 times for 39 yards, although mostly against passing defenses. Moe Williams failed to score, ending a personal streak of seven consecutive games with a touchdown. WR Randy Moss had 8 catches for 92 yards but seemed to be used as a decoy in the end zone. WR Kelly Campbell has gone from the practice squad to pushing WR D'Wayne Bates for the WR2 spot in just two weeks. Campbell was targeted 13 times, had 6 catches for 63 yards, and scored his first NFL touchdown. New England Patriots QB Tom Brady controlled the game with efficient passing, and spreading the ball around. Brady completed passes to eight different receivers, mostly throwing underneath. He finished with 239 passing yards, 3 TDs, and zero INTs. The balanced passing attack hurt individual production for the Patriots wideouts, as no New England WR had more than 5 catches or 62 yards. Troy Brown, who started the year as the main option in the Patriots' passing game, is drawing more coverage. This is good for Brady, who was able to spread the ball around to eight different receivers, but Brown had just 4 catches for 33 yards and a touchdown. In each of the first three drives, the Patriots got inside the ten and passed the ball into the end zone. Two of these touchdown passes went to Christian Fauria, and one to Troy Brown. RB Antowain Smith had just 58 rushing yards, and failed to score on five red-zone carries. He had just one run longer than 7 yards. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Minnesota Vikings QB: Daunte Culpepper had yet another inconsistent game in an inconsistent season. He stalled two first-half drives with a bad intentional grounding penalty and a lost fumble. After falling behind 21-0, the Vikings went to the sugar huddle, and Culpepper caught fire, completing 15 of 17 passes, including 2 TDs. Culpepper's passing touch then vanished, completing just 5 of his last 20 passes, mostly missing receivers on overthrows. Despite the wildness, Culpepper still finished with solid fantasy numbers - 272 passing yards (24 for 49), 2 TDs, and 59 rushing yards. He did fumble for the 14th time this season. RB: Michael Bennett had just 55 rushing yards, lost a fumble in the red zone, and left the game with an injury late in the third quarter. He limped off the field unassisted. His role was reduced when the Vikings fell behind 21-0 in the second quarter. ESPN.com reports that Bennett strained his right calf. Moe Williams had his TD streak broken, and was hardly a factor - just 50 yards from scrimmage. He took over kickoff return duties from Nick Davis, but did not break a long return. WR: Randy Moss fought off jams and tight coverage for 8 catches and 92 yards, many of which were earned across the middle. Moss was not targeted in the red zone where he seemed to be used as a decoy. Kelly Campbell has gone from the practice squad to pushing WR D'Wayne Bates for the # 2 WR spot in just two weeks. Campbell was targeted 13 times, had 6 catches for 63 yards, and scored his first NFL touchdown. He let a pass slip through his hands that would have been at least a 30-yard gain. D'Wayne Bates made a great catch for a TD, but finished with just 3 catches for 29 yards on 6 targets. He also split punt return duties with Nick Davis. TE: Bryon Chamberlain caught three passes for 38 yards, but was targeted just once after the first quarter. He also committed two false start penalties. Jim Kleinsasser caught two passes for 31 yards, including a 22-yard catch and run where he dragged defenders down the field. He did not play much when the Vikings went to the sugar huddle, but was effective as a blocker in limited playing time. Pass Defense: had trouble covering the short crossing routes than New England ran most of the day, and gave up 3 TDs on throws inside the 10. The pass rush was decent (DT Chris Hovan had two sacks), but New England countered with short drops and quick releases for short completions. Rush Defense: overall did a good job containing Antowain Smith. The Vikings held the Patriots to 80 yards on 33 rushes as a team, which kept the Patriots from running the clock out and allowed the Vikings to get back into the offense. They were a bit vulnerable on runs up the middle when New England spread the field - Brady converted a first down with a QB sneak on third-and-3. New England had to pass to score in the red zone. Special Teams: K Gary Anderson missed two field goals - one blocked by DT Richard Seymour, and one shanked WIDE left. Neither team gained an advantage on kick coverage or kick returns. New England Patriots: QB: Tom Brady controlled the game with efficient passing, and spreading the ball around. Brady completed passes to eight different receivers, mostly throwing underneath. He finished with 239 passing yards, 3 TDs, and zero INTs. All three of Brady's TD passes were under 10 yards, including a great scramble and throw to Christian Fauria on a broken play. RB: RB Antowain Smith had just 58 rushing yards, and failed to score on five red-zone carries. He had just one run longer than 7 yards. Smith had nine carries in the first three scoring drives, and just nine more the rest of the game. He caught two screen passes for a total of 38 yards, but was not a difference-maker in the game. Marc Edwards had 5 carries for just 15 yards out of the fullback spot, but caught 3 passes for 42 yards, the second-highest receiving yards total on the team. Kevin Faulk caught 3 passes for 16 yards, and was ineffective as a runner (4 carries, 3 yards). WR: Troy Brown caught a 5-yard TD pass, but finished with just 4 catches for 33 yards on 8 targets. He also muffed a punt return, but did not lose possession. David Patten caught 5 passes for 62 yards on 10 targets. He caught most of his passes on short routes across the middle, but had his biggest gain on a well-designed WR screen. He was not a red zone factor. Deion Branch caught just 1 pass for 20 yards on 3 targets. TE: Christian Fauria had just two catches on the day, but both were for short TDs. His second TD was on a pretty play-action pass from the Minnesota 1. He did not factor in the passing game outside of those two plays. Daniel Graham caught 1 pass for 17 yards. He did not see much action, and most of it was as a blocker. Pass Defense: The New England pass defense played their characteristic bend but don't break style. They let up a lot of short and intermediate plays, but prevented Moss and company from getting big scoring plays. They were most effective when blitzing. The Patriots gave Culpepper a different look on seemingly every pass play, producing three sacks, and several more hurries that contributed to Culpepper's wildness in the fourth quarter. Though the secondary did not intercept a pass, they gave up very few yards after the catch. Rush Defense: officially gave up 153 yards, but 59 of those were on scrambles by Culpepper. The big early lead for the Patriots limited Minnesota's willingness to run the ball. Special Teams: DT Richard Seymour blocked a field goal for the second straight week. K Adam Vinatieri made all of his kicks. Neither team gained an advantage on kick coverage or kick returns. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Kansas City 32 at Seattle 39 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Kansas City Chiefs: QB Trent Green had a monster day, throwing for 343 yards and two scores. He finally got the ball to Johnnie Morton on a consistent basis, which helped a lot in his best performance since Week Four, when he threw five touchdowns against Miami. RB Priest Holmes scored three times to up his total to 20 touchdowns, breaking the Chiefs single-season total record (19), set by Abner Haynes in 1962. K Morten Andersen made all of his kicks but it was interesting to note that early in the second quarter, head coach Dick Vermeil opted to pooch punt rather than have Andersen attempt a 50-yard field goal. Seattle would score on the ensuing drive. WR Eddie Kennison had four catches for 54 yards but also dropped a ball inside the ten. The Chiefs defense got slaughtered from all sides, giving up a whopping 534 yards of total offense. I'm sure many fantasy owners expected much better this week. Seattle Seahawks: QB Matt Hasselbeck had a career day against a tough defense, throwing for 362 yards and three touchdowns. RB Shaun Alexander started slowly but finished very strong, with 145 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. WR Koren Robinson continues to get better, catching eight balls for a career-high 168 yards. WR Darrell Jackson (6-92) suited up for the first time since his near-death experience against Dallas three weeks ago. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Kansas City Chiefs QB: Trent Green had a monster day, throwing for 343 yards and two scores. He finally got the ball to Johnnie Morton on a consistent basis, which helped a lot in his best performance since Week Four, when he threw five touchdowns against Miami. Green was on fire all day. It certainly helped that his receivers were running wild in the Seattle secondary. I don't think he forced a pass the whole game and hit most guys in perfect stride. RB: Priest Holmes scored three times to up his total to 20 touchdowns, breaking the Chiefs single-season total record (19), set by Abner Haynes in 1962. Holmes was also the leading rusher and receiver in the game, rolling up a sinister 307 yards of total offense. His 64-yard screen catch and run was a thing of beauty. Once he got into the open field, no one had an angle. Of course, this was the Seahawks run defense, so he definitely ran through his share of king-sized holes. WR: Eddie Kennison had four catches for 54 yards but also dropped a ball inside the ten. Although it was a catchable ball, it's important to note that the ball was coming from a shaded area of the field and Kennison may have lost it when it crossed over into the light. Johnnie Morton was Green's flavor of the week, catching six balls for 92 yards, which included some tough snags in the middle of the field. Both numbers are season highs for Morton. Look for him to see a lot more balls as the season progresses. TE: Tony Gonzalez gave a solid effort but four catches for 51 yards is pretty disappointing for a guy of his abilities. His early season hurts may still be lingering and could be a factor as the season wears him down. Kansas City's pass defense: Sheesh, it was non-existent. Hasselbeck had all day to find guys that were wide open most of the time. The quick slants and mid-range crossing patterns absolutely killed the Chiefs. Kansas City's run defense: started out well but began to fall apart in the second quarter and Alexander took advantage. To be honest, it was one of those days to be an offensive player. Nothing the Chiefs did defensively mattered. Kansas City's special teams: K Morten Andersen made all of his kicks but it was interesting to note that early in the second quarter, head coach Dick Vermeil opted to pooch punt rather than have Andersen attempt a 50-yard field goal. Seattle would score on the ensuing drive. Seattle Seahawks QB: Matt Hasselbeck had a career day, throwing for 362 yards and three touchdowns. The guy was unconscious. His passes were crisp and on target, as he threw just 11 incompletions and no interceptions...all of this despite getting his bell rung pretty good early in the game. Not a top-flight fantasy starter but a guy who could have a great stretch run with the emergence of WR Koren Robinson. RB: Shaun Alexander started slowly but finished very strong, with 145 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. Alexander has rushed for a combined 284 yards in two games this season�276 in the other nine. If he puts together back-to-back 100-yard games, he can be considered starting material. Otherwise, he is still a big risk. FB Mack Strong scored his first touchdown of the year on a play-action rollout call at the goalline. WR: Koren Robinson continues to get better, catching eight balls for a career-high 168 yards. Robinson has exploded onto the scene in the NFC in the last month. He now has 25 catches for 385 yards in his last four games. Darrell Jackson suited up for the first time since his near-death experience against Dallas three weeks ago. As fearless as they come, he showed no signs of illness and made several catches over the middle en route to a 6-92 day. TE: Itula Mili continues to put up decent numbers for the 'Hawks. With four catches today, he has 18 catches for 220 yards in his last four games and is on pace to set career highs in all categories. His excellent hands have bought him time in the rotation and he is a super-sleeper if you can pick him up for the fantasy stretch run. Backup Jerramy Stevens caught two balls for 13 yards but one was a spectacular diving catch in the back corner of the end zone that gave Seattle a 21-17 lead late in the 2nd quarter. Seattle's pass defense: surrendered 343 yards and two scores. Failed to put any pressure on Green. The only time Kansas City's receivers got lost in traffic, the front seven let Green escape for seven yards and a first down. Seattle's run defense: you wouldn't think it could get worse than their average allowance of 170 yards per game. But it did. Holmes ran through crater-sized holes almost all day. Even with the return of top run-stuffer Anthony Simmons, the run defense is putrid, and the fault lies within the interior of the defensive line. They just get blown off the ball every play. Seattle's special teams: Rian Lindell hit one of two field goal attempts and al four extra point tries. A two-point conversion attempt stole a point from him. So if you own Lindell and lost by one this week, blame the coach. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Detroit 17 at Chicago 20 (OT) WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW : Detroit Lions: QB Joey Harrington had a so-so game, showing some flashes of good play and reverting to his recent accuracy problems at others. He didn't latch on to one receiver in particular and none of his receivers have taken the place of his favorite target Az-Zahir Hakim. Harrington seemed to have a problem with locking his sight onto his intended receiver, resulting in a lot of tipped and batted passes. RB James Stewart had a decent day, carrying the ball 22 times for 85 yards and one TD, plus adding another 38 yards on six receptions. Stewart ran the ball well and can put up respectable numbers if given the ball enough. Bill Schroeder disappeared again after seeming to redeem himself last week. He caught 3 passes for just 31 yards. It appears Schroeder is too inconsistent to step into the number one WR slot in Az-Zahir Hakim's absence. The Lions secondary was abysmal and got burned repeatedly by Bears QB Chris Chandler in the first half. Chandler eventually left the game in the third quarter and was replaced by the already injured Jim Miller, who also went to town on the Lions poor secondary... even with his tendonitis and bum shoulder. Chicago Bears: Bears QB Chris Chandler started the game well, hitting WR Marty Booker for several deep strikes early in the game. Chandler looked good, hitting 10 of 16 passes for 111 yards and a TD before being knocked out of the game with a sprained ankle in the third quarter. Already injured QB Jim Miller came in the game after Chandler went down with a sprained ankle in the third quarter and looked pretty good for a guy who isn't allowed to throw the ball at all due to tendonitis in his throwing elbow and an injured shoulder, unless he has to come into a game. RB Anthony Thomas looked bad running the ball in this game, even though the Lions were playing without top defensive lineman Robert Porcher. Thomas seemed to have trouble finding a place to run and Leon Johnson was given the ball on critical plays, including the Bears game winning OT drive. Johnson gained 34 yards in 9 carries as compared to Thomas's 40 yards in 14 carries. Bears WR's Marty Booker and Dez White both had excellent games. Booker was both Chandler's and Miller's favorite target. Booker constantly burned the Detroit secondary, ending up with 10 receptions for 157 yards, but was held out of the endzone. Dez White was not far behind Booker in receptions with 8 for 106 yards and one TD. However, these numbers came against an awful Lions secondary. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW : Detroit Lions: QB: Joey Harrington (21/40, 213 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) looked so-so in this game. He showed some flashes of good play, especially on the first Lion drive of the second half, and struggled a bit the rest of the game. The INT came on a pass that was tipped at the line of scrimmage and went off course down field. Part of Harrington's problem was he has no reliable receiver since the loss of Az-Zahir Hakim last week. None of the Lions WR's were able to take Hakim's place as Harrington's go-to guy, although Harrington seemed to favor Scotty Anderson more than the other WR's. With the lack of a reliable receiving option, Harrington will likely continue to struggle the rest of the season. RB: James Stewart ran the ball well, gaining 82 yards on 22 carries and a TD, plus adding 38 more yards receiving. Stewart had the most receptions out of all Lion receivers with 6. Stewart looks like the Lions most reliable player right now, and can produce decent numbers if given the ball enough. However, with the Lions defense playing poorly, the offense is forced to rely more on the pass, which will reduce Stewart's numbers and makes him somewhat inconsistent. Cory Schlesinger had 6 carries for 17 yards and 1 reception for 12 yards. He also fumbled the ball which was recovered by the Bears. However, it did not lead to any Chicago points. WR: Scotty Anderson seemed to be Joey Harrington's favorite target this game,. He ended up with 5 receptions for 70 yards and no TD's. Anderson might see increased touches now that Az-Zahir Hakim is lost for the season. However, besides Hakim, Lion receivers are consistent producers and should be avoided for the time being. Germane Crowell saw increased looks from Joey Harrington in this game. Crowell caught 4 passes for 38 yards and a TD. The TD came on a fourth and goal from the one. Crowell also may benefit from the absence of Az-Zahir Hakim, but Crowell is battling back from a serious knee injury and has been inconsistent. Bill Schroeder, after appearing to take the place of the injured Hakim last week, promptly disappeared again this week. He caught 3 passes for 31 yards. Schroeder did get some looks from Harrington, but clearly not as many as Anderson. TE: There was talk of the Lions going to TE Mikhael Ricks often in this game, but it didn't happen. Ricks was very quiet, catching only 1 pass for 11 yards. Ricks was targeted several times, but nothing on the level that was talked about during the week. Pass Defense: The Lions pass defense was lousy. They put no pressure on either Chris Chandler or Jim Miller... the absence of lineman Robert Porcher was noticeable in the pass rush. The secondary once again got picked a part as it continues to be the weakest part of an already weak defense. Rush Defense: The Lions rush defense did very well despite missing top lineman Robert Porcher. They held Bears RB Anthony Thomas to just 40 yards on 14 carries, and 34 yards on nine carries to RB Leon Johnson. Special Teams: (K) Jason Hanson was 2 for 2 on extra points and hit his only field goal attempt of the day. Chicago Bears: QB: Chris Chandler started out the game very well, hitting WR Marty Booker for 27 and 40 yards in the same drive, and hitting Marcus Robinson for a short TD pass. After completing 10 of 16 passes for 111 yards and a TD, Chandler was knocked out of the game in the third quarter when a Lion defenseman rolled up his leg causing a sprained ankle. With Chandler already filling in for a very banged up Jim Miller (tendonitis of elbow, shoulder), the Bears could have a serious problem at QB next week if Chandler can not play. A hurting Jim Miller came in the game in replacement of Chris Chandler in the third quarter and played very well despite having tendonitis in the elbow of his throwing arm, and the shoulder of his throwing arm also injured. Miller is not allowed to throw a football unless he comes in as backup in a game. For a guy who is so banged up, Miller went 21/35 for 250 yards, 1 TD, and no INT's. Pretty impressive, even though it was against a very poor Lions defense. However, Miller will probably not be able to play a full game if Chris Chandler can not play next week... which means a huge problem for the Bears at QB. RB: Anthony Thomas looked bad in this game. He seemed unable to find a place to run, and the Bears seemed to rely more on the pass right from the beginning of the game. The fact that Leon Johnson was on the field in several important downs also was not a good sign. Thomas gained 40 yards on 14 carries. and added 11 more on one reception. Leon Johnson gained 34 yards on 9 carries, as compared to Thomas's 40 yards on 14 carries. Johnson also caught three passes for 27 yards. Johnson seemed more explosive than Anthony Thomas hitting the hole, and Johnson was used in several important situations, including the winning OT drive. WR: Marty Booker was both Chris Chandler's and Jim Miller's target of choice this game. Booker caught 10 passes for 157 yards, but failed to get into the endzone. Booker had an easy time getting open against the Lions poor coverage in the secondary, and caught a couple of deep passes from Chris Chandler early in the game. However, Booker also dropped 40 yard pass that would have been a TD. He was wide open and the ball just went right through his hands. Another long gain was called back because he had a part of a foot out of bounds. Dez White also had an excellent game, catching 8 passes for 106 yards and a TD. White also had an easy day getting open downfield, and Jim Miller hit him on a perfect 23 yard TD pass. These numbers came against a poor Lion secondary, so they're tainted a little. Marcus Robinson had only one reception for 3 yards, but made the most of it as it was a TD. Robinson did not get many looks besides the TD pass. Ahmad Merritt had 3 receptions for 24 yards and was not a big factor in this game. Merritt also had a fumble that was recovered by Detroit... it did not lead to any Lion points. TE: John Davis left the game with a rib injury and did not return. He was replaced by Dustin Lyman (3 receptions for 25 yards). Pass Defense: The Bear pass defense was OK... the secondary managed to keep the Lion receivers pretty well covered most of the game. The only TD they let up was a one yard pass to Germane Crowell. The pass rush wasn't very good however, and Lion QB Joey Harrington usually had good time to throw. Run Defense: So-so. James Stewart ran well against the bear defense, and scored on a 23 yard run to the outside from a shotgun formation. Special Teams: Paul Edinger missed his first FG attempt and it almost came back to bite the Bears when they went to OT. However, Lions coach Marty Mornhinweg, in an unbelievable move, decided to kick off in OT after winning the toss rather than receive, allowing the Bears to drive down the field and Edinger to make up for his earlier miss with a game winning FG in OT. Edinger also hit another FG and both extra point attempts during the game. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ San Diego 3 at Miami 30 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW San Diego Chargers QB Drew Brees had another bad game. He is a very inconsistent fantasy player. Much of it can be attributed to the tough Dolphin Defense. The pressured him constantly. Losing Curtis Conway to an injury early was a major blow. RB LaDainian Tomlinson ran ok today, but the Chargers abandoned the run in the second half and only gave him 16 touches on the day. The Dolphins were able to limit him when he did run the ball. WR Curtis Conway left the game early with a shoulder injury. Rookie Reche Caldwell filled in for him and played well. Tim Dwight did not seem to be able to make up for Conway's absence. With Conway out, TE Stephen Alexander was the favorite target of Brees today accounting for over half of the team's receiving yards. Miami Dolphins: QB Ray Lucas played well today, but still is not a good fantasy option. Lucas seems to have become comfortable with the offense and is showing just enough passing threat to give Ricky Williams some room to run. Jay Fiedler is due back soon. RB Ricky Williams returns to must start status after Lucas has played well enough to force defenses to respect the pass. He's just too strong. Again, showed amazing speed for a guy his size on some outside runs. WR James McKnight had a big game, but will probably soon lose his job when Cris Carter returns. The Miami defense is excellent. If you've got other options when your normal guys are playing the Dolphins, give it some serious thought. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW San Diego Chargers QB: Drew Brees completed 15 of 22 passes for 107 yards and couldn't get the ball into the end zone. He threw one interception directly to Zach Thomas. The second interception he threw was called back by very questionable roughing the passer call on Zach Thomas. The Miami pass rush was just too much for the Charger offensive line and Drew Brees. He rarely had time to set in the pocket and he was sacked three times. The Chargers only converted on 2 of 9 third downs. The early loss of his favorite target Curtis Conway didn't help Brees either. With Conway out and Tomlinson usually covered in the flat, the only receiver Brees could find was tight end Stephen Alexander. Owning Drew Brees is a roller coaster ride. He is going to have some bad games like this, especially against tough defenses like Miami. RB: LaDainian Tomlinson had 45 yards on only 14 carries and didn't score. Brees couldn't get him the ball in the air either. Miami covered him well in the flat holding him to only 2 catches for 14 yards. In the second half the Chargers abandoned the run because they fell too far behind. Tomlinson is still the key to their offense and is only left out in blowout situations. WR: Curtis Conway did not have a catch in the game. He left very early with a shoulder injury. They did not comment on the seriousness of the injury, but if he is out for any period of time, upgrade Reche Caldwell and downgrade Drew Brees. Tim Dwight had trouble getting open and finished with 2 catches for 12 yards. Even though Conway was out, once the Chargers abandoned the run and sent Stephen Alexander out on routes, Brees forgot about Dwight. Reche Caldwell had 2 catches for 17 yards. He was the target of many other passes however, and Brees looked to Caldwell along with Alexander to fill in the void left by Conway. The rookie is getting better each week and could be the best receiver to own in San Diego if Conway misses more games. TE: Stephen Alexander had a big day with 8 catches for 61 yards. Considering Brees finished with 15 completions for 107 yards, you can see that Alexander was responsible for over half of the passing attack. With Conway out, Alexander became the security blanket for Brees. He ran good routes and held on to the ball. Don't get too excited; with a healthy Conway, Alexander is often kept in to block for Tomlinson. Pass Defense: The Charger pass rush was poor and Lucas usually had time to wait for his receivers to get open. Defensive tackle Jamal Williams had the lone sack. Starting corner back Ryan McNeil left the game early with an arm injury. Rookie Quentin Jammer filled in well for him in pass coverage and made 5 solo tackles. The reason the Dolphins were held to only 191 passing yards, was because they gave up 222 rushing yards and didn't have to pass that much. Rushing Defense: The only thing you really need to know is 222 rushing yards. Safety Rodney Harrison led the team with 9 solo tackles and 3 assists, but there honestly wasn't much defense being played. Ricky Williams moved the chains with little resistance. It was a cold day for the hot and cold Charger defense. Miami Dolphins QB: Ray Lucas completed 14 of 23 passes for 194 yards while throwing 1 touchdown. He did not throw an interception and was only sacked once. When he was flushed out of the pocket, he ran the ball well and gained 31 rushing yards. He did a good job of taking what was offered and not trying to force the ball into coverage. He is filling the backup role well by doing just good enough to win, but not good enough to cause a QB controversy. RB: Ricky Williams ran for 143 yards on 29 carries and scored 2 touchdowns. He broke tackle after tackle while running both over and around defenders. Now that Lucas is playing well enough to force the defense to respect the pass, Williams has regained his must start status. WR: Chris Chambers caught 4 passes for 34 yards. He has the best hands on the team, but Lucas has trouble throwing the deep routes that Chambers excels in. Look for his numbers to improve with the return of Fiedler. James McKnight made 3 catches for 111 yards including a 20 yard touchdown. He gained most of the yardage running well after the catch. He will probably sit down with the return of Chris Carter, but he made his mark today. TE: Randy McMichael spent the day dancing with the cheerleaders and didn't get a catch (don't believe me, watch Sportscenter). McMichael should benefit from the return of Fiedler because Lucas just doesn't throw to him. Pass Defense: The Dolphin pass defense was first rate. They pressured Brees often and rarely gave him time to set his feet. The sacked Brees 3 times including 2 by defensive end Jason Taylor. Zach Thomas had the only interception and a second interception was called back on a very questionable penalty. They held the Chargers to 80 passing yards. Rushing Defense: The Dolphin rushing defense was also tough, but not as good as the numbers look. They did hold the Chargers to only 64 rushing yards, but the Chargers only had 20 rushing attempts. The Chargers abandoned the run once they fell behind and didn't give the Dolphins the heavy dose of Tomlinson that they were expecting. That being said, this is a tough defensive unit that I wouldn't want to be matched up against in the playoffs. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ St. Louis 17 at Washington 20 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW St. Louis Rams QB Kurt Warner returned from his hand injury this week with a very strong performance. Warner finished with a completion percentage of 69%, 301 yards, and two touchdown passes. Without a great play by LaVarr Arrington at the end, the Rams were poised to possibly win and at least tie the game. RB Lamar Gordon had 108 total yards today. However, only 40 of those were on the ground. WRs Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt both had good games, with 89 and 75 yards, respectively. Ricky Proehl had 34 receiving yards and a touchdown reception. Receivers didn't seem to miss a beat with Warner behind center. Washington Redskins QB Danny Wuerffel was impressive today, throwing for 235 yards. His job is safe for at least another week. The running game of Stephen Davis helped tremendously and Wuerffel was able to do what he does best - short passes taking advantage of his accuracy and touch. RB Stephen Davis was the Redskins' top weapon today. He ran for 88 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries. WR Rod Gardner had four receptions for 76 yards. He always seemed to be the target whenever the Redskins needed a big play. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW St. Louis Rams QB: Even with the loss, Kurt Warner was impressive in his return today. Warner threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns. His lone interception occurred as he was hit hard by Daryl Gardener. Warner started off completing all of his first 15 passes. He led the Rams 66 yards for a touchdown on their first possession. He had touchdown passes to Troy Edwards (4 yds.) and Ricky Proehl (5 yds.). Without a LaVarr Arrington sack at the end of the game, the outcome would have been very different as the Rams were poised to at least tie and possibly win the game. Considering the defense and the fact that St. Louis was without Marshall Faulk, Warner was very good. For what it's worth, Marc Bulger was listed as the # 3 QB with his finger injury. RB: Marshall Faulk was inactive today. Lamar Gordon wasn't as effective on the ground as he was catching the ball. He had some nice runs on occasion, but overall, he failed to get anything going. Gordon had only 40 yards rushing, but had 10 receptions for 68 yards. Clearly, the Rams miss Faulk in the running game. WR: Isaac Bruce led the Rams with seven receptions for 89 yards. Seemed to pretty much pick up where he left off with Bulger. Torry Holt had five catches for 75 yards. Holt had a 31 yard touchdown reception called back because of a tripping penalty. Seemed to be working fine with Warner. Ricky Proehl had a five yard touchdown reception later in that same drive. Proehl had four receptions for 33 yards. TE: Ernie Conwell had two receptions for eight yards. Rush defense: The Rams defense had trouble stopping Stephen Davis, allowing him to rush for 88 yards and three touchdowns. Pass defense: Couldn't get any pressure on Wuerffel, and allowed him to pass for 235 yards. Interesting that everyone knows the key to stopping Wuerffel is pressure yet the Rams were not able to produce much. Washington Redskins QB: Danny Wuerffel surprised many and was impressive today. He threw for 235 yards, and had no interceptions. The Rams were unable to get any pressure on him, which is when he struggles. Coach Steve Spurrier also helped him out a little bit by running the ball more, which opened up the passing game. The game plan was to keep the passes primarily short and underneath and use the strength of Wuerffel's game - his touch and accuracy. RB: Stephen Davis had 88 yards on 31 carries. He was the go-to guy on the goal line, with three touchdown carries (1,3, and 5 yds.). Davis showed no signs of his injury today. Merging his running power with Wuerffel's short passing game could be a nice combination for the Redskins if Coach Steve Spurrier sticks with it. Rookie FB Rock Cartwright caught three passes for 46 yards. WR: Rod Gardner had four receptions for 76 yards. He always seemed to be the target whenever the Redskins needed a big play. With the success the Redskins had in the running game, they didn't pass a lot. Derrius Thompson started opposite of Gardner. He had two catches for 33 yards. Chris Doering showed why he is a WR, and not a QB. On a particular play he was supposed to catch the screen pass and then throw it downfield. He caught the screen pass with no problem, but then threw one of the worst passes I have ever seen right to the helmet of a Rams defender. He finished with two receptions for 15 yards. TE: Walter Rasby had one catch for 18 yards. Rush defense: Held Gordon to only 40 yards on the ground, with a 3.08 YPC average. Pass defense: Couldn't control Warner, he simply has too many targets to throw to. Fred Smoot was hurt in the third quarter, but returned later in the game. Darrell Green was carried off the field near the end of the game with a leg injury. Special teams: K James Tuthill had a rough day. He had one field goal hit the post, and another one went wide left. Punter Brian Barker had trouble handling the snap on an extra point. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Atlanta 41 at Carolina 0 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Atlanta Falcons: QB Mike Vick played as good as advertised in a dominating performance over the Carolina Panthers. He completed almost 80% of his passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns. He was pulled from the game for Doug Pederson in the 3rd quarter when the Falcons had a 34-0 lead to keep him from getting injured in a game that was well in hand. I wouldn't expect this to be an every week situation but it's something to file away if the Falcons somehow earn a throwaway game in week 17. RB Warrick Dunn seems to have earned the lion's share of the carries over the last month and again was the featured back. He was exclusive ball carrier until the Falcons had a 21-0 lead. He ran effectively up the gut of the Carolina defense and was quick enough to get to turn the corner outside. He led the team in catches with 5 and totaled 105 rushing/receiving yards. He took a 2-yard dump off pass and turned it into a 31-yard score. He followed that with a rugged 5-yard TD run right up the middle. RB T.J. Duckett was healthy for this game but he didn't get into the game until the Falcons were trying to run out the clock. That was halfway through the 2nd quarter, however, so Duckett had plenty of opportunities to carry the ball. He finished with 66 rushing yards and a 1-yard TD run. WR Brian Finneran took advantage of Mike Vick's second best passing day of the season and finished with 4 catches for 104 yards. He's a big target (6-5, 210) and it's clear that Vick feels confident in him coming down with jump balls he throws downfield. Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers were totally embarrassed by the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday and there is really nothing positive I can spin here. Really. I'm trying and I've got nothing. QB Rodney Peete started the game and played so badly, including two interceptions, that he was benched in favor of Chris Weinke to start the second half. Weinke got his two interceptions out of the way in just one quarter and was replaced by Randy Fasani to start the 4th quarter. Fasani did not throw any interceptions and he was second on the team with 16 rushing yards. None of the Carolina QB's had any time to throw the ball. The Atlanta pass rush combined with the terrible protection from the Carolina offensive line made it impossible for the Panthers to mount any sort of comeback. WR Muhsin Muhammad was shut out and did not catch a pass. Carolina was overmatched from the kickoff and then slid downhill from there. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Atlanta Falcons QB: Mike Vick started the game with 5 straight completions and finished the game 19/24 for 272 yards, 2 TD's and no interceptions. He was benched in the 3rd quarter to prevent him getting hurt in a game that was well in hand. He shredded the Carolina secondary in the first half where he piled over 200 of his passing yards. He completed passes to 7 different receivers and all of those caught at least two passes. His preferred target on the day was Warrick Dunn and that was usually as an outlet receiver. He had success throwing jump balls to Brian Finneran who the used his size to make catches over smaller defenders. This was a dominating performance and it clearly solidifies Vick as a legitimate fantasy starter. RB: Warrick Dunn made the most of the two weeks T.J. Duckett missed and is now the featured back in the Atlanta offense. He had every carry as the Falcons built a 21-0 lead. Only when Atlanta decided to grind out the clock with a power running game did Duckett see any substantial playing time. Dunn had a nice 31-yard TD catch where he showcased some nifty moves to get to the endzone. He followed that with a tough 5-yard score through the middle of the Carolina defense. T.J. Duckett had decent totals even though he was not the featured runner in today's game. Once the Falcons had a big lead they turned to Duckett to eat clock. He finished the game with 22 carries for 66 yards and a score. He was not a factor in the passing game. WR: Brian Finneran used his speed to get downfield and his size to out-jump the smaller Carolina defenders. He caught 4 passes for 104 yards but no touchdowns. On three of his catches he simply got higher than the defender that was covering him. He wasn't necessarily open, just higher in the air. It's clear that Vick's confidence in Finneran coming down with those jump balls is growing. The payoff will be when they use the same strategy in the red zone and Finneran is coming down with scores instead of long gains. Trevor Gaylor scored again this week. The big (6-3, 195) 3rd-year receiver is starting to become a more featured player. He finished with just 2 catches for 19 yards but one was for a score and he was targeted on a few other plays. TE: Alge Crumpler had another nice game. He caught 3 passes for 25 yards including a 4-yard score. He does split the receiving duties with Reggie Kelly, though, so it's difficult to recommend him as a starter. Reggie Kelly finished with 2 catches and 42 yards. Atlanta Pass Defense: Rodney Peete's third pass attempt of the game was intercepted by Keion Carpenter and returned for a touchdown. The Falcons kept heavy pressure on the Carolina QB all game, no matter which one it was. They had 6 sacks, 4 interceptions (one of which was returned for a score) and 3 forced fumbles. Once the Falcons had a big lead they could basically ignore the running game of the Panthers and concentrate on getting to the QB. This was an effective strategy, to say the least. Atlanta Rush Defense: Since the Panthers were behind by so much so early they never really got into any sort of rushing groove. The Falcons defense was allowed to really concentrate of rushing the passer instead of stopping Lamar Smith. Carolina Panthers QB: Rodney Peete showed some leftover effects of his hand injury in missing some open receivers and throwing two bad interceptions in the first half. He was benched in the 2nd half for Chris Weinke. Weinke threw 2 more interceptions and was benched for Randy Fasani in the 4th quarter. Fasani didn't look any better. All three of the Carolina QB's suffered from not having enough time to throw the ball. RB: Lamar Smith was abandoned with the rest of the Carolina running game when the Panthers fell behind 21-0 in the second quarter. He finished with 8 carries for 16 yards and 2 catches for 16 more. Dee Brown led the team with 29 rushing yards on 4 carries. He also added 2 catches for 8 yards. WR: Steve Smith served a one-game suspension for assaulting a teammate during a film session last week and did play in this game. I don't think his presence Sunday would have helped matters anyway. There were no highlights from the active Carolina receivers. Karl Hankton showed some promise with 2 decent catches for 19 yards. Muhsin Muhammad did not catch a pass. Isaac Byrd caught 1 pass for 8 yards. TE: Kris Mangum had 2 catches for 14 yards. Carolina Pass Defense: Carolina linebacker Dan Morgan, in his first game back after missing two with a groin injury, dislocated his shoulder and will be out next week. Carolina Rush Defense: This unit was carved like a Thanksgiving turkey. Warrick Dunn and T.J. Duckett seemed to run at will. Even when the game was decided and the Falcons stopped passing, the Panthers couldn't stop the run. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Green Bay 7 at Tampa Bay 21 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW This game featured an ugly exchange at the end between Tampa's Warren Sapp and Green Bay Coach Mike Sherman. After one of Favre's interceptions, Sapp nailed OL Chad Clifton with a huge shot that put Clifton down on the field for a while. Clifton lost feeling in his legs. Sapp was not called for a penalty on the play. After the game, Sherman said something to Sapp along the lines of he didn't appreciate the hit and Sapp had to be restrained away from Sherman. Green Bay Packers: QB Brett Favre had another terrible game at Raymond James Stadium. His career record there is now 0-5. He threw four picks, and the Buccaneer defense had several chances to make more interceptions. Favre and his receivers looked to be on different plays several times. He only finished with 196 yards passing, but a lot of those yards were during the last five minutes of the game. RB Ahman Green was held in check by Tampa Bay. He gained just 56 yards on the ground, and 40 yards through the air. The screen pass that has worked so successfully for the last few months failed to produce big gains against the stingiest defense in the league. WR Donald Driver only hauled in three balls, but made the most of those catches with one being a touchdown. Terry Glenn was the cause of one of Favre's interceptions after he pulled up on a route, but Favre continued to find him down the stretch. Glenn finished with a game high 61 yards on 4 catches. (8 targets.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: QB Brad Johnson left the game early with a scratch to his eye that caused him to lose vision in it. Rob Johnson came in and looked horrendous, but HC Jon Gruden did not pull Rob Johnson for Shawn King in hopes that Brad Johnson would come back. (NFL rules: Once third QB enters game, 1st QB cannot return.) This move showed that Brad Johnson is Gruden's guy, period. Johnson came back in the second quarter and played great. Michael Pittman was this week's RBBC captain, with 13 carries for 50 yards. As expected, FB Mike Alstott was called in for the short yardage situations, but could not transfer his opportunities into points as Green Bay stuffed him 3 times inside the 5 yard line. WR Keyshawn Johnson led all Tampa Bay receivers with 48 yards on just 2 catches (6 targets.) He had 4 dropped passes on the day, including one that was intercepted and set up Green Bay's only touchdown. It looked like the cause of the problem was the sore ribs that Johnson was still nursing. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Green Bay Packers: QB: Brett Favre had one of his worst days as a pro, getting picked off 4 times and moving Green Bay into the end zone just one time. Favre struggles versus Tampa Bay, and with Chicago and Minnesota ahead on the schedule, this should not be looked upon as a sign of things to come. He and his receivers were not connecting on routes all day, and he was trying to force many balls into places that they should not have been thrown. He did finish with almost 200 yards passing, but most of the yardage came late in the game when the outcome had already been decided. RB: Ahman Green finished the game with 96 total yards, but could not find the end zone. The screen play that had been so successful the past few games did not work against the speedy Tampa Bay defense. With Najeh Davenport out for the rest of the season, he was spelled by Tony Fisher. Fisher will be his primary backup for the remainder of the year. WR: Donald Driver rewarded his owners who did not bench him because of the tough matchup with a touchdown and 32 yards on just 3 catches. His receptions have been way down the past few weeks, but he is still probably Favre's best target. Terry Glenn led all receivers with 61 yards (8 targets), but committed some costly errors that resulted in two Brett Favre interceptions. Glenn was in single coverage for most of the day, with the Buccaneers secondary using two men on Donnie Driver. One of Favre's interceptions might have been averted if Glenn had fought harder for the ball on a slant. Still though, it's very clear that Favre feels comfortable throwing to Glenn. Javon Walker caught just one ball for 7 yards. He was also used on kickoff returns. TE: Favre and Bubba Franks had a tough time connecting, with just 4 passes for 29 yards. Franks had one drop and was not looked at in the red zone, but they did not have many opportunities inside the 20 during the game. Rush Defense: Interior behemoth Gilbert Brown was knocked out of the game with an ankle injury, and did not return. Even with the big man out, Tampa Bay could not establish the running game. Pass Defense: While initially they looked strong (Rob Johnson,) they had trouble stopping Brad Johnson and gave up two short yardage touchdown throws. The Buccaneers went to the now famous "Sugar Huddle," which kept special situation players like Gbaja-Biamila off of the field. DE Vonnie Holliday returned after being out 6 weeks and caused havoc immediately, knocking Brad Johnson out of the game temporarily. Special Teams: Good coverage, average returns. PK Ryan Longwell did not get an opportunity to kick any field goals. Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB: Brad Johnson continued his hot November with a 134 yard, 2 touchdown performance. He was knocked out of the game early after a bad scratch to the eye, but returned later in the first half. HC Jon Gruden wanted to bench Rob Johnson in favor of Shawn King, but did not because he was hoping that Brad Johnson would return. Rob Johnson filled in for Brad Johnson and looked like the guy in the Miller Lite commercial getting creamed by the gopher with the hammer. Wouldn't surprise us to see Rob Johnson as 3rd string by next week behind fan favorite Shawn King. RB: Michael Pittman carried the ball 13 times for 50 yards, but could not get into a groove with Alstott and Stecker also sharing time in the backfield. He had two carries form the goal line, and could not find the end zone. FB Mike Alstott was used in short yardage situations, and also was stuffed twice inside the five yard line. Aaron Stecker did not receive any carries, and just had 1 reception for -4 yards. WR: Keyshawn Johnson led all Tampa receivers with 48 yards, but had 4 drops, which included one that resulted in a Green Bay interception. He hauled in a 2-pt conversion, and looked to be still bothered by his bruised ribs. The announcers stated that Johnson took the needle before game time to allow him to play with his ribs. Keenan McCardell only caught 3 passes on the day. He finished with just 18 yards. He might still be getting adjusted after coming back from his dislocated shoulder. Joe Jurevicius was the surprise of the day, finishing with 41 yards and a touchdown that was called incomplete, but then reversed. He was targeted 6 times. TE: Ken Dilger made the most of his 3 catches, scoring once and converting a 3rd down. He was targeted 5 times, including twice in the red zone. Rickey Dudley might as well have brought his doghouse from Oakland that he was in when Jon Gruden coached there, because he dropped a key pass late in the game in which he was wide open. Brad Johnson is probably losing confidence in him. Quarterbacks usually remember those drops. Rush Defense: The Buccaneers did a great job of stopping Ahman Green, one of the most versatile backs in the league. They held the running game in check and forced the Packers to beat them with Favre's arm. Pass Defense: Brian Kelly had 2 interceptions, which makes 5 in the last 5 games, and he now leads the NFL in that category. Ronde Barber made a great interception (one-handed) as well. Simeon Rice pressured Favre all day long, and rarely did Green Bay get a chance for a passing play to develop all the way. Special Teams: Martin Gramatica owners received a little bonus when Brad Johnson was called for intentional grounding. The Packers accepted the penalty and he nailed a 51 yarder, instead of a 36 yard field goal. Tampa Bay's coverage teams did a great job, and the Buccaneer's won the field position game all day long. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Cincinnati 21 at Pittsburgh 29 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Cincinnati Bengals QB Jon Kitna has become a legitimate threat in the passing game. His spirals were crisp and accurate and he came within two yards of once again hitting the 300 yard plateau, without throwing an interception. Steeler linebacker Joey Porter called Corey Dillon 'the millennium back' and he was right. This guy is the total package and showed his trademark speed, vision, and power in his two TD runs. He had very little room to roam throughout the day as the Steelers always had 8 men in the box. He only managed 60 yards rushing. The Bengals have assembled quite the receiving core. Chad Johnson once again led the way with 152 yards (a career day), but Kitna spread the ball around to 7 different receivers and Ron Dugans was another favorite catching 6 balls. The Bengals are still a football team that just doesn't know how to win. Penalties killed them. Pittsburgh Steelers: QB Kordell Stewart played a mistake free game in relief of Tommy Maddox. He didn't light up the scoreboard quite as well as Maddox, but he was adequate to secure the victory. He ran early and often, taking off 11 times for 40 yards. He still has speed. He ended the day with 236 yards through the air with 1 td pass. WR Hines Ward had another good day, catching 5 balls for 125 yards and a TD. He also has a dazzling run on a reverse for 39 yards. RB Jerome Bettis looked as good as he has in years. He's obviously lost a step since early in his career, but he's still got some football left in him. He got a lot of opportunities in the redzone and scored two tds on the day. He rushed for 79 yards on 22 attempts and added 27 yards on 2 receptions, bringing him over the 100 yard mark in total offense. Amos Zereoue was a non-factor today. (No rushes/5 short receptions on obvious passing downs) /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Tennessee 12 at Baltimore 13 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Tennessee Titans The was arguably the worst game of the season for McNair, who lost a fumbled snap, threw 3 INTs, missed wide open Receivers, and forced the ball into traffic all day. At the end of the game, the Ravens were clearly concentrating on keeping McNair trapped in the pocket, negating his scrambling abilities. "We got chances in the end. I think I didn't make the plays when I had to," McNair said. "That's my fault. The quarterback has to step up to the plate when his number is called and today I didn't do that." Eddie George (who hasn't gained 100 yards in the last 9 games) was held to 61 yards, and replaced in the game for 2 series, and then towards the end by Robert Holcombe. WR Kevin Dyson injured his hamstring, the results were still unknown as the game ended. Baltimore Ravens The Raven's Offense never found it's timing. The Raven's WRs were held to 2 Receptions for 16 yards. RB Jamal Lewis did finish with close to 100 yards rushing, but 44 of those yards came on the only real Raven Drive of the day, which Lewis killed by Fumbling away the ball. Baltimore was outgained 401-199 for the game. All the Raven Scoring came off of Defense. The TD was a blocked punt that was run in for a TD. The first FG came from a Fumbled snap by McNair at the Titan's 21 yard line and the Second FG came off of a McNair Interception at the Titan's 37 yard line. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Tennessee Titans: McNair had a streak broken of 23 straight games with a touchdown pass. Last week he had broken Warren Moon's franchise record. QB: Steve McNair - 21 of 43 for 283 yards, with 3 INTs. 4 Carries for 14 Yards. Did not score. Fumbled the snap on the Titan's 21 yard line, which lead to a Stover FG. The first INTs came inside the 10 where McNair forced pass to Bennett who was triple covered. Bennett had no chance as the ball was easily picked off. Poor decision on McNair's part. McNair missed a wide open Derrick Mason for what would have been the winning TD. RB: Eddie George - 16 Carries for 61 Yards. 2 Receptions for 11 Yards. Looked slow, and didn't show the power we have come to expect from him. George was replaced by Robert Holcombe as the game wound down. Robert Holcombe - 10 Carries for 46 Yards. 2 Receptions for 8 Yards. Came in for a struggling Eddie George, and rattled off a number of nice runs and receptions. Stayed in for 2 series, and then again towards the end of the game, most likely because he had the "Hot hand" Greg Comella - Fullback. 1 Carry for 6 Yards. Not a factor of any kind in the offensive attack, but did provide a number of blocks for the running game. WR: Derrick Mason - 4 Receptions for 49 Yards. Fumbled once. Mason did his job, getting open and beating coverage, McNair just never took advantage of it. McNair missed a wide open Derrick Mason for what would have been the winning TD. Was in position to make a number of plays, but McNair never seemed to find him when he was open, and only threw to him while in coverage. Got 13 of his yards on a pass thrown by Frank Wycheck. Kevin Dyson - 4 Receptions for 87 Yards. Gained 40 of his yards on a long deep in pass route on the Titan's most impressive drive of the day (87 yards, resulting in a FG) Left the field after injuring his Hamstring. Stay tuned for more details on his injury. Drew Bennett - Second Year WR out of UCLA. 3 Receptions for 49 Yards. Bennett was thrown to in blanketing coverage in the endzone, and the ball was picked off. Bennett had no chance at it, as 3 defenders were in front of him. Very poor decision on McNair's part. Justin McCariens - 2 Receptions for 33 Yards. Like the rest of the offense, just couldn't get going with McNair struggling. TE: Frank Wycheck - 3 Receptions for 38 Yards. 1 Pass of 13 Yards to Mason. Mostly looked to as a dump off safety valve as McNair was under constant pressure for most of the day. Erron Kinney - 1 Reception for 15 Yards. Titan's Pass Defense - FS Lance Schulters intercepted Blake once. LCB Andre Dyson closed on a right side out route being run by Travis Taylor, easily picking off the Blake pass and taking it in for what would have been a TD. The play was called back on a Roughing the passer play against Keith Bullock. Titan's Rush Defense - MLB Ray Lewis, out the last 5 games with a separated shoulder, sat out again, but this time his injury was listed as Ankle and Calf injuries. LOLB Peter Sirmon, LDT Robaire Smith, and RDT Henry Ford each sacked Blake once. MLB Frank Chamberlain forced and recovered a Jamal Lewis Fumble. Titan's Special Teams: K: Joe Nedney - 4/4 FGs with a long of 40 Yards. Baltimore Ravens QB: Jeff Blake - 11 for 24 for 109 yards, with an INT. 4 Carries for a net -2 yards. Blake was under constant pressure throughout the game, as he was sacked 3 times. Did not look comfortable at any point during the day. Forced balls into his receivers, never found his timing. All in all, it was a poor performance for the Raven's passing attack, and Offense as a whole. Seemed to focus in on Heap. RB: Jamal Lewis - 17 Carries for 95 Yards. 1 Reception for 13 yards. Lewis picked up 44 of his 95 yards on the Raven's only real drive of the day, unfortunately, MLB Frank Chamberlain forced and recovered a Jamal Lewis Fumble to kill the drive. Chester Taylor - 4 Carries for 10 Yards. 2 Receptions for 19 Yards. Nice pickups on both of his receptions, (9 and 10 yards each) Alan Ricard - Fullback. 1 Reception for 17 yards. WR: Travis Taylor - 1 Reception for 2 Yards. 1 Carry for 6 yards on an end around. Did nothing special as Blake could never find a receiver in the game. Ron Johnson - 1 Reception for 14 Yards. Did nothing special as Blake was unable to spot the open receiver. TE: Todd Heap - 4 Receptions for 42 Yards. 1 Carry for 2 yards. Only bright spot of the Passing attack. Looked good getting open in traffic, and was the primary read for Blake. Terry Jones - 3rd string TE. 1 Reception for 2 yards. Raven's Pass Defense - RILB Bernardo Harris sacked McNair. LOLB Bart Scott, LCB James Trapp, and FS Chad Williams each Intercepted McNair passes. ROLB Peter Boulware forced a Mason fumble. Raven's Rush Defense - Stopped the Titans on the 3 yard line resulting in a Nedney FG. Won the game, as they held George to an ineffective outing. 2 big stops at their own goal line saved the game. Raven's Special Teams: K: Matt Stover - 2/2 of FGs with a long of 42, 1/1 XPs. SS Ed Reed, in on Punt Return coverage, blocked the punt, and ran the ball in for an 11 yard TD. The Titans defender allowed him to get inside Leverage, giving Reed an open corridor for the Block. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Cleveland 24 at New Orleans 19 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Cleveland Browns Rookie running back William Green broke the 100-yard mark for the first time. Green bounced runs to the outside and then his speed took over. Does not show yet that he can run the ball inside. Almost broke a 79-yarder for a score with a big hole up the middle. However, he got tripped up after a gain of 23. Green is helped out by the Cleveland offensive line starting to gel. QB Tim Couch had a solid game despite his numbers. Couch was hit as he threw on his first interception. The throw on his second pick was on the money, but Dennis Northcutt was hit as the ball arrived. WR Kevin Johnson was overthrown deep on Couch's first interception. Did not show good coverage awareness as he ran out-of-bounds, forfeiting a first down on second and seven, good for a two-yard gain. Burned Sammy Knight on a short crossing pattern for his 24-yard touchdown. WR Northcutt was Cleveland's big-play man. He ran a draw from motion for a 36-yard touchdown. Showed a great adjustment for a 40-yard catch on an underthown ball. Was nailed as the ball arrived on a deep pattern that ended up being intercepted. WR Quincy Morgan only had two catches. On two other attempts, he was thrown behind on a medium post route and was blanketed by Ken Irvin on a corner route. New Orleans Saints QB Aaron Brooks forced the ball in the red zone with disastrous results. Twice he forced the ball on third down for interceptions. He also fumbled the ball away while drawing his arm back to throw with no pressure. All occurred in the red zone. Contradicting reports from ESPN's Chris Mortensen (that we passed along to our readers) RB Deuce McAllister was active but did not play. In his place, the Saints started an ineffective Curtis Keaton. Running back James Fenderson was brought in as the receiving back. Showed he could run the ball when given the chance. Picked his hole well on the 17-yard draw for a touchdown. WR Joe Horn did not get many looks. He dropped a low slant pass. Usually known for his positioning on defenders, he did not come back on a ball that was intercepted. WR Jerome Pathon took a lick early and did not return until after halftime. All of his catches came in the second half. The ball was knocked loose on a pass over the middle late and he fell on a slant route. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Cleveland Browns QB: Tim Couch - Had a solid game despite his numbers. Couch was hit as he threw on his first interception. The throw on his second pick was on the money, but Dennis Northcutt was hit as the ball arrived. RB: William Green - The rookie broke the 100-yard mark for the first time. Green bounced runs to the outside and then his speed took over. Does not show yet that he can run inside. Almost broke a 79-yarder for a score with a big hole up the middle. However, he got tripped up after a gain of 23. Green is helped out by the Cleveland offensive line starting to gel. WR: Kevin Johnson - Was overthrown deep on Couch's first interception. Did not show good coverage awareness as he ran out-of-bounds, forfeiting a first down on second and seven, good for a two-yard gain. Burned Sammy Knight on a short crossing pattern for his 24-yard touchdown. Dennis Northcutt - was Cleveland's big-play man. He ran a draw from motion for a 36-yard touchdown. Showed a great adjustment for a 40-yard catch on an under thrown ball. Was nailed as the ball arrived on a deep pattern that ended up being intercepted. Quincy Morgan - Only had two catches. On two other attempts, he was thrown behind on a medium post route and was blanketed by Ken Irvin on a corner route. Andre' Davis - Dropped a pass over the middle on his only touch. TE: Darnell Sanders - Couch looked his way on an incompletion in the end zone. Had a nice catch for a first down. Browns Pass Defense: Anthony Henry showed his nose for the ball with two interceptions. Pressured Brooks enough for him to make big mistakes. Browns Rush Defense: Was not tested by the Saints without McAllister. Browns Special Teams: Phil Dawson was his usual consistent and solid self on his field goals. New Orleans Saints QB: Aaron Brooks - He forced the ball in the red zone with disastrous results. Twice he forced the ball on third down for interceptions. He also fumbled the ball away while drawing his arm back to throw with no pressure. All occurred in the red zone. RB: Deuce McAllister - Was activated but did not play. In his place, the Saints started an ineffective Curtis Keaton. As we reported to our readers, ESPN.com's Chris Mortensen reported Sunday morning on ESPN that McAllister looked good enough to Jim Haslett that he'd be starting. There's a little bit of finger pointing now between ESPN and Haslett as to what was actually said and what was reported. For any of you folks who started McAllister based on this info we passed along from Mortensen and ESPN, we apologize. James Fenderson - Was brought in as the receiving back. Was the target on an incomplete screen that did not develop and dropped a pass over the middle late. Showed he could run the ball when given the chance. Picked his hole well on the 17-yard draw for a touchdown. WR: Joe Horn - Did not get many looks. He dropped a low slant pass. Usually known for his positioning on defenders, he did not come back on a ball that was intercepted. Jerome Pathon - Took a lick early and did not return until after halftime. All of his catches came in the second half. The ball was knocked loose on a pass over the middle late and he fell on a slant route. Donte' Stallworth - Was under thrown on a deep lob incompletion. Brooks missed him in the end zone on a deflection at the line-of-scrimmage. Michael Lewis - Filled in while Pathon was out. Broke two medium crossing routes for long-gainers. A pass thrown behind him went off his hands in the red zone. TE: Boo Williams - Brooks went to Williams on the first play from scrimmage. Had an out pass deflected away by Devin Bush and had a two-point conversion attempt knocked out of his hands. Saints Pass Defense: In his third game back, Dale Carter blanketed Brown receivers and picked off Couch. Encroachment penalties prolonged the Browns' first scoring drive. Saints Rush Defense: New Orleans' respect for Green set up the play action. Green beat defenders to the corner with his speed and misdirection. Saints Special Teams: An illegal touching penalty negated a successful onside opening kickoff. Lewis muffed a short punt that led to a Browns' touchdown. A controversial unsportsmanlike penalty against Cleveland on a successful John Carney field goal gave the Saints a first down instead. Brooks subsequently threw an interception. Fred McAfee ran a fake punt for a first down. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Buffalo 13 at New York Jets 31 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Buffalo Bills: The Bills' offense is cooling down with the weather. After lighting up the league for the first half of the season (averaging 30.1 points per game), the Bills have now lost three straight games (averaging 12.0 points per game). Drew Bledsoe made a number of poor decisions today. The windy conditions at the Meadowlands weren't optimal for passing and a few poor throws can be blamed partly on that. But it was the decisions Bledsoe made, especially amidst such bad conditions, that need to be questioned. He was under a lot of pressure from New York's defensive line and linebackers. Travis Henry had a very productive day with 126 total yards and a touchdown. Henry left the game early on when Jets LB Sam Cowart drilled him on a vicious helmet-to-helmet tackle. Henry was said to be very awkward leaving the field and did not even remember the play. Watch this situation carefully, as it seems to me like he suffered a concussion. Why the coaching staff allowed him to go back out and play after such a shot is beyond me, though he did have success both before and after the hit. New York Jets: Curtis Martin owners can breathe a little easier. For those who did not see the game, they may be concerned that Martin had just 8 more carries than fellow RB LaMont Jordan. Rest assured, Martin was back to his old self today. He made a number of terrific cuts and moves, and had an especially nice one on his 9-yard touchdown run. One thing that does appear to be here to stay is LaMont Jordan's role as the goal line back. He was the recipient of all of the carries once New York got inside the 5. QB Chad Pennington plays with a Favre-like enthusiasm. His passing numbers were ordinary, but efficient (15-24, 178 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT). Pretty much sealed the victory with a tremendous 1-yard touchdown run. I could go on and on about how cool and composed he is on the field but if you don't know that by now then it's pretty likely that someone beat you to Pennington in your league a LONG time ago. Laveranues Coles just puts up numbers. From a fantasy perspective, he is beginning to make his way into the upper tier of receivers. Coles finished with 7 receptions for 78 yards and a wide-open touchdown reception. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Buffalo Bills: QB: Drew Bledsoe finished with some of his worst numbers of the season. He was 21-33 for 181 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. One of the interceptions was a deflection off of TE Jay Riemersma. However, Bledsoe made a number of passes that probably should have been picked off, but weren't. Alex Van Pelt came on in relief of Bledsoe. Bledsoe was not hurt, Van Pelt only came in because the score was out of hand. RB: Travis Henry enjoyed a solid day, despite having his "bell rung" early in the contest. On Buffalo's first drive, Henry was met face to face by Sam Cowart. Upon returning from commercial break, Henry was sitting on the sidelines and Sammy Morris had entered the game. On Buffalo's next possession, Henry was back in the game. The commentators mentioned how Henry appeared unsure of himself while walking off the field. Then, Bonnie Bernstein said that Henry said he didn't remember the hit. It seemed pretty risky to put him back into the game after all of this, but he was apparently ok. He finished with good numbers, but Henry owners should check on this all week. If Henry DID suffer a concussion, it certainly wasn't helped by him going back out on the field to play. Sammy Morris came in for the series in which Henry was on the sidelines, so it would appear that he is the #1 backup to Henry should something serious happen. FB Larry Centers caught 3 passes, giving him 797 for his career. WR: The explosive Buffalo tandem of Eric Moulds and Peerless Price was shut down today. The windy atmosphere contributed to this, as neither QB was able to take many shots downfield. This hurt Buffalo more than New York because Buffalo lives on deep balls to the wideouts. Price was targeted on 10 balls and finished up with 6 receptions for 49 yards. Moulds was only targeted on 5 passes and finished up with 2 catches for 24 yards. Josh Reed was only thrown to once and caught a 12-yard pass. TE: Jay Riemersma has had one of the quietest years of his career. Today, he was targeted on 5 balls, including twice on third down. Still, he only came away with 2 receptions for 22 yards and had a costly drop that was intercepted by New York. Bills Pass Defense: Got very little pressure on Chad Pennington. Jets wide receivers were able to get open all day. No one was covering Laveranues Coles on his touchdown reception, and both Coles and Santana Moss made it look easy to fake out NFL defensive backs. Bills Rush Defense: Got shredded today, primarily by Curtis Martin. They allowed touchdown runs to Martin, Jordan, AND Pennington and 155 yards on the ground overall. Bills Special Teams: The opening kickoff was a squib kick and went short. It seemed likely that Buffalo remembered how Chad Morton beat them twice on opening day and were playing it safe with him. But then it appeared that Buffalo forgot again, as they kicked off deep to Morton two times and were burned on runbacks of 42 and 33 yards. K Mike Hollis has settled down lately, and connected on each of his field goal attempts this week. He hit from 43 yards and 40 yards and had to deal with some tough wind conditions. New York Jets: QB: Pennington is an outstanding quarterback, but even more than that he is a natural leader. He pretty much put the game away on a 4th and goal from the 1-yard line with a bootleg touchdown run. Make sure you catch the highlight of this run; Buffalo LB Eddie Robinson had Pennington dead in the water, yet Pennington put a goofy move on Robinson before scampering into the end zone for the td. In a big game for New York, with tough conditions, against a great competitor like Drew Bledsoe, Chad Pennington came up large time and time again. He is for real. Later, Pennington was laughing about how ugly his move was. It got him into the endzone though. RB: Curtis Martin appears fully recovered from the ankle sprain he suffered early in the season. He ran hard and with authority today. He flashed a number of great moves, and the touchdown run was vintage Martin. One problem is that it appears that all of the goal line carries will be going to LaMont Jordan. LaMont Jordan didn't have a great game from a yardage standpoint, but he did score which made for a decent day. Jordan appears to be the Jets version of Stacey Mack or Moe Williams; backs who come in at the goal line and just produce. If Curtis Martin ever slows down, it appears that Jordan would be a solid NFL running back. WR: Since Chad Pennington took over for Vinny Testaverde, Laveranues Coles has seen his numbers go through the roof. He has caught 51 passes for 692 yards and 3 touchdowns in the 8 games Pennington has played in. That projects out to 102 receptions, 1384 yards, and 6 touchdowns over a full season of games. In addition, Coles has been very consistent. He has had either 80 yards or a touchdown in every game but one (Coles totaled 60 yards in the blowout at San Diego) since Pennington took over the QB duties in New York. Santana Moss had one of the best spin moves of the year on Chris Watson. Moss caught a simple 7-yard hook and turned it into a highlight by spinning out of the tackle and turning upfield for 22 yards. A week after catching 2 touchdowns, Wayne Chrebet regained his status as an afterthought in the Jets offense. Chrebet caught just one pass for 15 yards, and it was the only ball thrown his way all afternoon. TE: Anthony Becht was targeted 4 times, with 3 of them coming in the red zone. Despite recent claims to try and get Becht involved more "between the 20s", he was only looked to once in that type of situation. Consider Becht a very poor man's Bubba Franks. Jets Pass Defense: Outstanding job against one of the league's best units. Bledsoe, Moulds, and Price had trouble getting into rhythm all day. Eric Moulds disappeared for long stretches of the game. Price likewise had trouble doing anything past 8-10 yards downfield. Bledsoe had perhaps his worst game of the year, as he failed to throw a touchdown, was intercepted twice, and lost a fumble. Jets Rush Defense: The Jets run defense has been stellar in recent weeks, holding some of the NFL's elite to very low yardage totals. Today, Travis Henry didn't run for 100 yards but he did total 83 yards on just 17 carries. However, it was a far cry from the 150+ yards and 3 touchdowns he laid on the Jets back in week 1. Jets Special Teams: Chad Morton and Santana Moss are perhaps the NFL's best 1-2 punch when it comes to kick and punt returns. This dynamite combo sets the Jets up with terrific field position more often than not, and each has a very good chance to take it the distance every time they touch the football. Jets K John Hall missed another field goal, this one from 45 yards out. The wind may have played a part in the miss, but if you're going to carry a kicker from the Jets or Giants this is something you'll have to deal with in November and December. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Philadelphia 38 at San Francisco 17 Philadelphia Eagles This game was dominated by injuries. Koy Detmer played a good game for the Eagles before leaving the game with a dislocated left elbow on what looked to be a very painful play. He came back from a slow start and finished the game with 227 yards and 2 touchdowns, both in the first half. AJ Feeley replaced Detmer. Brian Mitchell was at it again with a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter, breaking the game open. He set a new NFL record with 13 total kick returns (both kick off and punt returns). Mitchell had another long kickoff return at the end of the third quarter. He really is a difference maker. The Eagles rush defense played a tremendous game and held the great 49ers' running game in check. Eventually, the 49ers were forced to the air because they were so far behind. Eagles DE Hugh Douglas had a stinger in his shoulder in the fourth quarter after having his neck twisted on a face-mask by TE Eric Johnson but returned to the game. Tight end Chad Lewis saw quite a few targets in this game, and caught a touchdown pass in the late third quarter. He could be a nice tight end down the stretch with the Eagles working the short routes. The Eagles spread the ball around to their wide receivers, with Todd Pinkston getting the most work in this game. San Francisco 49ers The 49er rushing game struggled mightily early in this game, and they were eventually forced to abandon it. Kevan Barlow finished the game with -3 yards rushing and left the game with a sprained left knee. Heart managed 65 yards against the stingy Eagle defense, but many of the yards came on late draws. Keep an eye on Barlow's injury as Heart's value could go way up if Barlow is out for an extended period. Garcia played a good game despite the blow out, and without his scrambling ability this game would have been a much bigger loss. Garcia twisted his right ankle in the fourth quarter, but just had it taped and went back into the game. Terrell Owens continues to be a total fantasy star. Garcia looked his way early and often, and Owens consistently gets good yardage after the catch. He finished with another huge day despite the loss. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Philadelphia Eagles QB: On his first snap, Detmer stumbled and took a sack and almost a safety. His first pass was pretty weak and the Eagles were forced to punt. It was not a good start. His next series he almost found Thrash on a long pattern, but slightly under threw the ball. He went deep on the next play and found Pinkston. He later avoided a sack and made a nice throw for a first down. His early second quarter touchdown pass was also an under throw. His celebration dance is nothing short of embarrassing, but definitely entertaining. Detmer led the Eagles on an impressive scoring drive at the end of the first half resulting in another touchdown pass. Detmer was really settled in during the second half and led the Eagles to a touchdown where he pushed it in himself from the goal line. Detmer went down in the late third quarter with a dislocated left elbow. Watching the injury brought back memories of Joe Theismann's break, that's how bad it looked. A.J. Feeley replaced Detmer and promptly threw a touchdown pass to TE Chad Lewis. He didn't do much but hand off for the remainder of the game. WR: James Thrash had a 12-yard gain on a pitch reverse in the first quarter. He had another reverse in the second quarter for 21 yards. Unfortunately, Thrash didn't have a catch in the first half. The Eagles ran another reverse with Thrash in the second half for a short gain, but it was called back for holding. Thrash made a tremendous leap and catch in the third quarter that was literally inches from a touchdown. Thrash actually finished the game with 5 rushes. Todd Pinkston was very busy in this game, and the number one option in the passing game. He made a good catch along the sidelines for a 32-yard gain in the first quarter. He later made a great adjustment on an under thrown ball for a 25-yard touchdown. He finished the game with 6 catches for 94 yards and a touchdown, and seemed to be Detmer's favorite target. Antonio Freeman's second catch in the game was a touchdown at the end of the second quarter. Nice move and an easy catch. RB: Duce Staley looked good running the ball early in the game, though his stats don't really show it. He was also involved in the passing game as usual. Dorsey Levens got in the game in the late first quarter and gained a few on his first carry. He continued to come into the game periodically. Brian Westbrook was split wide on the second series and ran a reverse. He also spelled Staley periodically throughout the game. Neither Levens nor Westbrook get enough looks to warrant serious fantasy consideration. TE: Chad Lewis had a number of targets in the first half, including a 21-yard catch in the second quarter. Lewis caught a touchdown pass in the back of the end zone in the late third quarter. He received a lot of looks in this game, and was very involved in the short pass routes. K: David Akers missed a field goal on the Eagles second possession of the game from 48-yards. He later made a 43-yarder. Special Teams: Brian Mitchell was at it again with a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter, breaking the game open. He set a new NFL record with 13 total kick returns (both kick off and punt returns). Mitchell had another long kickoff return at the end of the third quarter. He really is a difference maker. Eagles Pass Defense: The Eagles defense had a great start, and only allowed the 49ers short patterns and no points for the first quarter. They continued to play great and get pressure on Garcia. The Eagles recorded four sacks on the day. Without Garcia's mobility, they would have had many more. DE Hugh Douglas was injured in the fourth quarter after having his neck twisted on a face-mask by TE Eric Johnson but returned to the game. CB Bobby Taylor led the team with 7 solo tackles. Eagles Rush Defense: This unit played a great first half, holding the great 49er rushing attack to only 28 yards rushing, with 12 coming on Garcia scrambles. They continued to play strong and the 49ers eventually abandoned the run when they fell too far behind. Many of the 88 yards given up on the ground came late in the game on draw plays. San Francisco 49ers QB: Jeff Garcia missed a wide-open Terrell Owens on the first series, and the 49ers were forced to punt. Garcia missed Owens again on a 3rd and long play, leading to another first quarter punt. Garcia finally got the offense going towards the beginning of the second quarter with a deep pass to Owens. The series resulted in the 49ers first seven points. Garcia made a great play in the late third quarter to try and avoid a disastrous sack, but didn't get the ball to the original line of scrimmage so the 49ers took the 26-yard loss. Garcia led the 49ers to a quick touchdown in the late third ending with another touchdown to Owens. Garcia twisted his right ankle in the fourth quarter, but simply had it taped and went back into the game. Tim Rattay finished the game after it became obvious that the 49ers did not have enough time to come back. WR: Terrell Owens dropped his first target of the game. Owens had a big 32-yard gain down the middle with the 49ers down 14-0. He was targeted all over the field as usual. He schooled CB Al Harris for his second quarter touchdown, and was wide open on the short pattern. He tied for second in the NFL with 13+ touchdowns in a season with three. Owens got another touchdown in the late third quarter on a perfect pass by Garcia. Tai Streets started the game again ahead of JJ Stokes. His first catch was for a first down on 3rd and long in the second quarter. He continued to receive looks as the secondary target. He had a first down catch deep in the Eagles red zone in the second quarter, demonstrating the teams' confidence in the receiver. JJ Stokes was also involved in the passing game. He finished the game with 28 yards on 5 catches. Until either Streets or Stokes moves ahead of the other, neither receiver will have very much fantasy value. Stokes dislocated his left middle finger but returned to the game. RB: Garrison Hearst started the game and really couldn't get going early on. He only had 19 yards rushing on 7 carries in the first half. Hearst got some more room in the second half, with an early 12-yard gain around the end. The 49ers were forced to largely abandon the running game because they fell too far behind. He finished with 65 yards rushing, but many of the yards came on late draws. Kevan Barlow alternated series with Garrison Hearst as usual. Barlow took a hand off in the second quarter and simply fell down. He struggled early in the game, and actually finished the half with -3 yards rushing on three carries. Barlow was shaken up in the second half and looked at by team doctors on the sidelines. He was diagnosed with a sprained left knee, so keep a close eye on this one. Fred Beasley caught an outlet pass on the first offensive play of the game for a 15-yard gain. Beasley's role on this team is primarily as a blocker, with an occasional reception. TE: Eric Johnson played but Justin Swift started. Swift dropped an easy catch in the second quarter that he should have made. Neither TE had a major impact. K: Jeff Chandler made his first professional field goal from 35-yards in the third quarter without incident. 49ers Pass Defense: The 49ers allowed Koy Detmer two touchdown passes in the first half, and looked bad doing it. Despite Detmer's sometimes inconsistent play, the 49er defense couldn't do anything to stop the Eagles. AJ Feeley came in the game and picked up where Detmer left off, exposing the 49er defense for a quick touchdown. The unit had no sacks and no turnovers. 49ers Rush Defense: This unit played a decent game, but did allow Duce Staley and company to find a little rushing room. CB Jason Webster led the defense with 7 solo tackles and 2 assists.