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Week 17 Game Recaps Editor: Joe Bryant. 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. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Philadelphia 7 at New
York Giants 10 (OT) WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW A.J. Feeley had his first
really bad game since becoming the starter in Philadelphia. He only completed
13 of 25 passes for just 150 yards. He didn�t throw any touchdowns and had a
costly interception in overtime. It was clear the Eagles didn�t want to lean
too heavily on him and he did not deliver in a big game. James Thrash had a 20 yard
touchdown run on the fourth play of the game but just one catch. Thrash and the
rest of the Philadelphia receivers were shut down by the New York secondary. Duce Staley was bottled up
by the aggressive Giant defense. He averaged less than 2 yards per carry on 17
carries and 35 of his 39 receiving yards came on a screen pass on the third
play of the game that set up Thrash�s touchdown score. New York Giants: Tiki Barber had his best and
worst game on the same day. He piled up a career-high 203 rushing yards on a
whopping 32 carries and he added another 73 yards on 8 catches. Unfortunately
he also lost three fumbles and recovered a fourth. He lost one fumble inside
the Philadelphia 5, one at the 50-yard line, and the third was inside the Giant
20. After all of that the Giants were still giving Barber the ball on every
running play. You don�t need me to tell you that the Giants prefer Barber to
Dayne. Jeremy Shockey scored! The
leading receiver among NFL tight ends got into the end zone for just the second
time this season. He put on the sort of show we�ve come to expect with 10
catches for 98 yards and a 7-yard touchdown catch where he ripped the ball away
from the Philadelphia defender. He looks like he�ll be among the top five tight
ends going into next season. Kerry Collins had another
solid outing. When he gets through the first series or two without getting hit
he seems to really stay comfortable for the rest of the game. He had just one
touchdown pass but would have had two more if not for two bogus holding calls.
He stood calm in the pocket and made the most out of his big three receivers,
Amani Toomer, Jeremy Shockey and Tiki Barber. He did make a bad decision on the
Giants first possession trying to force that ball in to Shockey who was
double-covered in the end zone. The pass was tipped into the air and
intercepted.
QB: The Eagles did not want to put the weight of
this game on A.J. Feeley�s shoulders for fear he might fold under the pressure.
He held up okay but the Eagles just didn�t get into any sort of offensive
rhythm after their first series. He finished with just 150 passing yards on 13
of 25 passing. In his defense, the Philadelphia receivers dropped a lot of
balls in the first half. He had one interception and it was in overtime on a
ball his receiver tipped. RB: Duce Staley had a terrific 35-yard catch and
run on the third play of the game but was very quiet after that. He gained only
28 yards on 17 carries and had 39 total yards on three catches. The Giants gave
Staley zero room to rush for the whole game. Dorsey Levens made a few
spot appearances for Staley but nothing substantial. WR: James Thrash scored on the Eagles�
fourth play from scrimmage on a 20-yard double reverse. He broke several
tackles on the run and looked ready for a big game. He finished with only one
other touch in the game, an 8-yard catch in the third quarter. None of the Eagles receivers
had good games. Todd Pinkston didn�t play and Antonio Freeman only had one
catch for 4 yards. Freddie Mitchell got the start for Pinkston but he only had
35 yards on 4 receptions. This was just a bad offensive game for the Eagles.
QB: The book on Kerry Collins is pretty simple, if
he doesn�t get hit too much on the first series or two he tends to play the
rest of the game with confidence and poise. If he gets hit early he stays shaky
the whole game and is basically ineffective. The Eagles didn�t get any pressure
on Collins and he stood tall in the pocket and threw for a respectable 256
yards against a highly rated Philadelphia defense. He made just one glaringly
bad decision and that was on the interception where he forced that ball to a
triple covered Jeremy Shockey on the Giants� first drive. Collins also had
trouble holding into the ball, fumbling 3 times but recovering all of them. RB: Tiki Barber had his best and worst game on the
same day. He piled up a career-high 203 rushing yards on a whopping 32 carries
and he added another 73 yards on 8 catches. Unfortunately he also lost three
fumbles and recovered a fourth. He lost one fumble inside the Philadelphia 5,
one at the 50-yard line, and the third was inside the Giant 20. After all of
that the Giants were still giving Barber the ball on every running play. You
don�t need me to tell you that the Giants prefer Barber to Dayne. Ron Dayne did see spot duty
but it was only after a long Barber run so Tiki could catch his breath. He
finished with 1 carry for 2 yards. You know, that�s about his average isn�t it? WR: Amani Toomer had just two catches in
the game but they were for 57 yards. He was robbed of a 43-yard touchdown in
the 4th quarter on a bogus holding call against the Giant offensive
line. He�s clearly an important part of the Giant passing game but just didn�t
get the breaks today to put up big numbers. Daryl Jones only had one
catch for 8 yards. The Giants don�t really have a wide receiver threat opposite
Toomer. That will likely be an area they look to address in the offseason. � /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Carolina 10 at New
Orleans 6 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Carolina Panthers Despite two interceptions,
Rodney Peete was efficient enough to preserve the win.� Peete only occasionally looked deep, even
though his receivers were consistently open.�
He left the game for two series in the fourth quarter with a strained
groin.� Came back with a bad overthrow
that led to Sammy Knight's second interception.� Nick Goings had a solid game
running the ball and showed a nice cutback on a 15-yard gain.� His fumble at the Carolina ten led to a
Saint field goal.� Was overthrown three
times, including the second interception.�
Twice had the ball go through his hands on dumps thrown too hard.� Had a seven-yard reception called back due
to an illegal block.�� Muhsin Muhammad was the main
target again.� Had a ball go off his
hands on a 25-yard crossing route. Steve Smith was open deep
but Peete did not look his way often.�
Smith had a five-yard reverse nullified by penalty.� He hurt his shoulder on a 25-yard corner
route that went off his hands, causing him to miss two series.� Was overthrown deep late in the game when he
had a step on the defender. Was also a threat on returns. New Orleans Saints Aaron Brooks heard the boos
as early as the first quarter.� The boos
were followed by the "We want Jake!" chant, referring to backup
quarterback Jake Delhomme.� Brooks had
trouble finding his receivers when he had time and had trouble escaping the
blitz.� His passes were wobbly and
inaccurate. Deuce McAllister is the only
player to rush for 100 yards against the Panthers this year.� However, he was still having problems with
his ankle and was unable to cut to his right.�
The injury caused him to be inconsistent as his big runs came up the
middle on draws and delays.� He was
unable to run outside.� Had a screen
attempt deflected away.��� Joe Horn was quiet as the
Panther corners blanketed him all day.�
Had three drops, two of them were not well thrown balls.� Was badly missed on a short out and was
overthrown on the sideline as Brooks was pressured.� He drew a holding call on Terry Cousin. Jerome Pathon was inactive
with a knee injury. Dont� Stallworth started for
Pathon and was the most effective receiver.�
He had a slant deflected away and had a ball tip off his hands for an
interception. Jake Reed had a lot of
opportunities but did not come through.�
Had five attempts knocked away with great coverage and dropped a ball in
the red zone. Michael Lewis is always
dangerous on returns.� He had a balls
deflected away on two out routes.� Was
overthrown in the end zone from 25 yards out on a catch out-of-bounds. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Carolina Panthers QB: Rodney
Peete - Efficient enough to preserve the win.�
Peete only occasionally looked deep, even though his receivers were
consistently open.� He left the game for
two series in the fourth quarter with a strained groin.� Came back and made a bad overthrow that led
to Sammy Knight's second interception. Chris Weinke - Did not do
anything in two fourth-quarter series, which may have been good for the
Panthers. RB: Nick
Goings - Had a solid game running the ball and showed a nice cutback on a
15-yard gain.� His fumble at the
Carolina 10 led to a Saint field goal.�
Was overthrown three times, including the second interception.� Twice had the ball go through his hands on
dumps thrown too hard.� Had a seven-yard
reception called back due to an illegal block. Brad Hoover - Gave the
Panthers their inside running game.�
Along with the only touchdown of the game, he had a high swing pass go
through his hands.� He did not see the
ball until the second quarter. WR: Muhsin
Muhammad - Was the main target again.�
Had a ball go off his hands on a 25-yard crossing route. Steve Smith - Was open deep
but Peete did not look his way often.�
Smith had a five-yard reverse nullified by penalty.� He hurt his shoulder on a 25-yard corner
route that went off his hands causing him to miss two series.� Was overthrown deep late in the game when he
had a step on the defender.� Was also a
threat on returns. Isaac Byrd - Did not have a
catch but had two crossing route passes knocked away. TE:� Jermaine Wiggins - Activated in place of the
injured Wesley Walls.� Had a ball taken
away as he was out-positioned at the goal line.� Panthers Pass Defense: Terry Cousin had a spectacular game with three
takeaways and great coverage.� The Saint
receivers were blanketed the whole game.�
Michael Rucker provided the rush along with the blitzing Mark Fields. Panthers Rush Defense: Most of McAllister's yards came up the middle on
delays and draws against blitzes. Panthers Special Teams: Steve Smith had some fine returns but Michael Lewis
had better ones going the other way.�
Punter Todd Sauerbrun broke his nose covering his first punt.� The rest of his punts were low, allowing
Lewis his returns.� New Orleans Saints QB: Aaron
Brooks - Heard the boos as early as the first quarter.� The boos were followed by the "We want
Jake!" chant, referring to backup quarterback Jake Delhomme.� Brooks had trouble finding his receivers
when he had time and had trouble escaping the blitz.� His passes were wobbly and inaccurate. Within seconds of throwing
the final interception which ended the game and the Saints season, he was
smiling and congratulating Carolina players.��
Read into that what you will. RB: Deuce
McAllister - The only player to rush for 100 yards against the Panthers this
year.� However, he was still having
problems with his ankle and was unable to cut to his right.� The injury caused him to be inconsistent as
his big runs came up the middle on draws and delays.� He was unable to run outside.�
Had a screen attempt deflected away. WR: Joe
Horn - Was quiet as the Panther corners blanketed him all day.� Had three drops, two of them were not well
thrown balls.� Was badly missed on a
short out and was overthrown on the sideline as Brooks was pressured.� He drew a holding call on Terry Cousin. Jerome Pathon - Inactive
with a knee injury. Dont�' Stallworth - Started
for Pathon and was the most effective receiver.� He had a slant deflected away and had a ball tip off his hands
for an interception. Jake Reed - Had a lot of
opportunities but did not come through.�
Had five attempts knocked away with great coverage and dropped a ball in
the red zone. Michael Lewis - Always
dangerous on returns.� He had a balls
deflected away on two out routes.� Was
overthrown in the end zone from 25 yards out on a catch out-of-bounds. TE:� Boo Williams - Neither Williams nor David
Sloan got a look today. Saints Pass Defense: Dale Carter left in the first half with a broken forearm.� Kenny Irvin was shaken up right before the
half and the Panthers scored their touchdown while he was out.� Irvin returned after halftime.� Rookie corner backup Keyuo Craver was
attacked with success in the second half.���
Saints Rush Defense: Goings had success going outside against rookie linebacker James
Allen.� Allen was filling in for injured
Darrin Smith. Saints Special Teams: Lewis was his usual self by breaking a 61-yard punt
return.� The Saints could not take
advantage of the good field position Lewis gave them.��� /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Dallas 14 at Washington 20 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Dallas Cowboys News Flash - The Cowboys
offense struggled today. They had numerous three-and-outs and turnovers. Emmitt Smith was shut down
by the Redskins defense today. He had only 13 yards on 18 carries. Chad Hutchinson had a tough
day. He was 12/23 for 189 yards. He had an interception and a TD pass to
Antonio Bryant. Antonio Bryant exploded as
he caught 170 of Hutchinson�s passing yards. He was Hutchinson�s top
target.�� Joey Galloway was totally shut
down. Washington Redskins Darrell Green finished his
illustrious 20 year career with a win. The highlight of his day was a punt
return. Champ Bailey caught the punt, started upfield, and then handed the ball
off to Green on a reverse. Green returned the ball 35 yards to the Washington
45 yard line. Patrick Ramsey had a below
average game. He was 17/31 for 209 yards. He had two interceptions but only one
was his fault. Ladell Betts lead the
redskins with 98 yards on 17 carries. Kenny Watson had 58 yards on 17 carries. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Dallas Cowboys QB: Chad
Hutchinson wasn�t spectacular but he wasn�t terrible either. He fumbled on his
own five after being sacked by Bruce Smith. LaVar Arrington recovered the ball
in the endzone for the touchdown. He didn�t throw to any receiver besides
Bryant.�� RB: In
what might have been his last game as a Cowboy, Emmitt Smith was unimpressive.
He had only 13 yards on 18 carries. Dallas had too many 3-and-outs for him to
be a factor. When they were able to sustain a long drive, Dave Campo didn�t
give the ball to him on a consistent basis. Troy Hambrick wasn�t used
much by Dallas. He had only one carry for six yards. Hambrick also had two
receptions for seven yards. WR: Joey
Galloway was shut down by the Redskins secondary. He had no catches. Galloway
was rarely looked at by Hutchinson. One time when he was targeted, Champ Bailey
made a great defensive play which lead to an interception. Antonio Bryant had a career
game. He caught seven passes for 170 yards and had a 46 yard TD reception where
he totally beat Fred Smoot. He was the only person that Hutchinson threw to on
a regular basis. TE: James
Whalen had one catch for eight yards. Jason McKie had one catch for seven
yards. Rush defense:
Couldn�t contain Betts and Watson, They combined for over 150 yards and a
touchdown. Pass defense:
Didn�t allow one receiver to establish himself. Three receivers had four or
more catches. Roy Williams returned an interception 85 yards for a touchdown. Washington Redskins QB:
Patrick Ramsey was impressive at times, and unimpressive at other times. He had
2 interceptions and 1 fumble. The first interception wasn�t his fault. The pass
was intended for Rod Gardner, but Gardner tipped the ball. The second one he
threw right to Roy Williams.� Williams
then returned the ball 85 yards for the TD. The fumble was caused by a Dallas
blitz that got to Ramsey just before he got rid of the ball. He spread the ball
around almost evenly to Rod Gardner, Derrius Thompson and Darnerien McCants. Ramsey finished 17/31 for
209 yards. He had no touchdown passes, but Derrius Thompson dropped a ball on a
crossing route that would have easily been a touchdown. RB: Kenny
Watson followed up last week�s 100 yard game with 17 carries for 58 yards. He
was the RB for the Redskins in third and short and goal line situations. He had
a TD run from the five yard line. Ladell Betts fumbled the
ball on the one yard line after breaking a 27 yard run. Other than that, he was
solid. He ran for 98 yards on 17 carries. With Stephen Davis not
likely to be back next year, these two should figure heavily into the mix. WR: Rod
Gardner didn�t look good today. There were several passes thrown to him that he
should have caught.� He still put up ok
numbers, but could have done better. He caught five passes for 59 yards Derrius Thompson was solid
today with four catches for 78 yards. He had a very nice catch for 40 yards in
the third quarter. Thompson dropped a pass on a crossing route that would have
easily been a touchdown. Darnerien McCants had a
surprising game today. He had six receptions for 60 yards. TE: Walter
Rasby had one catch for seven yards. This position is clearly an
area that the Redskins need to address this offseason. Rush defense:
Bottled up Smith very well, holding him to only 13 yards. The Redskins
defensive line dominated the Cowboys offensive line. Pass defense:
Contained Galloway very well, but couldn�t stop Bryant. Bryant had seven
catches for 170 yards. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/
Jon Kitna reminded everyone
that it�s dangerous to trust a Bengal QB. He finished 19 of 35 for 241 yards
but for zero scores with 2 interceptions thrown and one fumble lost. He had
been on a small roll over the last month or so but he never got comfortable in
this game. In his defense, he can�t be expected to do too much with only one
NFL-caliber receiver in his huddle. Corey Dillon was a
non-factor. The Bills were willing to let Kitna try to beat them and they
focused the defense on stopping Dillon. He finished with 53 yards on 13 carries
and just never got into any sort of groove. Chad Johnson will be on
every �experts sleeper list� going into next season. He�s looking more and more
like a real, live professional wide receiver, something that hasn�t been seen
in Cincinnati since Carl Pickens� heyday. He�s got terrific size, he runs sharp
routes, and most importantly he has the confidence of his quarterback. He
finished with 6 catches for 123 yards and was the only bright spot on an otherwise
dismal day for the Bengals. Buffalo Bills Drew Bledsoe regained his
early season efficiency and completed an impressive 74% of his passes including
a tight 2-yards score to Eric Moulds. He even broke from form and ran in a
touchdown from 7 yards out on a called QB draw. Eric Moulds grabbed 9 passes
for a hard-earned 79 yards and the above-mentioned score. He was Bledsoe�s main
target in the game and caught balls all over the field. Peerless Price was targeted
as often as Moulds but he finished with just 57 yards on 5 catches. Price was a
frequent downfield target and drew lots of double coverage. He�s due to be a
free agent at the end of the season so be sure to watch where he ends up before
making plans to go get him.
QB: The Jon Kitna of the last month came crashing
back to Earth and reminded everyone that it�s dangerous to trust a Bengal QB.
He finished 19 of 35 for 241 yards but for zero scores with 2 interceptions
thrown and one fumble lost. He had been on a small roll over the last month or
so but he never got comfortable in this game. In his defense, he can�t be
expected to do too much with only one NFL-caliber receiver in his huddle.�� He did have an impressive 6-yard scoring
run late in the game on a broken play. RB: Corey Dillon was a non-factor in this game. In
an up and down season, this was a �down� game for him. The Bills were willing
to let Kitna try to beat them and they focused the defense on stopping Dillon.
He finished with 53 yards on 13 carries and just never got into any sort of
groove.
WR: Chad Johnson will be on every �experts
sleeper list� going into next season. He�s looking more and more like a real,
live professional wide receiver, something that hasn�t been seen in Cincinnati
since Carl Pickens� heyday. He�s got terrific size, he runs sharp routes, and
most importantly he has the confidence of his quarterback. He finished with 6
catches for 123 yards and was the only bright spot on an otherwise dismal day
for the Bengals. You Sharks out there will remember us touting Johnson after
his Week 7 breakout against the Titans. If you jumped on him back then you�ve
been rewarded with 4 scores and 4 100+-yard games in the last 8 weeks and
that�s not bad for a WR3. The feeling here is that he�s legit and deserves a
spot on your dynasty team Peter Warrick seemed more
involved than in past weeks but he still finished with a meager 27 yards on 3
receptions. It�s very disappointing to see a great college player be such a
bust as a pro. He just doesn�t have that zip he had a Florida State. He looks
ordinary.
QB: Drew Bledsoe regained his early season
efficiency and completed an impressive 74% of his passes including a tight
2-yard score to Eric Moulds. He even broke from form and ran in a touchdown
from 7 yards out on a called QB draw. RB: Travis Henry was somewhat contained and had
just 80 yards on 30 carries. His average was beat up somewhat by time killing
dives at the end of the game. He really had no trouble getting whatever yards
he needed during the game. He�s still got a terrible fumbling problem and he
had two more today, one of which he lost. WR: Eric Moulds grabbed 9 passes for a
hard-earned 79 yards and the above-mentioned score. He was Bledsoe�s main
target in the game and caught balls all over the field. Peerless Price was targeted
as often as Moulds but he finished with just 57 yards on 5 catches. Price was a
frequent downfield target and drew lots of double coverage. He�s due to be a
free agent at the end of the season so be sure to watch where he ends up before
making plans to go get him. Josh Reed had three catches
for 54 yards in the game but it should be noted that Bledsoe has a lot of
confidence in the rookie. Look for Reed�s numbers to improve dramatically next
year if Peerless Price leaves via free agency. � /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Atlanta 16 at Cleveland
24 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Atlanta Falcons: QB Michael Vick had one of
his most erratic performances of the year.�
He completed just 17 of 40 passes (42% completion), with 240 yards.� He kept his team in the game, but when the
Falcons were stopped four straight times at the goal line to tie the game, his
number was never called. RB Warrick Dunn received the
bulk of the carries once again, with T.J. Duckett out.� He slipped his way through the Cleveland
defense for� 67 yards on 20
carries.� WR Brian Finneran, firmly
entrenched as Vick�s go to guy, completed a solid season with a 77 yard, one
touchdown performance.� He is just one
in a cast of many that is a better player with Michael Vick at the helm of the
offense. Cleveland Browns: QB Tim Couch left the game
in the 2nd quarter with a fractured fibula.� He is done for the year.� Kelly Holcomb came in relief and was only 7
of 14 for 86 yards.� He threw two costly
interceptions, but showed poise in the pocket. Rookie RB William Green had
his best day as a pro, running for 178 yards and two touchdowns, one of which
was a 64 yard scamper.� WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Atlanta Falcons: QB:� Michael
Vick dazzled again on Sunday, weaving his way avoiding sacks and
turnovers.� He was only 17/40 for 240
yards and 1 touchdown, and also rushed for 38yards.� When the game was on the line, HC Dan Reeves would not let him
run it in at the goalline, choosing instead to run it up the middle with
Warrick Dunn 3 times.� It took Reeves a
few years in Denver to let John Elway just run the show at the end of
games.� Hopefully, Reeves will show more
trust in Vick in the future.�� Vick did
have what looked like a possible TD to TE Alge Crumpler but it was ruled
incomplete. RB:� T.J.
Duckett appeared briefly, carrying the ball 1 time for 0 yards. Warrick Dunn, thrust into
the role of feature back, carried the ball 20 times for 67 yards.� He slithered through the defense all day,
but could not get the yards at the end of the game at the goal line when it
counted the most.� He also caught 3
balls out of the backfield. WR:� Brian
Finneran has clearly emerged as Vick�s favorite target, and with his height is
a great red zone target.� He finished
with 77 yards and a touchdown, on just 3 catches.� He will probably get some help on the other side of the field
next year either through free agency or the draft. Shawn Jefferson did not
play. Quentin McCord did not have
a repeat performance from last week, but did grab 3 balls for 65 yards, his
longest being a nice 31 yard over the shoulder catch.� He provides Vick with another option in the playoffs. Trevor Gaylor continues to
be the team�s deep threat.� He was on
the receiving end of 3 Vick passes for 30 yards. TE:� While
Reggie Kelly got the start, it was Alge Crumpler who played the most in the
game, hauling in 2 passes for 34 yards.�
He had what looked like a touchdown called back.� It was a questionable call, that definitely
would have changed the outcome of the game. Rush Defense:� This
front was ripped to shreds by William Green for 178 yards.� What had been a strength of this team has to
be disturbing to HC Dan Reeves heading into the playoffs.� Cleveland seemed to favor running behind the
right side of the offensive line, which is where the big 64 yard touchdown run
occurred. Pass Defense:� The
rest of the Falcon secondary played well with Ray Buchanan still hurting,
causing 3 interceptions and nearly picking off 3 more.� Had trouble defending the Cleveland spread
offense during the 4th quarter. Special Teams:� Jay
Feely kicked 3 more field goals this week, but did miss one early on.� After kicking 5 last week, this is a bad
sign that the offense is having problems getting the ball in for the
score.� Return specialist Allen Rossum
lost a fumble on a kickoff return. Cleveland Browns: QB:� Tim
Couch left the game in the 2nd quarter with a fractured fibula.� His season is over.� What was dubbed his breakout season has now
ended.� Backup QB Kelly Holcomb will
take his place in the playoffs, if successful there will be a controversy once
again in Cleveland.� Couch looked
horrible before he was hurt, connecting on 7 of 11 passes for 68 yards, but
with one interception deep in Atlanta territory. Kelly Holcomb took over the
reins of the Cleveland offense early in the 2nd quarter, and despite
throwing 2 interceptions, made the plays when he had to lead the Browns to
victory.� When he�s playing it seems to
focus on Kevin Johnson, who scored.� RB:� William
Green had his finest day as a pro, rumbling for 178 yards and 2 touchdowns,
including a 64 yarder.� He�s definitely
turned the corner. Jamel White has faded into
the sunset as a fantasy running back, just touching the ball twice.� Green is even being used in 3rd
down situations, which before White was used exclusively in those sets. WR:� Kevin
Johnson scored the only TD through the air for Cleveland, and seemed to be on
the same page with Kelly Holcomb.� With
the Cleveland receivers it is usually a week to week guessing game.� Dennis Northcutt returned,
and the playmaker ran the ball twice, and caught two balls, for a total of 32
yards.� HC Butch Davis likes to get the
football into his hands. Quincy Morgan and Andre
Davis each contributed as well.� Davis
caught 2 balls for 36 yards, and Morgan had two grabs for 32 yards. TE:� While
Mark Campbell is used more as a blocking tight end, he will catch balls and run
routes when it is asked of him.� He
caught just 1 ball for a 12 yard gain and a 1st down. Rush Defense:� Made
a great goal line stand that eventually led to their first playoff berth since
coming back into the league.� Held
Michael Vick to just 38 yards on the ground.��
Held their own with Dunn as they kept him under 70 yards.� � Pass Defense:� Pressured
Vick all day, but could not bring him down.�
Gave up some big plays, including a 47 yard reception by Finneran.� Finneran also got behind the defense a
second time but dropped the ball. Special Teams:� Butch
Davis elected to pooch punt a ball instead of having Phil Dawson kick a 46 yard
field goal, and it almost came back to haunt them.� Dennis Northcutt looked rusty when he returned his punt, but it
is his first week back from injury. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Green Bay 17 at New York
Jets 42 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Green Bay Packers: The Packers did not take
advantage of a beautiful opportunity to secure a first round bye and home field
advantage throughout the playoffs.�
Because of this loss, the Packers have to play next weekend rather than
play all of their playoff games at Lambeau, quite a turn of events. Brett Favre was not very
sharp, and much of that can be attributed to the Jets getting solid� pressure on him all day long.� Favre finished 16-33 for 172 yards, 1 TD,
and 1 pick.� He also lost his # 1
receiver when Donald Driver left the game with a bruised shoulder and did not
return. The Packer defense was
horrid.� Curtis Martin didn�t post
gigantic numbers, but he pretty much had his way with the Green Bay
defense.� Chad Pennington picked the
secondary apart masterfully, and the Packer DBs had a lot of trouble wrapping
guys up once they got to them. New York Jets: The Jets didn�t find out
until during the game that they were still alive for the playoffs due to the
New England victory over Miami.�
Sometimes, finding something like that out during a game can put added
pressure on a team, but in the Jets case it really seemed to invigorate them
and they played inspired football the rest of the way. Chad Pennington finished up
today�s game with the Jets single-season records for pass completion percentage
and QB rating.� He demonstrated his
big-game capabilities as well by throwing for 4 touchdown passes to beat one of
the NFL�s best teams. The Jets are a team no one
wants to face in the postseason.�
Expectations for this team were high at the beginning of the season, and
they appear to be in the midst of one of those classic �Super Bowl runs� that
one team seems to get on each year.�
After starting the year 2-5, the Jets finished 7-2 to win the AFC East
and now have a lot of momentum heading into the playoffs. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Green Bay Packers: QB:� Brett Favre
had a very mediocre game.� He engineered
one great drive just before the half to pull Green Bay to within four points,
and his TD pass to Glenn was an absolutely incredible throw that only Favre
could make.� Had one ball that should
have been picked off by John Abraham but the ball was dropped.� Doug Pederson replaced Favre once the Jets
went up 35-10. RB:� Ahman Green
enjoyed a solid first half and appeared on his way towards a 100-yard effort,
but when the Jets started putting up points at will, Green Bay was forced to
abandon the running game.� Green
finished with 14 carries for 67 yards. William Henderson got 6 late
carries when the game was completely out of reach, and gained 26 yards. WR:� Donald
Driver sustained a bruised shoulder early in the game and did not return.� The play didn�t look too serious, but Driver
remained on the ground for a long time before getting up.� He caught 1 pass for 10 yards before
sustaining the injury. Initially, Robert Ferguson
inherited the #1 receiver role in Driver�s absence.� Ferguson saw 9 balls come his way.� He only caught 4 of them for 39 yards though, so the team moved
away from him and began working on getting the ball to Terry Glenn. Glenn saw fewer targets than
Robert Ferguson did, but he was the more productive of the two, finishing with
5 receptions for 76 yards and the only touchdown of the day for the Packers. Javon Walker dropped what
could have been a 37-yard TD pass, but made a nice grab on the very next play
(4th and 10) to set up the Glenn TD. TE:� Bubba Franks
caught 3 balls for 35 yards, including a nice touchdown grab in which he was
popped but still hung onto the ball. Green Bay Pass Defense:� Had no
answers for Chad Pennington and company.�
Every time the Jets got into the red zone, they could count on their
wideouts being able to make plays where the Green Bay DBs could not.� The loss of FS Darren Sharper seemed to hurt
more than anyone realized, as Matt Bowen is clearly not the same player Sharper
is.� Green Bay sacked Pennington just
once, but even on that play Pennington had loads of time. Green Bay Rush Defense:� Allowed 129
yards on the ground, but what was more telling was that almost every time the
Jets needed to get those 2 or 3 yards on the ground, they got them.� Laveranues Coles made Mike McKenzie look
silly on an end-around, and Curtis Martin broke numerous big gains where it
appeared there was nothing there. Green Bay Special Teams:� Not much
happened in this aspect of the game.�
Ryan Longwell hit his only field goal attempt of the game, from 23 yards
out.� Green Bay�s punt coverage unit
allowed a pretty nice 20-yard return to Santana Moss, but then again who doesn�t
allow Santana Moss at least one good return? New York Jets: QB:� Chad
Pennington is a player in this league.�
He is incredibly smart with the football and almost never seems to make
a mistake.� He knows how to rally the
team around him, and he has great leadership qualities, especially for someone
that young.� Today, in a playoff
atmosphere, Pennington tied a career high with four touchdown passes and
outgunned probably the best QB in the league today in Brett Favre.� Pennington led the league in 2002 with the
most games with a QB rating of at least 100.0�
(7).� In addition, Pennington set
single-season Jets records for both completion percentage and QB rating. Head Coach Herman Edwards
made a classy move by getting Vinny Testaverde some game action on a late
drive.� Testaverde handled his benching
with complete class and has been a great mentor to the young Pennington all
season long.� The Jets fans are very
well aware of this, and gave him a big ovation upon his entrance into the game. RB:� Curtis
Martin enjoyed a solid game today.� He
ran hard all day long, and always seemed to be able to make something out of
nothing.� Martin carried 18 times for 83
yards and a touchdown, and added another 4 receptions for 42 more yards.� On Martin�s touchdown run, he ran right over
FS Matt Bowen into the end zone. LaMont Jordan had a powerful
touchdown run, but otherwise didn�t do much (6 carries for 2 yards).� He had all of the carries when the game was
out of reach, however, so it�s likely that Green Bay knew that runs were
coming.� Jordan usually comes into the
game when the Jets get inside the 5-yard line. WR:� Laveranues
Coles has quietly had a superb season.�
After this game, Coles now has 89 receptions for 1,264 yards.� When you consider that Coles had just 46
yards after the first three games of the season, those numbers become even MORE
impressive.� Today, Coles caught 6 balls
for 93 yards.� He made a great spin move
on Mike McKenzie during a reverse handoff in order to avoid what would have
been a 5-yard loss and instead turn it into a big gain.� Earlier in the game, Coles broke free down
the sideline for a 43-yard reception and beat McKenzie by at least 5 yards. Wayne Chrebet only saw a
handful of balls come his way, but he made the most of his opportunities with 2
touchdown receptions.�� He�s a solid
compliment to Coles. Santana Moss showed
tremendous speed and balance on his touchdown reception, a screen pass from the
13-yard line on which the Jets were merely hoping to pick up 2 yards for the
first down. TE:� Anthony
Becht nearly had a touchdown reception, but had the ball swatted away at the
last moment by Matt Bowen.� Becht
finished the game with just 1 reception for 9 yards. Jets Pass Defense:� Considering
the fact that they were going up against one of the best quarterbacks in
history, and that Green Bay was fighting for home-field advantage, I think it�s
safe to say the Jets put on an unbelievable performance in this game.� Granted, they didn�t have to deal with
Donald Driver, who left the game with a shoulder injury.� Still, the Jets got a ton of pressure on
Favre, especially the defensive front four.�
Because they were able to mount a very good pass rush with just the guys
up front, this enabled the Jets to use extras in coverage on most plays.� Favre was flushed from the pocket numerous
times, and was never able to get into a good rhythm at all. Jets Rush Defense:� Perhaps if
the game had stayed closer, Ahman Green may have had a better game.� As it was, Green was doing well when the
Jets just started rolling up points on the scoreboard basically at will.� The Packers were forced to abandon the running
game, and the Jets didn�t have to worry about Green much in the 2nd
half. Jets Special Teams:� John Hall
hit on all six of his extra point tries today.�
With most teams, this isn�t newsworthy.�
But considering Hall has missed two already this season, it should be
noted when he makes them all.� Santana
Moss had a very nice 20-yard punt return, and teams are always very careful
when punting to him because he can break one at any moment. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Minnesota 38 at Detroit
36 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Minnesota Vikings: Daunte Culpepper looked
pretty good in the game, going 21/29 for 312 yards, 2 TD, and 1 INT. His only
really bad pass was the INT. Culpepper also lost a fumble in the endzone which
was recovered by Robert Porcher for a Lion TD. Culpepper� ran one in on a nice bootleg... Culpepper's
favorite target was Randy Moss, but he seemed to favor rookie Kelly Campbell in
the redzone and tossed two TD's to Campbell. Michael Bennett had a good
day running the ball, rushing 19 times for 82 yards and a TD. It looked like
the Vikings used Bennett more in the redzone and at the goal line than they
have previously during the season, though Moe Williams did see action there. Randy Moss had 6 catches for
109 yards, but was held out of the endzone. Culpepper really didn't even give
him good looks in the redzone, and seemed to favor rookie Kelly Campbell in the
endzone. Moss was heavily covered though so it was more a matter of hitting the
open guy. The Viking defense had
problems covering Lion WR Bill Schroeder, especially in the first half. Mike
McMahon threw well against the Viking secondary when he had time. In the second
half the Viking pass rush really pressured McMahon, forcing him to throw three
INT's. The Viking defense also stopped two 2 point conversion attempts (the
last prevented the Lions from tying the game in the final seconds) and had a
true goal line stand (Lions four downs from inside the one yard line fail to
score). The Viking special teams also let up a blocked FG that was returned for
a TD. Detroit Lions: Mike McMahon looked good one
minute, then looked horrible the next. He ended up 19/44 with 292 yards, 3
TD's, and 3 INT's. Two of the INT's were badly thrown passes, one was a good
pass to Raphael Cooper who just let the ball hit his chest and the rebound was
caught by a Viking. McMahon displayed some good scrambling ability, but when
put under good pressure by the Viking pass rush he seemed to become a bit
indecisive and made poor throws. When he had some time, though, he threw well
enough, and several very good long throws to Bill Schroeder were called back on
penalties. Bill Schroeder had a good
day, catching 6 passes for 132 yards and a TD. Schroeder ran good routes and
was wide open most of the first half, catching some nice passes form Mike
McMahon.... he also had several long receptions called back on penalties and
dropped a pass in the endzone. Schroeder was more quiet in the second half as
the Vikings made some adjustments to their secondary. The Lions rushing attack was
non-existent. James Stewart had 11 carries for just 25 yards, including a shot
at the endzone from inside the one yard line in which he failed to score.
Between RB's Stewart, Aveion Cason, and Raphael Cooper, and FB Cory
Schlesinger, the Lions gained only 33 yards. Mike McMahon led the Lions in rushing
with 43 yards. The Lions blocked a FG which
was returned 75 yards for a TD (after first being ruled no TD due to alleged
chop block during the return by a Lion... the refs reversed the call without a
formal review, though Lion's coach Mornhinweg was penalized for misconduct for
blowing his stack about the chop-block penalty... the penalty was enforced on
the Lions kickoff ). WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW: Minnesota Vikings: QB: Daunte
Culpepper was very effective in the game, completing 21/29 passes for 312 yards
and 2 TD's. He also ran one in on a nice bootleg where he sold a fake pitch to
Michael Bennett beautifully before running the ball in himself. He did throw
one INT that was badly under thrown to Randy Moss (his only TD shot to Moss in
the game), and also lost a fumble in the endzone after a goal line stand by the
Viking defense that the Lions recovered for a TD. Culpepper seemed to like
rookie WR Kelly Campbell in the redzone, tossing two TD's to him though Moss
was his favorite target overall during the game. He also hit WR Dwayne Bates on
a nice 60 yard toss. Culpepper pretty much had his way with the Lions soft
secondary throughout the game. RB:�� Michael Bennett had a decent day running
the ball, carrying 19 times for 82 yards and one TD. The TD� was questioned by the commentators though...
Bennett dove over the top from the one and seemed to fumble the ball before it
crossed the plane of the goal line. That did seem to be the case when they
showed the replay, but the Lions did not challenge the call. Bennett also had 3
catches for 31 yards. He also fumbled once, but the Vikings recovered the ball. Moe Williams carried the
ball 6 times for 35 yards. He did not have any shots at the endzone until the
Vikings last drive of the game, when he carried the ball to the one, then
failed to gain the endzone on the next play. The Vikings settled for a field
goal. Williams also returned kickoffs during the game. WR: Randy
Moss caught 6 passes for 109 yards in the game, but was held out of the
endzone. Moss was Culpepper�s favorite target, but got few looks in the
redzone. One long shot downfield to Moss near the endzone was thrown well short
by Culpepper and was intercepted by the Lions. Dwayne Bates very quietly
had 5 catches for 75 yards in the game. Sixty of those yards came on one play
(nice toss to a wide open Bates by Culpepper), and for the most part Culpepper
just threw short one step drop passes to Bates. Kelly Campbell caught four
passes for 60 yards, two of which were TD's. Campbell (an undrafted rookie) was
Culpepper�s favorite target in the redzone in the game. Both TD's were nice
grabs by Campbell. Even though Campbell looked very good, his effort came
against a very soft Lion secondary. TE: With
Byron Chamberlain out, Jimmy Kleinsasser and Hunter Goodwin played TE. Neither
was a factor in the game. Pass Defense:
The Vikings pass defense in the fist half was terrible... Lions WRs shredded
them (yes.. they were that bad). They got burnt continuously downfield and put
no pressure on Mike McMahon. The second half was a different story, as the
Viking front line pressured McMahon well, forcing 2 interceptions and numerous
bad throws, and Bill Schroeder pretty much disappeared again. Rush Defense:
Very good... never let up any serious chunks of yardage to the Lion RB's. Good
performance. Special Teams: Played well... except when they let the Lions block a FG attempt and
return it 75 yards for a TD. The TD originally was called back due to a chop
block thrown on the return by a Lion. Lions coach Marty Mornhinweg blew his
stack and threw the red flag for a review. The replay shown by the network
showed why... the Lion accused of throwing the chop block actually fell on the
legs of a Viking. The refs, in an unusual move, overturned the call without
actually� reviewing the play and ruled
it a TD. Mornhinweg was penalized for misconduct which was enforced on the
ensuing kick-off. Detroit Lions: QB: Mike
McMahon had a strong first half, hitting Aveion Cason for a 23 yard TD and a TD
plus several long passes to Bill Schroeder... Schroeder also dropped a pass in
the endzone. McMahon threw one INT in the first half, but it was a good pass
that bounced off RB Raphael Coopers chest and went into the hands of a Viking
defender. McMahon fell apart in the second half though, and made several bad
throws under pressure from the Viking front line, who were absent in the first
half. McMahon did not respond well to the pressure... he looked very indecisive
in the second half. His two INT's in the second half were very poor passing
decisions. He did lead the Lions on a last minute scoring drive, but totally
missed his wide open target in the endzone for the two point conversion that
would have sent the game into OT. McMahon ended up 19/44 with 293 yards, 3 TD's,
and 3 INT's. RB: James
Stewart, Aveion Cason, and Raphael Cooper all carried the ball... none of them
were the least bit effective. Stewart had 11 carries for only 25 yards and one
reception for 12, Cason had 1 carry for 3 yards, but did have 2 catches for� 49 yards, one of which was a nice 23 yard TD
grab. Raphael Cooper had 1 carry for 1 yard. A pass thrown directly to him by
McMahon bounced off his chest and was intercepted by the Vikings and was
returned for a TD. The Lions rushing attack was pretty much non-existent
throughout the game. WR: Bill
Schroeder decided to reappear in this game... at least for the first half. He
indeed had a huge first half, but totally disappeared in the second half.
Schroeder ended up with 6 catches for 132 yards and a TD. He could easily had
over 200 yards receiving if it wasn't for some penalties... one catch was for
about 50 yards and was brought back because of a chop block, the other was
about 35 yards and was also nullified by a penalty. Schroeder also had a nice 45
yard catch that he made a great adjustment on while the ball was in the air. He
also dropped a pass in the endzone... the network replay showed Viking LB Greg
Biekert got a finger on the ball just before it reached Schroeder, knocking it
just enough so Schroeder couldn't hang on to the ball. Scotty Anderson had 4
catches for 56 yards in the game. He was pretty quiet for most of the game,
partially because McMahon was too busy finding Bill Schroeder and also because
he did hurt his ankle. He came back in the game after getting taped up.
Anderson caught a 20 yard TD pass with 13 seconds remaining in the game to give
the Lions a chance to tie up the game and go to OT, but McMahon muffed the pass
for the 2 point conversion. Larry Foster had 2
receptions for 17 yards and was not a factor. TE: Matt
Murphy had� 1 reception for 8 yards and
was not a factor in the game. Pass Defense:
Very soft... did manage to pressure Culpepper occasionally, and sacked him in
the endzone causing Culpepper to fumble. Robert Porcher recovered the ball for
a TD. The secondary played bad, and Culpepper threw on them at will. Rush Defense:
Not very good... Michael Bennett gained good yards on them, but Bennett�s
rushing TD was questionable. It looked like Bennett fumbled while diving into
the endzone before the ball crossed the goal line. Special Teams: The Lions blocked a FG attempt and returned it for a 75 yard TD...
after a chop block penalty that would have nullified the TD return was
overturned by the refs without a review. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Arizona 7 at Denver 37
An NFL offensive lineman
dressed in an all-white uniform does not a pretty picture make. Granted, Jake Plummer is not
an elite NFL QB, but you have to cut the guy some slack when he starts the
likes of Kevin Kasper and Jason McAddley at WR. Those guys aren�t that good. Marcel Shipp is an
interesting prospect for next season. He definitely needs help from the passing
game, but he could be a good value pick in 2003. Raynoch Thompson is one hard
hitting player. Denver Broncos: The Denver offensive line
rocked and rolled today. Sure, Clinton Portis is a quality talent, but he was
given wide open lanes to run through. On the other hand, there were times where
Portis made defenders look silly. Combine his talent and his situation and
you�re looking at a top five fantasy RB for 2003. Ed McCaffrey gave his all
today even though you could tell he was hurting. It seems he�s been ailing all
season long. Brian Griese was seen on the
sidelines. Jarious Jackson was seen on the field. That speaks volumes to
Griese�s future.
QB: Jake Plummer (13/27 for 132 / 1 TD / 0 INT) wasn�t
terrible. He didn�t make the boneheaded mistake that you sometimes expect him
to make. It�s kind of fitting though that (if this is indeed his last game as a
Cardinal) he threw for less than 5 yards per attempt. That�s just not very
good.� At all. Josh McCown (3/6 for 21 / 0
TD / 1 INT) came in midway through the 4th quarter and didn�t
exactly set the world on fire. He did have a 20-yard scramble. Joel Makovicka (1 rec for 6)
caught a pass. Josh McAddley (3 for 38)
seemed pretty hard to bring down. Steve Bush (3 for 14) was
the recipient of a couple of dump-offs.
QB: Steve Beuerlein (16/24 for 203 / 2 TDs) had a good
day, but it could have been huge. The three first half FGs could all have been
TDs if not for errant throws by Beuerlein. In the first half, he just seemed to
be a bit off. In the second half, he turned things around and had but a single
incompletion. Brian Griese did not see the
field.�� ESPN�s Tom Jackson was fairly
adamant that Griese was done as a Bronco. Jarious Jackson got in late
to mop things up. Mike Anderson (7 for 31) had
a few carries while Portis could catch a breather. Rod Smith (5 for 62 / 1 TD)
was spectacular on his TD reception as he darted in front of the defender. Ashley Lelie (1 for 5 / 1
TD) was targeted a few times but seemed to just miss making the catch. The TD
was an excellent grab. This youngster definitely has great talent, but he needs
either Smith or McCaffrey to move on. If the two veterans are still here next
season, Lelie will be stuck as the #3 WR.
/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Miami 24 at New England 27
The Dolphins controlled the
vast majority of the game. However, with a questionable pass interference call,
the momentum switched sides, and Miami could do no right. They crumbled at the
game�s end. Instead of winning the division, they are watching the playoffs
from the couch. Ricky Williams is an elite
NFL and fantasy RB. There�s nothing more to say. Chris Chambers caught zero
balls. That�s not good enough to win any game. James McKnight�s TD catch
marked just the 6th score by a Dolphin WR. That�s why Miami missed
the playoffs. Zach Thomas is a �fairly
active� linebacker.�� Please don�t send
me hate mail.�� That�s a joke.� Thomas was all over the field with his hand
or shoulder in just about every play. New England Patriots: Tom Brady wasn�t stellar,
but he can certainly lead a comeback effort. That�s why he�s a very good NFL
QB. Kevin Faulk is an excellent
3rd-down back. It�s too bad for New England that Antowain Smith
isn�t an excellent 1st- and 2nd-down back. The Patriots played today
with just two TEs on the active roster: Christian Fauria and Fred Baxter (who
was signed just this week). General Thought: Is Phil Simms contractually
required to try to impress the listener after EVERY SINGLE play?� It sure seems like it.
QB: Jay Fiedler (11/25 for 110 / 1 TD / 0 INT)
definitely failed to impress today. He just seemed to be off for most of the game.
The 4.4 yards per attempt is horrific. Travis Minor (1 for 3) had a
carry. Rob Konrad (1 rec for 12)
had a catch. James McKnight (1 for 32 / 1
TD) made a spectacular grab for his TD. Of course, he made little noise for the
rest of the day. Chris Chambers (0 rec / 3
rush for 59) ran three times on reverses but failed to catch a ball. I didn�t
go through the play log, but I don�t even remember him being targeted all day.
That�s unacceptable.
QB: Tom Brady (25/44 for 221 / 1 TD / 1 INT) threw a
ton of screens�..and that�s about it. He had a few drops but just seemed a tad
off in the passing game today. Kevin Faulk (8 for 53 / 9
rec for 70) was the offensive catalyst today. The Patriots were really
struggling until Faulk produce great yardage on three consecutive plays. His
involvement in the passing game was tremendous. David Patten (5 for 56)
didn�t seem to be as active as one would expect in a five-catch game. David Givens (1 for 13) was
involved in the play of the day. He was able to draw a horrible pass
interference call on Jamal Fletcher (which gave New England the ball at Miami�s
3-yardline). The Patriots quickly scored to pull within three. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Kansas City 0 at Oakland
24 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Kansas City Chiefs The game was played in a
torrential downpour, with puddles and standing water all over the field.� The Chiefs� offense never got untracked in
the bad weather, managing just 168 net offensive yards.� Kansas City never ran an offensive play
inside the red zone.��� RB Mike Cloud was a bust
replacing Priest Holmes, gaining just 23 yards on the ground.� RB Derrick Blaylock saw more action than
Cloud in the second half, catching five passes (mostly screens) for 47 yards. QB Trent Green never found
his rhythm, completing just five passes to WRs, and never completing a pass
downfield.� He threw one INT, but had
three passes slip through the hands of Oakland DBs.� Oakland Raiders The Raiders nearly abandoned
the passing game in the bad weather, but had great success running the ball,
especially between the tackles.� RBs
Charlie Garner (135 yards), Zack Crockett (72 yards), and Tyrone Wheatley (69
yards), all rushed for more yards individually than the Chiefs did as a team. RB Charlie Garner was the
best player on the wet field today, gaining 135 yards and a TD on 29
carries.� Most of his runs were between
the tackles or on sweeps to the right side.�
Garner�s quick lateral movement made him tough to grab in the rain, so
the first tackler rarely brought him down.�
RB Zack Crockett saw his
role expand in the second half.� In
addition to short-yardage duty, Crockett also got some first- and second-down
carries spelling Garner.� Crockett
scored on a 7-yard run late in the game, thanks to a great spin move that freed
him from two would-be tacklers.� Crockett
also had a 1-yard TD run in the second quarter called back on a holding penalty
(Garner scored later in the drive). QB Rich Gannon threw for
just 79 yards on 7-for-14 passing, but his 15-yard TD pass to TE Doug Jolley
late in the second quarter virtually put the game away.� Gannon danced around in the pocket forever,
buying time until Jolley got open in the end zone. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Kansas City Chiefs QB:� Trent
Green�s accuracy was hurt by the rain and the Oakland secondary.� Green threw for just 137 yards on 15-for-32
passing, with no TDs.� He completed just
five passes to WRs, and most of the passing yardage came from screen
passes.� He threw one INT, but had three
passes slip through the hands of Oakland DBs.��� � RB:� RB Mike
Cloud was a bust replacing Priest Holmes, gaining just 23 yards on nine
carries.� Cloud did not play much in the
second half after the Chiefs fell two TDs behind.� He was not involved in the passing game.� RB Derrick Blaylock saw more
action than Cloud in the second half, catching five passes (mostly screens) for
47 yards on the day.� Blaylock was able
to get some footing and turn upfield on a few screen passes, including a
21-yarder that was Kansas City�s biggest gain of the day.� WR:� Eddie
Kennison caught two of the five passes completed to WRs.� He finished with just 20 receiving yards, 13
coming on a WR screen.� He was targeted
five times.� Marc Boerigter also caught
two passes on five targets.� Despite
finishing with only 18 receiving yards, he was the most impressive WR for
Kansas City on the day.� Two of his
missed targets were on bad throws by Green. Johnnie Morton finished his
bust of a fantasy season with one catch for 13 yards.� He had a 9-yard grab near the end of the first half overturned
after replay review. TE: Tony Gonzalez caught four passes for 35 yards on
eight targets.� 16 of his yards came on
a garbage-time catch on the game�s final play. Pass Defense: did not see much action (Oakland ran 60 running
plays to just 15 passing plays), but Eric Warfield still looked impressive
guarding Jerry Rice in the rain.� Rush Defense: consistently gave up yardage on runs between the
tackles and on cutbacks.� They were able
to neutralize Wheatley by stringing him outside, but never found a solution for
Garner or Crockett.��������� Special Teams: not much of a factor.� Dante Hall returned the opening kickoff 48 yards, but fumbled the
ball out of bounds at the end of the play. Oakland Raiders QB:� Rich Gannon
threw for just 79 yards on 7-for-14 passing, and rarely put the ball in the air
at all in the second half.� His 15-yard
TD pass to TE Doug Jolley late in the second quarter virtually put the game
away.� Gannon danced around in the
pocket forever, buying time until Jolley got open in the end zone. RB: Charlie Garner was the best player on the wet field
today, gaining 135 yards and a TD on 29 carries.� Most of his runs were between the tackles or on sweeps to the
right side.� Garner�s quick lateral
movement made him tough to grab in the rain, so the first tackler rarely
brought him down.� Garner�s TD came two
plays after a Zack Crockett TD plunge was called back on a holding
penalty.� Zack Crockett saw his role
expand in the second half.� In addition
to short-yardage duty, Crockett also got some first- and second-down carries to
spell Garner finishing with 72 yards on 11 carries and a TD.� Crockett scored on a 7-yard run late in the
game, thanks to a great spin move that freed him from two would-be tacklers.� Crockett also had a 1-yard TD run in the
second quarter called back on a holding penalty. Tyrone Wheatley saw a lot of
action between the 20s, gaining 69 yards on 17 carries.� He had successful runs up the middle, but
struggled to gain yardage when bounced outside. WR:� Tim Brown
caught just two passes for 31 yards, leading all Oakland receivers.� He had a 20-yard catch to set up Oakland�s
first TD.� He was targeted six times,
including once in the end zone. Jerry Rice also caught two
passes on six targets, for 21 yards.� CB
Eric Warfield covered Rice closely most of the game.� Rice was officially targeted once in the end zone, but he was
covered, and Gannon was really just throwing the ball away. Jerry Porter caught two
passes for 12 yards, both on the opening drive.� He was not targeted the rest of the game. TE:�� Doug
Jolley caught a 15-yard TD pass late in the second quarter, the only pass
thrown to an Oakland TE all game.�
Jolley got open just past the goal line after Gannon bought extra time
in the pocket. Pass Defense: never gave up a big gain, and was never seriously
threatened by the Chiefs.� Rod Woodson
had an INT in the first half, and three other passes slipped through Oakland DB
hands and fell incomplete.����� Rush Defense: only gave up one run longer than six yards.� Kansas City nearly abandoned the run in the
second half. Special Teams: the rainy weather caused Oakland to twice pass up
FG opportunities inside the 30, choosing to go for it on fourth down.� K Sebastian Janikowski made all his kicks (1
FG, 3 PATs), and still managed decent distance on his kickoffs, though he
needed a holder in the rain. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Baltimore 31 at
Pittsburgh 34 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Baltimore Ravens Jeff Blake did not play as
well as his 19 of 26 for 336 yards, 2 touchdowns and two interceptions would
indicate.� His stats were padded by a
few long completions to Todd Heap and Randy Hymes that were phenomenal
catches.� Both of his 2 interceptions
were short passes thrown into double coverage into the end zone.�� Gave the game away with a bad interception
at the end when the Ravens could have kicked a FG to tie. Jamal Lewis had a decent day
rushing for 86 yards, but fumbled the ball into his own end zone that was
fortunately recovered for a touchdown by his fullback.� He came into the game tied for second in the
league for fumbles.�� Travis Taylor caught 5
passes for 62 yards and looks like he is one of Jeff Blake�s favorite targets. Todd Heap had a phenomenal
day with 7 catches for 146 yards and a touchdown.� Pittsburgh Steelers Tommy Maddox played just
well enough to win the game.� He threw 3
interceptions but one of them was called back on a roughing the passer penalty
on the Ravens.� Jerome Bettis did not suit
up for this game.� He was interviewed on
the sidelines and seemed confident that he would play in next week�s playoff
game. Amos Zereoue had a huge
day.� He ran over some of the Ravens but
mostly made the best of his blocking and made some great cuts to pick up big
yards.� He was stuffed at the goal line
several times before scoring untouched on his 1 yard run. Plaxico Burress caught only
3 passes but lead Pittsburgh receivers with 52 yards.� He drew an illegal contact penalty to extend an early drive and
made a huge catch to get them into field goal range on the drive before the
half. Hines Ward caught 5 passes
for only 46 yards but one of those catches was a great stretch for to the end
zone for the touchdown.� Steeler Pass Defense: In the
first half, this unit looked like the dominating team of last season.� They forced Blake�s early interception by
wisely double-teaming Heap in the end zone.�
Later they set up an end of the half field goal with a sack and
fumble.� However the second half they
were utterly ineffective, putting no pressure on Blake, leaving receivers open
and missing tackles.� Did intercept a
bad Jeff Blake pass to end the game though. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Baltimore Ravens QB:�� Jeff Blake
did not play as well as his 19 of 26 for 336 yards, 2 touchdowns and two
interceptions would indicate.� His stats
were padded by a few long completions to Todd Heap and Randy Hymes that were
phenomenal catches.� Both of his 2
interceptions were short passes thrown into double coverage into the end
zone.� He held the ball too long and was
sacked and fumbled at midfield towards the end of the first half which resulted
in a field goal for Pittsburgh.� It
ended up being a 6 point swing in favor of Pittsburgh. RB:� Jamal Lewis
had a decent day rushing for 86 yards, but fumbled the ball into his own end
zone that was fortunately recovered for a touchdown by his fullback.� He came into the game tied for second in the
league for fumbles.�� Considering that
he is in his first year back from ACL surgery he looks strong going into next
year. WR:�� Rookie
Randy Hymes had only 2 catches on the day but they were both huge plays.� He had a 43 yard reception and later made an
amazing one-handed catch on 3rd down to extend the Ravens� final
drive. Travis Taylor caught 5
passes for 62 yards and looks like he is one of Jeff Blake�s favorite targets. TE:�� Todd Heap
had a phenomenal day with 7 catches for 146 yards and a touchdown.� He was targeted on the first play from
scrimmage and caught the ball for 42 yards.�
Later that drive he caught another pass but was shut down until the 3rd
quarter when he came alive again.� He
caught a 21 yard pass and made an amazing 31 yard touchdown catch on the next
play.� Dwayne Washington had no chance
in single coverage on a jump ball from Blake.�
Raven Pass Defense:� The Raven
defense had 4 3rd down penalties to extend Steeler drives in the
first half alone.� They came to play in
the second half racking up 4 sacks and getting 2 interceptions.� Unlike the Pittsburgh defense they got
stronger as the game went on but all the wind came out of their sails in the 4th
quarter when their kickoff return team turned the ball over to the Steelers. Raven Rush Defense:� Gave up 175
yards on the day including a few huge runs to Amos Zereoue.� Raven Special Teams:� Their 4th
quarter fumbled kickoff turned the tide of this game.� The Ravens were in control of the game and Pittsburgh went on to
take the lead after that miscue. Pittsburgh Steelers QB:�� Tommy
Maddox played just well enough to win the game.� He threw 3 interceptions but one of them was called back on a
roughing the passer penalty on the Ravens.�
One of his interceptions was not deserved.� It was tipped in the air for no apparent reason by the fullback
Kreider.� He did spread the ball around
effectively hitting 8 different receivers and finished 20 of 30 for 194 yards
and 2 touchdowns. RB:�� Jerome
Bettis did not suit up for this game.�
He was interviewed on the sidelines and seemed confident that he would
play in next week�s playoff game. Amos Zereoue had a huge
day.� He ran over some of the Ravens but
mostly made the best of his blocking and made some great cuts to pick up big
yards.� He was stuffed at the goal line
several times before scoring untouched on his 1 yard run. WR:�� Plaxico
Burress caught only 3 passes but lead Pittsburgh receivers with 52 yards.� He drew an illegal contact penalty to extend
an early drive and made a huge catch to get them into field goal range on the
drive before the half. Hines Ward caught 5 passes
for only 46 yards but one of those catches was a great stretch for the end zone
for the touchdown.� He was targeted on a
40 yard touchdown bomb but the ball just slipped off his hands. Antwaan Randle El is
progressing nicely as a wide receiver and was wide open for the go ahead 8 yard
touchdown reception. TE: Jeremy Tuman caught only one pass and was targeted
twice. Steeler Pass Defense: In the first half, this unit looked like the
dominating team of last season.� They
forced Blake�s early interception by wisely double-teaming Heap in the end
zone.� Later they set up an end of the
half field goal with a sack and fumble.�
However the second half they were utterly ineffective, putting no
pressure on Blake, leaving receivers open and missing tackles.� Joey Porter had given the Ravens first and
goal on a roughing the passer penalty at the end of the game but Blake made a
bad decision and threw an interception that ended the game. Steeler Rush Defense:� They
allowed Jamal Lewis to average 6.1 yards per carry against them and allowed the
Raven team to average 5 yards per carry.�
For some reason the Ravens abandoned the running game but there were
opportunities there verses this team. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Tampa Bay 15 at Chicago 0 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rob Johnson didn't fumble or
throw an INT, but he was pretty unspectacular - going 16 for 25 for 134 yards. Michael Pittman looked
pretty good and had 118 yards combined. But Pittman again did not find the end
zone. Pittman's draft cache will be quite low next year because he simply never
gets TDs. As usual, a dominating
performance by the Tampa Bay defense. Tampa only allowed 78 yards passing and
picked off Henry Burris a remarkable four times. Chicago Bears This was a poor offensive
performance from an injury-riddled team. Chicago couldn't run or pass. A low
point in a disappointing season. Henry Burris took his shot
vying for the future QB job. His numbers were horrible (7 for 19 and 78 yards,
4 INT), but at least Burris showed good feet when scrambling. The defense was the only
positive unit for Chicago. The fact that Chicago turned the ball over four
times and the Chicago defense did not allow a TD is remarkable. When Tampa
receivers did catch balls, Chicago defenders tackled very well. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB: Rob Johnson subbed for the ailing Brad Johnson and
Tampa clearly will need their starting QB back if they expect to win a playoff
game. Rob Johnson didn't fumble or throw an INT, but he was pretty
unspectacular - going 16 for 25 for 134 yards. The one aspect of Rob's game
that Brad doesn't have is the ability to run well, and Rob had 29 yards
rushing. WR: Rob Johnson's mediocre performance affected the
entire offense's numbers. Keyshawn Johnson led all receivers with 5 catches for
41 yards. Joe Jurevicius and Keenan
McCardell each only had two catches. RB: Michael Pittman looked pretty good and had 118
yards combined. But Pittman again did not find the end zone. Pittman's draft
cache will be quite low next year because he simply never gets TDs. If Pittman
played on a team that ran the ball better, then his stats might look different.
But on the Buccaneers, Pittman looks to be a yardage threat only. Mike Alstott ran hard for 42
yards, but also had no TDs. Alstott and Pittman looked good between the
twenties, but once Tampa reached the red zone, the Bears stopped the Tampa
running game easily all night. TE: Ken Dilger caught 3 balls for 32 yards. Rickey Dudley only had one
catch for 6 yards and is used primarily as a blocker in this offense. Pass Defense Notes: As usual, a dominating performance. Tampa only
allowed 78 yards passing and picked off Henry Burris a remarkable four times. Rush Defense Notes: For most of the night, Chicago had nowhere to run.
Chicago only gained 85 yards rushing and Burris was pressured all night. Special Teams:�� Martin
Gramatica did all the scoring making 5 of 5 FGs. Chicago Bears QB: While it looked like Chris Chandler would be able
to play Sunday night, his injury kept him out of action. Henry Burris auditioned for
the QB job. His numbers were horrible (7 for 19 and 78 yards, 4 INT), but at
least Burris showed good feet when scrambling. This game wouldn't impress any
fantasy fans, but Burris' running abilities are refreshing for Bears fans that
normally watch statues like Miller and Chandler sit in the pocket. Corey Sauter got a bit of
playing time and went 6 for 9 for 59 yards. WR: When your QBs only throw for 137 yards, your
receivers obviously suffer. Wisconsin rookie Ahmad Merritt led all Bear WR with
4 catches for 28 yards. Marty Booker continued to
see his numbers dwindle with Chicago's QB woes. Booker had only 4 catches for
19 yards. Dez White 2 catches for 21
yards. RB: Since the Bears are long out of the playoff hunt,
they were able to examine young Adrian Peterson. Peterson did pretty well with
7 rushes for 42 yards. Leon Johnson had 52 combined
yards TE: John Gilmore had just one catch for 30 yards. Pass Defense Notes: The defense was the
only positive unit for Chicago. Granted, Tampa was missing their starting QB,
but the fact that Chicago turned the ball over four times and the Chicago
defense did not allow a TD is remarkable. When Tampa receivers did catch balls,
Chicago defenders tackled very well.
Rush Defense Notes: Though they allowed 161 yards rushing, that's more
of a result of Tamps controlling the clock all night. Chicago did not allow a
TD, and that's a positive considering how worn out they must have been. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Jacksonville Jaguars QB Garrard flashed some of
the incredible natural talent he has subbing for Mark Brunell.� Showed great running skills, powerful arm,
and decent accuracy.� The Colt�s took
away the deep receivers, forcing Garrard to dump off to his TEs. Fred Taylor owners had to
either laugh or cry as the RB roles reversed in this game with Stacey Mack
gaining the yards between the 20�s and Fred Taylor inserted for the score. The Jaguars looked like a
team that was about to lose their coach.�
(They did Monday)
Horrible
offensive display by the Colts. Manning was averaging about 5 yards a
completion until late in the 3rd quarter. Even if it was 3rd and 8, he'd dump
it off and be 3 yards short. Harrison came out in the
third quarter after injuring his left arm, but did return to the field.� This was Harrison�s worst game of the year
statically.� Edgerrin James showed some
flashes that maybe he�s not done just yet rushing for 86 yards on 15 carries. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW RB: Fred
Taylor�� -� 15 carries for 73 yards and a TD.� 1 reception for 14 yards.�
The reports that Taylor�s ankle injury would keep him out were greatly
exaggerated.� After spending all season
rushing down the Field only to see Mack come in and Vulture the TD, the tables
turned today on the drive that Taylor scored on.� Mack brought the ball down the field, only to have Taylor come in
for the 9 yard TD run.
Kyle Brady� -� 2
receptions for 24 yards.� Like Mitchell,
Garrard looked at Brady as a safety valve.
QB: Peyton
Manning �� 20 of 28 for 126 yards and a
TD.� 2 carries for 19 yards.� The Jaguar�s Defense created havoc for the
Manning and the Colts, who never really got in sync offensively.�� RB:
Edgerrin James �� 15 carries for 86
yards.� 4 receptions for 33 yards.� Lost a fumble.�� This was an eyebrow raising performance as maybe James isn�t as
washed up as folks have been saying.���
89 yards on 15 carries is nothing to sneeze at.��
/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Seattle 31 at San Diego 28 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Seattle Seahawks: Matt Hasselbeck
brought the Seahawks screaming back in the 4th quarter from a 14-point
deficit. His 449 passing yards set a team record. He also led Seattle to team
records in first downs (34) and total yards (591). Shaun Alexander
added another TD, but suffered what early reports called a high ankle sprain.
He was not on the field during most of the final game tying drive or overtime.
Earlier in the game Alexander had two hard charging runs that had to please
Holmgren. He hit the hole hard and kept the legs churning. He also had a few of
the �dance too much� runs as well. Darrell Jackson
and Koren Robinson continued to be a dynamite pair of WRs. Its going to be
difficult to determine who will be the better value next season. Robinson will
no doubt be drafted earlier in virtually all fantasy leagues, but Jackson still
will be capable of putting up huge numbers as well. Hasselbeck has developed a
great chemistry with both players. Just when it
seemed settled that Jerramy Stevens was going to be a fixture at tight end for
Seattle Itula Mili had a career day. His 7 catches for 119 yards and a TD
capped off the best season ever by a Seattle tight end. San Diego Chargers: LaDainian
Tomlinson played a reduced role in this game. Seattle rolled up their defense
to the line of scrimmage to shut him down. Seattle dared Drew Brees to beat them
with man coverage all over the field. Drew Brees
posted great numbers (332 yards and 3 TDs), but wasn�t able to move the sticks
late in the game. With a 14 point lead San Diego couldn�t convert first downs
to keep the red hot Hasselbeck off the field. He was unable to deliver the ball
downfield to his WRs. San Diego missed Curtis Conway badly. The trio of
Caldwell, Parker, and Dwight only caught 11 balls on 22 targets. Stephen
Alexander came up big for San Diego (129 yards & TD). Rookie tight end Josh
Norman also was a big contributor. The San Diego TE duo combined for 12 catches
on 18 targets. Brees went to them both extensively in the second half. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Seattle Seahawks: QB: Matt Hasselbeck: 36-53-449 (2 TD, 2 INT), 7-42 yards rushing
(TD). Hasselbeck was on fire. He hit his trio of WRs on stride all game long
and looked like he wanted the ball late in the game when it counted. He looked
comfortable and poised, even when under pressure. He noticeably moved through
his progressions hitting the open WRs. Also, he made big plays with his legs on
the game tying drive converting two first downs. RB: Shaun Alexander: 15-67 yards rushing (TD), 1-14 yards
receiving (4 targets). Alexander showed some signs of running hard and
attempting to grind out some yards. However, on a few other plays he took
losses while waiting for a hole to open. On the game tying drive (3rd
play) Alexander suffered an ankle injury and sat out the rest of the game. Maurice Morris:
Morris was held out this week with a hamstring injury. Heath Evans and Mack
Strong saw extra carries late in the game after Alexander hurt his ankle, but
neither should be considered fantasy potential next season. WR: Koren Robinson: 9-103 yards receiving (TD & 12
targets). Robinson made a few amazing grabs in this game displaying the
athleticism that makes the Seattle faithful giddy. He also made a fantastic
diving grab down the sideline that was called incomplete. He was literally
parallel to the ground, but the ball in his hands came down first making
contact with the ground. It was worthy of a replay. Darrel Jackson:
5-90 yards receiving (TD & 10 targets). Its tough to decide if Robinson is
the clear #1 WR in Seattle. Jackson continues to make the plays you would
expect of your stud WR. He also took another big hit over the middle in this
game that had to make his family cringe (an earlier concussion this season led
to a seizure). Jackson was targeted on the goal line in the final drive of
regulation. He didn�t make the grab, but drew a pass interference flag that put
the ball on the 1 yard line leading to Hasselbeck�s 1 yard TD run. Bobby Engram:
6-84 yards receiving (8 targets). If the Seattle passing game erupts like some
are predicting next year Bobby Engram could become a viable fantasy choice in
large leagues. Seattle leans on Engram during 3rd down. Engram
pulled in 3 balls for 38 yards during the final drive in regulation. TE: Itula Mili: 7-119 yards receiving (9 targets). Jerramy Stevens:
4-22 yards receiving (5 targets). Who�s the #1 TE
in Seattle? Tough to tell. Stevens looked like the job was finally his, but
Mili was huge today. Also, Mili was one yard from a long TD after being pulled
down at the end of a 49 yard reception. For next year it appears that both will
be used extensively. In Holmgren�s best years in Green Bay he often had a pair
of TEs that both put up respectable numbers. Pass Defense: John Randle had all 3 sacks for
Seattle. The one interception (Springs) was off a Hail-Mary. Other than the 3
Randle sacks the Seattle front seven did not pressure Brees into making
mistakes. Brees had chances to beat Seattle downfield as they were matched up
in man most of the game, but Brees opted to use his wide open TEs. The Seattle
LBs were non-existent in pass coverage as they were too busy focusing on
Tomlinson. Rush Defense: Seattle kept Tomlinson in check all
game. Amazingly the worst rush defense kept the #2 RB in the NFL to under 4
ypc. Special Teams: Rian Lindell missed from 52 yards on a
kick that would have tied the game in the first half. He rebounded to hit a 24
yard chip shot to win the game in OT. San Diego Chargers: QB: Drew Brees: 27-49-332 yards passing (3 TD, 1 INT), 1-10
yards rushing. For a guy who threw for 300+ yards and 3 TDs, Brees was
unimpressive. He wasn�t able to deliver the ball downfield to his WRs. In his
defense, Dwight, Caldwell, and Parker aren�t exactly a Pro-Bowl trio of WRs.
Brees used his TEs effectively, but still couldn�t move the sticks consistently
late in the game. RB: LaDainian Tomlinson: 17-67 yards rushing, 3-18 yards
receiving (7 targets). Tomlinson was not much of a factor in this game. He only
had 20 touches in 73 offensive plays. Some speculated coach Marty
Schottenheimer might have purposely decided not to feed his franchise player
the ball knowing they were out of the playoff hunt. It�s a mystery as to why
Tomlinson didn�t get the opportunity to pound Seattle. WR: Curtis Conway: Conway was out this week and he was sorely
missed. Tim Dwight: 4-44
yards receiving (7 targets). Dwight looked to be not much more than a great
return man and a decent #3 WR. He has the ability to make big plays, but when
leaned on throughout the game he is easily removed by a decent cornerback. Reche Caldwell:
4-35 yards receiving (2 pt. & 9 targets). Caldwell struggled to get
separation from the DBs. Caldwell did make a nice grab down the sideline late
in 4th quarter but couldn�t keep his feet in bounds. Eric Parker:
3-58 yards receiving (TD & 6 targets) Parker was the recipient of a TD when
cornerback Ken Lucas slipped at the line of scrimmage. Lucas was in bump and
run. Parker blew by and made a nice grab as the extra step he gained at the
line was the difference in the play. TE: Steven Alexander: 8-129 yards receiving (TD & 12
targets). Alexander came up huge for Brees all game long. He ran free in the
Seattle secondary while the LBs were mostly attempting to corral Tomlinson.
Three of Alexander�s grabs were more than 25 yards long. Pass Defense: Giving up 449 yards in the air is not
good. San Diego sacked Hasselbeck 3 times. They also forced him into make a
terrible throw on the first overtime drive. While in the grasp Hasselbeck tried
to fling one downfield that was intercepted by Alex Molden. Other than that
play Molden and rookie Quentin Jammer got torched. Rush Defense: Shaun Alexander was mostly kept in
check through the game, but in short yardage situations San Diego couldn�t keep
Seattle from smashing the ball up the gut. Having Junior Seau on the sidelines
with a bad ankle didn�t help their cause. Special Teams: Steve Christie hit both his FG attempts
(26 & 29 yards). San Diego did attempt an onsides kick trying to catch
Seattle off guard, but the ball took a bizarre bounce and never made it 10
yards. Neither team did anything noteworthy in return game. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Tennessee 13 at Houston 3 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Houston Texans This team has a good future,
as they have some talented players, but need to fill in some holes in the off
season. David Carr can make all the
throws, but holds on to the ball too long; hence all the sacks this year. He
was sacked only twice today; the line gave him plenty of time throughout the
game. He ended the day with 214 yards, a pick, and no TDs. Houston�s two corners �
Marcus Coleman and Aaron Glenn are shut down players and should serve this team
well over the next few years; solidifying what should be an excellent defense
as early as next year. The team�s run game today
was non existent as Jonathon Wells took too long to hit the holes and James
Allen continues to be ordinary. Jabar Gaffney led receivers
with 6 catches for 73 yards. He looked as good as he has in the pros; he�s
taken him some time to adjust to the speed of the NFL. Tennessee Titans Steve McNair just couldn�t
get into a rhythm today � perhaps the missing of practices has finally caught
up to him. He was 8/22 for 148 yards. He rushed 3 times for 3 yards; in a non
Steve McNair like performance. Eddie George looked pretty
good. He�s not quite as fast as he used to be, but he still has most of the old
power and will usually reach 100 yards and a TD given about 25 carries. That�s
exactly what he did today. 102 and a TD with 25 carries.� Robert Holcombe did spell George fairly
frequently (including in the red zone a couple of times), and had 35 yards on 7
carries. The Tennessee defense looked
good; allowing only 3 points, although Houston isn�t exactly an offensive
juggernaut. Linebacker Keith Bullock is the standout here, making tackles all
over the field. He ended the game with 7 solos and 1 assisted tackle. Derrick Mason was shut out
with zero catches in the game, due to a lack of production from Steve McNair.
Drew Bennett led receivers with 2 catches for 58 yards, including McNair�s best
pass of the day � a pretty 53 yard bomb.�
WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW Houston Texans QB: David
Carr can make all the throws, but holds on to the ball too long; hence all the
sacks this year. He was sacked only twice in this game; the line gave him
plenty of time throughout the day. He ended the day with 214 yards, a pick, and
no TDs. He throws some accurate passes, but is also more prone to knockdowns
and interceptions with a sometimes awkward side arm motion. But hey � it works
for Rich Gannon. Carr�s best pass of the day was into the endzone, in and out
of the hands of Avion Black. It would have been a 35 yard TD. RB:
Jonathon Wells � doesn�t look to be the future of the team. He is slow to hit
the holes and actually quite slow in general. He could only manage 1 yard on 13
carries � not exactly an eye popping YPC average. James Allen � is a meant to
be a third down back at best at the pro level. He is a very ordinary running
back. He is an above average receiver out of the backfield however. He managed
20 yards on 6 rushing attempts. He caught 6 balls for 46 yards. WR:� Jabar Gaffney - led receivers with 6 catches
for 73 yards. He looked as good as he has in the pros; he�s taken him some time
to adjust to the speed of the NFL. Chances are, his numbers will improve
dramatically next year as he and David Carr develop a rapport. Corey Bradford � could only
mange 2 catches for 18 yards as he missed a lot of time in the game with
cramping. TE: Billy
Miller � seems to be the target that David Carr is most comfortable with. He
had 3 catches for 42 yards and looks like another good prospect for next year. Pass Defense:� Houston�s two corners � Marcus Coleman and
Aaron Glenn are shut down players and should serve this team well over the next
few years; solidifying what should be an excellent defense as early as next
year. Rush Defense:
This is an average unit. Jay Foreman led tacklers with 8 solos. Special Teams: Kris Brown missed from 50 and was blocked from 19. He did hit one from
42 in a dismal day for Texans� special teams. They had a punt blocked as well. Tennessee Titans QB: Steve
McNair - just couldn�t get into a rhythm today � perhaps the missing of
practices has finally caught up to him. He was 8/22 for 148 yards. He rushed 3
times for 3 yards; in a non Steve McNair like performance. He did have one nice
long pass to Drew Bennett for 53 yards. RB: Eddie
George - looked pretty good. He�s not quite as fast as he used to be, but he
still has most of the old power and will usually reach 100 yards and a TD given
about 25 carries. That�s exactly what he did today. 102 and a TD with 25
carries.� Robert Holcombe -� did spell George fairly frequently
(including in the red zone a couple of times), and had 35 yards on 7 carries.
He seems to be a very ordinary NFL back. Not particularly fast, not
particularly strong, and not particularly shifty; but not bad. He added 26
yards on 2 receptions. WR:
Derrick Mason - was shut out with zero catches in the game, due to a lack of
production from Steve McNair. Drew Bennett - led receivers
with 2 catches for 58 yards, including McNair�s best pass of the day � a pretty
53 yarder. Bennett has nice speed for a big man; and is a wide out in the mold
of an Ed McCaffrey. Justin McCareins � caught 2
for 46 and was unimpressive. TE:� No tight ends caught a pass today for the
Titans.�� Pass Defense:� Samari Rolle had a pick. Kevin Carter and
Lance Schulters had sacks. Rush Defense:� Linebacker Keith Bullock is the standout
here, making tackles all over the field. He ended the game with 7 solos and 1
assisted tackle. Special Teams: Joe Nedney continues to be solid � hitting on 2/2. The unit also had a
blocked field goal and a blocked punt. This team hustles in all aspects of the
game. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW San Francisco 49ers The 49ers dominated this game until a late surge by the Rams in the fourth quarter. In the first half, both Hearst and Barlow ran rampant on the St. Louis defense. They continued to share carries, and both looked good again except for two uncharacteristic fumbles by Hearst in the game. Most of their yardage came in the first half. Jeff Garcia started at quarterback but only played one series. But it was some series. Garcia led the 49ers on the longest drive of the entire NFL season resulting in a field goal. Tim Rattay played the remainder of the game and was very efficient in the first half, but couldn't get anything going in the second half. Terrell Owens did not make the trip to St. Louis as a precautionary measure. JJ Stokes started in his place, but it was Tai Streets that saw most of the action. Streets had 53 yards receiving and two touchdowns in the game. The 49er defense did hold the Rams to only 35 rushing yards, but could not stop the Ram's passing attack in the second half and lost the game. St. Louis Rams This come from behind win broke a streak of 50 Ram loses after falling behind by 10 or more points. John Madden made the comment that it looked like the 49ers were getting ready for a playoff game and the Rams were getting ready to go home, and it couldn't have been more accurate for three quarters. QB Scott Covington started the game for the Rams, but left in the second quarter after only 7 yards passing. The announcers noted that he was struggling with the Rams playbook. Jamie Martin entered the game and also struggled, leading the Rams to only 3 points through the third quarter. In a late surge, Martin led three drives capped off with touchdown passes. Tackle Orlando Pace walked slowly off the field in the late second quarter and has a possible meniscus tear. He will have an MRI on Tuesday. Holt was the favorite target for the Rams, though Bruce, Manumaleuna and Conwell all caught touchdown passes. Holt finished with 77 yards to lead all Rams in yardage. Interestingly, Marshall Faulk played the whole game and did not platoon with anyone. In a game that 'means nothing', Faulk played hard all game and showed that he is a true pro. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW San Francisco 49ers QB: Jeff Garcia only played the first drive, but what a drive it was. Garcia completed 2 of the 3 passes he attempted for 16 yards. This was pure game control. He ran 12:07 off the clock in a grinding drive that was the most time consuming of any drive by any team this year. They ran the ball well and Garcia ran for 16 yards himself on 2 carries; both of which were for 1st downs. They successfully completed a total of four 3rd down conversions during the drive which ended 81 yards later with a 19 yard field goal. It was fun to watch an offense work that well and dominate the first quarter. Garcia left the game after that drive. He was not hurt, the game plan was for him to only play the first drive and keep him healthy for the playoffs. Tim Rattay took over on the second series, which also happened to open the second quarter. He completed his first pass to TE Justin Smith for a short gain and capped off the drive with a touchdown pass to Streets. Rattay had a very efficient first half, going 7 for 10 with 2 touchdowns. In the second half, Rattay couldn't get anything going. After the Rams took the lead in the fourth quarter, he completed a clutch third down pass to keep the drive moving. However, Rattay couldn't finish it off and the game slipped away. This was a chance for San Francisco to see Rattay in a real game audition to see if he is their quarterback of the future. He did not bury himself, but he didn't claim the job either. RB: Garrison Hearst started at running back and ran the ball on the first three downs. He followed that with the first reception of the game. He ran the ball well except for fumbling twice. Both resulted in turnovers, one was run back for a touchdown. Dre' Bly hit him straight on and just ripped the ball away from him and danced into the end zone. Hearst looked dejected on the sidelines after the fumbles and you could see in his face how much it hurt him to cost his teammates the game. My guess is this will not be repeated in the playoffs. Kevan Barlow got his first carry during the first series, but didn't go anywhere. Barlow broke a big gain by reversing field in the early second quarter and had another late in the second quarter. They went for 35 yards and 33 yards respectively. WR: Terrell Owens did not make the trip to St. Louis and did not play, mainly as a precaution against further injury. JJ Stokes started in his place and didn't record a catch until the game neared the end of the second quarter. He finished with only two catches. Tai Streets juggled and came down with a catch on the second series. He got the touchdown a few plays later. Streets took a shot from CB Dre Bly in the second quarter but was fine. He made another nice touchdown catch towards the end of the second quarter even though there was defensive pass interference on the play. Streets was targeted throughout the game and was the favored target with Owens out. Cedrick Wilson had 2 catches for 31 yards on the day. One of his two catches was a beautifully run seam route splitting two defenders for a much needed 18 yard 3rd down conversion. I haven't seen much of this 2nd year receiver, but what I've seen of him sure looks good. TE: Eric Johnson didn't have a catch in the game. Justin Swift played and had a short gain in the first half. K: Jeff Chandler kicked a 19-yard field goal on the opening drive. He hit a 44-yarder to begin the scoring in the fourth quarter. 49ers Pass Defense: The 49ers got pressure on Covington early in the game, recording a sack and forcing a fumble at the end of the first quarter. They got to him again on the next series. The coverage was even better than the line, and with a little over a minute left in the first half, the Rams had only seven passing yards. Tony Parrish picked the ball off a tip and had a nice runback at the end of the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the 49er pass defense disappeared, and allowed Martin to burn them for three touchdown passes to take control of the game. 49ers Rush Defense: There is not much to report on the rushing defense. They did a good job holding the Rams to 35 rushing yards, but the Rams only had 14 rushing attempts. Running the ball was not important for the Rams. The unit should get credit for not letting Marshall Faulk break a long run. St. Louis Rams QB: Scott Covington started the game for the Rams as their fourth starting quarterback of the year. His first play of the game was a hand off to Marshall Faulk. His first pass was completed for a short gain to Isaac Bruce, but missed Holt on the following play. His first drive ended with a sack and a punt, and he never got anything going. Jamie Martin replaced him with just under 7 minutes left in the second quarter because he didn't have command of the Rams playbook. He had only 7 yards passing when he left the game. Jamie Martin did not initially fare any better, and couldn't get the Rams on the scoreboard in the first half. He was picked off to end the second half, and had only 23 yards passing in the half with an interception. The second half brought more of the same as Martin and the Rams struggled to move the ball until a field goal in the late third quarter. He missed a wide open Ernie Conwell in the fourth quarter. Then the Rams exploded as Martin managed three quick touchdown drives ending with a passes to Brandon Manumaleuna, Bruce and Conwell. RB: Marshall Faulk played every down of this game that "meant nothing". Even though he only had 11 carries for 35 yards, he had 6 catches for 30 yards, he recovered a fumble, he made countless solid blocks, and ran down Tony Parrish on an interception return which saved a touchdown. He is a true pro. WR: Torry Holt was targeted in the second quarter on a long pass, but wasn't open. He had his elbow looked at after the play and took x-rays. Holt later returned to the game but didn't have a catch until there was about a minute left in the half. Holt had a great grab on a tipped ball in the third quarter, but it was negated by holding. Holt became the favorite target in the game, and finished with 6 catches for 77 yards. Isaac Bruce caught 4 passes for 53 yards and a touchdown. Bruce did drop a couple of balls, but the route he ran on his touchdown catch was a post-corner double move that the defensive back still hasn't seen. It was pretty to watch and Martin dropped it in perfectly over his outside shoulder. It just doesn't feel like the playoffs without 'The Greatest Show on Turf' included. Ricky Proehl made his customary 2 catches for 28 yards. Troy Edwards got the call on an end around, but was smothered. He was not a factor in the game. TE: Ernie Conwell did not have a catch in the first half. He got his first catch in the middle of the third quarter, and he caught a late touchdown pass to seal the game for the Rams. Brandon Manumaleuna is the young tight end with the big hair and the hard to say name. He is the biggest tight end I think I've ever seen and I would hate to be a defensive back meeting him head on in the open field. He only had one catch on the day, but it was for a 6 yard touchdown. K: Jeff Wilkins hit a 39-yard attempt late in the third quarter. Rams Special Teams: The Rams successfully completed an on-side kick attempt in the late third quarter. Rams Pass Defense: The Ram's pass defense looks good on paper, but remember that Terrell Owens did not play and Jeff Garcia only played the first drive. They held the 49ers to 142 passing yards and recorded 3 sacks. Defensive end Leonard Little was a one man wrecking crew logging 4 solo tackles, 1 assist, 2 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles. Defensive tackle Brian Young had the other sack while corner backs Travis Fisher and Dre' Bly forced the other 2 fumbles. Rams Rush Defense: The Ram's rushing defense was not good at all. They allowed 193 rushing yards. Especially in the first half, the 49ers moved the ball at will on the ground. Safety Kim Herring led the unit with 8 solo tackles, but the defensive play of the game goes to Dre' Bly. In the fourth quarter, on a outside running play by Hearst, Bly hit Hearst head on and took the ball away from him. Bly just ripped the ball out of Hearst's arms and danced into the end zone. That play was the turning point in the game which led the Rams to victory. |