Hi Folks,

Here�s a quick recap of the Playoff games from this weekend.�� We�re down to 4 now and it�s shaping up for a fun finish.

Have a great week,

Joe

***********************

Joe Bryant�

[email protected]

Owner � www.Footballguys.com

Playoff Round 2 Game Recaps

Editor:� Joe Bryant�

Game Recap Contributors:�� David Shick, Steve Prosapio, Michael Brown, Joel Faulhaber

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Atlanta Falcons:

QB Michael Vick was flustered and frustrated by the Eagles various defensive schemes.� He was hurried on a number of occasions, especially in the first half, and had trouble getting into a good rhythm.� His receivers also had a number of drops, which cost the team big time.� Vick had a twenty-yard touchdown run negated due to a holding penalty.� It should be noted, however, that if not for the hold, he would not have scored.

The Falcons suffered two significant injuries to their defensive backfield early in the contest.� Safety Keion Carpenter injured his neck while making a tackle on Duce Staley on the Eagles first offensive play of the contest.� Carpenter was initially diagnosed with a jammed neck, but he lay motionless on the ground and apparently lost feeling in his upper body before leaving the field.� Cornerback Juran Bolden ruptured his right patella tendon on a completion to James Thrash.�

Michael Vick needs some receivers for next season.� Alge Crumpler appears on his way towards being a fine receiving tight end in the NFL, but the rest of the WR corps is poor.� There were several key drops that could have extended drives or provided a spark to the team, but the simple fact is that these guys just aren�t that good.

Philadelphia Eagles:

Donovan McNabb�s ankle is fine.� Anyone worried about that can put their fears to rest.� McNabb took off for a 19-yard scamper on Philly�s very first possession, almost as if to let everyone know early on that he was healed.

Everyone expected James Thrash to return as the go-to guy upon McNabb�s return, but it was Todd Pinkston who received the lion�s share of looks in the game.� Thrash did score the big late touchdown, and was targeted on two other deep passes, but Pinkston was targeted 10 times (including four times on third down).

The Eagles defense knew they�d be challenged by Mike Vick, and they responded big time.� While the pre-game goals they set for Vick (120 yards passing, 34 yards rushing) may have been a little silly, the team responded and made plays when they most needed to.� On a day when the offense couldn�t get the big drives going, it was Bobby Taylor�s 39-yard interception return TD and the constant pressure on Vick that made all the difference.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Atlanta Falcons:

QB:� Mike Vick finished up 22-38 for 274 yards, but the yardage and completions should have been much higher.� There were a few late drops by the receivers that cost the team.� That�s not to say Vick had a good game, however.� He was intercepted twice, both of which were solely his fault.� He also fumbled once but luckily for him, Shawn Barber accidentally knocked the ball out of bounds.� Vick was banged up on a few occasions, once when his left hand was hit.� He also had the wind knocked out of him and somehow survived a crushing blow from Sean Dawkins.� On that play, Vick apparently had scored only to learn holding had been called, which negated a 20-yard touchdown run.� Vick left for the next play and Doug Johnson came in, but Vick returned immediately.�� While most teams have seemed tentative playing Vick trying to �contain� him, it was pretty noticeable that the Eagles were coming after him hard.�� They did knock him around a good bit.

RB:� Warrick Dunn enjoyed a lot of success against the Eagles defense in the first half, carrying 9 times for 40 yards.� He only finished up with 14 carries for 45 yards, so do the math and you�ll see how much he struggled in the second half.� Dunn also caught 6 passes for 56 yards, and was Vick�s main target in the passing game.� Dunn was injured early in the fourth quarter and left the game briefly before later returning.

T.J. Duckett wasn�t much of a factor, with just 2 carries for 5 yards and was stuffed on a crucial third and one.� He did have a nice 18-yard reception for a big first down, showing a good burst and nice speed/power combo.

WR:� Brian Finneran was the leading receiver, but he really had no impact on this game until very late in the contest.� He finished with 5 receptions for 76 yards.

Quentin McCord and Trevor Gaylor had a minimal impact on the game, combining for 5 receptions for 59 yards.�

TE:� Many people questioned the selection of Alge Crumpler by Atlanta two seasons ago, citing that the Falcons already had Reggie Kelly.� Now, Crumpler appears to be a prime candidate for a breakout season in 2003.� The Crumpler/Kelly situation reminds me a lot of Marcus Pollard/Ken Dilger in 2000, and we all know how solid Pollard turned out to be in 2001.� Crumpler, going up against a solid pass defense, finished with 4 receptions for 62 yards.

Falcons Pass Defense:� The Falcons lost two big producers from their defensive backfield when Safety Keion Carpenter (jammed neck) and Cornerback Juran Bolden (patella tendon rupture) were lost for the game early on.� Late in the game, LB John Thierry suffered an apparent concussion after a kick to the head.� Still, the team did a solid job for the most part as far as keeping the game close.� One problem they did have was on third down situations, as they tended to allow too many third and long conversions.� This will need to change in order for this defense to take the next step.

Falcons Rush Defense:� Appeared to die on the last Eagles drive, as Duce Staley ran for 27 of his 63 yards on that one drive.� Held Donovan McNabb in check as far as his rushing totals were concerned, but the threat of McNabb running kept the Falcons guessing all night long.

Falcons Special Teams:� Allen Rossum started the game off with a bang, taking the opening kickoff back for 47 yards.� The remainder of his kick returns and his punt returns went for minimal to average gains.� K Jay Feely connected on field goals from 34 and 52 yards.� He did miss one from 37 yards, but it was due to a very poor hold.� The Falcons successfully converted a surprise onside kick following one of the field goals, but were called for an offside penalty, which negated the recovery.

Philadelphia Eagles:

QB:� Donovan McNabb showed everyone early on that he still had the ability to run in him.� He broke a 19-yard gain and showed no effects from the broken ankle.� One thing people should realize is this: Unless it�s a Bryant Young/Ed McCaffrey gruesome type of injury, broken bones tend to make for easier recoveries than sprains, pulls, etc.� Bones heal.� And McNabb, by all accounts, is fine.� McNabb showed absolutely perfect touch on an early fade pass to Pinkston, and moved around very well in the pocket.

RB:� Duce Staley didn�t garner much attention in the Eagles game plan until late in the contest when they were attempting to run out the clock.� Staley never seems to be gaining tons of yardage during the game but by the end he usually produces.� And in this game, as usual, Staley gained over 100 total yards when no one was looking.

Dorsey Levens and Brian Westbrook each carried once in the game, and both were stopped for no gain.� Levens did, however, catch a 17-yard pass while Westbrook caught two passes totaling 17 yards.

WR:� While James Thrash may have been McNabb�s go-to receiver before the injury, Todd Pinkston assumed that throne in this game.� Pinkston caught 5 balls for 48 yards, and received more looks by far (10) than anyone else.� He was THE guy McNabb looked for in third down situations.

James Thrash caught just two passes, but he made them both count big time.� He hauled in a 42-yarder with Juran Bolden all over him early in the contest, then Thrash disappeared until his 35-yard touchdown reception, which iced the game late in the fourth quarter.

Antonio Freeman saw one ball come his way, and he caught it for a 9-yard reception.

TE:� Chad Lewis caught 2 balls for 22 yards, but also dropped a 15-yard pass early in the game.� Lewis is nowhere near the weapon he was just a few years ago.

Eagles Pass Defense:� When judging a team�s pass defense success against Atlanta, one also has to weigh how well they did at keeping Vick from running around all over the place.� While the Eagles did give up 274 yards passing to Vick, the totals were somewhat hollow in that when Philly needed stops, they made stops.� Bobby Taylor had a huge 39-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter that eventually held up as the winning score.� In addition, the various looks thrown at Vick by defensive coordinator Jim Johnson seemed to confuse and fluster the young QB.�

Eagles Rush Defense:� Warrick Dunn enjoyed some success running the ball in the first half, with 9 carries for 40 yards.� Philadelphia quickly adjusted to that, allowing the Falcons RB 5 carries for just 5 yards in the second half.� T.J. Duckett didn�t fare much better, with just 2 carries for 5 yards, including a big stuff on third and 1.� The key, of course, to holding Atlanta in check is to stifle the running ability of QB Mike Vick.� Vick carried 6 times for 30 yards, and was generally not a huge factor in the running game.�� The Eagles defense was bailed out on an apparent 20-yard touchdown run by Vick that would have tied the game at 13.� The Falcons had been whistled for holding, and the TD was negated.

Eagles Special Teams:� David Akers connected from 34 and 39 yards out, but missed once from 51.� In Akers� defense, the kick was from 51 yards away and the kick bounced directly off the right upright.� The Eagles did nothing spectacular in the return game worth mentioning.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Pittsburgh Steelers:

Amos Zereoue was the prime RB for Pittsburgh.� Jerome Bettis only touched the ball 3 times this week, and Zereoue continues to take the Steeler offense to another level.� Zereoue finished with 59 total yards, including a 31 yard scamper to grab the lead early in the second half.

QB Tommy Maddox played well.�� While he did throw a few passes behind his receivers, he has an unbelievable rapport with both Hines Ward and Plaxico Burress.� Maddox finished with 266 yards through the air and 2 touchdowns.

Antwaan Randle El is beginning to steal some looks from Burress and Ward.� He was targeted 6 times, and also returned a punt for a touchdown but it was called back.

Tennessee Titans:

QB Steve McNair continues to be the heart and soul of this team.� He finished with a career playoff high 338 yards passing, and 3 combined touchdowns.� He literally willed the Titans to victory.�

Early on, RB Eddie George came out and ran roughshod over the Steeler run defense, but fumbled twice and left the game with a concussion.� While he was in the game, he accounted for 7 of the Titans first 10 red zone plays.

TE Frank Wycheck, following his most disappointing fantasy campaign to date, erupted with a 10 catch, 123-yard performance, including 1 touchdown.� He was targeted a whopping 13 times, including twice at the goal line.�

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Pittsburgh Steelers:

QB:� The Steelers are now Tommy Maddox�s team.� Maddox threw an interception on the first pass of the game, but Plaxico Burress slipped on the turf.� He attempted 41 passes, completing 21 of them for 266 yards and 2 touchdowns.� He threw behind his receivers a few times, and would have had a sure touchdown to Plaxico Burress had he not thrown it behind the big target.

RB:� Amos Zereoue started for the second straight week at running back for the Steelers.� He was quiet for most of the game, but did give the offense a spark with a 31-yard touchdown run to open the second half.� Those game breaking plays are why he is on the field.� He was taken out of the red zone for Jerome Bettis.

Chris Fuamatu-Ma�afala was ineffective in what little action he saw.� He has become an exceptional pass blocker and is in often on third down plays.

Jerome Bettis was used sparingly, but did receive two carries inside the ten yard line.� Looks like the Bus might have trouble passing inspection next year.

WR:� Hines Ward continues to be the do-all player for Pittsburgh.� He finished with 7 catches (12 targets), 82 yards receiving, 2 touchdowns, and a 2-point conversion throw.

Plaxico Burress had a few drops, including a misfire by Tommy Maddox that could have been a touchdown.� He hauled in a nice 40-yard bomb, but left the game with a left hip injury.� He returned to action in the second half but was ineffective.� He finished with just 2 catches for 62 yards (7 targets.)

Antwaan Randle El is quietly becoming a dependable third receiver, finishing with 4 grabs for 53 yards. (6 targets.)� He also returned a punt for a touchdown but it was called back due to a holding penalty.� He is becoming more involved in the offense every game.

TE:� Jerame Tuman� came back down to Earth this week.� His stats:� 0 catches for 0 yards.� He is a blocking tight end, much in the mold as Mark Bruener.

Rush Defense:� Kendrell Bell tried to play, but could not due to his high ankle sprain.� The Steeler defense did a great job of stopping the Tennessee rushing attack, which was held to almost nothing in the second half.

Pass Defense:� Way too soft on the coverage, but the return of Chad Scott helped immensely.� They did pick off McNair twice, but made some costly errors that wound up losing the game for them.� The Steelers are already looking to address their secondary in the draft and through free agency next year.

Special Teams:� Antwaan Randle El returned a punt for a touchdown, but it was called back.� Jeff Reed had a solid game, hitting on 3 of 4 field goals.� DeWayne Washington ran into Joe Nedney on what was a missed field goal, and the Titans got to re-kick and won the game.

Tennessee Titans:

QB:� Steve McNair had another gritty performance, and a great fantasy day.� He accounted for over 350 total yards and 3 touchdowns.� He left the game briefly towards the end but returned.� Both of his interceptions were on long shots down the field.� McNair led the Titans to and early 14-point lead, which included converting 7 straight third downs.� According to ESPN�s Ed Werder, he has a bruised thumb but will play next week.

RB:� Eddie George looked great to start the game, and scored once with 35 yards in the first half.� He had one fumble inside the Titan�s 10-yard line, which resulted in a Steeler touchdown.� He was knocked unconscious on his first carry of the second half and did not returned.� He suffered a concussion, but hopes to play this week.� While he was in the game, he accounted for 7 of the Titans� first 10 red zone plays.

Robert Holcombe filled in for Eddie George, but could not get anything going on the ground.� He had a sure touchdown catch just slip out of his fingertips.

WR:� Derrick Mason did not catch a ball in the 1^st half, but did finish with 5 receptions for 47 yards.�

Drew Bennett had a breakout game, reeling in 7 catches for 85 yards.� He made some great 3^rd down conversions.�

Justin McCareins had 2 huge receptions in overtime that resulted in 53 yards, and the winning field goal.

TE:� Frank Wycheck had his best day of the season, finishing with 10 catches for 123 yards and a touchdown (13 targets.)� Where this was all season long nobody knows.� He was Steve McNair�s favorite target.

Rush Defense:� Played solid despite injuries on defense.� The Steeler attack is actually concentrated through the air, so not too much pressure was applied to the run defense.� They had 5 tackles for losses.

Pass Defense:� The Steelers offense moved up and down the field all day, but the Titan secondary held their ground at the end of the game when they needed to.� They had several penalties called against them which resulted in the continuation of Pittsburgh drives.

Special Teams:� Joe Nedney hit the game-winning field goal in overtime, seconds after missing one.� He also missed a kick at the end of regulation that could have won the game.� Derrick Mason had a huge punt return called back because his knee barely touched the ground.

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Garrison Hearst had some success running the ball with 55 yards on 10 carries but the 49ers could not afford to run.  He also contributed 4 catches for 29 yards. 

 
Kevan Barlow could get nothing going after his first carry for 7 yards.  He failed to gain a yard on his other 2 carries.  He made a poor decision on 2nd and goal from the 2 to stop and attempt to make a cut when there was a hole up the middle

 
Terrell Owens disappointed catching only 4 passes for 35 yards.  He was targeted only 8 times all game.  He appeared frustrated that he was not getting any downfield opportunities and tipped an easy reception in the air on the first play from scrimmage in the 2nd half which resulted in an interception.
 
Tai Streets was the 49er leading receiver on the day with 5 catches for 62 yards.  His big play came on a short pass that he turned into a 30 yard gain down to the Tampa Bay 2 yard line.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
 
Brad Johnson's numbers give no indication how effective he looked running the Tampa Bay offense  Despite only completing 15 of 31 passes for 196 yards he lead his team to 4 touchdowns in the first half with his 170 passing yards.  Tampa was happy to run out the clock in the second half and Johnson threw just 6 2nd half passes. 

Michael Pittman disappointed gaining only 41 yards on 17 carries.  He had a 22 yard run so he averaged only a little over a yard per carry on his remaining 16 carries. 

 
Mike Alstott was a force to be reckoned with pounding away with 60 yards on 17 carries and had 2 touchdowns.  33 of his yards came in the 2nd half when San Francisco knew Tampa was trying to run out the clock, still they often couldn't bring Alstott down. 

 
Keyshawn Johnson was targeted 12 times in the game with many of those coming early.  He was thrown to 3 of the first 5 passes and was targeted 7 times in the first half.  He finished with only 5 catches but for 85 yards.
 
Joe Jurevicius had a big day with 3 catches for 48 yards and a touchdown and could have had a bigger day.  He was wide open on what would have been a 50 yard touchdown pass but was interfered with on the play.
 
 
 
WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW
 
San Francisco 49�ers:
 
COACHING:  There has been talk surrounding the future of Steve Mariucci.  He made a questionable decision down 28 to 6 with 40 seconds left in the 1^st half and the ball on his own 40 yard line to let the clock run out on the half.  Terrell Owens showed extreme displeasure with the decision.  Jeff Garcia has been vocal about his desire to open up the passing game and Mariucci showed no signs of doing that today even trailing big.
 
QB:   Jeff Garcia played much worse than his poor stats would indicate.  He finished only 22 of 41 for 193 yards in a game that San Francisco was behind in for nearly the whole game.  What the stats don't tell us is that he threw only short passes the entire game missing his first 8 passes that were thrown 5 yards beyond the line of scrimmage.  The first pass completed longer than 5 yards in the air from scrimmage was with 4:45 left in the 3^rd quarter.  Of these passes he was only 4 for 16.  He threw 30 passes shorter than 5 yards from scrimmage and did not attempt a pass longer than 20 yards the entire game.  Garcia also threw 3 interceptions and fumbled the ball 3 times.  2 of the 3 interceptions were batted in the air and not his fault and 2 of the 3 fumbles were recovered by the 49ers.  He looked extremely flustered, his timing was off, he had happy feet and he appeared afraid of the Tampa defense which sacked him 4 times and knocked him down 11 times.  
 
RB:   Garrison Hearst had some success running the ball with 55 yards on 10 carries but the 49ers could not afford to run.  He also contributed 4 catches for 29 yards.  His performance today mixed with Barlow's lack of performance bodes well for him keeping his starting job next season.
 
Kevan Barlow could get nothing going after his first carry for 7 yards.  He failed to gain a yard on his other 2 carries.  He made a poor decision on 2nd and goal from the 2 to stop and attempt to make a cut when there was a hole up the middle.  He lost 3 yards and San Francisco lost an opportunity for a touchdown.  He was not active in the passing game catching only 1 pass for 3 yards.
 
WR:   Terrell Owens disappointed catching only 4 passes for 35 yards.  He was targeted only 8 times all game.  He appeared frustrated that he was not getting any downfield opportunities and tipped an easy reception in the air on the first play from scrimmage in the 2nd half which resulted in an interception.
 
Tai Streets was the 49er leading receiver on the day with 5 catches for 62 yards.  His big play came on a short pass that he turned into a 30 yard gain down to the Tampa Bay 2 yard line.  He looks like a solid lock on the starting number 2 wide receiver job next season and will have value.
 
Other than catching 2 of Jeff Garcia's 4 five-plus yard passes, J.J. Stokes did little catching only 3 passes for 20 yards.  He was targeted on a red zone pass but could not make the catch.  He was only targeted 4 times.
 
TE: Eric Johnson caught 2 passes for 7 yards.
 
49er Pass Defense: Ahmad Plummer left the game in the 1st quarter with a shoulder separation which left them thinner than normal however this unit disappointed giving up 170 passing yards in the first half.  They had a short run of blitzing Brad Johnson which seemed effective but the Buc's countered and left the 49ers without an answer.
 
49er Rush Defense:  To their credit, they did not completely crumble once Tampa Bay ran up a huge lead.  However they could not contain Mike Alstott early as he rumbled, bumbled and stumbled for 2 early touchdowns.
 
49er Special Teams:  Vinny Southerland fumbled a kickoff return in the 2^nd quarter which proved to be costly but didn't affect the outcome of the game.

  
 
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

QB:   Brad Johnson's numbers give no indication how effective he looked running the Tampa Bay offense.   Despite only completing 15 of 31 passes for 196 yards he lead his team to 4 touchdowns in the first half with his 170 passing yards.  Tampa was happy to run out the clock in the second half and Johnson threw just 6 2nd half passes.  His interception appeared to be a mistake of Keyshawn Johnson who did not complete a crossing route leaving an easy interception.  In fact Johnson's only mistake may have been diving head first on a scramble in the 3rd quarter up by 22 points.  He had to leave the game for a series with a cut on his head but came back. 
 
RB:   Michael Pittman disappointed gaining only 41 yards on 17 carries.  He had a 22 yard run so he averaged only a little over a yard per carry on his remaining 16 carries.  He caught only 1 pass for 10 yards and was only targeted 3 times.  Although it was inconsequential, he fumbled on Tampa Bay's last possession and they could have run out the clock. 

 
Mike Alstott was a force to be reckoned with pounding away with 60 yards on 17 carries and had 2 touchdowns.  33 of his yards came in the 2nd half when San Francisco knew Tampa was trying to run out the clock, still they often couldn't bring Alstott down.  He added 3 receptions for 23 yards and had a 7 yard run called back on a penalty.
 
WR:   Keyshawn Johnson was targeted 12 times in the game with many of those coming early.  He was thrown to 3 of the first 5 passes and was targeted 7 times in the first half.  He was virtually the sole 2nd half target with 5 of the 7 passes in the half thrown at him.  He finished with only 5 catches but for 85 yards.  He failed to catch a touchdown but was the primary target and was open on the touchdown to Ricky Dudley but Brad Johnson was not in a position to throw the ball to him.  By the time he was in a throwing position Dudley was more wide open for an easy touchdown.
 
Joe Jurevicius had a big day with 3 catches for 48 yards and a touchdown and could have had a bigger day.  He was wide open on what would have been a 50 yard touchdown pass but was interfered with on the play.
 
Keenan McCardell failed to catch a pass but was targeted 4 times.  One of those was a long pass which he just missed catching.
 
TE: Johnson looked to the Tight Ends often.  Ken Dilger caught 3 passes for 35 yards and was targeted 4 times.  Ricky Dudley was only targeted twice but caught 1 pass for a 12 yard touchdown.
 
Buc's Pass Defense: This unit looked like it was men playing against boys. They flustered and thwarted every 49er drive, were constantly putting pressure on Garcia sacking him 4 times.  They looked incredibly fast coming down with 2 batted balls and forced 4 turn overs.  They would have had a defensive touchdown except that Simeon Rice had a post-possession face mask penalty.  Rice did have a great day rushing Garcia and forced a fumble on an excellent play.
 
Buccaneers' Rush Defense:  Was largely untested because of the 49er huge lead.  They gave up 62 yards on 13 carries for a 4.8 yard average but 30 of those yards came on 3 plays.  They gave up only 32 yards on the remaining 10 running plays. 
 
Buccaneers' Special Teams:  Martin Gramatica made 1 of 2 field goal attempts and all 4 of his extra point attempts.  He appears to be a good kicking choice for next year's rebuilt Buc's offense.
 

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

New York Jets:

The Chad Pennington of this game was a sharp contrast to the QB that led the Jets during the past two months. After leading the team to a tying score at the end of the second quarter, Pennington was an awful 1 of 8 in the third quarter. He was under constant pressure and started forcing passes. He was inaccurate and didn�t look like the same QB that had been so efficient.

Curtis Martin ran hard in the game and looked like he still has the burst to be the feature RB next year. The offensive line opened up nice holes for him and his 4.6 ypc indicated just how well he was getting the job done.

Laveranues Coles was targeted 7 times during the first half and is entrenched as the go to WR for the Jets. Santana Moss was actually targeted one more time in the game than Coles, but the bulk of his targets (7 of 13) came in the fourth quarter when the game was virtually over. Also, the Jets got rookie WR Chris Baker involved in game early and he responded with two grabs. His second was on third and one during the Jets only TD drive.

Oakland Raiders:

The Raiders got away from what they do best during the second quarter and let the Jets back in the game. Rich Gannon attempted only one pass during the entire second quarter (which was dropped by Jon Ritchie). Gannon rebounded in the third quarter going 12 for 15 leading the Raiders on two TD quick drives.

Charlie Garner was the only RB to get significant carries while the game was still in question. Garner had every carry through the first three quarters except for a 1-yard TD by Zack Crockett.

With a monster 3^rd quarter, Jerry Porter showed why Fantasy Fans have been so excited about him this year.�� If he can only be more consistent, the sky seems to be the limit for this guy.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

�New York Jets:

QB: Chad Pennington: 21-45-183 yards passing (1 TD & 2 INT). 2-3 yards rushing. Pennington had the worst start of his young NFL career. He was harassed all game by the Raiders and hurried into several poor passes. The Raiders were able to force Pennington into trying to win the game with his arm. Pennington doesn�t have the arm strength to stretch the field and Raiders didn�t show him much respect. The short passing game was taken away. When Pennington did try to get the ball downfield a few of his passes looked like floaters that were up for grabs. His longest completion in the game went for 17 yards.

RB: Curtis Martin: 16-74 yards rushing, 3-31 yards receiving (4 targets). The Jets were intent on getting Martin the ball in the ball in the first half. He had 15 touches out of the Jets first 35 plays. In the second half Martin only had 5 touches as the game spiraled out of control.

Richie Anderson: 2-8 yards rushing, 2-20 yards receiving (2 targets).� Anderson played his usual role in the passing game with two catches in the first half, but was not targeted in the second half at all. Sowell pirated a TD on a play that would have usually gone to Anderson.

Lamont Jordan: 2-3 yards rushing, 0-0 yards receiving (0 targets). Jordan was given a carry inside the 5-yard line during the second quarter. Many would like to see Jordan get more of an opportunity, but as long as Martin is with the Jets Jordan will continue to only get carries in relief.

WR: Laveranues Coles: 4-30 yards receiving (10 targets). Coles was targeted seven times in the first half, but he only netted 3 yards on two receptions along with a 20-yard pass interference penalty that Coles drew on Charles Woodson. The penalty lead to the FG that the Jets got on the opening drive.

Wayne Chrebet: 1-7 yards receiving (7 targets). Chrebet made his one catch early in the game, and then disappeared. On two plays he slipped while trying to make his break later in the game. He also appeared to injure his shin on a nasty hit, but returned to finish the game.

�

Santana Moss: 4-45 yards receiving (13 targets), 2-32 yards rushing. Moss is being counted on to make plays with his legs every week. He responded with a 31-yard reverse early on. The Raiders kept the ball away from Moss in the kicking game. Moss had his targets inflated with 7 in the fourth quarter when the game was virtually over.

Chris Baker: 2-23 yards receiving (2 targets). Baker got a garbage TD last week in the Jets win over the Colts. He saw more time in the first half in this game and helped the Jets convert a third down in their only TD drive.

TE: Anthony Becht: 3-14 yards receiving (6 targets). Becht had his targets inflated in the fourth quarter just like Moss. Three of his targets were during garbage time as well.

Pass Defense: Rich Gannon torched the Jets. They were able to sack him twice, but Gannon wasn�t under significant pressure most of the game. Robinson intercepted a Gannon pass in the fourth quarter, but game was basically over at that point.

Rush Defense: 26 carries for 130 yards. 5.0 ypc is not getting it done. The Jets were able to shut down the Raiders once in the second quarter forcing a three and out, but weren�t able to consistently keep the Raiders from moving the sticks. In the fourth quarter when things started to look bad the Raiders rammed it down the Jets throat setting up two Janikowski FGs.

Special Teams: Shane Lechler punted three times in the game and kept the ball away from Santana Moss. Moss did not get a chance to return a kick in the game. Chad Morton tried to give the Jets hope with a 49-yard kick return in the mid-fourth quarter, but the Jets quickly went out on downs. John Hall hit a 38-yard FG and missed from 48 yards.

Oakland Raiders:

QB: Rich Gannon: 20-30-283 yards passing (2 TD & 1 INT). Rich Gannon showed why he was the MVP during the third quarter. The Jets chewed up the clock on a game tying TD drive that ate up more than half the quarter. Gannon only got off one attempt in the entire second quarter. When he had the chance in the third quarter he didn�t let it slip away. Gannon and the Raiders went back to the aerial assault. Gannon delivered with two TD drives that put the game out of reach.

RB: Charlie Garner: 21-93 yards rushing, 3-26 yards receiving (8 targets). Garner showed the same explosive burst that netted him big yardage all season. He had another 1-yard TD vultured away by Zack Crockett just like he has for the past two years.

WR: Jerry Rice: 4-47 yards receiving (TD & 5 targets). Rice moved into first all time for postseason yardage (2133) and tied Thurman Thomas and Emmitt Smith for postseason TDs (21).

Tim Brown: 3-52 yards receiving (4 targets). Brown had two catches in the first Oakland drive that lead to a Janikowski FG. He also had a 16-yard catch on the play before Porter hauled in his TD.

Jerry Porter: 6-123 yards receiving (TD 8 targets). Jerry Porter dominated the third quarter. 5 catches for 112 yards and a TD. That�s a quarter worth writing home about. The fantasy football world has been waiting for Porter to be a bigger and more consistent force in the receiving corps. It may have happened in this quarter, with the game on the line. Porter made three of the four longest receptions in the game (20, 29, and 50 yards).

TE: Doug Jolley: 3-21 yards receiving (3 targets). Jolley had all three of this catches in the decisive third quarter. The only other time of note from Jolley was two false start penalties that put an end to two long drives. In both cases the Raiders had to settle for FGs.

Pass Defense: The Raiders were able to put tons of pressure on Pennington (4 sacks). They forced him into errant throws and poor decisions. The Raiders took away the short passing game and dared Pennington to deliver the ball down field. When Pennington did try to stretch the field the Raiders picked off two passes. It looked bad and could have been worse.

Rush Defense: The Raiders couldn�t bottle up Curtis Martin, but they were able to limit the damage and keep him from popping a long run. Combined with an excellent pass rush they were able to keep the Jets from moving the ball in the second half.

Special Teams: Santana Moss didn�t get a chance to return a kick the game. Chad Morton did return a kickoff 49 yards, but it was too little too late. Janikowski hit three of his four FG attempts. His one miss was a chip shot (28 yards).

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