Editor: Joe Bryant. Game Recap Contributors: Mike Anderson, Michael Brown, Chris Burtt, J.D. Caldwell, David Dodds, Bobby Elder, Jim Enochs, Joel Faulhaber, Michael Flynn, Kevin Goldblum, Clayton Gray, Bob Harris, Fred Hebert, Jesse Hilsenrad, Drew Kendall, Jeff Lewis, Joey Matusek, Justin Oliver, Steve Prosapio, David Shick, Cody Smith, Scott Smith, Jeffrey Stout. Oakland 10 at Kansas City 20 Oakland Raiders: WR Tim Brown was very active today and Rich Gannon looked his way constantly throughout the game as the Raiders took advantage of a mismatch. He finished with 13 catches for 144 yards but couldn't get in the end zone. As a result of Brown's effectiveness, Jerry Rice and Jerry Porter were limited in their numbers. Rice uncharacteristically had a huge fumble in the late fourth quarter with the Raiders down 3 points with 4:39 left in the game. RB Charlie Garner looked good running the ball and his hamstring didn't appear to give him any problems. His numbers weren't what one would hope against the Chiefs, but he looked fine running the ball and continued to show his superb athleticism. It's worth noting that Zack Crockett did get a carry on the goal line early in the game when he replaced Garner. Gannon was efficient on the day and found Brown and Garner on a number of short passes. Surprisingly, Gannon couldn't get the Raiders in the end zone except for once. The Chiefs defense played surprisingly well though they couldn't get to Gannon to sack him. Sebastian Janikowski had a 44-yard field goal blocked on the first drive of the game extended his miss streak to four straight. It was a low kick. His second field goal was good from 32 yards. Kansas City Chiefs: Defensive coordinator Greg Robinson's unit entered the game ranked last in the NFL. Holding Oakland to 10 points is outstanding. The defense allowed the Raiders to move the ball on short to medium pass patterns all day, but simply didn't allow the Raiders to score. It was this unit's best outing on the year. LB Marcus Patten had a big interception in the fourth quarter and almost had another early in the game. Priest Holmes continued to be the workhorse for the Chiefs, and looked good running in the poor field conditions. His screen plays were particularly effective in this game. Holmes had a touchdown in the first quarter called back because of a penalty. The Chiefs continue to feed Holmes the ball all game long and he continues to look great getting it. Morton Andersen went 2-2 on the day, including a 46-yard field goal. His hamstring does not appear to be a problem and this game was a good indication as it was played in cold weather. It was a mixed bag for Trent Green on the day, as he made some nice throws but also threw two bad interceptions deep in the Raiders red zone. You get the sense from watching this game that he would be completely lost without Holmes in the backfield. 93 of Green's 208 total passing yards went to Holmes. Seattle 17 at Dallas 14 Seattle Seahawks: Trent Dilfer tore his Achilles tendon just before halftime. Dilfer will most likely be out for the season. Matt Hasselbeck was surprisingly effective replacing Dilfer and moved the Seattle offense well enough to get a win. Shaun Alexander managed only 58 yards on 23 carries although two of the carries were for touchdowns. He did not get to the line of scrimmage quickly and was caught behind the line of scrimmage on several plays. The Seattle offensive line was not opening holes for him to go anywhere. However, the two touchdowns were the first two rushing touchdowns yielded by the Dallas defense this season. Maurice Morris was given a series in the second and fourth quarter. He managed 24 yards on 6 carries, but went back to the bench when Seattle got inside the 10 yard line. Alexander is still the first option in the red zone for Seattle. Just before Alexander came back into the game for his first touchdown, Alexander was shown on the sideline having emphatic discussion with coach Mike Holmgren while Morris was in the game. However, they were "smiles" involved in the discussion. Neither person was looking upset. Darrel Jackson took a vicious hit from Darren Woodson at the start of Seattle's game winning field goal drive. After the game in the locker room Jackson had what is being called a seizure, but he did not stop breathing or lose consciousness. Dallas Cowboys: Emmitt Smith got the rushing record today. The Dallas coaching staff made sure he got plenty of carries early on and the weak Seattle run defense was plenty giving. Emmitt was productive with 8 carries of 10+ yards. Even after the record was in the books Smith ran hard and got the second Dallas touchdown. Chad Hutchinson was unimpressive. As you might expect, he was up and down with one decent play followed by something ugly. He did show some good arm strength. But there seemed to be questions at half time as to whether we'd see Quincy Carter back there. Did nothing to make folks think the QB question for Dallas is now answered. He was able to make several difficult throws, but wasn't given much of an opportunity down field. Hutchinson struggled in converting third down opportunities as Dallas was only 3 of 9 on the day. Hutchinson couldn't keep the sticks moving. Both Seattle and Dallas are simply bad teams. Without the celebration of Emmitt Smith getting the record this was a pretty ho-hum game. Chicago 7 at Minnesota 25 Chicago Bears: Once again, QB Chris Chandler started in place of the injured Jim Miller. Behind a makeshift offensive line which hardly resembles the dominant front that carried the Bears to the playoffs last year, Chandler was rushed and blitzed all day, and had no time to get the ball to the receivers. The Viking Defense had 5 sacks. Chandler was battered enough that Henry Burris eventually saw time at QB toward the end of the game. RB Anthony Thomas is a week closer to securing his place as "bust of the year." Thomas had another abysmal performance, with 21 total yards, and averaging a measly 2.0 ypc. Thomas is most effective when the Bears have the lead and control the clock, a position in which they rarely find themselves in anymore. WR Marcus Robinson is seeing an increased role in the passing game. Marty Booker is clearly the go to guy in the passing game but Dez White could be pushed by Robinson. Booker is well above both these guys though. TE's John Davis and Fred Baxter both did not play, and third-stringer did not catch a pass during the game. Baxter and Davis were missed from more of a blocking perspective, where Lyman has trouble reading the defenses thrown at him. As long as the offensive line continues to struggle, Coach Jauron said that the majority of the tight ends' responsibility in their offense will be to block, thus negating the already low fantasy value. Minnesota Vikings: While QB Daunte Culpepper's stats are not eye-popping, he's starting to come around. He is going down his list of reads effectively and seemed to run with more authority. He and WR Randy Moss connected 9 times during the day, and even more importantly talked to each other on the sideline the whole afternoon. Culpepper did fumble on the 1-yard line, going in for a score. WR Randy Moss did not press early on about getting the ball, and was rewarded as the Viking's attack became multi-dimensional. Culpepper completed passes to 7 different receivers, and after the Bears were spread out Moss took over the game. Moss also threw an incomplete pass and had a 2-yard rush. The Vikings used RB Michael Bennett as their primary running back. He accounted for 106 yards rushing on an amazing 29 carries (3.6 ypc.) He also caught 6 balls out of the backfield. The formations used when he was called on usually involved trips left or right and he would run to the weak side, where his speed could take control. Backup RB Moe Williams did get 3 goal line carries, however. Atlanta 37 at New Orleans 35 Atlanta Falcons: After struggling in the first quarter, QB Michael Vick scrambled, threw lasers on the rollout, showed nice touch to outlets, and provided the leadership the Falcons needed for a last minute comeback. Vick's scramble for 27 yards set up the Falcons' first touchdown and opened up the game for Warrick Dunn. Executed screens nicely. Left game in last minute with injured left shoulder and thumb so keep an eye out. RB Warrick Dunn was huge with 142 yards rushing and a TD. Did have two key fumbles - one inside the Saint ten on a reception and one late to set up New Orleans' go ahead touchdown. Vick overthrew him once at the goal line. T.J. Duckett did not suit up. Brian Finneran is the number one target. Had a nice run after catch with Ken Irvin hanging all over him. Drew an illegal contact call at the goal line. He was the target on a 30-yard attempt that was deflected in double coverage. New Orleans Saints: Aaron Brooks has had better games. He was constantly throwing the ball up for grabs as he was backpedaling or throwing off his back foot. He was lucky to only throw two interceptions. Had one interception overruled by replay. New Orleans killed their own drives whenever they went away from Deuce McAllister. McAllister scored 3 TDs and slipped through small creases, made nice cut backs, and ran over defenders. Had four carries inside the Falcon six, before punching it in. Had a 66-yard touchdown called back on a questionable holding call behind the point of attack. On his next carry, McAllister fumbled the ball away and the Saints did not give him another carry the rest of the half. Number one man, Joe Horn, ran his sharp routes and out-positioned the Falcon defenders. Was the target on a screen that did not develop and a 20-yarder that was deflected away. Kick returner Michael Lewis gained over 200 yards by running it up the right side, putting the Saints in favorable field position throughout the game. Pittsburgh 31 at Baltimore 18 Pittsburgh Steelers: Plaxico Burress was on pace to have a great game until he got ejected just before halftime. He got into a scuffle after a James Trapp interception. Burress already had two touchdown receptions at the time. Tommy Maddox led the Steelers offense quickly and efficiently. The Steelers scored touchdowns on their first four possessions to take a 28-3 lead into halftime. With Jerome Bettis out today, Amos Zereoue got the start. He wasn't too effective from a yardage standpoint, rushing for only 53 yards. However, he had two touchdown carries, including one for 35 yards. Did not do enough to start any serious talk that Zereoue would be the # 1 RB when Bettis returns. Baltimore Ravens: QB Jeff Blake started in place of Chris Redman, who was out with back spasms. Blake did a good job of spreading the ball around to eight different receivers. Blake was 29/50 for 298 yards and had two touchdowns (1 rush). RB Jamal Lewis never had a chance to get going on the ground. With the Ravens down early, they ditched the running game. Travis Taylor, Todd Heap, and Jamal Lewis were Blake's top targets. They combined for 183 yards. Cleveland 24 at NY Jets 21 Cleveland Browns: QB Tim Couch had to carry the load for this team today as they were playing from behind for most of the game and the rushing attack was largely ineffective. Throwing for over 300 yards and 2 TDs, Couch was hitting receivers in stride all afternoon and looked strong. Jamel White got the start at running back and looked decent but never had running room. He managed a measly 1.8 yards per carry. He did catch 6 balls for 42 yards. Couch spread the ball around a lot, keeping any one player from being a good fantasy option. 8 different players caught passes and 7 caught at least 3. New York Jets: Curtis Martin looked better than his stats would indicate. He rushed only for 65 yards on 18 carries, but he ran like the Martin of old and showed no lingering effects of his ankle injury. He was used often in the passing game, catching 4 balls for 39 yards. Chad Pennington impressed at quarterback. He throws a pretty spiral and runs the offense with poise and confidence. He was very efficient, completing 19/26 for 183 yards and 2 TDs. The 1 interception was not his fault as it bounced off the stone hands of Anthony Becht into the air where Earl Little picked it off. Santana Moss is one of the most electric return men in the NFL, returning a punt for a 63 yard TD with scary speed and dangerous agility. Detroit 17 at Buffalo 24 Detroit Lions: QB Joey Harrington looked... like a rookie QB in this game. He was unsure of himself while under constant pressure from the Bills pass rush, especially in the second half, and he made some very bad throwing decisions. His only passing TD could have been picked off in the endzone by 2 Bills defenders but they tipped the ball and it fell into the hands of Az-Zahir Hakim for the score. Harrington ended up 20/42 with 199 yards passing, 1 TD, and 1 INT in a poor outing. RB James Stewart had another solid day running the ball, gaining 83 yards and a rushing TD in 24 carries and adding another 53 yards receiving on eight receptions. Stewart ran the ball extremely well in the first half, but his production dropped in the second half as the Lions fell behind and went to the passing game. This is the second good outing in a row for Stewart after a slow start, but both efforts came against questionable defenses. TE Mikhael Ricks played after missing last weeks game and several practices this week with a groin injury. He looked OK running his routes, but dropped several catchable passes from Harrington. Ricks was targeted each time the Lions were in the redzone. Buffalo Bills: Drew Bledsoe had another good outing, going 21/36 for 302 yards, a TD and no interceptions against the Lions poor secondary. Eric Moulds was Bledsoe's prime target during the game, though both Moulds and Peerless Price ended up with over one hundred yards each receiving. Travis Henry had only 64 yards on 19 carries, but ran in two TD's, both from five yards out. Henry fumbled the ball deep in Bills territory late in the fourth and it was recovered by the Lions. It gave the Lions an opportunity to tie the game, but they ended up turning the ball over on downs to the Bills. Eric Moulds had an excellent outing against the Lion secondary, catching nine passes for 123 yards, but failed to find the endzone. He seemed to be Drew Bledsoe's first read on almost every pass, and Bledsoe took several shots downfield to him, including a nice 42 yard yarder. Moulds had great separation throughout the day. Peerless Price also had a very nice outing against the Lions under achieving secondary, catching four passes for 101 yards and a TD. Tennessee 30 at Cincinnati 24 Tennessee Titans: Steve McNair was outstanding. He completed 70% of his passes for just over 200 yards and 3 touchdowns with zero interceptions. He looked really comfortable in the pocket and looked much more confidant throwing the ball with Mason back in the line up. He didn't shy away scrambling, but he looked more committed to the passing game than he has in the past. Eddie George looked like Eddie George again. He didn't score, but he gained over 100 yards rushing and averaged more than 5 yards per carry. He also showed no signs of the lingering foot injuries that have bothered him on and off this season. He was less active in the passing game than usual and finished with only one catch for 6 yards. He also lost a fumble early in the game. Derrick Mason, freshly back from a separated shoulder injury, didn't waste any time in reminding owners why they drafted him so high in this Summer. He looked as explosive as ever, scoring 2 touchdowns on 7 catches for 98 yards. Mason solidifies the Tennessee passing game as a terrific complement to the power running game of Eddie George. Cincinnati Bengals: Corey Dillon is still the only Bengal worth starting. It's amazing that he has been as good as he is given the absence of any other offensive threat on the team. Dillon was fed the ball 30 times for a hard-earned 138 yards and a touchdown. It should be noted that Dillon and the Bengals were robbed of a touchdown inside the final two minutes. He appeared to score from the one-yard line but was called down just short of it. The replays did not show him definitively scoring but they certainly suggested he did. That's not enough to overturn a call, though. Heartbreaker for Bengal fans as the TD would have tied the game allowing the point after to win. Jon Kitna had an efficient game. He completed 17 of 23 pass attempts for two touchdowns and no interceptions. He even showed a little foot action with 4 rushes for 21 yards. Don't jump on the Kitna bus just yet but this was a much better game although the Titan secondary has been weak. In Chad Johnson the Bengals may have found a real, live wide receiver. The second-year pro is big (6-2, 192) and showed a willingness to go over the middle and make a tough catch. He was Kitna's most successful target, finishing with 6 catches for 86 yards. Denver 24 at New England 16 Denver Broncos: The Broncos looked very good on both sides of the ball. They were able to stop the Patriots from sustaining drives and kept them out of big plays. QB Brian Griese looked to WR Ed McCaffrey more than in previous games, throwing him 8 passes for 116 yards. Shannon Sharpe returned to Earth catching 2 passes for 19 yards although he did score. The Broncos defense is firing on all cylinders, hitting hard, forcing fumbles, and getting five sacks. New England Patriots: The Patriots struggled in the red zone, although they did convert an Antowain Smith touchdown run. WR Troy Brown was held to 59 yards while David Patten and Deion Branch did not make a catch the entire game. The Patriots fell behind early and were forced to pass. This allowed the Broncos to dictate the Patriots play calling. As a result, Brady completed just over 50% of his passes, while Antowain Smith averaged 4.5 yards on just 13 carries. The Patriots defense didn't come together until the fourth quarter, when the Broncos started to run out the clock. Houston 21 at Jacksonville 19 Houston Texans: The Houston Texans pulled off their first road win and their second win of the season against a division rival. The win snapped a five game losing streak for Houston. QB David Carr's 184 passing yards proved to be enough to lead Houston past Jacksonville. Carr had two fumbles during the exchange from center. He lost one of them. On a positive note, Carr didn't throw an interception again for the 3rd straight game. His 1 yard touchdown pass to Billy Miller capped an 80 yard, 10 play drive to give Houston an 18 - 12 lead early in the fourth quarter. TE Billy Miller had the best game of his young career. The 40 yard catch to set up his touchdown was the longest catch he's made in the NFL. Miller led the Texans in receiving with 78 yards. The most penalized team in the league added 8 more to their season. The defense give up big penalties at key times to keep Jacksonville drives alive. Offensively, Houston only had 242 total yards. One big play came on special teams with only 3 minutes left in the game. Jacksonville punted the ball to Houston's Jabar Gaffney. Gaffney fielded the ball and lateraled to cornerback Aaron Glenn. Glenn returned the punt 48 yards to the Jacksonville 33 yard line, setting up the game winning field goal by Kris Brown. Jacksonville Jaguars: Rookie John Henderson is proving to be a nice replacement for the defensive line. His sack on David Carr was a very loud pop as he came straight up the middle. QB Mark Brunell had a horrible game but didn't commit a turnover. He seemed off target often missing wide open receivers. He was also flagged for delay of game penalty on the Texans 21 yard line on 3rd and 8. You have to wonder if he's still having trouble from the latest concussion. The Jaguars only had 290 yards of total offense. They continually had good field position to start their drives because of good returns from Bobby Shaw and Elvis Joseph. Fred Taylor was held in check most of the night because of his style of running compared to the Texan's style of defense. The cruel joke continues as a healthy Taylor was pulled again at the goalline for Mack to score a TD. Tampa Bay 12 at Carolina 9 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: K Martin Gramatica made all four field goal tries, three of them in the 4th quarter, including a 53-yarder. QB Rob Johnson, playing in place of injured starter Brad Johnson almost was the goat. With the game tied, less than two minutes to go, and within field goal range, he let the play clock expire on 3rd down, moving the offense out of Gramatica's range. But on the next play, he scrambled for the first down to put them right back in it. He was injured on the play, however, and gave way to Shawn King for one play before Gramatica hit the game-winner. WR Joe Jurevicius led the team with five catches for 55 yards but left in the 3rd quarter sprained right knee and ankle. He did not return. DT Anthony McFarland broke his right wrist. The Bucs will miss his run-stuffing ability if he is out for an extended period of time. Carolina Panthers: QB Randy Fasani took a beating and hung tough but he was pretty awful, completing 5-18 for just 46 yards and three interceptions. He was sacked three times and hit about a dozen more. RB Lamar Smith didn't put up gaudy numbers (22-82-0) but he kept the train rolling until the 4th quarter, when the offense died when Fasani couldn't get anything going. Carolina's defense did the job again, limiting the Bucs to just 71 yards on 26 carries and sacking Johnson five times. PR Steve Smith had a pretty bad day. He caught only one ball (albeit for 39 yards) and his muffed punt led to Tampa Bay's game-tying field goal with 1:55 to go. Arizona 28 at San Francisco 38 Arizona Cardinals: QB Jake Plummer is Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde. This game was vintage Plummer. One minute he looks poised and smart, the next minute he's turning the ball over. Plummer had great passing yardage (286), but threw three INTs and no TDs. Had a nice 34 yard rushing TD. WR David Boston appears to be healthy now and was effective finishing with six catches for 83 yards. Frank Sanders drawing attention on the other side definitely helps Boston's game. Welcome to another RB mess. Both Thomas Jones and Marcel Shipp combined for a good running game, but this is a murky situation now. Jones had 15 rushes for 54 yards and a TD. Shipp only had six rushes for 27 yards, but he did get two TDs All three TDs by Arizona RBs were easy. Arizona's offensive line is huge and they run-block with authority. San Francisco 49ers: This is the kind of game that reminds us why Jeff Garcia was picked in the first round. Garcia was precise and smart all day. He finished 18 for 28, and 252 yards. Most importantly, Garcia had four TD passes and no interceptions. RB Kevan Barlow looked like a man among boys. Barlow is a frightening combination of speed, moves, and power. Garrison Hearst left the game and did not return apparently re-injuring his hamstring. Keep an eye on this. Hearst was very effective when he was in rushing 5 times for 35 yards. WR Terrell Owens exploded for eight catches, 132 yards, and two TDs. Owens' best play was a spectacular 61 yard TD catch and run. Owens dominated the Cardinals' pass defense all day. The 49er pass defense was bad. Jake Plummer tore apart the 49ers' DBs. The run defense wasn't any better. The 49ers' defense was supposed to be greatly improved that is not the case so far. This was evident at New Orleans, and is clearly the 49ers greatest weakness. Indianapolis 21 at Washington 26 Indianapolis Colts: The first half was the worst showing for the Colts in recent memory. After the first half, the Colt's Passing Offense was opened up to rally from a 20-0 deficit, and would have forced a tie deep into the 4th quarter if a 2 point conversion pass to Ismail had been successful. Edgerrin James left the game with a strained Hamstring and was replaced primarily by Ricky Williams. The Colts relied on the pass with James out of the game. Coach Tony Dungy indicated James' injury wasn't serious, but it was bad enough to remove him in the fourth quarter with the game on the line. Washington Redskins: This was not Steve Spurrier Football today, as the Redskins took their time, patiently advanced the ball, and relied on FGs for the win. The Redskins also led going into Halftime for the first time this season. Shane Matthews was methodical and mistake free in the win. Matthews' ability to play mistake free football was even more impressive when you account for Pro Bowl left tackle Chris Samuels and right guard Brendan Stai who missed the game with injuries. The Redskins had committed nine turnovers and allowed 13 sacks in the previous two games with rookie Ramsey. Stephen Davis was very effective early but left the game after re-injuring the right knee he hurt earlier in the season. He was replaced by Kenny Watson who finished with 67 yards on 15 carries. The Redskins ran 37 times and passed 36. NY Giants 3 at Philadelphia 17 New York Giants: QB Kerry Collins had an interesting game. Nice yardage but that was about it. He completed 20 passes for 254 yards to 8 different receivers against Philadelphia's stingy defense. Over 80 of those yards were thrown in New York's final drive, when the game was already out of hand. He didn't throw a single touchdown or interception, but did fumble the ball twice. He recovered both fumbles. He looked hesitant through out the game. Jeremy Shockey was Collins favorite target catching 6 balls for 69 yards. After making comments about Philadelphia's secondary, calling them lucky, earlier in the week, he played like he was trying to back up his own words. Shockey was penalized 15 yards for taunting after making a 21- yard catch. He was hit hard every time he touched the ball. He played well considering that he played with a hurt toe. The Giants run defense was terrible. They allowed both McNabb (111) and Staley (126) to rush for over 100 yards apiece. Ike Hilliard left the game with a dislocated shoulder on a late hit by Brian Dawkins. Philadelphia Eagles: Duce Staley gained over 100 yards (126) on the ground for the second week in a row. He ran over New York's defense just like he did to Tampa Bay last week. He gained yardage in huge chunks over and over again and ate tons of clock. Andy Reid is gaining confidence in Staley and will continue to use him until it stops working. He added 37 yards in the air. He's a workhorse. Donovan McNabb became the 2nd quarterback to rush for 2 100-yard games in a single season in 30 years. And it's only week eight. New York's secondary blanketed Philadelphia's receivers all game. So McNabb beat them with his feet. Some runs were designed others were just stepping up into the pocket and finding huge lanes. He finished the Giants with a 40-yard touchdown run. It was the only touchdown of the game. He added 137 yards in the air on 14 completions. James Thrash was the recipient of half of them. This game went into the 4th quarter 9-3. It was reminiscent of last year's battle in which Philadelphia came storming back in the 4th quarter. All game you kept wondering if it was payback time. The Eagles let the Giants stay in it way too long. It is a credit to the stingy Philadelphia defense, for never letting the Giants back into the game or giving up any huge plays.