San Francisco 49ers 19, Detroit Lions 13

San Francisco 49ers - San Francisco won its second game in a row with a 19-13 victory at Ford Field. Frank Gore opened the scoring when he took a handoff 61 yards on a third and 16 draw play on the team’s first drive. Gore rushed for a career high 159 yards before leaving the game in the third quarter with a reported concussion.

Alex Smith completed 14 of 20 pass attempts for 136 yards without a touchdown or an interception. Arnaz Battle led the 49ers with six catches for 55 yards.

Detroit Lions - The Lions came out of the gates flat in the contest and an early fumble by Kevin Jones led to a 49er field goal. Jones on the day had 115 total yards with 44 yards rushing and nine catches for 71 yards.

Roy Williams led the Lions’ receivers with five catches for 81 yards while Dan Campbell scored the team’s lone touchdown on a scramble and throw by Jon Kitna. Kitna had an opportunity late in the game to put his team ahead but was intercepted at the goal line and finished 19 of 30 for 202 yards.

What you ought to know

QB Alex Smith, Pass: 14 - 20 - 136 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 8 - 15 - 0 - Smith was efficient and safe with the football completing 14 of 20 attempts without an interception. He just missed on a long toss to Antonio Bryant but the ball tipped off the receivers’ fingertips in the end zone.

RB Frank Gore, Rush: 22 - 159 - 1, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (2 targets) - Gore had his career performance interrupted by a reported concussion in the third quarter. On the afternoon Gore rushed 22 times for 159 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown came on the 49ers first possession of the game when he took a third and 16 draw play 61 yards to pay dirt. Gore completed the first half with 18 carries for 148 yards. He added two catches for 14 yards to his total.

RB Maurice Hicks, Rush: 9 - 20 - 0, Rec: 2 - 18 - 0 (2 targets) - Hicks spelled the injured Frank Gore and carried nine times for 20 yards while catching two balls for 18 yards. Hicks was unable to enjoy the success of starter Gore who left with a reported concussion.

RB Michael Robinson, Rush: 5 - 4 - 0 - Robinson carried the ball five times for four yards and was used almost exclusively in short yardage situations.

WR Arnaz Battle, Pass: 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rec: 6 - 55 - 0 (9 targets) - Battle led the 49ers with six catches and 55 yards as he converted a number of key first downs for the 49ers.

WR Antonio Bryant, Rec: 2 - 42 - 0 (7 targets) - Bryant caught only two of the seven balls thrown his way for 42 yards. He did have a long toss go off his fingertips in the end zone.

TE Eric Johnson, Rec: 2 - 7 - 0 (2 targets) - Johnson caught both balls thrown his way for a total of seven yards. Both catches were out of a scramble by Alex Smith as he was a secondary option on both completions.

PK Joe Nedney 4 - 4 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 13 points - Nedney was perfect on the afternoon kicking four field goals including a 47 yarder in the fourth quarter. He was also successful on his lone extra point attempt.

SF Rush Defense - The 49ers’ rush defense held the Lions’ run game in check limiting Kevin Jones to 44 yards on 13 carries. Brandon Moore led the team in tackles with seven including two sacks of Jon Kitna.

SF Pass Defense - The 49ers’ pass defense allowed 202 yards and a touchdown but did have a critical interception in the fourth quarter by Keith Lewis to preserve the victory. Lewis also forced a Kevin Jones fumble in the first half that led to a 49ers’ field goal.

QB Jon Kitna, Pass: 19 - 30 - 202 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 4 - 27 - 0 - Kitna spent most of the afternoon holding on to the ball for extended periods of time as the 49ers’ defense confused him with coverage. He finished with 202 yards and a touchdown as well as an interception. He completed 19 of 30 attempts and had an opportunity to put the team ahead in the fourth quarter but threw a key interception that sealed the team’s fate.

RB Kevin Jones, Rush: 13 - 44 - 0, Rec: 9 - 71 - 0 (11 targets) - Jones struggled running the ball as he was held to 44 yards on 13 carries versus the 49er front seven. He did catch nine of the 11 balls thrown his way for 71 yards but his fumble in the first quarter led to a 49ers’ field goal.

WR Roy Williams, Rec: 5 - 81 - 0 (9 targets) - Williams led the Lions’ receivers with five catches for 81 yards, as he was double and triple teamed all afternoon. Williams was the victim of some tough bumps and some questionable calls as he was constantly bumped and had a couple of balls just out of reach in the end zone.

WR Mike Furrey, Rec: 2 - 13 - 0 (4 targets) - Furrey had two catches for 13 yards.

TE Dan Campbell, Rec: 2 - 32 - 1 (2 targets) - Campbell caught both balls thrown his way for 32 yards and the team’s lone touchdown. Campbell alertly headed towards the end zone on a Kitna scramble and caught the short pass for the quarterback.

TE Marcus Pollard, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (3 targets) - Pollard caught one pass for 5 yards.

PK Jason Hanson 2 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points - Hanson was perfect on the afternoon with two field goals and an extra point. His longest field goal on the afternoon came from 33 yards.

DET Rush Defense - Frank Gore gashed the Lions’ rush defense as the second year back seldom went down on first contact including breaking tackles on a 61 yard touchdown jaunt on the 49ers’ first possession. Terrence Holt led the Lions with five tackles.

DET Pass Defense - The Lions’ pass defense did not allow a touchdown and held Alex Smith to 136 yards. Corey Redding had two sacks for the Lions as well as a forced fumble.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10, Carolina Panthers 24

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - The Buccaneers led 7-0 at the half after frustrating the Panthers’ offense. Bruce Gradkowski found Ike Hilliard for a six yard touchdown on the Buccaneers’ third possession but he also threw two interceptions to end the last two possessions of the first half. The Buccaneers produced very little on offense in the second half and were held to a field goal.

Cadillac Williams did not have much success running the football. He was held to 44 yards on 15 carries and also lost a fumble.

Joey Galloway and Michael Clayton saw eight and seven targets respectively, but Galloway was the most impressive receiver for the Buccaneers. All of his five catches went for a first down.

The defense shut out the Panthers in the first half and almost totally closed down the running game. They were responsible for two first half turnovers. Steve Smith proved to be too much to handle in the second half as the defense gave up 24 points.

Carolina Panthers - The Panthers looked dreadful on offense in the first half but turned the game around after the interval. Jake Delhomme found Keyshawn Johnson to give the Panthers the lead, and he finished the game off with a 36 yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith.

The running game did not look very convincing. DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams both struggled. Brad Hoover was used in short yardage situations and ended the game with the only rushing touchdown.

Steve Smith had three first half receptions for a total of 32 yards but he exploded in the second half. He ended with eight receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown. Keyshawn Johnson also caught a touchdown pass.

The Panthers’ defense did a great job all night. Julius Peppers had three sacks and caused trouble throughout the game, despite being double-teamed. The defense created four turnovers.

What you ought to know

QB Bruce Gradkowski, Pass: 17 - 32 - 173 - 1 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 5 - 22 - 0 - Gradkowski led an encouraging opening drive and narrowly overthrew Joey Galloway on what would have been a 50 yard touchdown. Galloway was heavily involved on the Buccaneers’ third drive. He slipped and then recovered to catch a 27 yard pass for a first down, and then had a seven yard first down reception later in the drive to set up a score. Gradkowski struggled later in the half as Julius Peppers penetrated the line for two sacks. He managed to find Ike Hilliard for a 17 yard gain on third and 12, but then threw a pick to Ken Lucas when looking deep for Joey Galloway. Gradkowski made an error on the following drive when throwing deep for Michael Clayton and the pass was intercepted by Shaun Williams. Gradkowski started the second half badly by fumbling the ball away to Peppers on the opening possession. He had very little success after that until the fourth quarter when he hit Galloway for gains of 26 yards and 19 yards on consecutive plays. The drive ended in a field goal for Tampa Bay’s only points of the second half. Gradkowski was sacked by Peppers again on fourth and ten with two minutes remaining.

RB Cadillac Williams, Rush: 15 - 44 - 0 (2 targets) - Williams was not impressive in this game. He carried 15 times for a total of 44 yards but only had three gains over five yards with a high of 11 yards. The line did not open many holes and he was regularly stopped for short gains. Williams fumbled away possession in the second half after running into his own lineman. He did not catch either of the passes thrown his way.

RB Mike Alstott, Rush: 2 - 3 - 0, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (3 targets) - Alstott was used twice in short yardage situations, converting one on a one yard run. He was targeted three times in the passing game, catching one for a loss and another for an 18 yard gain before dropping the final pass.

RB Michael Pittman, Rec: 1 - 0 - 0 (2 targets) - Pittman was used to return kicks. He caught one pass for no gain from his two targets. He did not carry the ball during the game.

WR Joey Galloway, Rec: 5 - 87 - 0 (8 targets) - Galloway was the most heavily targeted receiver for the Buccaneers, and also the most dangerous. He was overthrown on the opening possession for what would have been a 50 yard touchdown. He was a factor on the third drive as he slipped and then recovered to make a 27 yard reception. Galloway then converted a first down with a seven yard reception and the drive led to a touchdown. Gradkowski targeted Galloway deep later in the first half, but the pass was intercepted by Ken Lucas. The Buccaneers struggled in the second half and it was Galloway that gave the team a spark. He caught consecutive passes of 26 yards and 19 yards to set up a field goal and also had a nine yard reception for a first down on Tampa Bay’s final drive of the game. Galloway ended with five receptions for a total of 87 yards, and each catch brought up a first down.

WR Ike Hilliard, Rec: 4 - 30 - 1 (4 targets) - Hilliard was only targeted four times in the game, but he caught every ball thrown in his direction. He gave the team the lead by catching a six yard touchdown pass on the Buccaneers’ third possession of the game. Hilliard made a 17 yard reception on third and 12 later in the first half. His other two receptions were for small gains.

WR Michael Clayton, Rec: 2 - 22 - 0 (7 targets) - Clayton dropped a pass on the opening play of the game. He did manage to convert a third down on the opening drive, catching a 16 yard pass. Clayton had another short gain and was targeted five times in the first half. The last came when Gradkowski looked deep for Clayton, but the pass was overthrown and intercepted by Shaun Williams. Clayton was only targeted twice in the second half. The first pass was uncatchable and Clayton dropped the second. He also got into a fight with Chris Gamble at one point but no action was taken against either player.

TE Alex Smith, Rec: 3 - 18 - 0 (5 targets) - Smith caught three of his five targets for a total of 18 yards.

PK Matt Bryant 1 - 1 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - Bryant made his extra point attempt and converted a 28 yard field goal and was perfect on the night.

TB Rush Defense - The Buccaneers did not allow the Panthers to make significant gains on the ground, holding them to 78 net rushing yards on 30 attempts. With LB Shelton Quarles and DT Ellis Wyms inactive, the feat was even more impressive. They did allow Brad Hoover to score on a five yard run however.

TB Pass Defense - The pass defense did an excellent job in the first half, holding Steve Smith and Keyshawn Johnson to three receptions each for a total of 50 yards. Ronde Barber stripped the ball from Johnson on one occasion and Dewayne White recovered for the Buccaneers. Barber was again involved at the end of the half when intercepting a pass intended for Drew Carter. The second half was a different story as the defense could not stop Steve Smith. They surrendered a four yard touchdown to Keyshawn Johnson before blowing coverage and allowing Smith to score on a 36 yard reception.

QB Jake Delhomme, Pass: 22 - 34 - 240 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - 2 - 0 - Delhomme was not very effective in the first half. He started well by connecting on a 22 yard pass to Steve Smith but every Panthers’ drive stalled. Delhomme was intercepted by Ronde Barber on the Panthers’ final drive of the half when trying to find Drew Carter. The second half was a complete contrast as Delhomme threw for 166 yards and two touchdowns and was error free. Delhomme found Steve Smith for a 43 yard gain on the Panthers’ opening possession of the second half. He was fortunate not to be intercepted later in the drive but was able to lead the team into field goal range. Delhomme almost hit Keyshawn Johnson for a 29 yard touchdown on the following drive when Johnson appeared to make the catch in the end zone, but the pass was ruled incomplete. Delhomme responded by finding Steve Smith for a 21 yard gain and completed the drive with a four yard touchdown pass to Keyshawn Johnson. Delhomme finished strongly when the Buccaneers’ defense blew coverage allowing Steve Smith to get open for a 36 yard score.

RB DeShaun Foster, Rush: 13 - 48 - 0, Rec: 2 - 9 - 0 (3 targets) - Foster did not impress and was held to 48 yards on 13 carries. He converted on second and ten with a 13 yard run; his longest gain of the night. Brad Hoover was used in short yardage situations in the second half and was given the ball at the five yard line for the Panthers' only rushing touchdown of the game. Foster also saw DeAngelo Williams carry seven times. Foster was targeted three times, catching two passes for a total of nine yards.

RB DeAngelo Williams, Rush: 7 - 19 - 0, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (1 targets) - Williams almost fumbled on his first carry but his knee was ruled down before the ball came out. Four of his carries went for no gain or a loss. He did manage a 15 yard gain at the end of the game. Williams was targeted once, making the catch for an 11 yard gain on third and 17. The team also used him on kick returns.

RB Brad Hoover, Rush: 5 - 14 - 1, Rec: 3 - 18 - 0 (3 targets) - Hoover was given his first carry with the Panthers near their own goal line. He was used in short yardage situations in the second half, converting three times for a first down and also running in a five yard touchdown. Hoover caught all of his three targets for a total of 18 yards.

WR Steve Smith, Rush: 2 - -5 - 0, Rec: 8 - 149 - 1 (12 targets) - Smith had a quiet first half after making a 22 yard reception on the Panthers’ first passing play of the game. Torrie Cox was trying to cover Smith one on one and Delhomme exploited the situation with an accurate pass. Smith was far more effective in the second half. He converted on third and six by catching a deep ball for a 43 yard gain on the Panthers’ opening drive of the half. He followed that with two first down receptions of eight yards and 21 yards on the next drive. Smith’s biggest play came towards the end of the game when the Bucs blew their coverage allowing Smith to get wide open for a 36 yard touchdown reception. The Panthers tried to get Smith involved in the running game by running him on the reverse. He gained two yards on one and lost seven yards on the other. Smith announced earlier in the season that he no longer wished to return punts, but he was seen returning one in this game. Smith was ill during the game and vomited into a garbage can between drives.

WR Keyshawn Johnson, Rec: 6 - 37 - 1 (10 targets) - Johnson was very involved in the passing game. He made a ten yard reception for what would have been a first down, but Ronde Barber stripped the ball and the Buccaneers recovered. Johnson had gains of five yards and 13 yards later in the first half, but the drives were not productive. Johnson did well to catch a tipped pass on the Panthers’ opening possession of the second half, and the drive led to a field goal. On the following drive, Johnson stretched to make a 29 yard catch in the end zone. He landed on his elbow and appeared to be just inside the line, but the pass was ruled out of bounds. Delhomme found Johnson for a four yard touchdown pass later in the drive. Johnson became the first man to score touchdowns for four different teams on Monday Night Football.

WR Drew Carter (1 targets) - Carter was only targeted once in the game and the pass was intercepted by Ronde Barber.

WR Keary Colbert (1 targets) - Colbert was targeted once in the end zone but the ball was uncatchable.

TE Michael Gaines, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (1 targets) - Gaines was targeted once in the game. He caught the pass for a six yard gain.

TE Kris Mangum, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (1 targets) - Mangum saw one target in the game. He made the reception for a ten yard gain and a first down.

PK John Kasay 1 - 1 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 6 points - Kasay was perfect on the night, making a 28 yard field goal and converting three extra points.

CAR Rush Defense - The Panthers held the Buccaneers to 69 net rushing yards. Cadillac Williams gained just 44 yards on 15 carries and Mike Minter also recovered a Williams' fumble. Bruce Gradkowski scrambled on several occasions and was stripped of the ball by Chris Draft for Julius Peppers to recover another fumble.

CAR Pass Defense - Julius Peppers had a huge game, registering three sacks as well as a fumble recovery. He was double-teamed, but managed to pressure Gradkowski regularly. Ken Lucas and Shaun Williams each had an interception as Gradkowski threw two inaccurate deep passes. After surrendering a touchdown in the first half, the Panthers’ defense stepped things up after the break. Gamble and Draft were both shaken up during the game but quickly returned.

New York Jets 17, New England Patriots 14

New York Jets - The Jets played a very aggressive game. They just seemed to want the game more than the Patriots. Pennington played well, allowing the Jets to control the ball and limit mistakes and the receivers came up with extra yards after the catch to pick up key first downs. The defense blitzed very effectively, at times throwing off Brady’s timing and grabbing an interception. A second interception was negated by a roughing the passer penalty.

Chad Pennington completed 66% of his passes for 168 yards and one touchdown. While Pennington didn’t throw for many yards, he was able to keep the chains moving with short passes. He led the Jets on three drives of ten or more plays.

Kevan Barlow ran the ball well; gaining 75 yards on 17 carries. Barlow had a second quarter touchdown run that gave the Jets a 7-3 lead. He was the workhorse of the drive, carrying nine times for 42 yards and the touchdown. Leon Washington also added 35 yards.

Jerricho Cotchery led the Jets with six catches for 70 yards and a touchdown. He made a great play on a Pennington pass in the end zone. He caught it right along the side of the end zone out jumping a Patriots’ defender.

New England Patriots - New England was outplayed by the Jets in this game. The Patriots scored a late touchdown to make it close and did get a final possession with a chance to tie it with a field goal. That drive ended with the Jets’ defense coming up big with a sack of Brady and caused a fumble.

Tom Brady was 25 of 37 for 255 yards. He threw one touchdown late in the game but was also picked off once and fumbled to end the game. He threw a second interception but that was called back when he was driven into the turf by the Jets’ defender. Brady spread the ball around to nine different receivers.

Corey Dillon led the Patriots with 98 yards rushing, including a 50 yard run. Maroney added 37 yards on the ground and Heath Evans carried a couple of times, picking up first downs on both carries. Even with Dillon’s 50 yard run, the Patriots were only able to get a field goal on the drive.

Reche Caldwell had a career day, catching nine balls for 90 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown came on a tipped ball that he was able to bring in and then break a couple of tackles. Eight other players caught passes from Brady but none had more than three catches. Doug Gabriel had two catches for 30 yards but he had a big fumble on a catch and run of 22 yards. At the end of the run he had the ball knocked loose and recovered by the Jets. The fumble came with the Patriots leading 3-0. The Jets took the ball and drove the field for a touchdown and never looked back.

Rodney Harrison was out with a broken shoulder blade and the Patriots could have used him. They just didn’t seem to have the usual intensity that they bring to the game on defense. The Jets just seemed to want this one and wouldn’t be stopped. The loss gives the Patriots consecutive losses for the first time in 57 games. San Francisco holds the record with 60 games from 1995-1999.

What you ought to know

QB Chad Pennington, Pass: 22 - 33 - 168 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - 4 - 0 - Pennington managed the game very well on a day when the weather was nasty and the field was even worse. Pennington was 22 of 33 for just 168 yards. He completed a lot of short passes and was able to move the Jets down the field on a couple of long scoring drives. He led them on a 16 play touchdown drive and a 15 play drive for a field goal. He also hit Cotchery in the end zone in the fourth quarter. It was a slightly ill advised pass but Cotchery went up and made a great play on the ball and managed to keep his feet in bounds on the side of the end zone.

RB Kevan Barlow, Rush: 17 - 75 - 1, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (1 targets) - Barlow ran hard and picked up 75 yards and a touchdown. He carried nine times on the drive he scored the touchdown. He also picked up three fourth quarter first downs on the ground to extend the three New York drives. It allowed the Jets to chew up a lot of time in the fourth quarter. His only catch came in the fourth quarter. He picked up seven yards and then got the first down on the next play with a four yard run. Jets leaned on him to extend drives and keep the Jets’ defense off the field.

RB Leon Washington, Rush: 9 - 35 - 0, Rec: 2 - 1 - 0 (3 targets) - Washington carried nine times for 35 yards. He also caught a couple of very short passes that gained one total yard. Most of his carries came in the second half when the Jets switched up the running style from Barlow’s tough running to Washington finesse runs.

RB B.J. Askew, Rec: 2 - 9 - 0 (2 targets) - Askew was thrown to a couple of times, picking up nine yards. He was used as a change of pace. He did pick up a first down on his first catch. That drive led to a field goal.

WR Jerricho Cotchery, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0, Rec: 6 - 70 - 1 (8 targets) - Cotchery caught six passes for 70 and a touchdown. The TD was the catch of the game for the Jets. With the Jets up just 10-6, Cotchery made a great play on the pass and got both feet down in the end zone. It put the Jets up 17-6 and was the deciding score of the game. Including the touchdown, six of Cotchery’s receptions went for a first down.

WR Laveranues Coles, Rec: 5 - 29 - 0 (11 targets) - Coles made five catches for 29 yards. Pennington looked his way most often and tried hitting him deep on a few passes but to no avail. All of Coles’ completions came on short passes and he was able to pick up a couple of first downs on two of the New York scoring drives.

WR Justin McCareins, Rec: 3 - 31 - 0 (3 targets) - McCareins caught all three passes thrown his way. He made a nice play on a 23 yard catch in the first quarter. He caught a short pass and added extra yardage after the catch. The drive ended in a punt though.

WR Tim Dwight, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (3 targets) - Dwight was used sparingly on the offensive side of the ball. He was thrown to three times, catching two passes for 14 yards.

TE Chris Baker, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (3 targets) - Baker caught just one pass for seven yards. His catch came in the first quarter. Pennington went right back to him on the next play for an incomplete pass. He didn’t get another look until the final New York drive of the game. That was incomplete too.

PK Mike Nugent 1 - 1 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points - Nugent made his only field goal try of the game from 34 yards. He also made both extra points. With the sloppy field, neither team was quick to trot out the kicker, instead going for it on fourth down or punting.

NYJ Rush Defense - The Jets gave up a 50 yard run to Dillon in the first quarter. After that they were solid, giving up just 58 yards in the final three quarters. They gave up a short run on fourth and one. It extended the drive for the Patriots and led to field goal. With the field being muddy and the ball wet, being able to control the ground game was a key factor in the Jets winning the game.

NYJ Pass Defense - The Jets’ pass defense bent but rarely broke. They gave up yardage to Brady but they forced a couple of big turnovers and recorded four sacks. They blitzed effectively and forced Brady into some errant throws. With the Patriots up 3-0 and driving, the Jets stripped the ball from Gabriel after a 22 yard pass play down to the Jets 15 yard line. It was the turning point of the game because the Jets drove the field for the go ahead touchdown right after the fumble. They got an easy interception on a poorly thrown ball over the middle. They had a second interception against Brady but it was nullified due to a rougher the passer penalty. The defense made up for it on the final play of the game with the Patriots trying to drive down the field. The Jets got to Brady and forced a fumble with time running out.

QB Tom Brady, Pass: 25 - 37 - 255 - 1 TD / 1 INT - On a day when the field was sloppy, Brady was forced to throw 37 times. He completed 25 passes for 255 yards. He threw a touchdown and an interception. His touchdown throw was tipped at the line and Reche Caldwell made a nice catch and broke a couple of tackles to get to the end zone. Brady’s interception was not a good pass, thrown behind his receiver over the middle. He was also picked off again but was given a reprieve after Victor Hobson drove him into the turf and got flagged for a penalty. Brady took advantage and led the Patriots to a field goal on that drive. Brady tried to lead the Patriots to a game tying field goal with time running out. He ended up getting sacked and fumbled the ball. The Patriots recovered but time had expired.

RB Corey Dillon, Rush: 11 - 98 - 0, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (1 targets) - Dillon carried 11 times for 98 yards. He had a 50 yard run in the first quarter. It was the first 50 yard run of the Bill Belichick era in New England. Also, it was Dillon’s longest run since 2002 when he was with the Bengals. The Corey Dillon of old would have likely scored but the 2006 version ran out of gas and was caught by the defense. Dillon picked up five first downs. The Patriots brought Maroney in when they got into the red zone so Dillon never really got close to scoring.

RB Laurence Maroney, Rush: 12 - 37 - 0 (1 targets) - Maroney carried 12 times for 37 yards. The Patriots like to use him as they get into the red zone, taking away scoring chances from Dillon. He had a carry from the Jets’ four yard line but lost a yard. On the next play Brady got sacked. The only pass thrown to him was picked off by the Jets in the fourth quarter. It was a poor pass by Brady with Maroney never really having a chance to catch it.

RB Kevin Faulk, Rec: 3 - 23 - 0 (3 targets) - Faulk was only used in the passing game. He caught all three passes thrown his way for 23 yards. He made a really nice one handed grab by the sideline but came up just short of a first down.

RB Heath Evans, Rush: 2 - 8 - 0 - Evans had a couple of carries, both resulting in first downs. One of the carries was a fourth and one try. The drive continued and resulted in a field goal.

WR Reche Caldwell, Rec: 9 - 90 - 1 (13 targets) - It was a career day for Caldwell. He caught nine passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. He came back for the ball after it was tipped at the line. He made a nice move to avoid a couple of New York defenders and sprinted to the end zone. His touchdown put the Patriots right back in the game. He then caught a pass to convert the two point conversion, leaving the Patriots just three points behind with 4:22 to go in the fourth quarter.

WR Jabar Gaffney, Rec: 3 - 65 - 0 (5 targets) - Gaffney made three catches for 65 yards. His big catch came with the Patriots down 17-6 in the fourth quarter. Gaffney got behind the defense and pulled in the long pass for 33 yards. Three plays later the Patriots got the touchdown from Caldwell and used only 31 seconds on the drive.

WR Troy Brown, Rec: 2 - 15 - 0 (5 targets) - Brown caught two passes for 15 yards. Brady tried hitting him deep a couple of times. One was incomplete and one was intercepted. He had a 13 yard catch on the Patriots’ quick scoring drive in the fourth quarter

WR Doug Gabriel, Rec: 2 - 30 - 0 (2 targets) - Gabriel caught two passes for 30 yards. He made a nice catch and run but was caught from behind and fumbled the ball by the side line. The Jets recovered at their own 15 yard line. He didn’t see another pass after the fumble early in the second quarter.

WR Chad Jackson, Rec: 2 - 5 - 0 (2 targets) - Jackson caught just two short passes for five yards. He really wasn’t a factor in this game.

TE Ben Watson, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (5 targets) - Watson caught two passes for 16 yards. Brady looked his way five times including on a fourth and three in the fourth quarter. It went for six yards. The drive eventually ended in a punt. All five of his looks came in the second half, with four of them in the fourth quarter.

TE Daniel Graham, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (3 targets) - Graham had just one catch for six yards. Brady threw to him deep late in the third quarter but it was incomplete.

PK Stephen Gostkowski 2 - 2 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 6 points - He made both field goals with a long of 31 yards. The Patriots went for a two point conversion in the fourth quarter so he had no extra point attempts.

NE Rush Defense - The Patriots’ rush defense gave up 110 yards to the Jets’ rushing tandem of Barlow and Washington. They allowed a rushing touchdown to Barlow in the second quarter. On the Barlow touchdown drive, the Patriots gave up a fourth down conversion for the first time this year. Pennington picked up three yards on fourth and one from the Patriots 23 yard line. New England just didn’t seem to be their usual aggressive, attacking defense.

NE Pass Defense - New England’s pass defense only sacked Pennington once and intercepted him once. Pennington picked them apart with short range passes. The New England defense gave up scoring drives of 15 and 16 plays. The Patriots didn’t play aggressive enough in this game. Too many times the Jets receivers caught passes and were able to gain yards after the catch to pick up the first down. The Jets picked up 11 first downs via the pass, five of those on third down.

Green Bay Packers 23, Minnesota Vikings 17

Green Bay Packers - QB Brett Favre had one of his best games in the Metrodome in what has been a very difficult place for him and the Packers to win in the past. Favre was only 4-10 lifetime in Minnesota coming into this game. He finished the game with 347 yards and two touchdowns, and played one of best games of the year by side stepping pressure and making big plays in crucial moments. Favre and the pass game were especially effective in converting on third down, especially in key situations. He also protected the ball as the Packers had no turnovers. The Packers’ young offensive line did a good job of protecting Favre and giving him time to find his receivers.

Favre’s favorite target in the first half of the game was WR Donald Driver who had a huge half. Driver had the play of the game as he took a quick slant down the middle of the field 82 yards for a touchdown with less then a minute left in the first half. Driver finished the half with 151 receiving yards. The Vikings secondary was able to do a better job of covering Driver in the second half but not before he added another 40 more yards. He finished with a career high 191 receiving yards and one touchdown.

RB Ahman Green and the Packers’ running game didn’t fare as well as the passing game did against a Vikings’ defense that was ranked number one against the run coming into this game. DT Pat Williams caused havoc for the rush game and made it very difficult for the Packers to run between the tackles. Green was often meet with defenders in the back field and only managed 55 yards rushing on 22 carries.

Minnesota Vikings - Brad Johnson had a decent game statistically going 18 for 30 for 257 yards and one touchdown, but he also had trouble protecting the ball again. He had a fumble and interception as he and the Vikings lost their third consecutive game. Johnson almost had a second touchdown when he hit RB Chester Taylor on 15 yard pass, but he fumbled right before crossing the goal line when he was hit by a Packer defender. The ball was recovered in the end zone by WR Billy McMullen. Johnson was less productive in the second half as the Vikings’ offense only managed three points and was unable to convert third downs. He was harassed most of the game as the Vikings struggled on pass coverage when the Packers blitzed. Johnson also struggled with his pass accuracy and decision making in the second half.

RB Chester Taylor had a workman like performance of 75 yards on 20 carries. The Packers’ run defense did not make it easy for Taylor all day and he was never able to break off a big play, as his longest run of the day was only 11 yards. Taylor’s best scoring opportunity was a 15 yard reception over the middle, but he fumbled the ball before crossing the goal line.

It was the Vikings’ back up receivers that made plays in this game. WR Bethel Johnson and WR Billy McMullen combined for 139 receiving yards. McMullen caught the Vikings’ only touchdown pass on a play in which the Packers had a total breakdown in there pass coverage and left him wide open along the left sideline and it led to an easy touchdown pass. The score snapped a ten quarter offensive scoreless touchdown streak for the Vikings. McMullen got Minnesota’s other touchdown when he fell on Chester Taylor’s fumble in the end zone.

What you ought to know

QB Brett Favre, Pass: 24 - 42 - 347 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - -2 - 0 - Favre had a magnificent performance against what has been one of the better defenses the first half of the season. He had a big first half as he had 189 passing yards with two touchdowns. His first touchdown pass came as the result of the Packers inability to score inside the five yard line running ball. That led to a five yard touchdown pass to running back Noah Herron out of the backfield on third down. Favre’s second touchdown in the first half came with less then a minute left as he hit wide receiver Donald Driver on a quick slant up the middle and he took it 82 yards for a touchdown.

Favre was well protected by a young, inexperienced line throughout the game as they did not give up a sack. The Green Bay line had done a solid job of protecting Favre most of the season so far only giving up nine sacks coming into this game. Favre did not lead the Packers to a touchdown in the second half, but did put up 158 yards of passing and led them to two field goals. Favre’s success in the passing game was the difference to the game since they struggled running the ball against Minnesota.

RB Ahman Green, Rush: 22 - 55 - 0 (2 targets) - Green had 41 yards on 14 carries in the first half against Vikings run defense that ranked number one coming into this game. He did have some scoring opportunities in the first half. He had a couple of goal line carries in the first quarter, but was stopped by a tough Vikings run defense. Green also missed a catchable ball thrown to him from Brett Favre in the first quarter in the end zone.

The yards came a lot harder in the second half as he only had 14 yards on eight carries as the Minnesota run defense stepped it up. He had a couple of scoring opportunities in the third quarter when he had a run and a pass thrown to him inside the Vikings’ ten yard line, but otherwise it was a very quiet half for Green.

RB William Henderson, Rec: 6 - 26 - 0 (6 targets) - Henderson had two pass receptions for ten yards in the first half of the game. He had another 16 yards receiving in the second half with four more receptions.

RB Noah Herron, Rush: 2 - -6 - 0, Rec: 2 - 11 - 1 (3 targets) - Herron’s biggest play of the game was a five yard touchdown he caught on a swing pass from Brett Favre in the first half. Herron added one other catch for six yards, but was held to negative yardage in the running game on two carries.

WR Donald Driver, Rec: 6 - 191 - 1 (11 targets) - Driver had a huge first half as he had 151 receiving yards and one touchdown. He caught three big passes on third and long on the on the Packers first scoring drive totaling 69 receiving yards on the drive. Driver’s biggest play was when he caught an 82 yard pass with less then a minute left in the first half as Favre hit him quick slant up the middle and he took it all the way.

The Vikings did a much better job covering Driver in the second half. He had 40 yards receiving in that half including a 30 yard play when fellow wide receiver Greg Jennings threw a lateral to Driver after a reception. It was one of the bigger plays of the second half because it set up the Packers’ first field goal of the half.

WR Ruvell Martin, Rec: 3 - 47 - 0 (8 targets) - Martin had a nice second half as he had all of his 47 receiving yards in the second half. He had a 13 yard catch on third down play for a first down in the third quarter. He made a nice 14 yard reception when he made the catch back across his body on a ball thrown behind him in the fourth quarter. Martin made another nice 20 yard reception up the middle of the field and took a big hit after the catch, but he held onto the ball. Martin seems to make a nice third receiver in this offense and Favre’s confidence in him as a reliable receiver seems to be growing.

WR Greg Jennings, Rec: 3 - 38 - 0 (5 targets) - Jennings started this game despite dealing with a sprained ankle. Jennings had a big catch in the third quarter for 12 yards and tossed a lateral pass to Donald Driver who took it another 30 yards and brought the ball to the Minnesota 15 yard line. He also had an important 14 yard reception on a third down play in the third quarter to keep a drive alive.

TE Bubba Franks, Rec: 2 - 22 - 0 (2 targets) - Franks finally made a return to the stat line for the Packers by catching two passes for 22 yards in this game.

TE David Martin, Rec: 2 - 12 - 0 (5 targets) - Martin only had two catches for 12 yards but was targeted five times by Brett Favre in the game.

PK Dave Rayner 3 - 3 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 11 points - Rayner was three for three for field goals in the game and all of his attempts were within 30 yards. His first was a 20 yard field goal on the Packers’ second drive of the game. His second field goal game in the third quarter when he almost missed a 24 yard attempt by hitting the left upright, but the ball bounced through the uprights. His third field goal came with about two minutes left when he hit a 29 yard attempt that helped seal the Packers win.

GB Rush Defense - The Packers’ rush defense did a pretty good job of holding Chester Taylor to 75 yards on 20 carries. The longest run the Packers gave up in this game was a 15 yard carry to Mewelde Moore. Rookie linebacker A.J. Hawk was the star of the defense for the Packers as he was in on 13 tackles, he had one and half sacks, and forced a fumble.

GB Pass Defense - The Packers’ pass rush harassed Brad Johnson most of the game as they had four sacks and forced him to get rid of the ball much sooner then he wanted several times. They also had one interception in the game. This was a good performance by a pass defense that was ranked last coming into this game.

QB Brad Johnson, Pass: 18 - 30 - 257 - 1 TD / 1 INT - Johnson had a good first half as he was ten for 14 for 165 yards and one touchdown, but he did have a costly turnover in the half. On the first play of the Vikings second drive of the game, Johnson was sacked and lost the football. The Packers recovered the ball and turned it into a touchdown eventually. The Vikings’ line didn’t have its best game as they gave up four sacks and had trouble picking up the blitz. After the turnover Johnson came back by leading the Vikings on a 72 yard touchdown drive that was finished off with 40 yard pass to Billy McMullen. Johnson almost had a second touchdown pass in the second quarter to Chester Taylor, but he fumble just before crossing the goal line and wide receiver Billy McMullen fell on the ball for six points. Johnson’s other big play in the half was a deep pass to Bethel Johnson for 40 yards in which he hit him in full stride down the right sideline.

Johnson and the Vikings’ offense struggled in the second half as they only managed to score three points. He had an interception on a deep ball thrown down the left sideline on a pass to Bethel Johnson who appeared to quit on the route. Johnson and the offense were not able to make any big plays in the second half and struggled to make first downs.

RB Chester Taylor, Rush: 20 - 75 - 0, Rec: 2 - 20 - 0 (3 targets) - Taylor had 12 carries for 38 yards in the first half as the Packers did a good job of containing him in the half. Taylor caught a 15 yard pass and it appeared he would go in for a touchdown, but was hit by a defender just before he crossed the goal line and fumbled. His teammate Billy McMullen fell on the ball for his second touchdown of the game. That turned out be Taylor’s best and only real scoring opportunity of the game. He did remain the focal point of the Vikings offense as he racked up 95 total yards of offense, although Mewelde Moore got the majority of balls thrown to him out of the backfield in this game.

RB Mewelde Moore, Rush: 3 - 15 - 0, Rec: 5 - 57 - 0 (8 targets) - Moore’s biggest play of the game was 27 yard reception toward the end of the game that set up the Vikings only field goal of the game. He also had a team high eight targets in the game, but he was not much of factor in the running game as he had three carries for 15 yards.

RB Tony Richardson, Rec: 3 - 13 - 0 (2 targets) - Richardson failed to pick up a blitzing Packer linebacker in the first quarter that resulted in a sack and lost fumble. He did make a big third down catch for 14 yards because of a good second effort to break a tackle on the Vikings second touchdown drive of the game.

RB Artose Pinner - Pinner’s biggest impact in the game was an illegal block to the back that nullified a 105 kick return by Bethel Johnson to start the second half. He also had an offside penalty on an onside kick that the Vikings recovered at the end of the game. The Vikings were unsuccessful on there second onside attempt.

WR Billy McMullen, Rec: 3 - 64 - 1 (4 targets) - McMullen had his biggest game of the year scoring both of Minnesota’s touchdowns in the game. He caught a 40 yard touchdown pass from Brad Johnson on the first play of the second quarter. It appeared the Packers blew the coverage as McMullen ran down the left side of the field wide open and Johnson was able to find him all alone for the score. McMullen got his second touchdown in the first half after Chester Taylor fumbled at the goal line and he jumped on the ball in the end zone. He also had 18 yard catch late in the game and finished with 64 yards receiving.

WR Travis Taylor, Rec: 3 - 28 - 0 (5 targets) - Taylor had another unspectacular game as he had three catches for 28 yards. He simply has trouble getting open and got an offensive pass interference penalty on a key third down play in the game trying to get separation from the defender. This is a penalty he seems to get called for quite often.

WR Bethel Johnson, Rec: 2 - 75 - 0 (3 targets) - Johnson made a beautiful one handed catch with a defender draped on him for 35 yards in the second quarter that helped set up the Vikings second touchdown of the game. He had another big catch for 40 yards in the first half but was pretty much a non-factor in the passing offense after that play as he had no more receptions and only one more pass thrown his way. In what turned out to be a very big play in the game, Johnson had a 105 yard kick return for a touchdown to start the second half called back on an illegal block by Artose Pinner.

WR Troy Williamson (1 targets) - Williamson didn’t have any catches in the game and seems to have lost his confidence. He also seems to have lost the confidence of his quarterback because of his inability to catch the ball or run good routes. The second year receiver continues to be a big disappointment.

TE Jermaine Wiggins (2 targets) - Wiggins and the rest of the Vikings’ tight ends made no impact in the passing game as none of them made any receptions and Wiggins was the only one to have any passes thrown to him. Tight ends as pass receivers seem to be an after thought in this offense and hold little, if any value.

PK Ryan Longwell 1 - 1 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points - Longwell made a 34 yard field goal with less then two minutes as the Vikings tried to make up nine point deficit. He also added two extra points earlier in the game.

MIN Rush Defense - The defense came up with a big play early in the game by stopping the Packers on the Minnesota two yard line on a third down and inches play that forced Green Bay to kick a field goal. The Vikings’ defensive tackle, Pat Williams, dominated the Packers’ interior offensive linemen and made it very difficult for them to run the ball. Williams finished with a team high nine tackles. The Packers were held to only 47 total yards of offense in the game.

MIN Pass Defense - For as good as the Vikings’ run defense was in the game, the pass defense proved to be the Achilles heal of the defense. They allowed Bret Favre to throw for 347 yards and two touchdowns. The pass defense gave up several big plays on third down in the first half to Donald Driver. The biggest play was an 82 yard touchdown they gave up with less then one minute left in the first half. The pass defense also failed to make plays as they had no turnovers or sacks in the game against young, inexperienced Packers’ line.

Cleveland Browns 17, Atlanta Falcons 13

Cleveland Browns - Opening up a fourteen point lead early, Charlie Frye completed 16 of 22 passes for 165 yards and a touchdown. The Browns struggled on third downs in this game, and did not sustain many long drives, limiting the rhythm which Frye could establish with any receiver. Kellen Winslow tied for the team lead in targets and caught five passes for 90 yards. With tight ends active in the Browns’ offense, Steve Heiden caught four balls for 24 yards. Wide receiver Braylon Edwards caught a nineteen yard touchdown strike on an otherwise quiet afternoon where he netted three catches for 31 yards. With two catches, Joe Jurevicius gained just four yards starting opposite Edwards. Dennis Northcutt added a six yard reception and Josh Cribbs caught one pass for ten yards. Reuben Droughns was not targeted out of the backfield in this game.

Though they remained focused to a balanced attack, the Browns struggled in the rushing game. On 21 carries, Reuben Droughns gained just 54 yards. With Jerome Harrison inactive, Jason Wright served as the backup, but did not receive any touches in this game. Charlie Frye scrambled for 28 yards on four attempts. Dennis Northcutt added seven yards on an end around.

Atlanta Falcons - Michael Vick struggled in this game, throwing two interceptions, and fumbling the ball away in the red zone in the final minutes of the game. Though he suffered from drops by his receivers, Vick was also responsible for some of the missed attempts due to the velocity at which he was attempting to force the ball to his wide receivers. Vick completed just 16 of 40 for 197 yards with one touchdown. With a nice 55 yard catch on the Falcons’ final drive, Roddy White led Falcons receivers with five catches for 99 yards. Michael Jenkins was the beneficiary of a nice play action fake by Michael Vick, as Jenkins was wide open in the flat for a touchdown. Jenkins caught just one other pass on the afternoon, for a total of two balls for 17 yards. Ashley Lelie dropped a potential touchdown pass, and caught just one ball for nine yards against the Browns. Alge Crumpler was active in the pass game, but well defended, and finished with four catches and 37 yards on thirteen targets. Crumpler was the intended target on both of Vick’s interceptions. Warrick Dunn added 35 yards out of the backfield on four receptions.

With Jerious Norwood inactive, Warrick Dunn carried the load for the Falcons. Dunn carried the ball 21 times for 73 yards, but was outpaced by Michael Vick, who gained 74 yards on seven attempts, though the Browns dedicated a player to spying Vick and preventing him from beating them by himself.

What you ought to know

QB Charlie Frye, Pass: 16 - 22 - 165 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 4 - 28 - 0 - Frye finished with a passer rating of 109.1 by completing 73% of his passes for an average of 7.5 yards per attempt against the Falcons. This was the first game this season that Frye has gone without throwing an interception. Frye has thrown one touchdown in the last four games, and has only one multi-touchdown game this season, against Oakland in week four, but picked up his third win of the season against the Falcons. Frye continued to show confidence in his tight ends, and showed great touch down the left sideline on a timing pattern to Kellen Winslow to set up a field goal and put the Browns ahead by a 17-13 lead with under six minutes remaining in the game.

RB Reuben Droughns, Rush: 21 - 54 - 1 - Droughns failed to average three yards per carry for the fifth time in eight games this season, and has yet to break the four yard per carry mark in any game yet. Though he found the end zone and had a respectable first half, Droughns gained just eleven yards on ten carries in the second half and was unable to help the Browns sustain drives. Droughns’ fumble came in the first half of the game on Atlanta’s side of the field. Droughns was not targeted out of the backfield at all in this game, despite extensive playing time on all three downs.

WR Braylon Edwards, Rec: 3 - 31 - 1 (6 targets) - Edwards found the end zone for the second week in a row on a nice crossing pattern. The Browns continue to use Edwards as a deep threat, and have established a pattern of trying to get him behind the defense on their opening drive, though without success in this game and in recent weeks. Edwards was targeted deep in the red zone on the scoring drive which culminated in a Reuben Droughns touchdown.

WR Dennis Northcutt, Rush: 1 - 7 - 0, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (2 targets) - In his two weeks back from a rib injury, Northcutt has more touches and yards in the punt return game.

WR Joe Jurevicius, Rec: 2 - 4 - 0 (3 targets) - Jurevicius had a quiet afternoon, though was targeted once in the red zone, and was utilized primarily on short passes.

TE Kellen Winslow Jr, Rec: 5 - 90 - 0 (6 targets) - Winslow made a number of very good catches in this game, including a forty yard touchdown to set up Droughns’ touchdown, and a thirty six yard catch to set up a field goal by Phil Dawson late in the game.

TE Steve Heiden, Rec: 4 - 24 - 0 (5 targets) - Heiden remained an active part of Jeff Davidson’s offensive game plan, and was targeted primarily rolling off the line.

PK Phil Dawson 1 - 1 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points - Dawson connected on his only field goal attempt from 43 yards.

CLE Rush Defense - Leading most of the game, the Browns did not have to focus too much on stopping Warrick Dunn, though they did struggle somewhat in containing Michael Vick despite a concerted effort to limit him from beating them with his feet. Overall, the Browns gave up 149 yards on the ground, but forced a key fumble late in the game to help seal the victory.

CLE Pass Defense - With two interceptions, one sack, and limiting the Falcons’ passing attack to less than 200 yards, it was a pretty good afternoon even without their top cover cornerback in Leigh Bodden.

QB Michael Vick, Pass: 16 - 40 - 197 - 1 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 7 - 74 - 0 - By completing just 40% of his passes and averaging less than five yards per attempt with two interceptions, Vick’s passer rating was just 43.4. More costly than dropped passes and inefficiency in the passing game was Vick’s late fumble as the Falcons had driven inside the red zone with over two minutes remaining while trailing 17-13. After going through his initial progression, Vick did not find an open receiver and took off to his left, carrying the ball in one hand below his knee. He seemed to trip and had the ball bounce off his leg as he was taken down hard, losing the ball and the game. Vick had exited briefly in this game after taking a hard shot and was replaced on one passing play by Matt Schaub.

RB Warrick Dunn, Rush: 21 - 73 - 0, Rec: 4 - 35 - 0 (7 targets) - Dunn combined for over 100 yards rushing and receiving but did not play a significant role in this game, carrying the ball just once on the three Falcons scoring drives. Dunn played more effectively in the first half of this game, and may have missed rotating in and out with Jerious Norwood, who was inactive in this game.

WR Roddy White, Rec: 5 - 99 - 0 (5 targets) - White nearly brought the Falcons all the way back in this game with a nice 55 yard catch on a deep ball where Roddy made a good adjustment in the air to make the catch. White caught every ball thrown his way, and made a case for playing time in additional two wide receiver sets for the Falcons.

WR Michael Jenkins, Rec: 2 - 17 - 1 (9 targets) - Jenkins benefited from a great play action fake to find himself wide open in the left flat and just barely got into the end zone to bring the Falcons back into the game at the end of the third quarter. Jenkins was guilty of dropping the ball again this week.

WR Ashley Lelie, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (5 targets) - Lelie dropped a catchable pass in the end zone and drew the ire of the Falcons fans at the end of the first half in a 14-0 game. Vick gave him another opportunity early in the third quarter with a deep ball down the left side, but Lelie failed to come up with a very catchable ball again.

TE Alge Crumpler, Rec: 4 - 37 - 0 (13 targets) - Crumpler drew plenty of coverage from the Browns defense, and was the target on both interceptions. On the first interception, the defender made a nice diving catch, though on the second one, the ball was underthrown and Crumpler failed to come back to the ball.

PK Morten Andersen 2 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points - Andersen was utilized in the kicking game, and connected successfully from 41 and 44 yards out.

ATL Rush Defense - The Falcons shut down Reuben Droughns, and forced a pair of fumbles. Including yardage on scrambles by Charlie Frye and end arounds, the Falcons gave up just 91 yards on the ground on 27 carries.

ATL Pass Defense - Though they gave up just 165 yards through the air and limited the Browns to a third down efficiency of 14%, they were unable to slow down Charlie Frye, Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards.

Buffalo Bills 16, Indianapolis Colts 17

Buffalo Bills - The Bills had a solid game plan to beat the Colts. Pound the ball with Anthony Thomas, control the ball and the clock, and play nickel defense all game shutting down the deep pass, allowing everything underneath. Except for a goal line stand, the Bills even played nickel in the red zone. The Bills came in doing everything to slow the Colts’ offense down, and it worked as the Bills were in position to win this game.

Anthony Thomas, playing for the injured Willis McGahee, was a work horse with 28 carries for 108 yards. He was never targeted in the passing game, in fact, J.P. Losman only threw the ball 14 times in the contest (one pass was ruled a non play). The Bills continued to pound with Thomas throughout the game to control the clock, and keep the Colt’s offense off the field. The Bills’ coaches showed complete confidence in Thomas.

The Bills started the game throwing to Lee Evans, who was targeted 80% of the time in the first half, and caught three passes in the first series. After that first series, the Bills went to the ground exclusively, only attempting two more passes in the first half, where both were incomplete. After the early scripting that benefited Evans, the Bills abandoned the pass. In the second half, when Losman found himself needing to move the ball in the air, WR Peerless Price was his security blanket. Price caught four of the five competitions in the second half. All of the Price receptions were short, but it was clear that Losman favored Price as a dump off receiver as the Colts pressure increased.

Indianapolis Colts - The Colts’ running backs were used in polar opposite ways on the field. As the Bills pinned the Colts deep in their own territory on every possession, Dominic Rhodes was the work horse in Colts’ territory. Rhodes took every running back opportunity except one Addai reception and one carry on the Colts’ side of the field. Addai took every single opportunity on the Bills’ side of the field as Manning worked the ball into scoring position. Rhodes brought the ball out of danger, and Addai got every opportunity available to produce big fantasy points. Rhodes fumbled the ball early in the fourth quarter, and never saw the field again. Addai took six carries for 39 of his total yards at the end of the game when the Colts were running out the clock. Without the fumble, those carries might have gone to Rhodes.

Given that the Bills were allowing all short underneath passes, the running backs and tight ends had a much better game on the day. 21 receptions were brought in by RBs and TEs compared to six by the wide receivers. The biggest beneficiary of this was TE Ben Utecht. At 6’6”, 251 pounds, Utecht was the perfect large target underneath just five yards from the line of scrimmage. He responded with seven receptions for 66 yards. Utecht could become a valuable TE should other teams opt to game play the Colts in the same fashion.

With Harrison double teamed, this was the sixth consecutive week that Manning targeted Wayne more than Harrison. What should be noted is that 75% of the passes to Wayne were planned timing plays where Wayne was clearly the only read on the play. These passes were highly successful, with one resulting in a score. Harrison on the other hand had no plays seemingly designed to go to him. Manning looked for Harrison in tough spots and in the two minute offense. Wayne’s plays were scripted, Harrison’s looks came when Manning needed a big play.

What you ought to know

QB J.P. Losman, Pass: 9 - 13 - 83 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - There wasn’t much passing offense for the Bills. Losman only threw the ball 14 times, with nine completions. One third of those completions came in the first series following the offensive script. The rest of the completions were sack saving short passes to WR Peerless Price in the second half. Losman was sacked four times, and fumbled the ball in the back field. The Bills weren’t looking to pass the ball in this contest; Losman was mostly on the field to hand off to Thomas.

RB Anthony Thomas, Rush: 28 - 109 - 0 - Thomas carried the ball 28 times for 109 yards as he pounded the ball forward all game. He ran with power and showed speed breaking off a 19 yard run. Thomas took the ball on almost 70% of the offensive plays and responded with a great game. He was dropped to a crawl as the Bills moved anywhere near the Colt’s end zone. The Bills had 11 plays in the Colt’s red zone for a net negative eight yards. Thomas enjoyed great success out in the middle of the field. Thomas had a ten yard run negated early in the game on an offensive holding penalty.

RB Shaud Williams, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - Williams' only carry in the game came in the first series. He gained nothing on his only attempt.

WR Lee Evans, Rec: 5 - 70 - 0 (7 targets) - Evans was game planed into the offense in the first series, targeted four times in the first possession, and caught three passes. From there, Evans wasn’t even looked at for the rest of the half as Thomas ran the ball. Evans was targeted three times in the second half catching only one pass. Peerless Price was certainly the go to receiver as the game wore on. Evans had a hot start as the first series was scripted to him, from there, he was virtually non existent.

WR Peerless Price, Rec: 4 - 13 - 0 (6 targets) - There really was no passing offense in this game. As the game wore on, and Losman needed to move the ball, he targeted Price over 55% of the second half passes. With game planning focusing on the run in the first half, Losman didn’t look to Price until there was two minutes left in the half, and the Bills needed to move the ball. Price didn’t catch that only look at him in the first half. In the second half, Losman looked for Price on almost every passing play as a first read, and he responded by catching four of the five balls thrown his way. It seemed like Price was not part of the game plan out of the gate, but was certainly Losman’s go to receiver in the second half.

TE Robert Royal (1 targets) - Royal was targeted on the Colts’ 12 yard line in the red zone, but failed to make the catch.

PK Rian Lindell 3 - 4 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 10 points - Lindell made three out of four field goals in the game and converted one extra point attempt.

BUF Rush Defense - Given the Bills' game plan, there wasn’t much in the way of rush defense. With the Bills playing in the nickel package, it left four linemen up front. With the larger rushing lanes given away by the Bills, Rhodes and Addai were able to advance the ball well. The Bills were attempting to strip the ball away on almost every stop.

BUF Pass Defense - The Bills played nickel the entire game, working to take away the Colts’ ability to pass. In almost every way, it worked to perfection. Manning was able to attempt three down field passes, as the Bills left the short passes open. Harrison was double teamed all game, and finished with two receptions. Wayne was taken out by man-to-man defense from McGee. All the Colts could do was dump off underneath, exactly what the Bills were giving them. With a four man defensive line, Manning had all day to make throws and completed 27 passes, but none of them were quick strike or dangerous competitions, just short underneath passes.

QB Peyton Manning, Pass: 27 - 39 - 236 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - -2 - 0 - Manning took what the defense gave him. He was never pressured, didn’t take a sack, no interceptions, and had all day to throw the ball. With the Bills playing in a five man back field nickel package, there was nothing down field to throw to. Harrison was double teamed all game, and Terrence McGee played very strong man-to-man defense on Wayne. Manning was given the underneath throws, and had no pressure against a four man front. Manning took advantage and moved the chains. He was able to throw to Wayne on fade slant timing patterns, where his throw had to be perfect, and it was every time. Manning played a smart game, but it wasn’t anywhere near the explosive fireworks he is capable of.

RB Joseph Addai, Rush: 13 - 78 - 1, Rec: 7 - 46 - 0 (8 targets) - Once Rhodes brought the ball out of danger, Addai took over in Bills territory in every series. Addai was patient with the ball, and made good one move cut backs. The running lanes were bigger as the Bills played a four man front, and Addai took advantage. He made the most in the passing game catching seven of the eight balls thrown to him. This was a perfect game for Addai to excel in as passes to running backs went unchallenged and there was room to run from the line of scrimmage. Addai built up an even half of his rushing yards in the fourth quarter after Rhodes fumbled away the ball and didn’t take the field again. Addai lost a four yard carry on an illegal crack back penalty.

RB Dominic Rhodes, Rush: 14 - 72 - 0, Rec: 3 - 20 - 0 (5 targets) - Rhodes carried the ball every time the Colts were deep in their own territory, which was every series due to Moorman’s booming punts. As soon as the Colts got to mid field, Rhodes was replaced by Addai every single time. Rhodes did not have a carry or target in Bills territory. Most of Rhodes’ carries were draw plays. Rhodes fumbled the ball away early in the fourth quarter, and never saw the field again as Addai took every snap left to finish out the game. Addai took six carries for 39 yards to finish out the game. Given the flow of the game, it is reasonable to assume that those carries might have gone to Rhodes had he not fumbled, giving him over 100 yards on the day (Using his average per carry). Rhodes lost a 12 yard reception on an illegal formation penalty.

WR Reggie Wayne, Rec: 4 - 42 - 1 (4 targets) - As well as CB Terrence McGee was covering Wayne, it’s almost amazing that he caught a ball, much less every single ball thrown his way. Three of Wayne’s receptions were fade slant passes that had to be a perfect throw from Manning, and they were every time. Wayne was completely covered up for the game, and couldn’t find many ways to get clear of McGee’s physical play. Wayne’s touch down was an over the shoulder catch of a fade pass to the left side of the end zone with every other player on the right to clear out the area. The play was clearly a designed play to get Wayne the ball.

WR Marvin Harrison, Rec: 2 - 21 - 0 (7 targets) - Harrison was double teamed all game as the Bills played nickel defense all game, allowing them to roll two defenders on Harrison at all times. The coverage was very tight, and Harrison was taken out of the game. Manning did look for Harrison as a first read in the two minute offense with 1:39 left in the half. Harrison was only targeted twice in the first half, as Manning couldn’t get a good look at him. He caught one ball in each half, but was targeted five times in the second half as Manning was trying to push the ball around.

TE Ben Utecht, Rec: 7 - 66 - 0 (9 targets) - Utecht was arguably the best offensive weapon for the Colts in the game. Given his size, and that the Bills were allowing short passes, Utecht was able to shine. Many plays were designed to go to him. A great example is the double screen that was run three times. The Colts would load to the right side for a screen to Clark; Manning would fake the pass, and go to Utecht on the left with a small screen set up. Utecht was able to use his body to pick up lots of underneath work. Utecht had the ball striped by OLB Angelo Crowell resulting in the McGee return for a touchdown.

TE Dallas Clark, Rec: 3 - 28 - 0 (5 targets) - As Clark is more of a stretch the offense type tight end, he was not as effective as Utecht on the game. Manning did take one deep strike to Clark, resulting in a 23 yard reception. Clark’s other two receptions were short underneath work. Clark was thrown to in the red zone, and had a ball slip through his hands on the four yard line that was then almost picked off.

TE Bryan Fletcher, Rec: 1 - 13 - 0 (2 targets) - Fletcher’s only reception came with 1:39 left in the half, and Manning was throwing the ball around to everyone attempting to score before they went into the locker room. His other target was at mid-field. Fletcher left to the locker room under his own power in the second half, but did not return to play.

PK Adam Vinatieri 1 - 1 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points - Vinatieri made a 31 field goal attempt and converted two extra point attempts.

IND Rush Defense - The Colts' rush defense allowed Anthony Thomas a lot of yards out in the center of the field as the Bills just kept pounding the ball. They stiffened up as the Bills would try and drive into scoring position. The Bills had 11 plays in the Colt’s red zone for a net negative eight yards.

IND Pass Defense - The Colts came away with four sacks from great pressure. However, there wasn’t much passing offense from the Bills to stop. The Bills ran the ball 31 times compared to 14 pass attempts. Although he recorded his first sack on the year, DE Dwight Freeney was completely handled well by Jason Peters, and rarely applied any pressure.

Kansas City Chiefs 10, Miami Dolphins 13

Kansas City Chiefs - The Kansas City Chiefs arrived in Miami riding a three game winning streak and favored to keep that streak intact. Their defense accepted the challenge and was able to limit the Dolphins’ offense. However the Chiefs’ offense never got untracked. They were consistently confused and stopped by the Miami defense. The most significant measure of this game was that the Chiefs’ offense went three plays and punt on each of their first five possessions.

Kansas City quarterback Damon Huard managed only 201 yards while completing 15 out of 38 passing attempts. He also lost yardage while being sacked three times. With Trent Green in uniform and on the sidelines the poor performance by Huard could have influence on how quickly and if Green gets the starting job back.

Star running back Larry Johnson managed one touchdown and 75 yards rushing. This will be viewed as a victory for the Dolphins’ defense that kept Johnson from reaching 100 total yards. Tight end Tony Gonzalez was one of the brighter spots for the Chiefs’ offense as he is again becoming more targeted in the Chiefs’ game plan. Gonzalez was injured late in the game and was wearing a sling on his left arm after the game.

Defensive end Jared Allen was one of the brightest stars for the defense, making many impressive plays to stop the Dolphins, including recovering a fumble and returning it 20 yards to set up the Chiefs’ lone touchdown.

Miami Dolphins - The Dolphins have been one of the stingiest defenses in the league this year during the first quarter. They continued that trend as they prevented the Chiefs from scoring until the fourth quarter. The Dolphins’ defense dominated this contest. They prevented Chiefs’ quarterback Huard from settling in. He was hurried often and sacked three times. The defense also held running back Johnson under 100 total yards. Ronnie Brown managed 89 yards on 25 carries and tallied one touchdown. He was not dominant, but he and quarterback Joey Harrington were able to generate just enough offense to allow the Dolphins’ defense to win this game.

The lone touchdown of the game for Miami resulted after a trick play. Harrington handed the ball to Ronnie Brown who took a step forward and then turned to lateral the ball back to Harrington. Harrington then successfully completed the flea flicker by sending the ball downfield to a wide open Chris Chambers who went out at the one yard line. Ronnie Brown then took the next play in for the touchdown.

The Dolphins now have a two game winning streak, having beaten the Chicago Bears the previous week in Chicago. It looks like this team could belong to Harrington for the rest of this season in place of the injured Daunte Culpepper.

What you ought to know

QB Damon Huard, Pass: 15 - 38 - 201 - 0 TD / 0 INT - Huard has lately been receiving a vote of confidence from the fans, the media and the Chiefs’ brain trust for his performance. He was rated second in the AFC to Peyton Manning in quarterback rating. There was even talk that he might stay in as the starting quarterback after Trent Green is fully healthy and ready. With Trent Green finally back in uniform on game day and standing on the sideline, Huard had one of his worst days as a starting quarterback. He could not get untracked or mount a sustained attack against the Dolphins. He managed only 201 yards on 38 attempts and was sacked three times. With Green possibly ready, this performance will undoubtedly have people thinking it is time for Huard to sit again. It should be noted that it was the entire Kansas City offense that was having problems in Miami and not just Huard.

RB Larry Johnson, Rush: 18 - 75 - 1, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (6 targets) - Johnson had fair statistics for an average running back compiling 75 yards on 18 carries while scoring one touchdown. However that was way below expectations for him. It is necessary and expected that Johnson will produce at a much higher level for the Chiefs to succeed.

RB Michael Bennett (1 targets) - Bennett was brought in only a few times to spell Larry Johnson and did not ever carry or catch the ball.

WR Dante Hall, Rec: 3 - 32 - 0 (5 targets) - Hall caught three of the five passes thrown towards him to help out some on offense. He did have problems with returns. The Dolphins’ special teams kept him from any large gains on kickoff or punt returns.

WR Eddie Kennison, Rec: 3 - 58 - 0 (8 targets) - Kennison had a few good catches for decent yardage but needs the ball coming his way more often to help open up the field for the Chiefs’ offense to score. He captured three of the eight passes thrown his way.

WR Samie Parker, Rush: 1 - 5 - 0, Rec: 1 - 13 - 0 (5 targets) - Parker was targeted often by Huard but with Huard constantly under-protected, the passes were not the best and Parker only caught one of the five meant for him.

TE Tony Gonzalez, Rec: 6 - 84 - 0 (14 targets) - One of the brightest spots for this contest was that the game plan had more plays featuring Tony Gonzalez. He was targeted 14 times. He would have had seven catches except one catch did not count due to a Chiefs’ penalty. The Chiefs really need production from the dominant Gonzalez. They will have to wait and see about his upcoming availability. He was injured late in the game during a pass and was wearing a sling on his left arm after the game.

PK Lawrence Tynes 1 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - Tynes missed a 49 yard attempt late in the first half that turned out to be the margin of defeat for the Chiefs. In the second half, he converted on both opportunities he had, one field goal and one extra point.

KC Rush Defense - The Kansas City rush defense limited Dolphins’ back Ronnie Brown to 89 yards rushing on 25 attempts, 3.56 yards per carry. They did give up one rushing touchdown to Brown. Overall, the Chiefs’ defense would have had reason to be pleased with their performance if not for the lackluster efforts of the Kansas City offense.

KC Pass Defense - The Chiefs’ pass defense held Joey Harrington to 201 yards through the air and did not allow a Dolphins’ touchdown. They bent a little, but turned in another strong performance. They could have used a bit more pressure on the quarterback as they only sacked Harrington once during the contest.

QB Joey Harrington, Pass: 19 - 35 - 201 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 4 - 6 - 0 - Harrington is holding firmly onto the starting quarterback job for the time being, despite the fact that he did not do anything impressive during this contest. He completed 19 of 35 passes for 201 yards, was never picked off, but also never threw for a touchdown. His performance was uninspiring, even if for this occasion, it was enough to record a win. Except for a trick play, a flea flicker to Chris Chambers, Miami may not have been able to win this game.

RB Ronnie Brown, Pass: 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 25 - 89 - 1, Rec: 1 - -3 - 0 (2 targets) - Brown struggled but was persistent enough to gain 89 yards on the ground and score the only touchdown for the Dolphins. His versatility was a prime reason Miami won. He was in there to help protect Harrington and also participated in the flea flicker that set up the lone Miami touchdown.

RB Sammy Morris, Rush: 6 - 20 - 0, Rec: 2 - 17 - 0 (3 targets) - Morris was a nice change of pace back for the Dolphins occasionally spelling at running back to provide a nice rest for the heavily used Ronnie Brown. He also provided a nice passing outlet for Harrington.

WR Chris Chambers, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0, Rec: 3 - 66 - 0 (12 targets) - Chambers is established as the favorite target for Harrington. With often poorly thrown passes, he only corralled three of the twelve passes thrown his way. He did come down with the flea flicker pass that set up the one yard touchdown run by Ronnie Brown.

WR Wes Welker, Rec: 3 - 46 - 0 (4 targets) - Welker provided quite a bit of the excitement for the Dolphins. He was electrifying on kickoff and punt returns almost breaking free for huge returns. He also was one of the most sure handed members of the Miami team. He caught three of the four passes thrown his way for 46 yards. He should probably be more featured in the Miami game plan.

WR Marty Booker, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (7 targets) - Booker only pulled in two of the seven passes targeted his way. He provided small production in a limited passing attack.

WR Derek Hagan, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (1 targets) - Hagan saw limited attention as the extra wide receiver. He caught the only pass thrown his way.

TE Randy McMichael, Rec: 5 - 34 - 0 (5 targets) - McMichael provided a large and dependable target for Harrington. He successfully brought in each of the five passes Harrington directed to him. He was slow to get up a couple times, seemingly suffering after some hard hits, but he kept coming back as an excellent outlet for the Miami quarterback.

TE Justin Peelle, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (2 targets) - Peelle was primarily used as a blocking tight end, but did catch both passes intended for him.

PK Olindo Mare 2 - 3 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points - Mare converted on two of his three field goal attempts including one from 40 yards. He was also successful on his only extra point attempt. His only miss was a 50 yard attempt. It left the Chiefs in good field position but they were unable to convert it to points.

MIA Rush Defense - The Miami rushing defense limited the powerful running game of Larry Johnson to just 75 yards. Johnson managed one score but he was prevented from taking over this game. The Miami defense kept Kansas City from scoring until the fourth quarter and forced the Chiefs to go three and out on their first five offensive series.

MIA Pass Defense - The Dolphins’ pass defense held the Chiefs in check the entire game. They limited Huard to 201 yards total passing offense on 38 attempts. They did not allow a touchdown through the air and they sacked Huard three times. They dominated the Chiefs’ offensive line, pushing them aside and getting in consistently to harass and hurry Huard.

Chicago Bears 38, New York Giants 20

Chicago Bears - Chicago looked hapless over nearly the entire first half of the game. Their fortunes changed on one play, a draw by Thomas Jones that earned a first down on a third and 22 late in the second quarter. The Bears responded with 35 points, including 28 in the second half, to dominate the New York Giants and claim the top of the NFC for themselves.

Quarterback Rex Grossman started poorly. He threw an interception on his second pass of the game that led directly to New York’s first score. He settled into an excellent groove in the second half, and threw three touchdown passes. His favorite targets were receivers Muhsin Muhammad and Mark Bradley. Bradley saw extensive playing time with starter Bernard Berrian out with sore ribs. Both receivers scored a touchdown. Grossman’s other touchdown went to tight end Desmond Clark.

Thomas Jones proved to be the Bears’ offensive workhorse with his 33 touches providing the offensive spark the team needed to get out of their first half funk. He finished the game with 123 total yards and one touchdown rushing.

The Bears’ defense gave up most of their points in the first half, and tightened up in the second. They intercepted Eli Manning twice, sacked him twice, and forced two fumbles, one of which they recovered.

Kicker Robbie Gould lived up to his name, remaining perfect on the year. He was made his lone field goal attempt of 49 yards and all five of his PATs.

Devin Hester tied teammate Nathan Vasher’s record with a 108 yard missed field goal return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

New York Giants - Despite appearing to dominate the game throughout the first half, the Giants gave up a decisive victory to the Chicago Bears. After effectively shutting down the Bears’ offense for the first 28 minutes of the game, they proceeded to give up 35 points over the last 32—an amount they couldn’t overcome.

Eli Manning had a rough game, as he completed less than 50% of his passes and threw two interceptions and no touchdowns. He frequently fired the ball high and off target. With wide receiver Amani Toomer out for the year with a torn ACL, Manning heavily targeted Plaxico Burress and David Tyree. No Giants’ player had more than four catches or 48 yards.

Tiki Barber had another excellent game running the football, although he went through a rough stretch through the middle parts of the game after he sprained a ligament in his right thumb. He had a long run of 46 yards, but no touchdowns. Brandon Jacobs had a good game in his short yardage duty, running for touchdowns on both of his carries.

The Giants’ defense shut down the Bears over the majority of the first half of the game, and then proceeded to implode. They came into the game with several injuries affecting key portions of their starting defense, and seemed to be handling them well. Sam Madison was the next Giants’ defender to get hurt, as he left the game in the first half. The lack of depth eventually caught up to the Giants, as they gave up 35 points over the last 32 minutes of the game. Cornerback Corey Webster had a particularly rough game, as he was regularly abused by Rex Grossman and the Bears’ receivers.

Kicker Jay Feely had a tough game, missing two field goals, including one that was returned 108 yards for a score.

What you ought to know

QB Rex Grossman, Pass: 18 - 30 - 246 - 3 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - -2 - 0 - Grossman had a rough start, but overcame it to have an excellent overall performance. He preferred his wide receivers as primary targets, throwing touchdowns to both Muhsin Muhammad and Mark Bradley. Grossman didn’t target tight end Desmond Clark as much as usual, but did hit him for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. His lone interception was targeted for Rashied Davis but was intercepted by defensive lineman Mathias Kiwanuka. It led directly to the Giants’ first touchdown. Grossman was sacked twice and fumbled the ball once, but it was recovered by a teammate.

RB Thomas Jones, Rush: 30 - 113 - 1, Rec: 3 - 10 - 0 (3 targets) - Jones turned around what looked to be a poor rushing day on one play. With the Bears deep in their own territory with a third and 22, he took the handoff on a draw play and scampered left for 26 yards. Jones proceeded to be the Bears’ offensive workhorse, finishing with 123 total yards and one rushing touchdown on 33 touches. Jones had a touchdown called back on a offensive holding penalty. He was stripped of the ball late in the first quarter, which led to a Giants’ field goal.

RB Cedric Benson, Rush: 6 - 7 - 0, Rec: 1 - -1 - 0 (1 targets) - Benson didn’t do anything with his handful of touches. His longest run was seven yards, but he had several runs for losses as well.

RB Jason McKie, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (2 targets) - McKie was targeted by Grossman as a check down option out of the backfield in the first half.

WR Muhsin Muhammad, Rec: 7 - 123 - 1 (12 targets) - Muhammad was far and away Grossman’s favorite target. He led the Bears in receptions and receiving yards, and scored a ten yard touchdown in the third quarter. Muhammad had another chance to score but fumbled the ball at the Giants’ one yard line.

WR Mark Bradley, Rec: 4 - 79 - 1 (7 targets) - Bradley had season highs in targets, receptions, yards, and touchdowns (one). He was Grossman’s second favorite targets, and was thrown to deep on several occasions.

WR Rashied Davis, Rec: 1 - 26 - 0 (5 targets) - Davis’ only catch came late in the third quarter. Additionally, he ran back kickoffs for the Bears.

TE Desmond Clark, Rec: 1 - 2 - 1 (2 targets) - Clark was only targeted twice, but his second look was good for a two yard touchdown.

TE John Gilmore (1 targets) - Gilmore didn’t catch a pass. He was called for offensive holding that negated a Thomas Jones touchdown run. The drive ended in a Muhsin Muhammad receiving touchdown.

PK Robbie Gould 1 - 1 FG, 5 - 5 XP, 8 points - Gould remained perfect for the season, connecting on his lone field goal attempt of 49 yards. He made all five of his PATs.

CHI Rush Defense - Chicago’s rush defense gave up 150 yards and two rushing scores. They didn’t contain Tiki Barber and Brandon Jacobs, but they also didn’t allow them to dictate the game.

CHI Pass Defense - The Bears’ pass defense was spectacular, limiting Eli Manning to only 121 yards on 44% passing. They allowed no touchdowns and had two interceptions. Additionally, the pass rush sacked Eli Manning twice, forcing three Manning fumbles, one of which they recovered.

QB Eli Manning, Pass: 14 - 32 - 121 - 0 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - Manning had an off game. His accuracy was wildly inconsistent, and contributed heavily to his 44% completion rate. Manning threw no touchdowns and two interceptions. The interceptions were deep passes to Plaxico Burress and Tim Carter, but both were off target. He threw double-digit looks to both Burress and wide receiver David Tyree. Manning fumbled the ball three times, but only lost one of them. He was sacked twice. It was by far Manning’s worst performance of the year.

RB Tiki Barber, Rush: 19 - 141 - 0, Rec: 3 - 16 - 0 (4 targets) - Barber started the game red hot, gaining 40 yards on the Giants’ opening drive, including runs of 18 and 21 yards. It was the reported that he had sprained his right thumb, and he suffered a cold spell as he appeared uncomfortable both holding and running with the ball. Barber got back on track in the second half, but left the game for good about half way through the fourth quarter. He still managed to have a excellent game, even without scoring a touchdown. Barber gained 141 yards on his 19 carries for an average of 7.4 yards per carry.

RB Brandon Jacobs, Rush: 2 - 9 - 2 - Jacobs has two rushes for two touchdowns. He was basically untouched on both plays, and is proving to be a very capable goal line back.

WR Plaxico Burress, Rec: 4 - 48 - 0 (13 targets) - Burress was the most targeted receiver for the Giants. Unfortunately, a lot of the balls that came his way were off target. Despite his low number, Burress led the Giants in receptions and receiving yards. He was the target on Manning’s first interceptions.

WR David Tyree, Rec: 4 - 38 - 0 (11 targets) - Tyree had a season high number of targets, but could only catch four of them.

WR Tim Carter (1 targets) - Carter’s only target was Manning’s second interception.

TE Visanthe Shiancoe, Rec: 2 - 4 - 0 (2 targets) - Shiancoe caught both of his looks but only managed four total yards.

TE Jeremy Shockey, Rec: 1 - 15 - 0 (2 targets) - Shockey didn’t receive any targets until the second half. His first catch of the game temporarily sparked the Giants’ offense, leading to their only score of the second half. Shockey appears to have the ability to be an emotional leader for the Giants.

PK Jay Feely 2 - 4 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 8 points - Despite making two field goals of over 40 or more yards, it is Feely’s two misses that hurt the Giants. He missed a 33 yard field goal on the opening possession of the game, making the Giants come up empty-handed on a promising and productive first drive. His second miss, from 52 yards, turned into a NFL record-tying touchdown return by rookie return man Devon Hester.

NYG Rush Defense - The Giants shut down Thomas Jones in the early part of the game, but ended up giving up 118 total yards and one touchdown. Once Chicago went up in the second half, they consistently gave up rushing first downs that allowed the Bears to control the pace and style of the game. They did force one fumbled by Thomas Jones, as Corey Webster stripped him of the ball.

NYG Pass Defense - The pass defense was solid in the early going, but eventually gave way to three touchdowns and 246 yards. Defensive lineman Mathias Kiwanuka made the only interception of the game, which led to the Giants’ first touchdown. They sacked Grossman twice and forced a lost fumble by Muhsin Muhammad near the goal line.

Dallas Cowboys 27, Arizona Cardinals 10

Dallas Cowboys - Whatever problems were ailing the Cowboys prior to this game seemed to vanish in the desert air. The offense moved the ball, scored, and did not turn the ball over. The defense pressured the quarterback, caused turnovers, and only gave up ten points.

Tony Romo showed remarkable poise, completing 20 of 29 for two touchdowns and zero interceptions. His mobility enables him to scramble away from the pass rush, buy some time, and find the open receiver. It’s the difference between keeping drives alive and punting, a skill that veteran quarterback Drew Bledsoe sorely lacks.

Julius Jones and Marion Barber combined for 29 carries, 110 yards and one touchdown. The Cardinals were forced to bring down secondary help, which opened up the passing lanes, allowing Dallas ultimately to amass over 400 yards of offense.

Patrick Crayton caught five passes for 104 yards and a touchdown, while Terrell Owens added 96 yards and another score. Jason Witten continued his workhorse ways with five more balls for 58 yards.

On the downside, the Cowboys came into this game leading the league in penalty yardage. While those blunders have burned them in the past, they were able to overcome eight flags and 69 more penalty yards in this contest.

Terry Glenn sat out this game with a knee injury. Dallas took another hit when DE Greg Ellis had to leave the game with what was initially called an Achilles injury. Ellis leads the team with 4.5 sacks.

Arizona Cardinals - Since becoming head coach of Arizona, Dennis Green is 2–0 coming off bye weeks, and was hoping to turn around this disastrous season with a win against the Cowboys. As a team, the Cardinals enjoyed a four game home winning streak over Dallas dating back to November 15, 1998. But since Mike Kruczck replaced Keith Rowan as Offensive Coordinator following the Chicago collapse, the Cardinals’ attack has struggled.

On Arizona’s first possession, at their own 42 yard line, they elected to go for it instead of punting. Matt Leinart managed to sneak for the first down on second effort.

Leinart completed 20 of 38, which is an improvement over his previous two games in which he only completed 40% of his attempts. He was intercepted twice, threw no touchdowns, and had to hurry many of his passes. In the fourth quarter, trailing 27–3, he scrambled for Arizona’s only touchdown.

Larry Fitzgerald returned to the Arizona lineup after missing three games with a hamstring injury and managed to catch six balls for 80 yards. He seemed to inject a little electricity into the Offense, but one player can’t do everything.

Edgerrin James averaged a little over four yards per carry on 15 attempts but had to fight for every inch he got. He has yet to post a 100 yard rushing game this season. Anquan Boldin added five receptions for 53 yards but had trouble getting open and took a few hard shots from the Cowboys’ secondary.

The Arizona defense had few answers for the Cowboys’ attack. They gave up over 300 passing yards and another 100 yards on the ground. The Cardinals were considered playoff contenders, but at 1–8 they now have the worse record in the NFL.

What you ought to know

QB Tony Romo, Pass: 20 - 29 - 308 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 7 - 0 - He again showed remarkable poise, completing 20 of 29 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns. His mobility enables him to scramble away from the pass rush to either buy some time until a receiver gets open or to run for a first down on his own. He nearly led the Cowboys back against the Redskins, and put up 35 points against Carolina. After this performance, Romo gives the Cowboys real hope at making a playoff run in these remaining games.

RB Marion Barber III, Rush: 14 - 65 - 1, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) - Barber accounted for the only rushing touchdown. He shows exceptional vision, and his cuts make some defensive backs look awkward. He continues to split carries with Jones, though Barber carried more in the second half.

RB Julius Jones, Rush: 15 - 45 - 0 (1 targets) - Jones started the game and continues to be the feature back. In the second half, with Dallas leading 20–3 and then 27–3, Jones found himself on the bench.

RB Keylon Kincade, Rush: 4 - 9 - 0 - On the Cowboys’ final possession, the SMU rookie got the ball on four straight carries until they ran out of downs.

WR Terrell Owens, Rec: 5 - 96 - 1 (11 targets) - Despite dropping the first pass thrown to him, Romo feels comfortable looking for Owens early and often despite the elaborate defensive coverages. Owens’ 51 TD reception is his longest as a Cowboy. He easily beat Eric Green in single coverage down the sideline and Romo hit him in stride. Romo seems to actively be looking for ways to get Owens the ball.

WR Patrick Crayton, Rec: 5 - 104 - 1 (6 targets) - Taking advantage of his increased role with the injury to Terry Glenn, Crayton scored the first Dallas touchdown. The third year receiver will have an increased role in this offense if Glenn misses substantial playing time.

WR Sam Hurd, Rec: 4 - 42 - 0 (8 targets) - The rookie free agent credits making the team with the amount of time Terrell Owens spent with him in training camp. He also took most of his reps with Romo on the second team, which helps both players at this point. Hurd was forced into action because of the injury to Terry Glenn, and had his first touchdown pass of his career called back on an interference penalty.

WR Terry Glenn - Glenn sat out with a knee injury.

TE Jason Witten, Rec: 5 - 58 - 0 (6 targets) - With Owens drawing so much attention in the secondary, the middle of the field is often wide open. Witten is a monster when he can catch a pass in space and turn up field and Romo is clearly comfortable looking for him.

PK Mike Vanderjagt 2 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 9 points - Vanderjagt hit field goals from 24 and 38 yards and was three for three on PATs.

DAL Rush Defense - Edgerrin James was held to 68 rushing yards, and when Dallas extended their lead in the second half Arizona had to all but abandon the run. Leinart scored the only Cardinal touchdown on a three yard run around left end in the fourth quarter.

DAL Pass Defense - Trailing the entire game, Arizona was forced to attempt 38 passes. Fitzgerald and Boldin caught their share but they were both held out of the end zone. DeMarcus Ware recorded a sack, while Akin Ayodele and Pat Watkins each intercepted a pass.

QB Matt Leinart, Pass: 20 - 38 - 216 - 0 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 4 - 18 - 1 - Leinart completed 20 of 38 for 216 yards but no touchdown passes. He was intercepted twice and had to hurry many of his throws. Gone from earlier games is his cool demeanor when he was able to keep finding open receivers all over the field. The Cowboys were able to limit the Cardinal ground game and concentrate on bringing pressuring. In the fourth quarter, trailing 27–3, Leinart ran around left end for Arizona’s only touchdown. At 6’4 and 225, Leinart’s athleticism is often overlooked, but he registered a 37” vertical at the combine. On his TD run he was able to freeze Roy Williams with a pump fake and then beat him to the flag.

RB Edgerrin James, Rush: 15 - 68 - 0, Rec: 2 - 11 - 0 (6 targets) - James averaged 4.5 yards per carry, better than his 2.8 average coming into this game, but only carried 15 times. He added two catches for 11 yards.

RB J.J. Arrington, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) - Arrington saw limited duty on offense, but averaged 19.5 yards on five kickoff returns.

RB Marcel Shipp, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (3 targets) - Shipp spelled James but was a non factor.

WR Larry Fitzgerald, Rec: 6 - 80 - 0 (13 targets) - The Cardinals went to Fitzgerald frequently, and he made some great catches, but he was coming off a hamstring injury. Reports before the game indicated that he would not play the entire game. He energizes the offense, however, and it must be difficult to leave him on the sidelines if he is able to play.

Fitzgerald said the hamstring did give him some trouble. "The hamstring was getting so tired," said Fitzgerald, who also said that he didn't expect to miss time this week. "It didn't feel the same way when I did it against the Chiefs, but it didn't feel good. I didn't want to be down for a couple more weeks without being there with my teammates

WR Bryant Johnson, Rec: 2 - 24 - 0 (2 targets) - Johnson’s role has been reduced because Fitzgerald is back in the lineup and he has dropped too many passes.

WR Anquan Boldin, Rec: 2 - 53 - 0 (7 targets) - With Fitzgerald returning to the lineup, Boldin was more of a number two receiver. He made some difficult receptions, but Leinart didn’t have time to seek out his second and third reads.

TE Adam Bergen, Rec: 5 - 30 - 0 (5 targets) - Bergen has good hands but he needs to work on his blocking. He caught every pass thrown to him for 30 yards.

TE Leonard Pope, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (2 targets) - The rookie from Georgia caught one pass for seven yards.

PK Neil Rackers 1 - 1 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - Rackers hit a 29 yard FG and his only extra point.

ARI Rush Defense - Jones and Barber combined for 110 yards with Barber getting the touchdown. The Cardinals appeared over matched at the line of scrimmage, and while they averaged just less than four yards a carry, the Cowboys converted nine of 14 third downs.

ARI Pass Defense - Arizona was unable to either sack Romo or record an interception. They gave up over 300 yards through the air, with Owens, Witten, and Crayton doing the most damage. Even when they tried to blitz, Romo was able to scramble out of trouble.

Denver Broncos 17, Oakland Raiders 13

Denver Broncos - RB Tatum Bell started for Denver in Week 10 against the Raiders, as last week’s starting RB Mike Bell was on the inactive list even though he was healthy. Once again, HC Mike Shanahan remained completely unpredictable in his RB rotation in Denver, creating headaches for all fantasy football players with Denver players.

RB Damien Nash was activated from the practice squad and spelled Tatum Bell in the backfield, along with RB Cecil Sapp. None of them were very effective, as they combined for 57 yards on 20 carries and each back averaged less than four yards per carry. Bell led all rushers with a paltry 37 yards on a team leading 14 carries.

QB Jake Plummer regressed to his old former self, the quarterback with a predilection towards throwing interceptions. Plummer had two turnovers in the first quarter, followed by a third early in the second half. His slow start to the game was buoyed only by second completion after eight attempts, a very nice catch and run by Week 9 MVP WR Javon Walker. Plummer managed the game better after his third miscue, working the ball underneath to TE Stephen Alexander, who led all Broncos with six catches along with 49 total yards.

DE Kenard Lang had two sacks and forced a fumble from QB Andrew Walter in the fourth quarter.

Oakland Raiders - The Oakland offense continued to struggle, as the injured offensive line could not open up any running lanes for the four RBs used by the Raiders in Week 10. RBs Zach Crockett, LaMont Jordan and Justin Fargas combined for 25 carries but only 46 total yards. The lone highlight came on a one yard score for Jordan, who continues to get very few carries as a starter. Combined with RB ReShard Lee, the four RBs added five catches for 56 yards.

WR Randy Moss continued to be shut out of the end zone as tight Denver coverage afforded him just one catch for just eight yards. QB Andrew Walter targeted other receivers against Denver, connecting with nine different receivers for 214 total yards. WR Alvis Whitted and TE Randal Williams led the receivers with 53 and 61 yards, respectively.

PK Sebastian Janikowski tied his own franchise record with a 55 yard field goal in the second quarter. He also barely missed another 51 yarder just wide right in the third period.

The Oakland defense continues to contribute, as they intercepted Denver QB Jake Plummer three times in an effort to create short fields and stay close with the Broncos. DB Fabian Washington intercepted two passes as Nnamdi Asomugha caught another. DL Warren Sapp added two sacks.

What you ought to know

QB Jake Plummer, Pass: 20 - 31 - 210 - 2 TD / 3 INT, Rush: 6 - 6 - 0 - Plummer went back to his old ways in Week 10, forcing throws and turning the ball over. After three weeks of no interceptions, Plummer threw three Sunday. Plummer looked terrible in the first quarter, completing just one of seven attempts, throwing two picks before connecting with WR Javon Walker for a 39 yard touchdown. Walker did most of the work, as he caught the ball at about the Raiders’ 29 yard line and ran it in from there.

Plummer continued his issues after halftime, throwing his third interception on Denver’s second possession of the third quarter. HC Mike Shanahan, in what appeared to be an effort to get Plummer back on track, had him targeting short throws and the tight end (in particular, Stephen Alexander) to methodically move the ball down the field and control the clock after the third interception. As Plummer settled down, he was able to work the ball more to his receivers and collect an easy second touchdown pass of one yard to fullback Kyle Johnson.

RB Tatum Bell, Rush: 14 - 37 - 0, Rec: 1 - -2 - 0 (1 targets) - Tatum Bell started for Denver in Week 10, but he was not very effective at all. He had two runs of nine yards each, and his other dozen carries added up to only 19 yards. Bell gained four yards or more just four times and picked up just two first downs on the ground.

RB Damien Nash, Rush: 4 - 14 - 0 (1 targets) - Nash was activated off of the practice squad and played on a few series. He carried four times, rushing on two consecutive plays on two drives in each half. He gained seven yards on his first carry, but lost a yard on the next play in the second quarter. Nash’s second opportunity came in the third quarter and he picked up four yards two plays in a row. Nash was also supposed to get a goal line carry in the fourth quarter from the four, but the exchange between Plummer and Nash was fumbled (Nash did recover).

Nash added a two yard catch in the third quarter but it was negated by a penalty.

RB Cecil Sapp, Rush: 2 - 6 - 0, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (1 targets) - Sapp had two carries in the second half, gaining all of his six yards on the second attempt. He also succeeded in gaining a first down on the second carry.

Sapp also had one catch in the second quarter for nine yards on his only target.

RB Kyle Johnson, Rec: 2 - 5 - 1 (2 targets) - Johnson caught two passes on two targets in the fourth quarter for a total of five yards. His first catch was from the Oakland one yard line, and Johnson reeled in a short toss for the touchdown.

WR Rod Smith, Rec: 4 - 39 - 0 (5 targets) - Smith had a relatively quiet game, catching one ball in every quarter. He caught both of his first half targets, one for nine yards in the first quarter and the other for 12 yards and a first down on the final play of the first half. His third target was good for a 15 yard pickup and a first down in the third quarter, but his next target was intercepted by Oakland. Smith nearly scored on his fifth and final target, a short three yard catch where he rolled to the one foot line just outside the Oakland end zone.

WR Nate Jackson, Rec: 3 - 33 - 0 (3 targets) - Jackson got into the mix in the fourth quarter, where Plummer targeted him three times. Jackson caught all three, starting with his longest, a 24 yard gain for a first down. He added nine more yards on his second catch, but failed to gain any ground on his third.

WR Javon Walker, Rec: 2 - 62 - 1 (8 targets) - Walker had a much calmer day after his explosive game in Week 9, despite being the most targeted Bronco in Week 10. Walker was heavily guarded and defended by a swarming Raider secondary, which also was responsible for intercepting the first ball that went in Walker’s direction in the first quarter. The first catchable target for Walker was his fourth, and he made the most of it by catching it for a ten yard pickup then wheeling quickly and dashing the final 29 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter.

Walker had one more catchable ball in the fourth quarter, and again he took advantage of it and gained 23 yards and a first down. His eighth and final pass that came to him was intercepted, or at least appeared to be, but was not validated by instant replay. It did not matter much as Denver had to punt on the next play.

WR David Kircus, Rec: 1 - 15 - 0 (3 targets) - Kircus had just one catch despite three targets in the first half. He dropped a short five yard pass on third and short on the opening possession, costing the Broncos a first down and forcing a three and out. He was later targeted about 15 yards deep down the middle in the second quarter but the ball sailed to high. Kircus caught his third target for a 15 yard gain and a first down just before the half.

Kircus also served as the Denver punt returner, which was almost a costly mistake. Kircus fumbled a punt at the Broncos’ 20 and lost it to Oakland, but a penalty wiped out the turnover.

TE Stephen Alexander, Rec: 6 - 49 - 0 (8 targets) - Alexander was heavily involved in the second half of the game, catching three of his six receptions after halftime. The solid ending to his performance overcame his first target, where he was the intended receiver of an underthrown pass from Plummer that was intercepted. His second target was a throwaway from Plummer, but his next six were all converted for catches and positive yardage. Alexander caught six balls in all for 49 yards, including two of 16 and 15 yards that both picked up first downs.

PK Jason Elam 1 - 1 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points - Elam made all of his Week 10 kicks, starting with two extra points. He added a 24 yard field goal in the fourth quarter on his only field goal attempt.

DEN Rush Defense - The Raiders were shut down entirely on the ground, gaining only 46 yards on 26 attempts. Denver allowed only four first downs on the ground, with the only blemish coming as a one yard touchdown by RB LaMont Jordan.

DEN Pass Defense - DE Kenard Lang had two sacks and forced a fumble from QB Andrew Walter in the fourth quarter, a critical series of events that protected the Denver lead. Despite Walter having over 200 yards, the Broncos did not allow any completions in the end zone. The Broncos managed just three sacks and no interceptions.

QB Andrew Walter, Pass: 18 - 33 - 214 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - Walter tried to manage the game as best he could, and he had far more time in the pocket than in Week 9 where Seattle sacked him nine times. Walter could not, however, find anyone open enough to get the ball moving in the red zone and get scores for Oakland. Despite connecting on five passes for 20 yards or more, Walter could not get the offense moving enough to put up more than just one touchdown. He completed just over half of his pass attempts for 214 yards and to nine different Raiders, but was unable to hit anyone in the end zone.

In the critical fourth quarter, Walter was sacked and fumbled and then proceeded to fumble away the ball and the game on the next series. He was unable to grasp the snap and lost the ball for the final time.

RB LaMont Jordan, Rush: 10 - 12 - 1, Rec: 1 - 21 - 0 (2 targets) - Jordan had his lowest ever number of carries as a starting RB last week (Week 9) when he ran only nine times. Unfortunately for him, it seems he had his second lowest this week, getting only 10 carries. As a result of the inactivity and a decimated offensive line, Jordan had trouble gaining any yards on most of his carries. He was often hit in the backfield before he could even begin to look for a hole, but there usually was not one to see. Jordan had one positive in the first half, gaining one important yard for a one yard touchdown plunge in the first quarter.

Jordan later added his two longest runs on his final two carries, picking up five and three yards in the third quarter. His longest play, however, was in the second quarter on a pretty screen play that gained 21 yards and a first down. Jordan had one other target but it was uncatchable due to pressure on QB Walter.

RB Justin Fargas, Rush: 8 - -6 - 0, Rec: 1 - 21 - 0 (1 targets) - Fargas was involved in a committee approach to an Oakland run game, and he was not up to the challenge. He gained positive yardage on only three of his eight rushes and finished further behind than he started, losing a net six yards in all. His only positive play for Week 10 came on a short pass that he grabbed and ran for 21 yards and a first down in the second quarter.

RB Zack Crockett, Rush: 7 - 40 - 0, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (3 targets) - Crockett was used in a committee ground game effort in Week 10. He took a few inside handoffs in the first half, picking up 17 and 11 yards on two of those misdirection types of run plays. He had five carries for 37 yards in the first half as a result, but was only able to gain three more yards on two touches in the second half.

Crockett had three first half targets, but only one was catchable. He converted it for a short four yard gain.

RB ReShard Lee, Rec: 2 - 10 - 0 (3 targets) - Lee caught two short passes of five yards each on three targets. The third ball was thrown too high. Lee also picked up a first down on his first five yard catch in the second quarter.

WR Alvis Whitted, Rec: 4 - 53 - 0 (8 targets) - Whitted was the leading wide receiver and most targeted Raider in Week 10, catching four balls for 53 total yards. His yardage was only surpassed by TE Randal Williams. Most of his yardage came on a 33 yard deep pass in the third quarter, the longest play of the game for the Raiders. He added a short four yard catch in the first period along with a five yarder in the fourth to go with his fourth catch of 11 yards in the second quarter. Two of the three incomplete targets were uncatchable, and the third was batted away by a defender.

WR Ronald Curry, Rec: 2 - 11 - 0 (2 targets) - Curry caught two short passes in Week 10. His first catch was for five yards in the first quarter, and he added a six yarder on his second target in the fourth period.

WR Randy Moss, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (5 targets) - Moss once again failed to find the end zone, something he has not seen since Week 7. He caught just one of his five targets, a short eight yard catch in the second quarter. Only one of the other passes was catchable, a short pass that hit him on the hands as he reached behind him on an out pattern. The ball was thrown behind him, but it was a possible reception. None of the other three were close enough to Moss to make any possible play on them.

TE Randal Williams, Rec: 5 - 61 - 0 (7 targets) - Williams played very well in Week 10, racking up the most yards of any Raider via the air game. Williams caught five passes, all of ten or more yards, starting with catches of 11 and ten yards in the first quarter. He added two ten yard catches, one each in the second and third periods, capped by another third quarter catch of 20 yards. He converted three of the catches for first downs. Only one of his targets, the very first, was catchable, and he dropped that short pass of about five yards. Overall, Williams redeemed himself for that drop to be the most productive receiver against the Broncos.

TE John Madsen, Rec: 1 - 25 - 0 (1 targets) - Rookie John Madsen from Utah caught one pass for 25 yards and a first down in the second quarter. It was his lone target in Week 10.

TE Courtney Anderson (2 targets) - Anderson was targeted twice but was not a factor in the game.

PK Sebastian Janikowski 2 - 3 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points - Janikowski connected on his first field goal try, a booming kick of 55 yards. He tied a franchise record with that field goal, tying himself with that long score. He later added a 20 yard field goal but missed a 51 yard attempt that had plenty of leg but sailed wide right. Janikowski also converted his only extra point attempt to finish with seven points.

OAK Rush Defense - Denver was ineffective on the ground, gaining only 63 yards and just three first downs via the run. RB Tatum Bell led the way with a paltry 37 yards on 14 tries.

OAK Pass Defense - The Oakland defense continues to contribute, as they intercepted Denver QB Jake Plummer three times in an effort to create short fields and stay close with the Broncos. DB Fabian Washington intercepted two passes as Nnamdi Asomugha caught another. DL Warren Sapp added two sacks. Plummer still managed to complete over 60% of his passes and get over 200 yards and two touchdowns.

Washington Redskins 3, Philadelphia Eagles 27

Washington Redskins - The early injury to Clinton Portis, a broken hand, hurt the Redskins’ offense. Without Portis, the Redskins were forced to rely more heavily on the passing game, a task made more difficult by the heavy rain which fell much of the game. Ladell Betts, who came in to replace the injured Portis, carried 20 times for 83 yards and was active in the passing game, finishing the game with a total of 91 rushing and receiving yards.

Brunell did not shine. He was able to compile only 132 passing yards, threw for no touchdowns and one interception. Most of Brunell’s 16 completions were short dump-off passes or other intermediate routes that went nowhere. The failure of Brunell and the Redskins to make big plays was the difference in the game. The return of Santana Moss did not lift the team as was originally hoped. Moss was targeted seven times and caught just three passes for 17 yards. Brandon Lloyd was also targeted seven times by Brunell, but caught only two passes.

Philadelphia Eagles - McNabb seemed to struggle on a rainy day in Philadelphia, especially early when many of his passes were errant. He was accurate enough on a play in the first quarter when he found Donte Stallworth open for an 84 yard touchdown. Stallworth, on his first game back from injury, was targeted 11 times in the passing game, and was able to catch six balls for 139 yards and a touchdown. McNabb’s accuracy was better in the second half when he completed eight of ten passes. The Eagles may have worked on clock management during the bye week; their final drive lasted nine minutes and ended with McNabb taking a knee to end the game.

Brian Westbrook was strong early and late in the game, especially during the final period when he gained several key first downs to keep the last drive alive, but was unable to find the end zone. Westbrook also struggled during the second and third periods as Washington made appropriate defensive adjustments and the wet field made it more difficult to make elusive cuts.

What you ought to know

QB Mark Brunell, Pass: 16 - 31 - 132 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0 - Brunell struggled throughout the first half, completing only eight of 20 passing attempts, and went into halftime with just 86 yards. Brunell did not get enough time to make decisions, and his accuracy suffered as a result. The lack of protection forced him to dump off many of his passes to his running backs or tight ends, limiting the team’s yardage totals and eliminating the big play possibility. Brunell was statistically better in the second half, completing eight of 11 passes, but was unable to get his team into the endzone and back into the game. His only interception of the game was a costly one, as it was returned for a touchdown. Brunell finished the game with 132 yards and an interception.

RB Ladell Betts, Rush: 20 - 83 - 0, Rec: 4 - 8 - 0 (5 targets) - Betts, who is normally used as a third down back, and came into the game after the Portis injury. Betts was steady, but not spectacular; Betts carried 17 times and caught three passes in the first half alone, including one 20 yard run late in the second quarter. Betts was also targeted in the passing game and caught a pass on fourth down to keep a drive going for Washington. Betts was a non factor in the second half only getting three carries and he finished the game with 20 carries for 83 rushing yards.

RB Clinton Portis, Rush: 6 - 25 - 0, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (1 targets) - Portis was injured late in the first quarter and did not play for the rest of the game. His broken right hand could well have been the difference in the game. Portis was initially successful running the ball to the outside against the Eagles run defense, and had he played the whole game, the Redskins may have been more successful in establishing their passing game. He did not return to the game after the injury and the word is now what he’ll likely miss 3-4 weeks.

RB T.J. Duckett, Rush: 2 - 16 - 0, Rec: 1 - -3 - 0 (1 targets) - Duckett had one twelve yard run on the first of his two carries, and caught his only target for a loss. In a game where Portis was not available for nearly three quarters, it speaks volumes that Duckett got only two carries.

RB Mike Sellers, Rec: 2 - 18 - 0 (2 targets) - Sellers caught both passes thrown his way for 18 yards.

WR Santana Moss, Rec: 3 - 17 - 0 (7 targets) - Moss had problems getting things going, as he was unable to get open in the first half except for a short out pass that picked up a first down for the Redskins. He was mostly targeted with screen passes and short slants, but was only able to make three catches for 17 yards, his worse totals of the season.

WR Antwaan Randle El, Pass: 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 23 - 0 - Randle El started the game with an end around, where he reversed field and was able pick up the first down and 20 yards. This was an explosive play for Randle El and the kind of performance the Redskins were hoping for when they signed the free agent this off-season. Randle El lined up several times behind the tight end, and came behind the quarterback, making him available to either pass or run the ball. He threw one pass to Chris Cooley in the end zone (incomplete). However, Randle El was not targeted in the passing game.

WR Brandon Lloyd, Rec: 2 - 47 - 0 (7 targets) - Lloyd was targeted primarily in the deep passing game, and was able to make a remarkable 43 yard diving catch that put his team in field goal range for the only Redskins’ score of the game.

TE Chris Cooley, Rec: 3 - 39 - 0 (4 targets) - Cooley finished the game with three catches for 39 yards, and made the majority of his catches off of play action passes, where he was wide open cutting across the field.

PK Nick Novak 1 - 2 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 3 points - Novak converted on his only opportunity, a 32 yard field goal attempt.

WAS Rush Defense - The rush defense was very inconsistent for the Redskins. During the second and third quarters, they were able to shut down the Eagles’ running game, but in the fourth quarter, when it mattered most, they could not stop Westbrook during the long drive which ended the game.

WAS Pass Defense - The pass defense did a good job in the loss for the Redskins, making just one mistake when McNabb found Stallworth open for an 84 touchdown strike. Other than that, the Redskins held McNabb to just 12 completions, his lowest of the season. Only four Eagles’ receivers were able to make catches.

QB Donovan McNabb, Pass: 12 - 26 - 257 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 4 - 12 - 0 - McNabb was given a lot of time, but was inaccurate, as many of his passes were too high or bounced in front of his intended receivers. He was able to hit a wide open Donte Stallworth on an 84 yard touchdown pass in the first half, but only went four of 16 and 139 yards in that time period. McNabb seemed to make some half-time adjustments and came back in the second half firing short pitch and catches with Donte Stallworth on a long third quarter drive which eventually resulted in an Eagles’ field goal. McNabb did not have his best game.

RB Brian Westbrook, Rush: 22 - 113 - 0, Rec: 3 - 37 - 0 (4 targets) - Westbrook was very successful on the Eagles’ first drive as he was able to find holes, mostly between the tackles. He was targeted in the passing game and he broke several post-catch tackles. Westbrook had a long touchdown called back when the referees correctly noted that he stepped out of bounds at the Redskin’s 29 yard line. Westbrook initially was able to pick up a lot of yards when he ran up the gut. Westbrook was most effective in the Eagles’ final drive of the game, gaining several first downs and purposely staying in bounds to help kill the clock. Although Westbrook was not able to find the end zone, he was able to quietly compile over 150 all purpose yards. He also set a season high for carries in a game, 22, and finished with a 5.1 average per rush.

RB Correll Buckhalter, Rush: 8 - 20 - 0, Rec: 1 - 55 - 1 - Buckhalter played his role once again, spelling Westbrook and averaging about 2.5 yards per rush when he did so. Buckhalter was also in the right place at the right time when Reggie Brown fumbled the ball after making a reception; Buckhalter caught the fumble in mid air, and ran it 34 yards for a touchdown. Buckhalter spelled Westbrook for a few plays during the final drive of the game, gaining only short yardage.

WR Donte Stallworth, Rec: 6 - 139 - 1 (11 targets) - Stallworth’s best play of the game came late in the first quarter when he was the recipient of an 84 yard long touchdown pass. He got a couple steps on the defender and was able to use his speed and go into the end zone untouched. Stallworth was mainly targeted on short slant routes after that, picking up between five to ten extra yards a catch. He finished the game with six catches for 139 yards and a touchdown.

WR Reggie Brown, Rec: 1 - 18 - 0 (4 targets) - Brown was targeted early in the game on a flea flicker, but pulled up short and did not even attempt to catch the ball. On subsequent first half plays, he caught two passes for 38 yards, one of which he fumbled into the hands of Correll Buckhalter who ran it to the endzone. Brown injured his hamstring late in the second quarter and did not return in the second half.

WR Greg Lewis (1 targets) - Lewis was targeted only once in the passing game, and felt the effects of Stallworth returning to the lineup after missing several games with a hamstring injury.

TE L.J. Smith, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (3 targets) - Although Smith was targeted three times in the passing game, he was only able to make one catch. Smith is normally a very reliable receiver and the incompletions were the fault of the quarterback’s accuracy.

TE Matt Schobel (1 targets) - Schobel was targeted once in the back of the end zone but was unable to make the catch.

PK David Akers 2 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 9 points - Akers was two for two on field goals, one from 37 yards and the other from 25 yards. He also converted all three of his extra point attempts. However one extra point nearly missed, and the first field goal went left, then right before splitting the uprights.

PHI Rush Defense - The Eagles’ rush defense was exposed at some points, but due to the team’s early lead and the Portis injury, the Redskins were forced to pass and could not rush the ball as many times as they would have hoped, especially in the second half.

PHI Pass Defense - The Eagles’ pass defense did a great job, holding Brunell to just 134 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception return for a touchdown by Sheldon Brown. They very effective defending against Moss and Lloyd, who are normally the Redskin’s play maker receivers and did not let any receiver game over 50 yards in the game.

San Diego Chargers 49, Cincinnati Bengals 41

San Diego Chargers - The Chargers put on an offensive show in the second half, with 42 points after halftime en route to tying the record for the biggest comeback in franchise history. They trailed 21-0 after one quarter and 28-7 at the half. But the Cincinnati defense was powerless to stop or even slow the Chargers after halftime in all phases.

RB LaDainian Tomlinson continued his MVP type campaign, with four more touchdowns to add to his league leading total. He also went over 100 yards rushing for the fourth time this season and 32nd time in his career.

QB Philip Rivers had the kind of game that will help HC Marty Schottenheimer instill more confidence in him. Rivers made no glaring mistakes, and was entrusted with several big passes late in the game with the Chargers trying to protect the lead.

WR Eric Parker left the game with a neck injury. In his place, Malcolm Floyd enjoyed a breakout game. With the Chargers employing the typical strategy of spreading the passes around, Floyd was the big winner on the stat sheet.

One injury to take note of was C Nick Hardwick leaving the field with an apparent ankle injury late in the third quarter. He is the anchor of the San Diego offensive line, and his status is important to the skill players on the team.

Cincinnati Bengals - WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh enjoyed a solid game stat wise, but left with a concussion after a nasty hit courtesy of S Marlon McCree. Houshmandzadeh bounced off the hit from McCree and then his head struck the leg of LB Randall Godfrey, and the receiver did not return. Houshmandzadeh was seen talking with teammates on the sideline later in the game, and didn’t appear seriously hurt. Keep an eye out for his status on the Footballguys site later this week.

WR Chad Johnson finally had that monster game we’ve all been waiting for. He broke the Cincinnati team record for receiving yards in a game with 260, including touchdowns of 51 and 74 yards. For parts of the game, he simply could not be stopped.

QB Carson Palmer helped restore the Cincinnati offense to the air show we became accustomed to seeing last season. He put up huge numbers, including a career best 440 passing yards, and picked the San Diego secondary apart with precision all game long.

What you ought to know

QB Philip Rivers, Pass: 24 - 36 - 337 - 3 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - 2 - 0 - Considering the atmosphere, the opponent, and the ramifications of the game, one has to be impressed at the way Philip Rivers took over this game in the second half. According to the postgame quotes from the San Diego locker room, it was Rivers’ positive attitude that really made a difference in getting back in the game. At one point early in the fourth quarter with the Chargers still trailing, Rivers was seen joking with teammates on the sideline. This wasn’t an Aaron Brooks type situation where he didn’t seem to care. This seemed more like a QB who was confident in himself, and appeared as if he was truly having a blast playing in this game. That would have been nearly impossible to believe after the first thirty minutes of play. In the first half, San Diego could barely sustain a drive. The only time they were able to muster a scoring chance was after a missed field goal gave them excellent starting field position. But Rivers couldn’t do much of anything, and was being outplayed by counterpart Carson Palmer.

After halftime, however, something clicked for Rivers and the Chargers’ offense. The defensive pressure that was there early on was suddenly nonexistent. San Diego’s receivers found themselves wide open at times, streaking downfield with no one around. And Rivers simply picked the Bengals’ defense apart. His most impressive play came with San Diego leading 42-41. On a third down pass from the Cincinnati five yard line, Rivers used great improvisational skills to buy some extra time before flipping the ball over two defenders and into the arms of TE Brandon Manumaleuna. It was Rivers’ third touchdown pass of the second half, and helped put the game away. About the only time Rivers even came close to making a mistake was on a pass intended for Malcolm Floyd that was nearly picked off. But even that wasn’t a terrible throw or decision; it just happened to be batted around several times before falling incomplete. Rivers nearly added a rushing score to his stat line on a scramble late in the third quarter, but he was taken down at the two yard line. Tomlinson scored on the next play.

RB LaDainian Tomlinson, Rush: 22 - 104 - 4, Rec: 6 - 54 - 0 (8 targets) - Tomlinson recorded his fourth 100 yard rushing game of the season, and the 32nd 100 yard game of his career. But it wasn’t so much his yardage that put a big dent in the stat sheet; it was the touchdowns. Tomlinson scored four more times, giving him 16 rushing touchdowns and 19 touchdowns overall this season. He has scored 15 touchdowns in his last five games, an NFL record for a five game span. Despite scoring, he had a pedestrian first half, and really exploded as the Chargers were building their comeback. Following a strong two yard TD run by Tomlinson early in the fourth quarter, Carson Palmer fumbled the ball away on Cincinnati’s next play, giving San Diego the ball at the nine yard line. Tomlinson took the next carry into the end zone, giving him two touchdowns in a span of just 15 seconds of gameplay. Late in the game, Tomlinson took a handoff up the right side and was tackled down at the Cincinnati one yard line. He had already had scored four times (tying the franchise record and his own career high) and was just short on the fifth. San Diego was whistled for a false start penalty prior to the next snap that backed them up to the six yard line; otherwise, Tomlinson may have been given a shot at that fifth score. He simply wore down the Bengals’ defenders all game long, and late in the fourth quarter he was still putting on some great open field moves and juking defenders left and right. For what it’s worth, it is abundantly clear at this point that Tomlinson is the man to beat in the league MVP race.

RB Michael Turner, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0 - For this being such an offensive show, Turner was noticeably quiet. He had just one offensive touch in the game, and he has seen his share of the carries diminish more and more as the season progresses. That’s not to say he didn’t play a key role, however. He had two long kickoff returns, one of which helped set the Chargers up with excellent field position on an eventual scoring drive. Following Chad Johnson’s second touchdown, Turner took the ensuing kickoff 49 yards to the Bengal 40, helping set up a Tomlinson score.

WR Malcom Floyd, Rec: 5 - 109 - 1 (8 targets) - Floyd was targeted just once in the first half. However, starting wideout Eric Parker left the game with a neck injury in the second quarter, opening the door for Floyd’s best game as a pro. He put up all of his stats in the second half, the biggest of which certainly being a 46 yard touchdown reception in the third quarter. That play made the score 28-21 Cincinnati, and really helped turn the tide of momentum in San Diego’s favor. He had made an earlier reception on a simple out route and turned it into a nice gain down to the four yard line after displaying some nice (and unexpected) open field moves. In addition to those key grabs, Floyd had one of the biggest and most unnoticed receptions of the entire game midway through the fourth quarter. With the ball at midfield and San Diego up 42-41, the Chargers faced a third and nine situation. Floyd hauled in a sideline out route with his fingertips and made a very nice play on the ball to stay inbounds for a 12 yard pickup. That enabled the Chargers to keep the drive going, which eventually culminated in a touchdown pass to Brandon Manumaleuna. If the long touchdown didn’t prove it, the third down reception certainly showed that Philip Rivers has trust in Floyd on even the biggest plays.

WR Keenan McCardell, Rec: 2 - 49 - 0 (5 targets) - McCardell didn’t light up the stat sheet by any means, but he did make one of the best catches you’ll see all season long. Philip Rivers hoisted a pass towards the sideline that McCardell appeared to catch with only one foot inbounds. The play was initially ruled an incompletion, but the Chargers challenged the call. Replays confirmed that McCardell had indeed managed to drag both feet inbounds while still maintaining possession of the football for a truly spectacular play. That 25 yard reception helped move the ball to the 26, a drive that eventually ended with a touchdown pass to Brandon Manumaleuna.

WR Eric Parker, Rec: 1 - 14 - 0 (1 targets) - Parker wasn’t targeted until there were eight minutes left in the first half. It was the first and last target of the game for Parker, who would eventually leave with a neck injury. Malcolm Floyd entered the game in his place, and was outstanding with over 100 yards receiving and a long touchdown reception.

TE Antonio Gates, Rec: 5 - 69 - 0 (6 targets) - Gates virtually disappeared for a very long stretch of the game. He caught his first pass at 7:46 of the first quarter, and didn’t record his second reception until the 6:23 mark of the third quarter (a span of 31:23. Once he hauled in that second one, he regained his regular rotation in the offense and caught three more balls. One of his late receptions was critical, snatching it away from the defender on a third and eight pass that went for 27 yards.

TE Brandon Manumaleuna, Rec: 2 - 14 - 2 (2 targets) - Manumaleuna was the definition of making the most with what you’ve got. Though he was only thrown to twice, each reception went for a touchdown. As we told you back in the Week 2 game recap, “he appears to be a good outlet for Rivers when the defense is focusing on Tomlinson, Gates, etc in the red zone.” Never was that more evident than Sunday, as both of Manumaleuna’s scores came when he was able to slip by the defenders for wide open touchdowns. His second score of the game was much more a product of Philip Rivers making a play than anything else, and Manumaleuna just happened to be in the right place at the right time. But the first score was a nice effort by the big tight end to find the goal line up the right sideline for nine yards.

PK Nate Kaeding 0 - 0 FG, 7 - 7 XP, 7 points - The Chargers had such trouble moving the football in the first half that they were unable to really get into field goal range. And they had such success moving the football in the second half that their scoring drives were for touchdowns rather than field goals. As a result, Kaeding connected on seven extra points.

SD Rush Defense - The Chargers had a lot of trouble early with the combination of Rudi Johnson and Chris Perry. Had the Bengals had a little more success defensively, it’s quite possible that Rudi Johnson could have had a huge game. Reason being, the Chargers looked very soft at the second level of defense with LB Shawne Merriman still out of the picture (serving a suspension for steroids). The Chargers allowed rushing touchdowns on each of its first two defensive series, neither of which established any type of smash-mouth “shut em down” mentality they’ve become known for these past few years. San Diego got almost no backfield penetration, and Rudi Johnson was able to consistently get to the second and third lines of the defense, seemingly with ease. In the second half, the Bengals got caught up playing shootout with the Chargers, and kind of abandoned the running game for a long time. When they did try to re-establish the run game with four consecutive Johnson carries in the fourth quarter, the results were very encouraging (four rushes for 31 yards). But they were losing the game already by that point. And following two successive incomplete passes, the team was forced to punt and did not regain the lead for the rest of the game.

SD Pass Defense - It was truly a tale of two halves for the San Diego secondary. That’s not to say they played all that well in either half, but they were at least a bit better after halftime. In the first half, Carson Palmer basically had his way. It seemed as if he could do no wrong and that he could complete a pass to any receiver at any time if he so desired. San Diego’s pass rush (if you can call it that) was completely ineffective. And the defensive backs, particularly S Terrence Kiel, had no answers for Chad Johnson on his 51 yard touchdown reception. After halftime, San Diego forced Cincinnati to punt on its first two possessions, which helped give the offense enough time to crawl back into the game. Following a 74 yard touchdown pass to Johnson, the San Diego pass defense rose up once more. LB Shaun Phillips came up with perhaps the biggest defensive play of the game late in the fourth quarter. Following a San Diego touchdown that cut the Bengals lead to three, Cincinnati took over on its own 20 yard line. On a blitz off the left side, Phillips came off the corner and knocked the ball out of Palmer’s hand for a fumble. The Chargers recovered the football, Tomlinson scored on the very next play, and the Chargers had a lead they would never relinquish. They also came up big on the last-gasp drive for Cincinnati to try and tie the game late. While they did bend in allowing the Bengals to get to the 15, the defense never broke and didn’t allow the score that could have tied the game. As for the near-misses, S Clinton Hart should have come up with an interception on an errant pass intended for WR Chris Henry late in the first half. Hart went up for the ball and had it in his hands, but appeared to be distracted by a bevy of bodies in front and underneath him. He dropped the ball, and Henry scored from seven yards out later in the drive. S Marlon McCree can expect to be receiving notification of a hefty fine sometime in the next few days, as his crushing illegal hit on WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh left the receiver with a concussion and standing on the sidelines for the rest of the game. It was a terribly early hit, and McCree likely deserves a hefty punishment for the play.

QB Carson Palmer, Pass: 31 - 42 - 440 - 3 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - -1 - 0 - Palmer played about as well as any quarterback can possibly play in the first half of this game. The San Diego defense had zero answers for Palmer, who finally looked like the QB we saw all of 2005. His deep passes found their mark, the underneath passes were crisp and quick, and the timing patterns were in perfect rhythm with the routes of his receivers. He spread the ball around fairly well, though his primary target was WR Chad Johnson. The two connected for a 51 yard touchdown strike late in the first quarter, with Johnson beating the last defender by a wide margin on the play. The twosome would later hook up for a 74 yard touchdown late in the third quarter. Johnson’s big-play ability was the primary reason why Palmer was able to put up a career-best 440 passing yards.

Palmer was very impressive on several plays in particular, notably a first half completion to WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh over the middle. With a blitzing linebacker in his face and charging hard, Palmer stood tall in the pocket and delivered a perfect pass to Houshmandzadeh, absorbing a punishing hit in the process. Palmer’s stats almost got just a bit better on Cincinnati’s last gasp drive. They moved the ball to the San Diego 15 yard line where Palmer appeared to throw a perfect pass to WR Chris Henry in the end zone. Henry, however, dropped the ball. On the final play from scrimmage, Palmer fired a pass to Glenn Holt in the end zone that was knocked away incomplete. It was a bit curious that with the game (and possibly season) on the line, the last four passes of the game went to Tony Stewart, Chris Henry, Kenny Watson, and Glenn Holt. (Although Johnson did have two receptions for 33 yards on the final drive) Holt wasn’t turned around to see the pass heading his way anyway, so he wouldn’t have caught it even if it wasn’t deflected. Palmer wasn’t intercepted in the game, but came close on a pass intended for Henry late in the first half. San Diego S Clinton Hart had the ball in his hands momentarily before dropping it for an incompletion, and Palmer capped that drive with the TD pass to Henry four plays later.

RB Rudi Johnson, Rush: 18 - 85 - 1, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) - Johnson did not start the game due to disciplinary reasons, believed to be because he was tardy for a team meeting. On the opening drive of the game, FB Jeremi Johnson took in a score from three yards out. Obviously, it’s unknown how that opening drive would’ve gone if Rudi Johnson was in there, but ordinarily that would have been his carry. Rudi Johnson did manage to find the end zone on the next possession. The offensive line opened a gaping hole for Johnson, and he waltzed into the end zone up the right side. That was his last big contribution to the game though. He had several nice runs late in the fourth quarter, but for a long time in the second half the Bengals kind of got away from the running game. Johnson finished with very solid numbers, many of the yards right up the heart of the San Diego defense, but never managed to break that big gain or establish a true rhythm to his carries.

RB Chris Perry, Rush: 4 - 31 - 0, Rec: 3 - -1 - 0 (5 targets) - Perry started the game in place of Rudi Johnson, who didn’t come in until the second possession due to a disciplinary action for being late to a team meeting. Perry looked good running with the ball early on, and even managed to pick up a nice first down run on a botched handoff from Carson Palmer. Once Johnson entered the game, Perry’s role was mostly reduced to third down receiving back once again. Perry nearly scored on a kick return midway through the third quarter. While the play sheet only shows it as a 36 yard return, the truth of it is that Perry had gotten by the last line of defense for the Chargers and had nothing but open space ahead of him when he was just tripped up by Carlos Polk to save what would have been a 93 yard touchdown. That possession eventually ended with a Shayne Graham field goal.

WR Chad Johnson, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0, Rec: 11 - 260 - 2 (12 targets) - Johnson finally was able to put up huge stats over an entire game. He had already reached his previous season high in receptions (seven) by halftime, and by the end of the fourth quarter he was the new owner of the Cincinnati franchise record for receiving yards in one game. He hauled in an early 51 yard touchdown reception, badly beating Chargers’ safety Terrance Kiel on the play. Later in the game, he answered a Brandon Manumaleuna score with a 74 yard touchdown grab on the first play from scrimmage (badly beating rookie CB Antonio Cromartie on the play). Johnson was wide open all over the field all game long, on both deep routes and on underneath passes. The Chargers simply had no answers for him, much like the last time he faced San Diego in 2003, when he put up ten receptions for 107 yards and three touchdowns on that day. Those looking for touchdown celebrations on this day saw him leave a loving note for his mother and grandmother after the first score, and he then mocked Shawne Merriman’s sack dance (Merriman is currently serving the second of a four game suspension for steroids) following the second TD.

WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Rec: 7 - 88 - 0 (11 targets) - Houshmandzadeh was enjoying another typical game for him, with seven receptions totaling 88 yards midway through the fourth quarter. Then, two bad things happened. The first was that he dropped an easy reception over the middle on third down that would’ve given Cincinnati a 10-15 yard pickup and an easy first down. The next was when he was viciously hit by S Marlon McCree. The hit came way too soon and drew a flag, and as Houshmandzadeh fell to the turf, he hit his head on the knee of Chargers LB Randall Godfrey. He appeared dazed on the field and very likely concussed. After being helped to his feet, he remained on the sideline for the rest of the game and was later seen smiling with teammates. His condition and status for next week is unknown at this point, and we will continue to update you throughout the week.

WR Chris Henry, Rec: 2 - 18 - 1 (5 targets) - Henry was the recipient of an early seven yard touchdown strike from Carson Palmer, but it was the catch Henry didn’t make that will be on the highlight reels. With the Bengals trailing by eight on their last possession, Palmer found Henry open in the end zone. The pass was a bit low and to the side, but Henry clearly could have and should have hung onto the football. He dropped it for an incompletion, and two plays later the Bengals had turned it over on downs and the game was essentially over.

TE Reggie Kelly, Rec: 3 - 31 - 0 (3 targets) - Kelly came close to scoring on the first possession of the game, taking a 27 yard pass down to the three yard line. That, however, was the closest Kelly would come to scoring in the game, as Jeremi Johnson took in a touchdown on the next play.

TE Tony Stewart, Rec: 1 - 26 - 0 (3 targets) - Stewart’s lone reception of the game probably should never have been a catch. His 26 yard grab appeared to come out of bounds, but San Diego opted not to challenge the play.

PK Shayne Graham 2 - 3 FG, 5 - 5 XP, 11 points - Graham’s lone miss in the game (from 51 yards out) may have been the catalyst for the Chargers offense getting itself back on track. San Diego’s first four possessions of the game were all punts. However, following Graham’s 51 yard miss, the Chargers took over possession on their own 41 yard line. Six plays later, they had their first score of the game.

CIN Rush Defense - While they didn’t exactly allow LaDainian Tomlinson to run totally wild on the ground, they also didn’t make very many plays when called upon. Tomlinson scored four touchdowns on the ground, many of them involving missed or broken tackles on his way to the end zone. Tomlinson ground out yardage in this game, with the Bengals slowly getting worn down as the game went on. By the end of the contest, Tomlinson still seemed fairly fresh and was able to make two extremely impressive cut-back moves on Cincinnati defenders in the backfield. Meanwhile, those defenders simply grasped at air for much of the fourth quarter.

CIN Pass Defense - In the first half, the Bengals got good pressure on Philip Rivers. They hurried a couple of throws, forced a number of throw-aways, and even managed a few sacks. All of that changed after halftime, however. The Bengals were absolutely lit up by Rivers and the San Diego receiving corps in the third and fourth quarters. Perhaps not coincidentally, that is the bulk of the time that standout CB Deltha O’Neal was relegated to the bench with an injury suffered early in the third quarter. Of the three passing touchdowns for San Diego, one of them was a bomb to little-known Malcolm Floyd and the other two were to rarely used backup TE Brandon Manumaleuna. On the second Manumaleuna touchdown in particular, it appeared as if the entire Bengals’ defense sold out to come after Philip Rivers and neglected to take notice of the 288 pound receiver bounding across the field behind them. The only time any Cincinnati defenders came close to making a play was late in the third quarter when Tory James nearly came up with an interception off a deflected pass. But he couldn’t hang on, and it went for an incompletion. LB Landon Johnson left the game early with an ankle injury but returned soon after. However, he once again left the contest for good later on and did not return.

New Orleans Saints 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 38

New Orleans Saints - The Saints’ offensive surge continued as Drew Brees threw for 398 yards and a touchdown. He completed 17 of 22 passes for 203 yards in the first half, and guided the Saints to three touchdowns and a field goal in five possessions before the break. He found plenty of success downfield between the hash marks, exploiting an injury riddled Pittsburgh secondary, and its inexperienced replacements.

Rookie WR Marques Colston led the charge with ten receptions and 169 yards, while WR Terrance Copper, who replaced injured WR Joe Horn, filled in nicely with six receptions for 82 yards and a first quarter touchdown. Devery Henderson had been the player benefiting the most from Horn’s absence (Copper only saw three targets last week) but this week it was Copper that clearly rose to the occasion and made the most of his opportunity.

The Saints’ running duo of RB Deuce McAllister and RB Reggie Bush combined for 25 carries and 109 yards. McAllister ran for a consistent four yards a carry on 15 attempts, and scored twice, both from four yards out. Bush had 49 yards on ten carries and scored his first NFL career touchdown from scrimmage on a 15 yard double reverse in the second quarter.

The Saints’ defense gave up two early touchdowns in the first quarter, but settled down and held Pittsburgh to 30 first half rushing yards and just three second quarter completions leading to a field goal. In the end, however, they gave up 217 rushing yards and 467 total yards, including two runs of 70+ yards to RB Willie Parker.

Pittsburgh Steelers - For the first time since being knocked out of Week 7’s game at Atlanta, QB Ben Roethlisberger was in command of himself and the team as he guided six scoring drives, including five touchdowns (three passing). He also did not register a turnover, after committing seven over the last two weeks, and was sharp both in accuracy and in his decision making process.

Despite getting shut down for 26 first half yards, RB Willie Parker came within five yards of breaking a Steelers’ record as he rushed for 213 yards, highlighted by runs of 71 and 76 yards on consecutive second half drives, both leading to Parker touchdown runs of three and four yards.

WR Hines Ward led Pittsburgh receivers with five receptions and 86 yards and got the Steelers on top with a 37 yard touchdown catch early in the first quarter. TE Heath Miller and WR Cedrick Wilson also caught touchdown passes.

The Steelers’ defense again got torched (398 passing yards) and allowed 4.3 yards a rush plus three red zone touchdown runs but managed to force three turnovers. For the first time in weeks, however, they won the turnover battle forcing three fumbles. They knocked themselves out, literally, in holding on to their victory, as S Troy Polamalu, CB Deshea Townsend and S Tyrone Carter all suffered concussions.

What you ought to know

QB Drew Brees, Pass: 31 - 47 - 398 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 4 - 14 - 0 - Brees continued to fly under the radar of top notch quarterbacks with another solid performance. He eclipsed the 275 yard mark for the sixth time this season and led his team to four first half scoring drives. After TE Billy Miller fumbled his first completion in the first quarter, Brees went on to complete 16 of his next 21 passes to close the first half with 201 passing yards. He went three of four on the Saints' first scoring drive and capped it off with a rollout touchdown pass to WR Terrance Copper for three yards. His completion percentage dipped in the second half, but he still threw for 197 second half yards. Brees took advantage of Pittsburgh over the middle using Copper and WR Marques Colston on several big gains and made wise decisions in checking down when necessary. Brees only had a few miscues on two over throws and two dropped interceptions, one of which would have gone for a defensive touchdown. He was also victimized by three dropped passes and two WR fumbles. He added 14 yards rushing on three scrambling attempts and had one fumble (not lost).

RB Reggie Bush, Rush: 10 - 49 - 1, Rec: 7 - 40 - 0 (12 targets) - Bush showed flashes of his speed and moves, gaining 49 yards on ten carries and QB Drew Brees used him several times out of the backfield for another 40 yards receiving, but it took a gadget play to cut Bush loose for his first NFL career offensive touchdown. Bush was the recipient of a double reverse that completely fooled the Steelers’ defense and he took it around the left end, sealing it by flying over a tackler for the final three yards and into the end zone. Bush also coughed up a fumble on the Saints’ 38 yard line, which led to a Steelers’ touchdown one play later in the third quarter.

RB Deuce McAllister, Rush: 14 - 56 - 1, Rec: 1 - 2 - 0 (1 targets) - McAllister continues to see a reduced role for a feature back, but once again led the Saints in rushing with 60 yards on 15 carries for a very consistent four yards a pop. It was his eighth game in a row with under 20 carries, but he made two of them count, both on four yard touchdown runs. He scored late in the first half, untouched, after QB Drew Brees completed four passes in a row in the two minute drill. His second touchdown was unconventional to say the least, when he picked up a ground ball fumbled snap right at his feet and ran it in for the touchdown with eight minutes left in the game.

RB Mike Karney, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0, Rec: 2 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) - Karney saw his fourth carry of the year and caught two short passes.

RB Aaron Stecker, Rec: 3 - 78 - 0 (3 targets) - Seldom used Stecker was a hit out of the backfield catching three passes for 78 yards, including a 48 yard bomb when he broke off his route to aid a scrambling QB Drew Brees. He also caught a 22 yard pass to help set up Deuce McAllister’s first touchdown run late in the second quarter.

WR Marques Colston, Rec: 10 - 169 - 0 (14 targets) - Already the number one option for QB Drew Brees, Colston continued his Rookie of the Year campaign with a game high ten receptions and 169 yards. Lining up several times in the slot to draw nickel back or LB coverage, Colston exploited the middle of the field almost at will, catching six passes between ten and 28 yards. Colston’s long of 29 occurred in the two minute drill when he beat rookie S Anthony Madison down the left sideline to the Steelers four yard line, setting up a Deuce McAllister touchdown late in the first half. Colston had a rookie moment in the fourth quarter when he dropped a third down pass upon hearing approaching footsteps.

WR Terrance Copper, Rec: 6 - 92 - 1 (12 targets) - Copper, normally the fourth WR for New Orleans, got the starting nod in place of injured WR Joe Horn and immediately made an impact catching a 22 yard pass and a three yard touchdown catch on the Saints’ first scoring drive. Copper faked an inside route and looped around to his right, where the Drew Brees rollout pass was waiting for him in the back of the end zone. Copper did not have Horn’s veteran’s presence late in the game, however, when he dropped a 30 yard pass over the middle, and fumbled his next reception at Pittsburgh’s 25 yard line with under :40 left in the game.

WR Devery Henderson - Henderson saw plenty of time on the field as the number three receiver, but not have a pass thrown his way in Sunday’s game.

TE Mark Campbell, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (3 targets) - Campbell had an eight yard catch nullified by a penalty and was targeted in the end zone in the fourth quarter but was over thrown. His lone reception came just before the two minute warning in the fourth quarter.

TE Billy Miller, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (2 targets) - Miller fumbled away his only reception on the Saints' second offensive play of the game.

PK John Carney 1 - 2 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 7 points - Carney was successful on a 20 yard field goal attempt, but pushed his 32 yard attempt wide left late in the third quarter. He converted all four extra point attempts.

NO Rush Defense - The Saints stuffed RB Willie Parker in the first half, holding him to just 26 yards. But after crowding the line of scrimmage to a fault, Parker was able to twice bounce outside for gains of 71 and 76 leading to two Parker rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter. They gave up 217 rushing yards in all.

NO Pass Defense - The Saints were caught several times out of position for big gains, including two touchdown passes of 37 and 38 yards, as well as another long gain of 48 yards that led to a field goal. They only managed two sacks and rarely flushed QB Ben Roethlisberger out of the pocket. LB Scott Shanle had eight total tackles and one of the Saints sacks.

QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pass: 17 - 28 - 264 - 3 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 1 - 0 - Roethlisberger looked like the 2005 version of himself as he led the Steelers to five touchdown drives, the first three of which ended in Roethlisberger touchdown passes. His first was a strike over the middle to WR Hines Ward on a crossing pattern, who took it to the left sideline before turning up field for a 37 yard score. Roethlisberger found TE Heath Miller off of a play action bootleg for a two yard touchdown pass and fooled the Saints defense again with play action to find WR Cedrick Wilson all alone for a 38 yard touchdown pass. He finished 17 of 28 for 264 yards and more importantly zero turnovers. Four of Roethlisberger’s incompletions were actually good choices on his part or bad reads by his receivers, and he was also the victim of three dropped passes.

RB Willie Parker, Rush: 22 - 213 - 2, Rec: 2 - 12 - 0 (2 targets) - Parker had a career day and came within five yards of breaking a 36 year old franchise record in rushing for 213 yards, 187 of which came in the second half. Parker didn’t have many answers in the first half, rushing for just 26 yards on his ten carries. Late in the third quarter Parker switched gears and made the Saints pay for crowding the box with eight defenders. Parker took a draw through a huge hole on the left side of the line and raced up the left sideline for 71 yards. A shoe string tackle by CB Mike McKenzie saved the touchdown, but Parker capitalized four plays later from three yards out. On Pittsburgh’s next drive in the fourth quarter, Parker ran into a crowd of defenders, but bounced right and found daylight up the right sideline for a 76 yard gain. He was again caught from behind, but finished it off with a four yard score. Parker added 12 yards on two screen passes.

RB Najeh Davenport, Rush: 2 - 3 - 0, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (2 targets) - Davenport was instrumental on kick return duties, collecting 97 yards on four attempts including a 40 yard return to open the game, setting Pittsburgh up at midfield for its first touchdown drive. He had two rushes for three yards and caught a nearly had a huge gain on a screen pass, but was tripped up for just a four yards.

WR Hines Ward, Rec: 5 - 86 - 1 (6 targets) - Ward had a big first half, catching four passes for 69 yards. After cradling a short pass for eight yards and a first down, he scored on his next catch just three plays later. Ward caught Roethlisberger’s pass middle on a crossing pattern over the middle for 15 yards and continued toward the left sideline. He put a move on S Curtis Deloatch before turning up field and squeezing inside the left pylon for the touchdown. Ward later hauled in a 25 yard pass to set up a Hail Mary at the end of the first half. He only had one reception for 17 yards in the second half.

WR Cedrick Wilson, Rec: 2 - 47 - 1 (4 targets) - Wilson only saw four passes his way, his first early in the game for nine yards. His second catch came off play action and his defender bit on the fake, and he was all alone for a 38 yard touchdown catch. Wilson caught a severe case of alligator arms on a slant that could have gained significant yards in the fourth quarter, but RB Willie Parker rescued him with a 76 yard run on the next play.

WR Nate Washington, Rec: 2 - 28 - 0 (6 targets) - Washington’s struggles continued with two more dropped passes, including one in the end zone off his hands while jumping for the ball. His second drop was of similar fashion. He did make a sliding catch good for 22 yards early in the third quarter and he was the target of a first half Hail Mary pass that fell incomplete.

WR Santonio Holmes, Rec: 2 - 57 - 0 (3 targets) - Holmes resumed punt return duties and managed to hang onto his only attempt, a fair catch. He only caught two passes but his second reception set up a Jeff Reed second quarter field goal. Holmes caught a pass over the middle and when two defenders collided in pursuit, he raced up the left hash mark for a team high 46 yard reception to the Saints’ 14 yard line.

TE Heath Miller, Rec: 3 - 30 - 1 (5 targets) - Miller caught Roethlisberger’s second touchdown pass for two yards, and later pulled in a 22 yard catch in the third quarter inside the red zone. Four plays later, Miller was targeted in the end zone but he got tangled up with his defender and fell down before he was able to attempt the catch.

PK Jeff Reed 1 - 2 FG, 5 - 5 XP, 8 points - Reed made a 32 yard field goal, but hooked a 35 yard attempt wide left in the third quarter. He was perfect on all five extra point attempts.

PIT Rush Defense - The Steelers’ biggest gaffe on defense was the over pursuit on a double reverse and gave up a long gain of 15 yards for a touchdown. Otherwise, they kept RBs Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush in check for a combined 109 yards and forced a Bush fumble on the ground. LBs Larry Foote and James Farrior combined for 21 total tackles and two forced fumbles.

PIT Pass Defense - For the third time in four games, the Steelers allowed 31 or more points, primarily because of its soft pass defense. They allowed QB Drew Brees to throw for 398 yards and a touchdown. The Steelers lost CB Deshea Townsend with an injured ankle and a concussion, as well as S Troy Polamalu and S Tyrone Carter, both to concussions. S Ryan Clark had two fumble recoveries.

Houston Texans 13, Jacksonville Jaguars 10

Houston Texans - Houston opened the game with a nine play 70 yard drive that was capped off by Wali Lundy’s one yard touchdown run. The key play of the drive was a 41 yard reception by Andre Johnson. Johnson nearly had a touchdown, but stepped out of bounds at the one yard line.

Morlon Greenwood’s interception ended Jacksonville’s initial possession and set up the Texans at the Jaguars’ 41 yard line. David Carr led Houston to the Jaguars’ six yard line, but his third down pass attempt to Andre Johnson was tipped four times before falling incomplete and the Texans settled for a Kris Brown field goal and a 10-0 lead.

Jacksonville answered with a field goal for their only score of the first half. However, Houston was unable to score again in the first half, despite a 16 play 67 yard drive that ate up nearly seven and one half minutes of game time. Kris Brown’s 32 yard field goal attempt was wide to the left. The drive was indicative, however, of the Texans’ ball control offense for the game. Houston controlled the ball for more than 18 minutes of the first half and finished the game with a 15 minute time of possession advantage.

Houston’s 148 rushing yards exceeded its season average by 61 yards and was instrumental in the time of possession advantage. Samkon Gado led the Texans with 67 rushing yards on seventeen carries. He split attempts with Wali Lundy, who was held to only 34 yards on sixteen attempts. All but two of Lundy’s carries came in the first half, as the Texans turned to Gado in the second half; each of Gado’s attempts came after halftime. The Houston backfield situation is certainly less clear. Although Lundy has been the starter, Gado was the more effective runner in the game and may see more time in the future.

David Carr chipped in 48 rushing yards of his own. He completed only half of his 32 passes for 167 yards, but directed the Houston offense to a turnover free day. Carr was forced to leave the game early in the fourth quarter. He took a helmet to his throwing shoulder after completing a 14 yard pass to tight end Owen Daniels. Carr initially looked to be in a lot of pain, but later was able to throw the ball on the sideline. Sage Rosenfels took over and finished the game at quarterback.

Head coach Gary Kubiak elected to gamble and go for a fourth down and one from his own 41 yard line with 1:40 left in the game. Samkon Gado was able to convert the first down and Houston ran out the clock.

With the win, Houston ended the NFL’s longest current road losing streak. The Texans had lost 12 consecutive road games dating all the way back to December 2004. Houston is now 6-4 against Jacksonville, but has only 15 wins against the remainder of the league in the team’s short history.

Starting right tackle Zach Wiegert tore an ACL and will be lost for the season.

Jacksonville Jaguars - The Jaguars marched on a ten play 54 field goal yard drive on their second possession. However, the offense was plagued by turnovers and did not score again until less than five minutes remained in the game. Trailing 13-10 the Jaguars final drive resulted in a three straight incomplete passes. Jacksonville was forced to punt just prior to the two minute warning, but Houston converted a fourth down and one play and was able to run out the clock.

David Garrard entered the game with nine touchdowns and only two interceptions as a starter. However, he threw four interceptions in the game. Although Garrard did not have a great game, he was victimized by bad luck (and Matt Jones). Garrard’s first interception resulted when he was hit hard by DeMeco Ryans as he was releasing the pass. As a result, the ball fluttered and was intercepted by Morlon Greenwood. Two of Garrard’s interceptions can be blamed on Matt Jones. Both passes were right on the money and should have been completions. On the first occasion, Garrard put the ball perfectly in Jones’ hands. However, Demarcus Faggins was able to wrestle the ball from Jones. Jones later bobbled another perfectly thrown pass and Anthony Weaver plucked it form the air. Jones would later drop another well thrown ball. Garrard was at fault on the final interception. He attempted to hit Ernest Wilford for a 23 yard touchdown, but Dunta Robinson cut in front and picked off the pass in the end zone. Nevertheless, if you credit Garrard for completions on three Jones plays, plus two more drops by Ernest Wilford, he would have finished 20 for 34 with only two interceptions rather than 15 for 34 with four picks.

Fred Taylor had 134 yards from scrimmage despite only having 17 touches. Most of Taylor’s yards came on three big plays. Taylor caught consecutive screen passes for 18 and 36 yards and added a 24 yard run.

Maurice Jones-Drew scored the lone Jaguars’ touchdown on a three yard run in the fourth quarter. Jones-Drew only had three rushes for 11 yards, but added 56 receiving yards on four catches.

Jacksonville lost for the first time at home this season and has been swept by Houston this season.

Left tackle, Khalif Barnes, was inactive for the game as punishment for a recent DWI arrest.

What you ought to know

QB David Carr, Pass: 16 - 32 - 167 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 5 - 48 - 0 - Carr entered the game leading the NFL in completion percentage with a 70.4% success rate, but he completed only fifty percent of his passes in the game. However, Carr played a smart, ball control oriented game. He did not try to force passes into coverage and showed a willingness to throw the ball away rather than take a sack. Carr, who had been sacked a whopping 208 times in his short career, was sacked only once and was able to avoid turnovers.

Carr used his quickness to contribute 48 yards on five rushing attempts. He had scrambles of eight, 13, 14, and 11 yards plus a two yard keeper to convert a first down.

Carr was forced to leave the game early in the fourth quarter, when he was hit with a helmet on his throwing shoulder. Carr was able to toss the ball on the sideline afterwards, but did not return. The injury was diagnosed as a bruise.

QB Sage Rosenfels, Pass: 1 - 3 - 9 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - -2 - 0 - Rosenfels played most of the fourth quarter after David Carr injured his shoulder. He attempted only three passes, completing a screen pass to Wali Lundy. Rosenfels was stuffed for no gain on a sneak attempt and was credited twice with one yard kneel down losses.

RB Samkon Gado, Rush: 17 - 67 - 0, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (2 targets) - Gado caught one six yard pass late in the first half. In the second half, Gado was Houston’s primary ball carrier. All of his runs came after halftime at the expense of Wali Lundy. Gado was the more effective of the two runners. He averaged 3.9 yards per carry with a long run of 13 yards. Gado’s one yard run on fourth and one iced the game for Houston.

Gado fumbled once in the game, but Houston retained possession.

RB Wali Lundy, Rush: 16 - 34 - 1, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (3 targets) - Lundy started at tailback for the third game in a row. It is not clear whether he will be the starter next week, however. Lundy gained only 34 yards on 16 attempts and ran the ball only twice in the second half, when Samkon Gado took over. Lundy did not appear to be injured and was still involved in the game after halftime. All three of his targets came in the second half. His lone reception resulted in a nine yard gain on a screen pass from Sage Rosenfels. Had Lundy been more patient to set up his blocks on the play, he might have had a big gain. Lundy was sacked for a nine yard loss on a play when he was going to attempt a halfback option pass.

RB Jameel Cook, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0, Rec: 2 - 10 - 0 (4 targets) - Cook’s one carry converted a second and one play into a first down. Cook had receptions of one and nine yards. The nine yard gain converted a first down.

WR Andre Johnson, Rec: 3 - 56 - 0 (11 targets) - Johnson’s 65 receptions starting the game were 13 more than any other player in the NFL had accrued entering Week 10. Johnson was targeted a game high 11 times, but added only three catches for 56 yards. He narrowly missed a touchdown, when he stepped out of bounds at the Jacksonville one yard line after a 41 yard catch on Houston’s first drive, and had a mostly quiet game thereafter.

WR Eric Moulds, Rec: 3 - 14 - 0 (5 targets) - Moulds had three receptions for only 14 yards.

WR Kevin Walter, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (2 targets) - Walter caught both passes thrown his way for gains of five and 11 yards.

TE Owen Daniels, Rec: 4 - 55 - 0 (6 targets) - Daniels led the Texans with four receptions. His catches went for eight, 12, 21, and 14 yards. Daniels had what appeared to be another reception and fumble that went out of bounds, but the play was ruled as an incomplete pass.

TE Jeb Putzier, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (2 targets) - Putzier was targeted twice and had one reception for ten yards.

PK Kris Brown 2 - 4 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points - Brown hit two short field goals and one extra point attempt. He missed wide left on a 32 yard attempt and hit high on the right upright from 52 yards out.

HOU Rush Defense - Jacksonville averaged 6.2 yards per attempt and gained 118 yards on the ground. However, 44 of those yards came on four David Garrard runs. The Jaguars touchdown was a three yard run by Maurice Jones-Drew. Rookie, DeMeco Ryans, who led the league with 58 solo tackles coming in, had six more solo stops.

HOU Pass Defense - Jacksonville gained only 204 yards through the air, but the number could have been significantly higher. Quarterback David Garrard suffered from at least five dropped passes that led directly to two interceptions and the loss of a potential long touchdown. Jason Babin sacked David Garrard twice. DeMeco Ryans set up Morlon Greenwood’s interception when he pulverized Garrard just as he was releasing the football. Demarcus Faggins stole a pass from Matt Jones for another interception, while Anthony Weaver and Dunta Robinson also contributed picks. Robinson had seven solo tackles.

QB David Garrard, Pass: 15 - 34 - 214 - 0 TD / 4 INT, Rush: 4 - 44 - 0 - Garrard played better than his stats would indicate. He was victimized by at least five dropped passes. Matt Jones dropped three passes and two of them resulted in interceptions. Ernest Wilford dropped two more. One of the drops came on a perfectly thrown deep ball that might have become a 79 yard touchdown pass. Garrard’s first interception occurred when he was crunched by DeMeco Ryans just as he was releasing the ball, causing the pass to flutter in the air. Garrard made a bad decision when he tried to force the ball to Wilford in the end zone from 23 yards away and Dunta Robinson picked it off.

Garrard used his mobility to gain 44 yards on four rushes.

RB Fred Taylor, Rush: 12 - 63 - 0, Rec: 5 - 71 - 0 (7 targets) - Taylor gained 63 yards on 12 attempts. His long run went for 24 yards. However, Jacksonville trailed most of the game and never committed to establishing the running game.

Taylor led the Jaguars with five receptions for 71 yards. Taylor had consecutive receptions of 18 and 36 yards in the fourth quarter. Taylor had a pass go off his fingertips on Jacksonville’s last possession. The announcers speculated that he may have been bothered by sun in his eyes.

Taylor fumbled in the second quarter, but Reggie Williams recovered it and Jacksonville retained possession.

RB Maurice Jones-Drew, Rush: 3 - 11 - 1, Rec: 4 - 56 - 0 (5 targets) - Jones-Drew carried the ball three times for 11 yards including a three yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. He also lost a ten yard gain to a holding penalty.

Jones-Drew caught passes of 18, six and 11 yards shortly before halftime. He had one 21 yard reception in the second half.

Jones-Drew averaged 18 yards on three kickoff returns.

WR Ernest Wilford, Rec: 2 - 50 - 0 (8 targets) - Wilford was targeted a team high eight times. He had two 25 yard catches. Wilford dropped two other passes, including a perfect deep throw that might have resulted in a 79 yard touchdown pass.

WR Reggie Williams, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (4 targets) - Williams caught only one pass for twelve yards in the game. He was called for two crucial penalties, however. His holding penalty negated a ten yard Maurice Jones Drew run that would have set Jacksonville up with a first and goal on the Houston three yard line. Instead, David Garrard threw an interception in the end zone (from the 23 yard line) on the next play. Williams’ offensive pass interference penalty negated Cortez Hankton’s 37 yard reception on Jacksonville’s final drive. Instead of having the ball in game tying field goal range, the Jaguars were forced to punt and Houston would run out the clock.

Williams did recover Fred Taylor’s fumble in the second quarter.

WR Matt Jones, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (5 targets) - Jones may have single-handedly cost Jacksonville the game. He caught one ball for an 11 yard gain. He dropped three others, however, and two of those drops directly resulted in interceptions.

WR Cortez Hankton (1 targets) - Hankton had a 37 yard reception called back due to an offensive pass interference penalty on Reggie Williams. He made a nice jumping grab in traffic that would have set Jacksonville’s offense up at the Houston 27 yard line on the Jaguars’ final possession. Instead, Jacksonville was forced to punt and would not see the ball again.

TE George Wrighster, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (4 targets) - Wrighster caught one pass for eight yards.

TE Marcedes Lewis, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (2 targets) - Lewis caught one pass for six yards.

PK Josh Scobee 1 - 1 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - Scobee made a 44 yard field goal and his sole extra point attempt.

JAX Rush Defense - Jacksonville allowed the Texans to rush for 148 yards. However, the Texans averaged only 3.5 yards per attempt. 48 of the yards came on runs by David Carr. If you subtract those yards form the total allowed, Houston gained only 100 yards on 37 attempts.

The unit played without injured defensive tackle Marcus Stroud, who has an ankle injury. Linebacker, Daryl Smith had 12 solo tackles to go along with a sack and forced fumble.

JAX Pass Defense - Houston passed for only 158 yards and completed less than 50 percent of their passes. Bobby McCray, Paul Spicer, and Daryl Smith had sacks.

Baltimore Ravens 27, Tennessee Titans 26

Baltimore Ravens - Steve McNair helped bring back the Ravens after a sluggish start, and his solid play helped Baltimore overcome an early deficit to earn a hard fought win against McNair’s former club. He connected on scoring strikes with WRs Mark Clayton and Derrick Mason, as well as FB Ovie Mughelli.

RB Jamal Lewis failed to put up big numbers against the Titans, rushing 16 times for 45 yards.

Derrick Mason had a productive day against his former team, catching eight balls for 64 yards and a touchdown, and fellow wideout Mark Clayton continued his solid play with seven receptions for 125 yards and a score.

Baltimore played without stellar LB Ray Lewis, and their defense struggled early in the game without their leader. However, they stiffened in the second half and did not allow Tennessee to score after halftime. They gave their offense good field position that played a big part in their comeback victory.

Tennessee Titans - Vince Young played well in the first half, throwing for 151 yards and chipping in with a rushing score from two yards out. The second half was a different story, as the Ravens bottled up the Titans’ offense and exposed Young and his inexperience.

RB Travis Henry carried the load in the first half, running for 86 yards on 16 carries that included a one yard touchdown run that helped the Titans jump out to an early lead. However, in the second half Henry was held to 21 yards on 11 carries.

Drew Bennett finished with nice numbers, six catches for 115 yards, but just like Young and Henry, his second half was far from productive. Five of his catches came in the first half, for 103 yards, and he only caught one ball in the second half.

The Titans were able to shut down the Baltimore running game, but were carved out by former QB Steve McNair to the tune of 373 yards and three scores through the air.

What you ought to know

QB Steve McNair, Pass: 29 - 47 - 373 - 3 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 2 - 9 - 0 - McNair was undoubtedly fired up for this game, and it showed in his play. The veteran signal caller finished 29 of 47 for 373 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. His team was down 26–7, and he led them to four unanswered scores in the second half. McNair spread the ball around nicely, connecting with eight different receivers and throwing touchdown passes to three different pass catchers. Aside from his two interceptions, McNair also stepped out of the end zone in the second quarter on a play that was ruled a sack and a safety. Showing the veteran poise you would expect from him, McNair put his mistakes behind him and played a tremendous second half to lead his team to victory.

RB Jamal Lewis, Rush: 16 - 45 - 0, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (1 targets) - Lewis ran the ball 16 times for 45 yards, and caught one pass for five yards in the game. The Ravens fell behind early, and resorted to throwing the ball and attacking the Titans’ secondary for the majority of the game.

RB Ovie Mughelli, Rec: 3 - 44 - 1 (3 targets) - Mughelli caught all three passes thrown to him for 44 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown reception was a score from 30 yards out.

RB Musa Smith, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (1 targets) - Smith caught just one pass for five yards, and was hurt on the play with an apparent head injury. He was carted off the field and did not return.

RB Mike Anderson, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0 - Anderson ran the ball just one time for three yards in the game.

WR Mark Clayton, Rush: 2 - -7 - 0, Rec: 7 - 125 - 1 (14 targets) - Clayton’s involvement in the offense continued to grow, with the youngster catching seven passes for 125 yards and a score from 65 yards out. He tied Mason with a team high 14 targets.

WR Derrick Mason, Rec: 8 - 64 - 1 (14 targets) - Mason had a productive day against his former team, hauling in eight receptions for 64 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown came in the fourth quarter against blown coverage from 11 yards out and proved to be the game winner. Mason was targeted 14 times for the game.

WR Demetrius Williams, Rec: 4 - 75 - 0 (6 targets) - Williams was targeted six times, finishing with four catches for 75 yards. Three of his catches resulted in first downs.

TE Todd Heap, Rec: 4 - 49 - 0 (5 targets) - Heap was targeted five times in the game and finished with four receptions for 49 yards. He left briefly in the second quarter with an ankle injury, but returned in the second half.

PK Matt Stover 2 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 9 points - Stover hit field goal attempts from 27 and 40 yards out and made good on all three of his extra point attempts to finish with nine points.

BAL Rush Defense - Playing without star LB Ray Lewis, the Ravens' defense struggled to stop the Titans’ rushing attack in the first half, where Tennessee ran the ball 22 times for 117 yards and three rushing scores. They turned it up in the second half, shutting the Titans out and holding them to 45 yards rushing on 16 attempts as a team. DB Dawan Landry recorded seven tackles and five assists to go along with a sack, and LBs Bart Scott and Adalius Thomas each chipped in seven solo tackles.

BAL Pass Defense - Baltimore’s pass defense did a good job limiting the options Young had in the passing game, and with the exception of the strong first half outing of WR Drew Bennett, pretty much shut down the Titans’ passing attack. For the game, they gave up just 205 net passing yards and held the Titans to five of 15 on third down conversions. They sacked Young twice in the game, and Ed Reed picked off a Young pass for their only interception of the game.

QB Vince Young, Pass: 13 - 25 - 211 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 8 - 39 - 1 - Young had the type of game you would expect a rookie quarterback to have against a defense the caliber of the Ravens. In the first half, while relying mostly on the running game, Young made good decisions and did not turn the ball over. He completed seven of 13 passes in the first half, five of which went to WR Drew Bennett, and ran the ball four times for 15 yards, including a two yard touchdown run. Young ran the ball three straight times inside the five yard line, scoring on his third attempt. In the second half, Young and the Titans’ offense were neutralized by a stingy Baltimore defense, and improved play by the Ravens offensively. While the Titans ate up most of the clock in the first half, the Ravens turned it around in the second half with smart play offensively. Young was forced to leave the game on the last drive after he was shaken up as he fell at the end of a scramble. He did not appear to be seriously injured. Kerry Collins replaced him, but did not attempt a pass.

QB Kerry Collins - Collins replaced Vince Young on the last drive of the game, handing the ball off to Travis Henry in an effort to set up the potential game winning field goal. He did not attempt a pass.

RB Travis Henry, Rush: 27 - 107 - 1 - Henry had a solid game against a tough Baltimore defense, rushing the ball 27 times for 107 yards and a touchdown. Most of his damage came in the first half, where he ran the ball 16 times for 86 yards, including a second quarter touchdown from one yard out. Henry really helped ease some of the pressure on his young QB Vince Young early in the game, as he helped the Titans control the ball, and the clock for most of the first half. He was bottled up in the second half, as the Ravens seemed to focus most of their attention on stopping the Tennessee running game.

RB LenDale White, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (1 targets) - White did not register a carry in the game, and caught just one pass for eight yards on the only pass thrown to him.

WR Drew Bennett, Rec: 6 - 115 - 0 (8 targets) - Bennett was targeted eight times in the game, catching six passes for 115 yards. It was a game of two halves for Bennett, who caught five passes for 103 yards in the first half and just one reception for 12 yards in the second. All of his receptions resulted in first downs.

WR Bobby Wade, Rec: 1 - 18 - 0 (2 targets) - Wade caught one pass for 18 yards, and was thrown to twice in the game.

WR David Givens - Givens did not catch a pass, and was hurt late in the game with what seemed to be a leg injury. He was carted off the field and did not return.

TE Bo Scaife, Rush: 1 - 13 - 1, Rec: 2 - 48 - 0 (4 targets) - Scaife caught two passes for 48 yards and scored a 13 yard touchdown on a lateral from QB Vince Young. The ball was thrown behind the line of scrimmage, so the play was counted as a run.

TE Ben Troupe, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (2 targets) - Troupe was targeted just two times in the game, catching one pass for three yards.

PK Rob Bironas 1 - 3 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 6 points - Bironas hit a field goal from 21 yards out, but missed from 41 yards out and had a 43 yard attempt blocked at the end of the fourth quarter that would have won the game for the Titans.

TEN Rush Defense - The Titans played well defensively in stopping the run, limiting the Ravens to 50 yards on 21 attempts for the game, a 2.4 yards per carry average. They bottled up Jamal Lewis and contained Steve McNair when he was flushed out of the pocket. DB Chris Hope recorded six tackles and two assists and LB Keith Bulluck had four solo and four assisted tackles.

TEN Pass Defense - The Titans’ secondary was shredded by McNair, giving up 373 yards and three passing scores. On the scores to Mason and Clayton, the Titans seemed to blow assignments as the receivers were wide open on each of their respective scores. DB Lamont Thompson intercepted two McNair passes, but overall it was a tough outing for the Tennessee secondary.

St. Louis Rams 22, Seattle Seahawks 24

St. Louis Rams - RB Steven Jackson put together a strong effort, carrying the ball 18 times for 93 yards and adding six catches for 40 yards. He showed incredible strength and second effort when he dragged four Seattle defenders across the goal line for his fourth quarter touchdown. Jackson has now scored in five of the Rams’ last six contests after being blanked in their first three games.

QB Marc Bulger was kept out of the end zone for only the second time this year and posted his worst fantasy stats of the season. He completed 26 of 40 passes, but averaged just over eight yards per reception. He was forced to use his safety valve receiver Steven Jackson often, targeting Jackson eight times in the game.

When these teams met back in mid-October, WR Torry Holt posted a career day with 154 yards and three scores. He hasn’t topped 100 yards receiving or crossed the goal line since. He caught a two point conversion, but it was nullified by a holding penalty. Holt finished the game with seven catches for 73 yards.

First year HC Scott Linehan may have cost his team the game when he took a fourth quarter field goal off the score board by challenging the previous play. Linehan threw the red flag just before the snap of the ball to challenge a ruled incompletion to WR Kevin Curtis. Curtis was awarded the catch, but it was short of a first down bringing up fourth and one. The Rams failed to convert and turned the ball over on downs.

Veteran tackle Orlando Pace left the game near the end of the first half with a torn triceps muscle. This will be a significant blow to the Rams’ offense as he is done for the season.

Seattle Seahawks - RB Maurice Morris and the Seahawks did an excellent job of establishing the running game, racking up 65 yards in the first quarter and finishing with 124 yards on 21 carries. This was Morris’ sixth game starting in relief of the injured Shaun Alexander and his second consecutive with 100+ yards rushing. Morris has still not found the end zone this season.

Seattle’s offensive line really struggled with pass protection. Veteran tackle Tom Ashworth in particular was beaten often, allowing DE Leonard Little and the Rams’ many free runs at QB Seneca Wallace. Wallace used his mobility to escape on a handful of occasions, but suffered six sacks.

QB Seneca Wallace didn’t post terrific numbers, but he did just enough to keep his team in the game. He looked strong in the first half, leading three long drives that resulted in a pair of passing touchdowns. Wallace used his feet to keep drives alive and did not throw an interception, but fumbled twice leading to ten St. Louis points. Wallace and the Seahawks’ offense were very quiet in the second half, gaining only 45 total yards and scoring only the game-winning field goal.

WR Nate Burleson hasn’t been an active part of the Seahawks’ offense, but may have found his niche as a punt returner. He took a fourth quarter punt that many would have fair caught and returned it 90 yards for a touchdown.

What you ought to know

QB Marc Bulger, Pass: 26 - 40 - 215 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 8 - 0 - Bulger had a very tough outing, completing 26 of 40 passes for 215 yards and no touchdowns. In an offense known for stretching the field, his longest completion went for 22 yards and he averaged only 8.25 yards per completion. He moved the ball well between the 20s, but stalled out in the red zone and settled for Jeff Wilkins’ field goals on three occasions.

RB Steven Jackson, Rush: 18 - 93 - 1, Rec: 6 - 40 - 0 (8 targets) - Jackson touched the ball on 12 of the Rams’ 22 first half offensive plays, solidifying his status as a workhorse back. He was targeted eight times and caught six passes for 40 yards. His fourth quarter score was the Rams’ only offensive touchdown of the game and he showed great strength in dragging four Seattle defenders across into the end zone with him.

RB Madison Hedgecock, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (1 targets) - The fullback had one catch out of the backfield for seven yards.

RB Stephen Davis, Rush: 1 - 7 - 0 - Davis had only one carry spelling Steven Jackson.

WR Isaac Bruce, Rec: 7 - 66 - 0 (14 targets) - Bruce was the most targeted receiver for the Rams in this game and reeled in seven passes for 66 yards. No Rams’ receiver found the end zone.

WR Torry Holt, Rec: 7 - 73 - 0 (12 targets) - Holt was the Rams’ leading receiver on the day with 73 yards on seven catches. He caught a pass for two point conversion, but it was nullified by a holding penalty. Holt hasn’t recorded a touchdown or 100 yard receiving game in three consecutive contests.

WR Kevin Curtis, Rec: 3 - 22 - 0 (5 targets) - Curtis caught three of his five targets for 22 yards. QB Marc Bulger looked his way twice in the red zone.

WR Shaun McDonald, Rec: 2 - 7 - 0 (2 targets) - McDonald caught both of his targets in the game, but netted only seven yards.

TE Joe Klopfenstein (1 targets) - The rookie TE was targeted once in the end zone, but was well covered and did not make the catch.

PK Jeff Wilkins 3 - 3 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 10 points - Wilkins scored the majority of the Rams’ offensive points and was perfect on the day, hitting from 40, 42 and 35 yards out. Wilkins had a successful field goal attempt pulled off the score board when the Rams’ won a challenge and elected to go for it on fourth down.

STL Rush Defense - The Rams’ defense gave up 160 yards on the ground to Seattle, 124 of those going to back-up RB Maurice Morris on 21 carries. They were very porous in the first quarter as Morris picked his way into the secondary almost at will, recording 65 yards on a pair of Seahawks' drives.

STL Pass Defense - The Seahawks’ back up QB Seneca Wallace picked the Rams apart on three drives in the first half, but was silenced in the second half. DE Leonard Little recorded a pair of crucial sacks, causing Wallace to fumble on both occasions. The Rams finished with six sacks on the day.

QB Seneca Wallace, Pass: 15 - 23 - 161 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 30 - 0 - Wallace made the job look easy early on, driving the Seahawks into the Rams’ red zone on three of his first four offensive drives. Two of those drives resulted in touchdown passes to WR Darrell Jackson and TE Jerramy Stevens, but the other ended in a Wallace fumble and 90 yard return for touchdown by the Rams. Wallace and the Seahawks’ offense were virtually silenced in the second half with only 45 total yards. Wallace finished with 161 yards, completing 15 of 23 passes for a pair of touchdowns and no interceptions.

RB Maurice Morris, Rush: 21 - 124 - 0 - Seattle established the running game early by feeding Morris eight times for 65 yards in the first quarter. He picked his way through some decent holes and gained yardage in chunks. He topped the 100 yard mark for the second consecutive week, but still hasn’t scored a touchdown this season.

RB Mack Strong, Rush: 3 - 6 - 0, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (1 targets) - Strong had four touches for 11 yards in this game.

WR Darrell Jackson, Rec: 5 - 85 - 1 (9 targets) - Jackson was the Seahawks’ leading receiver with 85 yards on five catches and a first quarter touchdown. He had quietly been a very consistent producer for Seattle this season with seven touchdowns in nine games.

WR Deion Branch, Rec: 3 - 22 - 0 (6 targets) - Branch had a quiet game, catching half of the six passes thrown his way for 22 yards. He took an end around wide right and looked to throw a pass, but was sacked before he could get the ball out.

WR D.J. Hackett, Rec: 3 - 20 - 0 (3 targets) - Hackett was relatively quiet in this game, catching all three of his targets for only 20 yards.

WR Nate Burleson - Burleson’s contributions lately have been primarily on special teams as a punt returner and Sunday he ran one back 90 yards for a touchdown. He has seen very little WR action since the emergence of WR D.J. Hackett.

TE Jerramy Stevens, Rec: 3 - 29 - 1 (5 targets) - Stevens was QB Seneca Wallace’s favorite red zone target in this game getting three looks inside the 20 yard line. He finished with three catches for 29 yards and a 15 yard touchdown.

PK Josh Brown 1 - 1 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 6 points - Brown notched only one field goal in this game, but it was the game winner from 38 yards out. He was perfect on extra points.

SEA Rush Defense - Seattle gave up 93 yards on 18 carries, including a 14 yard touchdown, to RB Steven Jackson. Jackson’s longest rush of the game was a 30 yard jaunt off left tackle, but he found success attacking the line of scrimmage at all points. He was stopped for a loss only once in the contest.

SEA Pass Defense - The Seahawks’ secondary did an admirable job in keeping QB Marc Bulger and his fleet of talented receivers out of the end zone. Bulger threw for 215 yards, was intercepted once and sacked four times.