New York Giants 35, Dallas Cowboys 45
What you need to know
New York Giants - The Giants lost the game, and saw a number of important players suffer injuries. The most significant from a fantasy perspective was Brandon Jacobs who left the game late in the first half after being struck on the knee. He will undergo an MRI. Osi Umenyiora also hurt his knee and left the game in the first quarter, and so Michael Strahan saw more action than had been anticipated. Kevin Dockery suffered an ankle injury, and Eli Manning missed the Giants' final possession due to a bruised shoulder. Lawrence Tynes received treatment near the end of the game and was apparently suffering from cramp.Manning played extremely well, throwing four touchdowns and accumulating over 300 passing yards. Plaxico Burress was his main target, and he caught three of the touchdown passes. Derrick Ward was responsible for the other one. Amani Toomer was heavily involved, catching nine passes. Jeremy Shockey was an integral part of the offense in the first half but he did not register a catch after the break.
Brandon Jacobs left the game in the first half after carrying the ball just six times. Derrick Ward took over at running back and accounted for over 100 total yards and a touchdown. He looked quite effective at times.
The Giants had a bad night defensively, allowing six touchdowns. The secondary was beaten three times in the second half by deep passes for scores. Antonio Pierce and Gibril Wilson each registered eight solo tackles, and Wilson also had an interception.
Dallas Cowboys - Terence Newman and Terry Glenn were inactive for the Cowboys, and Jason Ferguson had to leave the game after being injured during the first half.Tony Romo had a huge game, throwing for four touchdowns and running in another. Terrell Owens caught two touchdown passes, while Jason Witten led the team in receiving yardage and added another touchdown. Sam Hurd scored on his only reception of the game.
The Cowboys were able to run the ball effectively, especially in the second half. The duties were split between Julius Jones and Marion Barber. Jones got most of the early carries and Barber saw most of the second half action. The Giants' defense tired in the second half and Barber was able to score a touchdown and average almost six yards per carry.
The Cowboys had to shuffle their secondary due to Newman being inactive. Jacques Reeves got the start and he was targeted often by Eli Manning. Plaxico Burress repeatedly got the better of Reeves throughout the game. Roy Williams was very involved, registering eight solo tackles.
What you ought to know
QB Eli Manning, Pass: 28 - 41 - 312 - 4 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0 - Manning had a very good game, and kept the Giants in with a chance until late in the game. He found Plaxico Burress for a 60 yard touchdown on the opening drive, throwing a perfect deep pass. On the following drive, Manning connected with Amani Toomer on a 35 yard pass. Toomer's foot was inches beyond the back of the end zone and the touchdown was negated. Manning threw an interception on the Giants' fourth drive but it was not his fault. Burress slipped and fell before the ball arrived, allowing Jacques Reeves to make the interception. Manning did not lose confidence in Burress, finding him on the following drive for a 27 yard gain and then again for a four yard score. On the Giants' final possession of the half, Manning almost led the team to another touchdown. He found Steve Smith free in the end zone, but threw the ball too wide and Smith caught it out of bounds. Manning found Burress for a third touchdown in the second half, and it appeared that Burress could beat Reeves at will. Manning's fourth score came on a dump off pass to Derrick Ward which resulted in a nine yard touchdown reception. Manning also involved Jeremy Shockey, finding him five times in the first half. Amani Toomer saw almost as many targets as Burress and had a number of big gains. Five of his nine receptions resulted in a first down, and he did not appear to be slowed at all by his ACL surgery. Manning bruised his shoulder mid way through the fourth quarter and later gave way to Jared Lorenzen. He'll have tests Monday but Manning thought it was just bruised.QB Jared Lorenzen, Pass: 1 - 3 - 7 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0 - Lorenzen entered the game on the Giants' final possession after Eli Manning left due to a bruised right shoulder. Lorenzen completed one of his three passes and then turned the ball over on downs after trying to run on fourth down.
RB Derrick Ward, Rush: 13 - 89 - 0, Rec: 4 - 27 - 1 (5 targets) - Ward saw a bigger workload than expected due to an injury to Brandon Jacobs late in the second quarter. Ward took over as the main ball carrier in the second half and did well. His biggest gain came on the Giants' third drive of the second half when he broke through the line and ran for 44 yards to set up a field goal. He had two other first down runs and caught one of his targets for a ten yard gain and another first down. If the injury to Brandon Jacobs is serious, Ward looks capable of contributing on a regular basis.
RB Brandon Jacobs, Rush: 6 - 26 - 0 - Jacobs gained 26 yards on six carries, and had a two yard run negated by a penalty. Late in the first half a player collided with the side of his knee, causing him to leave the game. Jacobs was unable to return and will undergo an MRI to discover the severity of the injury.
RB Reuben Droughns, Rush: 1 - 5 - 0 (1 targets) - Droughns was used as a fullback and only had one carry in the game. He gained five yards for a first down. Droughns was targeted once but did not make the catch.
WR Amani Toomer, Rec: 9 - 91 - 0 (11 targets) - Toomer looked to be an important part of the Giants' receiving game, and he did not appear to be slowed by his recent recovery from ACL surgery. Toomer caught all five balls thrown his way in the first half. Two were for first downs. One catch was negated because his foot was a few inches beyond the back of the end zone, or he would have been credited with a 35 yard touchdown reception. Toomer caught five of his six second half targets. He had gains of six yards, 21 yards, and 14 yards for first downs. Manning looked for Toomer 11 times in the game.
WR Plaxico Burress, Rec: 8 - 144 - 3 (12 targets) - Burress caught a deep pass on the Giants' opening drive, resulting in a 60 yard touchdown. He made little contribution on the next three drives, and was responsible for Manning's only interception after he slipped and fell when Manning targeted him. Burress redeemed himself on the following drive by making a good 27 yard reception before scoring on a four yard catch. He was very involved in the second half, catching passes of 20 yards and eight yards for first downs on the opening possession of the half. Burress almost caught an inaccurate pass to end the drive, but he knocked it up in the air with one hand and couldn't make the catch in the end zone. Burress caught his third touchdown pass of the game on the Giants' penultimate possession.
WR Steve Smith, Rec: 3 - 16 - 0 (6 targets) - Smith was targeted once in the first half. He made the 27 yard catch but it was out of bounds wide of the end zone. Smith was not at fault. He did drop his first target of the second half, but Manning looked for him more often than in the opening half. Smith ended with three receptions, including one four yard catch for a first down.
TE Jeremy Shockey, Rec: 5 - 41 - 0 (7 targets) - Shockey was effective in the first half, catching five of his six targets. He converted two first downs and dragged defenders with him to gain as many yards as possible on each reception. Manning only went to him once in the second half but the pass was incomplete.
TE Michael Matthews (1 targets) - Matthews was targeted once in the end zone but he dropped the pass.
PK Lawrence Tynes 3 - 3 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 11 points - Tynes made all three of his field goal attempts, converting from 44 yards, 48 yards, and 24 yards. He also made two extra point attempts. Tynes aborted his first extra point try due to a bobbled snap.
NYG Rush Defense - The Giants struggled against the run, especially in the second half. The hot conditions may have contributed. The defense allowed 142 rushing yards and two touchdowns, including a nine yard score from Tony Romo.
NYG Pass Defense - The Giants gave up seven gains of 20 yards or more, and allowed four touchdowns through the air. The defense was particularly weak over the middle, and was exploited by Jason Witten. Justin Tuck registered the only sack for the team, and Gibril Wilson had an interception late in the game. QB Tony Romo, Pass: 15 - 24 - 345 - 4 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - 11 - 1 - Romo had a huge game, especially in the second half. He started poorly, and was unable to connect with Terrell Owens in the first half. Three of his five passes to Owens were uncatchable. Romo did have some success in the first half due to Jason Witten. Whenever Romo needed a completion, he seemed to look for Witten over the middle. Witten caught six of seven targets in the first half, including three for first downs. He finished the half with an 11 yard touchdown reception and was the Cowboys' most targeted player in the half. Romo only threw ten passes in the second half, but every reception was important. All seven completions were for a first down or a touchdown. He found Terrell Owens for scores of 22 yards and 47 yards. The longest touchdown was caught by Sam Hurd for 51 yards on his only target of the second half. Romo also scored on the ground on a nine yard run.RB Julius Jones, Rush: 16 - 66 - 0, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (1 targets) - Jones started the game for the Cowboys and had the majority of carries in the first half. He gained one first down on the ground and caught his only target for an 11 yard gain and another first down. He did not see much action in the second half, but he was able to break free on one carry for a 21 yard gain which resulted in a first down.
RB Marion Barber III, Rush: 11 - 65 - 1, Rec: 1 - 29 - 0 (1 targets) - Barber did not see any action until the last two minutes of the first half. He caught his only target for a 29 yard gain and a first down, and then ended the drive with an 18 yard touchdown run. His role seemed to be the same as it was last year, and he saw most of his action in the second half. He ran hard and averaged just under six yards per carry.
WR Terrell Owens, Rec: 3 - 87 - 2 (9 targets) - Owens was targeted early in the game, and Romo looked for him five times in the opening half. Unfortunately, the passes were poorly thrown and three were uncatchable. Owens finally caught his first pass on the opening possession of the second half. He gained 18 yards for a first down and followed it with a 22 yard reception for a touchdown. Owens turned his next reception into a 47 yard touchdown, but his last target was a poorly thrown pass and it was intercepted before it reached him.
WR Patrick Crayton, Rec: 3 - 51 - 0 (4 targets) - Crayton started the game due to the absence of Terry Glenn. Romo only looked for Crayton once in the opening half, and the result was a 12 yard gain for a first down. Crayton was targeted deep on the opening drive of the second half, but the ball was out of bounds when he caught it. Crayton made catches of 14 yards and 25 yards for first downs, and both drives resulted in touchdowns by Terrell Owens.
WR Sam Hurd, Rec: 1 - 51 - 1 (2 targets) - Hurd was targeted once in each half. The first pass was uncatchable in the end zone. Hurd was responsible for the Cowboys' longest touchdown of the game, catching a 51 yard pass from Tony Romo.
TE Jason Witten, Rec: 6 - 116 - 1 (8 targets) - Witten was very effective in this game. He was the leading receiver for the Cowboys in the first half. His first three receptions were all for first downs over the middle. Witten ended the half on a high note by making an 11 yard touchdown reception. He was only targeted once after the interval, but it resulted in a 38 yard gain. Witten seemed to have a bigger role with Terry Glenn inactive.
PK Nick Folk 1 - 1 FG, 6 - 6 XP, 9 points - Folk made his only field goal attempt, and was perfect on his six extra point attempts.
DAL Rush Defense - The Cowboys allowed 124 net rushing yards, but most of the damage was done on one play when Derrick Ward gained 44 yards. The defense contained the Giants apart from that one lapse, and the Giants were unable to score on the ground.
DAL Pass Defense - Eli Manning had a big game. The Cowboys missed Terence Newman, and his replacement, Jacques Reeves, was targeted frequently by the Giants. Manning found Plaxico Burress for three touchdowns as Reeves struggled to cover him. The pass rush was not much of a threat and Manning was only sacked twice. The second sack will not show up in the box score as it came on a two point conversion try which the Cowboys managed to prevent.Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6, Seattle Seahawks 20
What you need to know
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - QB Jeff Garcia and the Buccaneers got off to a fast start in Seattle, with 151 yards of total offense in the first quarter and two scoring drives that resulted in field goals. While Garcia was efficient, completing 19 of 27 passes for the game, he threw for only 201 yards and the offense failed to move the chains much after the first quarter. He was forced to leave the game after being hit on the helmet in the third quarter, but did return to the game.Joey Galloway was Tampa Bay's only real threat in the passing game, catching five balls for 72 yards, including a big 49 yard reception. WR Ike Hilliard chipped in with four receptions for 49 yards.
RB Cadillac Williams was off to a strong start, rushing for 56 yards on 11 attempts in the first half, but was forced from the game early in the third quarter after being hit hard by Seattle LB Lofa Tatupu. Williams, who finished with 60 yards on 12 carries, seemed to hurt his ribs on the play and did not return.
The Buccaneers defense looked like the defense of old early in the first half, but seemed to wear down against a balanced Seahawks offensive attack. They were able to keep the Seattle offense in check for most of the game, before giving up a big pass play in the fourth quarter that put the contest out of reach.
Seattle Seahawks - QB Matt Hasselbeck was his usual, steady self, completing 17 of 24 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown. The score came on a nicely thrown ball down the sideline to RB Maurice Morris in the fourth quarter, giving Seattle a comfortable lead late in the game.Bobby Engram led the Seahawks in receiving with 64 yards on three catches, and RB Maurice Morris came up with a big touchdown reception from 34 yards out.
Shaun Alexander didn't show any signs of the foot injury that hampered him last season, rushing for 105 yards on 27 carries that included a one yard touchdown plunge in the second quarter.
The Seahawks defense was ready to play from the get-go. Their defensive unit swarmed to the ball, punishing the Tampa Bay offensive players on almost every play. They forced both Jeff Garcia and Cadillac Williams to the locker room, and while Garcia was able to return, Williams never made it out. LB Lofa Tatupu played like a man possessed. He totaled eight solo tackles and two forced fumbles, and laid the big hit that took Williams out.
What you ought to know
QB Jeff Garcia, Pass: 19 - 27 - 201 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0 - Garcia was accurate, completing 19 of 27 passes, but totaled just 201 yards and zero scores. He looked comfortable early on, rolling out of the pocket and completing some passes on the move. When Seattle forced him to stay in the pocket, he struggled to find open passing lanes over the active Seahawks front seven. Garcia got his bell rung in the third quarter on a scramble play and went to the locker room for evaluation. He returned later and led Tampa Bay on a nice drive that unfortunately ended in a lost fumble by RB Earnest Graham.QB Luke McCown, Pass: 1 - 4 - 9 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 9 - 0 - McCown entered in relief of Garcia, completing one of four passes for nine yards.
RB Cadillac Williams, Rush: 12 - 60 - 0, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (2 targets) - Williams had a steady first half totaling 56 yards on 11 carries, and showed flashes of his brilliant rookie year. He ran extremely hard, and on one play right before the half seemed to carry the whole Seattle defense on his back for about seven yards as time expired. Unfortunately he was hurt on his next carry early in the third quarter on a hit by Seattle LB Lofa Tatupu. He seemed to get a helmet right to the ribs, and was forced to the locker room. Following the game, there was no word on his injury or his status for next week. Williams caught two passes in the game, one of which he fumbled on Tampa Bay's first possession of the game, turning the ball over to Seattle.
RB Michael Pittman, Rush: 3 - 6 - 0, Rec: 5 - 32 - 0 (8 targets) - Pittman filled in for the injured Williams, rushing the ball three times for six yards. His main contribution came in the passing game, where he caught five passes for 32 yards on eight targets.
WR Joey Galloway, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0, Rec: 5 - 72 - 0 (8 targets) - Galloway was the only real threat in Tampa Bay's passing game. He was the most targeted receiver with nine, hauling in five receptions for 72 yards. Galloway also had a big punt return that was called back for penalty.
WR Ike Hilliard, Rec: 4 - 49 - 0 (6 targets) - Hilliard got the start opposite Galloway, finishing with four receptions for 49 yards on six targets. Two of his receptions resulted in first downs.
WR Michael Clayton, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (3 targets) - Clayton was targeted just three times, catching one pass for 11 yards.
WR Maurice Stovall - Stovall played in the game, but was not targeted and did not record a catch.
TE Alex Smith, Rec: 2 - 23 - 0 (2 targets) - Smith caught both balls thrown his way for 23 yards.
PK Matt Bryant 2 - 2 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 6 points - Bryant connected on two first quarter field goals, from 38 and 32 yards out, finishing with six points.
TB Rush Defense - The Buccaneers were ready to play defensively against Seattle, but their offense's inability to sustain long drives and give them a break was too much for them to overcome. They did give up a Shaun Alexander touchdown run in the first half, but they were defending a short field following a long return by Burleson. Alexander finished with over 100 yards, averaging 3.9 yards per rush.
LB Barrett Rudd led the way defensively for Tampa Bay, totaling 10 solo and three assisted tackles and a forced fumble. Fellow LB Derrick Brooks chipped in eight solo tackles for the Buccaneers.
TB Pass Defense - Tampa Bay gave up just one passing score for the game, but it was a killer in the fourth quarter that gave Seattle the lead for good. While they did hold Matt Hasselbeck to 222 passing yards, their inability to stop the big play hurt them in the end. DB Ronde Barber had a strong game totaling four solo tackles and a forced fumble. QB Matt Hasselbeck, Pass: 17 - 24 - 222 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 7 - 0 - Hasselbeck was steady in leading his club against the Buccaneers, completing 17 of 24 passes for 222 yards, including a 34 yard fourth quarter touchdown pass to RB Maurice Morris that helped seal the deal for Seattle. Hasselbeck completed passes to seven different receivers for the game.RB Shaun Alexander, Rush: 27 - 105 - 1, Rec: 2 - 12 - 0 (3 targets) - Alexander seemed like his old self, rushing for 105 yards on 27 carried and a one yard touchdown plunge. He ran hard, breaking tackles and used his excellent vision to grind away at the Buccaneers defense. A few of his bigger runs came on cut back plays that he was able to make adjustments on, hit the hole, and take off.
RB Maurice Morris, Rush: 3 - 15 - 0, Rec: 1 - 34 - 1 (1 targets) - Morris ran the ball three times for fifteen yards, occasionally spelling Alexander, but made his big contribution in the fourth quarter on a 34 yard touchdown reception from QB Matt Hasselbeck. On the play, Morris motioned out wide and was matched up against veteran LB Derrick Brooks. Morris just beat him downfield and made a nice catch to haul in the touchdown pass.
RB Mack Strong, Rush: 1 - 9 - 0, Rec: 3 - 21 - 0 (4 targets) - Strong's stat line may not look the greatest, but the veteran fullback made contributions in many ways for Seattle. He had just one rush for nine yards, but also chipped in with 21 yards receiving on three receptions. Strong also was effective in opening up holes for Alexander, helping him reach the century mark for the game.
WR Nate Burleson, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0, Rec: 2 - 41 - 0 (3 targets) - Burleson filled in for the injured Hackett, grabbing two receptions for 41 yards on three targets. He also made big contributions on special teams, with a 56 yard punt return that helped set up Alexander's touchdown run. Burleson did lose a fumble, but Tampa Bay could not capitalize on the ensuing series.
WR Bobby Engram, Rec: 3 - 64 - 0 (3 targets) - Engram led Seattle in receiving with 64 yards on three catches. He was targeted just three times, and two of his receptions netted Seahawk first downs.
WR D.J. Hackett, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (2 targets) - Hackett was targeted twice early in the first quarter, but was injured on his only reception of the game, a seven yard catch. He seemed to have his ankle rolled on, and did not return to the game.
WR Deion Branch (3 targets) - Branch was shutout against Tampa Bay, getting just three balls thrown to him with no receptions.
TE Marcus Pollard, Rec: 5 - 43 - 0 (5 targets) - Pollard caught all five balls thrown his way for 43 yards, two resulting in first downs.
PK Josh Brown 2 - 2 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 8 points - Brown connected on field goals from 28 and 46 yards out and made good on two extra points, finishing with eight points in the game.
SEA Rush Defense - Seattle's defense was hitting hard right from the opening kickoff, and it continued throughout the game. RB Cadillac Williams was off to a nice start, with 56 first half rushing yards, but was taken out by Seattle LB Lofa Tatupu on a vicious shot to the ribs that sent Williams to the locker room for the rest of the game. Following the injury, Tampa Bay could not get anything going on the ground at all. Tampa Bay's reserve backs totaled just 30 yards on 11 carries. Tatupu led the way with eight solo tackles, two forced fumbles, and one nasty hit on Williams.
SEA Pass Defense - The Seahawks pass defense played well throughout the game, and aside from a few big plays to Tampa Bay WR Joey Galloway, they were able to keep the Tampa Bay passing attack in check. They kept the Buccaneers out of the end zone by getting constant pressure on the Buccaneers' quarterbacks. For the game they totaled five sacks and held Tampa Bay to under 200 net passing yards. LB Julian Peterson was credited with two of the sacks and DL Patrick Kerney finished with one and a half sacks.Tennessee Titans 13, Jacksonville Jaguars 10
What you need to know
Tennessee Titans - The Titans had a surprisingly dominant running effort against the normally stingy Jacksonville run defense, and used that to come away with a victory at Jacksonville. LenDale White started the game, but he and Chris Brown shared the carries with White having 18 carries and Brown 19. Brown was particularly effective, rushing for a career high 175 yards while White gained 66 yards rushing. White was featured early in the game, but Brown ran well enough when he came into the game that White's first carry in the second half came with less than eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.Tennessee did not attempt many pass plays, and Vince Young threw mostly short passes to his receivers. He attempted six passes in the second half compared to 12 in the first half, in large part due to the success of the running game. Young threw an interception among his 18 pass attempts, and rushed 11 times, with one of those rushes resulting in a touchdown. Most of his rushing attempts were stymied before he could gain significant amounts of yardage, but he did show excellent elusiveness in avoiding sacks several times.
The Titans ran 13 plays inside the ten yard line, with ten of those plays being rushing attempts. Of the ten goal-to-go running plays, six of the ten were by White, with Brown and Young splitting the other four with two apiece.
Jacksonville Jaguars - The Jaguars could not stop Tennessee's running game, and were unable to generate a successful running game themselves, which proved to be significant factors in them losing the game. Neither Fred Taylor nor Maurice Jones-Drew was able to generate many yards on the ground. Part of the reason was that Jacksonville did not commit to the running game, as the two running backs combined for 13 rushing attempts, even though the game was close throughout.The Jaguars took some shots downfield in the passing game, and David Garrard displayed good touch on both deep passing plays and the shorter throws. Garrard's favorite target in this game was Dennis Northcutt on both deep and intermediate passing plays. Both players could have posted better numbers if not for Northcutt dropping some catchable passes and Garrard missing some open receivers. Garrard also seemed very comfortable with tight end Marcedes Lewis, targeting him the most when he threw short and intermediate passes.
Jacksonville attempted nine plays in the red zone, and in keeping with their philosophy in this game, attempted six passes and three rushes. All of the rushing attempts were by Jones-Drew, while Garrard targeted Jones-Drew, Northcutt and Lewis twice each. Both passes to Lewis were while he was in the end zone. Northcutt, Matt Jones and rookie John Broussard were also targeted in the end zone during the game, with Broussard having the only score.
Jaguars' kicker Josh Scobee was injured before the game, and did not handle the kickoffs, although he did make a short field goal and an extra point attempt. However, when faced with a fourth and ten play from the 19 yard line and leading 10-6, the Jaguars elected to not kick a field goal, presumably due to concerns about Scobee's ability to make the field goal.
What you ought to know
QB Vince Young, Pass: 11 - 18 - 78 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 11 - 22 - 1 - Young managed the game by following the game plan of attempting mostly short with some intermediate passes, running at times, while using the threat of his running to set up his running backs who ran very well. Although he made most of his attempts, Young missed open receivers at times, including one where he overthrew his receiver and was intercepted. Young was not asked to take many risks in the passing game, but displayed his escapability and athleticism on several occasions to avoid sacks including his touchdown run, which was a designed play.RB LenDale White, Rush: 18 - 66 - 0, Rec: 2 - 7 - 0 (2 targets) - White started the game and although he did not have nearly the yards Brown did, was the featured back on most of the short-yardage situations, including the vast majority of the goal line carries. He ran with good power, and did not go down easily, although he was tackled early on most of his rushing attempts. The passes thrown to him were short dump off passes.
RB Chris Brown, Rush: 19 - 175 - 0, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (1 targets) - Brown ran with very good explosion and speed, bursting up the middle on most of the plays he ran, and made defenders miss once he got past the line of scrimmage. He had a career high 175 yards rushing and was very aggressive in the way he attacked Jacksonville's defenders. He split carries evenly with starter LenDale White, but was the more effective in terms of running through the line of scrimmage consistently.
RB Ahmard Hall, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (1 targets) - The fullback spent most of the game opening holes for Brown and White.
WR Justin Gage, Rec: 2 - 26 - 0 (4 targets) - Gage was asked to run short and intermediate routes, caught half of the passes thrown to him and had a marginal impact on the passing game.
WR Brandon Jones, Rush: 1 - 19 - 0, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (2 targets) - His only involvement in the first half was on a reverse run where he showed good burst and moves to gain 19 yards. As with the other Titan's receivers, he was asked to run shorter routes and block for the running backs.
WR Chris Davis, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) - Davis was targeted on two short passes in the first half, one of them a pass that was deflected at the one yard line.
WR Eric Moulds, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (3 targets) - Moulds was only used on short passing plays, and was overthrown on one of his targets that resulted in an interception.
TE Bo Scaife, Rec: 2 - 18 - 0 (3 targets) - Scaife and Young seemed to be in a rhythm early in the first half, and showed some athleticism in his route running and going after the passes that were thrown to him. However he was not targeted in the second half as the Titans relied heavily on their running game.
PK Rob Bironas 2 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points - Bironas had a perfect game, connecting on his lone point after attempt, and both field goals, which were from 20 and 31 yards.
TEN Rush Defense - The Titans' rush defense was not tested much as the Jaguars did not attempt many running plays, but they were up to the task when they had to take on the run, holding Jacksonville's running backs to a 3.69 per carry average. They played aggressively and apart from allowing two runs of over 15 yards, stopped the Jaguars' runners around the line of scrimmage.
TEN Pass Defense - Tennessee's pass defense was aggressive throughout the game, and proved to be successful most of the game although they gave up a long touchdown pass and several intermediate completions to the Jaguars' receivers. They did however manage to deflect a couple of passes intended for players in the end zone, and recovered a fumble after a catch and run by Jones-Drew that ended inside their ten yard line, that helped seal the victory. Despite Garrard's mobility, the Titans were able to generate a good pass rush throughout the game, sacking the Jaguars' quarterback twice and forcing him to hurry his throws or scramble on several occasions. QB David Garrard, Pass: 17 - 30 - 204 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 5 - 24 - 0 - Garrard looked comfortable running the offense, especially early in the game. He showed good touch on intermediate and deep passing plays, including a well-thrown 47 yard pass for a touchdown where the receiver caught the ball in stride, and a short pass to the corner of the end zone that was caught but knocked out of the receiver's hands thanks to a good defensive play. Garrard used his athleticism judiciously, and stayed in the pocket in the face of pressure trying to make plays with his arm on several occasions and only ran from the pocket when he absolutely had to. He seemed very poised and had his team in position to either tie or take the lead late in the game by engineering a drive that ended as a result of Jones-Drew losing the ball inside the Titans' ten yard line after having it inadvertently kicked loose by a teammate.RB Maurice Jones-Drew, Rush: 7 - 32 - 0, Rec: 3 - 28 - 0 (4 targets) - Jones-Drew, like Taylor, did not have many rushing attempts, but was able to display his explosiveness and speed a few times, including kickoffs. He was in the game for all of Jacksonville's goal line plays. Late in the game, he turned a short pass into a first down run of over 20 yards, but had the ball knocked out by a teammate as he was being tackled. Jones-Drew's productivity suffered from a lack of touches.
RB Fred Taylor, Rush: 6 - 16 - 0 (1 targets) - Taylor did not have many rushing attempts and was unable to get on track. He was routinely stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage. He got past the line of scrimmage once, and showed good acceleration and power, but his productivity suffered from a lack of touches. Taylor was not involved in the passing game.
WR Dennis Northcutt, Rec: 4 - 57 - 0 (9 targets) - Northcutt was Garrard's favorite receiver in this game and could have posted better numbers. He was overthrown a couple of times but also dropped some passes that appeared he should have caught. Northcutt showed very good speed and quickness and was able to get open several times throughout the game. Seven of his nine targets came in the second half.
WR Ernest Wilford, Rec: 2 - 20 - 0 (3 targets) - Wilford was used on short passing routes, and showed good hands in making catches while tightly covered.
WR John Broussard, Rec: 2 - 55 - 1 (2 targets) - Broussard caught both of his targets, including one where he beat one on one coverage to reel in a well-thrown pass from Garrard for a 47 yard touchdown catch, displaying impressive speed and great hands as he dove for the ball and held on.
WR Matt Jones (2 targets) - Jones was targeted once in the end zone, and caught the ball, but was stripped before he could secure it. He was not utilized much otherwise.
TE Marcedes Lewis, Rec: 4 - 35 - 0 (7 targets) - Lewis was targeted several times as Garrard's outlet receiver on short and intermediate routes and did a good job of getting open. He was targeted twice in the end zone, being overthrown once and on the other attempt, he appeared to not lay out completely for the pass.
TE George Wrighster, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (1 targets) - Wrighster was not involved in the passing game until the second half, and just for one short pass.
TE Greg Estandia, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (2 targets) - Estandia was used on short routes and mostly blocking.
PK Josh Scobee 1 - 1 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - Scobee was hurt during the pre-game warm-ups and did not handle the kickoffs. He did convert his lone point after attempt as well as his only field goal attempt, which was from 22 yards. During the third quarter, when Jacksonville had a fourth down opportunity to kick a fairly short field goal, their coach Jack Del Rio elected to not have Scobee attempt it.
JAX Rush Defense - Jacksonville's rush defense, which was highly ranked last season, was ineffective throughout this game, allowing the Titans' running backs to average 6.5 yards per carry. They were pushed off the line of scrimmage by Tennessee's offensive linemen and made very few big plays against the Titans' running backs.
JAX Pass Defense - The Jaguars' pass defense was aggressive as usual, but had few opportunities to make plays due to Tennessee's success running the football. Despite the limited opportunities and Vince Young's ability to escape coupled with the Titans focus on a short passing game, Jacksonville managed to record two sacks and an interception while holding Young to short gains when they flushed him out of the pocket.Pittsburgh Steelers 34, Cleveland Browns 7
What you need to know
Pittsburgh Steelers - In the head coaching debut of Mike Tomlin, the Steelers continued their domination of the Browns, extending their winning streak in this matchup to eight games and fourteen of the last fifteen. Ben Roethlisberger led the way with four touchdown passes, going 12 of 23 for 161 yards with no interceptions. Touchdown recipients included Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Heath Miller and Matt Spaeth. Hines Ward led the team in targets with six, and finished with three catches for 51 yards. Santonio Holmes caught two passes for 55 yards, including his forty yard touchdown on a short pass over the middle. Tight end Heath Miller led the team in catches with four for thirty five yards. Willie Parker and Najeh Davenport added a catch a piece, gaining negative two and seventeen yards respectively.On the ground, Willie Parker led the way with 109 yards on 27 carries but did not find the end zone and fumbled once. Throughout the game, Parker was replaced on third downs by an effective Najeh Davenport, who gained 43 yards on eight carries. Third stringer Carey Davis came in on the finals drive to gain five yards on three carries.
Even the wide receivers pitched in on the rushing game, helping the Steelers gain over two hundred yards on the ground, with Cedrick Wilson adding 37 and Santonio Holmes eleven. Ben Roethlisberger was credited with one carry for two yards.
Cleveland Browns - The Browns struggled mightily in their opener, and found even an early quarterback change didn't greatly improve their play. Charlie Frye opened the game by completing four of ten passes for 34 yards and an interception, but was guilty of hanging onto the ball for too long and drawing too many sacks, thereby stalling drives. Despite the crowd's pleas for rookie Brady Quinn, the Browns were committed to not bringing him in for this type of situation, and went with Derek Anderson. Anderson responded by completing 13 of 28 passes for 184 yards including a touchdown and one interception.In the receiving game, Kellen Winslow led the way with four catches for 83 yards, and tied for the team lead in targets with Braylon Edwards. Edwards finished the game with three receptions for 49 yards. Joe Jurevicius had two catches for 28 yards, while Tim Carter added a 22 yard reception on the day. Out of the backfield, Jamal Lewis and fullback Lawrence Vickers each caught two balls. Lewis gained eleven yards, with Vickers catches going for seven yards and the Browns' only score on the day.
Falling behind early, the Browns only ran sixteen official running plays on the day. Newly acquired running back Jamal Lewis was unable to get things going for his new team, gaining just 35 yards on eleven carries, including a fumble. Fullback Lawrence Vickers added eight yards on two carries, with Jason Wright touching the ball once on the day for three yards. Quarterbacks Anderson and Frye each were credited with one attempt, going for negative one and one yard a piece.
What you ought to know
QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pass: 12 - 23 - 161 - 4 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0 - Despite completing just 52% of his passes, Roethlisberger looked quite effective in directing his offense, and threw for a career high four touchdown passes on just 23 attempts. All four touchdown passes came from the five yard line or outside, and allowed him to get each of his primary receivers (Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes and Heath Miller) involved. Roethlisberger averaged 7.0 yards per passing play on the day.RB Willie Parker, Rush: 27 - 109 - 0, Rec: 1 - -2 - 0 (2 targets) - After a relatively slow start to the day, Parker finished the day averaging over four yards per carry, padded by runs of 22 and 25 yards. Unfortunately, on the carry immediately after his long of the day, he lost a fumble deep into Cleveland territory. Parker was relieved on third downs all afternoon long. All four touchdowns by the Steelers came from outside the five yard line, preventing any goal line carries for Parker or any other Steelers running back.
RB Najeh Davenport, Rush: 8 - 43 - 0, Rec: 1 - 17 - 0 (4 targets) - Davenport saw time primarily on third downs, where he converted four for first downs on the afternoon, and put the Steelers in a position to convert another on fourth down. His effectiveness in this role may allow him to stay in that role and keep Willie Parker fresh for first and second downs. In addition to his use on third downs, the Steelers utilized Davenport to run out the clock in the fourth quarter.
WR Santonio Holmes, Rush: 1 - 11 - 0, Rec: 2 - 55 - 1 (3 targets) - Holmes turned a short pass over the middle into a 40 yard touchdown and showed his explosive playing skills. Given the lead that the Steelers played with all afternoon, the wide receivers, including Holmes, received fewer targets than they typically will throughout the season.
WR Hines Ward, Rec: 3 - 51 - 1 (6 targets) - Leading the team in targets, and the recipient of Ben Roethlisberger's first touchdown on a five yard grab, Ward appeared to remain the primary target in this new offense, though it was relatively unchallenged most of the afternoon.
TE Heath Miller, Rec: 4 - 35 - 1 (4 targets) - Miller caught all four passes thrown his way, including a short pass on the right side of the field that he took for a 22 yard touchdown.
PK Jeff Reed 2 - 2 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 10 points - Reed was perfect on the afternoon, converting four extra points and field goals from 26 and 31 yards out.
PIT Rush Defense - With just sixteen carries on the afternoon, the Steelers held the Browns to 46 yards and just over three yards per attempt. They forced a fumble of Jamal Lewis and held him in check all afternoon, allowing him to gain just 35 yards on the ground.
PIT Pass Defense - With a ferocious pass rush, the Steelers pass defense came up with six sacks, forced two interceptions and recovered two fumbles. The Steelers kept both Browns quarterbacks at a completion percentage below 50%, and combined for less than six yards per attempt. QB Derek Anderson, Pass: 13 - 28 - 184 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0 - Anderson entered the game in the second quarter and immediately tried to get Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards more involved, providing some spark to the offense, but not nearly enough for his team that was outplayed in every facet of the game. While leading the offense to its only touchdown of the game, and avoiding the sacks that his counterpart Charlie Frye took, Anderson failed to complete 50% of his passes, and lost a fumble in the 34-7 loss.QB Charlie Frye, Pass: 4 - 10 - 34 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0 - Frye started the game. After being sacked five times and throwing a bad interception in the first quarter and a half, Frye was pulled from the game and replaced by Derek Anderson. Of those five sacks, Frye played a significant role in failing to get the ball out and find an open receiver or hot read.
RB Jamal Lewis, Rush: 11 - 35 - 0, Rec: 2 - 11 - 0 (2 targets) - With just eleven carries on the afternoon, Lewis failed to get untracked, and in addition to averaging just 3.2 yards per carry, and having a long carry on the day of seven yards, also lost a fumble with the score 10-0 in the first quarter. The fumble set up a forty yard touchdown reception by Santonio Holmes on the next play. On the Browns' touchdown drive, Lewis was given two carries inside the four yard line, failing to convert on either play.
RB Lawrence Vickers, Rush: 2 - 8 - 0, Rec: 2 - 7 - 1 (2 targets) - Vickers accounted for the Browns' only points on the day with a one yard reception for a touchdown out of the backfield.
WR Braylon Edwards, Rec: 3 - 49 - 0 (9 targets) - Edwards saw his targets increase once Anderson entered the game, but was unable to get much going on the afternoon. Though Anderson looked deep to him on a couple of occasions throughout the game (including a late interception intended for him), most of Edwards' catches came on short passes, primarily to the right side. Edwards was also guilty of losing a fumble after making a nice catch at midfield.
WR Joe Jurevicius, Rec: 2 - 28 - 0 (7 targets) - Most of Jurevicius' targets came late in the game after it was well decided. Jurevicius came up with a first down catch on third down and two that was called back due to an offensive interference call off the ball.
TE Kellen Winslow Jr, Rec: 4 - 83 - 0 (9 targets) - Upon the entry of Derek Anderson into the game, Winslow saw an immediate increase in targets, and came up with a pair of long catches (20 and 30 yards) on the Browns' only scoring drive. Winslow was however responsible for ending the Browns' only other drive into Steelers territory, called for offensive interference away from the ball.
PK Phil Dawson 0 - 0 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 1 points - Dawson connected on his only extra point attempt of the day.
CLE Rush Defense - The Browns were worn down all afternoon, giving up 206 yards on 42 carries as the Steelers attacked with a number of different running backs and had effective gains by their wide receivers as well on end around plays. They allowed Willie Parker to average just over four yards per carry, and they did cause a fumble, but couldn't slow the Steelers down in the season opener.
CLE Pass Defense - With just one sack and no turnovers on top of four touchdown passes allowed, this defense was burned all afternoon. Though they made an attempt to apply pressure to Ben Roethlisberger, the linebackers and secondary were unable to stay with their coverage long enough to come up with any key plays to turn this game around.Arizona Cardinals 17, San Francisco 49ers 20
What you need to know
Arizona Cardinals - The Cardinals debuted with a conservative game plan with Edgerrin James seeing lots of work. James ran the ball hard and carried the bulk of the rushing load finishing the night with 92 yards on 26 carries.Arizona was conservative, rarely throwing the ball down the field. They focused on short to middle range passes. Leinart looked flustered by the 49ers' defensive scheme, which blitzed often, going 14 of 28 for 102 yards with two interceptions, but did manage to lead the Cardinals on a nine play, 58 yard drive late in the fourth quarter to give the Cardinals the 17-13 lead hitting WR Anquan Boldin on a seven yard crossing route for the touchdown. The longest pass completion for the Cardinals on the night was 15 yards. In total, both Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald combined stats were seven receptions and 42 yards.
On defense, the Cardinals held the 49ers offense to a total of 109 total yards on its first 11 possessions, before allowing San Francisco to drive 86 yards on 12 plays ending with a game winning one yard touchdown run by Arnaz Battle with 26 seconds to play.
San Francisco 49ers - The 49ers played conservatively with Alex Smith utilizing short tosses to his running backs and wide receivers. Before the game winning 86 yard drive in the fourth quarter, the 49ers offense had a total of 109 yards. Smith had a difficult time with the Cardinals aggressive defense, which blitzed often. On the night Smith was 15 for 31 for 126 yards. He also rushed the ball three times for 36 yards, including a clutch 25 yard scramble on a fourth and one on the 49ers' game winning drive to give the team a first down on the Cardinals' 20 yard line.RB Frank Gore was held in check all night carrying the ball 18 times for only 55 yards. He had little room to run against the Cardinals' defensive front. He caught one ball for 21 yards, but dropped two other passes.
WR Arnaz Battle was the 49ers offensive star of the night hauling in five passes for 60 yards, including a clutch 22 yard reception on the game's final drive down to the Cardinals' one yard line. Battle fumbled the ball into the end zone, but it slipped through Cardinals' safety Eric Green's grasp into WR Darrell Jackson's hands. By rule, since the ball was fumbled forward into the end zone, the ball must be placed at the spot of the fumble, which was the one yard line. On the next play Smith handed off to Battle who was in motion and ran untouched around the left side to the corner of the end zone giving San Francisco the win.
What you ought to know
QB Matt Leinart, Pass: 14 - 28 - 102 - 1 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 6 - 35 - 0 - Leinart had a tough game and had his first pass intercepted by the 49ers. He never looked comfortable in the pocket and was hit several times by the blitzing 49er defense. At the half, he was seven for ten for only 42 yards. He did have the key play of the game winning drive when on a third and two; he scrambled 20 yards down to the San Francisco seven yard line. On the next play, he hit Anquan Boldin on a seven yard touchdown pass to give the Cardinals the lead. He rarely threw down field choosing to target short to mid-range passes.RB Edgerrin James, Rush: 26 - 92 - 1, Rec: 2 - 20 - 0 (3 targets) - James ran hard pounding the 49ers defenders and getting many of his yards after the first hit. He finished the game with 92 yards on 26 carries and one touchdown. He caught two passes for 20 yards on first and second downs. James did not figure in the Cardinals offense, though, on third and long situations and when the Cardinals went to their three and four receiver sets.
RB J.J. Arrington, Rush: 4 - 6 - 0 - Arrington returned kick offs for the Cardinals and came in when the Arizona offense was in third and long situations and when they were in their three or four-receiver sets. He rushed the ball four times for six yards.
RB Marcel Shipp, Rush: 1 - 14 - 0 - Shipp came in on third and long situations only.
RB Terrelle Smith (1 targets) - Smith was utilized mainly as James' lead blocker and isn't a fantasy concern at this point.
WR Anquan Boldin, Rush: 1 - 14 - 0, Rec: 4 - 22 - 1 (7 targets) - Boldin was utilized on crossing routes mainly, but had a hard time getting open against the 49ers secondary. He finished the night with only four receptions for 22 yards. He scored in the fourth quarter, when Leinart hit him coming across the middle end zone giving the Cardinals a 17-13 lead. He had one rush for 14 yards when he lined up as the quarterback and took the snap and rushed around the right side.
WR Larry Fitzgerald, Rec: 3 - 20 - 0 (9 targets) - Fitzgerald also had a hard time getting open against the 49ers' secondary. He ended the night with only 20 yards on three receptions; all were quickly thrown with defenders on him. Of his nine targets, two were thrown deep as he tried to stretch the field to no avail.
WR Bryant Johnson, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (3 targets) - Johnson came in when the Cardinals went to three or four receiver sets. He was targeted three times, but also had a hard time getting open.
TE Leonard Pope, Rec: 3 - 22 - 0 (3 targets) - Pope caught all three balls thrown to him and he was the third or fourth option in the passing scheme.
TE Troy Bienemann, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (1 targets) - Caught the only pass that Leinart threw to him on the night. Also a third or fourth option in the passing scheme.
PK Neil Rackers 1 - 1 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points - Rackers was perfect on the night hitting his only field goal attempt of 35 yards and converting two extra points.
ARI Rush Defense - The Arizona rush defense held RB Frank Gore in check all night allowing him only 55 yards on 18 carries. In total, the Cardinals' rush defense allowed the 49ers only 92 yards rushing on the night. However, 25 of those yards came on an Alex Smith run on a fourth and one late in the fourth quarter to keep a San Francisco drive alive. They did give up one rushing touchdown to WR Arnaz Battle.
ARI Pass Defense - The Cardinals pass defense was aggressive on the night holding Alex Smith to 15 for 31 for 126 yards. They blitzed often and pressured Smith to throw early. They recorded three sacks on the night. Until the final game winning drive, Smith was nine for 21 for 66 yards. Smith went six for ten for 60 yards on the last drive of the night. QB Alex Smith, Pass: 15 - 31 - 126 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - 36 - 0 - Smith had a rough night except for the clutch fourth quarter, game winning drive. He struggled with his accuracy and ended the night 15 for 31 for only 126 yards. Sixty of those yards came on the game winning drive when he went six for ten for 60 yards. He rushed three times for 36 yards including a clutch fourth and one scramble for 25 yards down to the Cardinals' 20 yard line. He was sacked three timesRB Frank Gore, Rush: 18 - 55 - 1, Rec: 1 - 21 - 0 (3 targets) - Gore ran hard against the Cardinals defense, but found little room in the interior line. Most of his carries were up the middle, including his six yard TD run. He finished the night with 55 yards on 18 carries with the touchdown. His longest run was 12 yards. He caught one pass for 21 yards, but dropped two others that were catchable.
RB Moran Norris, Rec: 2 - 6 - 0 (3 targets) - Norris had two catches for six yards, one of which came in the first quarter with the 49ers in the red zone.
WR Arnaz Battle, Rush: 1 - 1 - 1, Rec: 5 - 60 - 0 (8 targets) - Battle was the game's leading receiver on the night with five catches for 60 yards. He figured prominently in the 49ers' final game winning drive being targeted five times during the drive alone. He made a clutch 22 yard catch down to the Cardinals' one yard line, on a third and 13, only to fumble the ball into the end zone, where it was recovered by teammate Darrell Jackson. According to NFL rules, in the last two minutes of the game, when a player fumbles into the end zone and the ball is recovered, it must be placed at the site of the fumble. On the next play, Battle, who was in motion, took a hand off from Alex Smith and ran around the left side untouched for the game winning score.
WR Darrell Jackson, Rec: 4 - 36 - 0 (10 targets) - Jackson was the 49ers most targeted receiver with ten targets. He saved the game winning drive when he recovered the Battle fumble in the end zone to preserve the drive. He finished the night with four receptions for 36 yards.
WR Taylor Jacobs (1 targets) - Jacobs came in for a couple of plays in the third quarter.
TE Vernon Davis, Rec: 2 - 4 - 0 (5 targets) - In this game, Davis was not a factor in the offense recording only four yards on two catches. He just couldn't seem to get open enough to draw the attention of Smith.
PK Joe Nedney 2 - 2 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 8 points - Nedney was perfect on the night going two for two on field goals (33 and 30 yards) and hitting his two extra points.
SF Rush Defense - The San Francisco rush defense allowed the Cardinals 161 yards on the night, with James getting 92 of them. Rookie linebacker, Patrick Willis was a force in the middle recording nine tackles and two assists and forcing one fumble.
SF Pass Defense - The San Francisco pass defense was aggressive all night long pestering Leinart into a sub-par performance going 102 yards on 28 attempts and two interceptions. The defensive backs kept the Arizona three top receivers in check all night long allowing Fitzgerald, Boldin and Bryant a total of 54 yards on eight catches. The longest pass completion on the night was 15 yards.Chicago Bears 3, San Diego Chargers 14
What you need to know
Chicago Bears - The biggest positive to take from this game from a Bears perspective is the dominance their defense showed for the better part of the afternoon. They held league rushing champion LaDainian Tomlinson in check for most of the game, and allowed just 77 rushing yards for the entire contest. San Diego failed to score a point in the first half of this game, something that never happened once in 2006.Chicago lost this game in large part because of the ineffectiveness of its running game. Cedric Benson had a very inauspicious debut to the season with just 42 yards rushing on 19 carries (including a fumble), and Adrian Peterson had a costly fumble of his own with the Bears trying to drive for the lead.
Rex Grossman again proved the assumption that he's just not good enough to lead a fantasy squad. Grossman put up very pedestrian statistics and never looked comfortable.
San Diego Chargers - LaDainian Tomlinson once again showed why he's the premier player in fantasy football, even when he's not able to run the ball consistently. Tomlinson had just 37 yards from scrimmage with about a minute left in the third quarter, but then fired a 17 yard touchdown pass. He later added a score on the ground and finished with 76 yards from scrimmage.QB Philip Rivers looked a bit off. His statistics wouldn't necessarily suggest that, and he was certainly hurt by a number of dropped passes. But it can be argued that the drops were in part caused by the inaccurate passes.
TE Antonio Gates started off great out of the gate (no pun intended) and never let up. He was heavily targeted in both the first and second halves, and was the recipient of the lone touchdown pass in the game for either side.
The San Diego run defense brought its 'A' game. Chicago attempted 25 rushes for a meager 80 total yards, but perhaps more importantly San Diego also forced and recovered two fumbles by Chicago running backs. Those turnovers were extremely costly, and quite likely the difference in the game.
What you ought to know
QB Rex Grossman, Pass: 12 - 23 - 145 - 0 TD / 1 INT - Grossman never established any kind of a rhythm. He was drilled by Shaun Phillips early in the contest for one of the most vicious hits you'll see all season, but it didn't seem to affect him as far as injury. Sideline reporter Pam Oliver mentioned that Grossman was seen shaking his hand at one point, but it was never addressed again. Despite that hit and several other sacks throughout the game, his offensive line actually afforded him plenty of time to throw for the most part. His receivers were able to get open more often than not, but he just didn't look very comfortable. He misfired on a number of passes, and a lack of communication doomed several others. On a deep ball to Bernard Berrian late in the first half, the receiver stopped his route short, which led to the interception. Still, it wasn't all bad luck that did in the Bears QB. In fact, he actually enjoyed a bit of good luck on a later series when he fumbled the ball away but caught a lucky bounce when it went right into the waiting arms of his own RB, Adrian Peterson. It isn't fair to pin this loss on Grossman alone because it's not like he was the only reason for the loss; still, he didn't do very much to help his team win either.RB Cedric Benson, Rush: 19 - 42 - 0, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (2 targets) - Benson's game ended much the same way his 2006 season ended: with a whimper. In just his second career start, he looked a bit jittery. He dropped a screen pass early in the second quarter, which was perhaps telling in that he only saw one more passing target the rest of the way. If Benson is to get those all-important receiving totals to boost his yardage, he's going to need to hold onto the passes he does see. At times, Benson appeared to be running slow, and was tentative to hit the hole. A lot of that could have something to do with the San Diego front seven getting a great push all game long, but Benson just didn't appear able to make things happen on his own. He also lost a fumble, which didn't seem to bother the coaches as much as one might have thought. He carried for five yards on the very next offensive play for Chicago. Additionally, his lost fumble wasn't nearly as costly as Adrian Peterson's late in the game, so for now at least it probably isn't an issue as far as future playing time. Benson's poor afternoon ended with him being stuffed on a fourth and one carry late in the fourth quarter as Chicago tried getting back into the game. Again, Peterson had previously been stuffed on third and short so it's not as if the backup was doing anything the starter could not.
RB Adrian Peterson, Rush: 7 - 38 - 0 - Peterson had an opportunity to show off for the coaching staff and perhaps earn more playing time in this game, but it appears that he literally fumbled that chance away. With Cedric Benson struggling to get anything going in the run game, Chicago turned to Peterson more as the game went on. His seven rushes for 38 yards (5.4 YPC) is certainly a large upgrade over Benson's 2.2 YPC. But Peterson's fumble early in the fourth quarter with the Chargers up 7-3 put San Diego in position to drive in for the clinching score. With the Bears trying to salvage the game later, Peterson was stood up on third down and two to go. He was very tentative on the play, and his baby steps approach obviously didn't get the job done.
WR Bernard Berrian, Rec: 5 - 83 - 0 (10 targets) - Berrian showed a nice ability to get open consistently. While he never got loose downfield for any huge gains, he was able to consistently get in that 15-20 yard range. On several occasions, he had a number of San Diego defenders around him but he was able to find the soft spot in the zone to make the play. It showed he isn't just a burner who hauls in deep balls; he's learning the finer points of the position and did a good job to get open when his team needed him to. One negative on Berrian's performance was on the interception. Rex Grossman threw it deep downfield for Berrian, who appeared to simply end his route and break off the wrong way as the ball was heading left. It was easily intercepted by S Marlon McCree and San Diego took over possession.
WR Muhsin Muhammad, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (4 targets) - Muhammad was uncharacteristically quiet, with just one reception late in the second half for a very minimal gain.
TE Desmond Clark, Rec: 3 - 38 - 0 (3 targets) - With rookie TE Greg Olsen out, most expected Clark to see more action than he did. He did make the most of his targets by catching all three passes that were thrown his way, including one from the shadow of his own end zone for 24 yards.
PK Robbie Gould 1 - 1 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 3 points - Gould connected on his only field goal, from 27 yards out.
CHI Rush Defense - It was reported early in the contest that some Chicago defenders were fired up to face Tomlinson because they felt slighted by a new Nike commercial in which he is shown making a dominant run against the Bears. Whether it was that or simply the collective talent of a terrific defensive unit, the Bears stifled LaDainian Tomlinson all game long, holding the 2006 rushing champ to just 25 yards on 17 carries (1.5 YPC). The fact that Tomlinson got 17 carries despite his ineffectiveness shows that the Chargers never abandoned the running game and kept trying to wear the Bears down. Yet the fact that 23 of Tomlinson's yards came on three of his carries means that he was absolutely locked down nearly every other time he touched the football. He simply had nowhere to run. About the only blemish on Chicago's defensive resume was when it allowed Tomlinson a seven yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to put the game away. A couple of defenders had a shot at taking him down, but the elusive running back still found the end zone. Late in the game, the Chargers plugged backup Michael Turner in the game and he quickly wore down the Chicago defenders to the tune of 41 yards on his ten carries.
CHI Pass Defense - It looks like the Bears did just an okay job on pass defense because Philip Rivers completed over 70% of his passes and they only forced one turnover (not to mention allowing a touchdown pass from LaDainian Tomlinson). But in reality, the Chicago pass defense was very stout. Countless times, they had intense pressure in Rivers' face and forced bad passes downfield. They managed to sack him three times and intercepted him once, with the pick being a direct result of the strong pressure up front. They had very few answers for TE Antonio Gates, though that is something they have in common with most teams that face Gates. S Mike Brown was injured late in the contest with what's being called a sprained knee. QB Philip Rivers, Pass: 22 - 31 - 190 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 5 - -1 - 0 - Rivers certainly didn't play his best game, but considering the opposition his numbers aren't too shabby. He failed to throw a touchdown pass, but he was close on several occasions. He completed one pass to WR Vincent Jackson that took Jackson down to the two yard line. On another, he fired a pass into the end zone that was intended for Jackson but was batted away at the last moment. It wasn't simply bad luck that prevented Rivers from putting up big numbers, however. He was under a ton of pressure from the Chicago defenders, and rarely had much time to throw. His accuracy was very off early in the game, as he sailed one pass high to LaDainian Tomlinson, and another off-line to Antonio Gates. The interception was also a product of a combination of pressure up front and a very poor decision by Rivers. He was looking for Gates down the seam, but he threw off-balance and sailed the pass high and over the big tight end and into the waiting arms of S Mike Brown. One other aspect of Rivers' performance to watch out for is the actual snap of the ball. On several occasions, it appeared as if the Bears defenders knew the snap count, flying off the line in perfect timing with the snap. This is something Rivers will need to be very wary of in upcoming games, specifically next week against the New England Patriots.RB LaDainian Tomlinson, Pass: 1 - 1 - 17 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 17 - 25 - 1, Rec: 7 - 51 - 0 (10 targets) - It is clear that the San Diego game plan was to force-feed the ball to Tomlinson every chance they could. And it was just as clear that the Bears defensive gameplan was to ensure Tomlinson's running wouldn't beat them. Yet even the best-laid plans can go awry, as Tomlinson beat the Bears in another way -- with his arm. He threw the seventh touchdown pass of his career, which puts him just one behind all-time leader (and his idol) Walter Payton on the non-QB passing touchdown list. Tomlinson was bottled up by Chicago defenders for just about the entire afternoon, but managed to find TE Antonio Gates on a designed roll-out pass, a play borrowed from the Cam Cameron playbook of the past few years. Roughly six minutes later, Tomlinson scored on the ground from seven yards out, proving that it's possible for him to have an excellent fantasy game even when he is being all but shut down by the opposition. His ten passing targets tied a game high, and his touchdown run later in the game was a combination of power and agility, as he broke two tackles and maneuvered around another on his way for the score.
RB Michael Turner, Rush: 10 - 41 - 0 - Turner did what he does best; that is, sit and wait his turn on the bench until the Chargers have built up a comfortable lead. Then enter the game late in the fourth quarter and run over everyone. Turner once again bested LaDainian Tomlinson on a per carry basis, as Turner came in and rumbled for 41 yards on ten carries to help run out the clock (4.1 YPC versus 1.5 YPC for Tomlinson).
WR Vincent Jackson, Rec: 3 - 28 - 0 (6 targets) - Jackson's statistics look very poor, but he was very close to putting up some very solid numbers against a tough Bears defense. On one of his three receptions, Jackson was taken down at the two yard line following a ten yard pickup. On another target that fell incomplete, Jackson was open in the back of the end zone and leaped to haul in a potential touchdown. Unfortunately for him, the ball was tipped at the last moment and it ended up bouncing harmlessly off of Jackson's shoulder pad. As expected, he was the third most heavily targeted San Diego player after Gates and Tomlinson.
WR Craig Davis, Rec: 2 - 15 - 0 (2 targets) - Davis was quiet in his first NFL game, as the vast majority of the San Diego passing targets went to RB LaDainian Tomlinson and TE Antonio Gates. There were very few scraps leftover for the wide receivers.
TE Antonio Gates, Rec: 9 - 107 - 1 (13 targets) - The Bears had very little defense for Gates. Despite being targeted on nearly half of the team's receptions, the Bears almost seemed to lose track of where he was at times. It wasn't as if he was making spectacular catch after spectacular catch. The vast majority of his receptions were open slants and crosses over the middle where he not only made the catch but also had some room to run after the catch. He had a big third down conversion reception in the third quarter, and it came as no surprise because at the time he was really the only reliable option on offense for San Diego (Tomlinson included). The touchdown reception was a designed halfback rollout pass from Tomlinson to Gates, and it was executed to perfection by both players. Gates went over 100 yards early in the fourth quarter before San Diego kind of put the clamps on its own offense and grinded it out.
PK Nate Kaeding 0 - 1 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 2 points - Kaeding had a field goal opportunity go by the wayside early in the game when the attempt was blocked. The kick would have been a 33 yard try.
SD Rush Defense - Neither Chicago running back enjoyed much success running against the Chargers, though Adrian Peterson did look to be the much more active of the two. Of course, it was his costly fumble that set up the Chargers for their game-sealing touchdown and pretty much put this game to bed. San Diego held Cedric Benson down to 42 yards on 19 carries and held Peterson to 38 yards on seven carries. Perhaps most importantly, however, is the fact that the Chargers made the key stops when they needed to. They forced fumbles on both players, and stood up both players on successive short yardage runs late in the fourth quarter with the Bears trying to get back into the game. Shawne Merriman had a quiet game with just two solo tackles, mostly because the Bears appeared intent on staying away from him. Merriman completely whiffed on an open-field tackle attempt of RB Cedric Benson on a screen pass, and that was pretty much the most activity we saw from Merriman all game.
SD Pass Defense - Shaun Phillips pretty much set the tone early in this one, coming off the edge to sack Rex Grossman early in the first quarter. Grossman was hit with such force that his head snapped back and the ball was actually forced into his chest, preventing him from fumbling. While Grossman typically had far more time than that to throw, it's unclear whether that early salvo threw him off for the remainder of the contest. He never really looked comfortable, despite getting ample time on more than a few occasions. The Chargers did sack him three times, but it's not as if they were in his face on every other play. Still, they apparently did enough to rattle him. About the only player San Diego had consistent trouble with was WR Bernard Berrian, who was able to find soft spots in the zone on a pretty consistent basis.New Orleans Saints 10, Indianapolis Colts 41
What you need to know
New Orleans Saints - Drew Brees and the explosive Saints offense were surprisingly dominated by a speedy and aggressive Colts defense that only allowed three points in the game. The Colts did a good job of shutting down the Saints deep passing attack, and even though Brees was ten for 14 in the first half, he only had 53 yards of passing. Brees averaged just under seven yards per pass on 28 completions in the game, an extremely low average for that many completions. He was forced to throw short passes underneath the Colts coverage throughout the game. New Orleans struggled to get first downs and sustain drives as a result. The Saints receivers also had difficulty getting open against a tough Indianapolis secondary and the Colts pass rush forced Brees into three turnovers in the second half.RB Reggie Bush and RB Deuce McAllister both had only 38 yards rushing in the game against a revamped Indianapolis defense that lost a lot of key players to either free agency or injury. Bush had only seven yards receiving as the Colts did a good job of covering him and not allowing him to break any big plays.
WR Marques Colston had a quiet game as well, he had six catches for only 47 yards. The Indianapolis defense didn't allow him a reception longer then 13 yards and the Saints as a team only had one pass play over 13 yards for the entire game, and that came with less then a minute left in the game.
Indianapolis Colts - Super Bowl XLI MVP Peyton Manning picked up where he left off last season by leading the Colts to 31 unanswered points in the second half and a blowout victory. The Saints were able to keep Manning and the high powered Indianapolis offense in check most of the first half, but Manning led them to two quick scoring drives in the third quarter and they never looked back from there. He finished with stellar numbers as he had 288 passing yards and three touchdowns. Manning looked liked he was in mid-season form in the second half of the game as he picked apart the Saints secondary and the Colts moved the ball at will. Manning and the Indianapolis game plan seemed to target former Colts CB Jason David, as he was responsible for giving up all three of Manning's passing touchdowns in the game. The Colts line did a good job of protecting Manning, including rookie LT Tony Ugoh, and they did not give up a sack.The Colts ran at the Saints a lot early in the game because New Orleans played a lot of cover two zone in hopes of stopping any big plays by Indianapolis' passing game. RB Joseph Addai took advantage of all the running room by rushing for 75 yards on 13 carries in the first half. The Colts line opened big holes for Addai and he looked very good shredding the Saints defense early on in the game. He added a two yard touchdown in the second half as the Indianapolis offense heated up. Addai would also add three receptions and finished the game with 143 total yards.
WR Reggie Wayne got off to a slow start as he only had three receptions for nine yards in the first half, including a fumble that was taken back for a Saints' touchdown. Wayne made up for the error, and then some, by catching touchdown passes of 28 and 45 yards in the second half. He would finish with a team high seven receptions and 115 yards receiving. Not to be left out, WR Marvin Harrison had 83 yards receiving yards and one touchdown. The score was Harrison's 123rd career touchdown.
What you ought to know
QB Drew Brees, Pass: 28 - 41 - 192 - 0 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 1 - 4 - 0, Rec: 1 - 2 - 0 (1 targets) - Brees had a tough game as he and Saints offense struggled to sustain drives and put points on the board. Brees only led the offense to three points. He was ten for 14 in the first half, but only had 53 yards passing. The Colts pass defense simply would not give Brees or his receivers anything deep and he was forced to hit receivers for short, underneath passes. Things did not get better Brees in the second half as the Colts built a big lead and Indianapolis unleashed an effective pass rush. He only had 75 yards passing after three quarters as the Colts pulled out to a big lead. He added three turnovers in the second half as he had two interceptions and a lost fumble. He did add 117 yards passing in the fourth quarter while the game was out of reach. Brees didn't have a pass over 13 yards until he hooked up WR Devery Henderson for 23 yards with 38 seconds left in the game.RB Reggie Bush, Rush: 12 - 38 - 0, Rec: 4 - 7 - 0 (8 targets) - Bush had a disappointing first game as only had 45 total yards of offense. He had six carries for 21 yards rushing in the first half. He picked up a nine yard gain on an end around in the first quarter which would be his longest play from scrimmage all game. Bush did get a first down on a seven yard carry on a rare run up the middle that helped set up set up the Saints only offensive points of the game. The tough Colts pass defense held Bush to only two catches for a negative three yards in the first half. Things didn't get much better for Bush in the second half as he was held to 17 yards rushing and ten yards receiving. The Colts speedy defense did a good job of containing Bush and covering him in the open field.
RB Deuce McAllister, Rush: 10 - 38 - 0, Rec: 2 - 7 - 0 (2 targets) - McAllister was the primary ball carrier between the tackles but he didn't have any more success rushing the ball then his teammate RB Reggie Bush. He gained a first down on the first drive of the game on a five yard run up the middle to keep a drive alive in Colts territory that gave them a field goal opportunity. His biggest gain came on 12 yard run in the third quarter, but McAllister and the running game simply couldn't run consistently on a very aggressive and quick Colts defense that got good penetration on the line of scrimmage.
RB Aaron Stecker, Rush: 2 - 21 - 0, Rec: 2 - 20 - 0 (1 targets) - Stecker only had two rushing plays, his longest was an end around play that gained 13 yards on the left side for a first down. He caught a pass for 11 yards in the second half.
WR Marques Colston, Rec: 6 - 47 - 0 (7 targets) - Colston and the Saints receivers had a hard getting open deep and had to settle for short passes underneath the Colts coverage. His longest catch in the first half was a 13 yard pass for a first down with less then one minute in the first half. That would be New Orleans longest pass play until there was less then one minute left in the game. Colston finished the game with six catches for 47 yards.
WR Devery Henderson, Rush: 1 - 5 - 0, Rec: 3 - 34 - 0 (6 targets) - Henderson caught a meaningless 23 yard pass with less then one minute in the game; this was the Saints longest play of the game. Before that he had two passes for 11 yards and was pretty much a non-factor in the game.
WR David Patten, Rec: 2 - 18 - 0 (3 targets) - Patten caught a 13 yard pass in the fourth quarter when the game was well out of hand for the Saints.
TE Eric Johnson, Rec: 8 - 57 - 0 (9 targets) - Johnson had three catches for 19 yards in the first half, but he became a frequent target in the second half. QB Drew Brees may have targeted him so much since Indianapolis did such a good job of taking away the Saints receivers and the deep ball, but Johnson led the team in catches, receiving yards, and targets in the game. This was a very promising start for Johnson.
PK Olindo Mare 1 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - Mare missed a 52 yard field on the Saints first drive of the game. He did make a 34 yard field goal in the second quarter.
NO Rush Defense - The Saints run defense did not have a good game as they gave up 164 yards on the ground, including a two yard rushing touchdown.
NO Pass Defense - Saints DB Jason David, who played for the Colts last year, gave up an early TD reception to Marvin Harrison. Soon after, he forced a fumble and then returned the fumble 55 yards for the Saints first and only touchdown of the game. It was all down hill for David and the Saints pass defense after that, as they gave up three passing touchdowns and many big plays in passing game. They also failed to register a sack. QB Peyton Manning, Pass: 18 - 30 - 288 - 3 TD / 0 INT - Manning and the Colts got off to a slow start in the first half, but got it rolling in the second half and put up big numbers offensively against an over matched Saints defense. After going three and out on the first drive of the game, Manning lead the Colts on a 58 yard scoring drive. Manning hit Marvin Harrison on a 27 yard strike in the back of the end zone. It was the 107th touchdown pass Manning and Harrison have connected on over there career together. The Saints didn't give Manning too many looks down the field in the first half as they kept their safeties back in coverage and played a lot of cover two. Manning's biggest pass play of the first half was a strike to Dallas Clark up the middle for 39 yards. Manning and the offense came out firing in the second half. He hit Marvin Harrison for a big gain of 42 yards on Indianapolis' first drive of the second half when the Saints came on a blitz leaving Harrison alone on man to man coverage. Manning put a perfect deep pass for Harrison and he was tackled on the two yard line. That play would lead to a two yard rushing touchdown. He would come back on the Colts next possession and lead the offense down the field for another touchdown, hitting Reggie Wayne for a 29 yard touchdown pass. Manning came back to Wayne again for another big play late in the third quarter, hitting him on a 31 yard pass that set up another Indianapolis field goal. Manning kept going to Wayne in the second half as he hit him in full stride on 45 yard pass for his third touchdown throw in the game.RB Joseph Addai, Rush: 23 - 118 - 1, Rec: 3 - 25 - 0 (4 targets) - Addai's season got off to a scary start as he had to come out the game after the first play after getting hit hard trying to make a catch. He returned to the game on the next offensive series. Addai would go on to have a very nice first half, rushing 13 times for 75 yards. This was in large part because the Saints played a lot of cover two zone and kept there safeties deep. This gave Addai a lot of running room between the tackles in the first half. Addai had a nice 12 yard where he was able to cut it back up the middle and get it to the Saints 20 yard line which set up the Colts first field goal in the game. His only catch in the first half was a nice pass in the flat for a 14 yard gain with two minutes left.
Addai got an early touchdown in the second half after QB Peyton Manning and WR Marvin Harrison connected for a long pass that put the ball on the two yard line of the Saints. He easily punched it in from two yards out for his first touchdown of the year. Addai had another nice 14 run in the third quarter to help set up the Colts third touchdown. He finished the game with 118 rushing yards and a very impressive 5.1 yards per carry average. He also added three receptions for 25 yards as Manning looked to Addai often as one of his check down receivers. The Colts running game looked very impressive overall in their debut.RB Kenton Keith, Rush: 5 - 32 - 0, Rec: 1 - -2 - 0 (1 targets) - Keith got his first NFL action sooner then expected when RB Joseph Addai had to come out of the game on the first play. On the next play, he took a sweep to the left for seven yards for his first career carry. He didn't play much after that and didn't get his next carry until the fourth quarter when the Colts were up big in the game. He did have a real nice run up the middle for 13 yards. Keith got a lot of playing time toward the end of the game as Indianapolis tried to run the clock out.
WR Reggie Wayne, Rec: 7 - 115 - 2 (10 targets) - The game started badly for Wayne as he had the ball stripped from him after a reception by Saints DB Jason David and the ball was returned for a touchdown in the second quarter. He only had three catches for nine yards in the first half as the Saints defense did a good job of keeping the Indianapolis receivers from getting deep for big plays.
Wayne and the Colts passing offense would pick it up in a big way in the second half. He would get his revenge on David by burning him on a post route for a 28 yard touchdown reception in the third quarter. Wayne would make another big play by catching a 31 yard pass down the left side of the field on the last play of the third quarter putting the ball on the New Orleans 16 yard line. Wayne would beat Saints defender David again on a deep 45 yard pass early in the fourth quarter. He would finish the second half with four receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns in what turned out to be a big rebound for him from the first half.WR Marvin Harrison, Rec: 4 - 83 - 1 (6 targets) - Harrison and QB Peyton Manning didn't waste anytime in hooking up for their first score of the season on the second drive of the game. Manning hit him on a perfectly timed pass in the back of the end zone for a 27 yard touchdown. Harrison did a great job of dragging both feet to stay in bounds. Manning did try to hit Harrison again for another touchdown late in the first half when the Colts were in the red zone, but ball fell incomplete. Harrison took a back seat to WR Reggie Wayne in the second half, but did catch a 42 yard pass early in the second half when he beat CB Mike McKenzie deep and was tackled on the two yard line. Harrison finished the game with four receptions for 83 yards and one touchdown.
WR Anthony Gonzalez (1 targets) - In his first game as pro, Gonzalez only had one pass thrown his way and it went for an incompletion.
TE Dallas Clark, Rush: 1 - 14 - 0, Rec: 2 - 48 - 0 (5 targets) - Clark got an early first down in the game on a nine yard reception in the first quarter. Clark had his one big play of the game with less then two minutes left in the first half with a catch up the middle for 39 yards that led to a Colts field goal. He got his first league rushing attempt on an end around play for 13 yards and another Colts first down.
TE Ben Utecht, Rec: 1 - 19 - 0 (1 targets) - Utecht caught a 19 yard pass up the middle in the third quarter on his only reception of the game.
PK Adam Vinatieri 2 - 2 FG, 5 - 5 XP, 11 points - Vinatieri made a 33 yard field goal with less then two minutes left in the first half. He hit another 33 yard field early in the fourth quarter. Vinatieri added five extra point conversions in what turned out to be a high scoring game for the Colts.
IND Rush Defense - The Colts run defense did a very good job of containing one of the more formidable rushing tandems in the league of RB Reggie Bush and RB Deuce McAllister by holding them to a combined 76 rushing yards. Considering Indianapolis' rush defense is a big question mark coming into this season, this is a promising start for this unit.
IND Pass Defense - The pass defense caused three turnovers and scored one touchdown, and seemed to frustrate QB Drew Brees most of the night. LB Freddie Keiaho intercepted a Drew Brees pass in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, DE Robert Mathis forced and recovered a fumble on QB Brees while he was in the pocket. DB Matt Giordano capped the night off for the Colts defense by intercepting a pass and bringing it back 82 yards for a touchdown late in the game.Philadelphia Eagles 13, Green Bay Packers 16
What you need to know
Philadelphia Eagles - QB Donovan McNabb had a tough day, only connecting on 15 of 33 passes. He was constantly pressured by the Green Bay defensive tackles. His interception came when scrambling from the rush, somehow missing the fact that Nick Barnett was directly between Brian Westbrook and himself. The Eagles often got themselves in third and long situations, and McNabb did not convert many of them.RB Brian Westbrook showed that he was still the obvious focus of the offense. He was targeted by McNabb 12 times and rushed the ball 20 times. He showed he can still beat defenders in the open field, specifically beating A.J. Hawk in the flat on a short pass. He did drop a few passes from McNabb, but he was often the check down so in general McNabb was rushed when he was passing to Westbrook, catching only six of the 12 attempts thrown his way.
WR Reggie Brown was a disappointment throughout the game. McNabb and Brown had a lack of synergy during the game. Whether it was an errant pass or a wrong cut, Brown only made one catch out of the six times he was targeted. Jason Avant showed promise throughout, catching three balls, including a critical first down and a touchdown catch on a drive in the second quarter. He saw play in three and four WR sets, and it looks like he is locked in the third spot in the depth chart.
Green Bay Packers - Green Bay scored 13 of its 16 points off of turnovers. They recovered two muffed punts by the Eagles, recovering one in the end zone for a touchdown and the other with fewer than two minutes left in the game, which led to the game winning field goal by Mason Crosby. Crosby is a rookie from Colorado who kicked a perfect game.QB Brett Favre had a tough game, but fought through it showing experience and that dash of improvisation that he is known for. He showed he still has a touch of magic, on a third down play on part of their 13 play FG drive; he was spun around by two defenders in the backfield and before he got sacked flipped it to DeShawn Wynn in the backfield who took it for an 18 yard gain and a first down. Favre still has the tendency to try to create sometimes where nothing is available, throwing one interception and another pass that should have been intercepted but was dropped by Takeo Spikes.
RB Brandon Jackson was featured as the starting RB. Vernand Morency did not play due to his knee injury, so DeShawn Wynn saw limited action as the backup to Jackson. Jackson did not have much success against the Eagles run defense, gaining less than three yards per carry.
WR Donald Driver led Green Bay in receiving with 66 yards. He was targeted 13 times, proving to be Favre's favorite target. James Jones got the start opposite Driver due to Greg Jennings resting his hamstring. He had three receptions early, but ended up with only four receptions after four quarters (eight targets). Donald Lee and Bubba Franks basically split the tight end targets from Favre, but Franks only caught the ball twice while being targeted six times.
What you ought to know
QB Donovan McNabb, Pass: 15 - 33 - 184 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 4 - 9 - 0 - McNabb did not live up to the expectations during this game. He was inaccurate, completing only 45% of his passes, although four of those passes were dropped. McNabb could not stay in the pocket often due to the middle rush of Green Bay; however he only ran the ball four times. This pressure from Green Bay kept McNabb from getting into a rhythm, causing his performance to suffer.RB Brian Westbrook, Rush: 20 - 85 - 0, Rec: 6 - 46 - 0 (12 targets) - Westbrook had a solid game, as he showed he still has the ability to find small holes and break tackles, as well as be the versatile backfield weapon he has been in the past. He split out as a WR from the backfield several times. He dropped two passes and the ball was batted down twice when he was targeted. He was very patient running the ball allowing the offensive line to produce a hole, and it looked like he always got the maximum yards possible in running situations.
RB Correll Buckhalter, Rush: 4 - 5 - 0, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (2 targets) - Buckhalter saw limited action, as Brian Westbrook was featured as the Eagles' main backfield weapon. Buckhalter dropped one of the two balls thrown his way. On his rushing attempts the offensive line did not produce significant holes for him to get through, as it looked like he was running into a wall every time he had a rushing attempt.
WR Jason Avant, Rec: 3 - 54 - 1 (4 targets) - Avant had a good game, solidifying his spot as the number three WR. He caught three of the four balls thrown his way, including a touchdown where he was forced to fight for the last couple of yards to get into the end zone. It seemed like after the touchdown drive, the Packers paid more attention to Avant causing his targets to be low, since Avant had two big plays during the Eagles' touchdown drive.
WR Kevin Curtis, Rec: 2 - 53 - 0 (5 targets) - Curtis was targeted most often by McNabb when Curtis was down the field. They connected on a 37 yard play and a 16 yard play, the other three times he was covered well.
WR Reggie Brown, Rec: 1 - 14 - 0 (6 targets) - Brown looked out of synch with McNabb throughout the game. It seemed like he could not get open against the Green Bay secondary, and when McNabb did try to target him it seemed either forced into a small space or a poor throw. He dropped one ball, caught one, and all the other targets were well covered or unable to be caught.
TE L.J. Smith, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (2 targets) - Smith was a surprise to be ready for this game. As late as Saturday, it looked like his sore groin might keep him out. He played but failed to be a significant part of the offense, only being targeted twice. It seemed like throughout the game, the Eagles went to three and four WR sets as opposed to having Smith in the game.
PK David Akers 2 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points - Akers had a perfect performance Sunday. All of his kicks were dead on and he even had to redo a field goal due to a ten yard holding penalty, which did not faze him.
PHI Rush Defense - The Eagles featured three new linebackers, and they proved to be strong against the run. They held the Packers to 46 yards rushing on 16 attempts. They were consistent throughout the game, never allowing a run of ten yards or more.
PHI Pass Defense - The Eagles' secondary played well, causing Favre to spend extra time in the pocket very often. The longest pass they allowed was 22 yards, although there was one play on third and short when Favre overthrew James Jones when Jones had two steps on the cornerback. QB Brett Favre, Pass: 23 - 42 - 206 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - -2 - 0 - Favre battled through this game. The Green Bay offense struggled to produce, only creating one scoring drive that was not the result of a turnover. Favre led that drive by creating plays when the pressure was on him, literally. Twice he produced completions while an Eagle defender was in the process of bringing him down. He worked the hard count on every play, revealing where the defenders were blitzing from. Favre did make a couple of bad decisions, but only had one interception result from them. He tried to avoid a sack and pass to Franks but Takeo Spikes was in perfect position for the interception, which likely would have been returned for a touchdown; however Spikes dropped the ball. Favre also fumbled late in the second half when he was hit preparing to throw the ball, but the defense held the Eagles to a three and out.RB Brandon Jackson, Rush: 15 - 40 - 0, Rec: 4 - 35 - 0 (6 targets) - Jackson started his first game in the NFL. He had problems finding space in the running game, which might be attributed to the Eagle's run defense. He had a jittery start dropping an easy pass with a lot of open field ahead of him early, but seemed to bounce back catching four balls after that. He had a couple of moves throughout the game that opened eyes, as he made exceptional cuts in the open field.
RB DeShawn Wynn, Rush: 1 - 8 - 0, Rec: 1 - 18 - 0 (1 targets) - Wynn saw limited action, but was part of a spectacular play with Favre which eventually led to a field goal. He caught a shovel pass while Favre was getting sacked and took it for 18 yards and a first down.
WR Donald Driver, Rec: 6 - 66 - 0 (13 targets) - Driver had a difficult game, but showed he still has chemistry with Favre. He only caught six of the 13 passes thrown his way. Favre would often throw to Driver in double coverage, which led to the poor ratio. Driver definitely was a focus of the secondary of the Eagles.
WR James Jones, Rec: 4 - 29 - 0 (8 targets) - Jones was the number two WR for Green Bay this game because Jennings was out due to a hamstring injury. On Green Bays' third series, they ran two plays for Jones and he caught them both, yielding a first down. After this though it seemed tough for Jones to create much space, as he only caught two more balls the rest of the game.
WR Ruvell Martin, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (5 targets) - Martin only caught two balls, but the other three passes his way were not his fault. He showed average hands, and Favre was not afraid to throw to him. Martin will probably move down the depth chart when Greg Jennings comes back from his hamstring injury.
TE Donald Lee, Rec: 4 - 27 - 0 (4 targets) - Lee caught all four balls thrown his way. It is possible that he saw more playing time in the second half due to Bubba Franks dropping two passes during the game. All of his catches were for short gains, gaining nine on his longest catch.
TE Bubba Franks, Rec: 2 - 17 - 0 (6 targets) - Franks had two dropped passes, significantly hurting drives both times. It seemed like Donald Lee got more playing time after the second dropped pass, since Lee was not targeted in the first half and received four targets in the second half. Franks did have one nice shoestring catch in the game, going for a first down.
PK Mason Crosby 3 - 3 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 10 points - Crosby played exceptionally well for a rookie. He made three field goals, and they were all well within the uprights. On the game winning field goal, he was lined up directly in the middle of the hashes, which could have helped ease the pressure of the kick. He showed he had power to kick 60 yard field goals when he made his 53 yard field goal with ease.
GB Rush Defense - The Green Bay rush defense was solid throughout the game, holding the Eagles to 103 yards on 29 attempts. They gave up a couple of long runs to Brian Westbrook due to the ends pinching in too soon and Philadelphia pitching the ball outside. Without the 11 yard run by Westbrook, they gave up under 3.3 yards per carry.
GB Pass Defense - The Green Bay pass defense was superb throughout the game. They held Donovan McNabb to 184 yards. Al Harris hurt his elbow early in the game, but he came back and had a nice defensive play in the end zone on a deep pass to Kevin Curtis. Although Green Bay only had one sack, they pressured McNabb often and this led McNabb to have problems getting into a groove.Atlanta Falcons 3, Minnesota Vikings 24
What you need to know
Atlanta Falcons - The Atlanta Falcons were never able to get much going on offense. Warrick Dunn was the focal point of the offense for most of the afternoon with 22 carries and four receptions on five targets and 81 total yards.Joey Harrington struggled most of the afternoon, rarely throwing the ball downfield. He completed 22 of 32 passes for 199 yards, but had two interceptions returned for touchdowns. Many of his completions were short dump offs, or check downs to running backs. Harrington was under pressure from the Vikings for most of the afternoon, and had several coverage sacks.
No receiver had more than four receptions or more than 40 yards. Harrington spread the ball around consistently and did not appear to favor any one receiver.
Minnesota Vikings - Adrian Peterson was the story of the afternoon. Chester Taylor started the game but was injured early. Peterson was the primary ball carrier for the Vikings for the remainder of the game and finished with 103 yards rushing and a 60 yard reception for a touchdown.The Minnesota Vikings started slowly on offense, while the defense played well and kept them in the game early. The Vikings slowly built momentum on offense and eventually pulled away.
Tarvaris Jackson started slowly, but appeared to play with more confidence as the game went on. He tried with little success to go deep on few occasions, and ended with just 163 yards pas