San Francisco 49ers 0, Seattle Seahawks 24
What you need to know
San Francisco 49ers - The San Francisco offense had a night in Seattle they'd like to soon forget. The 49ers' inability to convert on third and fourth down plays resulted in only six first downs and their ineptness with the ball resulted in zero points. San Francisco didn't record their first first down until the last play of the first half and didn't convert their first third down until well into the fourth quarter. The 49ers had the ball for only a shade over 20 minutes and were out gained in yardage 380 to 173.QB Alex Smith completed only 43% of his 28 pass attempts for a paltry 114 yards. Seattle's pass rush harassed Smith all night forcing a plethora of errant and misguided throws. The Seahawks' defense sacked the 49ers signal caller three times and two of those sacks resulted in fumbles that were recovered by the Seattle defense.
Frank Gore made the start in this contest after missing last week's game with a bad right ankle. Despite San Francisco's struggles on offense, Gore had some success rushing the ball against the Seahawks' defense. He ran the ball only 13 times, but averaged over 5.5 yards per rush. Usually a contributor in the passing game, Gore was able to only muster seven receiving yards on two catches.
Seattle Seahawks - Head Coach Mike Holmgren stated in the week leading up to the game that the Seattle offense would look to pass more and he wasn't kidding. QB Matt Hasselbeck completed 27 of his 40 attempts for 278 yards and finished the night with a quarterback rating of 93.5. Hasselbeck tossed a first quarter touchdown pass to TE Will Heller and followed that up with another scoring strike to WR D.J. Hackett in the fourth quarter.Shaun Alexander sat this game out with an injured knee, so Maurice Morris got the start at running back for the Seahawks. Despite Seattle's emphasis on throwing the football, Morris rushed for 87 yards and scored his first rushing touchdown of the year on a six yard run in the second quarter. He added another 16 yards on three receptions but did lose a fumble in the third quarter.
Matt Hasselbeck looked to D.J. Hackett often in this game, targeting the wide receiver on ten pass plays. Hackett turned those ten pass attempts into eight catches for 101 receiving yards and he caught his second touchdown of the year early on in the fourth quarter.
WR Deion Branch missed his fourth game with a sprained foot.
What you ought to know
QB Alex Smith, Pass: 12 - 28 - 114 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 6 - 0 - Smith struggled to keep the San Francisco offense moving in the first half as evidenced by the fact that the 49ers' initial first down came as time expired in the second quarter. He attempted only seven passes over the first two quarters and finished the half with five completions that went for 62 yards. Contributing towards Smith's struggles in the first half was the fact that he was sacked three times and lost two fumbles. As bad as his first half was, Smith was unable to improve on his poor, pre-intermission performance. Over the last two quarters, he would only complete seven of 21 passes for 52 yards as he failed to lead the San Francisco offense on any scoring drives.RB Frank Gore, Rush: 13 - 72 - 0, Rec: 2 - 7 - 0 (2 targets) - Gore followed his 33 yard first half, rushing performance up with 49 more yards on the ground in the second half. His longest run of the game went for 16 yards in the first quarter, but he also had longer rushes of 12 and 11 yards that came in the third quarter. Gore did get a carry from the Seattle two yard line on a fourth and one play, but he was stuffed for no gain.
RB Moran Norris, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0 - Norris' only rush of the game came with the 49ers operating from their one yard line.
RB Maurice Hicks, Rec: 1 - 1 - 0 (1 targets) - Hicks' only reception of the game came in the fourth quarter. He was able to average 25 yards on four kick off returns.
WR Arnaz Battle, Rush: 1 - -2 - 0, Rec: 4 - 78 - 0 (10 targets) - Despite being targeted ten times by QB Alex Smith, Battle was only able to haul in four passes. He was credited with a catch on the last play of the first half that went for 45 yards and he took a third quarter pass down to the Seattle two yard line. In addition to his pass catching, he was also called upon to run the football, but his rushing attempt resulted in a loss of two yards.
WR Ashley Lelie, Rec: 2 - 18 - 0 (2 targets) - Lelie hauled in both of his fourth quarter targets.
WR Darrell Jackson, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (6 targets) - Jackson had a quiet night against his old team as his only catch of the game came in the third quarter.
WR Bryan Gilmore (4 targets) - All of Gilmore's targets came on San Francisco's final drive of the game and all four passes fell incomplete.
TE Vernon Davis, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (3 targets) - In addition to being a non-factor for the San Francisco offense, Davis missed a block in the first quarter that led to a sack of QB Alex Smith that resulted in a lost fumble.
TE Delanie Walker, Rec: 1 - 2 - 0 (1 targets) - Walker caught his only target of the game in the first quarter.
PK Joe Nedney 0 - 0 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 0 points - Nedney's only game action of the night came on San Francisco's second half kick-off.
SF Rush Defense - The San Francisco defense gave up 106 yards to the Seattle running game, but held the Seahawks to less than three yards per rush. Seahawk RB Maurice Morris did score on a run from six yards out, but the defense was able to recover Morris fumble in the third quarter.
SF Pass Defense - The 49ers' pass defense was torched by QB Matt Hasselbeck in the first half, surrendering 200 yards and one touchdown through the air over the first two quarters. Though San Francisco held the Seattle quarterback to 78 yards passing in the second half, Hasselbeck did throw a second scoring toss to WR D.J. Hackett from ten yards out. LB Parys Haralson did record a sack in this game and CB Nate Clements intercepted a Hasselbeck pass. QB Matt Hasselbeck, Pass: 27 - 40 - 278 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 6 - 16 - 0 - On Seattle's first series of the game, Hasselbeck came out firing, completing eight of 11 passes for 69 yards and capping the drive with a one yard scoring throw to TE Will Heller. He finished the first half completing 18 of 27 passes for 200 yards and the one touchdown. In addition to his stellar passing numbers, Hasselbeck also rushed for 13 yards on two rushes through the first two quarters. Though he would only throw for 78 yards in the second half, Hasselbeck did toss his second touchdown pass early on in the fourth quarter to WR D.J. Hackett. On the play, Hasselbeck's pass sailed just out of the reach of two San Francisco defenders before landing in the hands of his wide receiver. He did throw his only interception of the game in the third quarter, when an errant pass to WR Bobby Engram was intercepted by CB Nate Clements.RB Maurice Morris, Rush: 28 - 87 - 1, Rec: 3 - 16 - 0 (6 targets) - Though he was only able to average just over three yards per rush, Morris finished the night with 87 yards on the ground with a touchdown. He took a first quarter rush down to the one yard line on Seattle's first drive, but was unable to push the ball across the goal line on that series. His second quarter touchdown run came from six yards out, but later on in the contest he did lose a fumble on Seattle's first drive of the second half.
RB Leonard Weaver, Rush: 2 - 3 - 0, Rec: 2 - 22 - 0 (5 targets) - Weaver was only called upon to rush the ball twice, but he also was able to haul in a couple of passes.
WR D.J. Hackett, Rec: 8 - 101 - 1 (10 targets) - Hackett grabbed four passes over the first two quarter that went for 68 yards with the highlight of his half being a 46 yard reception that took the ball down to the San Francisco six yard line. His second half included four more catches for 33 yards and included the ten yard touchdown reception on the first play of the fourth quarter. Hackett was also targeted on two additional end zone passes that fell incomplete.
WR Nate Burleson, Rec: 4 - 51 - 0 (7 targets) - Three of Burleson's four catches went for first downs and included a nice diving catch on a third down play that extended Seattle's first touchdown drive. He also returned five punts for a total of 25 yards.
WR Bobby Engram, Rec: 4 - 53 - 0 (7 targets) - Engram's first grab of the game came on the Seahawks' initial drive of the game and went for 16 yards. He followed that up with two grabs in the second quarter for a total of 30 yards and finished his night with a ten yard reception in the fourth quarter. Engram was the targeted receiver on Matt Hasselbeck's only interception of the game.
WR Ben Obomanu, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (1 targets) - Obomanu's only catch of the game came on a third down play in the second quarter that extended the drive.
TE Will Heller, Rec: 3 - 5 - 1 (3 targets) - All of Heller's receptions came in the first quarter and included a one yard touchdown reception that went for Seattle's first touchdown of the game. Later on in the game, Heller was called for a holding penalty that negated a Josh Brown 46 yard field goal.
TE Marcus Pollard, Rec: 2 - 19 - 0 (2 targets) - Pollard's two receptions came on back to back plays on Seattle's final drive of the first half.
PK Josh Brown 1 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 6 points - Brown made his first field goal attempt from 20 yards out in the first quarter. He also made all three of his extra point attempts. It's worth noting that Brown had a made 46 yard field goal negated due to a holding penalty. Instead of attempting a try from 56 yards, Seattle instead decided to punt. He also converted on a 49 yard field goal that was waived off due to a false start. His 54 yard attempt on the next play sailed wide left.
SEA Rush Defense - The Seattle rush defense gave up only 79 yards on the ground and helped secure the shutout on a third quarter play with San Francisco operating from the Seahawks' two yard line. On the play, the Seattle defense stuffed Frank Gore on the fourth and one play that forced the 49ers to turn the ball over on downs.
SEA Pass Defense - The Seahawks held the 49ers' offense to only 114 yards through the air and was able to pressure QB Alex Smith throughout the contest. DE Patrick Kearny and SS Jordan Babineaux both had sacks of Smith that resulted in fumbles that were recovered by Seattle. Julian Peterson also had a sack in this game as well.Minnesota Vikings 0, Green Bay Packers 34
What you need to know
Minnesota Vikings - Adrian Peterson left the game in the third quarter with an unspecified knee injury and did not return. He'll have an MRI Tuesday. Peterson was the focus of the offense. He was featured early, but the Vikings inability to convert third downs meant Peterson had limited opportunities. The Packers bottled Peterson up well, preventing him from breaking any long runs. Peterson also left the game in the third quarter with an unspecified knee injury and did not return.The Vikings could not get on track all day against the Packers stout defense. Brooks Bollinger made his first start for the Vikings, and fared no better than either of the previous Vikings' starters. Bollinger had trouble converting third downs, until the game was well out of reach. He was not able to provide any spark to the passing game, leaving the Vikings a one dimensional team again.
The Vikings defense was uncharacteristically porous against the run, in addition to their usual inability to stop the pass. The Packers were able to establish a running game, which made Favre virtually unstoppable.
Green Bay Packers - It was the Brett Favre show once again in Titletown, but this time Favre had a good co-star in Ryan Grant. Grant did what no other running back has done against the Vikings this year, which was run for over 100 yards. Grant's running opened up the passing lanes even more for Favre, who picked apart the Vikings defense again. Favre mixed short passes, quick timing routes, and the occasional long ball to shred the Viking defense. He started slowly, but once warmed up was surgical.Ryan Grant looked excellent throughout. He displayed a good mix of speed and power, and found holes often to run through. He was closing in on 100 yards already when the game reached halftime.
Favre spread the ball around, hitting ten different receivers during the game. No receiver had more than five catches, and none had more than 63 yards. Ruvell Martin had the biggest fantasy day of the bunch, hauling in two touchdowns.
What you ought to know
QB Brooks Bollinger, Pass: 16 - 26 - 176 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 4 - 0 - Bollinger did not bring the same spark to the passing game he brought in his limited relief role in week 9. The most glaring weakness was his play on third downs. Bollinger completed just one pass on four attempts on third down, and was also sacked twice. As mediocre as Bollinger's numbers were, they were padded by a couple long drives when the game was well out of hand. He did not look good, and did not get in any sort of rhythm all afternoon.RB Adrian Peterson, Rush: 11 - 45 - 0, Rec: 3 - 14 - 0 (4 targets) - Peterson was bottled up fairly well by the Green Bay defense. His yards per carry average was ok at 4.1, but he managed only 11 carries on the afternoon. His longest run of the day was just 12 yards. He did catch three of the four passes thrown his way, but the one he didn't bring in was a catch he should have made, as it went right off his hands. He was hit immediately after catching two of his other targets. He last catch was his last play of the game. After taking a short pass, he sped upfield and a defender hit him low, right at the thigh/knee area. His knee did not appear to hyperextend on the replay, but he was writhing in pain on the ground. He walked off the field leaning on the trainer, and was examined thoroughly on the sideline. He did not return to action.
RB Chester Taylor, Rush: 3 - 37 - 0, Rec: 2 - 59 - 0 (2 targets) - Taylor was limited exclusively to the third down role until Adrian Peterson left the game due to injury. He did have the biggest play of the day for the Vikings with a 50 yard screen pass in the fourth quarter, and finished with 96 total yards. He also had the Vikings longest run of the game with a 23 yard scamper.
WR Robert Ferguson, Rec: 6 - 59 - 0 (6 targets) - Ferguson had his biggest game yet in purple, and against his former team. Ferguson got the start in place of the injured Sidney Rice, and made the most of it. He lead all Vikings in targets, receptions, and tied for the team lead in receiving yards.
WR Bobby Wade, Rec: 2 - 29 - 0 (3 targets) - Wade, the Vikings' leading receiver entering the game, was not targeted until the third quarter. Wade hauled in two of the three balls thrown his way and finished with just 29 yards. He also negated his own 11 yard reception with a pass interference penalty.
TE Visanthe Shiancoe, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (2 targets) - Shiancoe continued his up and down year with just two targets on the afternoon. His lone reception was a mere seven yards, and he played no role in the limited Vikings pass offense.
PK Ryan Longwell 0 - 0 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 0 points - Longwell had no kicking opportunities on the afternoon.
MIN Rush Defense - The Vikings rush defense was uncharacteristically porous against the Packers. Ryan Grant had plenty of holes to run through all game, and made the most of his opportunities. Every once in a while, the Vikings would look like their traditional self, stringing out sweeps to the sideline. They would then look horrendous, and leave a gaping hole up the middle for a long gain.
MIN Pass Defense - The Vikings pass defense had no chance against Brett Favre. The Vikings front put almost no pressure on Favre all afternoon, which allowed him to find second and third receivers with ease on the rare occasion the Vikings had his first option covered. QB Brett Favre, Pass: 33 - 46 - 351 - 3 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0 - Favre, like he has much of this season, looked like his old self. Not only did he put up numbers like he did in his prime, he made the improvised, mechanically ugly plays he is notorious for. In addition to the almost half dozen under handed shovel passes to running backs, he also made one pass from his knees. He tripped over a lineman's feet on a drop back. Instead of taking the sack, he got up to his knees and flung the ball out to the fullback in the flat. His bread and butter was his more traditional quick hitters to his tight end and receivers on slants and quick outs. He did start somewhat slowly in the first quarter, but soon after found his rhythm and was unstoppable the rest of the afternoon.RB Ryan Grant, Rush: 25 - 119 - 1, Rec: 5 - 20 - 0 (3 targets) - Ryan Grant was able to do what no other running back has done against the Vikings rush defense this year, which was break 100 yards. What is more impressive is that he almost reached that point by halftime. He looked great against an unenthusiastic rush defense, finding gaping holes to run through all day. He touchdown run was a thing of beauty, exploding through a nice hole, and breaking several arm tackles on his way to the end zone. He finished with career highs in rushes (25), rushing yards (119) and receptions (5).
WR Donald Driver, Rec: 4 - 63 - 0 (7 targets) - Brett Favre spread the ball around all afternoon, but as usual, Donald Driver was his most frequently targeted receiver. Driver did let Favre down with a couple of drops where Driver should have made the play, including one that could have been a touchdown. As it was, Driver finished with just an average day of four receptions and a tie for the team lead with 63 yards.
WR Greg Jennings, Rec: 4 - 63 - 0 (6 targets) - Jennings was targeted almost as much as team leader Donald Driver on the afternoon, including two deep chances, but Jennings was able to haul in only one of those two chances. Like Driver, Jennings also had what could have been a touchdown go through his hands. Jennings finished with numbers identical to Driver for the game with four catches for 63 yards.
WR Ruvell Martin, Rec: 4 - 57 - 2 (5 targets) - Martin was a nice spark as the fourth receiving option, making several big plays. He hauled in two of Favre's three touchdowns. His second touchdown was quite a lucky play as two defenders collided attempting to make the interception. The ball bounced up in the air off the two of them and Martin easily grabbed the ball for a touchdown.
WR James Jones, Rec: 3 - 62 - 0 (5 targets) - Jones continued his nice rookie season with five looks on the afternoon. His biggest play of the afternoon was a 37 yard reception up the sideline where he was able to get past his defender. Jones also had one reception from Aaron Rodgers in garbage time, where Rodgers hit him instantly, and Jones was able to make a move on his defender for an 11 yard reception.
TE Donald Lee, Rec: 4 - 27 - 1 (5 targets) - Lee had a nice game in his first appearance since signing a nice contract extension. Most of his looks were his traditional quick slant from his tight end position. His touchdown came on a goal line play, with play action and he simply released into the back of the end zone and Favre easily hit him for the touchdown.
PK Mason Crosby 2 - 2 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 10 points - Crosby was perfect, hitting two field goals and all of his extra points.
GB Rush Defense - The Green Bay defense played extremely well when it counted. They bottled up Adrian Peterson as well as anyone has, including stopping him on a short third down carry. They gave up 5.7 yards per carry for the game, but that was padded by a long Chester Taylor carry when the game was out of reach.
GB Pass Defense - The Green Bay pass defense played exceptional against the Vikings passing game. Bollinger did not have much time to throw all day, and had trouble finding open receivers.Buffalo Bills 13, Miami Dolphins 10
What you need to know
Buffalo Bills - Even though the Miami weather featured clear skies and a balmy 80 degrees the Buffalo Bills played in a fog throughout the first half. On their first four drives of the game they went three and out and did not register a first down until there was 5:41 left in the first half. The Bills' defense was in a bend but don't break mode, and even though the Dolphins controlled the clock for over 20 minutes Miami only led 3--0 at halftime.Rookie Marshawn Lynch has established himself as the catalyst of this team but with 1:54 left in the game he sprained his ankle. Lynch was seen limping in front of the bench trying to walk it off, but there was no immediate word on the severity of his injury. Even though the Dolphins were able to bottle him up most of the afternoon, he still scored the only Bills' touchdown of the game. He then tied the score when he added the two point conversion on a play where he was initially hit at the one yard line, spun out of the tackle and dove across the goal line. He only averaged 3.2 yards a carry, but the Bills kept giving him the ball.
J.P. Losman struggled and may not keep the starting quarterback job. He completed 12 of 23 for 157 yards with one interception and finished the game with a QB rating of 55.9. His accuracy was often lacking, even though Miami was more concerned with stopping Marshawn Lynch. Lee Evans managed to catch four passes for 65 yards, which translates into a 16.3 yard average, but he was only targeted three times in the second half. The coaches did not seem to trust Losman throwing the ball even with Miami ahead.
At the start of the fourth quarter Miami led 10--2, but Buffalo scored 11 unanswered points to pull out the victory. Lynch scored eight points to tie it and Rian Lindell kicked the winning field goal with :50 seconds left in the game.
Miami Dolphins - Miami probably deserved better, but even though their offense controlled the ball for a tick short of 37 minutes they could only muster up ten points. Leading by a score of 10--2 after three quarters, the defense couldn't hold the lead. After Buffalo tied the score, rookie Ted Ginn, Jr. returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown, but, typical of the way their season has gone, the play was nullified by a holding penalty.Jesse Chatman averaged 4.6 yards per carry as he ran for a career high 124 yards. He also caught five passes for another 25 yards. He ran hard, found holes in the defense, and enabled Miami to effectively control the ball throughout the first three quarters of the game. The Dolphin offensive line opened huge holes and provided almost flawless pass protection.
Cleo Lemon did not put up great numbers, 16 of 29 for 131 yards, but Marty Booker and Justin Peelle both dropped easy passes. Lemon was only sacked once, but it came in the end zone for a Bills' safety. He also scrambled five yards for the only Miami touchdown. He has shown an ability to protect the ball and move the chains, but he would benefit from better weapons around him.
The Miami defense, which forced four straight Buffalo three and outs to start the game, took another hit in the third quarter when DE Jason Taylor sprained his ankle. He was seen on the sideline late in the game still in uniform but did not return. The Bills rallied to score 11 points in the fourth quarter to pull out the victory.
What you ought to know
QB J.P. Losman, Pass: 12 - 23 - 157 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - 1 - 0 - Losman seemed to take a step back in this game and the quarterback controversy should stay at full throttle in Buffalo. At times he had great protection but could not pick out a target. Other times he got rid of the ball quickly but it seemed to go to no one in particular. Will Allen intercepted one under thrown pass intended for Lee Evans but dropped another potential pick that hit him in the hands. While Losman has the ability to run around and make plays rookie Trent Edwards has demonstrated a quick release and pinpoint accuracy.RB Marshawn Lynch, Rush: 19 - 61 - 1, Rec: 3 - 24 - 0 (7 targets) - Rookie Marshawn Lynch is the catalyst of this team. Even though Miami game planned to stop him he still scored the only Bills' touchdown of the game. He also added a two point conversion. Lynch was targeted four times in the fourth quarter as Buffalo rallied to win the game. He only averaged 3.2 yards a carry, but the Bills kept feeding him and with 1:54 left in the game Lynch sprained his ankle fighting for extra yardage on the winning drive. He was seen limping in front of the bench trying to walk it off, but there was no immediate word on the severity of his injury.
RB Anthony Thomas, Rush: 2 - 0 - 0 - After Lynch left the game Thomas replaced him in the lineup without much effect.
RB Dwayne Wright, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0 - The other Buffalo rookie RB carried once in the second quarter for one yard. If Lynch misses any game time Wright will see his role expanded.
WR Lee Evans, Rec: 4 - 65 - 0 (8 targets) - Evans saw his recent resurgence slip a little and he was held out of the end zone. He is WR1 in this offense but was not targeted until the second quarter. On Buffalo's last drive on the first half Evans got behind the cornerback in the end zone but the pass was badly under thrown and the ball was intercepted. Evans was only targeted twice in the fourth quarter when the Bills rallied to pull out the victory. It seemed Buffalo did not want Losman passing with the game on the line.
WR Josh Reed, Rec: 3 - 40 - 0 (7 targets) - With the game on the line, Reed was targeted once in the fourth quarter. He caught three passes for 40 yards in his role as possession receiver.
WR Roscoe Parrish (1 targets) - Parrish had been nursing a thigh injury throughout the week and did not catch the only pass thrown to him. He returned one kickoff for 24 yards and also returned four punts for 81 yards, a 20.3 yard average. He currently leads the NFL with an average of 21 yards per punt return.
TE Michael Gaines, Rec: 2 - 28 - 0 (3 targets) - All of Gaines' targets came in the second half, and he caught two of them. Unfortunately, the third target found Gaines open down the seam near the goal line but the ball bounced off his hands.
TE Ryan Neufeld - Neufeld often lines up as a fullback in the offense and then shifts out to one side of the line or the other.
TE Robert Royal (1 targets) - The third TE was injured on his only target but did not hang onto the ball. No immediate word on the severity of his injury.
PK Rian Lindell 1 - 1 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 3 points - When Buffalo scored their lone touchdown they had to go for two points. With the score tied and :50 seconds left in the game, however, Lindell hit a 34 yard field goal for the victory.
BUF Rush Defense - Jesse Chapman averaged 4.6 yards per carry, going for 124 yards. He constantly broke tackles and found daylight against a defense that did not seem too concerned with the Miami passing attack. This game was a step backward from recent improvements the unit had made. After giving up an average of 177 yards per game in their first three starts, the Bills had tightened up considerably. Over the past five, they have only allowed an average of 78 rushing yards per game and improved from 32nd in the league to 19th against the run. This game was a step backward.
BUF Pass Defense - Cleo Lemon completed 16 of 29 for 131 yards and no touchdowns. He threw quickly off three step drops and limited Buffalo's ability to pressure him. However, DE Chris Kelsay registered the only sack on Lemon in the Miami end zone for a safety in the third quarter. The Bills effort was aided by dropped passes by wide open receivers throughout the game. QB Cleo Lemon, Pass: 16 - 29 - 131 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 6 - 17 - 1 - If the Miami receivers had been able to hang onto a few more passes the Dolphins may have won their first game of the season. Still, Lemon was able to pick up first downs and keep the Buffalo offense on the bench through the first three quarters. While he failed to throw a touchdown pass he was able to scramble into the end zone from five yards out. Lemon has filled in well enough for the injured Trent Green. Entering this game, Lemon had completed 80 of 137 passes for 792 yards, with three touchdown passes against four interceptions and a 58.4 completion percentage. Green was 85 of 141 for 987 yards, with five touchdowns against seven interceptions and a 60.3 completion percentage.RB Jesse Chatman, Rush: 27 - 124 - 0, Rec: 5 - 25 - 0 (8 targets) - Chatman ran for a career high 124 yards and caught five passes for another 25 yards. He proved to be a quick runner who also ran hard and proved tough to bring down. If this game is any indication then fantasy owners who lost Ronnie Brown can plug Chatman into their lineup. HC Cam Cameron coached Chatman at San Diego and obviously trusts him in this offense.
RB Patrick Cobbs, Rush: 3 - 2 - 0 - In limited duty, Cobbs carried three times for two yards.
RB Reagan Mauia, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - The 270 pound rookie FB from Hawaii carried once for zero yards.
WR Marty Booker, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (11 targets) - Since Miami traded Chris Chambers, Booker has become WR1, but he only managed to catch two of his11 targets. He dropped two passes that were right in his hands and had another potential first down late in the game knocked away along the sidelines. He managed to find the openings in the Buffalo secondary but he couldn't make enough plays. Of Lemon's 13 incomplete passes, nine were thrown to Booker.
WR Derek Hagan, Rec: 2 - 29 - 0 (2 targets) - Hagan caught both targets for 29 yards.
WR Ted Ginn, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (3 targets) - Ginn caught one pass for 12 yards and ran a reverse for no gain. In the fourth quarter, after Buffalo tied the game, Ginn returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards for an apparent touchdown but the play was called back on a holding penalty.
TE David Martin, Rec: 4 - 34 - 0 (5 targets) - Martin caught four of his five targets and proved to be reliable in his limited role.
TE Justin Peelle, Rec: 2 - 15 - 0 (4 targets) - Peelle caught two passes for 15 yards but also had two costly drops.
PK Jay Feely 1 - 1 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - Feely was perfect on his extra point and also hit a field goal from 38 yards.
MIA Rush Defense - The Dolphins did a respectable job bottling up Marshawn Lynch who only averaged 3.2 yards per carry. As a team, Buffalo averaged 2.5 yards trying to run the ball.
Zach Taylor remained out of the lineup with migraine headache issues. DT Vonnie Holiday started for the first time since he fractured his ankle in week four, but Jason Taylor left in the third quarter with a sprained ankle.
MIA Pass Defense - Losman's QB rating was 55.9 and Miami intercepted him once and sacked him twice. They also got a few hard hits on him just as he released the ball.Cleveland Browns 28, Pittsburgh Steelers 31
What you need to know
Cleveland Browns - The Browns jumped out to a 21-6 lead, but could not generate enough offense in the second half in order to knock off their division rival. Derek Anderson threw for three quick touchdowns, but only finished up 16 of 35 with 123 yards on the afternoon.Kellen Winslow led the team in yards and accounted for the Browns' opening touchdown, catching five balls for 46 yards. The Steelers did their best to stop Braylon Edwards, and did so with the exception of an exceptional 16 yard touchdown reception by Edwards in the first half. Joe Jurevicius made most of his plays on third down, catching five balls for 44 yards. Jamal Lewis was again more active out of the backfield, catching three balls for eight yards, while backup Jason Wright added a seven yard catch. The Browns' second touchdown came on a two yard reception by Lawrence Vickers.
Despite jumping out to the lead early, the Browns did not change their game plan and try to run against the Steelers defense for good reason. Jamal Lewis was only able to gain 35 yards on sixteen carries with a lost fumble. Derek Anderson was credited with five yards on two official attempts.
Pittsburgh Steelers - After being shutdown in Browns territory in the first half, the Steelers were able to convert on third downs in the second half when they most needed to. Ben Roethlisberger delivered, finishing 23 of 34 for 278 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Roethlisberger's top target was Hines Ward, who caught seven passes for 80 yards and a touchdown. Heath Miller came on late with the game winning touchdown and ended up with five receptions for 71 yards. Santonio Holmes and Nate Washington each caught four balls a piece for 53 and 56 yards respectively. Out of the backfield, Willie Parker added eight yards on two receptions while Najeh Davenport caught a ten yard pass.The Steelers had more success on the ground, with Willie Parker gaining 105 yards on 25 carries. Najeh Davenport spelled Parker near the goal line and on third downs, but gained only seven yards on four attempts. Ben Roethlisberger made a couple of athletic plays in the fourth quarter, and gained 49 yards on five carries including a thirty yard touchdown run. Santonio Holmes lost two yards on one official attempt.
What you ought to know
QB Derek Anderson, Pass: 16 - 35 - 123 - 3 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 5 - 0 - Anderson completed just 46% of his passes for an average gain of 3.5 yards per attempt and finished with a passer rating of just a 54.8 despite three touchdowns and no interceptions. Anderson was very successful in converting third downs in the first half (the team punted just once), however struggled to get the offense going in the second half. The Steelers were applying heavy coverage to Braylon Edwards and tried to force Anderson to throw short passes over the middle throughout most of the game.RB Jamal Lewis, Rush: 16 - 35 - 0, Rec: 3 - 8 - 0 (4 targets) - For the second straight week, Lewis averaged just over two yards per carry and couldn't get anything going for the Browns. Lewis showed good power early on rolling over Steelers defenders on the opening drive, but got stopped at or behind the goal line through most of the rest of the game.
WR Joe Jurevicius, Rec: 5 - 44 - 0 (8 targets) - Jurevicius made a number of key catches on third down early in the game, and helped to provide Derek Anderson with an alternate option to Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow.
WR Braylon Edwards, Rec: 1 - 16 - 1 (7 targets) - Edwards was heavily covered throughout most of the game, but made a fantastic tip toe touchdown catch on his only grab when his quarterback threw the ball where only he could catch it. Edwards turned at the last second and dragged both his feet in bounds for a touchdown following a successful challenge by coach Romeo Crenel.
TE Kellen Winslow Jr, Rec: 5 - 46 - 1 (13 targets) - After being very involved in the first series of the game with three catches and a touchdown, Winslow was held quiet until the final series of the game as the Browns tried to mount a comeback. Winslow made a very good blocking fake on a play action pass that resulted in him sliding into the open field for a touchdown without a defender.
PK Phil Dawson 0 - 1 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 4 points - Dawson connected successfully on four extra attempts, and was brought on to try to tie up the game from 52 yards out into a slight wind, but despite hitting it dead down the center, came up just short. A successful attempt would have set a Heinz field record.
CLE Rush Defense - The Browns gave up over 100 yards to Willie Parker, though felt heartbreak when Roethlisberger scrambled for a thirty yard touchdown and came up with a key third down conversion on the next drive during the fourth quarter.
CLE Pass Defense - The Browns came up with an interception to set up a touchdown and came up with four sacks, but couldn't slow down Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers in the second half. QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pass: 23 - 34 - 278 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 5 - 49 - 1 - Roethlisberger completed 68% of his passes for an average gain of 8.2 yards per attempt en route to a passer rating of 80.3. Roethlisberger looked to Hines Ward when he needed to find an open receiver, but came up with his biggest plays of the game with his feet, including a thirty yard touchdown run to set up a 24-21 lead, and converting on a key third down conversion to set up the go ahead touchdown to take a 31-28 lead for good.RB Willie Parker, Pass: 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 25 - 105 - 0, Rec: 2 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) - Parker was contained through parts of this game, but with twenty five carries, averaged over four yards per carry and passed the century mark. Parker's biggest play came when he was stopped at the line of scrimmage, spun out to gain 31 yards and forcing the Browns to adjust how they defended against both the run and pass, opening up the field for Ben Roethlisberger. Parker attempted a halfback pass in this game, but pulled up for the pass too quickly, and was unable to connect with a covered Heath Miller.
WR Hines Ward, Rec: 7 - 80 - 1 (11 targets) - Whenever Roethlisberger was in trouble, he almost always seemed to be looking for Ward, who led the team in targets and catches for over eleven yards per reception.
WR Santonio Holmes, Rush: 1 - -2 - 0, Rec: 4 - 53 - 0 (9 targets) - Holmes was targeted in the red zone on multiple occasions, though the Browns defensive backs came up with big plays to knock the ball away and keep Holmes from having a big day.
TE Heath Miller, Rec: 5 - 71 - 1 (7 targets) - Miller was quiet for most of the game, but came on in the fourth quarter with a couple of big catches, including the go ahead touchdown reception on a sharply thrown short pass where Miller made a nice hands catch and hung on despite a hard hit.
PK Jeff Reed 3 - 3 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 11 points - Reed connected from 28, 30 and 35 yards out to remain perfect on field goal attempts this season inside of 65 yards, and made two extra point attempts. The Steelers successfully converted a two point attempt following their second touchdown in a 22-21 game.
PIT Rush Defense - The Steelers shut down Jamal Lewis, and based upon the strong presence in the past, prevented the Browns from attempting to further establish a rushing game despite holding as much as a fifteen point lead.
PIT Pass Defense - The pass defense failed to come up with any sacks or interceptions, but kept the ball out of the hands of Braylon Edwards and limited Derek Anderson to just 123 yards passing.Indianapolis Colts 21, San Diego Chargers 23
What you need to know
Indianapolis Colts - Peyton Manning started the game off pressing the action, and was actually picked off four times in the first 16 minutes. He eventually got back on track though, and finished with 328 passing yards on 34 of 56 attempts with two touchdowns. Shorthanded by the loss of Marvin Harrison, Dallas Clark, Anthony Gonzalez, and his two starting offensive tackles Tony Ugoh and Ryan Diem, Manning lead the Colts back from a 23 point deficit in the fourth quarter to within two points. He had a chance to tie the game at 23, but the Colts elected to hand off to Joseph Addai for the two point conversion, rather than go through the air, and he was stuffed for a loss. Manning later led the team down the field to setup a 29 yard Adam Vinatieri chip shot with 1:31 remaining that would have put the Colts up by one, but it was surprisingly missed by the normally sure footed kicker to leave the game 23-21.Joseph Addai was the primary ball carrier in this one, taking the ball 22 times for 56 yards, while gaining another 16 yards on three receptions. The Chargers defense did not provide much room to run, as he had six carries of zero or negative yards. One positive though, was how even though the Colts trailed for the entire game, Addai remained a key part of the offense as ineffective as he was. Kenton Keith spelled Addai a handful of times throughout the game, and even caught a seven yard TD pass, but his four carries for 19 yards clearly shows that Addai is the primary ball carrier.
Though not having Marvin Harrison is negatively affecting Peyton Manning and the Colts, it's having a positive result on Reggie Wayne's numbers. Wayne pulled down ten receptions for 140 yards and a score, while being targeted 18 times. He also drew a long defensive pass interference penalty in the first quarter down the deep left sideline. Most impressive is how the Chargers knew Wayne was going to see the ball plenty with so many Colts offensive weapons on the shelf, but still had no answer for him even though they were double and triple teaming him throughout.
San Diego Chargers - Philip Rivers did not complete a pass until late in the 1st quarter, but somehow still found himself with a 16-0 lead at that point. He finished the game with 104 yards passing with no scores and two interceptions in what was a lackluster performance by the starting quarterback. Though the Chargers got up early and seemed content sitting on the lead with a healthy dose of LaDainian Tomlinson, Rivers did not attempt much even in the intermediate range. It was obvious that he and the Chargers were playing not to lose, rather than taking a team out while it was down.Continuing with the trend of unimpressive play, late in the fourth quarter in the rain, Rivers dropped back to pass in his own endzone and the ball slipped out of his hand as he went to release forward. After a poor attempt at knocking the ball out the back of the endzone, the Colts recovered the fumble and were a failed two point conversation attempt short of tying the game at that point. As noted, it was raining from the start of the game, and the ball appeared slippery. But even when the Colts needed Rivers to sustain a drive and take time off the clock, he was unable to mount any kind of offensive attack. Perhaps it was the Colts cover two that threw him off, or the situation he was put in with a huge lead, but either way Rivers put up a weak effort in a nationally televised game.
Darren Sproles was really the story of this one, at least in the first half. Though he never once lined up in the offensive backfield, he made more of a game impact than both LaDainian Tomlinson and super backup Michael Turner combined. On the first play of the game, Sproles took an Adam Vinatieri kickoff up the middle for an 89 yard touchdown. Two drives later, Sproles took a short Hunter Smith punt down the right sideline for a 45 yard touchdown. He was virtually untouched on both returns, and really took the pressure off of the Chargers offense to really do much of anything.
LaDainian Tomlinson carried the ball 21 times for 76 yards and a five yard score, while also catching four passes for 21 yards on five targets. With the Chargers nursing a large lead in the first half, the gameplan was to put the ball in Tomlinson's hands and hope for the best. Disappointingly he never managed to break many larger gains outside of one for 16 yards in the first quarter. Michael Turner only received one touch in the game, and it was nullified by a penalty. While he did have a target on a short dump off, it was dropped. Had the Chargers been able to sustain many drives, Tomlinson's workload would have undoubtedly been heavier, but it was surprising that they didn't try going to Turner at some point since it wasn't really working well with Tomlinson in there. Unlike in years past, Tomlinson was going to be the horse until the end.
What you ought to know
QB Peyton Manning, Pass: 34 - 56 - 328 - 2 TD / 6 INT - Peyton Manning completed 34 of 56 passes for 328 yards two touchdowns and a surprising six interceptions. Without two of his three favorite targets in Marvin Harrison and Dallas Clark, Manning appeared to start the game out tense forcing balls into tight coverage, and putting a little too much on his own shoulders rather than letting things come to him. The Chargers capitalized, picking him off four times in the first half of the game. Eventually Manning got into more of a groove, finding some chemistry with backup tight end Bryan Fletcher, as well as the always reliable Reggie Wayne. With the Chargers up as much as 23-0 in the first half, the Colts running game became less of an option, though it was fairly ineffective even when they did go to it. To top it off, the Colts starting offensive tackles Tony Ugoh and Ryan Diem were both unavailable due to injury, forcing backups into the game in a make-shift line. Despite pretty strong play from those backups, the odds were against him leading a comeback. The Colts had a chance to take the lead with 1:31 remaining in the fourth quarter, but Adam Vinatieri missed a 29 yard field goal wide right, essentially allowing the Chargers to run out the clock. There was a last ditch effort with mere seconds on the clock, but Manning ended the game with his sixth and final interception on a desperation pass.RB Joseph Addai, Rush: 22 - 56 - 0, Rec: 3 - 16 - 0 (3 targets) - Addai carried the ball 22 times for 56 yards, while catching all three of his targets for 16 yards. The Chargers went up big early in this game, and the field conditions were wet, which doesn't make for a big game recipe out of a shifty ball carrier like Addai. He had two separate carries of ten yards in the game, but otherwise only had room for a few yards at a time. Encouraging was that the Colts played from behind throughout, though Addai remained involved in the game with 25 total touches. Kenton Keith spelled Addai on a few occasions, as well as at the goalline on a third down, but at no point did it appear there was a timeshare occurring.
RB Kenton Keith, Rush: 4 - 19 - 0, Rec: 1 - 7 - 1 (1 targets) - Kenton Keith carried the ball four times for 19 yards, spelling Addai occasionally throughout the game. On Keith's lone target of the day, he took a short pass from Manning and took it in for a seven yard touchdown to make it 23-14. He remains import as Addai's backup, but does not appear to be on the cusp of a timeshare with the second year starter.
WR Reggie Wayne, Rec: 10 - 140 - 1 (18 targets) - Playing without teammate Marvin Harrison for the fourth straight game, Reggie Wayne was able to produce, catching ten passes for 140 yards and a touchdown on 18 targets. Even though the Chargers knew Manning was going to be looking his way often, Wayne found numerous creases over the middle for nice gains, three of which went for 20 yards or greater. In the first quarter Wayne also drew a long defensive pass interference penalty on a deep pass down the left sideline.
WR Craphonso Thorpe, Rec: 5 - 41 - 0 (10 targets) - Craphonso Thorpe entered the game in three receiver sets, but worked his way into more playing time as the game went on. Though he only accounted for 41 yards on five catches, he was targeted ten times in this game apparently earning some of Manning's trust with a few tough catches in traffic. If Marvin Harrison and Anthony Gonzalez continue to miss time, he could become a larger part of the receiver rotation. He also returned punts and kickoffs in the game.
WR Aaron Moorehead, Rec: 4 - 39 - 0 (10 targets) - Aaron Moorehead started this game for an injured Marvin Harrison, and caught four passes for 39 yards on ten Peyton Manning targets. His biggest play of the game came on a 4th and two where Manning found him to the right side, and he had to go up for a jumping catch and a first down on a 12 yard gain. He had a fairly disappointing effort otherwise, especially considering he's been in the Colts system for five years, and was probably outplayed by the practice squad player Craphonso Thorpe. Late in the fourth quarter with the Colts driving, Manning found him streaking down the right sideline near the end zone, but Moorehead allowed the ball to slip through his fingers in what would have been a game changing play.
TE Bryan Fletcher, Rec: 8 - 55 - 0 (12 targets) - Bryan Fletcher was inserted in the lineup for an injured Dallas Clark in two tight end formations and had a nice game catching eight passes for 55 yards on 12 targets. Nothing was deeper than five or ten yards down the field, but Fletcher showed a knack for working over the middle, accounting for five first downs himself. He was also the recipient of the Colts successful two point conversation in the fourth quarter. Generally he would not be much of a receiving threat, though with the numerous Colts weapons out for this game, he showed he could make the tough catch if called upon.
TE Ben Utecht, Rec: 3 - 30 - 0 (4 targets) - Ben Utecht had an opportunity to shine with Dallas Clark inactive for this game, but was actually outplayed by backup Bryan Fletcher. Utecht caught three passes for 30 yards on four targets, but Manning appeared to favor Fletcher, though Utecht known as more of a pass receiver was likely receiving more attention.
PK Adam Vinatieri 0 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 1 points - This was a nightmare game for Adam Vinatieri. After Peyton Manning drove the field late in the secondquarter, with no timeouts the kicking team raced out to attempt a fieldgoal with the time ticking down. They got the snap off with two seconds left, and from 42 yards the normally sure footed Vinatieri missed wide left pretty badly, leaving the score at 23-7 to end the half. Late in the fourth quarter with the Colts deep in the Chargers end, the Colts got well within range to finally take the lead with 1:31 remaining. Vinatieri lined up to attempt what was a near "gimme" from 29 yards out, but barely missed wide right, essentially ending the game. The Colts did get the ball back deep in their own end with 22 seconds remaining, but the game should have been won about a minute earlier.
IND Rush Defense - The Colts allowed 91 rushing yards on 24 carries to the Chargers, for an average of 3.8 yards per carry. Needless to say LaDainian Tomlinson is one of the most talented players in the league, and this was a strong effort by this unit in a game where the Chargers were simply trying to sit on their huge lead from the start. Tomlinson broke one carry for 16 yards, but otherwise was limited to a few yards on most of his carries.
IND Pass Defense - Though the Chargers had little intention of passing the ball too often with a 23 point lead in the first half, the Colts almost completely shut down the Chargers passing game, especially deep. When Philip Rivers did drop back to pass, he had very little time as Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis were generally disruptive throughout, although they only actually got to Rivers with a sack once. They did force two interceptions though, both of which by backup Clint Sessions, who was filling in for an injured Freddie Keiaho. Antonio Gates was a non factor, as the Colts did not allow any of the Chargers receivers to get open deep. QB Philip Rivers, Pass: 13 - 24 - 104 - 0 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - Rivers completed 13 of 24 passes for 104 yards with no touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. He struggled to stretch the field against the Colts cover two scheme not attempting one pass over 20 yards, and did not look confident in the pocket with pressure in his face. At one point the Chargers had a 23-0 lead mid way through the second quarter, but the Colts were able to stack the box and keep the Chargers from moving the ball, since the air attack was no threat, eventually allowing them back into the game. Near the beginning of the fourth quarter with the Colts having just scored to close it to a 23-14 deficit, Rivers dropped back to pass deep in his own end, and as he went to throw the ball it slipped out of his hand as the pressure approached. It had been raining off and for most of the game. Laying on the ground Rivers made a last effort to punch the ball out of the back of the endzone, but Colts linebacker Gary Brackett was able to pounce on the fumble for a touchdown, closing the gap to 23-21. Handed such a large lead early, it was concerning that Rivers couldn't get anything going in this game.RB LaDainian Tomlinson, Rush: 21 - 76 - 1, Rec: 4 - 21 - 0 (5 targets) - Tomlinson carried the ball 21 times for 76 yards, with a five yard touchdown in the second quarter. He caught four of his five targets for 21 yards. With the Chargers jumping out to such a large lead early, Tomlinson was leaned on often, though did not find a lot of room to run. Philip Rivers could not provide a threat through the air, so the Colts were able to stack the box and limit Tomlinson's effectiveness. Had the Chargers been able to move the ball with any regularity, he likely would have seen even more touches in this game.
RB Darren Sproles - Though Darren Sproles did not play an offensive down, he certainly made his mark on this game. Sproles took the opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown. Later in the 1st quarter on a short Hunter Smith punt from deep in the Colts zone, Sproles returned the ball 45 yards for another touchdown, putting the Chargers up 17-0 with six minutes still remaining. He went virtually untouched on both long runs.
RB Michael Turner (1 targets) - Michael Turner did not receive a carry until the third quarter, where he got stacked up through the middle for a zero yard gain. Though that play was nullified by an offensive holding penalty, and he did not receive another touch in the game. Turner received one Philip Rivers target on a short dump off that hit him right in the hands, but he dropped the ball. It certainly wasn't one of Turner's strongest efforts as he rarely made it into this game even though the Chargers game plan was to run the ball with regularity while sitting on a big lead.
WR Chris Chambers, Rec: 2 - 17 - 0 (3 targets) - Chris Chambers caught two passes for 17 yards, on three targets. Though a dynamic deep threat, Philip Rivers did not look deep, rendering Chambers impact on the game as minimal. He started from the onset and was reported as developing a chemistry with Rivers and his other teammates, however that never came across throughout the game.
WR Vincent Jackson, Rec: 2 - 28 - 0 (3 targets) - Vincent Jackson caught two passes for 28 yards, one of which went for 19 yards over the middle and was the Chargers longest offensive play of the game. He had three targets on the evening, but none of the Chargers receivers were a big part of the gameplan once they jumped out to such a large lead. He was targeted on Rivers' first interception of the game.
WR Legedu Naanee, Rec: 2 - 12 - 0 (3 targets) - Naanee, starting the game in a three receiver set, caught two passes for 12 yards on three targets. He did not see the field often with Vincent Jackson and Chris Chambers both locked into the lineup in most formations, but did earn first downs on both of his receptions.
TE Antonio Gates, Rec: 3 - 26 - 0 (6 targets) - As usual Antonio Gates was the primary receiving option for Philip Rivers, though was only targeted six times in this game. He finished with three receptions for 26 yards, all three going for first downs. Rivers looked to Gates at crucial points of the game, but never any deeper than short or intermediate passes, mostly over the middle. With the Colts gaining some momentum in the fourth quarter, Gates was targeted on a short pass over the middle which he dropped, but the ball was tipped up in the air and intercepted by Clint Session.
PK Nate Kaeding 1 - 1 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points - Kaeding was one for one in field goal attempts, hitting from 33 yards out. He hit on both of his point after attempts, though did not have a chance for a third when punter and holder Mike Scifres dropped the ball when going to spot it.
SD Rush Defense - The Chargers allowed 75 total rushing yards on 26 attempts for an average of 2.9 yards per carry to the Colts. Joseph Addai had two carries of ten yards a piece, but otherwise was bottled up consistently on the day. With the Chargers jumping out to a large lead, the Colts running game was less of a factor with Manning going to the air often. It rained off and on for the entire game, and though it did not appear to be overly sloppy, numerous players were losing footing, undoubtedly affecting the success of a shifty running back like Joseph Addai.
SD Pass Defense - The bad: Peyton Manning completed 34 of 56 passes for 328 yards and two touchdowns, and that with limited offensive options at his disposal. The good: the Chargers pass rush was causing good pressure for the entire game, sacking Manning twice with numerous pressures, while picking him off an amazing six times. Antonio Cromartie had an outstanding first half of football picking Peyton Manning off three times himself, one of which came on an unbelievable one handed grab. It certainly wasn't a dominant effort by this unit, but undoubtedly opportunistic.Detroit Lions 21, Arizona Cardinals 31
What you need to know
Detroit Lions - The Detroit Lions road woes continue as the team turned the ball over five times en route to their third loss of the season. The Lions virtually had no running game finishing the contest with just eight rushing plays for a net of negative 18 yards, an NFL record. The team committed ten penalties for 70 yards. At one point in the second half the team turned the ball over on four successive drives. (two fumbles, an interception and a failed fourth down conversion) Despite all their blunders, the Lions had chances to win the game, but critical mistakes doomed their chances.Jon Kitna's stats were aided by the Lions playing catch up for most of this game. He finished with 294 yards completing 32 of 45 passes with two touchdowns, two interceptions and three fumbles losing two of them. He completed passes to eight different receivers. Most of his passes were thrown under duress. He was sacked four times. Kitna did have a 47 yard touchdown pass to Roy Williams nullified by an illegal formation penalty in the fourth quarter. Eight plays later, he hit Williams again for his second touchdown of the game.
Kevin Jones ended the game with four carries for negative four yards, but did score on a four yard touchdown early in the first quarter to give the Lions a 7-0 lead. The Lions ground game set an NFL record for rushing futility with minus 18 yards on eight carries. Enough said.
Roy Williams caught both Kitna touchdowns on short passes that were mainly jump balls going up high to grab the football from the defender. He finished the game with six receptions for 45 yards. His touchdowns were both seven yards. Shaun McDonald finished the games as the Lions' leading receiver with 73 yards on six catches. He was targeted over the middle on crossing routes under the Arizona line backing unit. Johnson was targeted on deep out routes and caught three balls for 37 yards. Johnson also had a near miss touchdown early in the first quarter, but had the ball roll just off his fingertips for an incompletion. Like McDonald, Furrey was targeted on short crossing routes.
Arizona Cardinals - The Cardinals did not dominate the game, having four turnovers themselves, but did enough to keep the Lions' in a one-dimensional offensive scheme playing catch up. Despite starting slow giving the Lions an early 7-0, the team scored on its two final drives of the first half to take a 17-7 lead at halftime. They kept the ball for 21 of the game's first 30 minutes. They were aided with good field position on most of their drives as wide receiver Steve Breaston had a great game returning kicks and punts having a long kick return of 52 yards and a punt return of 47 yards. All four Cardinals touchdowns were scored on passing plays (three by Warner, one by Tim Rattay.)Kurt Warner rebounded with a nice game going 26 for 36 for 259 yards and three touchdowns. He was intercepted once and fumbled once. He hit eight different receivers including touchdowns twice to Larry Fitzgerald and once to tight end Leonard Pope. Although sacked twice, he did enough to move lead Cardinal offense to its second highest point total of the year. He did give way to Tim Ratty at the goal line in the second quarter as he was having trouble with an injury to his left thumb. Warner returned and played well after that throwing TDs in the third and fourth quarter.
Larry Fitzgerald again was the games most targeted Cardinals receiver finishing the contest with two touchdowns on eight catches for 74 yards. He ran crisp routes and was tough to cover. Anquan Boldin caught only three balls for 25 yards, many of them short crossing routes. It is becoming clear that Fitzgerald is the preferred target of Warner.
Edgerrin James rushed for 60 yards on 18 carries and had a long run of only eight yards. He was kept in check by a good Detroit front line.
Leonard Pope had the best game of a Cardinals tight end in years, scoring twice catching a pass from Warner and another from back up quarterback Tim Rattay.
What you ought to know
QB Jon Kitna, Pass: 32 - 45 - 294 - 2 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - Kitna's stats were aided by the team playing catch up for most of the game. He was harassed often by the Cardinal pass rush, with many of his passes thrown short over the middle. His two touchdown tosses were to Roy Williams and were seven yards each, He tossed them into the end zone and allowed Williams to jump high to retrieve them over the defender. Kitna was intercepted twice and fumbled three times losing two of them.RB Kevin Jones, Rush: 4 - -4 - 1, Rec: 8 - 36 - 0 (9 targets) - Jones had a horrible rushing game due to playing catch up. He rushed only four times, but did score in the first quarter on a four yard run. He caught eight balls for 36 yards, when Kitna used him as a safety valve.
RB Aveion Cason, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) - Cason rushed once and caught the only ball thrown his way.
RB T.J. Duckett, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - Duckett's only carry was on fourth down when he failed to convert a fourth and one turning the ball over to Arizona.
WR Shaun McDonald, Rush: 1 - -15 - 0, Rec: 6 - 73 - 0 (7 targets) - Shaun McDonald was targeted often on crossing routes and was the Lions' leading yardage receiver with 73 yards on six catches. He rushed on a reverse once and was stopped for a 15 yard loss, and fumbled when he was tackled resulting in a Lions' turnover.
WR Roy Williams, Rec: 6 - 45 - 2 (13 targets) - Williams was the Lions' most targeted receiver with 13 balls thrown his way. He finished the contest with six catches for 45 yards and two touchdowns, both seven yards. His touchdowns were the jump ball variety where Kitna threw the ball high allowing Williams to out leap the defender and make great catches. Williams did have a 47 yard touchdown nullified in the fourth quarter by an illegal formation penalty, but scored on the drive eight plays later.
WR Mike Furrey, Rec: 5 - 64 - 0 (7 targets) - Furrey was targeted over the middle in front of the Cardinals linebacker core. His longest catch was 19 yards.
WR Calvin Johnson, Rec: 3 - 37 - 0 (5 targets) - Johnson finished the game with three receptions for 37 yards mainly on deep out routes. In the first quarter, he did have a potential touchdown taken away by a good defensive play by the Cardinals secondary. Two plays later, running back Kevin Jones scored on a four yard run.
TE Casey Fitzsimmons, Rec: 2 - 27 - 0 (2 targets) - Fitzsimmons was targeted twice over the middle and caught both balls with the longest being 22 yards.
PK Jason Hanson 0 - 0 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 3 points - Hanson had no field goals in this game and converted on all three of his extra points.
DET Rush Defense - The Lions rush defense did not yield a rushing touchdown in this game and held running back Edgerrin James to only 60 yards on 18 carries. The longest run of the day by a Cardinals runner was eight yards. They allowed only three first downs via the run, and forced three fumbles.
DET Pass Defense - The Lions' pass defense allowed four passing touchdowns, (three by Warner and one by Rattay) but did not give up a long play. The longest touchdown pass was 20 yards. They intercepted Warner once, but yielded 259 yards passing and 15 first downs via the pass. Warner was sacked only once. QB Kurt Warner, Pass: 26 - 36 - 259 - 3 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 4 - -2 - 0 - Warner had a good game and finished the contest with 259 yards on 26 for 36 and three touchdowns (two to Fitzgerald and one to Leonard Pope). Warner was sacked once, but fumbled once. His passes were mainly targeted short and he did not stretch the field. His longest pass play was 20 yards and he completed passes to eight different receivers. His touchdown passes were the result of having sufficient time in the pocket to find the receiver. On a potentially worrisome note, Warner was replaced that goal line by Tim Rattay in the second quarter as he was having trouble with an injury to his left thumb. Warner returned and played well after that throwing TDs in the third and fourth quarter.QB Tim Rattay, Pass: 1 - 1 - 2 - 1 TD / 0 INT - Rattay came in when Warner was injured for a play. He tossed a two yard touchdown to tight end Leonard Pope.
RB Edgerrin James, Rush: 18 - 60 - 0, Rec: 3 - 18 - 0 (3 targets) - James ran hard but found the Detroit front seven difficult to penetrate, His longest run was seven yards. He caught all three passes thrown to him out of the backfield and had his usually workmanlike game.
RB J.J. Arrington, Rush: 3 - 15 - 0, Rec: 2 - 32 - 0 (3 targets) - Arrington rushed for 15 yards on three runs, but was more productive as a receiver hauling in two balls for 32 yards. Late in the second quarter, he had a 37 yard reception nullified by an illegal blocking penalty.
RB Marcel Shipp, Rush: 3 - 0 - 0, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) - Shipp rushed three times, but had no yardage. His only pass reception went for eight yards.
RB Terrelle Smith, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (2 targets) - Smith was targeted twice with one reception for 12 yards.
WR Larry Fitzgerald, Rec: 8 - 74 - 2 (10 targets) - Fitzgerald was targeted ten times by Warner, many of them middle out routes. He caught a one yard touchdown from Warner on an out route, and then found a seam in the secondary for a 20 yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
WR Bryant Johnson, Rec: 4 - 40 - 0 (4 targets) - Johnson caught all four balls thrown his way for 40 yards. It was one of the more productive games for Johnson
WR Anquan Boldin, Rec: 3 - 25 - 0 (9 targets) - Boldin caught three balls for 25 yards over the middle. He was targeted nine times, but was well covered by the Lion defenders.
TE Leonard Pope, Rec: 5 - 52 - 2 (5 targets) - Pope had his best game of the year, and the best game by a Cardinals tight end in years. He caught a touchdown pass from Warner (16 yards) and a two yard touchdown pass from Tim Rattay.
PK Neil Rackers 1 - 1 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 7 points - Rackers converted on his only field goal attempt of 23 yards and made all four of his extra points.
ARI Rush Defense - The Cardinals rush defense allowed one rushing touchdown early in the first quarter, but then held the Lions' rushing game to negative 18 yards on only eight carries. It was the lowest total by an NFL team since 1946. The forced four fumbles recovering three of them. They allowed only one first down via the run.
ARI Pass Defense - The pass defense allowed two touchdown catches to Roy Williams, and yielded much of the yardage Kitna generated late in the second half. They sacked Kitna four times and caused two interceptions. Kitna had little time to throw on a consistent pass rush by the defense.Chicago Bears 17, Oakland Raiders 6
What you need to know
Chicago Bears - Brian Griese started the game for the Bears, and did not play particularly well, leading his club to just one field goal scoring drive before leaving the game with a shoulder injury. Griese was replaced by Rex Grossman, who played well in relief, throwing a big touchdown on a 59 yard scoring pass to WR Bernard Berrian.RB Cedric Benson carried the load for the Bears, rushing the ball 29 times for 76 yards and put the Raiders away with a three yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter.
Bernard Berrian led the way receiving for Chicago, catching four passes for 89 yards, including the 59 yard touchdown reception.
Chicago's defense played better than they had in recent weeks, holding the Raiders to 193 net yards for the game, forcing them to only three of 15 on third downs, sacking QB Josh McCown four times and recovering two fumbles. The biggest defensive play of the game came in the fourth quarter, when DL Adewale Ogunleye sacked McCown, forcing a fumble that Chicago recovered and turned into the Benson touchdown run, essentially ending the game.
Oakland Raiders - The Raiders and QB Josh McCown just could not get going against the Bears, and were stalled in every aspect of their offense. McCown threw for just 108 yards, failing to score a touchdown and mustering just two field goal scoring drives for the game. Oakland had a chance, down 10-6 in the fourth quarter, when McCown was sacked, losing a fumble that the Bears recovered and turned into a touchdown. That sequence put the game out of reach for the Raiders.RB Justin Fargas carried the ball 23 times for 81 yards, shouldering the load on the ground. Fargas also caught five balls for 23 yards.
Oakland's receivers could not get open downfield, averaging just 7.7 yards per reception for the game. Rookie TE Zach Miller led the Raiders with four receptions for 43 yards.
The Raiders defense played well throughout the game, but was not helped at all by their offense, and gave up just one big play too many to overcome. Aside from the 59 yard touchdown pass, they totaled three sacks, held the Bears running game in check, and did enough to keep the club in the game. In the end, the big touchdown play, along with the score given up on a short field following the McCown fumble, they could not do enough to hold on for the win.
What you ought to know
QB Brian Griese, Pass: 10 - 14 - 97 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - Griese left the game in the second quarter with a shoulder injury, and did not return to the ballgame. Prior to the injury, Griese was 10 of 14 for 97 yards, zero touchdowns and no interceptions and one fumble. He just could not get much going against the Raiders, engineering just one scoring drive before the injury that resulted in a field goal. Griese and the Bears offense looked sluggish, and seemed to get a little spark after the injury when former starter Rex Grossman entered the game. The extent of his injury was not known following the game.QB Rex Grossman, Pass: 7 - 14 - 142 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - Grossman entered the game in the second quarter in relief of the injured Brian Griese, and was a big reason why Chicago was able to come away with a win. Grossman and the Bears came right back at the Raiders, who had just kicked a field goal to go up 6-3, connecting with WR Bernard Berrian on a 59 yard touchdown pass to give Chicago the lead. Grossman made a nice throw on the play and in his time on the field, looked pretty comfortable in the pocket. With the injury to Griese and Grossman's play against the Raiders, he could have won his job back. Monitor this situation throughout the week.
RB Cedric Benson, Rush: 29 - 76 - 1, Rec: 2 - 21 - 0 (2 targets) - Cedric Benson struggled finding room in the Oakland defense, running the ball 29 times for just 76 yards (a 2.6 ypc average) for the game. He just doesn't seem to make the quick, decisive cuts required to have success running the ball in the NFL. His mediocre running aside, Benson did add the game-clinching touchdown, scoring on a three yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach. Benson did contribute in the passing game, catching two passes for 21 yards on two targets.
RB Adrian Peterson, Rush: 2 - 6 - 0, Rec: 3 - 14 - 0 (5 targets) - Peterson stepped in for Benson, mostly on third downs, rushing the ball twice for six yards on the ground and adding three receptions for 14 yards on five targets in the passing game.
WR Bernard Berrian, Rec: 4 - 89 - 1 (8 targets) - Berrian was the most targeted Chicago receiver, getting eight targets for the game. He was able to bring down four receptions for 89 yards, including a 59 yard touchdown reception that really turned the game for the Bears.
WR Muhsin Muhammad, Rec: 4 - 87 - 0 (6 targets) - Muhammad was targeted six times, catching four passes for 87 yards, four of which resulted in Chicago first downs.
WR Devin Hester, Rec: 1 - -2 - 0 (2 targets) - Hester was targeted twice in the passing game, catching one pass for a two yard loss. He also was not a big factor in the return game, averaging just over two yards per punt return and 17 yards per kickoff return.
TE Desmond Clark, Rec: 2 - 24 - 0 (3 targets) - Desmond Clark was targeted three times, catching two passes for 24 yards, both for first downs.
TE Greg Olsen (1 targets) - Olsen was targeted just one time in the game, failing to catch a pass.
PK Robbie Gould 1 - 2 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points - Gould connected from 32 yards out and kicked two extra points, but came up short on a 53 yarder, finishing with five points in the game.
CHI Rush Defense - The Bears rush defense was improved against the Raiders, as they gave up 113 yards on the ground at 3.9 yards per carry, and kept Oakland out of the end zone. They held RB Justin Fargas in check, giving up a long run of just 15 yards to the speedy back.
LB Hunter Hillenmeyer led the defense with seven solo tackles and one assist and fellow LB Brian Urlacher totaled six solo tackles and two assists to lead the Bears.
CHI Pass Defense - Chicago was able to keep the Oakland passing game in check, with constant pressure on QB Josh McCown and good coverage downfield by their secondary. They held Oakland to 80 net yards passing, three of 15 on third downs, and were able to keep the Raiders out of the end zone.DE Adewale Ogunleye led the Bears defense with three sacks and DB Danieal Manning added an interception to lead the Bears pass defense.
QB Josh McCown, Pass: 14 - 27 - 108 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 4 - 28 - 0 - Josh McCown had a rough outing against the Bears, and as a result, so did the whole Oakland offense. He threw for just 108 yards on 14 of 27 passing, failed to lead any scoring drives, threw an interception and lost a fumble on the final drive, killing any chance of a comeback. McCown was sacked four times and converted just three of 15 third downs. To his credit, he wasn't helped by his offensive line and he isn't surrounded by the greatest weapons offensively. McCown did add 28 yards rushing on four attempts in the running game.RB Justin Fargas, Rush: 23 - 81 - 0, Rec: 5 - 23 - 0 (6 targets) - Fargas ran the ball 23 times, gaining 81 yards on the ground against an improved Chicago Bears rush defense. Fargas showed his quickness and burst on a few runs, but was contained by the Bears for the majority of the game. He averaged 3.5 yards per carry and did lose a fumble, but still received the bulk of the work for the Oakland rushing attack. Fargas also contributed in the passing game, catching five passes, on six targets, for 23 yards.
RB Dominic Rhodes, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0 - Rhodes had just one rush for two yards in the ball game.
WR Ronald Curry, Rec: 3 - 20 - 0 (6 targets) - Curry caught three passes for 20 yards on six targets.
WR Jerry Porter, Rec: 2 - 22 - 0 (5 targets) - Porter was targeted five times, catching two passes for 22 yards. He'd been questionable before the game but was able to contribute in the offense.
TE Zach Miller, Rec: 4 - 43 - 0 (6 targets) - Miller was targeted six times, catching four passes for 43 yards to lead the Raiders.
PK Sebastian Janikowski 2 - 2 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 6 points - Janikowski kicked successful field goals from 37 and 52 yards out, and was responsible for all of Oakland's scoring, finishing with six points.
OAK Rush Defense - The Raiders were able to keep the Bears rushing attack in check, allowing just 78 yards on 34 attempts for the game. They did a nice job containing Chicago RB Cedric Benson, giving him no room in open space for any big gains on the ground. They did allow a rushing touchdown late in the game, as the Bears took advantage of a short field following an Oakland fumble.
LB Robert Thomas led the way defensively for the Raiders, with eight solo tackles and one assist and LB Kirk Morrison chipped in with seven solo tackles and two assists.
OAK Pass Defense - Oakland's secondary played well throughout the game, giving the Chicago receivers no room downfield in open space. However, Chicago kept taking shots downfield, and finally made a connection when QB Rex Grossman hit WR Bernard Berrian on a scoring strike from 59 yards out. That play aside, the Raider pass defense played well enough to stay in the game, totaling three sacks and holding Chicago to five of 16 on third downs.LB Kirk Morrison and DE Derrick Burgess each contributed a sack for the Oakland Raider defense.
Dallas Cowboys 31, New York Giants 20
What you need to know
Dallas Cowboys - The Dallas Cowboys came into the Meadowlands in first place and wanting to take control of the NFC East. They did just that behind four touchdown passes from Tony Romo as he piled up 247 yards en route to a 31-20 victory. Marion Barber and Julius Jones contributed to the rushing attack as they combined for 82 yards.The air attack displayed by the Cowboys was a dominating factor, which in turn lead to 31 total points and a game high 125 receiving yards from Terrell Owens. Romo who was fresh off a Monday Night clinic completed 71 percent of his passes, four of which went for touchdowns. As Owens added 125 yards of his own, Patrick Crayton was quick to add his own contribution as he racked up 66 yards on five catches, including a Dallas touchdown.
The Dallas defense showed its bend but don't break style as they gave up 21 points in a big road victory. They sacked Giants' quarterback Eli Manning five times and added two interceptions as they cruised to an 11 point victory.
New York Giants - The New York Giants hoped to return to some home cooking as they took the field off a three point win in London. Quarterback Eli Manning tossed one touchdown pass. However, he was the victim of two crucial interceptions. Both interceptions played big roles in the contest as they accumulated for three Dallas points and the eventual last play of the game.Brandon Jacobs carried most of the offensive load as he compiled 105 total yards, while 95 came from the ground game. He was an integral part moving the chains and sustaining New York drives as the rushing attack set up two scoring opportunities. Reuben Droughns bolted in for a one yard touchdown as tight end Jeremy Shockey added his own eight yard score in the contest.
The Giants defense unit was outmatched as they allowed 31 total points, all which came from Tony Romo and the Cowboys passing attack. They allowed four total touchdowns through the air as Cowboys' wide receiver totaled 125 yards and two receiving touchdowns. The Giants' secondary showed many signs of weakness as they allowed the Cowboys to get the lead and stay ahead.
What you ought to know
QB Tony Romo, Pass: 20 - 28 - 247 - 4 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - Romo had another career game as he posted a total of 247 yards and four passing touchdowns. He completed 20 of 28 passes, throwing well from inside and outside of the pocket as he hit many open Cowboy receivers, most of which gained a good amount of yards after the catch.RB Marion Barber III, Rush: 12 - 34 - 0, Rec: 3 - -1 - 0 (3 targets) - Barber was ineffective as he totaled only 34 yards on the ground while adding one catch for a negative gain. He was contained by the Giant's front four and had no room to run all day long.
RB Julius Jones, Rush: 11 - 48 - 0 - Julius Jones and the Dallas rushing attack were slowed by a physical New York front, as they were only able to gain a total of 82, while not being able to put the ball over the goal line. Jones, the leading Dallas rusher, added a total of only 48 yards while adding no receptions and no targets.
WR Terrell Owens, Rec: 6 - 125 - 2 (13 targets) - Owens led the team in receptions and receiving yards, as he compiled six catches for 125 total yards and two scores. He was again a man amongst boys in the New York secondary as he tacked on his fourth touchdown in two games against the Giants this year.
WR Patrick Crayton, Rec: 5 - 66 - 1 (5 targets) - Crayton was a valuable target and was open when the secondary shifted towards Terrell Owens. He finished with 66 yards after hauling in all five of his targets, finding the end zone on a 20 yard score.
WR Sam Hurd, Rec: 2 - 21 - 0 (2 targets) - Hurd was a role player most of the day and wasn't a big contributor.
TE Jason Witten, Rec: 2 - 12 - 0 (3 targets) - Witten only saw three targets as he brought in two of them for a total of 12 yards.
TE Tony Curtis, Rec: 1 - 15 - 1 (1 targets) - Curtis made the most of his only target, as he brought it in for a 15 yard touchdown catch. It was the first score of the game for the Dallas Cowboys.
PK Nick Folk 1 - 1 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 7 points - Folk converted on all four of his extra point attempts as well as adding a 47 yard field goal.
DAL Rush Defense - The Dallas rush defense kept Brandon Jacobs out of the end zone, allowing him a total of 95 yards and no touchdowns. They consistently won the battle over the line of scrimmage and got a positive push into the New York backfield limiting the Giants to a pedestrian rushing total.
DAL Pass Defense - The Cowboys pass defense was productive yet again as they were able to sack Eli Manning five times while adding two interceptions. They were a dominant force in the trenches and contributed to many big plays en route to a Dallas victory. QB Eli Manning, Pass: 23 - 34 - 236 - 1 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0 - Manning put together another efficient game as he completed about 70 percent of his passes for 236 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. He kept his team in the game for about three quarters, only to stall his offense in the last 15 minutes of the game, as the Giants fell to the Cowboys by 11 points.RB Brandon Jacobs, Rush: 23 - 95 - 0, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (1 targets) - Jacobs ran hard and found some room to roam posting 105 total yards. Gaining 95 yards on the ground, Jacobs was able to move the chains, however was not able to find the end zone for the Giants.
WR Plaxico Burress, Rec: 4 - 24 - 0 (7 targets) - Burress hauled in four of his seven looks for 24 yards on the day. He was continuously double covered and was the target on one of Manning's interceptions.
WR Amani Toomer, Rec: 3 - 37 - 0 (7 targets) - Toomer shared team high seven targets and was able to bring in three of them for 37 yards. He was the Giants' main possession receiver and found the soft spot in the zone most of the game.
TE Jeremy Shockey, Rec: 12 - 129 - 1 (14 targets) - Shockey had a season high 14 targets and was able to pull in 12 of them for 129 yards and a score. He was the main target for quarterback Eli Manning and was open down the seam consistently. He now has two touchdowns in his last three games.
PK Lawrence Tynes 2 - 2 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 8 points - Tynes made his two extra point attempts while adding two field goals, his longest being from 40 yards.
NYG Rush Defense - The Giants front four played extremely well, as they allowed no rushing touchdowns, only giving up 82 yards rushing. They held the Dallas rush game in check for most of the game, only to be let down by their secondary.
NYG Pass Defense - The Giants pass defense showed many points of weakness as they allowed four touchdowns through the air, as well as 247 yards. They allowed a large amount of yards after the catch and were accountable for every offensive score of the game.Denver Broncos 27, Kansas City Chiefs 11
What you need to know
Denver Broncos - After an embarrassing loss at the hands of Detroit last week, the Denver Broncos found a way to gain an unusual road win against the Kansas City Chiefs. The prior nine contests between the Broncos and the Chiefs were won by the home team. A combination of a recharged defense and effective running by a rookie provided the Broncos faithful with hope for their season.With regular running back starter Travis Henry unable to play due to an injury, the Broncos made rookie Selvin Young the starting running back. He responded exceptionally with 20 carries for 109 yards rushing and three catches for 20 yards. He also looked great while scoring an impressive 20 yard rushing touchdown.
Denver's defense displayed the tenacity and skill that had been expected of them but had lately been lacking. They harassed the Chiefs' quarterbacks, while picking up four sacks, three interceptions, and forcing two fumbles. During the game's turning point early in the third quarter, Huard was intercepted, leading to the Selvin Young touchdown run. On the Chiefs' very next play from scrimmage, defensive lineman Elvis Dumervil sacked Chiefs' quarterback Damon Huard, forcing a fumble that was returned by Nate Webster for a touchdown. That play knocked Huard out of the game and moved the game out of the reach of Kansas City.
All three previous wins by Denver had been secured by late heroic kicks from Jason Elam. They managed this win without a game winning kick by Elam, but Elam still provided some excitement, His long kick was a 50 yarder that hit the cross bar before successfully bouncing up and over.
Kansas City Chiefs - The Kansas City Chiefs kept the game close with their normal strong defensive play through the first half. Mistakes on the Kansas City offensive side allowed Denver to win this game while pulling away from the Chiefs. At the end of the first half, both teams had managed to score only two field goals each and the difference in the game was a punt blocked by Kansas City's special teams that went through the end zone and gave the Chiefs a two point lead at the half.With Larry Johnson sidelined due to a foot injury, Kansas City promoted Priest Holmes to the starting rusher role. Holmes had some good runs and showed many good deceptive moves while running, but still only managed 65 yards on 20 carries. The Chiefs' offense was ineffective throughout but particularly during the first half.
Media and fans have been calling for the replacement of quarterback Damon Huard with second year player Brodie Croyle. With each series during this contest, the calls for a change were louder from the fans. On the Chiefs' first series in the third quarter, Huard was intercepted and the fans loudly called for Croyle to replace him. Denver quickly converted that turnover into a touchdown. On the next offensive play by the Chiefs, Huard was sacked and fumbled the ball. The ball was picked up and returned for a touchdown by the Broncos.
With Huard on the bench wearing an ice pack on the back of his neck, it was easier for Coach Herm Edwards to make the change. Brodie Croyle came in as the Kansas City quarterback. He was not able to bring the Chiefs back from their deficit but he appeared confident, his passes were crisper, and he offered a marked improvement in backfield mobility. The feeling was that the changing of the guard has finally come for good in Kansas City and that Croyle's reign as the Kansas City starting quarterback had begun.
The Chiefs now have a strong defense, a great tight end and wide receiver (Bowe had a great game with nine receptions for 105 yards), and their quarterback of the future, Brodie Croyle. With stabilization of the running game and improvement of their offensive line, they could have a lot to hope for in the future.
What you ought to know
QB Jay Cutler, Pass: 17 - 29 - 192 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - 21 - 0 - Cutler started at quarterback despite having struggled during the week with a leg injury. He provided adequate statistics passing for 192 yards while completing 17 out of 29 passes. He had one interception to go with his one touchdown pass. While not an exciting outing, he provided enough to lead the Broncos to a needed divisional win. He briefly left the contest after coming up limping following a minor encounter with the Chiefs' Jared Allen. He came back soon demonstrating no ill effects.QB Patrick Ramsey, Pass: 0 - 2 - 0 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0 - Ramsey saw very brief action replacing a limping Jay Cutler during the middle of one offensive series. Both his attempted passes were incomplete but his one rush attempt produced a first down.
RB Selvin Young, Rush: 20 - 109 - 1, Rec: 3 - 20 - 0 (4 targets) - Before the year began, undrafted rookie Selvin Young surprised everyone by winning the backup running back position over veteran Mike Bell. With injuries and a pending suspension hanging over starter Travis Henry, Young provided validation for his selection as next in line for the coveted Denver Broncos starting running back position. He totaled 129 yards on three catches and 20 rushes and scored the touchdown that put the Broncos ahead for good on a magnificent 20 yard run.
RB Andre Hall, Rush: 5 - 9 - 0 - In addition to returning kickoffs, Andre Hall was brought in late in the game to give relief to running back Selvin Young.
RB Paul Smith (1 targets) - Smith saw limited action and did not accumulate any yardage for the Broncos.
WR Brandon Marshall, Rec: 6 - 85 - 0 (9 targets) - Second year receiver Marshall is establishing himself as the current top wide receiver for the Broncos and Jay Cutler's favorite target. With top wideout Javon Walker out with an injury and perennial all pro Rod Smith on the PUP list, Marshall has helped solidify the passing game for Denver. He caught six of the nine passes Cutler directed towards him for 85 yards.
WR Brandon Stokley, Rec: 2 - 36 - 0 (8 targets) - Stokley was another favorite target for Cutler, being aimed at eight times, but he only managed to pull in two of the passes.
WR Glenn Martinez (2 targets) - Martinez saw minimal action with a negative yardage punt return and zero catches on two chances.
TE Tony Scheffler, Rec: 4 - 31 - 0 (5 targets) - Scheffler was a regular target for the Broncos' passing attack. He caught four of the five passes thrown to him for 31 yards.
TE Daniel Graham, Rec: 2 - 20 - 1 (2 targets) - Graham caught both of the passes intended for him. He caught the only touchdown that Cutler threw during the contest.
PK Jason Elam 2 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 9 points - Elam enjoyed his typical excellent night. He was perfect as he was successful on both of his field goal attempts and on all three extra point kicks. He may not have as strong a leg as he once did, but he managed his 37th career kick of at least 50 yards in dramatic fashion. His 50 yard kick half way through the second quarter hit the crossbar, then bounced up and maintained enough momentum to continue through the uprights.
DEN Rush Defense - The Broncos defense stopped the Chiefs' rushing attack. While regular starter Larry Johnson was out with an injury, The Chiefs' Priest Holmes was prevented from any large gains. The Broncos held Kansas City to only 67 total yards rushing on 22 carries. They prevented Kansas City from converting any running attempts into scores.
DEN Pass Defense - The Denver pass defense was very effective against the Kansas City Chiefs offense. They harassed the Chiefs' quarterbacks casing four sacks, three interceptions, and two forced fumbles. They caused the fumble that was returned for a Denver touchdown. Denver may also have unwittingly ushered in the Brodie Croyle era for Kansas City football. The only question for most media personnel and Kansas City fans was when this year Croyle would take over for the mostly ineffective Damon Huard. After knocking Huard out of the game on a sack, a fumble, and then a fumble return for a touchdown, Huard appeared groggy and sat on the bench with an ice pack on his neck. Croyle came in and attempted unsuccessfully to bring the Chiefs back. QB Brodie Croyle, Pass: 17 - 30 - 162 - 0 TD / 1 INT - Second year quarterback Brodie Croyle's time has been coming. The job was his to take during training camp, but he did not establish himself then. This year, with Huard's poor play, it has been continually anticipated that soon would come Croyle's chance. As he replaced Huard after an injury during this contest, it appeared that Croyle's time has come. He was unable to bring the Chiefs back, but in less than a half of football he completed 17 of 30 passes for 162 yards. He did have one interception, but it is quite possible that going forward this is Brodie Croyle's team.QB Damon Huard, Pass: 6 - 15 - 83 - 0 TD / 2 INT - Huard may have seen the end of his days as the number one quarterback in Kansas City. He has struggled most of this year leading the offense and has heard the repeated calls that he step aside to make room for Croyle. Prior to being knocked out of the contest by the Broncos, he had completed only six of fifteen passes for a mere 83 yards while being intercepted twice and fumbling once.
RB Priest Holmes, Rush: 20 - 65 - 0, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (2 targets) - Amazingly Priest Holmes is back as the starting running back for the Chiefs, at least while Larry Johnson is out with his foot injury. Holmes made his first start in 742 days and often appeared to have some of his old power and elusiveness, but he still only managed 65 yards on 20 carries for the day. He also did not interfere with the ongoing streak for consecutive rushing touchdowns that Johnson holds. He does seem to be at the very least a quite capable backup running back.
RB Kolby Smith, Rush: 2 - 2 - 0, Rec: 2 - 7 - 0 (4 targets) - Fifth round draft choice and rookie Kolby Smith saw time in hopes of gaining valuable experience in game situations as the backup for Priest Holmes. He had only two carries and he caught two of the four passes meant for him.
WR Dwayne Bowe, Rec: 9 - 105 - 0 (13 targets) - Bowe continues his phenomenal rookie season as he pulled in nine of the thirteen passes thrown his way for 105 yards. He has tremendous ability to get open and to catch any ball despite the defenders and the accuracy of the pass.
WR Eddie Kennison, Rec: 3 - 34 - 0 (8 targets) - Kennison is back and nicely compliments Dwayne Bowe. He caught three of the passes sent his way for 34 yards. Even more significant was his willingness to keep active even when the ball was not meant for him as witnessed by his fumble recovery.
WR Jeff Webb, Rec: 2 - 33 - 0 (6 targets) - Jeff Webb was targeted often but only managed to catch two of the passes sent his way, albeit for a healthy 33 yards
WR Samie Parker, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (1 targets) - With an abundance of targets for Kansas City, Parker was a bit forgotten in the passing department, but he did catch the only ball thrown to him.
TE Tony Gonzalez, Rec: 3 - 29 - 0 (12 targets) - Gonzalez was sought often during this match. He was only able to pull in three of the twelve passes intended for him as he constantly received heavy coverage from the Broncos' secondary.
TE Kris Wilson, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (3 targets) - Wilson made a nice catch on one of the three balls thrown to him but then fumbled the ball. Fortunately for him and for the Chiefs, Eddie Kennison was coming back over to help out and recovered the fumble.
PK Dave Rayner 3 - 4 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 9 points - Rayner made three of the four field goals he attempted. His one miss was from 53 yards as it went a little wide left. He did not get to attempt any extra point kicks.
KC Rush Defense - The Chiefs rush defense was successfully attacked by Selvin Young. Normally the Chiefs are very strong against the run, but they allowed Young to collect 109 yards, a better than five yard per carry average. They also yielded a rushing touchdown to the rookie rusher. It remains to be seen if they had a very off day or if Young is going to be an exceptional runner.
KC Pass Defense - The