New York Giants 21, Chicago Bears 16
What you need to know
New York Giants - Eli Manning led the Giants to 14 fourth quarter points for a come from behind victory. Unfortunately prior that point in the game, Manning looked no better than he did in week 11 where he threw three interceptions for touchdowns to the Vikings. Though the Bears only sacked him once, the steady pressure never allowed Manning to get comfortable in the pocket, as he threw numerous questionable throws. Plaxico Burress played at less than 100%, and it seemed to hurt the Giants ability to stretch the field, having to rely on the running game to move the ball.Filling in for the injured Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward set a career high with 154 yards rushing and a touchdown on 24 carries, while adding two receptions for 29 yards. Ward showed big play ability on two separate carries of 31 and 33 in the second quarter, even though Eli Manning wasn't able to provide much of a threat through the air. Ward shows good elusiveness for a back his size, and is able to finish off a run with power. He went to the locker room in the fourth quarter with what was reported as an ankle injury, and was replaced by Reuben Droughns. He did not return to the game.
Plaxico Burress played through an ankle injury to catch three passes for 36 yards. He was targeted a Giants high eight times, but only deep once, showing very little burst throughout the game. This offense doesn't run smoothly unless Burress is healthy and providing a deep threat for Eli Manning to throw to. Not surprisingly, the passing game struggled, although Amani Toomer elevated his play and Eli Manning looked his way frequently on crucial downs, totaling team highs of 69 yards and six receptions.
Chicago Bears - Apparently Good Rex was the guy that came to play in this game. Grossman completed 25 of 46 attempts for 296 yards and a touchdown, while avoiding any turnovers. His day would have been bigger had Devin Hester hauled in a wide open pass down the deep middle that would have gone for an 81 yard touchdown, putting the Bears up 14-0 in the second quarter. Unfortunately he dropped the ball, and only a few plays later the Giants were tying up the game. Bernard Berrian was also beating his man frequently down the left sideline, but Grossman was only able to capitalize once for 50 yards, after about five over throws of the speedy receiver. It was a solid game, although I'm sure Robbie Gould was a little too busy for head coach Lovie Smith's liking as the Bears only touchdown of the game came on their first drive.The other Adrian Peterson looked impressive starting for an injured Cedric Benson. Though he only carried the ball for 67 yards on 22 attempts, he provided Grossman with a great check down option out of the backfield to the tune of 82 yards on seven receptions. Clearly Peterson adds an element to this offense that Benson never could. Though he doesn't have the physical gifts many NFL running backs might, he runs hard and shows great heart. Something that previous starter Benson was criticized of lacking. He's one of those players that makes the most of the skill he's been given. The Bears seem content making him their workhorse, as no other Bears running back saw the field.
Bernard Berrian is the Bears receiver that will be most happy about Rex Grossman's entry back into the starting lineup. Though he only caught three passes for 59 yards, he and Grossman were just short on connecting on a few other deep plays down the left sideline, where Berrian was continuously beating his man with the go pattern. Given Grossman's superior deep arm strength in comparison to previous starting quarterback Brian Griese, Berrian figures to benefit the most since he's most comfortable going deep.
What you ought to know
QB Eli Manning, Pass: 16 - 27 - 195 - 1 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0 - Eli Manning completed 16 of 27 passes for 195 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. In the fourth quarter with the Giants down, Manning hit Amani Toomer for a six yard touchdown. The officials initially called it incomplete, but upon review it was determined that Toomer got both hands underneath the under thrown ball. Manning led the final Giants drive of the game to a Reuben Droughns two yard touchdown; the eventual game clinching points. Early in the game Manning and Jeremy Shockey were once again on the wrong page, throwing a pass his direction for an interception. It appeared as though Manning was suspecting a different route from the tight end. Manning rushed once for two yards, and as usual stayed within the pocket for much of the game. In addition to his two interceptions, Manning also fumbled the ball once, his seventh turnover in the last two games.RB Derrick Ward, Rush: 24 - 154 - 1, Rec: 2 - 29 - 0 (5 targets) - Derrick Ward set a career high with 154 rushing yards on 24 carries. Ward hit the century mark with 110 yards rushing by halftime, but was slowed some and then eventually left the game in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. He went to the locker room to take x-rays, and did not return. Ward was targeted five times, and caught two passes for 29 yards. Though Ward accounted for much of the first half offense, he did fumble on consecutive carries in the third quarter, one of which was recovered by the Bears.
RB Reuben Droughns, Rush: 10 - 25 - 1 - Reuben Droughns carried the ball ten times for 25 yards. On his first carry of the game early in the second quarter, Droughns ran the ball in for a one yard score. However, on that play Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith threw a challenge flag pertaining to the previous play. The referees determined it to be on time, though the replays showed that it was thrown after the ball was snapped. Though the challenge was not won, it took a touchdown away from Droughns. Derrick Ward scored two plays later. Midway through the fourth quarter, starter Derrick Ward injured his ankle, and Droughns finished off the game for him, getting six of his ten carries late in the game. With the offense driving, Droughns got in for a two yard touchdown to put the Giants in the lead for good. This score would count.
WR Amani Toomer, Rec: 6 - 69 - 1 (6 targets) - Amani Toomer came through with 69 yards on six receptions, while catching the lone Eli Manning touchdown. On that play it was initially ruled as though the six yard pass was incomplete, however upon review it was determined that Toomer got his hands underneath the under thrown ball for his third touchdown of the season. With Plaxico Burress laboring on the field, Toomer became Eli's go to receiver in many key situations, and had a fine day catching all six of the targets he received.
WR Plaxico Burress, Rec: 3 - 36 - 0 (8 targets) - Plaxico Burress finished the game with three catches for 36 yards on eight targets. Burress was targeted deep only once, and didn't appear to be playing at 100%, but played through his lingering ankle injury. He had trouble gaining separation, though still garnered a lot of attention from the Bears secondary. Burress' biggest play of the game came on the Giants last drive, where he caught a 15 yard pass in traffic that would eventually setup the game winning Reuben Droughns two yard touchdown. One of Burress' eight targets came in the fourth quarter, however it was picked off by Bears cornerback Charles Tillman, for one of Eli Manning's two interceptions on the day.
WR David Tyree, Rec: 2 - 32 - 0 (3 targets) - David Tyree caught two passes for 32 yards, both of which came in the fourth quarter. Sinorice Moss started the game as the Giants slot receiver, but when Moss failed to make an impact he lost playing time to Tyree as the game went on. Tyree rewarded that decision, with two big fourth quarter catches, both getting the Giants first downs, and one going for 24 yards to later setup the go ahead touchdown. He was targeted three times on the day, one in the end zone on an Eli Manning overthrow.
TE Jeremy Shockey, Rec: 2 - 25 - 0 (5 targets) - Jeremy Shockey caught two passes for 25 yards on five targets in what had to be a disappointing day for the tight end. With Plaxico Burress hobbled and playing at less than full strength, it was Amani Toomer who elevated his game and not Shockey in this one. Shockey was targeted on Eli Manning's first quarter interception on a play that appeared as though Shockey wasn't running the same route Manning expected him to. Later in the game Shockey made a few big plays though, one was a third quarter catch for 18 yards to put the Giants deep in the Bears end of the field. The other came in the fourth quarter on a drawn defensive pass interference penalty that would move the Giants offense into the red zone.
PK Lawrence Tynes 0 - 0 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 3 points - Lawrence Tynes hit on all three of his convert attempts, and did not have any field goal attempts in this game.
NYG Rush Defense - The Giants allowed 68 rushing yards on 23 carries for an average of three yards per carry. Adrian Peterson ran hard and moved well, but did not break off any long gains which would limit his overall rushing yardage. Peterson garnered all but one of the Bears rushing attempts, the other going to Devin Hester. There were no large holes, and it seemed as though the Giants played the run tough with eight in the box frequently, attempting to make quarterback Rex Grossman beat them with his arm.
NYG Pass Defense - The Giants gave up 296 passing yards and one passing touchdown to Rex Grossman The Giants played to stop the run, and allow Grossman to beat them through the air, and he nearly did. Grossman's day would have been a lot larger had Devin Hester not dropped what would have ended up being an 81 yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. Bernard Berrian was deep down the left sideline what seemed like half a dozen times, however Grossman was only able to hit him on one of those for 50 yards, overthrowing him on four other attempts, a few of which were by the narrowest of margins. Late in the fourth quarter with 1:30 left in the game and the Bears needing to score a touchdown, the defensive secondary played well to keep them from driving down the field for the win. Otherwise the Bears offense was able to move the ball with success through the air. The Bears sacked Grossman six times in this game, and provided their reliably fierce pressure up front, but the secondary did not look up to the task most of the game. QB Rex Grossman, Pass: 25 - 46 - 296 - 1 TD / 0 INT - Rex Grossman threw for 296 passing yards on 25 of 46 attempts, and did not turn the ball over in this game. Despite being sacked six times in this game and enduring the Giants fierce pass rush throughout, Grossman looked composed in the pocket and didn't make any bad throws in the game. In the second quarter Grossman found Devin Hester streaking down the middle of the field, and threw a nice pass, but Hester misjudged the ball and let it hit him in the shoulder pad. That would have accounted for an easy 81 yard touchdown, putting the Bears up 14-0 had Hester not dropped the pass. Bernard Berrian seemed to frequently get open deep down the left sideline, however Grossman was only able to hit him once for 50 yards on a perfectly thrown pass in tight coverage. Otherwise Grossman's deep targets were generally overthrown. Grossman's loan score of the game came on the first drive, where he found Desmond Clark wide open in the back of the end zone on a play action fake to Adrian Peterson.RB Adrian Peterson, Rush: 22 - 67 - 0, Rec: 7 - 82 - 0 (8 targets) - Now the starter in Chicago with the season ending injury to Cedric Benson, Adrian Peterson carried the ball 22 times for 67 yards, while catching seven of his eight targets for another 82 yards through the air. Peterson provided Rex Grossman with a great dump off option out of the backfield, and Rex didn't hesitate to use it frequently. Though Peterson's longest rushing play of the game only went for nine yards, he had big 29 yard reception down the left sideline, and another 25 yard gain on a screen pass with time running out in the second quarter.
RB Garrett Wolfe - Though active for this game, Wolfe did not garner any carries or targets, as Adrian Peterson seemed to play all downs throughout the game not requiring a backup.
WR Bernard Berrian, Rec: 3 - 59 - 0 (9 targets) - Bernard Berrian caught three passes for 59 yards, on nine total targets. Berrian seemed to get open deep down the left sideline frequently, however Rex Grossman only completed one of those passes for 50 yards. Otherwise Grossman was over-throwing Berrian on his deep targets, a few of which were by narrow margins. Late in the fourth quarter with the Bears third and 15 at midfield, Grossman found Berrian to the left sideline for what would have been a first down but Berrian dropped the catch. Muhsin Muhammad would later convert on fourth and 15, but it further shows that Berrian's truest strength is on go patterns where he can streak down the field, but his hands aren't always reliable.
WR Muhsin Muhammad, Rec: 3 - 52 - 0 (6 targets) - Muhsin Muhammad caught three passes for 52 yards on six targets. His biggest play of the game came late in the fourth quarter on the final drive of the game. The Bears were fourth and 15 from midfield, and Muhammad caught a Grossman bullet pass for a 20 yard gain to extend the game for a few more plays. With Grossman's strength throwing the deep ball, Muhammad figures to remain an inconsistent option in the offense since it's Bernard Berrian with the deep speed.
WR Devin Hester, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0, Rec: 1 - -4 - 0 (2 targets) - The Bears made an effort to get Devin Hester involved in their offense, and that nearly paid off in the second quarter when Rex Grossman found Hester streaking down the middle of the field at least ten yards in behind the secondary. The pass was on the money, but the ball hit Hester in the shoulder as he couldn't adjust to the deep pass. It would have gone for an 81 yard score, and given the Bears a 14-0 lead. Though Hester clearly has game breaking ability, he appears to be still quite raw as a receiver. Hester also caught a backward pass for negative one yards, and took a screen pass for negative six yards. Hester failed to make an impact in the return game, as Giants punter Jeff Feagles did a good job of angling the ball to the sideline on most of his punts.
TE Desmond Clark, Rec: 5 - 76 - 1 (5 targets) - Desmond Clark caught all five of his targets for 76 yards and a touchdown. Clark started the game off with a bang, catching three passes on the Bears opening drive for 25 yards, the third being a one yard touchdown in the back of the end zone. In the third quarter Clark had a beautiful 44 yard gain on a perfectly thrown ball by Rex Grossman. Though generally not considered the big play threat of the tight end duo with Greg Olsen, it was Clark that was making all of the big plays at the position in this one.
TE Greg Olsen, Rec: 2 - 7 - 0 (2 targets) - Greg Olsen caught both of his targets, but only for a total of seven yards. Olsen only got on the field in double tight end formations, as Clark was the one making the big plays in this game.
PK Robbie Gould 3 - 3 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 10 points - Robbie Gould successfully hit on all of his field goal attempts from 35, 46, and 41. He successfully converted his only point after attempt of the game.
CHI Rush Defense - Even without starter Brandon Jacobs, the Chicago Bears allowed 175 rushing yards on 37 attempts for an average of 4.7 yards per attempt. Derrick Ward filling in for an injured Jacobs ran for a career high of 154 yards on the ground on 24 attempts before he himself was injured mid way through the fourth quarter. Ward had long gains of 31 and 33, and even though Eli Manning wasn't scaring anyone with the passing game early, Ward was still able to carve up yardage on the ground in a poor effort by the Bears rush defense. Droughns replaced Ward in the fourth quarter, and though he was mainly held down, was able to convert on a crucial fourth and short for a nine yard game. Ward lost two fumbles, one of which was recovered by the Bears.
CHI Pass Defense - The Bears allowed Eli Manning 195 yards through the air on 16 of 27 passing attempts. Though they were only every able to sack him once, they provided steady pressure throughout, never allowing Manning to get comfortable in the pocket. The Bears forced Manning into one fumble, and two interceptions. For most of the game Manning was completely held down, but in the fourth quarter he seemed to regain some confidence and rallied the offense to 14 fourth quarter points and the win. Still it was a solid performance by the Bears pass defense, as it was really the effectiveness the Giants had on the ground that led to the eventual win.San Francisco 49ers 14, Carolina Panthers 31
What you need to know
San Francisco 49ers - After playing well the previous week, San Francisco looked terrible against a Carolina team that had been playing pretty poorly. San Francisco gained just 195 total yards and committed six turnovers. Four of those turnovers were Trent Dilfer interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Dilfer also fumbled twice but recovered the ball both times. He ended up 14 of 29 for 171 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.Frank Gore carried the ball 12 times for 58 yards. He also caught five passes for 53 yards but he never got the chance to get into the end zone. San Francisco only ran one play from inside the Carolina red zone.
Their two touchdowns were scored from 20 yards out on a pass to Battle and from 21 yards on a Delanie Walker catch. After Gore's five catches, Battle had four catches for 51 yards but also fumbled on a running play. Walker had the one catch for a touchdown. Vernon Davis, Darrell Jackson and Ashley Lelie each had one catch.
The San Francisco defense was on the field for quite a while in this game. Carolina held the ball for over 38 minutes. The 49ers just couldn't stop the Carolina running game. They gave up 166 yards on the ground including a one yard touchdown run by DeShaun Foster. They did intercept Testaverde twice but also gave up two short touchdown passes.
Carolina Panthers - Carolina opened the playbook for this game and was finally able to get a home win. They had lost seven straight home games dating back to last season. Carolina tried a reverse and even lined up Steve Smith at quarterback with Testaverde outside to the left in the receiver spot. Testaverde benefitted from a dominant defense and managed the game well enough to win. He completed 17 of 26 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns. He did throw two interceptions but San Francisco was only able to get points off of one of them.The Carolina running game rushed for 166 yards and a touchdown. Foster gained 58 yards and the score. Williams added 82 yards, most of which was in the fourth quarter when Carolina had worn down the San Francisco defense. The running game was a big factor in Carolina's big time of possession differential. They held the ball for almost 17 minutes more than the 49ers.
Dante Rosario and Jeff King each had a short touchdown reception but it was Steve Smith who Carolina turned to in the passing game. The Panthers hit Smith on receiver screens, had him lateral the ball and also lined him up at quarterback. Overall Smith caught eight passes for 64 yards and also had two carries for 21 yards.
The Carolina defense was the story of the game though. They dominated from start to finish. They allowed just 195 total yards, had six turnovers and six sacks. Richard Marshall had a 67 yard interception return in the second quarter. They held the 49ers to just three of 11 on third down conversions and allowed just 12 first downs.
What you ought to know
QB Trent Dilfer, Pass: 14 - 29 - 171 - 2 TD / 4 INT, Rush: 3 - -1 - 0 - Trent Dilfer played a terrible game throwing four interceptions. His final numbers were 14 of 29 for 171 yards and two touchdowns. Dilfer threw two first half interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, he threw two more interceptions. Neither second half interception led to a Carolina score but it killed any momentum San Francisco had built from Dilfer's two third quarter touchdown passes.RB Frank Gore, Rush: 12 - 58 - 0, Rec: 5 - 53 - 0 (5 targets) - Frank Gore carried the ball 12 times for 58 yards. He also added five catches for 53 yards. Gore had a good yards per carry average but being behind all game didn't give him the chance to put up big numbers. Technically San Francisco only ran one play from the Carolina red zone. Dilfer was sacked back to the 20 yard line. Gore never really had a chance to score in the game.
RB Maurice Hicks, Rush: 1 - 5 - 0, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (1 targets) - Maurice Hicks was used mostly on kickoffs. He had one carry for five yards and he caught one pass for seven yards. He also had a ten yard reception wiped out by a penalty.
WR Arnaz Battle, Rush: 1 - -3 - 0, Rec: 4 - 51 - 1 (7 targets) - Arnaz Battle caught four passes for 51 yards and a touchdown. In the first quarter, Battle ran the ball but when he spun to try to break a tackle in the backfield he fumbled. Carolina drove down and picked up a field goal off of the turnover. Battle finally got San Francisco on the board in the third quarter. He caught a pass down the middle and was wide open because the Carolina defender fell down. Battle had an 18 yard reception called back due to a penalty on San Francisco.
WR Darrell Jackson, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (7 targets) - Jackson was thrown to seven times but only caught one pass for 12 yards. Jackson was the intended receiver when Dilfer was intercepted and the ball was returned for the touchdown. The turnover was not Jackson's fault since the pass was just thrown too low.
WR Ashley Lelie, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) - Ashley Lelie caught one pass for eight yards. He didn't see action until the fourth quarter. He caught the first pass thrown to him at the San Francisco 44 yard line. Two plays later, Dilfer tried to hit him again but the pass was underthrown and it was intercepted at the 12 yard line.
TE Vernon Davis, Rec: 1 - 19 - 0 (4 targets) - Vernon Davis had one catch for 19 yards. His catch took the ball down to the Carolina 18 yard line. The 49ers would score their first touchdown three plays later. Dilfer's fourth interception was on a pass intended for Vernon Davis.
TE Delanie Walker, Rec: 1 - 21 - 1 (2 targets) - Walker was targeted twice in the game. He caught one pass for a 21 yard touchdown. The score put San Francisco within three points early in the second half.
PK Joe Nedney 0 - 0 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 2 points - Nedney had no field goal tries but did make both of his extra point attempts.
SF Rush Defense - The San Francisco rush defense was blown up for 166 yards. DeAngelo Williams and DeShaun Foster ran for 140 of those yards and also scored a goal line touchdown against the 49ers defense. The defense was on the field quite a bit due to all of the turnovers by San Francisco's offense. They were clearly worn down as Carolina picked up 63 rushing yards in the fourth quarter.
SF Pass Defense - The San Francisco pass defense only allowed 153 yards to Testaverde. They did give up two touchdown passes, both of which were from inside the ten yard line. They were able to sack Testaverde twice plus they intercepted him two times. With Carolina driving late in the second quarter, Nate Clements made an interception to end the scoring threat and keep San Francisco down 17 points. On Carolina's drive to open the second half, they intercepted Testaverde again. This time, San Francisco drove the short field and scored their first touchdown to get them back in the game. QB Vinny Testaverde, Pass: 17 - 26 - 169 - 2 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 2 - -2 - 0 - Vinny Testaverde got the start in this game. With the Carolina defense playing great, he did just enough to win the game. Testaverde threw for 153 yards on 17 of 26 attempts. He threw two short touchdowns but was also picked off twice. Testaverde found Dante Rosario for a five yard touchdown and Jeff King for a one yard touchdown. He even lined up at wide receiver near the goal line with Steve Smith at the quarterback position. Smith ran the ball to the right with Vinny lined up on the left side. To his credit, he did try to block Nate Clements on the play.RB DeShaun Foster, Rush: 21 - 58 - 1, Rec: 3 - 35 - 0 (4 targets) - DeShaun Foster carried 21 times for 58 yards and one touchdown. He also had three catches for 35 yards. Foster carried the ball twice from inside the five yard line but couldn't punch it in and Carolina settled for a field goal. On Carolina's next drive, Foster carried the ball to the 49ers' five yard line. Testaverde hit Rosario on the next play for the touchdown. When Carolina recovered a muffed punt at the San Francisco 11 yard line, Foster was used exclusively and scored a touchdown four plays later.
RB DeAngelo Williams, Rush: 17 - 82 - 0, Rec: 1 - 46 - 0 (2 targets) - DeAngelo Williams carried the ball 17 times for 82 yards. He caught one pass for 30 yards. Williams also received a lateral from Steve Smith behind the line of scrimmage that he was able to take down to the San Francisco 14 yard line for 22 yards. In the first quarter, Williams ran the ball for six yards down to the 49ers eight yard line. In the fourth, Williams got three straight carries from the 15 yard line. On the third play he was stuffed at the one yard line. Testaverde hit Jeff King for the score on the next play. Williams had 11 carries in the fourth quarter when the Panthers were looking to burn up clock time.
RB Brad Hoover, Rush: 2 - 7 - 0 - Hoover had two carries right at the end of the third quarter. He picked up seven yards just across midfield.
WR Steve Smith, Rush: 2 - 21 - 0, Rec: 8 - 64 - 0 (11 targets) - Smith was heavily involved in the game. He was targeted 11 times by Testaverde, of which he caught eight passes for 64 yards. Testaverde threw a few receiver screens to Smith and they also tried using Smith lined up at the quarterback position. Each time Smith ran the ball out of that set. He gained 21 yards on two carries. Early in the game, Nate Clements crushed Smith on a late hit after a dropped pass. Clements was hit with a penalty and for the rest of the game the two of them were seen jawing at one another. Smith ran the ball from the San Francisco eight yard line but was pushed out at the three yard line. On Carolina's first touchdown drive, Smith made a very nice over the shoulder catch for 29 yards right by the sideline. Smith did not have any end zone targets in the game. His best chance to score was on the run from the quarterback position when Carolina was inside the San Francisco ten yard line.
WR Drew Carter, Rec: 2 - 15 - 0 (3 targets) - Drew Carter caught two balls for 15 yards. Carter's second catch came on a third down play and picked up a first down at the San Francisco 28 yard line. Carolina would continue the drive and score a touchdown to go up by 17 points. The one target Carter didn't catch was on a deep pass that Testaverde under threw and was picked off by Clements at the two yard line.
WR Keary Colbert (2 targets) - Colbert was thrown to twice but neither pass found the intended target. The first pass was incomplete and the second was intercepted by the 49ers.
TE Jeff King, Rec: 2 - 4 - 1 (4 targets) - King was targeted four times including twice in the end zone. He caught two passes for four yards including a one yard touchdown. The other pass in the end zone was incomplete. In the second quarter Testaverde hit King at the San Francisco nine yard line but he was only able to pick up three yards.
TE Dante Rosario, Rec: 1 - 5 - 1 (1 targets) - Rosario made the most of his one target. He caught the pass for a five yard touchdown on a third and three play.
PK John Kasay 1 - 1 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 7 points - Kasay made a 19 yard field goal to open the scoring in the game. He made all four of the extra point attempts.
CAR Rush Defense - The Carolina defense was dominant in this game. The Carolina rush defense was able to get pressure and disrupt the 49ers offensive attack, if you can call it that. Carolina played well allowing only 59 net rushing yards on 17 carries. The defense forced a fumble on an Arnaz Battle rushing attempt. The Panthers only allowed three first downs via the run.
CAR Pass Defense - While the rush defense was good, the Carolina pass defense was excellent. Compared to previous games, they were like a different team out there. They got a ton of pressure on Dilfer, they intercepted him four times and they caused two fumbles. The pass defense recorded six sacks in the game on Dilfer. In the 11 games prior this season, the Carolina defense had only 10 sacks total. Richard Marshall had a 67 yard interception return for a touchdown that put Carolina up 17-0. While the pass defense did give up two touchdowns, both times the 49ers had a short field due to a Carolina turnover and a long punt return by Nate Clements.Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27, New Orleans Saints 23
What you need to know
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Tampa Bay was without starting QB Jeff Garcia, who was a scratch due to a back injury. Garcia was replaced by Luke McCown, who was impressive in relief. McCown was extremely efficient, completing 29 of 37 passes for 313 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He connected with TE Anthony Becht on a one yard scoring play in the second quarter, and lead two drives that resulted in successful field goals as Tampa Bay trailed 14-13 going into halftime. McCown continued his strong play in the second half, although he did have two big errors with an interception for a New Orleans touchdown and being sacked in the end zone for a safety. He shrugged off those two plays to lead the team downfield late in the fourth quarter, where he connected with TE Jerramy Stevens from four yards out for the game winning touchdown.RB Earnest Graham continued to be the workhorse in the Buccaneers rushing attack, as he rushed for 106 yards on 22 attempts, including a 25 yard third quarter touchdown run. Graham also added seven receptions for 37 yards in the passing game.
Joey Galloway torched the New Orleans defensive backfield for 159 yards on seven receptions and had 148 yards on six catches before halftime. TEs Anthony Becht and Jerramy Stevens accounted for Tampa Bay's touchdown receptions.
Tampa Bay's defense gave up a few big plays downfield in the passing game in the first half, including a 45 yard touchdown pass, but made adjustments at halftime and played much better in the second half. They gave up no points while on the field in the second half and for the game, allowed just 246 total yards. DL Jovan Haye recovered a Reggie Bush fumble in the fourth quarter that gave Tampa Bay a much needed break that they turned into the game winning touchdown.
New Orleans Saints - QB Drew Brees threw two first half touchdown passes that put his club up 14-13 going into the half. In the second half, the Tampa Bay defense bottled up the Saints offense, and New Orleans could not match the production of their defense, who accounted for nine second half points on a touchdown and safety. Brees had pass plays of 45 and 40 yards, but totaled less than 100 yards on his other 15 completions in the game.Reggie Bush finished with 64 yards on 13 carries, but was in and out of the game with numerous minor injuries. He ran well when he got the chance, but had a crucial miscue late in the fourth quarter that really hurt the Saints. With the ball and the clock on their side, New Orleans called a WR reverse play, and Bush's pitch attempt fell to the ground and Tampa Bay recovered. Tampa marched the ball downfield for the game winning score.
WRs Devery Henderson and Terrance Copper each recorded touchdown receptions, but Marques Colston was slowed down to the tune of two receptions for 39 yards.
New Orleans gave up 466 yards for the game, including a touchdown run and two scores through the air. They could not slow down the Tampa Bay offense in either the passing game or rushing attack, but did come up with two big plays defensively. The first came when DB Mike McKenzie intercepted a McCown pass and returned it 53 yards for a third quarter score. DL Will Smith later sacked McCown in the end zone for a safety that gave the Saints a 23-20 lead. However, following the Bush fumble on the reverse play, they gave up the game winning touchdown with 14 seconds left.
What you ought to know
QB Luke McCown, Pass: 29 - 37 - 313 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - 34 - 0 - McCown got the start for the injured Jeff Garcia, who missed the game with a back injury, and shined for Tampa Bay. At one point early in the game, McCown was 15 for 15 passing and finished the first half 18 of 21 for 230 yards and a one yard touchdown pass to TE Anthony Becht. McCown continued his strong play in the second half and finished 29 of 37 for 313 yards, two touchdowns and added 34 yards rushing on the ground. His second score came with fourteen seconds left, where McCown connected with TE Jerramy Stevens from four yards out on third down for the game winning touchdown. He showed great leadership and play making ability throughout the game, but did make a mistake on an interception New Orleans returned for a touchdown. On the play, McCown changed the play at the line and WR Joey Galloway misread the hot route with a blitz coming and DB Mike McKenzie returned the miscue 53 yards for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, McCown made another inexperienced mistake on a drive that started inside their own five yard line, he was sacked in the end zone for a safety. On the play, McCown was flushed out of the pocket and tried to make a play using his athleticism instead of throwing the ball away, and was brought down for the safety. He made everyone forget the two mistakes on the late touchdown pass to Stevens that won the game.RB Earnest Graham, Rush: 22 - 106 - 1, Rec: 7 - 37 - 0 (8 targets) - Earnest Graham ran the ball 22 times for 106 yards and added a 25 yard touchdown run while he shouldered the load for the Buccaneer rushing attack. He also contributed seven receptions for 37 yards in the passing game, including a 21 yard catch and run that set up the game winning touchdown. Graham ran the ball hard, showed great vision and has a nasty stiff arm that he used along the way to over 100 yards rushing.
RB Michael Pittman, Rec: 2 - 6 - 0 (2 targets) - Michael Pittman made a small contribution in the passing game, catching two passes for six yards on two targets.
WR Joey Galloway, Rec: 7 - 159 - 0 (9 targets) - Joey Galloway was a nightmare for the Saints. Galloway continued to build on his strong history against New Orleans with seven receptions for 159 yards that included a 60 yard reception that set up a Buccaneers touchdown. Six of his receptions resulted in first downs and he was targeted four times on third downs.
WR Ike Hilliard, Rec: 4 - 29 - 0 (7 targets) - Hilliard was targeted seven times and finished with four receptions for 29 yards.
WR Michael Clayton, Rush: 1 - 20 - 0 - Clayton did not register a catch, and did not receive a target, but had one rush for 20 yards. He was also used in the kick return game, and had a costly late hit penalty blocking downfield on a running play.
TE Jerramy Stevens, Rec: 2 - 8 - 1 (2 targets) - Stevens was targeted twice, both on third downs, and made the biggest play of the game for the Buccaneers, catching a four yard touchdown pass on third and goal with fourteen seconds left to give Tampa Bay the lead. On the play, Stevens split out wide and made a nice play on a jump ball play, snatching the pass out of the air.
TE Anthony Becht, Rec: 1 - 1 - 1 (1 targets) - Becht caught a one yard touchdown reception on his only target and reception of the game.
TE Alex Smith, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (2 targets) - Alex Smith was targeted twice, and came down with one reception for 11 yards.
PK Matt Bryant 2 - 3 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 9 points - Bryant missed a 53 yard attempt, but connected on field goals from 27 and 31 yards out and added three extra points to finish with nine points.
TB Rush Defense - The Buccaneers were respectable against the run, giving up 84 yards on 21 attempts for a 4.0 ypc average. They forced one fumble that the Saints recovered, and had another fumble drop in their lap on a questionable play call on a reverse play late in the game.
LB Derrick Brooks led the way with eight solo tackles and one assist and DB Jermaine Phillips chipped in with eight solo tackles and a forced fumble to lead the Tampa Bay defense. DL Jovan Haye made a big play in the game, recovering the late Bush fumble that led to the game winning score.
TB Pass Defense - Tampa Bay gave up two first half touchdowns but tightened up their coverage after halftime, and held the Saints to 162 net passing yards. Along the way, they shut down talented WR Marques Colston, who finished with just two receptions for 39 yards.DL Gaines Adams, DB Ronde Barber and DL Jovan Haye each recorded sacks for the Buccaneers defense.
QB Drew Brees, Pass: 17 - 23 - 179 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 4 - 0 - Drew Brees was able to make a few big plays in the passing game, but they were too few and far between. Brees connected on touchdown passes with WR Devery Henderson from 45 yards out and WR Terrance Copper from four yards out. He also hit WR Marques Colston on a 40 yard pass play, but aside from that and the 45 yard touchdown to Henderson, Brees accounted for just 94 yards on his 15 other completions for just over six yards per completion. He did not have any turnovers, but was sacked three times.RB Reggie Bush, Rush: 13 - 64 - 0, Rec: 3 - 13 - 0 (7 targets) - Bush ran well against the Buccaneers, averaging nearly five yards per rush on 13 carries, finishing with 64 yards on the ground. He also added three receptions for 13 yards on seven targets in the passing game. On the negative side, while Bush ran well when he was called on, he received just 13 carries and had a fumble on a questionable handoff / reverse play late in the fourth quarter that Tampa Bay recovered, and their offense later turned into the game winning touchdown. Bush also had another fumble that he was able to recover and seemed to be hobbled by numerous injuries throughout the game.
RB Aaron Stecker, Rush: 7 - 16 - 0, Rec: 4 - 35 - 0 (5 targets) - Stecker spelled Reggie Bush in the rushing attack with seven rushes for 16 yards, and also chipped in with four receptions for 35 yards on five targets in the passing game.
WR Marques Colston, Rec: 2 - 39 - 0 (2 targets) - Marques Colston was targeted just two times in the game, and finished with 39 yards on two receptions. He did have one big play, catching a 40 yard pass that helped set up the Saints first touchdown of the ball game.
WR Terrance Copper, Rec: 1 - 4 - 1 (1 targets) - Copper was targeted one time, catching a four yard touchdown in the first quarter that put New Orleans up 7-3.
WR Devery Henderson, Rec: 1 - 45 - 1 (1 targets) - Henderson had one pass thrown his way, and was able to come down with a 45 yard touchdown reception on third down for his only catch of the ball game.
TE Eric Johnson, Rec: 2 - 12 - 0 (3 targets) - Johnson was targeted three times and finished with two receptions for 12 yards.
PK Olindo Mare 0 - 0 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 3 points - Mare did not attempt a field goal and made good on three extra points to total three points for the game.
NO Rush Defense - The Saints could not stop the Tampa Bay rushing attack, who shredded their defense for 172 yards on 26 attempts for the game (a 6.6 ypc average). They also gave up a score on a 25 yard run by RB Earnest Graham, and missed numerous tackles on the scoring play.
DB Josh Bullocks led the way defensively for the Saints with ten solo tackles and two assists.
NO Pass Defense - The New Orleans pass defense was picked apart by McCown and the Tampa Bay offense from start to finish on their way to 294 net passing yards, 16 passing first downs and two touchdowns, including the game winner with fourteen seconds left in the game. One of the positives for the Saints pass defense came when DL Will Smith sacked Buccaneers QB Luke McCown in the end zone for a safety, and the biggest play by the defense came on a 53 yard interception return by DB Mike McKenzie.LB Mark Simoneau and DL Renaldo Wynn joined Smith as New Orleans defenders that registered sacks and DL Charles Grant added six solo tackles along the line before limping off the field with an injury.
Jacksonville Jaguars 25, Indianapolis Colts 28
What you need to know
Jacksonville Jaguars - The Jaguars managed to win the time of possession battle thanks to strong running and efficient passing, but were undone by several miscues that contributed to them losing the game. Among the mishaps were Garrard losing a fumble while being sacked that was recovered by the Colts who scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive. In addition, Jacksonville gained a first down at Indianapolis seven yard line, only to have a personal foul penalty called on wide receiver Reggie Williams that backed them up 15 yards. That drive ended with a field goal. The running game was spearheaded by Fred Taylor, who became the 20th leading rusher in NFL history on a run in the third quarter, and Maurice Jones-Drew. They averaged 6.24 yards per rushing attempt between them. Taylor showed impressive moves in traffic and made defenders miss him several times, and showed excellent acceleration once he eluded the first wave of defenders, on his way to 104 yards on just 14 carries. Jones-Drew ran with his trademark power and speed, and received most of the short yardage carries, including one he turned into a touchdown.The Jaguars passing game was executed very well by David Garrard who despite throwing his first interception of the year was very accurate, completing 24 of 29 passes. Ten of his passes were of the intermediate or deep variety, and he showed good touch as well as a strong arm on those passes. Garrard was asked to roll out and throw several times outside of the pocket, and proved quite adept at making those plays. His passing numbers were helped as Jacksonville had to rely on the passing game exclusively late in the fourth quarter in an attempt to close the gap. Garrard appeared very comfortable directing a hurry-up version of his team's offense, and made good decisions in which receivers to throw to, and managed to close the deficit to three points, which was the final margin. Garrard threw to his wide receivers the most during this game, with Williams and Ernest Wilford receiving the majority of his targets.
Jacksonville attempted 21 plays in the red zone, and ran the ball 12 times. Maurice Jones-Drew received the most work in the red zone with five rushing attempts including one for a touchdown. Taylor had three red zone carries, and Garrard two, including a successful two-point conversion run. Dennis Northcutt and Marcedes Lewis received five of the red zone passes, with each player catching one for a touchdown. However, Lewis' defender deflected another pass directed toward him in the red zone on a subsequent possession that was intercepted to prevent the Jaguars from scoring. Williams also dropped a pass in the end zone that, while difficult, was a catchable pass.
Indianapolis Colts - The Colts made the most of their offensive possessions, scoring touchdowns four times, while only punting twice, in large part due to the pinpoint passing of Peyton Manning. Although Manning was excellent, the Colts did not abandon the running game. Joseph Addai carried the ball 21 times, but was unable to generate many yards. Addai averaged 3.19 yards per carry as Jacksonville's run defense proved difficult to penetrate.Indianapolis' passing game was smoothly efficient, despite not having Marvin Harrison available. Manning and Reggie Wayne were in sync throughout the game, and came up with several big plays to extend drives, most noticeably on a few third down plays that extended possessions. They connected on a variety of throws, with Manning adjusting well to the Jaguars' defense throughout the course of the game. Manning was hit several times early in the game, but adjusted by moving around more in and outside of the pocket, and finding Wayne and tight end Dallas Clark open many times. Manning had a touchdown reception by Anthony Gonzalez called back due to a penalty on Gonzalez, but two plays later managed to connect with Clark for a score. Manning targeted Wayne and Clark with 18 of his 29 passes, and they caught 15 of them, including a touchdown by Wayne and two touchdowns by Clark.
The Colts ran 11 plays in the end zone, and had a fairly even run to pass ratio. Addai carried the ball five times in the red zone, but was unable to get into the end zone. Manning threw six red zone passes, with four of them in the end zone and one intentionally out of the end zone. Of the four passes in the end zone, three were caught for touchdowns, while a fourth touchdown catch was nullified due to a penalty on the player who caught it, Gonzalez. Clark had an opportunity for a third touchdown, as he was the intended receiver in the end zone on a pass that was intercepted.
What you ought to know
QB David Garrard, Pass: 24 - 29 - 257 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 4 - 5 - 0 - Garrard threw very accurately and exhibited very good touch on a wide variety of passes. He showed very good touch and arm strength on passes up the middle, along the sidelines, as well as whether he was in the pocket or throwing after rolling out of the pocket on designed plays. He looked to stand in the pocket longer to give his receivers a chance to get open, and did not look to run very often, except in short yardage situations. Of his five incompletions, only one was as a result of him completely missing an open receiver. Garrard attempted several passes in the intermediate range, and as a result, targeted his wide receivers more in this game than his tight ends. He had an apparent interception that was returned for a touchdown called back due to a false start penalty, and threw his first interception of the season, but did not let that affect him, as he proved to be very accurate and kept his team close up until the end.RB Fred Taylor, Rush: 14 - 104 - 0 - Taylor looked especially spry, breaking free for extra yards by using quickness to make defenders miss several times during the game. This was especially impressive against a Colts defense known for its speed and quickness. Taylor averaged 7.42 yards per carry and ran decisively between the tackles, then using his quickness to bounce several runs outside for significant gains.
RB Maurice Jones-Drew, Rush: 11 - 52 - 1, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (1 targets) - Jones-Drew ran hard at the Colts' defenders and seemed determined to bang out extra yards by using his power more than his quickness. He was featured on the goal line plays, and parlayed one of those carries into a score. Jones-Drew was not involved much in the passing game.
RB Greg Jones, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (1 targets) - Jones was used mostly as a blocking fullback, getting just one carry and one pass thrown his way.
WR Dennis Northcutt, Rush: 1 - 4 - 0, Rec: 4 - 37 - 1 (4 targets) - Northcutt was used mostly on intermediate routes, which he ran well. He saw most of his action in the red zone, with three of his targets coming there. One of them was a pass he caught just outside the goal line, but was stopped before he could get in. He was also used on an end around play inside the red zone.
WR Ernest Wilford, Rec: 5 - 72 - 0 (5 targets) - Wilford had a good rapport with Garrard in this game, and ran very good routes, getting open several times as a result. Most of his routes were more of the intermediate variety, and he proved to be more than a short yardage possession receiver in this game.
WR Reggie Williams, Rec: 4 - 69 - 0 (9 targets) - Williams was targeted eight times in the second half, and mostly on intermediate and deep routes. Apart from the penalty he incurred that backed his team up from the Colts' seven yard line to the 22 yard line, he played well. Two of the passes thrown his way were deflected due to good plays by his defenders, and two other passes were thrown out of his reach. The only other incomplete target thrown his way was a difficult but catchable pass in the end zone.
WR Matt Jones, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (2 targets) - Jones was not involved in the first half, and caught both short passes thrown to him in the second half. He did show good acceleration on his second catch to gain a first down after securing a short pass.
TE Marcedes Lewis, Rec: 5 - 42 - 1 (6 targets) - Lewis showed a propensity for getting open in the middle of the field on short routes, and good hands in catching balls in traffic. He was targeted twice in the red zone, and converted one of those targets into a touchdown.
TE Richard Angulo, Rec: 2 - 11 - 0 (2 targets) - Angulo, who played due to Jacksonville losing George Wrighster and Greg Estandia for the season after their previous game, caught both of the short passes thrown to him.
PK Josh Scobee 1 - 2 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points - Scobee connected on both his point after attempts, and made one field goal from 47 yards while missing one from 46 yards.
JAX Rush Defense - The Jaguars rush defense was stout, holding Addai to under 3.2 yards rushing per attempt. They clogged the running lanes at the line of scrimmage and did not allow him to get many yards on the few occasions he broke through. The longest run Jacksonville's defense gave up was one of ten yards.
JAX Pass Defense - Jacksonville's pass defense was aggressive throughout the game, especially early on. Despite getting to Manning early and forcing him to hurry some throws, they were unable to adjust to his adjustments and as a result gave up significant chunks of yardage to the two players who saw the majority of Manning's passes -- Wayne and Clark. At times they missed tackles after receivers caught the ball, and ultimately gave up four passing touchdowns. QB Peyton Manning, Pass: 20 - 29 - 288 - 4 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - 2 - 0 - Manning overcame a strong initial pass rush by the Jaguars to end with excellent passing numbers. Although he targeted Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne with the majority of his passes, he did so on a wide variety of routes, and usually connected with them. Manning once again showed complete command of the offense, and was comfortable making any throw he attempted. Manning showed a killer instinct by going deep to Wayne for a 48 yard touchdown on the play immediately following a ruling by the referee that overturned an apparent fumble recovery by Jacksonville. He overcame an interception in the end zone by showing poise as the Jaguars continued to try to pressure him, and led his team to the victory.RB Joseph Addai, Rush: 21 - 67 - 0 - Addai ran hard but was unable to get into the second level of Jacksonville's defense to use his speed and elusiveness. Nonetheless, he ran with some power and managed to grind forward for a few additional yards after being stopped close to the line of scrimmage on most of his running attempts. He was not used in the passing game.
RB Kenton Keith, Rush: 1 - -6 - 0 (1 targets) - Keith was involved in two plays, dropping his only target and stopped for a loss on his only rushing attempt.
RB Luke Lawton, Rec: 1 - 1 - 1 (1 targets) - Lawton was the recipient of a shovel pass that he secured for a short touchdown.
WR Reggie Wayne, Rec: 8 - 158 - 1 (9 targets) - Wayne had a superb game. Although he received lots of attention from the Jaguars in the form of double teams, he constantly got open and was the recipient of very timely passes from Manning that enabled him to gain significant amounts of yards after the catch. Wayne ran very precise routes and showed good speed when he had open space to run. He and Manning were in sync throughout the game.
WR Anthony Gonzalez, Rec: 1 - 22 - 0 (4 targets) - Gonzalez had varying experiences on the field in this game. He was able to get a pass interference call on a defender on one play, caught a touchdown in the end zone that was called back due to offensive pass interference on him, and showed excellent running after the catch in traffic on his only reception that ended just outside the end zone.
TE Dallas Clark, Rec: 7 - 60 - 2 (9 targets) - Clark found open spots in Jacksonville's defense throughout the game thanks to excellent route running. He turned those short routes into longer gains by running well after catching the ball. In addition to his two touchdowns, Clark was targeted in the end zone on a pass that was intercepted, and could have added to an already stellar game.
TE Ben Utecht, Rec: 3 - 47 - 0 (4 targets) - Utecht saw three of his targets in the first half, and showed good hands, and some nice running ability on a couple of his receptions.
PK Adam Vinatieri 0 - 0 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 4 points - Vinatieri was only asked to make point after attempts as he did not have any field goal opportunities, and he connected on all four he tried.
IND Rush Defense - Indianapolis' run defense was pushed around by the Jaguars' linemen at the line of scrimmage, and their linebackers and secondary seemed a step slow reacting to the ball carriers for Jacksonville. Most of the Jaguars' rushing attempts came between the tackles, with a lot of yards gained after the running backs were able to make the Colts' defenders miss. They were unable to stop Jacksonville from scoring a touchdown on the ground in a goal line series.
IND Pass Defense - The Colts' pass defense blitzed frequently and managed to sack Garrard three times and intercept him once. They also intercepted Garrard on another play and returned it for a touchdown, only to have the play nullified because of a false start penalty on the Jaguars. However, Garrard completed 24 of 29 pass attempts against them, and they surrendered two passing touchdowns. Indianapolis' defensive backs were unable to prevent Jacksonville's receivers from getting open on short and intermediate routes, and they allowed some of them to gain more yards after the catch than they would have wanted.Houston Texans 20, Tennessee Titans 28
What you need to know
Houston Texans - The Texans lost their starting quarterback in Matt Schaub early with a dislocation of his non-throwing shoulder, and failed to overcome this with Sage Rosenfels at the helm against an aggressive Titans defense. Rosenfels finished 17 of 30 for 185 yards with one touchdown and one interception, while Schaub had connected on three of five for 34 yards prior to departing.Since his return from injury, both quarterbacks have consistently looked Andre Johnson's way, allowing him to catch nine balls for 116 yards and a touchdown versus the Titans. Owen Daniels finished second on the team with 42 yards on three receptions, followed by Ron Dayne who caught three balls as well for 25 yards. Receivers Kevin Walter and Andre Davis caught one ball a piece, going for eleven and nine yards respectively. Finally, playing with additional blockers against the Titans rush, tight end Joel Dreesen and fullback Vonta Leach caught short passes as well. Dreesen added one catch for nine yards, while Leach pulled in two balls for seven yards.
The Texans relied on a heavy dose of Ron Dayne, but trailing for much of the second half, were unable to utilize him where he is most effective in wearing down defenders. Dayne finished with eighteen carries for 86 yards and an early touchdown. Adimchinobe Echemandu spelled Dayne occasionally, and gained eight yards on five carries. With two official carries, Sage Rosenfels was credited with 25 yards on the ground.
Tennessee Titans - Vince Young continued to show his maturation as a pocket passer, and make those plays with his feet when necessary. Young connected on a long touchdown to Roydell Williams and a well thrown ball to Justin Gage at opposite corners of the end zone in the third quarter in pulling away from the Texans. On the day, Young completed 21 of 31 passes for 248 yards with those two touchdowns and one interception. Williams caught five balls for 74 yards including the long touchdown, while Gage pulled in five passes for 64 yards including his touchdown. Eric Moulds contributed as well, catching three balls for 29 yards. Former USC wide receiver Mike Williams lined up wide a few times, but did not catch any balls. Bo Scaife had a productive day from the tight end position with 57 yards on four receptions, while Ben Troupe added a four yard catch as well. Out of the backfield, Chris Brown caught two balls for 13 yards while LenDale White added a seven yard catch.LenDale White did the majority of the running early on, picking up sixty yards and a touchdown on twelve carries, but left with what was described as a shoulder injury. Later reports acknowledged a dislocation of the middle finger on his right hand. After exiting, Chris Brown saw the majority of snaps and added 46 yards and a touchdown on eleven attempts. Rookie Chris Barclay added three yards on one attempt, playing while Chris Henry serves his suspension. Vince Young gained 44 yards on five official scrambles.
What you ought to know
QB Sage Rosenfels, Pass: 17 - 30 - 185 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - 25 - 0 - Rosenfels finished with a passer rating of 61.1 by completing 57% of his passes for an average gain of 6.2 yards per attempt, but failed to hold onto the lead he was given about Matt Schaub's departure. Rosenfels consistently faced heavy pressure from the Titans defense and was unable to develop a rhythm with any receiver other than Andre Johnson in this game. The Texans starting quarterback in Week 14 will likely be unknown until later in the week, with Schaub dealing with a dislocation of his non-throwing shoulder.RB Ron Dayne, Rush: 18 - 86 - 1, Rec: 3 - 25 - 0 (6 targets) - Dayne got off to a quick start, but was relatively quiet in the second half of this game following a pair of Titans touchdowns in the third quarter that forced the Texans to turn to the air, and away from his bruising style of running up the middle to wear down defenses. Dayne was clearly affected by the return of Albert Haynesworth to the Titans defense, who clogged up the middle.
WR Andre Johnson, Rec: 9 - 116 - 1 (14 targets) - Johnson had a busy day, and came up with a great twenty eight yard catch for a touchdown in helping the Titans to close the gap in this game, though it wasn't enough. Johnson appeared to be Rosenfels' first option on just about every passing play, as well his security blanket when a heavy pass rush was on. Johnson's ability to get open and have a big day despite heavy coverage is a testament to both his skills and return to health.
WR Kevin Walter, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (3 targets) - Walter had a quiet day, though was the intended receiver on a deep pass over the middle late in the fourth quarter that was intercepted ending the Texans afternoon.
TE Owen Daniels, Rec: 3 - 42 - 0 (6 targets) - Daniels had only one catch until late in the third quarter, as he was forced to stay back on blocking assignments, or was sidelined in favor of blocking tight ends for much of the afternoon.
PK Kris Brown 2 - 2 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 8 points - Brown connected on field goals of 45 and 50 yards, as well as two successful extra point conversions. The 50 yard field goal came late in the game as the Texans trailed by 11 and opted for the field goal as opposed to going for it on a fourth and five, showing faith in Brown's leg.
HOU Rush Defense - The rush defense gave up 109 yards and two touchdowns to the Titans running backs, with Vince Young adding another 44 yards on the ground on scrambles. The Texans were generally unable to stop many rushing plays, and as a result, lost this division game.
HOU Pass Defense - Mario Williams had his best day as a pro with 2.5 sacks, but the team contributed only an additional 0.5 sack, and with just one interception and 248 yards allowed through the air, the Texans could not stop either the pass or the rush against the Titans. QB Vince Young, Pass: 21 - 31 - 248 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 5 - 44 - 0 - Young finished with a passer rating of 78.4 by completing 68% of his passes for an average gain of eight yards per attempt. Young continued to show his maturation as a pocket passer with a deep bomb down the left side to Roydell Williams, and a perfect pass to Justin Gage's back shoulder in the corner of the right end zone for touchdowns in the third quarter of this game. Young avoided the pass rush for most of the afternoon, and limited himself to just five effective scrambles.RB LenDale White, Rush: 12 - 60 - 1, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (1 targets) - White averaged five yards per carry, with a long of thirteen yards before departing. His injury was initially described as a shoulder injury, however later reports noted a dislocation of his middle finger. His status for Week 14 is not known at the time of the release of this game recap.
RB Chris Brown, Rush: 11 - 46 - 1, Rec: 2 - 13 - 0 (2 targets) - Brown took advantage of additional playing time, including a seven yard scamper around left end on his touchdown run. Brown adds the ability to get outside and better receiving skills to the offense, but does not wear down defenses the same way starter LenDale White does.
WR Justin Gage, Rec: 5 - 64 - 1 (8 targets) - Gage made a nice catch on a well thrown ball to his back shoulder in the right corner of the end zone, and came down with his feet in bounds for the second of two Vince Young touchdowns in the third quarter of this game. Gage had his fourth straight game with at least four catches and sixty yards, and has earned his spot in the starting lineup over Brandon Jones.
WR Roydell Williams, Rec: 5 - 74 - 1 (8 targets) - Williams' big play came on a 43 yard touchdown pass down the left sideline where Roydell beat his defender and caught a well thrown ball from Vince Young. Williams tied for the team lead in targets.
TE Bo Scaife, Rec: 4 - 57 - 0 (6 targets) - Scaife contributed with a solid afternoon, spreading out four catches against the Texans and helping to convert a couple of key first downs.
PK Rob Bironas 0 - 1 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 4 points - Bironas failed to convert on his only field goal attempt, a 53 yarder into the wind on a wet and rainy day in Nashville which he left short. Bironas did successfully connect on all four extra point attempts.
TEN Rush Defense - The rush defense struggled with Ron Dayne early on, but the return of Albert Haynesworth coupled with a third quarter lead shut down the Texans rushing game in the second half, and limited their running backs to 94 yards on the afternoon.
TEN Pass Defense - While they were not able to slow down Andre Johnson, the Titans shut down the rest of the passing game, and applied enough pressure to knock Matt Schaub out of the game and keep Sage Rosenfels from beating them.Atlanta Falcons 16, St. Louis Rams 28
What you need to know
Atlanta Falcons - Chris Redman replaced an ineffective Joey Harrington to begin the fourth quarter and instantly ignited the team. He threw for two touchdowns, but came up short in the comeback attempt when he was intercepted by OJ Atogwe with less than two minutes to play.Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwood were very close to a 50-50 time split, with Norwood far and away the more productive of the two backs. Three of his eight carries were for long gains, whereas Dunn had ten carries for a total of 17 yards.
The passing game got pretty hot in the fourth quarter. Roddy White was the main target, for both QBs, as he finished the game with a whopping twenty targets. Alge Crumpler also looked to be back to his old form.
St. Louis Rams - Gus Frerotte got the start, while Marc Bulger (concussion) did not dress. In the first half, he looked amazing, easily moving the team downfield for three passing TDs. He threw a couple of picks in the second half, but the Rams were running the ball more as well, trying to protect their 21-0 halftime lead.Steven Jackson was the hero of the day after he romped fifty yards for a game-sealing touchdown, very late in the game. But he just as easily could have been the goat, since without that carry he was basically a 2.5 yards per carry runner. He did help out in the passing game, and showed his moves once he was in the open field; but his run-blockers were simply not getting it done for him.
The Rams receivers were productive. Torry Holt was on fire to start the game. He was the target on nearly all the longer patterns and scored a touchdown, while Isaac Bruce was used on short and intermediate routes, and also scored a touchdown. Tight End Randy McMichael caught a rare touchdown pass on the opening drive. No other receiver was targeted much, but Steven Jackson made his presence felt as well.
What you ought to know
QB Joey Harrington, Pass: 17 - 34 - 184 - 0 TD / 1 INT - Harrington did not make it past the third quarter, as he was yanked after an interception. Early in the game, he appeared to be making progress against the Rams defense, but repeatedly came up just short in each case.QB Chris Redman, Pass: 16 - 24 - 172 - 2 TD / 1 INT - Redman replaced Harrington to begin the fourth quarter and really ignited his team. He threw 24 times in one quarter (versus Harrington's 34 attempts through three quarters), nine of which were intended for Roddy White; two were for touchdowns, and one was a costly interception with under two minutes to play that foiled the comeback.
RB Warrick Dunn, Rush: 10 - 17 - 0, Rec: 1 - 23 - 0 (3 targets) - Dunn had a very unproductive day. He basically split carries with Norwood (ten to eight) but had only 17 yards on the ground to show for it.
RB Jerious Norwood, Rush: 8 - 94 - 0, Rec: 3 - 21 - 0 (3 targets) - Norwood had three big runs on only eight carries, one of which was a 35-yard carry that set up a fourth quarter touchdown. His three receptions were all for short gains. He basically split time evenly with Warrick Dunn.
WR Roddy White, Rec: 10 - 146 - 1 (20 targets) - White had an extraordinary amount of looks from both quarterbacks. He fumbled the ball early in the game, but made up for it later by scoring on a catch from Redman in the fourth. Most of his catches were in the 15-20 yard range.
WR Michael Jenkins, Rec: 5 - 48 - 1 (9 targets) - Jenkins was effective moving the chains as nearly all of his catches were good for first down yardage. The lone exception was his five yard touchdown catch.
WR Joe Horn, Rec: 4 - 38 - 0 (7 targets) - Horn was only targeted once in the first half, but became an important weapon when the Falcons went to the air in the second half. Still, he remains the number four target behind White, Crumpler, and Jenkins.
WR Laurent Robinson, Rec: 2 - 10 - 0 (6 targets) - Robinson was getting looks before Horn in the first half, and then was targeted three more times in the second. His numbers tell part of the story; the other is that once Redman entered the game, Robinson did not see the ball come his way at all.
TE Alge Crumpler, Rec: 7 - 65 - 0 (13 targets) - Crumpler had a pretty good day, and his presence in the passing game also allowed Roddy White to flourish. A healthy Crumpler does a lot for this team offensively.
TE Dwayne Blakley, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (1 targets) - Blakley caught one short pass in the first half. With Crumpler at full health, he is used mainly as a blocker.
PK Morten Andersen 1 - 1 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - Andersen made a 41 yard field goal in the third quarter, the first points the Falcons would muster.
ATL Rush Defense - They shut down the running game quite nicely, but did allow the backs to get open for short passes.
ATL Pass Defense - The team tightened things up in the second half, but they had trouble with Torry Holt especially, and rarely pressured the quarterback. QB Gus Frerotte, Pass: 23 - 35 - 311 - 3 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 2 - -2 - 0 - Frerotte looked like the second coming of Kurt Warner (circa 2000) in the first half, scoring easily on the first drive, and finishing the half with three passing TDs, and all to different receivers. In the second he threw two interceptions and allowed the Falcons a chance to get back in the game.RB Steven Jackson, Rush: 20 - 96 - 1, Rec: 4 - 71 - 0 (5 targets) - Jackson was stopped cold on all but his last rush of the day, a 50 yarder that iced a game that the Rams nearly let get away from them. He was dangerous on a few catch and run passing plays.
RB Antonio Pittman, Rush: 4 - 11 - 0, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) - Pittman was strictly a change of pace back, spelling Jackson when needed. He did contribute with two crucial first down runs in the fourth quarter.
RB Brian Leonard, Rec: 3 - 23 - 0 (3 targets) - Leonard was reliable on third downs, catching all three attempts thrown his way. He did not receive a single carry, however.
WR Torry Holt, Rec: 6 - 135 - 1 (9 targets) - Holt lit up the Falcons secondary in the first half. His first three receptions were for 23, 38, and 31 yards, with the last ending in the end zone. He was targeted less in the second half as the Rams were trying to protect their lead.
WR Isaac Bruce, Rec: 4 - 31 - 1 (8 targets) - Bruce had a touchdown, and a handful of short gains. For the most part, he played the role of reliable possession receiver in this game.
WR Drew Bennett, Rec: 2 - 33 - 0 (4 targets) - Bennett is sort of an afterthought in the passing game; he's the fourth option, after Holt, Bruce, and Jackson. He caught his first two for first downs, then dropped an easy one, and was only looked to once after that.
WR Dane Looker, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) - Looker contributed minimally to the game.
TE Randy McMichael, Rec: 2 - 10 - 1 (4 targets) - McMichael showed how dangerous he can be as a receiver, with his short TD catch. The Falcons were caught off guard because he had been helping out the offensive line so much, he was able to slide off a block and get wide open. Nevertheless, he was stuck blocking most of the time, which limited his potential.
PK Jeff Wilkins 0 - 0 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 4 points - Wilkins was perfect on four extra points; he had no field goal attempts.
STL Rush Defense - The Rams shut down Dunn, but Norwood ran wild on them.
STL Pass Defense - They looked good against Harrington, but once Redman showed up, they got beat for two passing touchdowns. Their saving grace was a key interception inside the two minute mark, which made the difference in the game.Green Bay Packers 27, Dallas Cowboys 37
What you need to know
Green Bay Packers - QB Brett Favre, who came into this game 0-8 all-time in Dallas, did not have his best game in limited action. He looked to force throws and often threw into double coverage early in the game. The pass protection didn't help as the Cowboys got good pressure. Favre failed to recognize a cornerback blitz by Nate Jones in the second quarter and was hurt on the play when Jones' helmet hit Favre's elbow while throwing. He left the game and did not return with what was reported as an elbow bruise. Favre finished the game five for 14 for 56 yards and two interceptions.QB Aaron Rodgers came in for the injured Favre and played very well in relief. He led the Packers on a 69 yard scoring drive late in the first half and hooked up WR Greg Jennings for 11 yards for his first NFL passing touchdown. Rodgers wasn't able to bring the Packers back all the way, but he showed he is a capable backup who can move the Green Bay offense and kept the game competitive. Rodgers finished the game with solid numbers going 18 for 28 for 201 yards and one touchdown. He also added 30 yards rushing by making some plays with his feet.
RB Ryan Grant had another terrific game against a tough opponent. He broke a 62 yard touchdown run late in the first quarter on a third and one play in which the Dallas safeties were unable to come up and make a play on him. Grant would only add 32 yards on 13 more carries in the game, but one of them would be a one yard plunge into the end zone in the third quarter for his second touchdown of the game.
WR Greg Jennings had a nice game as he led the Packers in receiving with 87 yards. Jennings' biggest play of the game came on 43 yard completion which came on a short out pattern that he was able to turn into a big gain after the catch in the second quarter. Later on in that drive, Jennings would catch a pass on the Dallas two yard line and was able to scramble in for a touchdown.
Dallas Cowboys - QB Tony Romo had another excellent performance as he managed the game well and used all of his offensive weapons to put up 37 points on a good, but banged up Packers defense. He never wavered in this game even after Green Bay made a comeback, as he did a great job of reading defenses and finding the open receiver. Romo also made plays with his feet rolling out of the pocket and hitting guys with accuracy. He finished the game 19 for 30 for 309 yards and four touchdowns. Late in the game, Romo hit an open WR Terrell Owens in the end zone but, the ball bounced off his hands and up into the air where the Packers' CB Al Harris intercepted the ball in what could have been even a bigger game for him. He now has 33 touchdowns this season and now holds the club's season record.WR Terrell Owens was pretty much unstoppable in the first half of this game as he had six catches for 147 yards and one touchdown. He had three catches of 34 yards or more in the first half and caught his only touchdown on a ten yard pass midway through the second quarter. Owens should have had a second touchdown in the game when Romo found him in the end zone but, the ball bounced off his hands and into the hands of a defender for an interception. WR Patrick Crayton had three catches for 42 yards and two touchdowns.
RB Marion Barber had a solid game as he had 17 carries for 81 yards, most of them coming in the second half. He came close to getting a touchdown in the second half on nice 17 yard run but, was tripped up and tackled on the Packers five yard line.
What you ought to know
QB Aaron Rodgers, Pass: 18 - 26 - 201 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 5 - 30 - 0 - Rodgers stepped in for an injured QB Brett Favre in the second quarter and went five for eight for 69 yards the rest of the half. He would get his first NFL touchdown pass late in the half to WR Greg Jennings on an 11 yard pass. He did a good job of moving the Packers down the field to cut the deficit to only ten points at halftime. Rodgers led Green Bay down the field on there first possession of the second half on a 69 yard touchdown drive. Rogers threw for 55 yards and ran for nine yards on that drive as he looked really good leading the Packers offense and pulled them within three points of the Cowboys. He did a good job of using his legs scrambling for 30 yards. If Green Bay can take anything from this loss, it is that Rogers looks like a capable backup and can come in and make some plays to move the offense.QB Brett Favre, Pass: 5 - 14 - 56 - 0 TD / 2 INT - Favre and the Packers came out throwing as they opened the game in a five receiver set, something that has been pretty effective for the Packers recently. He threw one up for grabs on the first play of the Packers' third possession of the game. Favre got some pressure from up the middle and threw an ill-advised pass that was intercepted. He took plenty of deep shots down the field early in the game and was lucky not to get a couple of other passes picked off. He got his second interception early in the second quarter when a defender came in on a blitz and Favre's throwing arm hit his helmet while trying to throw. Favre looked to be in pain after the play as he held his throwing arm. It appeared he slammed his forearm or elbow on the defenders helmet while trying to throw. Favre would not come back into the game on the next series and back up Aaron Rodgers would take his place. Favre stayed on the sidelines with his helmet on but he would not return to the game as he had a wrap on his right throwing elbow. He played poorly prior to getting injured and having to leave the game.
RB Ryan Grant, Rush: 14 - 94 - 2, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (2 targets) - Grant broke off the Packers' first big play of the game when he took a third and one play 62 yards for a touchdown. The Dallas safeties should have been able to make the tackle on Grant on this play, but they ran into each other, making it an easy scamper for him once he got through the line. It was the longest run of the year for Green Bay. He would finish the first half with ten carries for 90 yards. Grant got his second touchdown of the game when he punched in a score from within the one yard line. But Grant wasn't a big part of the offense in the second half as he only gained four yards rushing on four carries in the second half.
RB Vernand Morency (3 targets) - Morency had three targets but, did not have catches or carries.
WR Donald Driver, Rec: 7 - 66 - 0 (10 targets) - Driver got a pass thrown to him in the end zone on the first drive but, CB Terrence Newman had good coverage and was able to break up the pass. He would only catch one pass for three yards in the first half. He made his first big impact of the game by catching a 17 yard pass on a third down and long play early in the second half. Driver caught an eight yard pass to the one yard line and was tackled short of the goal line midway through the third quarter. He caught an 11 yard pass across the middle for first down late in the game. Like usual, Driver caught most of his seven passes over the middle of the field between the hash marks.
WR Greg Jennings, Rec: 5 - 87 - 1 (6 targets) - Jennings made his first catch on a short pass and then made a great move and took it 43 yards late in the second quarter. He caught a pass on the Dallas two yard line and was able to scramble into the end zone for an 11 yard touchdown catch. He finished the half with three catches for 63 yards. He caught a 15 yard pass for a first down early in the fourth quarter and would add another catch for nine yards late in the game. Jennings led the Packers with 87 yards receiving.
WR James Jones, Rec: 3 - 39 - 0 (8 targets) - Jones had a deep ball thrown to him early in the game but, it was overthrown by QB Brett Favre. In fact, he was targeted early as three of Favre's first four passes went in his direction. He would have six targets in the first half but, only two catches for 32 yards. Jones only had one catch for seven yards in the second half as WR Donald Driver was targeted much more often in the second half and Jones only had two passes thrown his way.
WR Koren Robinson, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (2 targets) - Robinson had one catch for seven yards in the first half. His second catch came on a quick out which he was able to take for nine yards.
TE Donald Lee, Rec: 3 - 30 - 0 (3 targets) - Lee only had one catch for three yards in the first half. He caught a big pass over the middle for 22 yards to put the ball deep in Dallas territory. He would add one more pass for five yards late in the game.
PK Mason Crosby 2 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 9 points - Crosby made a 47 yard field on Green Bay's first drive of the game. His next field goal was a big 52 yard field goal late in the game that pulled the Packers to within seven points.
GB Rush Defense - The Packers gave up 107 yards to the Dallas running backs, but did a pretty good job throughout most of the game against them. They were unable to stop them late in the game as Cowboys were able to run down the clock and kick a field goal for seal up a victory.
GB Pass Defense - Injures to the Packers secondary, especially starting CB Charles Woodson, hurt the Packers in this game as QB Tony Romo had his way with them by throwing for over 300 yards and four touchdowns. QB Tony Romo, Pass: 19 - 30 - 309 - 4 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - -2 - 0 - Romo came out and looked very good early on leading the Cowboys to two scoring drives on there first couple possessions. But the drives bogged down in Green Bay territory and they had to settle for two field goals. On their third possession, Romo capitalized on a Packers' turnover by finding WR Patrick Crayton open in the back of the end zone on a three yard pass. He was given plenty of time to throw and pick apart the Packers' zone defense. He hit Terrell Owens on 48 yards pass and came back to throw a strike to TE Anthony Fasano on a great pass on the right side for a 26 yard touchdown. Romo did a great job of looking off the safeties and throwing a perfect pass to Fasano over the defender. The Cowboys would draw a big pass interference penalty which would set up Romo's third touchdown pass of the first half with a ten yard pass to Terrell Owens. He finished the first half nine for 15 for 197 yards. In that half, the Packers did not get much pressure on Romo, and he did a great job of finding open receivers. Romo started off slow in the second half but completed a big 35 yard pass to WR Patrick Crayton on third and 19 deep in Dallas territory. It was a huge play because it looked like the momentum of the game had turned in Green Bay favor, but Romo was able to lead the Cowboys down into Packer's territory. The Cowboys should have had a touchdown but, Owens had the ball hit him in the hands in the end zone and bounce up in the air for a Packers defender to intercept. Dallas got the ball deep in Green Bay territory after a 42 yard interference penalty. Romo would find Crayton again on crossing route for four yard touchdown and his fourth touchdown. Romo played an excellent game and his play was the difference maker in this contest. Also, give credit to the Cowboys offensive line as they gave Romo all day to throw the ball.RB Marion Barber III, Rush: 17 - 81 - 0, Rec: 1 - -3 - 0 (1 targets) - Barber came in on the Cowboys' second drive and didn't waste much time making an impact as he had a nice 16 yard run up the middle, punishing tacklers all the while. But he would only have six carries for 25 yards in the first half. Barber had another big gain of 17 yards on a run, after cutting it back to the left side of the field on a play designed to go to the right. The defensive back was able to trip him on the play and bring him down on the Green Bay five yard line, otherwise he had six points. He was able to run the ball pretty effectively late in the game as the Cowboys tried to run down the clock. He had 23 yards on the Cowboys last drive of the game that helped seal the victory.
RB Julius Jones, Rush: 9 - 26 - 0, Rec: 1 - 21 - 0 (1 targets) - Jones started the game and caught a short screen pass, and took it 21 yards on the first drive to help set up the Cowboys' first score. Romo and the passing game were very effective in the first half, and Jones only had five carries for 15 yards rushing. He started the second half with a 12 yard carry up the middle. But he would only have three more carries for negative one yard the rest of the game.
WR Terrell Owens, Rec: 7 - 156 - 1 (10 targets) - Owens had a huge first half as he had six catches for 147 yards. He caught two early passes for 18 yards but, dropped a very catchable ball on third and eight, deep in Green Bay territory. The Cowboys were forced to settle for their second field goal. Owens came back and caught a big pass for 34 yards on the next drive that put the ball inside the Packers ten yard line. Owens caught a 48 yard pass over the middle early in the second quarter to give him 100 receiving early in the second quarter. He capped off a big first half with a ten yard touchdown pass midway through the second quarter. QB Tony Romo and Owens continued their half of pitch and catch as they hooked up for a 37 yard completion on the next possession.
The second half wasn't too kind to Owens as he had a sure touchdown in the end zone but, he had the ball bounce out of his hands and into the hands of Packers CB Al Harris. This was a huge play since it would have given the Cowboys a ten point lead early in the fourth quarter. He only caught one pass for nine yards in the second half, but saw plenty of double teams in the half after scorching the Packers' secondary in the first half of the game.WR Patrick Crayton, Rec: 3 - 42 - 2 (6 targets) - Crayton caught Dallas' first touchdown of the game on a play where he got open in the back of the end zone. He caught a big 35 yard pass late in the third quarter on a third and long situation. Crayton's third catch was four yard touchdown on crossing pattern where he was able to get in front of the defender on the play.
TE Jason Witten, Rec: 6 - 67 - 0 (9 targets) - Witten did not connect with many throws in the first half but, he was Romo's favorite targets in the second half. He had catches of 13, 12, and 13 yards each for first downs early in the fourth quarter. He had another big first down on a 15 yard catch off a crossing pattern late in the game. He finished the game as Dallas' second leading receiver.
TE Anthony Fasano, Rec: 1 - 26 - 1 (2 targets) - Fasano caught his first and only catch of the game on a 26 yard touchdown reception in the second quarter. He almost had a second touchdown on a diving catch on Dallas' next possession but, he dropped the ball when he hit the ground.
PK Nick Folk 3 - 3 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 13 points - Folk made a 26 yard field on the first drive of the game and a 51 yard one on the second drive. He would add another 25 field goal late in the game to seal a victory for Dallas.
DAL Rush Defense - The Cowboys run defense did a very good job against the run but, made a big mistake on one play in the second quarter when they let RB Ryan Grant run 62 yards for touchdown on a third and one play. Dallas safeties seemed to get tangled up with one another on a missed tackle and let what should have about ten yard gain turn into a big play. Outside of Grant's big run, they held him to 32 yards rushing on 13 carries. They did give up two rushing touchdowns in the game.
DAL Pass Defense - The Cowboys intercepted Favre twice early in the game and did a good job of not letting Favre get off to a good start in the game. They gave up 201 yards to Aaron Rodgers in relief and one touchdown. CB Terrence Newman left the game at one point with an injury.New York Jets 40, Miami Dolphins 13
What you need to know
New York Jets - The New York Jets traveled to southern Florida and set out for their third win of the season against the winless Dolphins. Behind a strong running attack, the Jets were able to do just that as they posted a dominant 27 point victory. Jets quarterback Kellen Clemens took on a supporting role, managing the game, and giving way to his running backs. He was able to complete well over 50 percent of his passes for 236 yards and a score.The day was controlled however, by the New York rushing duo of Thomas Jones and Leon Washington as they combined for 143 total yards on the ground and three rushing touchdowns. Thomas Jones led the way with 75 yards on the ground however it was Leon Washington that found the end zone twice in the contest while also adding 68 rushing yards himself.
The Jets defense put up another solid effort after being embarrassed last week by Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys. They forced five turnovers and were able to pressure Dolphins quarterback John Beck most of the game, which resulted in three total sacks. The have been a solid unit since returning from their week 10 bye.
Miami Dolphins - The winless Dolphins came into this home game against one of their fiercest rivals, the New York Jets. They struggled again and gave the Jets control late as they gave up 40 total points and fell to a record of 0 and 12. Rookie quarterback Jon Beck in this, his third start, threw three interceptions and failed to find the end zone.The Dolphins run game also struggled mightily as they were held to under 40 yards and no touchdowns. They abandoned the run in most of the second half as they had to take to the air, trying to play catch up.
The Dolphins defense was scorched yet again as they allowed 372 total yards and 40 points en route to their league leading twelfth loss. Their only bright spot came in the second quarter as they forced a fumble, which was returned by Michael Lehan for the only Dolphins touchdown of the game.
What you ought to know
QB Kellen Clemens, Pass: 15 - 24 - 236 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - 14 - 0 - Kellen Clemens started the day completing four of his first five attempts en route to seven points on the Jets opening drive of the ball game. After some first half struggles Clemens put together a 15 for 24 afternoon totaling 236 yards and a touchdown. His lone TD pass of the day came on a swing pass to Brad Smith, which allowed him to show his speed en route to a 19 yard touchdown catch and run.RB Thomas Jones, Rush: 24 - 75 - 1, Rec: 1 - 25 - 0 (1 targets) - Thomas Jones had a solid day as he accumulated 100 total yards and a touchdown in the big victory. He rushed 24 times and saw only one target come his way, which he converted into a 25 yard passing play. He was overshadowed however by Jets backup running back Leon Washington, who was the primary beneficiary of the Jets offensive explosion.
RB Leon Washington, Rush: 10 - 68 - 2, Rec: 2 - 35 - 0 (3 targets) - Washington had a great game as he gained 110 total yards and added two touchdowns. He was used interchangeably with Thomas Jones and gained just about as many yards as Jones in half the carries. Washington also saw three targets, grabbing two of them for 35 total yards. His first touchdown was a beautifully designed play where Washington took a direct snap in for the score.
WR Laveranues Coles, Rec: 5 - 69 - 0 (7 targets) - Coles was the most frequently targeted Jets on the day as he saw seven looks his way and was able to convert five of them for 69 yards. He was open frequently and seemed to have that burst after the catch back.
WR Brad Smith, Rush: 3 - 6 - 0, Rec: 1 - 19 - 1 (3 targets) - As with McCareins, Jets receiver Brad Smith made the most of his limited looks by catch one out of his three targets for a 19 yard touchdown. It was a fantastic catch and run as Smith showed his versatility and quickness.
WR Justin McCareins, Rec: 1 - 51 - 0 (2 targets) - McCareins saw only two looks but made them most of them by snagging a 51 yard pass from quarterback Kellen Clemens.
TE Chris Baker, Rec: 2 - 10 - 0 (3 targets) - Baker had a quiet day as he brought in two of his three targets for ten yards.
PK Mike Nugent 4 - 4 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 16 points - Nugent connected from 40 yards and added three more field goals en route to a game that saw him go a perfect four for four on his field goal tries.
NYJ Rush Defense - The Jets run defense was very solid and benefited from the offensive explosion late in the game as the Dolphins abandoned the run. They limited the Dolphins to fewer than 40 yards rushing and most importantly kept them out of the end zone. This unit has played better the second half of the season and has shut down opposing ground games since returning from their bye week.
NYJ Pass Defense - The Jets pass defense brought its "A" game again as they held quarterback John Beck to only 177 yards and forced him into throwing three interceptions in the game. It was the fourth game in a row that this oncoming did not allow a 100 yard receiver. The interior played as well as the secondary as they were able to tally three total sacks and two fumble recoveries coming off the hands of Dolphins signal caller, John Beck. QB John Beck, Pass: 23 - 39 - 177 - 0 TD / 3 INT, Rush: 3 - 3 - 0 - Key to Miami's loss were the three interceptions thrown by Beck in the game. He completed 23 of his 39 passing attempts for only 177 yards. Beck spread the ball throughout the offense looking primarily to Lorenzo Booker, Marty Booker and Ted Ginn.RB Jesse Chatman, Rush: 11 - 26 - 0, Rec: 2 - 10 - 0 (4 targets) - On the Dolphins opening drive of the game they asserted Jesse Chatman as the dominant workhorse. On a nine play field goal scoring drive, Chatman received seven of the first nine looks by both air and land. He then hit a wall as he finished with only 36 total yards and no scores. He averaged a mere 2.0 yards per carry and was only able to haul in two of his four looks for ten yards.
RB Lorenzo Booker, Rush: 1 - 6 - 0, Rec: 6 - 63 - 0 (7 targets) - Booker was the main pass catching threat out of the backfield as he saw seven total targets, grabbing six of them for 63 yards. He also added a six yard gain on his only rushing attempt.
WR Marty Booker, Rec: 4 - 36 - 0 (8 targets) - Marty Booker saw eight targets come his way as he snagged four of them for 36 yards.
WR Ted Ginn, Rec: 3 - 19 - 0 (10 targets) - Ginn again saw a team high total in targets as ten balls came his way. With ten total targets he was disappointing in his production by only bringing in three balls for 19 yards. He drew two Jets defenders most of the game, which proved to be a big factor in keeping him off track.
WR Derek Hagan, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (3 targets) - Hagan brought in two of his three targets for 14 yards.
TE David Martin, Rec: 4 - 22 - 0 (5 targets) - David Martin had a productive day as he caught four of his six targets for 22 yards.
PK Jay Feely 2 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points - Feely was able to convert both of his field goal attempts including a 53 yard strike in the first quarter.
MIA Rush Defense - The Dolphins rush defense was victimized all day as they allowed a total of 163 yards on the ground, including three rushing scores. They had no answer for the tandem of Thomas Jones and Leon Washington as they were forced to stay on the field for more than half of the game.
MIA Pass Defense - The Dolphins pass defense also struggled allowing 236 yards though the air while only coming up with one interception. They also allowed Kellen Clemens to post his fourth passing touchdown on the year as he hit wide receiver Brad Smith on the score. This struggling Dolphins squad is losing the time of possession battle and it is visibly affecting this already depleted defensive unit.Buffalo Bills 17, Washington Redskins 16
What you need to know
Buffalo Bills - Buffalo struggled offensively throughout the contest, but maybe just enough plays, and took advantage of Rian Lindell's stellar leg, to eek out a last minute win to deflate the emotional Washington Redskins 17 to 16. Quarterback Trent Edwards returned to the starting lineup, and showed decent accuracy while having trouble getting the ball deep down the field. Most of his completed throws were of the short or medium variety, and had virtually no success deep. To his credit, he protected the ball all game long, and made his biggest play of the game when it counted the most. His deep ball to Josh Reed went for a game high 31 yards and set up Lindell's game winning kick.Buffalo's only points of the first half came on an Angelo Crowell sack of Jason Campbell in the Bills end zone for a safety. Crowell had a great game, contributing nine tackles and a fumble recovery in addition to his safety. The Bills defense played admirably, containing Clinton Portis and keeping Jason Campbell and the Redskins' passing game out of the end zone. They only gave up one score, a three yard rush by Portis in the third quarter, and limited the Washington rushing game to 80 yards.
Edwards preferred targets were his wide receivers. The three finished in the top four on the team in receiving yards, with running back Fred Jackson also in the mix. Jackson started the game in place of the injured