New York Giants 16, Philadelphia Eagles 13
What you need to know
New York Giants - The New York Giants took their five game road win streak into Philadelphia and looked to come away with their ninth win of the season. After four hard fought quarters, the Giants were able to escape Lincoln Financial Field with a three point victory.Quarterback Eli Manning started slow out of the gate before turning it on for the final three quarters. He completed 17 of 31 passes for 219 total yards and a touchdown. He protected the football as he avoided throwing an interception or losing a fumble.
The New York defensive unit was stout after giving up an opening drive touchdown by Brian Westbrook. They went on to keep the Eagles out of the end zone as they allowed only 191 yards through the air to quarterback Donovan McNabb. They maintained a balance in the secondary as they took away the deep ball and limited Brian Westbrook catching balls out of the backfield.
Philadelphia Eagles - The Philadelphia Eagles came into this home contest desperate for a win and hoping to stay within reach of a wild card birth. To do so, they would have to first get through a physical New York squad who was looking to move one step closer to a playoff invitation. After four hard fought quarters the Eagles fell to the Giants by a final score of 16 to 13.Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb returned to action and posted an efficient day by completing 20 of his 30 passes for 179 yards and a touchdown. He spread the ball around for four quarters as he hit eight different receivers on short and intermediate routes and kept the Giants' defense on the field for over half the game.
Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia's most dangerous weapon, had another magnificent day as he gained 151 total yards and found the end zone on the Eagles opening drive. He was able to find room on the ground as well, accumulating 116 yards on 20 carries while leading Eagles receiver Reggie Brown brought in seven catches for 71 yards.
The Eagles defense played well, allowing a total of only 16 points and 318 total yards. While they did not allow many New York touchdowns, they did give up major chunks of yards as Eli Manning and company were able to move the ball down field with ease.
What you ought to know
QB Eli Manning, Pass: 17 - 31 - 219 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 7 - 0 - Eli Manning orchestrated an efficient game as he showed off his managing skills, completing 17 of his 31 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown. Struggling in the first quarter, Manning pulled it together to lead a three play, 37 yards drive, which resulted in a beautiful touchdown pass to receiver Plaxico Burress. Manning showed poise in the pocket and protected the ball well in the come from behind effort.RB Brandon Jacobs, Rush: 22 - 70 - 0, Rec: 3 - 11 - 0 (4 targets) - Jacobs had an up and down day as he ran hard, gaining a total of 81 yards on 22 carries, and three receptions. His game will unfortunately be remembered for his two fumbles, which resulted in three points and the Eagles getting another shot at a game tying drive. His ball security will be the talk of his day, however, take note that he looked good running the football behind the Giants offensive line.
RB Reuben Droughns, Rush: 3 - 34 - 0 - Droughns had a good game in support of Brandon Jacobs, as he carried three times for 34 yards. His most significant run came on the Giants first scoring drive, as he took a third and short carry 35 yards to the two yard line. The Giants would settle for a field goal, putting their first three points of the game on the board.
WR Plaxico Burress, Rec: 7 - 136 - 1 (12 targets) - Burress fought through his ankle injury and posted another great game, bringing in seven of his 12 targets for 136 yards, and New York's go ahead touchdown. Most of his yards surprisingly came after the catch where Burress was able to bring in the ball on underneath routes, and put his legs to work in getting those hard fought yards.
WR Amani Toomer, Rec: 3 - 37 - 0 (4 targets) - Toomer was the traditional possession receiver, as he was able to bring in three of his four targets for 37 total yards. He was the clear second or third option on the day and played his usual role, as he moved the chains on all three of his catches. He was also targeted on a passing play in which an Eagles penalty made the down null.
WR Sinorice Moss, Rec: 2 - 28 - 0 (3 targets) - Moss took over the third receiver role in stride as he hauled in two balls for 28 total yards. Moss made the most of his three targets as he averaged 14 yards per catch.
TE Jeremy Shockey, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (6 targets) - Shockey stayed in on a more than usual amount of plays but was only able to see six balls come his way, bringing in only one ball for four yards. He did have a target in the end zone where he was open but Manning missed him.
PK Lawrence Tynes 3 - 3 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 10 points - Tynes was perfect on the day as he hit on all three of his field goal attempts as well as the only New York PAT.
NYG Rush Defense - The New York rush defense started off slow as they allowed an opening drive, which resulted in a touchdown, mainly behind the legs of Brian Westbrook and the Eagles rushing attack. After the opening drive, New York did a very good job of bending but not breaking against the run, as they were able to keep the Eagles out of the end zone while allowing 141 total rush yards.
NYG Pass Defense - The New York passing defense allowed seven points on their opening drive of the game, then buckled down, allowing only six points the rest of the way. They put constant pressure on Donovan McNabb and forced him to make many throws out of the pocket. The Giants pass defense, as a unit, allowed less than 200 yards through the air and was the deciding factor in the game, stopping the Eagles on a fourth down play, forcing a game tying 57 yard field goal, which David Akers was unable to convert. QB Donovan McNabb, Pass: 20 - 30 - 179 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 4 - 11 - 0 - McNabb returned to action after being out for two games and was able to complete 66 percent of his passes for 179 yards and a touchdown. His first drive of the game was his only touchdown pass as he hooked up with Brian Westbrook on an 18 yard catch and run. He was forced to throw on the run for most of the game and was unable to hit anything deep downfield, mostly due to a solid New York secondary.RB Brian Westbrook, Rush: 20 - 116 - 0, Rec: 5 - 38 - 1 (6 targets) - Westbrook asserted himself as the workhorse from the very first play, en route to gaining 154 total yards and a receiving touchdown. He gained 111 yards on the ground and was able to bring in five of his six targets for 39 yards. His only touchdown of the game, which came through the air, gave the Eagles an early seven point lead in the first quarter of this defensive battle.
RB Correll Buckhalter, Rush: 2 - 9 - 0 - Buckhalter spelled Westbrook most of the day as he gained nine yards on two carries. He received no looks in the passing game for Philadelphia.
WR Reggie Brown, Rush: 1 - 5 - 0, Rec: 7 - 71 - 0 (9 targets) - Reggie Brown had a decent day as he saw nine targets, bringing in seven of them for 71 yards. Receiving a team high number of targets, Brown made the most of his production as he averaged over ten yards per catch.
WR Kevin Curtis, Rec: 3 - 26 - 0 (4 targets) - Curtis was only able to see four balls come his way as he brought in three of them for 26 yards. He was a clear third option behind receiver Reggie Brown and running back Brian Westbrook
TE L.J. Smith, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (4 targets) - Smith saw four targets, but he was only able to record one catch for eight yards.
PK David Akers 2 - 3 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points - Akers was able to connect on two of three field goals and his only PAT attempt. His lone field goal, which had plenty of leg, bounced off the upright, giving the Giants the three point victory.
PHI Rush Defense - The Eagles rush defense executed their game plan well, as they mixed up their formations and allowed only 111 yards on the ground and kept Brandon Jacobs and company out of the end zone. In limiting the Giants' rushing unit, however, they were gashed for a big 35 yards, as Reuben Droughns plowed ahead, setting up the first points of the game for New York.
PHI Pass Defense - The Eagles' pass defense allowed the only Giants touchdown as Eli Manning was able to hook up with Plaxico Burress for a 20 yard catch and run, putting the Giants ahead for good. They were unable to create any turnovers as Eli Manning had an interception free day and eclipsed the 200 yard mark through the air. On a designed screen pass to running back Brandon Jacobs, the Eagles were able to strip him of the football and return it inside the ten yard line, resulting in a Philadelphia field goal.Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14, Houston Texans 28
What you need to know
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Luke McCown started for the Buccaneers, who were without Jeff Garcia who missed the game due to a back injury. McCown was a respectable 25 of 38 for 266 yards, but failed to get the club in the end zone through the air and lost a fumble that the Texans converted into an offensive score.RB Earnest Graham was one of the bright spots for the Tampa Bay offense, rushing for 61 yards on 15 attempts, including touchdown runs of four and 11 yards. Graham also added six receptions for 45 yards in the passing game.
Joey Galloway led the Buccaneers in receiving, with six receptions for 87 yards, but was unable to come up with any of the big plays he seems to make week in and week out.
Tampa Bay had a tough time containing the Houston offense, which scored a touchdown in each quarter of the game. They allowed three touchdowns in the passing game, and also gave up a kickoff score on special teams. To their credit, they did hold the Texans to 71 yards rushing on 27 attempts and gave up two scores on short fields following turnovers by their offense. For the game, they allowed just 257 total yards, forced two fumbles and recorded three sacks, but could not overcome the sloppy play by their offense that forced them to defend a short field.
Houston Texans - QB Sage Rosenfels got the start for the Texans and played well in relief of the injured Matt Schaub. Rosenfels led a first quarter scoring drive that ended with a touchdown strike to WR Andre Johnson and followed that up with an eight yard score to WR Kevin Walter in the second quarter following a Tampa Bay turnover. After another Buccaneers miscue gave the ball back to the Texans at the start of the fourth quarter, Rosenfels hit TE Owen Daniels from four yards out to put Houston up 28-14.Ron Dayne got the start for the Texans and had 17 yards on seven attempts before leaving the game with an injury. He did return later in the game, but was not used much following the injury. Darius Walker took Dayne's place in the backfield, and finished with 46 yards on 16 attempts and added six receptions for 35 yards in the passing game.
WR Andre Johnson led the way for the Texans in receiving, with nine receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown, and WR Kevin Walter and TE Owen Daniels each contributed scores in the passing game.
A big story of this ballgame was the play of the Houston defense. They were able to keep the Buccaneers out of the end zone in the passing game, and did a great job containing WR Joey Galloway, not allowing the speedster to get downfield for any big plays in the passing game. The Texans held Tampa Bay to 71 yards on the ground and shut the Buccaneers down on third downs, where they completed just three of 13. Houston forced two turnovers, which led to scores by their offense, had four sacks, and won the special teams battle, with a kickoff return by WR Andre Davis.
What you ought to know
QB Luke McCown, Pass: 25 - 38 - 266 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 10 - 0 - Luke McCown could not replicate the success he had last week, as he finished 25 of 38 for 266 yards, zero scores and a lost fumble. He looked comfortable in the pocket, but the Texans pressure forced McCown outside the tackles, where McCown could not find any open receivers downfield. He looked comfortable on the run, and showed some athletic ability, but just could not get into a rhythm with his receivers. He had his chances downfield, and missed Joey Galloway on a sure touchdown on an overthrown ball.RB Earnest Graham, Rush: 15 - 61 - 2, Rec: 6 - 45 - 0 (11 targets) - Graham finished with 15 rushes for 61 yards and two rushing touchdowns on the ground, and added six receptions for 45 yards in the passing game. He continued to run hard, and while he doesn't have breakaway speed, he uses his workmanlike attitude to get the most out of every run. His touchdown runs came from four and 11 yards out, and his 11 targets were a team high.
WR Joey Galloway, Rec: 6 - 87 - 0 (8 targets) - Joey Galloway was targeted eight times, and caught six passes for 87 yards. He was overthrown on a deep pass route that would have been a sure touchdown, but aside from that missed opportunity, the Houston defense did a nice job containing Tampa Bay's biggest offensive weapon.
WR Michael Clayton, Rec: 4 - 39 - 0 (6 targets) - For the first time this year, Michael Clayton looked healthy. He totaled just four receptions for 39 yards, but when he did have the ball in his hands, he showed some of the playmaking ability that has been missing for a few years now. Clayton was targeted six times in the game with two third down targets.
WR Ike Hilliard, Rec: 3 - 28 - 0 (3 targets) - Hilliard caught all three passes thrown his way for 28 yards, but left the game after fumbling the ball on his third reception with an apparent shoulder injury. The turnover led to a Houston touchdown, and Hilliard did not return to the game.
TE Alex Smith, Rec: 2 - 39 - 0 (5 targets) - Alex Smith was targeted five times and caught two passes for 39 yards.
PK Matt Bryant 0 - 0 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 2 points - Bryant made two extra points, and did not attempt a field goal, finishing with two points.
TB Rush Defense - Tampa Bay shut down the Houston rushing attack, as they held the Texans to 71 yards on 27 attempts (for a 2.6 ypc average), did not give up a rushing score, and gave up just one rushing first down.
LBs Cato June and Derrick Brooks each totaled five solo tackles and two assists to lead the Buccaneers defense.
TB Pass Defense - The Buccaneers pass defense had trouble shutting down the Houston passing game, most specifically WR Andre Johnson. They didn't seem to have anyone that could cover the talented wideout, who burned them for nine receptions and a touchdown. Along with that score, they also gave up passing touchdown to WR Kevin Walter and TE Owen Daniels. They gave up 17 passing first downs, and allowed the Texans to convert ten of 17 third downs.DB Ronde Barber totaled eight solo tackles and two assists, and DL Greg White finished with three sacks and two forced fumbles.
QB Sage Rosenfels, Pass: 27 - 36 - 209 - 3 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 1 - 0 - Rosenfels did not put up huge yardage numbers, throwing 27 of 36 for 209 yards, but made plays when he needed to, connecting with his receivers on three passing scores. The first came on a four yard toss to WR Andre Johnson that put Houston up 7-0. Rosenfels later connected with WR Kevin Walter from eight yards out and TE Owen Daniels from four yards out for his second and third scores of the game. He did lose two fumbles, one of which led to a Tampa Bay touchdown, but continued to make plays on third downs to keep the chains moving.RB Darius Walker, Rush: 16 - 46 - 0, Rec: 6 - 35 - 0 (6 targets) - Darius Walker entered the game following the Dayne injury, and played well enough to keep Dayne on the sidelines. He ran the ball 16 times for 46 yards, and added six receptions for 35 yards on six targets in the passing game. While those numbers aren't great, Walker showed some playmaking ability in both the run game and the passing game.
RB Ron Dayne, Rush: 7 - 17 - 0, Rec: 2 - 15 - 0 (2 targets) - Dayne started the game and ran the ball seven times for 17 yards, while adding two receptions for 15 yards in the passing game, before leaving the game with an injury. He did return to the game, but was not used much following the injury.
WR Andre Johnson, Rec: 9 - 82 - 1 (11 targets) - Johnson was targeted 11 times and finished with nine receptions for 82 yards. While he did not come up with any big plays downfield, he had six third down receptions that resulted in first downs, and added a four yard touchdown to lead the Texans receivers.
WR Kevin Walter, Rec: 5 - 47 - 1 (8 targets) - Walter finished with five receptions for 47 yards on eight targets, and added an eight yard touchdown.
WR Andre Davis, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (1 targets) - Davis caught the only pass thrown to him for a five yard gain, but had a huge play in the return game, taking a kickoff back 97 yards for a touchdown.
TE Owen Daniels, Rec: 3 - 20 - 1 (5 targets) - Daniel received five targets, and was able to come down with three receptions for 20 yards that included a four yard touchdown reception.
PK Kris Brown 0 - 0 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 4 points - Brown had no field goal attempts, but made four extra points to finish with four points for the game.
HOU Rush Defense - The Texans defense played well on both sides of the ball. In the rushing game, they held the Buccaneers to 71 yards on 17 attempts and while they gave up two rushing scores, they didn't give Tampa Bay many big gains on the ground. They finished off tackles and swarmed to the ball, and were helped in their efforts to stop the run by their offense, which kept putting points on the board.
LB Morlon Greenwood totaled seven solo tackles and six assists to lead the Texans.
HOU Pass Defense - Houston was able to keep the Buccaneers out of the end zone through the air, and much of that can be credited to the attention they gave WR Joey Galloway. They bottled Galloway up throughout the game, with help coverage over the top to limit any big plays downfield. For the game, they held Tampa Bay to three of 13 on third downs and forced two fumbles.DB Fred Bennett led the Houston defensive backfield with eight solo tackles and DL Mario Williams totaled four solo tackles, two assists and added a sack. LB Morlon Greenwood added a sack of his own, and rookie DL Amobi Okoye was credited with a half sack.
Pittsburgh Steelers 13, New England Patriots 34
What you need to know
Pittsburgh Steelers - For the first half of this game, it looked like the Pittsburgh Steelers had a shot at ending the Patriots' chance at an undefeated season. They went into half time only down one point and had maintained a couple of long drives which had culminated in field goals. New England looked beatable, again. Unsurprisingly, however, the Patriots made the proper half time adjustments and held the Steelers scoreless the rest of the way on their way to victory number thirteen in what might have been their last real test of the regular season.All of the pre-game focus was on Steelers' DB Anthony Smith who guaranteed victory for Pittsburgh earlier in the week. Smith was beaten numerous times by the New England receivers and was shown up and embarrassed throughout the game. Hopefully the young player has a learned a lesson -- don't give a team which has essentially clinched the conference any more reason to beat you. In the first half, after the Patriots took the lead, QB Tom Brady found Smith on the field and apparently let him know that the Patriots had not forgotten about his guarantee.
RB Willie Parker ran the ball well for Pittsburgh. He added on to his conference leading rushing totals but his efforts were not enough for the Steelers.
QB Ben Roethlisberger played adequately but wasn't able to do enough in the face of the seemingly improving Patriots defense. He was hit hard a few times throughout the game and faced enough pressure to keep him on his toes throughout the contest.
Defensively, the Steelers were without star DB Tory Polamalu. He was dearly missed as the Patriots were able to throw the ball deep with success on a couple of occasions.
New England Patriots - It was the same old story for New England in this victory. They only ran the ball only nine times while QB Tom Brady threw the ball all over the field in yet another dominating win.Brady had success with both the short pass and the long ball in this game. On one play, he tossed a quick pass to WR Randy Moss who was waiting at the line of scrimmage. Initially, the play appeared to be botched as Brady's pass was a few yards behind the line and Moss had to pick the ball off the ground. However, Moss lateraled the ball back to Brady who threw the ball 56 yards to Jabar Gaffney who was waiting wide open downfield for a touchdown.
In the second half, the Patriots focused on quick passes and screens in order to combat the Steelers effective pass rush. The strategy worked, as the Patriots moved the ball down the field with ease --eating up clock and putting the game out of reach. At one point, Brady threw the ball to WR Wes Welker for five consecutive completions.
In a somewhat startling trend, Patriots receivers once again had butterfingers as Wes Welker, Randy Moss, and Jabar Gaffney all had balls bounce off of their hands for incompletions.
The running backs for New England hardly saw any action as the Patriots once again eschewed traditional play calling and passed and passed despite their lead.
Defensively, the Patriots defense was stout, especially later in the game. They forced the Steelers to settle for field goals on two long drives, and stopped them on a fourth and goal on the one yard line in the fourth quarter.
What you ought to know
QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pass: 19 - 32 - 187 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 4 - 24 - 0 - Roethlisberger gave it his all in the loss, but he was unable to put any points up on the board in the second half despite moving the ball well against the Patriots defense in the first half. He faced constant pressure throughout the game and was forced to take a couple sacks because he was unable to get rid of the ball in time. On one third and ten play the Patriots fielded six defensive backs and Roethlisberger ran the ball up the middle and dove headfirst for a nine and a half yard gain. He then hit WR Cedric Wilson over the middle for the first down. At times, he was inaccurate which hurt his team on key third downs.RB Willie Parker, Rush: 21 - 124 - 0, Rec: 4 - 23 - 0 (5 targets) - Parker was one of the only bright spots for the Steelers in the loss. Parker added to his conference leading rushing totals and ran hard and with purpose. He hit the seams with speed and fought hard for the extra yards.
RB Najeh Davenport, Rush: 6 - 33 - 0, Rec: 1 - 32 - 1 (2 targets) - Davenport was a key component of the Steelers offense, converting a fourth and one situation and then later on a third and one. He also caught a 32 yard touchdown pass in the end zone for the Steelers' only touchdown of the game.
WR Hines Ward, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0, Rec: 5 - 39 - 0 (9 targets) - Ward carried the ball on a fourth and goal situation and was stopped at the one yard line after bumping into his own blocker. Two plays earlier he took a shovel pass from QB Ben Roethlisberger to the one yard line, as well. However, as a receiver Ward was on his game and caught all the balls he could put his hands on.
WR Cedrick Wilson, Rec: 2 - 23 - 0 (2 targets) - Wilson caught a screen pass on the sideline from QB Ben Roethlisberger and made a skilled dash down the sideline for eight yards, but otherwise was very quiet in the loss.
WR Santonio Holmes, Rec: 1 - 13 - 0 (4 targets) - On a key third down, WR Santonio Holmes dove forward to catch the underthrown ball from QB Ben Roethlisberger but the ball hit off the ground before he could reel it in and the team was forced to punt. He has battling an injury lately, and was not a contributing factor for the Steelers.
TE Heath Miller, Rec: 4 - 28 - 0 (4 targets) - Miller caught three passes on the Steelers' first possession of the game but was not heard from again until the fourth quarter.
PK Jeff Reed 2 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points - Reed connected on both of his field goal attempts in the loss.
PIT Rush Defense - The Pittsburgh rush defense was largely untested in this match-up as the Patriots only ran the ball nine times in this game.
PIT Pass Defense - Early on, the Steelers were able to get pressure on QB Tom Brady. Despite allowing two passing touchdowns in the first half, the Steelers went into halftime with a good shot to pull out the victory. However, the Patriots made the necessary adjustments, forgot about a running game, and began to focus on quick, short routes in order to counter the Steelers' constant and varied pressure. The plan worked as Brady and his receivers moved the ball down the field with an all aerial attack, eating up the clock and punching the ball into the end zone with ease.The Steelers also clearly missed DB Troy Polamalu who was in street clothes on the sidelines.
QB Tom Brady, Pass: 32 - 46 - 399 - 4 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 4 - 0 - Brady did what he's been doing all season -- torching defenses. Brady was the star of the show as New England only ran the ball a grand total of nine times. The Steelers were helpless against the quick paced passing attack of the Patriots. In the face of constant pressure, the Patriots switched to a short-passing game with Brady finding Wes Welker, Randy Moss, Jabar Gaffney, and Kevin Faulk on slant routes, screens, and routes over the middle. Brady also took advantage of the absence of DB Troy Polamalu with two deep strikes of over 50 yards. After hitting Moss for the first touchdown of the day, Brady quickly located DB Anthony Smith on the field for a little chat (likely about Smith's guarantee of a Steelers victory).RB Laurence Maroney, Rush: 8 - 18 - 0 - It's become clear that the Patriots are a passing-focused offense. Maroney was a complete non-factor in the victory over the Steelers, only touching the ball twice in the second half - late in the fourth quarter - as the undefeated Patriots attempted to run down the clock.
Maroney did have one nice run for a ten yard gain early in the game. He moved the entire pile with him for the final nine yards and a first down. As usual, he was not a part of the passing game.RB Kevin Faulk, Rec: 3 - 15 - 0 (3 targets) - Faulk and the rest of the New England running backs were basically spectators in their team's win over the Pittsburgh Steeler. The Patriots threw the ball all game long despite leading for most of it, and Faulk was only target three times as the stable of skilled receivers for New England took control of the game in the second half.
WR Wes Welker, Rec: 9 - 78 - 1 (10 targets) - Welker was quiet for the first half of the game -- reeling in only one reception on three targets. Once the third quarter started, however, Welker was unstoppable. He caught eight passes in the second half including an incredible five receptions on consecutive plays. He did have one drop early in the game.
Tom Brady often hit Welker often over the middle on quick passes up the seam to exploit the Steelers blitz packages.WR Jabar Gaffney, Rec: 7 - 122 - 1 (9 targets) - Gaffney found himself wide open deep down the field after an apparent botched pass play in which Randy Moss lateraled the ball back to Tom Brady. He hit Gaffney for a 56 yard touchdown. Gaffney had two passes bounce of his hands in this game.
WR Randy Moss, Rec: 7 - 135 - 2 (11 targets) - Moss was devastatingly open on a 63 yard touchdown pass from QB Tom Brady. Newly infamous DB Anthony Smith bit hard on the play action and Moss was open by at least ten yards as he caught the bomb from Brady and literally walked into the end zone. Moss missed a chance at his third touchdown of the day later in the game when he let a perfectly thrown pass from Brady bounce off his hands in the back of the end zone. It was his second dropped pass of the game.
Moss also helped out with blocking on RB Laurence Maroney's ten yard run early in the game.WR Donte Stallworth, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (5 targets) - Stallworth was quiet in the victory over the Steelers. His single reception featured a broken tackle which will help to further solidify his reputation as a receiver with a penchant for gaining yards after the catch no matter the circumstance.
TE Ben Watson, Rec: 4 - 33 - 0 (5 targets) - Watson was mostly an afterthought for QB Tom Brady in the victory as the talented wide receivers for New England stole the show.
TE Kyle Brady, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (1 targets) - Brady hauled in one catch but it was a key first down conversion for the Patriots.
PK Stephen Gostkowski 2 - 3 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 10 points - Gostkowski had a rare miss in the victory, missing wide right on a 48 yard attempt in the first half.
NE Rush Defense - Again, the New England run defense allowed a seemingly large amount of rushing yards against their opponent. Willie Parker, Najeh Davenport, and Ben Roethlisberger were all able to pull of some nice runs and first down conversions. However, New England managed to hold the scoring in check and ended up with another dominating victory. The Steelers were unable to run the ball across the plane of the end zone despite having two shots from the one yard line in the fourth quarter.
NE Pass Defense - The New England pass defense was aided by a solid pass rush. The entire defense appeared to adhere to the cliché of bend but do not break as QB Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers were able to make some nice plays and move the ball down the field but they had trouble punching the ball into the end zone. LB Adalius Thomas nearly had the only pick of the day as he jumped up to deflect a Roethlisberger pass that bounced off both his raised hands.The defense was especially dominate in the second half as they apparently figured out the Steelers and prevented them from putting up a single point over the final two quarters.
Arizona Cardinals 21, Seattle Seahawks 42
What you need to know
Arizona Cardinals - By falling behind 24-0 after a little more a quarter and half of play, Arizona had to abandon its running game and play catch up for the entire contest. The Cardinals went into halftime down 27-7. In the third quarter, the Cardinals mounted a charge and cut the deficit 27-14. On the ensuing kickoff, Neil Rackers recovered his own onside kick and it appeared the Cardinals had some momentum. However, on the next play Warner threw the third of his five interceptions, and the Seahawks drove the ball 62 yards to go ahead 34-14 putting an end to any thoughts of a Cardinal come from behind victory.In the fourth quarter, Arizona made a few more mistakes that added to the Seahawk's margin of victory, when the Seattle D returned an interception for a touchdown, and when Arizona's punter Mitch Berger mishandled a punt deep in the Cardinals' territory and was tackled out of the end zone for a safety. Kurt Warner was blitzed often and was under pressure much of the game. He threw five interceptions but did post positive numbers with 28 for 46 and 337 yards, and three touchdowns. One of those interceptions came at a crucial time, when it appeared the game's momentum had swung the Cardinals way late in the third quarter.
Edgerrin James really didn't get anything going from a result of the Cardinals offense needing to come from behind. When called upon James ran hard and found little success behind his offensive line. He finished the game with only 46 yards on 13 carries and no touchdowns.
With Anquan Boldin inactive for this game, Larry Fitzgerald was called upon, but was hobbling throughout the game. He was seen limping several times during the contest, and was clearly affected by his sore groin. However, he did contribute with six catches for 79 yards and one score late in the fourth quarter. Little used, Jerheme Urban was the game's leading receiver with 123 yards on six catches and one score. It was Urban's first career 100 yard game. All the Cardinals' receivers stats were the result of the team needing to play catch up. In the second half, the Cardinals ran only five times.
Seattle Seahawks - Seattle was in control of this game from the start, as they scored on their first four possessions (three TDs and a field goal) and took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and a 27-7 lead into the half. The scoring barrage set the tone for the game putting the Cardinals in a come from behind mode for the rest of the game.In the second half, the team needed just to limit their mistakes and to control the tempo, which they did. In the second half, the offense had the ball only five times and scored on just one of those possessions. However, the Seahawk's defense and special teams came up big scoring with an interception return for a touchdown and a safety late in the fourth quarter.
Matt Hasselbeck played an outstanding game hitting 13 of his first 15 passes for 188 yards and three touchdowns. He had 202 yards passing at halftime and finished the game 22 of 33 for 272 yards and four touchdowns. In all, Hasselbeck hit seven different receivers and had good precision of his passes. He threw no interceptions.
Shaun Alexander and Maurice Morris, both had mediocre games stat wise. Morris was the more punishing runner with 13 carries for 36 yards. Alexander had 10 carries for 38 yards. Alexander did break a 25 yard run early in the second quarter.
Deion Branch, Nate Burleson and Bobby Engram: All three had outstanding games and each scored a touchdown in the first half. They found the depleted Cardinal secondary at times of little resistance. Branch ended with three catches for 52 yards; Bobby Engram had four catches for 55 yards, and Nate Burleson had five catches for 50 yards.
What you ought to know
QB Kurt Warner, Pass: 28 - 46 - 337 - 3 TD / 5 INT - Warner's stats were the result of playing catch up for the entire game. The Cardinals only ran the ball 16 times in the game. In all, Warner ended the game 28 for 46 for 337 yards and three touchdowns. He hit nine different receivers in the game, but threw five interceptions, and fumbled once. Warner was harassed often but found receivers open when he scrambled. He was sacked five times on the day.RB Edgerrin James, Rush: 13 - 46 - 0, Rec: 3 - 24 - 0 (3 targets) - James was really a non-factor in this game toting the ball only 13 times for 46 yards. His longest run was nine yards. James' stats, or lack of them, were a result of the Cardinals' offense needing to play catch up and the team running a no huddle or a four and sometimes five receiver sets.
RB J.J. Arrington, Rec: 2 - 22 - 0 (2 targets) - Arrington was used mainly in four and five receiver sets and was targeted twice out of the backfield for 22 yards. His longest was 15 yards.
WR Larry Fitzgerald, Rec: 6 - 79 - 1 (12 targets) - Fitzgerald, who was a game time decision for this game with a groin injury, gutted it out and caught six passes for 79 yards and one touchdown. He was clearly playing injured in this game and was seen limping several times. The injury affected his play as he was unable to stride out and get separation from his defenders.
WR Jerheme Urban, Rec: 6 - 123 - 1 (7 targets) - Urban was the Cardinals' leading receiver with six catches for 123 yards and one touchdown, all in the second half. His touchdown catch was a thing of beauty as the pass bounced off his shoulder pads up in the air and Urban was able to maintain control for the touchdown. Urban longest catch was for 38 yards, and he and Warner seemed to have good rhythm on the pass routes.
WR Steve Breaston, Rec: 4 - 52 - 0 (5 targets) - Breaston ended the game with four catches for 52 yards, all in the second half during mop up duty. He had one drop on the day.
WR Bryant Johnson, Rec: 1 - 5 - 1 (9 targets) - In a game where Johnson needed to come up big, he only had one catch for five yards, but it was for a touchdown. Johnson had two dropped passes in the game, and caught only one of the nine balls thrown his way.
TE Leonard Pope, Rec: 4 - 16 - 0 (6 targets) - Pope had a quiet day with only four catches for 16 yards. He left the game late in the third quarter after catching his fourth pass with an ankle injury. He was carted off the field with an air cast on his right ankle.
TE Ben Patrick, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (2 targets) - Patrick caught one pass for 11 yards in the red zone.
PK Neil Rackers 0 - 1 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 3 points - Rackers missed his only field goal attempt of the game (a 50 yard attempt). He converted all three of his extra points. Late in the third quarter, and after the Cardinals had pulled within 27-14, Rackers recovered his own onside kick to give the Cardinals' the ball.
ARI Rush Defense - The Cardinals rush defense played a good game holding the Seahawk running attack to only 80 yards on 28 attempts. The longest rush was a 25 yard run to Shaun Alexander on a fourth and one. They gave up no scores on the day.
ARI Pass Defense - The Cardinals pass defense played horrible in this game giving up three touchdown passes in the first half alone. Though injury depleted, they were outmatched by the Seattle passing attack and gave up 272 yards and four touchdowns. They did not have a turnover on the day. QB Matt Hasselbeck, Pass: 22 - 33 - 272 - 4 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 4 - 3 - 0 - Hasselbeck started the game hot hitting 13 of his first 15 throws and had 203 yards and three touchdowns at halftime. The offense scored on its first four possessions and five of six first half possessions. Hasselbeck hit seven different receivers and threw the ball with great accuracy. He was in control of the offense from the onset and played a mistake free game.RB Maurice Morris, Rush: 13 - 36 - 0, Rec: 3 - 26 - 0 (3 targets) - Morris was a more punishing runner in this game, rushing 13 times for 36 yards, but no touchdowns. Morris also contributed with three catches for 26 yards out of the backfield. Morris seems to be running with more determination than Alexander at this stage in the season.
RB Shaun Alexander, Rush: 10 - 38 - 0 (1 targets) - Alexander had only ten rushes on the day for 38 yards, and no touchdowns. He was spelled often by Maurice Morris. Alexander's longest run came of a fourth and one, when he burst through the initial Cardinals defense and ran 25 yards down the sideline.
RB Leonard Weaver, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0, Rec: 4 - 56 - 0 (5 targets) - While mainly a blocking back for Morris and Alexander, Weaver contributed to the passing offense with four catches for 56 yards including 43 yard screen pass in the second quarter.
WR Nate Burleson, Rec: 5 - 50 - 1 (5 targets) - Burleson had a good game catching five balls for 50 yards and one score. Burleson scored the Seahawk's first touchdown in the first period. His longest reception was 25 yards.
WR Bobby Engram, Rec: 4 - 55 - 1 (5 targets) - Engram's touchdown was a thing of beauty as he made a diving catch in the front of the end zone. Engram finished the game with four catches for 55 yards and one score. His longest catch was 20 yards. He was targeted mainly over the middle of the Cardinals secondary.
WR Deion Branch, Rec: 3 - 52 - 1 (4 targets) - Branch scored a on a 17 yard touchdown catch deep in the end zone. He ended the game with three catches for 52 yards. Branch's longest catch was 31 yards on a deep out pattern.
WR Ben Obomanu, Rec: 1 - 18 - 0 (2 targets) - Obomanu caught the only ball thrown his way, an 18 yard catch. The catch resulted in a first down.
TE Marcus Pollard, Rec: 2 - 15 - 1 (4 targets) - Pollard had one touchdown catch to put the Seahawk's up 34-14. He finished the game with two catches for 15 yards.
PK Josh Brown 2 - 2 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 10 points - Josh Brown was perfect on the day in field goal attempts, hitting two (44 and 23 yards) but converted on only four of his five extra point attempts. On the failed attempt, the snap was high and not handled by the holder.
SEA Rush Defense - The rushing defense did a great job of containing James, as the longest run of the day was only nine yards. The defense also contributed to the scoring with a safety as the Cardinal punter Mitch Berger was unable to handle a punt snap deep in their own territory and was tackled out of bounds at the back of the end zone. In total the rush defense gave up only 50 yards on the day, but the stats are skewed a bit by the Cardinals needed to abandon their run game to play catch up.
SEA Pass Defense - The Seahawks pass defense was aggressive, and contributed to the scoring onslaught by returning an interception 84 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. In all, the defense gave up 337 yards and three touchdown passes, but had five interceptions on the day. They blitzed Warner often and harassed the quarterback several times, sacking him five times. The longest pass play they gave up was 38 yards to little-used Jerheme Urban, who ended the game as the Cardinals' leading receiver.Chicago Bears 16, Washington Redskins 24
What you need to know
Chicago Bears - The Bears lost starting QB Rex Grossman on the second series of the game when he suffered a left knee injury when a defender fell on him. Grossman's knee was bent awkwardly on the hit and it looked like a serious injury. He was replaced by QB Brian Griese who struggled early in the game as he gave up two interceptions on two consecutive passes to CB Shawn Springs. Griese played a little better in the second half as the Bears abandoned their pitiful run game and threw it more often. He went 18 of 28 for 230 yards in the second half including a 17 yard touchdown pass to WR Bernard Berrian. Griese finished the game with some solid passing numbers but, simply did not look very sharp or comfortable in the pocket. He raised his interception total to 12 in only seven appearances and he did not make many plays in the red zone.RB Adrian Peterson had rough game against a tough Redskins run defense and only averaged two yards a carry on 17 attempts in the game. The Bears have really struggled running the ball all year and this game was no different. More disappointing was the fact that Peterson was a non-factor in the passing game, he only caught one pass for nine yards. His biggest play of the game was a 25 yard gain off a screen pass but, that was negated because of a penalty. Backup RB Garrett Wolfe saw a lot of action in the fourth quarter in passing situations.
WR Bernard Berrian had an excellent game catching a game high seven catches for 91 yards, and one touchdown. He made a couple of great catches in this game including a 35 yard grab on the right sideline which was the Bears biggest play of the game, and a 17 yard touchdown reception he made in the corner of the end zone. Berrian was also Griese's favorite target in the game as he had 12 balls thrown his way.
Washington Redskins - This was a bad game to be starting quarterback as QB Jason Campbell went down shortly after QB Rex Grossman did when a couple of defenders fell on his leg while he was throwing the ball. It appeared to be a significant injury as his leg was placed in an air cast on the field and he was carted off. It was reported to be a dislocated knee cap. Backup Todd Collins came into the game not having thrown a pass in a couple of years, and played very well. He was 15 for 20 for 224 yards and two touchdowns. The Redskins pass protection was very good in this game and was one of the keys to success for them in the game.RB Clinton Portis did not have a good game rushing the ball as he was held to only 36 yards. But Portis was a factor in the passing game as he had six catches for 86 yards. He had one big play where he took a screen play 54 yards early in the third quarter. Portis showed his exceptional cut back ability and great vision on the play. He was tackled on the one yard line and came out the game after the play. FB Mike Sellers punched the ball in for touchdown two plays later.
TE Chris Cooley had a nice game catching five passes for 93 yards. Cooley was knocked out of this game for a while late in the first half with a lower leg injury and went to the locker room early at halftime. His replacement, TE Todd Yoder, caught a 21 yard touchdown pass while he was out of the game. But Cooley would return in the second half to make some big plays for the Redskins offense, including catches of 33 and 20 yards in the fourth quarter to help set up a score.
What you ought to know
QB Brian Griese, Pass: 27 - 45 - 295 - 1 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 4 - 12 - 0 - Griese replaced QB Rex Grossman after he went down with a knee injury early in the game. He did not look good in the first half and struggled to move the ball. Griese threw a bad pass that was intercepted by CB Shawn Springs late in the first half and was returned to the Bears 21 yard line. The turnover led the Redskins to their only touchdown in the first half on the next play. Griese's next pass was also intercepted by Springs with five seconds left in the first half. He was nine for 17 for 65 yards in the first half. He was able to move the ball a little better in the third quarter as he had 117 yards passing in that quarter and a 17 yard touchdown pass to WR Bernard Berrian. Griese was never able to make any big plays in the passing game, they had only one play over 20 yards, but he was able to put up pretty good yardage numbers off of 45 pass attempts.QB Rex Grossman, Pass: 2 - 6 - 14 - 0 TD / 0 INT - Grossman was injured on the second series of the game when the Redskins defender hit his left knee while throwing. It looked like it could be a significant injury. He did not return to the game.
RB Adrian Peterson, Rush: 17 - 35 - 0, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (3 targets) - The Bears tried to the run the ball in the first half as they gave the ball to Peterson 13 times, but he did not have a lot of success against a solid Redskins defense as he only had 30 yards. Peterson only had one catch for nine yards, and had a 25 yard catch called back on penalty in the second quarter. Peterson only got two carries for two yards in the third quarter as Chicago started throwing the ball much more in the second half. He would get a carry with the ball on the Washington one yard but, the Redskins defensive line got a good push and tackled Peterson for a three yard loss. The Bears used backup RB Garrett Wolfe a lot more in the fourth quarter in passing situations.
RB Garrett Wolfe, Rush: 3 - 13 - 0, Rec: 4 - 37 - 0 (4 targets) - Wolfe had one carry for 11 yards in the third quarter. He got a few more carries in the fourth quarter as well. He caught four passes for 37 yards late in the game as the short and the speedy Wolfe was used quite a bit late in the game as the Bears were forced to pass the ball.
WR Bernard Berrian, Rec: 7 - 91 - 1 (12 targets) - Berrian had the Bears biggest play of the first half on a quick out that he was able to break a tackle on and take 15 yards for a first down. He finished the first half as the Bears leading receiver, catching three passes for 29 yards. Berrian had a great catch for 35 catch in which he went over the defender and was able to bring the ball down. He caught a pass that was originally waived off by the officials as incomplete. It was an impressive catch as Berrian caught the ball over a defender and it looked like his elbows came down in bounds. After it was reviewed by the instant reply it was ruled a touchdown. Berrian went on to have a very good game and some plays down the field for Chicago, including a couple of very athletic catches.
WR Devin Hester, Rec: 5 - 67 - 0 (10 targets) - Hester didn't catch his first pass until the fourth quarter on 17 yard reception on play in which he escaped a tackle and almost turned into a bigger play. He caught another pass on the next play for 16 yards. Hester almost scored on his fourth catch as he was knocked out at the one yard line. He had four catches for 58 yards on that drive.
WR Muhsin Muhammad, Rec: 4 - 27 - 0 (6 targets) - Muhammad caught three passes for 22 yards in the first half and would add two catches for five more yards in the second half.
WR Mark Bradley, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (2 targets) - Bradley had only one catch for four yards in the game.
TE Desmond Clark, Rec: 3 - 33 - 0 (5 targets) - Clark had three catches for 33 yards in the game. His biggest catch was a 20 yard reception in the third quarter that helped set up the Bears only touchdown of the game.
TE Greg Olsen, Rec: 3 - 31 - 0 (9 targets) - Olsen had only one catch for two yards in the first half, but had an amazing one handed catch for 20 yards with a defender draped all over him. He came back and caught a nine yard pass on the next play. Olsen had two consecutive passes thrown to him in the end zone with the ball on the Redskins five yard line.
PK Robbie Gould 3 - 4 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 10 points - Gould had a 48 yard field goal blocked in the first quarter. He did make a 30 yard field in the third quarter. Gould added another field goal from 22 yards with 30 seconds left in the game.
CHI Rush Defense - The run defense did its job in this game by holding RB Clinton Portis to only 36 yards rushing and the rest of the team to negative five yards. The banged up Redskins line struggled to open up holes for the running game against the Bears.
CHI Pass Defense - The pass defense did not play very well as they gave up 324 yards passing and two passing touchdowns to backup QB Todd Collins. QB Todd Collins, Pass: 15 - 20 - 224 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0 - Collins came in briefly for a couple of plays when Campbell hurt his throwing on play in the second quarter. He returned to the game permanently when it appeared QB Jason Campbell suffered a serious leg injury. Collins was able to hit TE Todd Yoder for a 21 yard touchdown pass with 17 seconds left in the first half. It was his first touchdown pass since 2002. He finished the first half four for five for 37 yards. Collins played very well in the second half as was able to find open receivers in key situations and move the offense down the field. He hooked up with RB Ladell Betts late in the game on a 16 yard score for his second touchdown pass of the game. He was 11 for 15 for 187 yards in the second half.QB Jason Campbell, Pass: 10 - 16 - 100 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - -2 - 0 - Campbell played ok early in the game but was unable to sustain drives for the Redskins. In the second quarter, Campbell rolled to his left and he took a shot to his right arm as he tried to get to the sideline. It looked like the defenders helmet hit Campbell on his throwing elbow. He was replaced by back up QB Todd Collins on the next play. Campbell would return to the game on the next series of the game, but three plays later he had a defender fall on his leg. Campbell looked to be in considerable pain and he was carted off the field. This looked like a serious injury as the medical staff immobilized his leg in an air cast. Early reports are that he suffered a dislocated knee cap. He did not return to the game.
RB Clinton Portis, Rush: 17 - 36 - 0, Rec: 6 - 86 - 0 (6 targets) - Portis started out slow on the ground rushing for only seven yards in the first quarter. But he did have two catches for 22 yards early in the game. Portis only had 12 yards on eight carries in the first half as the Bears completely bottled up the rush game of Washington. He did add four catches for 25 yards in the half. He started the second half with a big play catching a short pass from QB Todd Collins and taking it 54 yards before being tackled on the one yard line. Portis would come out of the game and FB Mike Sellers would punch the ball over for a touchdown two plays later. It was reported later that Portis had an upset stomach and he missed the next series for Washington. Portis would return on Washington's next possession. He was never really able to get another big gain as the Redskin line struggle to open holes for him. Portis only had 24 yards on nine carries in the second half. Portis did have nice receiving yards catching six passes for 86 yards.
RB Ladell Betts, Rush: 3 - -3 - 0, Rec: 4 - 26 - 1 (6 targets) - Betts had one carry for negative two yards, and one catch for seven yards. He did not do much in the second half but did catch a 16 yard pass over the middle for a touchdown late in the game.
RB Mike Sellers, Rush: 1 - 1 - 1 - Sellers scored on a one yard run from the Bears one yard after a 54 yard reception by RB Clinton Portis on Washington's first drive of the second half. It was his only carry of the game.
WR Antwaan Randle El, Rec: 4 - 60 - 0 (7 targets) - Randle El had his biggest play of the game on a 22 yard pass for a first down on the last play of the first quarter. He had a big play late in the game on a third down for 15 yards and a first down while Washington was driving deep into Chicago territory.
WR Santana Moss, Rec: 3 - 29 - 0 (6 targets) - Moss had two catches for 13 yards as the Redskins offense struggled mightily to score points in the first half. He only had one catch for 16 yards in the second half.
WR Keenan McCardell, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (2 targets) - McCardell had one catch for four yards in the first half for his only catch of the game.
TE Chris Cooley, Rec: 5 - 93 - 0 (7 targets) - Cooley was QB Jason Campbell's favorite target early on and caught a 23 yard pass in the second quarter. He finished the first half as the Redskins leading receiver catching three balls for 40 yards. Cooley appeared to injure his lower leg late in the first half and limped off to the locker room before the first half ended. Cooley did return to the game at the start of the second half. He caught a big pass over the middle at the beginning of the fourth quarter for a 33 yard gain. He would come back with another big play as he caught a pass for 20 yards. Cooley led the Redskins in receiving with 93 yards and was big part of the offense in this game.
TE Todd Yoder, Rec: 1 - 21 - 1 (1 targets) - Yoder caught a 21 yard touchdown pass with 17 seconds left in the first half. Yoder had replaced an injured TE Chris Cooley late in the first half. It would his only catch of the game.
PK Shaun Suisham 1 - 3 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 6 points - Suisham had a 47 yard field goal attempt come up just short in the first quarter. He also missed a 37 yard field in the second quarter. Suisham was able to make a 23 yard attempt in the fourth quarter.
WAS Rush Defense - The Washington run defense did a good job of shutting down the Chicago run game as they only allowed 60 yards rushing and only 48 yards to the running backs.
WAS Pass Defense - CB Shawn Springs intercepted a QB Brian Griese pass late in the first half and returned it to the Bears 21 yard line. This turnover set up the Redskins first touchdown. Springs intercepted Griese again on his next pass with five seconds left in the first half. The Redskins' did give up over 300 yards of passing in the game but, only gave up one touchdown as the Bears struggled in the red zone.Oakland Raiders 7, Green Bay Packers 38
What you need to know
Oakland Raiders - The Oakland offense struggled in this game as they gained only 233 yards and picked up a measly ten first downs. Contributing to their poor performance on offense were two interceptions and numerous penalties that negated big plays or put the Raiders in situations where it was difficult to pick up first downs. Except for one good drive near the end of the second quarter where Josh McCown was four of four for 72 yards and a touchdown, he struggled mightily in this contest going seven of 15 with the TD and throwing two interceptions. McCown left the game in the fourth quarter after being roughed up by Green Bay's defense.The Raiders came into this game fourth in the league in rushing offense (135 yards per game), but had a tough time amassing yards on the ground against the Packers. Running backs Justin Fargas and LaMont Jordan combined to total a paltry 78 yards on 26 rushes (an average of 3.0 yards per carry). Fargas got 15 of those 26 rushes, but his last run came with 4:43 left in the third quarter. No injury was reported during the broadcast, and it was Jordan who received all of the rushes after Fargas left the game.
Jerry Porter and Ronald Curry were targeted a total of 13 times, but only four of those passes were completed. Porter led all Raiders' receivers with seven targets, and his 25 yard touchdown near the end of the second quarter was his fifth score of the year. The receiving tandem was the intended targets on Josh McCown's two interceptions.
Green Bay Packers - Despite being limited in practice this week because of elbow and shoulder injuries, Brett Favre made his 250th consecutive start and was effective in leading the Green Bay offense to 24 points. On a chilly day at Lambeau Field where the Packers put an emphasis on the run, Favre finished the game 15 of 23 for 266 yards and two touchdowns. His touchdown tosses to WR Greg Jennings and TE Donald Lee were his 23rd and 24th scoring throws of the year. Favre did throw his 11th interception of the year when Oakland S Stuart Schweigert snagged a pass that was tipped up in the air by WR Koren Robinson.Facing one of the league's worst rush defenses, Ryan Grant rushed for a career high 156 yards on the ground and he punched a six yard run into the end zone that gave Green Bay a 7--0 lead. He averaged 5.3 yards on his 29 rushing attempts and also contributed in the passing game by hauling in two pass attempts. In the past five games, Grant has rushed for 558 yards and five touchdowns.
Greg Jennings made only two receptions in this game, but he made the most of his limited opportunities. His two catches combined for 100 yards and his 80 yard touchdown in the third quarter was Jennings' 11th touchdown of the year. The scoring grab was his fifth touchdown reception of the season that was over 40 yards.
Cornerback Will Blackmon scored two touchdowns on special teams for the Packers. His first score came on a 57 yard punt return in the second quarter and his second score came on a fumble recovery in the end zone following a fumble by Raiders' return man Tim Dwight.
What you ought to know
QB Josh McCown, Pass: 7 - 15 - 110 - 1 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 1 - 6 - 0 - McCown made his seventh start of the year but struggled early on to move the Oakland offense. Until the Raiders' last drive of the first half, he was only two of six for nine yards with one interception. Trailing 14--0 late in the second quarter, McCown got into a rhythm and completed longer passes of 22, 20, and 25 yards. The 25 yard reception was a touchdown toss that went to WR Jerry Porter and the score brought the Raiders within seven points of the Packers. His numbers could have been better, but he had completions of 25 and 26 yards nullified due to penalties. Even though the Green Bay defense failed to sack McCown, the Raiders quarterback took a pounding in this game. He was relieved by Andrew Walter on Oakland's first drive of the fourth quarter after taking a hit from DT Cullen Jenkins on the previous series.QB Andrew Walter, Pass: 5 - 8 - 38 - 0 TD / 0 INT - Walter came into the game with 12:43 left in the fourth quarter. With a limited number of snaps, he completed 63% of his passes and led the Oakland offense to three first downs. His long completion went for 19 yards to WR Ronald Curry.
RB LaMont Jordan, Rush: 11 - 21 - 0, Rec: 4 - 17 - 0 (6 targets) - Jordan only averaged 1.9 yards on his 11 carries but did contribute to the offense by grabbing four of his six targets. Nine of his rushes came after Justin Fargas left in the third quarter. His receiving numbers could have been better, but Jordan had a 26 yard reception called back due to a questionable offensive pass interference penalty called on WR Jerry Porter.
RB Justin Fargas, Rush: 15 - 57 - 0 (1 targets) - Oakland made an attempt to get Fargas going early in this game as he got eight of his 15 rushing attempts in the first quarter. He would finish the first half averaging a respectable 4.1 yards per rush on 10 attempts, but he would leave the game for good in the second half after rushing the ball five times for 17 yards. It was not disclosed during the broadcast why Fargas was out of the game.
RB Justin Griffith, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (1 targets) - Griffith's only grab came on Oakland's first play of the game.
WR Ronald Curry, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0, Rec: 2 - 48 - 0 (6 targets) - Curry's first touch of the game came on a backward pass that he took for a one yard gain. His first reception went for 29 yards, but it did not come until there was 8:26 left in the third quarter. Curry's only other catch went for 19 yards and came on a third and 13 play in the fourth quarter. He was the intended receiver on Josh McCown's second interception.
WR Jerry Porter, Rec: 2 - 45 - 1 (7 targets) - Despite being targeted six times in the first half, Porter did not catch a ball until 40 seconds remained in the second quarter. Even though he got started a little late, he made his two catches count. His first catch went for 20 yard reception and took the football down to the Green Bay 25 yard line. On the very next play, Porter made a leaping catch over the top of Al Harris for a touchdown. He was the intended receiver on Josh McCown's first interception.
WR Tim Dwight, Rec: 1 - 22 - 0 (2 targets) - Dwight's only catch of the game came near the end of the second quarter and occurred on Oakland's only scoring drive of the game. He was open on a deep pass in the fourth quarter, but Andrew Walter's pass was out of reach. Dwight's fumble of a third quarter punt return was recovered in the end zone by Green Bay for a touchdown.
WR Johnnie Lee Higgins, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (2 targets) - Higgins' only catch came on a fourth and one play on Oakland's' final drive of the game.
TE Zach Miller, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) - Miller had a 25 yard reception wiped out due to a holding penalty on an offensive lineman. His only catch came on a fourth and ten play in the fourth quarter. Despite his extra effort to extend the ball, he came up one yard short and the Raiders had to turn the ball over on downs.
PK Sebastian Janikowski 0 - 1 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 1 points - Janikowski missed a 44 yard field goal wide right, but he did convert his only extra point attempt.
OAK Rush Defense - The Raiders' defense came into this contest 30th in the league against the rush and it showed in their futile attempt to stop RB Ryan Grant. Grant finished the day averaging over 5.3 yards on 29 carries and he had a six yard score on the ground in the second quarter. On the day, Oakland's defense surrendered 179 yards to the Green Bay rushing attack.
OAK Pass Defense - Brett Favre finished the day with 15 completions for 266 yards and 126 of those yards came on the two touchdown throws to Greg Jennings and Donald Lee. The score to Lee had to be disheartening to the Raiders as Lee broke a tackle on the short pass and fought off a defender on his way to the end zone. Stuart Schweigert did have his second interception of the season in the first quarter. QB Brett Favre, Pass: 15 - 23 - 266 - 2 TD / 1 INT - There was nothing spectacular about Favre's first half stats (eight of 14 for 77 yards and one interception), but on the offenses' only touchdown drive over the first two quarters, he was four for five for 28 yards. Two third down pass completions on that series kept the chains moving and helped set up Ryan Grant's touchdown run. Favre's second half was more reflective of the games we've come to expect of him this year. Over the final two quarters, he was seven of nine for 189 yards and had touchdown throws to Greg Jennings (80 yards) and Donald Lee (46 yards). Favre's eleventh interception of the year came on a ball that was deflected by Koren Robinson into the hands of an Oakland defender.RB Ryan Grant, Rush: 29 - 156 - 1, Rec: 2 - 6 - 0 (4 targets) - Maybe it was the cold weather or maybe it was the lingering effects of Brett Favre's injuries, but the Packers put an emphasis on giving the ball to Grant in this contest. He got off to a good start, rushing the ball five times for 44 yards on Green Bay's first drive and he was instrumental on the Packers' first touchdown drive. On that series, Grant took the ball on a third and one play and, after he hurdled a would be Oakland tackler, hit the hole to pick up four yards. Two plays later he plowed through a Raider defender on his way to a six yard touchdown. The score was his third rushing touchdown in the last two weeks and his fifth of the year. Grant would have longer rushes in this game of 17, 19, and 26 yards.
RB Vernand Morency, Rush: 7 - 23 - 0, Rec: 3 - 14 - 0 (3 targets) - Morency's first rush came near the end of the third quarter and went for a two yard gain. He took over the rushing duties for Ryan Grant with 8:21 left in the fourth quarter and had six consecutive rushes near the end of the game that went for 21 yards.
WR Donald Driver, Rec: 3 - 38 - 0 (5 targets) - All three of Driver's catches extended drives on third down plays and his long reception of the game went for a 20 yard gain. All of his targets came in the first half.
WR Greg Jennings, Rec: 2 - 100 - 1 (5 targets) - Jennings was pretty quiet early on in this game. On his first target on Green Bay's second drive, he drew a pass interference penalty on CB Nnamdi Asomugha. Jennings' next target came in the second quarter, but the pass fell incomplete on a short pass down by the goal line. His first reception went for a 20 yard gain on a third and 18 play that took place in the third quarter. Jennings' only other grab went for an 80 yard touchdown. On the play, he made a leaping catch and jogged into the end zone after his defender fell down.
WR Koren Robinson, Rec: 1 - 37 - 0 (2 targets) - Robinson tipped the first target his way up into the air and the pass and was intercepted by Stuart Schweigert. His only catch came near the start of the third quarter and went for a gain of 37 yards. In addition to his receiving duties, Robinson also averaged 15 yards on two kick off returns.
WR Ruvell Martin - Martin failed to have a ball thrown his way in this game.
WR James Jones - Jones played in this contest, but Brett Favre failed to look his way.
TE Donald Lee, Rec: 4 - 71 - 1 (5 targets) - After a first half that saw Lee grab three balls for 25 yards, he hauled in his only second half target for 46 yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. After making the catch on the short pass, Lee broke a tackle and fought off a defender on his way to the end zone.
PK Mason Crosby 1 - 3 FG, 5 - 5 XP, 8 points - Crosby missed badly on a 43 yard field near the end of the second quarter, but came back to connect on a 44 yard attempt on Green Bay's initial drive of the second half. A 52 yard attempt in the fourth quarter sailed wide left. Crosby did make good on all of his extra point attempts.
GB Rush Defense - The Green Bay defense did a good job against Oakland's rushing attack as they only allowed 85 yards on the ground. On a fourth and one play with Oakland operating from the Green Bay 47 yard line, S Nick Collins tackled Justin Fargas for loss of two. Nick Barnett brought down LaMont Jordan for a one yard loss on a third and one play in the third quarter that forced a punt.
GB Pass Defense - The Packers defense held Oakland quarterbacks to 12 completions for 148 yards and one touchdown. Al Harris intercepted his second pass of the year on a deep pass intended for Jerry Porter and Atari Bigby picked of his second pass of the year on an attempt intended for Ron Curry. The Green Bay pass rush failed to record a sack in this contest.New Orleans Saints 34, Atlanta Falcons 14
What you need to know
New Orleans Saints - QB Drew Brees played extremely well all night. He moved the ball effectively, leading two touchdown drives in the first half that were over 90 yards each. He targeted Marques Colston and David Patten a combined 23 times on the night, and all three of his touchdown passes went to the aforementioned wide receivers.RB Aaron Stecker got the start at running back for the Saints as Reggie Bush sat due to a knee injury, and showed some promise. He was not too effective in the first half, but he eventually got going once the Saints were up and accumulated 100 yards on 20 carries.
WR Marques Colston caught two touchdown passes, including a jumping grab on a streak from the slot. David Patten had a career day catching nine of the ten balls thrown his way for 122 yards and a nice touchdown down the sideline.
Atlanta Falcons - QB Chris Redman showed flashes of being a good quarterback, but he often checked down on third downs and threw well in front of the first down marker. He made a lot of impressive throws, and seemed to favor throwing to Michael Jenkins as seen by the 14 times he threw his way.RB Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwood split time along with Jason Snelling in the backfield. No one was successful against the Saints, as the three running backs combined for 33 yards on 15 carries.
WR Michael Jenkins was the main man for the Falcons, catching nine balls for 83 yards and a hard fought touchdown. Roddy White also had a decent night with a 39 yard touchdown reception down the sideline that was well covered.
What you ought to know
QB Drew Brees, Pass: 28 - 41 - 328 - 3 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - -1 - 0 - Brees had a great game Monday night against the Falcons. Brees picked apart the defense with many very difficult throws into good coverage. He managed to find Marques Colston for two touchdowns and David Patten for one. He also was able to improvise a couple of times against the Falcons pass rush to buy more time.RB Aaron Stecker, Rush: 20 - 100 - 0, Rec: 3 - 7 - 0 (3 targets) - Stecker filled in as the primary running back with the Saints depleted at that position. He managed to get 100 yards on the night, most of which came in the second half when the Saints were killing the clock.
RB Pierre Thomas, Rush: 6 - 31 - 0 - Thomas did not see much action on the night. He only ran the ball six times. It does like Stecker will be the replacement for Reggie Bush if Bush were to miss more time.
RB Mike Karney, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) - Karney did not see much action, and caught one of the two balls thrown his way for eight yards.
WR David Patten, Rec: 9 - 122 - 1 (10 targets) - Patten was targeted early and often. He caught the first touchdown of the game on a well defended pass down the sidelines. He also was targeted in the end zone on another drive, but Brees was pressure and slightly overthrew the ball. Patten caught an impressive nine balls when only ten were thrown his way.
WR Marques Colston, Rec: 9 - 92 - 2 (13 targets) - Colston had a great night Monday. He was all over the field being utilized as he moved around in the formations. He scored twice on the night. One of the touchdowns was a jumping grab over a cornerback who provided tight coverage. The other touchdown came on a short pass where he turned and stretched the ball over the goalline quickly. It looked like Brees had a lot of confidence in Colston all night.
WR Devery Henderson, Rush: 1 - 15 - 0, Rec: 1 - 32 - 0 (4 targets) - Henderson had a tough night, as he dropped a couple of easy passes. He did make one catch for 32 yards.
WR Lance Moore, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (4 targets) - Moore was only targeted four times and caught two short passes for 14 yards. He also fumbled a punt that led to a Falcons touchdown in the second half.
TE Eric Johnson, Rec: 2 - 17 - 0 (3 targets) - Johnson dropped an easy touchdown reception in the second quarter. He caught the other two balls thrown his way later in the game.
TE Billy Miller, Rec: 1 - 36 - 0 (2 targets) - Miller was the second tight end for the Saints and caught one of the two balls thrown his way.
PK Olindo Mare 2 - 2 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 10 points - Mare was kicking the ball extremely well on the night. The only worry is that he took a hit on coverage late in the game, but it is unlikely he will be affected by that.
NO Rush Defense - The Saints completely stopped the run and forced Redman to throw. Their front four looked dominant all night.
NO Pass Defense - The Saints played solid pass defense, forcing Redman to stay underneath for the most part. The secondary got burnt twice on the night, but they also returned an interception for a touchdown. QB Chris Redman, Pass: 23 - 40 - 298 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 4 - 0 - Redman started for the first time this year. He showed ability to throw the ball accurately, but could not consistently move the chains. It seemed like he threw into coverage often on the night, but he did manage to throw for 298 yards and two touchdowns. His interception came on a well thrown ball to Michael Jenkins that went through his hands and right to Roman Harper who returned it for a touchdown.RB Jerious Norwood, Rush: 6 - 21 - 0, Rec: 2 - 57 - 0 (3 targets) - Norwood was one of the three running backs for the Falcons who could not get much going on the ground. He had a run of seven yards, which was the longest of any back for the Falcons, but he only gained 14 yards on five other carries. He did have a huge gain on a pass play over the middle; he broke two tackles en route to a 46 yard gain.
RB Warrick Dunn, Rush: 6 - 3 - 0, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (2 targets) - Dunn could not get much going on the night. He had a nice run when he caught the ball on a screen, cutting back across the field to gain 11 yards.
RB Jason Snelling, Rush: 3 - 9 - 0 - Snelling saw limited action as the third running back.
WR Michael Jenkins, Rec: 9 - 83 - 1 (14 targets) - Jenkins was targeted a game high 14 times. He was the favorite target of Redman, but he did not catch a pass for more than 14 yards. He worked underneath all night and was rewarded with nine catches, a touchdown, and 83 yards. He was responsible for Redman's interception, though, which passed through his hands into Roman Harper's hands.
WR Roddy White, Rec: 3 - 75 - 1 (7 targets) - White had a solid night. He caught a touchdown and three passes for 75 yards. One of the passes he caught went to the one yard line as time expired in the first half. He was hit hard on slants when Redman led him right into defenders.
WR Laurent Robinson, Rec: 3 - 48 - 0 (4 targets) - Robinson saw minimal targets on the night. He caught three of the four balls thrown his way, including a 41 yard reception when he burned the corner on the outside with a double move.
WR Joe Horn, Rec: 2 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) - Horn did not get much action on the night, but he did catch both balls thrown his way. Those two catches only netted eight yards though.
TE Alge Crumpler, Rec: 3 - 16 - 0 (7 targets) - Crumpler was targeted quite a bit but only yielded three receptions for 16 yards. He seemed a bit sluggish running across the field.
PK Morten Andersen 0 - 0 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 2 points - Andersen made both of his extra points, but early in the game the Falcons could not kick the 51 yard field goal opportunity they had and they elected to punt the ball.
ATL Rush Defense - The Atlanta rush defense was okay on the night, even though they gave up 146 yards rushing. The Saints had the ball for 35:27, and really did not have success running the ball until the second half.
ATL Pass Defense - Drew Brees tore apart the Atlanta pass defense, leading two drives of over 90 yards in the first half. It seemed like they had great coverage most of the time, but Brees just had better throws and reads.Minnesota Vikings 27, San Francisco 49ers 7
What you need to know
Minnesota Vikings - Adrian Peterson was shut down. The 49ers were able to completely contain Adrian Peterson the entire game. Unfortunately, there were not able to contain Chester Taylor the same way. Taylor had a long touchdown run and over 100 yards to keep the Vikings rolling.Tarvaris Jackson continued his streak of successful games, and while he did not put of the fantasy numbers of last week, he continued to play well and show improvement. With the game over by halftime, Jackson did not have the opportunities, and the Vikings play calling did not show the same aggressiveness of previous weeks to give Jackson chances to put up numbers for the whole game.
The Vikings defense was again opportunistic, picking off two 49ers passes, returning one for a touchdown on the first offensive play of the game, and recovering three fumbles. The 49ers were held in check the entire game by the Vikings defense.
San Francisco 49ers - The 49ers could not get anything going on offense, at least without shooting themselves in the foot before scoring. Their lone scoring drive was Shaun Hill's first of the game. However, he soon got the team memo and was as futile as his teammates.Trent Dilfer was unable to find any rhythm for the entire first half. He was knocked out of the game on the 49ers last offensive play of the half scrambling for a first down. His head was knocked back on a collision with a defender and was helped off the field. Shaun Hill fared slightly better in the second half. He drove the team for a touchdown on his first drive. For the remainder of the game, he was satisfied with taking the underneath passes the Vikings were allowing him to have with the large lead. He was not able to bring the 49ers back into the game though.
Frank Gore found running room against the normally stout Vikings run defense. He averaged 4.25 yards per carry, but the 49ers offense was not able to stay on the field long enough for him to get huge yardage numbers or into the end zone. He also did not help himself by fumbling the ball away twice.
What you ought to know
QB Tarvaris Jackson, Pass: 16 - 25 - 163 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 9 - 13 - 0 - Jackson continued to play well, but also continued to do so without putting up significant numbers. Even though he completed over 60% of his passes, he threw for just 163 yards, though he did add in a touchdown. He did look sharp hitting receivers in stride, making quick decisions, scrambling for yardage when there were opportunities and throwing the ball away when necessary. His maturation as a quarterback continued, but with the big lead the Vikings were staked in the first half, he did not need to put up big numbers.RB Adrian Peterson, Rush: 14 - 3 - 0 - Peterson was completely shut down for the first time in his brief career. His longest carry went for just four yards, and the majority of his carries were for zero or negative yardage. He had no room to run all game. He did have one 20+ yard run called back on a holding penalty, but had nothing else to speak of. Peterson was also not involved in the passing game at all.
RB Chester Taylor, Rush: 8 - 101 - 1, Rec: 3 - 23 - 0 (4 targets) - Taylor got the official start of the game, being in on the first series. Taylor also had more success running the ball than did Adrian Peterson, but most of his success came on just one play. On a running play to the left, Taylor had a nice hole he burst through, made one player miss near the sideline, than raced up the sideline stiff-arming two players en route to the end zone 84 yards later. The remaining of his other 7 carries went for just 16 more yards.
WR Robert Ferguson, Rec: 4 - 57 - 1 (5 targets) - Ferguson had one of his best days as a Vikings receiver, and scored the Vikings lone receiving touchdown. The touchdown was a short pass to the right. The defender covering him lunged at Ferguson but bounced off. Ferguson then made a second defender miss and walked into the end zone.
WR Sidney Rice, Rec: 2 - 21 - 0 (4 targets) - Rice had a quiet day, pulling in just two of the 4 balls thrown his way. His first was on the Vikings second play of the game, on a deep in route with Jackson making a nice throw on target for 12 yards. His only other reception was later in the first half, on a third and seven, Rice ran a shallow crossing route and Jackson hit him and Rice was able to turn up field for the first. Rice did not get a look in the second half.
TE Visanthe Shiancoe, Rec: 2 - 11 - 0 (4 targets) - Shiancoe again was an afterthought in the Vikings passing game, garnering just four targets. His first reception went for just two yards, catching it at the sideline and unable to turn upfield before stepping out of bounds. He also caught a nine yard pass later in the game, and made a nice catch going down to the ground to grab a low pass.
PK Ryan Longwell 2 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 9 points - Longwell was perfect on his extra point attempt and made both of his field goal tries, one from 48 yards and another from 46.
MIN Rush Defense - The Vikings rush defense was not as spectacular as usual giving up over four yards per carry to Frank Gore. However, with the 49ers inability to maintain drives, they yielded just 73 yards on the ground.
MIN Pass Defense - The Vikings pass defense played superbly, and actually played better than the 212 yards surrendered looks like. The dominated when Trent Dilfer was in the game and allowed the 49ers nothing through the air in the first half. Once Shaun Hill entered in the second half, they had such a lead they gave up many underneath passes, which added to the yardage totals. QB Shaun Hill, Pass: 22 - 28 - 181 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0 - Hill replaced Dilfer at the start of the second half. Hill started the half off very well, leading the 49ers on a 12 play touchdown scoring drive. He made a nice throw to Arnaz Battle in the end zone, but that was the only scoring the 49ers could muster. For the remainder of the game, Hill accepted taking the underneath open receivers the Vikings allowed. Thus, Hill had a nice completion percentage, but did not get much anything going deep down the field to get the 49ers back into the game.QB Trent Dilfer, Pass: 7 - 19 - 45 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - 1 - 0 - Dilfer was unable to do anything against the Vikings defense. He was under consistent pressure, and generally unable to get anything going the entire first half. The first play of the game for the 49ers was a tipped ball that Kevin Williams intercepted and returned for a touchdown. The rest of the half did not get much better. Dilfer finally had the 49ers driving near the end of the first half. Down 27-0 already, and facing a fourth down near the end zone, the 49ers went for it. Dilfer was unable to find a receiver and scrambled from the pocket. His head collided with a defenders shoulder pad on a clean hit, but his neck jerked back, and he was helped off the field. He did not return.
RB Frank Gore, Rush: 16 - 68 - 0, Rec: 8 - 49 - 0 (8 targets) - Gore was successful running the ball. He found openings against the Vikings front four consistently, and was able to make defenders miss and get positive yards. However, the was hurt by the 49ers as a team, inability to stay on the field. He also hurt his own chances by losing two fumbles. Later in the game, when the Vikings were playing soft defense, Gore chipped in most of his receiving yards with short underneath passes. This helped his total yardage numbers immensely as he was able to finish with 117 total yards.
WR Arnaz Battle, Rec: 2 - 13 - 1 (3 targets) - Battle was invisible for most of the game. He was able to score the 49ers lone touchdown. He found himself wide open in the end zone, and Shaun Hill was able to locate him after several reads. He finished with just 13 yards, however.
TE Delanie Walker, Rec: 6 - 66 - 0 (8 targets) - Walker had a career game, pulling in six of his eight targets to lead the 49ers with 66 receiving yards. Most of his yardage came after the game was well decided and the Vikings were giving the 49ers short underneath passes.
TE Vernon Davis, Rec: 5 - 42 - 0 (8 targets) - Davis started the inauspiciously with two early false start penalties. However, he was able to take advantage of the big Vikings lead by getting several receptions late in the game with the Vikings playing a soft pass defense. Six of his eight targets came with the game well out of reach at 27-7.
PK Joe Nedney 0 - 0 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 1 points - Joe Nedney's only kicking opportunity was one extra point.
SF Rush Defense - The 49ers rush defense played superbly. They were able to completely shut down Adrian Peterson and made him a complete non factor in the game. They gave up one long run to Chester Taylor, but otherwise shut him down as well.
SF Pass Defense - The 49ers pass defense was marginal at best. They did not give up a lot of yards, but they allowed Tarvaris Jackson to play efficiently. They were not able to get sufficient pressure on the young quarterback to force him into bad decisions.Cleveland Browns 24, New York Jets 18
What you need to know
Cleveland Browns - The Browns were able to survive a late rally by the Jets to hang on for a 24-18 win, putting the game away with a tough run by Jamal Lewis for a 31 yard touchdown on third down and four in the final two minutes. Lewis finished the game with 118 yards on twenty one carries, including the late touchdown. The Browns running game accounted for an additional 34 yards in addition to Lewis, with twenty one coming from Jerome Harrison on two carries. Fullback Lawrence Vickers added six yards on two carries, while Josh Cribbs gained four yards on his only attempt, and Derek Anderson was credited with three yards on three official rushes.Anderson didn't have his best game of the season, but had enough against the Jets, completing 16 of 29 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Braylon Edwards led all receivers with three catches for 63 yards and one touchdown, followed by Kellen Winslow, who caught four balls for 34 yards. The Jets tried to keep everything underneath, and as a result, Steve Heiden was open rolling off the line for twenty yards on two catches, while Jamal Lewis gained nineteen yards on three receptions, including a touchdown. Four other receivers caught one pass each, including Josh Cribbs (18 yards), Jason Wright (14 yards), Lawrence Vickers (ten yards) and Joe Jurevicius (seven yards).
New York Jets - Kellen Clemens did his best to try to bring the Jets back, but couldn't put the ball in the end zone frequently enough to do so. Clemens completed 24 of 41 passes for 286 yards with two interceptions and no passing touchdowns. Clemens benefited from the return of Jerricho Cotchery, who caught six balls for 119 yards, while counterpart Laverneus Coles pulled in seven receptions for 48 yards. From the tight end spot, Chris Baker added 48 yards on three catches, while third down back Leon Washington finished with four receptions for 31 yards. Third wide receiver Brad Smith caught three balls for twenty seven yards in his return to the slot, with starting running back Thomas Jones pulling in one reception for thirteen yards.The Jets were able to move the ball on the ground with Thomas Jones until they got near the goal line, where Jones was unable to punch the ball in. Jones finished with 106 yards on twenty four carries, while Leon Washington netted five yards on three runs. The only run which crossed the goal line came from the legs of Kellen Clemens, who scored on a one yard plunge as part of his three official attempts for eight yards against the Browns.
What you ought to know
QB Derek Anderson, Pass: 16 - 29 - 185 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - 3 - 0 - Anderson completed 55% of his passes for an average gain of 6.4 yards per attempt en route to a passer rating of 60.3. Despite the average day, he did what he needed to do win, highlighted by the Browns final drive of the first half, where he completed a fourth down pass to Braylon Edwards on the sideline and later scored on a play action fake to Jamal Lewis. Anderson continued his momentum by opening up the third quarter with a touchdown pass to Edwards to extend the lead and put the Browns in the driver's seat in this game.RB Jamal Lewis, Rush: 21 - 118 - 1, Rec: 3 - 19 - 1 (4 targets) - Lewis averaged 5.6 yards per carry in this game, and added his eight and ninth scores in the last six games beyond a vastly improved Browns offensive line. Lewis' defining play came on third and four from the Jets 31 yard line in the final two minutes, with the Browns leading 17-15, where he broke a couple of tackles and bulled his way to the end zone to help put the Browns ahead by two scores.
WR Braylon Edwards, Rec: 3 - 63 - 1 (7 targets) - Edwards got off to a slow start, but ignited his afternoon with a fourth down catch for fourteen yards in the second quarter where he was able to get both feet down and extend a drive that would help break a scoreless tie.
WR Joe Jurevicius, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (3 targets) - Jurevicius had a relatively quiet afternoon with just three second half targets, but was part of the hands team on onside kicks and helped to seal the Browns win with two recoveries.
TE Kellen Winslow Jr, Rec: 4 - 34 - 0 (8 targets) - The Jets tried to jam Winslow at the line and throw off the rhythm between Winslow and Derek Anderson. Winslow didn't come up with any big catches in this game, but his presence helped hold the linebackers and open up the running game for Jamal Lewis. Winslow was the target of Anderson's interception, a ball Anderson tried to force to Winslow.
PK Phil Dawson 1 - 1 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 6 points - Dawson connected on a forty nine yarder in the freezing rain at the beginning of the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 17-6 and make it a two score game. Dawson was perfect on all three extra point attempts.
CLE Rush Defense - The rush defense gave up 111 yards to the Jets primary running backs, but made their biggest plays early in the second quarter, stuffing Thomas Jones twice, and then coming up with an interception on the next play at the goal line.
CLE Pass Defense - Despite giving up 286 yards through the air, the secondary buckled down in the red zone, and came up with a pair of interceptions and kept Clemens and company of the end zone. The Browns were able to rush the quarterback, and came up with four sacks in this game. QB Kellen Clemens, Pass: 24 - 41 - 286 - 0 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 3 - 8 - 1 - Clemens completed 59% of his passes for an average gain of seven yards per attempt to finish with a passer rating of 59.6. His gritty performance, including a one yard touchdown run was not enough to bring the Jets back at home against the Browns.RB Thomas Jones, Rush: 24 - 106 - 0, Rec: 1 - 13 - 0 (1 targets) - Jones averaged 4.4 yards per carry and had a long run of seventeen yards on his way to eclipsing the hundred yard mark, but failed to get the ball into the end zone on a pair of carries from the one yard line early in the second quarter as the Browns defense penetrated and kept him from hitting the hole. Jones moved within 56 yards on his third straight 1000 yard season, however has only one touchdown on the season.
RB Leon Washington, Rush: 3 - 5 - 0, Rec: 4 - 31 - 0 (6 targets) - Washington did not play a significant role in this game, receiving only three rushes, and not seeing time in goal line packages with the exception of third down. Washington fumbled the opening kickoff, and though the Jets recovered the coaches may have opted to keep the ball in Jones' hands on a rainy afternoon.
WR Laveranues Coles, Rec: 7 - 48 - 0 (11 targets) - Coles averaged less than seven yards per catch, and while able to get open, was unable to shake tacklers in this game, with a twelve yard gain representing his biggest play of the day. Coles left briefly in this game before returning.
WR Jerricho Cotchery, Rec: 6 - 119 - 0 (10 targets) - Cotchery's return was a solid one, showing no lingering effects as he came up with a couple of early catches and built on the afternoon as Clemens' favorite deep receiver, however couldn't find the end zone despite multiple targets there, one of which was intercepted.
TE Chris Baker, Rec: 3 - 48 - 0 (6 targets) - Baker provided an option for Kellen Clemens when he released off the line as the linebackers seemed intent on blitzing and keeping the Jets running backs from making long gains on screen passes, catching half of the targets thrown his way.
PK Mike Nugent 4 - 4 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 12 points - Nugent had an active afternoon, connecting on field goals from 35, 35, 38 and 41 yards, a perfect afternoon. He did not attempt an extra point in this game, as the Jets opted to go for two following Kellen Clemens' one yard touchdown run and trailing 17-12.
NYJ Rush Defense - The Jets were unable to contain Jamal Lewis for much of the afternoon, and most importantly when it mattered most, a third and four play from their 31 in the final two minutes, a play which Lewis broke a couple of tackles en route to a touchdown, opening up a two score game.
NYJ Pass Defense - The Jets did a solid job of slowing down Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow and frustrating Derek Anderson, forcing him to dump the ball underneath, but an effective ground game opened up the play action and allowed Anderson to complete a couple of short passing touchdowns as a result. The Jets were unable to get to Anderson as they kept their safeties deep and kept everything underneath.Carolina Panthers 6, Jacksonville Jaguars 37
What you need to know
Carolina Panthers - Although the Panthers were outplayed in the first half, they were still in the game. The second half was an entirely different story. They were outscored 27-0 in the second half. Vinny Testaverde ended up getting benched in the second half for Matt Moore. Neither was able to do anything against the Jacksonville defense. Testaverde played the majority of snaps and ended up 13 of 28 for 84 yards. He did not throw a touchdown and had one interception that was returned for a score.DeShaun Foster carried the ball 11 times for 46 yards. His fumble at the start of the second half was the turning point in the game. From that point on, Carolina was completely dominated. DeAngelo Williams added just seven yards on three carries.
Steve Smith led the Carolina receivers with six catches for 44 yards. Drew Carter had four catches for 26 yards. The best chance for a touchdown came on an over throw of Jeff King. He had the defender beat down the middle but Testaverde sent the pass over his out stretched hands.
The Carolina defense wore down as the game went on. They were on the field for almost 39 minutes. The defense gave up two passing touchdowns and did not have any interceptions. They did force a fumble but the offense could only muster a field goal off of it. The defense gave up a huge touchdown run when Fred Taylor went right up the middle for 80 yards.
Jacksonville Jaguars - David Garrard had a good game, going 20 of 36 for 230 yards and two touchdowns. He did not turn the ball over and was not sacked. Garrard hit Reggie Williams for a 22 yard touchdown in the first quarter. In the third quarter, he hit Matt Jones on a six yard touchdown pass. He just missed a third touchdown when he connected with Matt Jones in the back of the end zone but Jones just couldn't get both feet in bounds. They settled for a field goal.Fred Taylor had a big game. He carried the ball 18 times for 132 yards and a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, he had an 80 yard touchdown run when he made a couple of cuts and then shot right up the middle of the field. Maurice Jones--Drew didn't do much in this game. He carried the ball 11 times for 24 yards. He did have a goal