San Francisco 49ers 7, Cleveland Browns 20
What you need to know
San Francisco 49ers - The San Francisco 49ers lost their final game of the 2007 season largely due to a non-existent pass offense and a rush defense that could not contain the Cleveland Browns. Chris Weinke, called out of semi-retirement two weeks ago, started for the 49ers becoming the fourth different quarterback for the 49ers this season. Weinke was not able to do much against the Browns as the 49ers chose to run the ball with Frank Gore for most of the game. Weinke finished the game going 13 for 22 with one touchdown and no interceptions.Frank Gore was the main source of offense for the 49ers, carrying the ball 23 times for 94 yards but he did not score a touchdown. The 49ers primary receivers, Arnaz Battle, Vernon Davis and Darrell Jackson all struggled to get into any kind of rhythm with Weinke, and as a result all of their numbers suffered.
The San Francisco rushing defense failed to contain the Cleveland rushing attack, giving up multiple yards after contact to Jamal Lewis. While the 49ers pass defense did hold the Cleveland passing game to under 300 yards of offense, the impact of the Browns rushing and special teams more than made up for the slow-down in the passing game.
Cleveland Browns - The Cleveland Browns won their tenth and final game of the season by rushing the ball all over the field against the San Francisco 49ers. Jamal Lewis was one of the bright spots in the game for Cleveland, rushing 26 times for 128 yards and no touchdowns. With Lewis being so productive, Derek Anderson and the high flying Cleveland passing game were largely quiet. Anderson finished the day going 11 for 20 for 152 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow led the receiving corps catching 67 and 62 yards respectively. Edwards was the only Browns receiver with a touchdown catch.The Browns did get a scare with Derek Anderson being taken to the locker room in the second quarter for x-rays on his hand. This allowed Brady Quinn to enter his first professional regular season game, and his performance was solid. The same could not be said for the Browns rushing defense as they once again struggled to contain an opponent's rushing attack. Frank Gore was able to rush for 94 yards, and really gave the Browns problems all game long.
What you ought to know
QB Chris Weinke, Pass: 13 - 22 - 104 - 1 TD / 0 INT - Weinke was simply asked to manage the game for the 49ers. Most of his throws were short throws into the flat. For the majority of the game, the 49ers chose to run the ball with Frank Gore and attack the vulnerable Cleveland rush defense. On the few deeps throws that he did attempt, Weinke was just a step too slow for his receivers, missing Darrell Jackson on an out pattern in the second quarter and a wide open Maurice Hicks in the end zone in the first quarter.RB Frank Gore, Rush: 23 - 94 - 0, Rec: 2 - 21 - 0 (3 targets) - Gore was the focus of the San Francisco offense effectively mixing runs both up the middle and to either sideline. The lack of any major passing threat for the 49ers did hurt Gore as the Browns were able to stack seven and eight men in the box to blitz on rushing plays. While he did see some action in the passing game, it was only as a last second target for Weinke.
WR Arnaz Battle, Rec: 3 - 19 - 0 (5 targets) - Battle, much like most of the San Francisco receiving corps, suffered from an inexperienced quarterback in Chris Weinke. He finished the day with three catches for 19 yards, and was largely a non-issue in the game.
WR Darrell Jackson, Rec: 3 - 28 - 1 (6 targets) - Jackson was able to catch a touchdown in the game as he broke away from Leigh Bodden on a nice corner route. Outside of the touchdown catch, Jackson had a quiet day, being targeted but struggling to get into any kind of rhythm with Chris Weinke. Jackson finished the game with three catches for 28 yards.
TE Vernon Davis, Rec: 2 - 20 - 0 (3 targets) - Davis role was minimal in the game as he only finished with two catches for 20 yards.
PK Joe Nedney 0 - 0 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 1 points - Nedney's only action was to kick an extra point on the lone 49ers touchdown.
SF Rush Defense - The 49ers really struggled to contain Jamal Lewis for the entire game. The Browns offensive line was able to generate a very good push on the defense, opening multiple holes for Lewis. Even with the blitz pressure that San Francisco brought in the second half, the 49ers struggled to keep the Browns rushing attack from pounding away with four and five yard gains.
SF Pass Defense - The 49ers pass defense had its ups and downs, helping stall a Cleveland drive on the five yard line in the second quarter, while giving up a big 45 yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. The Browns choice was to attack with the rush and as such the 49ers pass defense did not see the usual high flying Cleveland pass attack. QB Derek Anderson, Pass: 11 - 20 - 152 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - Anderson and the Browns stuck to a more conservative gameplan, preferring to rush the ball and use up the clock with Jamal Lewis. He managed to connect with Braylon Edwards on a very nice 45 yard touchdown pass in the first half. On the play, Edwards was able to break away from Nate Clemens and Anderson hit him in stride, after looking off the safety on the opposite side of the field. The play was particularly nice as Anderson did not stare down Edwards for the length of the pattern and only looked Edwards' way at the last possible moment. He was injured in the second quarter after hitting his throwing hand on the helmet of a defender. After being taken to the locker room for X-rays on his pinky finger and wrist, he was given the green light to return to the game when the X-rays came back negative. Upon returning, Anderson still appeared to have the same zip on the ball but the Browns remained committed to the run.QB Brady Quinn, Pass: 3 - 8 - 45 - 0 TD / 0 INT - Quinn played one series for the Browns, going three for eight for 45 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. He would have had a touchdown pass had Kellen Winslow been able to hold onto an absolute bullet that Quinn threw over the center of the field. Overall, Quinn looked very good in his pass attempts, working through some progressions and hitting his receivers in stride.
RB Jamal Lewis, Rush: 26 - 128 - 0, Rec: 1 - 1 - 0 (1 targets) - Lewis was asked to simply pound the ball all game long, a task for which he was well-suited. The Browns ran Lewis right into the middle of the 49ers defense for the entire game. Lewis' longest run was 23 yards, but it wasn't so much one play as it was the whole of his body of work that defined his role in this game. He was nothing less than a battering ram that simply wore down the defense with his punishing rushing style.
RB Jason Wright, Rec: 3 - 36 - 0 (5 targets) - Wright continued his role as a third down, change of pace back. He was used primarily as a flat receiver on third downs, able to catch and run better than Lewis. He finished the day with three catches for 36 yards.
WR Braylon Edwards, Rec: 3 - 67 - 1 (8 targets) - Edwards' best play of the day was his 45 yard touchdown catch. On the play he made a very nice fake toward the middle of the field, a fake that Nate Clemens bought. This allowed Edwards to break deep down the field, with Anderson hitting him in stride for the score. Both Quinn and Anderson looked to Edwards side of the field first on almost every passing play.
WR Joe Jurevicius, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (2 targets) - Jurevicius was a non-factor in the game but his only catch of the game was notable as it was Brady Quinn's first completion as a professional. Jurevicius finished the game with 12 yards on one catch.
TE Kellen Winslow Jr, Rec: 4 - 62 - 0 (9 targets) - Winslow could have had a big game had he not dropped a Brady Quinn pass in the middle of the endzone. The play was a designed pass over the center of the field, but due to the defensive traffic in the area, Quinn was forced to throw a bullet at Winslow. The pass hit Winslow in the numbers, but he bobbled and eventually lost the pass. Winslow was also targeted in the end zone in the first quarter, a pass that was ultimately intercepted. He also had a big role blocking for Jamal Lewis, as he was often out in front of the runs toward the sideline.
PK Phil Dawson 2 - 3 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 8 points - Dawson had a good afternoon going two for two on field goals with a long of 49 yards. He did have a short 25 yard chip shot blocked by Nate Clements in the third quarter.
CLE Rush Defense - Once again, the Browns rush defense struggled to contain an opponent, this time it was Frank Gore. Gore had success running right up the middle of the field as the Browns were simply unable to plug the holes the 49er offensive line was opening. The Browns did have some success stacking seven and eight into the box and bringing a cornerback off on a blitz, but it did leave them vulnerable in pass coverage routes.
CLE Pass Defense - The Browns pass defense benefited from the inexperience of Chris Weinke and the commitment of the 49ers to rush the ball for most of the game. The Browns were able to sack Weinke five times, as he struggled to either find an open man or needed the time to get through his progressions. But it was the lack of any kind of rhythm and timing between Weinke and his receivers, more than any improved pass defense from the Browns, that helped nullify the 49ers pass defense.Tennessee Titans 16, Indianapolis Colts 10
What you need to know
Tennessee Titans - The Titans came into the game needing a win to make the playoffs and they had a game plan designed to give them the best chance of winning. They came out rushing the ball, running on 12 of the first 16 plays. The plan was to keep the game close until the Colt starters came out and then apply pressure to the offensive reserves. The Titans were able to execute that plan to gain a much needed victory to make the playoffs.Vince Young played well in the early parts of the game when the Titans established the run in order to keep the pressure off of the passing game. He completed his first six passes as they built a 7--3 half time lead. The offensive line gave the Titan quarterbacks time to throw as they were able to gain 263 yards through the air.
The running game was not very effective after the initial drive in which they gained 48 yards on seven attempts. LenDale White was the main back with the team rotating in Chris Brown in the first half and Chris Henry in the second half to try and keep White fresh.
Indianapolis Colts - The Colts came into this game with their playoff seed already wrapped up and they were content to let their starters play long enough to keep them fresh for the playoffs. The main starters played until the Colts started their first drive in the second quarter. When the drive began Tony Dungy pulled Peyton Manning, Joseph Addai, and Dallas Clark. Later in the drive he would pull Reggie Wayne.When Jim Sorgi entered the game the entire Colt offense seemed to sputter. Sorgi was erratic and looked to be rattled by the Titan pressure. His failure to make positive plays, putting the offense in long yardage situations on third down where they had a lower chance of success.
With the Colts playing from behind and in long yardage situations they were unable to establish any type of rushing attack. The running game, led by Joseph Addai, was only able to muster a total of 46 yards.
The receivers were only able to catch passes that were thrown short as the Titan defensive backs were content with giving the receivers short yardage plays and tackling them before they could turn those short catches into long gains. Reports Sunday said that Marvin Harrison would likely start this game and see some work but he was inactive.
What you ought to know
QB Vince Young, Pass: 14 - 18 - 157 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 4 - 19 - 0 - Young started the game and performed well until leaving with a leg injury in the third quarter. He started by completing his first four passes as the Titans established the run. When the Colts countered by blitzing to take away the running game Young was not able to consistently make plays. His passing numbers were good, but he seemed to want to take off and run on some plays where it appeared that there was a small running lane. This running threat was also used to freeze the defensive backs and linebackers as Young would roll out on designed plays where he would have to option to run if his primary receiver was covered.QB Kerry Collins, Pass: 10 - 13 - 106 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - -3 - 0 - Kerry Collins entered the game in the third quarter when Vince Young left with a leg injury. He performed well in leading the offense down the field to three second half field goals. Collins did not seem to be fazed by entering the game late and with little chance to warm up as he completed six of first seven passes, with the only incompletion coming when he was hit as he threw the ball. The veteran showed his skills by brilliantly executing play action passes and placing the ball where only the receiver had the best chance of catching it.
RB LenDale White, Rush: 16 - 45 - 0 - White started and was the key focus on the opening drive. He ran the ball on four consecutive plays for 35 yards to open the game, running through good sized holes and not going down on contact. After that drive he found the running tough as there were few holes to run through and he was met in the backfield before he could get much forward momentum going. White had a costly fumble on the first drive of the second half when he gave the ball away on the Titans 30. That fumble led to a Colts touchdown that would give them a brief 10-7 lead.
RB Chris Henry, Rush: 9 - 15 - 0, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (1 targets) - Henry saw game action in relief of LenDale White in the second half. He was used to provide a breakaway threat in the event that he was able to get into the open field. However, he found the going tough and was unable to break any plays for big yards. He tried to take some plays wide, but was tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he could turn the corner and make any positive yards.
RB Chris Brown, Rush: 7 - 22 - 1 - Brown made an immediate impact by spelling LenDale White. He scored the game's first touchdown by blowing through a gaping hole on the right side of the line. Brown had a costly fumble deep in Colt territory in the second quarter as the Titans were driving for what would have been their second score. He did not receive any carries after the fumble and did not play in the second half.
RB Ahmard Hall, Rec: 2 - 15 - 0 (2 targets) - Hall was only involved in the passing game as he caught both of his targets on screen plays.
WR Justin Gage, Rec: 7 - 104 - 0 (8 targets) - Justin Gage is the veteran leader of the receiving corps. He runs crisp routes and is able to get open against the Colts coverage. He was in the right place at the right time on his longest reception. The reception came when Bo Scaife was hit as the ball arrived and it bounced up right into Gage's hands as he was trailing on the play. Gage has good hands as he was able to haul in six of his eight targets, with one of his catches coming on the rebounded pass intended for Scaife. When the game was still in doubt in the fourth quarter, he was the receiver that Collins looked for when an important play was needed.
WR Roydell Williams, Rec: 6 - 59 - 0 (9 targets) - Roydell Williams is a young receiver who seems to be getting better with experience. He showed that he can take the short pass and gain more yards when covered by one defensive back and that he can take a big hit and pop back up when he caught two key third down passes right on the first down line and was hit immediately. Five of his receptions resulted in first downs.
WR Eric Moulds, Rec: 3 - 28 - 0 (3 targets) - Moulds was the third option on most pass plays as he saw all three of his targets in the third quarter. He had a key third down reception after Young went out with an injury on the game tying drive.
WR Biren Ealy, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (2 targets) - Ealy was only targeted twice in the first half. Once was on a deep pass in which he drew a pass interference penalty that gave the Titans excellent field position inside the Colts ten yard line.
TE Bo Scaife, Rec: 3 - 22 - 0 (6 targets) - Scaife was the safety valve for Vince Young when Young was in trouble. He was only able to come up with three receptions, but that was a product of his being covered on over the middle pass plays. He did leave the game for a short time after his was hit when the ball arrived, and the ball rebounded into Justin Gage's hands. He would return in the fourth quarter to gain an important first down on a screen pass on the game winning drive.
TE Ben Hartsock, Rec: 1 - 21 - 0 (1 targets) - Hartsock caught the only pass thrown to him in the second quarter when he was wide open when the defense bit on a play fake.
PK Rob Bironas 3 - 3 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 10 points - Bironas was his usually effective self as he connected on all three of his attempts, including a 54 yard kick that would prove to be the game winner.
TEN Rush Defense - The Titans rush defense held the Colts to a total of 46 yards rushing as they were unable to establish any type of rushing attack after the starters were pulled in the second quarter. The Colts reserve backs had little room to run as the defense was able to put the Colts in second and third and long situations when the reserves entered the game.
TEN Pass Defense - The Titans pass defense acted differently based on the quarterback that was in the game. When Manning played the defenders were content with letting the receivers get open on underneath routes and were letting the Colts move the ball down the field and eat time off the clock. When Jim Sorgi entered the defenders played close to the line of scrimmage and blitzed to create pressure in an effort to rattle the inexperienced quarterback. QB Jim Sorgi, Pass: 11 - 24 - 68 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0 - Sorgi played over a half in relief of Peyton Manning and was not effective. The Titans pressured him at every opportunity in an attempt to rattle the quarterback and to not give him time to throw. As the first half came to a close it was apparent that Sorgi was bothered by the pressure as he was not able to get comfortable in the pocket and set his feet. In the second half his problems were compounded by the Colts falling behind and being forced to throw with an ineffective running game.QB Peyton Manning, Pass: 14 - 16 - 95 - 0 TD / 0 INT - Manning came out throwing as the Titans were giving the receivers room to operate close to the line of scrimmage. Manning took advantage by hitting his receivers on short routes mainly on the outside part of the field. As hard as it is to believe, his numbers could have been better but Bryan Fletcher dropped a catchable pass for Manning's first incompletion. When Manning left the game he was on the sideline acting as a mentor to Jim Sorgi.
RB Joseph Addai, Rush: 4 - 27 - 0, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (1 targets) - Addai saw limited action as the Colts main starters only played until midway in the second quarter. He showed quickness and elusiveness in finding the hole. The Colts line was able to open good running lanes to run through.
RB Kenton Keith, Rush: 3 - 12 - 0 - Keith saw very little playing time as the Colts rested their key players for the playoffs.
RB Luke Lawton, Rec: 3 - 28 - 0 (5 targets) - Lawton was the most effective of the reserve backs as he was able to come up with receptions out of the backfield.
RB Clifton Dawson, Rush: 2 - 8 - 0 (3 targets) - Dawson was the main back in the Colts offense when the starters left the game in the second quarter. He was not able to find much running room on his limited carries and was unable to come up with any of his targets as they were usually too high.
WR Reggie Wayne, Rec: 12 - 87 - 0 (14 targets) - Reggie Wayne was targeted early and often. On the Colts' opening drive he had five receptions for 38 yards. However, his fumble on the Titans 20 ended the drive. Wayne would remain in the game until he reached two milestones: going over 100 receptions and taking over the league lead in receiving yards.
WR Craphonso Thorpe, Rec: 6 - 23 - 1 (9 targets) - Thorpe was the number two receiver when the game started due to Anthony Gonzalez and Marvin Harrison being inactive. He became the number one option when Reggie Wayne left midway into the second quarter. Only one of his targets came with Manning in the game.
WR Devin Aromashodu, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (6 targets) - Aromashodu saw significant playing time as one of only three healthy receivers to suit up for the Colts. His numbers were held down due to most of the passes thrown his way being too high and uncatchable.
TE Dallas Clark, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (1 targets) - Clark saw limited action as the Colts only played their key starters for a little over a quarter.
TE Bryan Fletcher, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (3 targets) - Fletcher saw limited action as he was regulated to a blocking role when the starters left the game in the second quarter. All of his targets came with the starters playing.
PK Adam Vinatieri 1 - 1 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - Vinatieri was successful on his only field goal attempt from 37 yards.
IND Rush Defense - The rushing defense was carved up by the Titans backs on the games opening drive be rebounded well to hold the backs to a total of 50 yards rushing after the opening drive. They were able to get penetration into the backfield and hit the backs behind the line of scrimmage before they could get any momentum going and were able to quickly close any holes that opened.
IND Pass Defense - The Colts pass defense was carved up by the Titans quarterbacks as they were able to complete 77 percent of their passes. The line was unable to get any type of pressure on Young and Collins as they found the time to throw and locate open receivers on underneath routes.Pittsburgh Steelers 21, Baltimore Ravens 27
What you need to know
Pittsburgh Steelers - Despite their post season seed position still undecided for the upcoming NFL playoffs, the Steelers opted to rest some of their key players including QB Ben Roethlisberger. QB Charlie Batch played relatively well in Roethlisberger's place. He was unable to get much going for most of the game but the Steelers finally picked up the pace late in the game and eventually fell just short.Since RB Willie Parker broke his leg in the Steelers' last game, RB Najeh Davenport was the featured back in the first half of this game in order to prepare him for the upcoming playoff load. Against the vaunted Baltimore defense, Davenport was unable to do much.
Defensively, Pittsburgh was again missing DB Troy Polamalu but he is expected to return for the playoffs. Young QB Troy Smith was able to maintain drives against the Steelers defense.
For the first three and half quarters of the game, the Steelers did no show much heart. In the fourth quarter, Batch led his team on a 91 yard scoring drive and the Steelers followed that up with a surprise onsides kick recovery. Pittsburgh scored on that possession but Batch threw a late interception on the final drive of the game that sealed the deal for Baltimore.
In addition to Roethlisberger and Polamalu, WR Hines Ward and T Marvel Smith did not play.
Baltimore Ravens - QB Troy Smith made his second career start and was impressive, especially considering the quarterback problems in Baltimore recently. Smith was able to lead the offense on several successful scoring drives and helped the Ravens end their franchise record nine game losing streak.RB Musa Smith ran hard in the game and backup RB Cory Ross was impressive in limited time including a beautiful 32 yard touchdown run. Both Musa Smith and Troy Smith made strong cases for their playing time heading into next season.
Defensively, the Ravens ate up the Steelers' recently depleted running attack and made a key interception late in the contest which halted Pittsburgh's comeback attempt. They were without LB Ray Lewis for the game.
What you ought to know
QB Charlie Batch, Pass: 16 - 31 - 218 - 2 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0 - Charlie Batch started in place of the resting QB Ben Roethlisberger. Batch did not play poorly in the loss, but the lack of focus from the Steelers as a whole kept him from mounting anything significant until the fourth quarter. Batch looked strong leading the Steelers on two fourth quarter scoring drives but threw a pick with one minute remaining that sealed the loss. It was his second interception of the day to DB David Pittmann of the Ravens. Batch made a nice toss to WR Cedric Wilson for the final score of the game. He side-armed the throw so that the ball would sail through the defenders and Wilson then made a nice grab to pull Pittsburgh within six points.RB Najeh Davenport, Rush: 12 - 27 - 1 (1 targets) - Although some other Pittsburgh starters sat out the regular season finale, RB Najeh Davenport saw a significant amount of playing time in the first half in order to obtain some rhythm for the upcoming playoffs. Davenport has been the backup running back for much of the year but will be the featured back in the postseason for Pittsburgh because of RB Willie Parker's injury. Davenport was mediocre against the Ravens but the entire Steelers team looked unenthusiastic in the loss.
Davenport needed three tries from one yard out to rush for his only score of the day. His last action came on the first drive of the second half for Pittsburgh.RB Gary Russell, Rush: 6 - 20 - 0 - Russell replaced RB Najeh Davenport as the featured back in the second half but he did not make much of an impact.
RB Verron Haynes, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (1 targets) - Haynes turned a short pass into a twelve yard gain on third and four for Pittsburgh late in the third quarter. Unfortunately, Pittsburgh ended up punting on that drive.
WR Nate Washington, Rec: 5 - 68 - 0 (9 targets) - Washington wiggled free from a defender for a first down on second and six which helped to setup the Steelers third and final score of the day.
WR Santonio Holmes, Rec: 4 - 98 - 1 (10 targets) - Holmes was injured on a play in the end zone in the fourth quarter but returned on the next drive to catch a 28 yard pass from QB Charlie Batch. Holmes also scored on a beautiful catch and run for 58 yards to kick-start the Steelers inspired but failed comeback.
WR Cedrick Wilson, Rec: 1 - 7 - 1 (2 targets) - Wilson made a beautiful diving grab in the end zone to pull the Steelers within one touchdown late in the fourth quarter. He managed to catch the ball on both ends and keep it from bouncing off the ground as he landed in the end zone for the score.
TE Heath Miller, Rec: 3 - 20 - 0 (3 targets) - Regular target of Roethlisberger, Miller was quiet in this game, only catching one pass in the second half.
PK Jeff Reed 0 - 0 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 3 points - Reed connected on all three point after attempts.
PIT Rush Defense - Pittsburgh was unable to stop Musa Smith or Cory Ross throughout the game. Both offense and defense for Pittsburgh played without much energy for most of the game and the Baltimore offense took advantage by running the ball effectively and putting up points early.
PIT Pass Defense - DB Troy Polamalu did not play but will be ready for the first week of the playoffs for Pittsburgh. He was replaced by DB Tyrone Carter. The Steelers were able to get their hands on a few of QB Troy Smith's passes but could not bring any in for an interception. QB Troy Smith, Pass: 16 - 27 - 171 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 5 - 23 - 0 - Smith made the second start of his young career. He looked strong and capable while making plays with both his arm and his feet. He rushed for first downs on both a third and ten and a third and 11 situation. Smith also saw a handful of his passes deflected but luckily they were not picked off. Smith was clobbered by LB James Harrison after a handoff but shook it off and did not miss a play in the game. Harrison was flagged for unnecessary roughness.RB Musa Smith, Rush: 22 - 83 - 1, Rec: 3 - 8 - 0 (3 targets) - Smith ran hard and determined against Pittsburgh. He put in extra effort when necessary for extra yards and was hard to bring down. He combined with RB Cory Ross to create a formidable tandem for the struggling Ravens' offense.
RB Cory Ross, Rush: 12 - 72 - 1 - Undrafted RB Cory Ross looked impressive in limited action in the victory. He made a big impact on the game as he reeled off a touchdown run of 32 yards in which he was mostly untouched and then recovered a fumble on a kickoff return shortly after that score.
WR Derrick Mason, Rec: 6 - 72 - 0 (11 targets) - Mason was a key target for Troy Smith. Mason made a beautiful catch late in the game on third and eight in which he managed to get both feet on the ground before stumbling out of bounds. The ball appeared to be picked off by DB Ike Taylor but Mason hauled it in for a key first down which helped to eat up some valuable clock time.
WR Devard Darling, Rec: 3 - 49 - 1 (7 targets) - Darling caught a touchdown pass from QB Troy Smith in the second half. The touchdown proved to be the deciding score.
WR Mark Clayton, Rec: 2 - 26 - 0 (3 targets) - Clayton was mostly quiet in the victory but he did make a great leaping grab on the first drive of the game for Baltimore on a pass which was deflected.
TE Lee Vickers (1 targets) - Vickers did not catch a pass in the victory. With Todd Heap and Quinn Sypniewski out with injuries he was the starting tight end.
PK Matt Stover 2 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 9 points - Longtime kicker Matt Stover hit both field goal attempts.
BAL Rush Defense - Pittsburgh was unable to get anything going on the ground even with the absence of LB Ray Lewis for Baltimore. Once Baltimore jumped out to the quick lead and Najeh Davenport left the game, the Steelers mostly focused on the pass leaving the Baltimore run defense untested.
BAL Pass Defense - The Ravens were without LB Ray Lewis. DB David Pittmann hauled in two picks, one of which clinched the victory with only one minute remaining in the game. On his first interception he fumbled the ball during the return but luckily Baltimore recovered to maintain possession.Jacksonville Jaguars 28, Houston Texans 42
What you need to know
Jacksonville Jaguars - The Jaguars were done in by their special teams, giving up two kickoff returns for touchdowns and losing a fumble of a punt inside their five yard line that was converted into another touchdown. Despite those miscues and having several of their starters being inactive for the game, Jacksonville was still able to generate offense in the passing game. Their running game was not much of a factor as both Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew were held out of the game. LaBrandon Toefield got the start but was ineffective, and yielded most of the rushing attempts later in the game to Greg Jones, who ran with excellent power. Jones shed several tackles on his way to 71 yards at just over 5 yards per carry.Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard was the backup quarterback for this game and Quinn Gray started as a result. Gray played very well, looking very comfortable directing the offense. He showed an ability to move around in the pocket to give himself extra time and then throw to an open receiver. Gray showed good touch on shorter passes as well as a strong and accurate arm on intermediate and deep passes. He targeted Matt Jones and Ernest Wilford the most, directing 23 of his 39 passes to the two of them. Both receivers seemed to be in a good rhythm with Gray and turned in very good numbers. Gray threw mostly short and a few intermediate passes to Wilford and used Jones on a variety of routes, from slants across the middle to deep routes on the outside
Jacksonville attempted 11 plays in the red zone and showed more of an emphasis on passing the ball, attempting seven passing plays in the red zone. Three of those passes resulted in touchdowns, two to Wilford and one to Matt Jones. Those two received all of the red zone targets. Greg Jones had two of the four red zone rushing attempts with the other two split among Toefield and an end around by wide receiver Reggie Williams who was tackled two yards outside the end zone.
Houston Texans - The Texans took advantage of the points gained as a result of their stellar special teams play to rely more on the run in the second half to maintain their lead. Wide receiver Andre Davis returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown with 29 seconds remaining in the first half then opened the second half with a 104 yard kickoff return for a touchdown that gave Houston a 28-14 lead. Quarterback Sage Rosenfels was accurate when asked to throw the ball, but was not asked to take many risks. He only attempted five passes in the second half. Of the 18 passes he attempted the entire game, eight of them were directed toward Andre Johnson, who ran mostly short routes with a couple of intermediate routes thrown in.Houston's running game started slowly but became very effective later in the game. Ron Dayne ran with determination, and although he did not have any explosive gains, was able to grind for an extra yard or two on a lot of his carries. Dayne took advantage of his red zone opportunities and scored two rushing touchdowns. His backup, Darius Walker ran very well when given the opportunity. He showed good burst to get through the line of scrimmage on most of his rushes, and averaged 8.6 yards per carry as a result.
The Texans only ran nine plays in the red zone, and scored touchdowns on four of those plays. Seven of their red zone plays were runs, with Dayne scoring twice on five rushes and Walker scoring his first NFL touchdown in the fourth quarter on a play immediately following a run by him that was originally ruled a touchdown but was then overturned. The passing touchdown was to tight end Owen Daniels on a fourth and goal play.
What you ought to know
QB Quinn Gray, Pass: 25 - 39 - 302 - 4 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0 - Gray seemed very comfortable directing the Jaguars' offense and posted stellar numbers as a result. He remained calm in the face of an aggressive pass rush and was in sync with his receivers. Gray looked for his wide receivers throughout the game and did not target his tight ends very much. He displayed a very strong arm both on deep passes and on shorter ones where he rifled the ball to his receivers in tight spaces, and enough touch when needed.RB Greg Jones, Rush: 14 - 71 - 0, Rec: 3 - 27 - 0 (5 targets) - Jones took advantage of his increased role in the offense by running hard each time he had the ball, and breaking tackles to gain extra yards. He also displayed good hands and ability to gain additional yards after securing the ball.
RB LaBrandon Toefield, Rush: 7 - 15 - 0, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) - Toefield started the game but was unable to generate much in the way of positive yards, and gave way to Jones for most of the rushing duties.
WR Matt Jones, Rec: 8 - 138 - 1 (15 targets) - Jones had his best game of the season by taking advantage of being targeted a lot by Gray. He showcased his speed at times as well as good ability to run across the middle, use his height to shield defenders and gain yards after the catch. Although he caught just eight of the 15 passes thrown to him, three passes intended for him were deflected by defenders and two were overthrown.
WR Ernest Wilford, Rec: 6 - 58 - 2 (8 targets) - Wilford was very productive and ran his routes very well, getting open at the time the ball arrived from Gray several times. He ran mostly short routes with a couple of intermediate routes thrown in, and was the recipient of two touchdown passes as a result.
WR Reggie Williams, Rush: 1 - 8 - 0, Rec: 3 - 37 - 1 (4 targets) - Williams made the most of his targets in the first half, including a touchdown catch after running a very nice route to get open in the end zone. His only touch in the second half came on an end around where he was stopped two yards outside of the end zone. He was not targeted in the second half.
TE Richard Angulo, Rec: 3 - 33 - 0 (4 targets) - Angulo dropped the first pass thrown to him then caught the next three, including one where he displayed excellent concentration to catch the ball despite being double-teamed. He was utilized on shorter pass routes.
TE Isaac Smolko, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (1 targets) - Smolko was not involved much in the passing game.
PK Josh Scobee 0 - 0 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 4 points - Scobee did not have any field goal attempts. He did connect on all four of his point after attempts.
JAX Rush Defense - The Jaguars rush defense was not effective. They gave up three rushing touchdowns to the Texans' running backs. Although they were not dominated by Houston's offensive line, they did allow some big gains on the ground at times. Jacksonville's run defense could not make enough plays to stop the Texans in the second half even though Houston had obviously decided to run the ball almost exclusively.
JAX Pass Defense - Jacksonville's pass defense was not much of a factor, in large part to the Texans' reliance on the running game. Houston only attempted five passes in the second half, which greatly reduced the opportunities the Jaguars had to make plays in the passing game. They managed to sack Rosenfels once and intercept him once, but mostly did not have much of an impact on the game. It should be noted that Jacksonville rested some of their defensive starters as well. QB Sage Rosenfels, Pass: 11 - 18 - 128 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - -4 - 0 - Rosenfels was asked to manage the game and not attempt any risky passes. He did a good job of that, as he was accurate on the short and intermediate passes he was asked to attempt. Thanks to their effective running game, Rosenfels only threw the ball five times in the second half, with four of those passes going to Andre Johnson. The coaches showed confidence in him by asking him to execute a passing play on a fourth and goal play in the first half that he converted for a touchdown.RB Ron Dayne, Rush: 21 - 88 - 2 (1 targets) - Dayne ran with determination, taking on defenders routinely instead and usually managing to gain an extra yard or two after initial contact. While he did not break any long runs, he was effective enough to help keep the chains moving. Dayne took advantage of his red zone opportunities by converting two such rushes into touchdowns.
RB Darius Walker, Rush: 10 - 86 - 1 - Walker took advantage of his opportunities and showed excellent acceleration to have several significant gains. He also showed a nose for the end zone by making a great effort by switching the ball in his hands as he stretched for the goal line as he was being knocked out of bounds. The initial call was a touchdown, but it was reversed after review. Undeterred, Walker scored on the very next play, in large part due to his ability to accelerate through the line of scrimmage.
RB Vonta Leach, Rec: 2 - 18 - 0 (3 targets) - Leach's contributions were mostly as a fullback although he showed a nice ability to gain yards after the catch on one pass play.
WR Andre Johnson, Rec: 6 - 74 - 0 (8 targets) - Johnson ran mostly shorter routes, but showed not only good route running and hands, but excellent running after the catch skills as well. On one play he was stopped inches from the goal line after evading defenders after securing a short pass. Due to Houston's reliance on the running game in the second half, Johnson did not have many opportunities to make plays, although he was the recipient of four of the five passes thrown in the second half.
WR Andre Davis, Rec: 1 - 20 - 0 (2 targets) - Davis only had one reception but had a tremendous impact on the game by returning two kickoffs for touchdowns, one 97 yards and the other 104 yards, showcasing very good speed and moves in the open field.
WR Jacoby Jones, Rec: 1 - 14 - 0 (1 targets) - Jones was not involved much in the offense.
WR Kevin Walter (1 targets) - Walter's lone target was overthrown.
TE Owen Daniels, Rec: 1 - 2 - 1 (3 targets) - Daniels, like most of the receivers did not have many opportunities due to the Texans' reliance on the running game. He did however catch one of his targets for a touchdown.
PK Kris Brown 0 - 0 FG, 6 - 6 XP, 6 points - Brown did not attempt any field goals and made all six of his point after attempts.
HOU Rush Defense - Houston's run defense was solid but not dominant. While they held Toefield in check, they yielded several yards after initial contact to Greg Jones. While their linemen did not dominate the line of scrimmage, they were not dominated themselves and as such their linebackers were able to help out in the running game.
HOU Pass Defense - The Texans' pass defense was torched by Gray, giving up over 300 yards passing and four touchdowns. While they pursued Gray aggressively with a combination of their front four and blitzes, they only sacked Gray twice and did not record any interceptions. Their secondary was unable to make many plays, as Jacksonville's receivers were able to get open many times.New Orleans Saints 25, Chicago Bears 33
What you need to know
New Orleans Saints - The Saints went down trying in their effort to make the playoffs, though came up short on the road against the Chicago Bears. Drew Brees completed 35 of 60 passes for 320 yards with three touchdown passes and two interceptions. Brees utilized running back Pierre Thomas out of the backfield extensively, with Thomas catching twelve passes for 121 yards and a touchdown. From the wide receiving corps, Marques Colston scored two early touchdowns, and finished the day with eight catches for 94 yards. Opposite of Colston, David Patten caught four balls for 39 yards, with Torrance Cooper pulling in two receptions for nine yards and Lance Moore catching a single one yard pass. Brees got his tight ends involved, with Eric Johnson catching four balls for twenty five yards, while Billy Miller finished with three receptions for 26 yards. Fullback Matt Karney added a five yard catch.With Reggie Bush and Aaron Stecker out, Pierre Thomas had an opportunity to showcase his skills, breaking the century mark with 105 yards on twenty carries.
Chicago Bears - The Bears concluded an up and down season with a home win behind the legs of Devin Hester, who returned a punt 64 yards for a touchdown as well as catching a 55 yard touchdown pass. Hester finished with two catches for 65 yards as he got more involved in the offense. Hester had Kyle Orton throwing him the ball, who completed 12 of 27 passes for 190 yards, including two touchdowns and one interception. On a rollout, running back Adrian Peterson threw a nine yard touchdown to Bernard Berrian.Berrian finished the afternoon with three catches and 28 yards in addition to the touchdown, while fellow starter Muhsin Muhammad caught three balls for 29 yards. Wide receiver Mark Bradley added a nineteen yard touchdown catch, while tight end Greg Olsen caught two passes for seventeen yards. Out of the backfield, Adrian Peterson caught a nine yard pass, while Garrett Wolfe added a 32 yard reception.
With the Bears ahead for most of the game, they tried to establish a running game, giving Adrian Peterson twenty one carries for 91 yards, with Garrett Wolfe getting four carries for seven yards.
What you ought to know
QB Drew Brees, Pass: 35 - 60 - 320 - 3 TD / 2 INT - Brees completed 58 percent of his passes for an average gain of 5.3 yards per attempt en route to a passer rating of 75.7. Brees was helped out by a three touchdown performance, but hurt by early interceptions as well as the departure of Marques Colston in the second half of this game. In a season which he lost Deuce McAllister for most of the season, and had Reggie Bush at partial strength for much of the season, Brees threw the ball with regularity, and as a result, completed more passes in a season than any other quarterback in history.RB Pierre Thomas, Rush: 20 - 105 - 0, Rec: 12 - 121 - 1 (16 targets) - Thomas was extremely active in both the running and passing game, with 32 official touches, including an average of over five yards per carry and ten yards per reception while filling in for Aaron Stecker. Most of Thomas' targets came in the second half after the departure of Marques Colston, where Brees was dumping the ball off to keep drives alive, something Thomas had done well at in the first half, though had seen his quarterback turn it over too many times to end the drive.
WR Marques Colston, Rec: 8 - 94 - 2 (16 targets) - Colston was extremely busy in the first half of this game, catching two touchdowns and being targeted a team leading sixteen times (tied with Pierre Thomas) before departing with a rib injury. On many drives in the first half, quarterback Drew Brees looked to no other receiver other than Colston, who sat down in the middle of the Bears defense, though he converted on only half of his receiving opportunities.
WR David Patten, Rec: 4 - 39 - 0 (8 targets) - Patten surprising did not become significantly more involved in this game after the departure of Marques Colston, as quarterback Drew Brees looked primarily underneath on high percentage passes to his running backs and tight ends.
TE Eric Johnson, Rec: 4 - 25 - 0 (7 targets) - Johnson shared tight end stats in this game with Billy Miller, who also saw five targets. Seven passes and fifty one yards were gained between the two tight ends, who were frequently on the field at the same time with fullback Matt Karney on the sidelines and Pierre Thomas lined up in one back sets.
PK Martin Gramatica 1 - 1 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points - Gramatica successfully converted on his only field goal attempt from 48 yards out, and made both extra point attempts. Late in the game, the Saints went for two to bring the score to 33-25, so he did not attempt an extra point on the Saints third touchdown.
NO Rush Defense - The Saints rush defense was able to hold the combination of Adrian Peterson and Garrett Wolfe under 100 yards on a combined 25 carries, and kept either of them from breaking any long runs, however were beat on a Adrian Peterson passing touchdown from nine yards out which caught them off guard.
NO Pass Defense - With the exception of a 55 yard touchdown where Devin Hester got wide open over the middle of the field, the Saints pass defense played pretty well, though had failed to get enough of a pass rush on Kyle Orton, with only one sack. Absent of that passing touchdown, the Saints had only allowed 11 completions for 135 yards from Orton. QB Kyle Orton, Pass: 12 - 27 - 190 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - -2 - 0 - Orton completed just 43 percent of his passes for an average of 6.8 yards per attempt on his way to a passer rating of 77.7 and a second straight win as starting quarterback for the Bears. Though his stats were not extremely impressive, he only turned the ball over once, and certainly asserted himself back into discussions for starting quarterback of the Bears franchise based upon his closing efforts in the 2007 season as well as a ten win season in his rookie year of 2005.RB Adrian Peterson, Pass: 1 - 1 - 9 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 21 - 91 - 0, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (1 targets) - Peterson received only one target, as he remained in the backfield as an extra blocker to protect Kyle Orton on many downfield passing plays. Rookie running back Garrett Wolfe was brought in on many third and other passing downs, limited Peterson's action out of the backfield. On the ground game, Peterson averaged over four yards per carry, but saw his biggest play of the game come from nine yards out, when he pulled up from his run to find a wide open Bernard Berrian in the back of the end zone.
WR Bernard Berrian, Rec: 3 - 28 - 1 (5 targets) - Berrian had a relatively quiet afternoon, with his biggest play coming on a nine yard touchdown reception from running back Adrian Peterson. Many of the deep routes that Berrian traditionally ran with Rex Grossman were being run by speedster Devin Hester in this game as the Bears continued to try to get Hester more involved.
WR Muhsin Muhammad, Rec: 3 - 29 - 0 (3 targets) - Muhammad converted on all three passes thrown his way, averaging under ten yards per reception.
WR Devin Hester, Rec: 2 - 65 - 1 (3 targets) - Hester made the most of his opportunities, including a fifty five yard touchdown reception where he cut across the middle of the defense and found himself wide open for an easy catch and run from quarterback Kyle Orton. In his addition to his heroics from the receiving game, Hester also showed his explosive return abilities with a sixty four yard punt return touchdown. Hester continued to look more confident in the passing game and an integral part of both special teams and offense as the coaches look for ways to get him involved.
TE Greg Olsen, Rec: 2 - 17 - 0 (7 targets) - Kyle Orton looked to get Olsen involved early, but had trouble connecting as the two did so on less than thirty percent of his targets, though Olsen had seven targets to teammate Desmond Clark's one target against the Saints.
PK Robbie Gould 1 - 1 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 7 points - Gould successfully converted on all four extra point attempts in addition to kicking a 39 yard field goal in the 33-25 win.
CHI Rush Defense - The Bears rush defense was worn down over the course of the afternoon as they spent a significant amount of time on the field, giving up over one hundred yards to Pierre Thomas.
CHI Pass Defense - Though they gave up 320 yards through the air and three touchdowns, the Bears prevailed by coming up with two interceptions and three sacks by keeping most everything underneath and preventing Drew Brees from catching up in this game.Buffalo Bills 9, Philadelphia Eagles 17
What you need to know
Buffalo Bills - The Bills started out sluggishly and never got untracked. Their first three drives ended with punts and Buffalo was quickly down 7--0 in the first quarter. They were only able to penetrate the Philadelphia red zone three times in the entire game and those opportunities resulted in three field goals. While their opportunistic defense sacked Donovan McNabb four times and intercepted one pass, they still surrendered over 300 passing yards.Trent Edwards posted mediocre numbers and seemed reluctant to throw the ball deep. The Buffalo passing attack was ineffective and disappeared after Lee Evans was injured in the second quarter. Edwards threw for 133 yards, although he was not sacked and did not throw an interception. Buffalo wide receivers Evans, Roscoe Parrish, Sam Aiken and Josh Reed only accounted for just four of Edwards' 16 completed passes.
Although the Bills failed to generate a viable air attack Marshawn Lynch gained 105 yards and was able to grind out tough yardage against eight man fronts including a 56 yard run in the second half. Fred Jackson continued to impress in his backup role to Lynch and led the team with six receptions for 24 yards. Tight ends Michael Gaines and Robert Royal combined for five receptions good for 48 yards.
The Bills have given up 35 drives this season of ten plays or more, most in the NFL. S Donte Whitner sat out this game with an illness and the undermanned defense continued to struggle. After LB Mario Haggan was injured the Bills played with two linebackers and a nickel package. While they never gave up and often played inspired, their second and third string players lacked talent.
Philadelphia Eagles - Philadelphia won its third game in a row to finish the season 8--8. They got up 7--0 in the first quarter and rode their defense to a victory much more decisive than the final score might suggest. This one wasn't even close.Donovan McNabb appeared fully recovered from reconstructive knee surgery and once again played like a Pro Bowl quarterback. He threw for 345 yards, completing 29 of 41 with one touchdown. On their first series, T Jon Runyon suffered a concussion and was replaced by former USC standout Winston Justice. Although McNabb was ultimately sacked four times he looked quick in the pocket and was usually able to avoid the blitz happy Bills.
Early in the game Brian Westbrook broke Wilbert Montgomery's single season team record of 2,005 all purpose yards, and in the second quarter he broke Irving Fryer's franchise record of 88 receptions. Possibly because Westbrook touched the ball 368 times this season Andy Reid let him sit out the fourth quarter. Westbrook finished with 42 yards on seven carries and another 57 receiving yards on four pass receptions.
Reggie Brown caught five passes for 83 yards, but in the third quarter caught a pass at the ten yard line but had the ball knocked loose at the three yard line. Kevin Curtis alertly pounced on the loose ball in the end zone to score the Eagles' second touchdown, the second time in as many weeks that he bailed out a teammate in such a manner. Curtis also caught seven passes for 62 yards while rookie TE Brent Celek caught three balls for 18 yards and one touchdown.
What you ought to know
QB Trent Edwards, Pass: 16 - 30 - 133 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - 17 - 0 - The Stanford rookie had a mediocre game, completing 16 of 30 for 133 yards and zero touchdowns, and managed to scramble three times for 17 yards in the face of a strong pass rush. His quickness may have prevented the Eagles from sacking him, but he was unable to get the ball into the end zone on three trips inside the red zone. The Buffalo passing attack was ineffective to begin with but it disappeared after Lee Evans was injured in the second quarter and had to leave the game.RB Marshawn Lynch, Rush: 22 - 105 - 0, Rec: 1 - 22 - 0 (1 targets) - Lynch carried 22 times for 105 yards. Even though Buffalo was unable to generate a passing attack Lynch was still able to grind out tough yardage against eight man fronts and even ripped off a 56 yard run in the second half. This season the Cal rookie was everything the Bills hoped he would be and maybe a little more.
RB Fred Jackson, Rush: 5 - 16 - 0, Rec: 6 - 24 - 0 (7 targets) - While his role is to spell Lynch, Jackson also led the Bills in receiving with six balls for 24 yards. His high number of targets underscores Buffalo's inability to get the ball to their wide receivers.
WR Roscoe Parrish, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (4 targets) - Parrish is still more valuable as a punt return specialist although the Bills keep looking for ways to expand his role in their offense. Edwards tried one deep pass that fell incomplete.
WR Sam Aiken, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (1 targets) - The reserve receiver and special teams standout got a chance to play when Lee Evans was injured and had to leave the game. He managed to catch the only pass thrown to him for a ten yard gain good for a first down.
WR Lee Evans, Rec: 1 - 2 - 0 (3 targets) - Evans caught his only pass in the second quarter on a short crossing route. Former South Florida standout J.R. Reed crushed him after a two yard gain and Evans did not return to the game.
WR Josh Reed, Rec: 1 - 24 - 0 (2 targets) - A sore back prevented Reed from practicing during the week but he still played. He only caught one pass for 24 yards, but threw a key block on Lynch's 56 yard run.
TE Robert Royal, Rec: 3 - 31 - 0 (5 targets) - The former Washington Redskins tight end continued to play a key role in this offense and led the team in receiving yards.
TE Michael Gaines, Rec: 2 - 17 - 0 (4 targets) - The former Carolina Panther continued to play a key role in this offense. Both Gaines and Robert Royal have decent hands and provide large targets on short safe routes for Buffalo's rookie quarterback.
PK Rian Lindell 3 - 3 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 9 points - The Bills' inability to score in the red zone enabled Lindell to convert field goals from 29, 23 and 22 yards.
BUF Rush Defense - Philadelphia failed to gain 100 yards but Westbrook left the game after breaking franchise records set by Wilbert Montgomery and Irving Fryer.
BUF Pass Defense - Despite sacking McNabb four times, intercepting a pass and recovering a fumble, they still surrendered 345 passing yards. S Donte Whitner missed the game due to illness and the inexperienced secondary proved easy pickings. QB Donovan McNabb, Pass: 29 - 41 - 345 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - McNabb appeared fully recovered from reconstructive knee surgery performed 13 months ago as he led the Eagles to their third straight victory. He connected with 10 different receivers and appeared quick and decisive in the pocket. He completed 29 of 41 for 345 yards and one touchdown but a potential second touchdown pass was fumbled at the three yard line. McNabb threw one interception, his first in his last 125 pass attempts, which also was his first red zone pick of the season.RB Brian Westbrook, Rush: 7 - 42 - 0, Rec: 4 - 57 - 0 (6 targets) - A modest day by Westbrook standards, he gained 42 yards on seven carries and caught four passes for another 57 yards. In the first half he broke both the franchise record for catches set by Irving Fryer and also the all purpose yards record set by Wilbert Montgomery. Westbrook was held out in the fourth quarter.
RB Correll Buckhalter, Rush: 9 - 18 - 0, Rec: 2 - 10 - 0 (2 targets) - Buckhalter spelled Westbrook throughout the game and played the entire fourth quarter. He posted modest numbers as Philadelphia had the lead and milked the clock.
RB Thomas Tapeh, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) - The 243 pound fullback did not carry the ball but caught his only target for four yards.
WR Kevin Curtis, Rec: 7 - 62 - 0 (13 targets) - The free agent from St. Louis led all receivers with seven balls for 62 yards and has become a McNabb favorite. For the second week in a row he alertly recovered a teammates' fumble in the end zone for a Philadelphia touchdown.
WR Reggie Brown, Rush: 2 - 9 - 0, Rec: 5 - 83 - 0 (7 targets) - Brown led all receivers with 83 yards on five receptions and also carried twice on reverses for nine yards. He also fumbled at the Buffalo three yard line and had the ball bounce into the end zone, but alert Kevin Curtis recovered for the second Eagles touchdown.
WR Jason Avant, Rec: 2 - 30 - 0 (2 targets) - Avant caught both passes thrown to him for 30 yards, although he was not targeted in the second half.
WR Hank Baskett, Rec: 2 - 7 - 0 (2 targets) - Baskett saw action in the second half and managed to catch both passes thrown to him for seven yards.
WR Greg Lewis, Rec: 2 - 66 - 0 (4 targets) - Lewis saw limited duty but gained 66 yards on just two receptions. He was also the target when McNabb's pass was intercepted.
TE Brent Celek, Rec: 3 - 18 - 1 (4 targets) - The rookie from Cincinnati caught McNabb's two yard TD pass in the first quarter. He played the entire game and finished with three grabs for 18 yards.
TE Matt Schobel, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) - The brother of Buffalo DE Aaron Schobel, Matt caught one pass for eight yards. His other target was incomplete when Aaron dropped into shallow coverage and was one of three defenders who knocked down the pass.
PK David Akers 1 - 1 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points - His only field goal attempt was good from 38 yards and converted both extra points.
PHI Rush Defense - Philadelphia's rush defense ranked fifth in the NFL but Marshawn Lynch gained over 100 yards. The Eagles kept Buffalo out of the end zone and rank second in the League with only 20 touchdowns allowed on 51 possessions inside their 20 yard line.
PHI Pass Defense - Trent Edwards only passed for 133 yards and faced tremendous pressure, but the Eagles did not register a sack or intercept a pass. This season they were last in the NFL with just 19 takeaways and zero touchdowns off turnovers.Minnesota Vikings 19, Denver Broncos 22
What you need to know
Minnesota Vikings - The Vikings started off strong and looked like they were going to dominate the game early. They moved the ball well on their first two drives, but failed to get the ball into the end zone. Their offense then disappeared until the fourth quarter.Tarvaris Jackson did not do much until the fourth quarter. The Vikings focused on their running game, so not much was asked of him, but he did not give any reason to expect anything of him either. That changed in the fourth quarter. With the Vikings down 19 to three, Jackson led the Vikings back to a tie on two straight touchdown drives with his arm.
Adrian Peterson was shut down again. Chester Taylor got the start, and played well, but Peterson did not find the same easy going. Peterson managed only 36 yards on 11 carries to Taylor's 83 yards on ten carries.
Bobby Wade was Jackson's main target catching five passes for 92 yards, and both of Jackson's touchdowns. Robert Ferguson also caught five passes, but most were shorter yardage as he totaled 39 yards.
Denver Broncos - Jay Cutler had an excellent game, making good quick throws, and made good decisions all game. He completed over 70% of his passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns. He displayed his great arm strength and made throws all over the field.The Broncos were able to consistently run the ball on the Vikings, running to the edges, and staying away from the Williams' up the middle. Selvin Young was the main runner, carrying the ball 22 times for 87 yards. In total, the Broncos were able to rush for 128 yards.
Brandon Marshall had a huge game, catching ten balls for 114 yards and a touchdown. He used his size advantage over the smaller Viking defensive backs time and time again. He was also able to use his running ability with the ball to get yards after the catch on several plays.
What you ought to know
QB Tarvaris Jackson, Pass: 16 - 31 - 175 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 4 - 36 - 0 - Jackson started off the game slow, completing less than 50% of his passes in the first half. His numbers would have looked much better had Troy Williamson not dropped a wide open bomb down the middle that would have been a sure touchdown. Jackson did pick it up in the fourth quarter, rallying the Vikings to back to back touchdown drives (scoring the two point conversion for each). Jackson also did a good job protecting the ball until his fumble on the first play in overtime, which set up the Broncos game winning field goal.RB Chester Taylor, Rush: 10 - 83 - 0, Rec: 3 - 9 - 0 (3 targets) - Taylor started the game and dominated on the first drive. Unfortunately, the first drive ended with Taylor diving for the end zone pylon, but dropping the ball on the pylon which resulted in a touchback. After the first drive, Taylor played sparingly other than on third downs. He did look good when he carried ball, though he did have one more fumble.
RB Adrian Peterson, Rush: 11 - 36 - 0 - Peterson had a rough game, and did not find many holes to run through. The Broncos seemed to key on the run when Peterson was in the game. His longest run of the afternoon was just eight yards.
WR Robert Ferguson, Rec: 5 - 39 - 0 (9 targets) - Ferguson got plenty of looks from Tarvaris Jackson but was well covered by the excellent Broncos defensive backs. He did receive four deep passes, but the balls were either thrown out of reach or were broken up by defenders. He did catch five of his shorter routes for 39 yards.
WR Bobby Wade, Rec: 5 - 92 - 2 (8 targets) - Wade had a good game, hauling in five of his eight targets for 92 yards and two touchdowns. He made three of his catches, and both of his touch downs in the fourth quarter.
PK Ryan Longwell 1 - 1 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 3 points - Longwell made his only kicking attempt of the game which was a 22 yard field goal.
MIN Rush Defense - The Vikings rush defense failed to play up to its reputation again. They allowed the Broncos to control the game and the clock by grinding out 128 yards on the ground, and 4.7 yards per carry.
MIN Pass Defense - The Vikings had no answers for Jay Cutler to Brandon Marshall. Cutler was comfortable in the pocket for the entire game. Marshall used his size and running ability to dominate the Vikings defensive backs. QB Jay Cutler, Pass: 26 - 37 - 246 - 2 TD / 0 INT - Cutler played extremely well. He attacked the Viking corners. Cutler also used the short passing game to supplement the running game. Many of his passes were quick passes to his receivers at the line of scrimmage. Cutler also had a nice couple of lead blocks on Brandon Marshall's runs. Cutler played mistake free ball the whole game.RB Selvin Young, Rush: 22 - 87 - 0, Rec: 3 - 12 - 0 (3 targets) - Young was able to gain chucks of yardage on the Vikings rush defense. He was able to find cutback lanes consistently and was able to keep the chains moving. He started slowly, but once the Broncos built up a lead, he was able to grind out the clock until the fourth quarter. He did not have any spectacular runs, but was able to get positive yards most of his carries.
WR Brandon Marshall, Rush: 2 - 31 - 0, Rec: 10 - 114 - 1 (13 targets) - Marshall played like a beast against the smaller Vikings defensive backs. He used his body to get position. He also took a few quick swing passes, made defenders miss, and got good yardage after the catch. On one reception, he leaped over his defender and pulled the ball away, making the catch. The Vikings simply had no answer for Marshall.
WR Javon Walker, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (2 targets) - Walker appeared to be an after thought in the Broncos offensive plans. Cutler looked primarily to Brandon Marshall or Tony Scheffler. Walker caught just two short passes for 18 yards.
TE Tony Scheffler, Rec: 7 - 52 - 1 (6 targets) - Scheffler had a good game working the sidelines, and the short middle of the field. He finished with 52 yards on his seven receptions and added a touchdown.
PK Jason Elam 2 - 2 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 8 points - Elam was perfect on all of his kicking attempts, including two extra points and field goals from 43 and 30 yards.
DEN Rush Defense - The Broncos rush defense started off slow, allowed Chester Taylor to drive the Vikings down into scoring position, but stiffened soon afterwards. They virtually shut down Adrian Peterson, and did not allow the Vikings to get back into the game with their league leading running game.
DEN Pass Defense - The pass defense harassed Tarvaris Jackson all game. Elvis Dumervil had a great game putting pressure on Jackson, and making it difficult for him to feel comfortable. They did allow Jackson to bring the Vikings back late in the fourth quarter, but atoned for that by causing a Jackson fumble on the first play of overtime.Carolina Panthers 31, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23
What you need to know
Carolina Panthers - Matt Moore got Carolina off to a good start in the first half, where he connected with TE Christian Fauria from two yards out and TE Dante Rosario on a 20 yard score. Moore also led the team on a field goal scoring drive before the half that gave the Panthers a 17-13 lead at half. He finished with 174 yards passing, two scores and one interception and got a big boost from the Carolina rushing attack in the second half to help put the Buccaneers away.The Panthers had a balanced rushing attack, running for 80 yards in the first half and adding another 100 on the ground in the second half. DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams combined to wear down the Tampa Bay front seven, and Williams came through with two rushing scores in the second half from one and 32 yards out that helped seal the deal for Carolina. Williams finished with 121 yards in his best outing of the season.
Drew Carter led the Panthers with 59 yards on two receptions and Steve Smith added 48 yards on five receptions, but TEs Christian Fauria and Dante Rosario came up with scoring plays in the passing game.
The Panthers shut down the Tampa Bay rushing attack, which was playing without starting RB Earnest Graham. The Buccaneers managed just 107 yards on the ground and 47 of that came courtesy of QB Luke McCown on broken pass plays. While they did allow two passing touchdowns, Carolina made plays when they had to, sacking McCown four times, picking off a fourth quarter pass in the red zone and stopping Tampa Bay on their final drive to finish their season off with a victory.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - QB Jeff Garcia watched the game from the sidelines, along with many of the Tampa Bay starters, with the Buccaneers already locked into the four seed in the playoffs. Luke McCown stepped in and played well, completing 21 of 28 passes for 236 yards and touchdown passes to TE Jerramy Stevens and RB Michael Bennett. Unfortunately for the Buccaneers, McCown was intercepted late in the fourth quarter on a potential game-tying drive. Tampa Bay had one last shot with less than two minutes left, but turned the ball over on downs.With starting RB Earnest Graham on the bench getting ready for the playoffs, Michael Pittman and Michael Bennett took over the workload on the ground. That duo was able to manage just 51 yards on 19 attempts combined, and that lack of production from the running game was a big detriment for the Buccaneers offensive attack.
Joey Galloway did not play, so the Tampa Bay passing game was without its biggest weapon. With Galloway out, WRs Michael Clayton and Chad Lucas combined for 142 yards on ten receptions and TE Jerramy Stevens and RB Michael Bennett each caught touchdown passes for the Buccaneers.
Tampa Bay's defense also rested some starters, and the play on the field from the Buccaneer defense looked like play you would expect from reserves. Carolina scored two passing touchdowns in the first half and took advantage of bad coverage on a few other non-scoring big plays to go into halftime up 17-13. In the second half, the Panthers wore down the Buccaneers with their rushing attack, on the shoulders of DeAngelo Williams, who ran for two rushing scores to help put the game away for Carolina.
What you ought to know
QB Matt Moore, Pass: 15 - 24 - 174 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - Matt Moore started for Carolina and while he didn't put up spectacular numbers, he made plays when he needed to, shrugged off his mistakes, and did just enough to help his team come out with the victory. He finished with 174 yards on 15 of 24 passing and connected with TEs Christian Fauria and Dante Rosario on first half touchdowns for his only scores of the game. Moore did have a costly interception that led to a Tampa Bay field goal, but he didn't let it get him down, coming back on the next possession to throw his second touchdown.RB DeAngelo Williams, Rush: 20 - 121 - 2 - Williams received more work as the game went on and finished with 20 rushes for 121 yards and touchdown runs of one yard and 32 yards. While he was a non-factor in the passing game with zero targets, Williams showed strides in the rushing attack and may have showed enough to warrant at least a position battle with Foster in training camp.
RB DeShaun Foster, Rush: 11 - 46 - 0, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (1 targets) - Foster started the game but gave way to DeAngelo Williams as the game progressed. He finished with 11 rushes for 46 yards and added one reception for 11 yards on his only target through the air.
WR Steve Smith, Rec: 5 - 48 - 0 (8 targets) - Steve Smith was targeted eight times to lead the team, and finished with five receptions for 48 yards. He was targeted three times on third downs, but just could not find much room downfield for any big plays.
WR Drew Carter, Rec: 2 - 59 - 0 (5 targets) - Carter was targeted five times and finished with two receptions for 59 yards. Included in that was a 46 yard reception that Carter came down with at the one yard line and set up a Carolina touchdown.
TE Dante Rosario, Rec: 3 - 36 - 1 (3 targets) - Dante Rosario caught all three passes thrown his way for 36 yards, including a 20 yard touchdown reception.
TE Christian Fauria, Rec: 1 - 2 - 1 (1 targets) - Fauria made the most of his only target in the game, catching a two yard touchdown pass.
TE Jeff King, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (2 targets) - King was targeted twice and finished with one reception for five yards.
PK John Kasay 1 - 1 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 7 points - Kasay hit his only field goal attempt from 19 yards out and added four extra points to finish with seven points in the game.
CAR Rush Defense - The Panthers defense played well against the run, holding Tampa Bay to 107 yards on 26 attempts, for a 4.1 ypc average. However, of those 107 yards, 47 of it came on five attempts from Luke McCown on plays where he was pushed out of the pocket. They were able to keep the Buccaneers out of the end zone on the ground and allowed just six rushing first downs for the ball game.
LB Jon Beason continued his strong play, as he totaled eight solo tackles and two assists to lead the Carolina defense.
CAR Pass Defense - Carolina's defense did not fare as well in the passing game as they did against the run, and the Buccaneers took advantage of some blown coverages and missed assignments to throw for 236 yards and two touchdowns, while completing 75% of their pass attempts. On the bright side, they held Tampa Bay to just four of 12 on third downs, recorded four sacks and came up with a big fourth quarter interception and turnover on downs to hold off the Buccaneers.DB Richard Marshall led the secondary with nine solo tackles, one sack, and an interception and LB Na'il Diggs added a sack of his own to lead the defense.
QB Luke McCown, Pass: 21 - 28 - 236 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 5 - 47 - 0 - McCown got the start for the Buccaneers and while he was productive and efficient, could not do enough with a limited supporting cast to fend off the Panthers. He finished 21 of 28 for 236 yards passing, including touchdown passes to Jerramy Stevens and Michael Bennett. However, one of McCown's few mistakes for the game came in the fourth quarter with Tampa Bay down eight, as he was intercepted on an under thrown pass that could have resulted in a touchdown. He was flushed out of the pocket and was unable to plant and throw, and the ball fell short of a wide open Buccaneer receiver. Tampa Bay had one last shot with under two minutes left, but turned the ball over near midfield after four plays.RB Michael Bennett, Rush: 15 - 39 - 0, Rec: 2 - 28 - 1 (2 targets) - Bennett received the most carries for the Buccaneers, carrying the ball 15 times for just 39 yards on the ground, but made a big play in the passing game with a 23 yard touchdown reception on a screen play. Along with the scoring reception, he added another reception for five yards as he finished with two receptions for 28 yards.
RB Michael Pittman, Rush: 4 - 12 - 0, Rec: 1 - 0 - 0 (2 targets) - Pittman started the game and finished with four rushes for 12 yards on the ground and one reception for zero yards in the passing game. He wasn't used much in the second half, where Michael Bennett carried most of the load for Tampa Bay.
WR Michael Clayton, Rec: 5 - 60 - 0 (8 targets) - With Joey Galloway watching from the sidelines, Clayton was the most targeted Buccaneers receiver, getting eight looks as he finished with five receptions for 60 yards.
WR Chad Lucas, Rec: 5 - 82 - 0 (6 targets) - Lucas started for Joey Galloway and responded with a nice game. He was targeted six times and finished with five receptions for 82 yards, including a 52 yard reception on blown coverage that set up Tampa Bay's first touchdown.
TE Jerramy Stevens, Rec: 4 - 30 - 1 (4 targets) - Stevens caught all four passes thrown his way for 30 yards, including a three yard touchdown. In recent weeks, he seems to be more involved in the offensive game plan and has proved to be a useful weapon in the red zone.
TE Alex Smith, Rec: 1 - 18 - 0 (2 targets) - Smith was targeted twice and finished with 18 yards on one reception. On the play, Smith made a nice catch down the seam, took a nasty hit that drew a unnecessary roughness penalty and was able to hang on for a first down.
PK Matt Bryant 3 - 3 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 11 points - Bryant connected on field goals from 31, 23 and 49 yards out and added two extra points to finish with 11 points in the game.
TB Rush Defense - Tampa Bay rested some of their starters, and the Panthers took advantage, especially on the ground. The Buccaneers gave up 180 yards on the ground on 37 attempts, for nearly five yards per rush, and RB DeAngelo Williams ran roughshod through the defense on his way to 121 yards and two rushing scores.
LB Jeremiah Trotter got his first real action of the season and responded with seven solo tackles and one assist to lead the Buccaneers.
TB Pass Defense - The Buccaneers didn't give up huge passing numbers, with the Panthers totaling just 169 pass yards, but they gave up too many big, game changing plays. Carolina scored on two passing touchdowns in the first half and completed seven of 14 third down conversions to keep drives alive, the chains moving and the clock running. Their success on third downs was a big factor in the ball game.DB Kalvin Pearson led the secondary with seven solo tackles and DL Greg Spires recorded the only sack of the game for Tampa Bay. DB Philip Buchanon chipped in with the team's only interception, which the Buccaneers turned into a field goal.
Seattle Seahawks 41, Atlanta Falcons 44
What you need to know
Seattle Seahawks - Even though the score was tied at the half, the Seahawks chose to rest most of their starters to begin the second half. It was an entertaining game to be sure, but take Atlanta's offensive success with a grain of salt.Both Seahawks quarterbacks played well but also hurt their teams with costly turnovers. Matt Hasselbeck had his usual, efficient game, spreading the ball around to six different receivers; backup Seneca Wallace locked on to Nate Burleson, with favorable results.
Yes, there was a Shaun Alexander sighting. His rushing touchdown put him over 100 for his career. Even in the first half, however, he split carries with Maurice Morris.
The receiving corps did just fine without Deion Branch in the lineup. Burleson had the biggest game, with a pair of touchdowns, but Bobby Engram's 4-65-1 is not too shabby for one half of playing time. D.J. Hackett returned to action and got a lot of looks, but not a lot of production.
Atlanta Falcons - Quarterback Chris Redman led his team to a much needed victory, passing for four touchdowns and no interceptions. Turnovers helped his cause as the Falcons were able to pull away with three quick scores in the second half.Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwood split the rushing duties evenly, and were targeted roughly the same amount, too.
Roddy White led the receiving corps with nine targets, but Joe Horn and Alge Crumpler made their presence known as well, with half of their combined receptions were for touchdowns.
What you ought to know
QB Matt Hasselbeck, Pass: 15 - 25 - 147 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 9 - 0 - Hasselbeck was efficient but also gave up a costly fumble. He was under pressure often and was lucky to get the ball off at all when he hit a streaking Bobby Engram at the goal line for his only TD of the day. He spread the ball around pretty evenly, but TE Marcus Pollard was his go to guy on third downs. Hasselbeck sat out the second half.QB Seneca Wallace, Pass: 17 - 22 - 206 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0 - Wallace replaced Hasselbeck to start the second half. He also gave up two costly turnovers -- a fumble and an interception -- while adding two touchdowns of his own, both to Nate Burleson.
RB Maurice Morris, Rush: 13 - 91 - 1, Rec: 4 - 18 - 0 (4 targets) - Morris played the entire game -- in the first half he split carries with Alexander, and in the second, with Weaver. His four targets were all courtesy of Matt Hasselbeck. In the second half, he was particularly effective on the ground.
RB Leonard Weaver, Rush: 8 - 34 - 0, Rec: 6 - 39 - 0 (6 targets) - Weaver's workload increased as the game went on. In the second half, he split carries with Morris, and though he did not break any long ones, he did consistently gain 4-6 yards each time.
RB Shaun Alexander, Rush: 8 - 31 - 1 (1 targets) - Alexander showed that he's not finished yet, but didn't get enough carries to really prove his case. He had a couple of decent gains on cut-back plays, that earlier in the season simply weren't happening for him. He also scored his one hundredth career rushing TD, a milestone that puts him in elite company.
WR Nate Burleson, Rec: 7 - 119 - 2 (12 targets) - Burleson became the focal point of the offense late in the second half, scoring two touchdowns. He caught nearly everything Wallace threw to him (6 for 7), but was less successful with Hasselbeck (2 for 6).
WR Bobby Engram, Rec: 4 - 65 - 1 (6 targets) - Engram remained a favorite target of Matt Hasselbeck and hauled in a nice over the shoulder pass for a touchdown in the first half. Engram sat out the second half.
WR D.J. Hackett, Rec: 4 - 41 - 0 (9 targets) - Hackett was targeted often, but with little success. He was coming back from injury, which may explain the low production.
WR Courtney Taylor, Rec: 2 - 13 - 0 (2 targets) - Taylor played sparingly, and in the second half only. He caught both passes thrown to him, each for a short gain.
WR Ben Obomanu, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (3 targets) - Obomanu played sparingly, and in the second half only.
TE Marcus Pollard, Rec: 3 - 39 - 0 (3 targets) - Pollard's modest numbers reflect the fact that he only played in the first half. All three receptions (all from Hasselbeck) were for first downs.
TE Will Heller, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (3 targets) - Heller replaced Pollard in the second half, and caught one pass.
PK Josh Brown 2 - 2 FG, 5 - 5 XP, 11 points - Brown nailed two long field goals, of 54 and 51 yards.
SEA Rush Defense - Not bad, considering the score. They kept the damage to a minimum.
SEA Pass Defense - The best assessment of the situation is this: What we learned today is that the Falcons offensive starters are indeed better than the Seahawks backup defenders. QB Chris Redman, Pass: 17 - 27 - 251 - 4 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 5 - 10 - 0 - Redman had an excellent day. Statistically, he was stellar, with four TDs and no interceptions. He also showed some good leadership and rallied the team on a few occasions, scrambling for first downs and in general, fighting for that extra yard or two.RB Warrick Dunn, Rush: 12 - 70 - 1, Rec: 2 - 10 - 0 (4 targets) - Dunn doesn't appear to have lost a step. Between him and Norwood, the carries were even, but Dunn had a couple that got him loose for big yardage. Not to mention a nifty end around touchdown that he somehow managed to keep in bounds from the five yard line in.
RB Jerious Norwood, Rush: 11 - 46 - 0, Rec: 2 - 41 - 0 (3 targets) - Norwood had one long catch on the day, but all of his rushing yards were small gains. He split the carries almost dead even with Warrick Dunn.
WR Roddy White, Rec: 5 - 62 - 1 (9 targets) - White remains a low percentage (five receptions for nine targets) go to receiver, but when he does catch the ball he makes things happen.
WR Joe Horn, Rec: 3 - 32 - 1 (3 targets) - Horn was only targeted three times, but he made them count: two were for first downs, and the other, a TD.
WR Laurent Robinson, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (3 targets) - Robinson caught one pass, for an 11 yard first down.
WR Adam Jennings, Rec: 1 - 28 - 0 (2 targets) - With Michael Jenkins inactive, Jennings (the regular kickoff returner) drew a little bit of playing time on offense.
TE Alge Crumpler, Rec: 3 - 67 - 2 (3 targets) - Crumpler was strangely ignored entirely in the first half. When Redman did call his number, he was rewarded with back to back touchdowns. His 55 yard catch and run TD also was the beginning of three quick scores that gave the Falcons the lead for good.
TE Dwayne Blakley (1 targets) - Blakley was targeted once, but was primarily used as a blocker.
PK Morten Andersen 3 - 3 FG, 5 - 5 XP, 14 points - Andersen was reliable, making good on kicks of 30, 37, and 32 yards.
ATL Rush Defense - They consistently gave up yardage to a team that has not only been struggling on the ground, but was also without their top lineman, LT Walter Jones.
ATL Pass Defense - There's no nice way to say this: despite the eventual win, they were humbled by a team of second stringers.Detroit Lions 13, Green Bay Packers 34
What you need to know
Detroit Lions - Jon Kitna struggled in this game as he completed only 46% of his 48 passes for 246 yards and one touchdown. Despite not getting sacked in this contest, Kitna was constantly on the move, which contributed towards his problems with accuracy. His two first half interceptions were his 19th and 20th picks of the year (eight of those interceptions have come in the last three games). The Lions' signal caller did hook up with WR Shaun McDonald on a 30 yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, and his yardage total through the air put Kitna over 4,000 yards on the season.T. J. Duckett got his first start of the year, but he and fellow running back Aveion Cason had a tough time picking up yards on the ground against the Green Bay run defense. The rushing tandem could only muster 45 yards on 16 carries for an average of 2.8 yards per rush. Duckett and Cason did contribute in the passing game by combining to catch three passes for 43 yards.
Wide receivers Mike Furrey, Calvin Johnson, and Shaun McDonald were targeted a total of 34 times in this game and the pass catching trio hauled in 15 of those passes for a total of 170 yards. Johnson was the most targeted (12), but it was McDonald who had the best day receiving as his five catches went for a team leading 69 yards. His 30 yard scoring grab was the only touchdown of the game for the Lions and the score was his sixth of the year.
Green Bay Packers - With Green Bay's playoff seed determined prior to the start of this game, head coach Mike McCarthy decided to keep some of the Packers' first stringers out of this one. Starters Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, Donald Lee, Korey Hall, Ryan Pickett, Aaron Kampman, and Charles Woodson were all inactive for this contest. Despite playing with back-ups at key positions, Brett Favre led the offense to touchdowns on their first three series as Green Bay took a 21--10 lead into halftime. Backup quarterback Craig Nall secured the victory by leading the Packers to 13 second half points.Ryan Grant came into this game needing 101 yards on the ground to reach the 1,000 yard mark for the year and it appeared early on that he might reach the milestone. With just over six minutes remaining in the first quarter Grant had 57 yards, but he left the game after sustaining a stinger on a one yard rushing play. Before leaving, he did run for a 27 yard touchdown which marked the sixth game in a row in which he rushed for a score. Rookie Brandon Jackson filled in nicely for Grant as he averaged over 5.6 yards on 20 attempts and recorded the first 100 yard rushing game of his career.
Koren Robinson took advantage of the playing time available with Donald Driver and Greg Jennings out of this game. Robinson led all Packer pass grabbers with four catches for 47 yards, and he also caught his first touchdown of the year from five yards out in the first quarter.
The victory was Green Bay's 13th on the year which ties a Packers' franchise record.
What you ought to know
QB Jon Kitna, Pass: 22 - 48 - 246 - 1 TD / 2 INT - On a chilly day at Lambeau Field, Kitna struggled to complete passes to his receivers. His 46% completion percentage was a season low and this was the sixth game of the year in which he had at least two interceptions. Despite his problems throwing the football, Kitna did lead the Lions on a 94 yard touchdown drive that he capped with a 30 yard scoring toss to WR Shaun McDonald. His numbers could have been better as he had a number of passes fall incomplete that hit their targets in the hands.RB T.J. Duckett, Rush: 13 - 29 - 0, Rec: 2 - 32 - 0 (3 targets) - Duckett averaged a paltry 2.2 yards per attempt on 13 carries and his long run went for a gain of five yards. His biggest contribution on offense came in the passing game as he took his first target for a gain of 22 yards early on in the second quarter. Duckett's second grab of the game came in the third quarter and went for 10 yards.
RB Aveion Cason, Rush: 3 - 16 - 0, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (3 targets) - Cason's first rush of the game went for a gain of 12, but his next two runs went for a total of four yards. In addition to periodically spelling T.J. Duckett at running back, he also averaged 25 yards on six kickoff returns.
WR Mike Furrey, Rec: 6 - 47 - 0 (11 targets) - Furrey's first catch came late in the second quarter and went for a three yard gain, but he followed that up with a grab on the very next play that went covered 11 yards. His four remaining catches all came in the second half and averaged just over eight yards per reception.
WR Shaun McDonald, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0, Rec: 5 - 69 - 1 (11 targets) - McDonald led all Lions' receivers with 69 yards receiving, and he hooked up with Jon Kitna for Detroit's only touchdown of the game near the end of the second quarter. The score covered 30 yards as McDonald was left wide open by the Green Bay secondary. In addition to his pass catching he also had a rush on an end around play, but McDonald was only able to pick up two yards. He was targeted a number of times in the end zone, but he was unable to haul in any of those passes. McDonald was the intended receiver on Kitna's second interception.
WR Calvin Johnson, Rec: 4 - 54 - 0 (12 targets) - Despite being targeted a team high 12 times, Johnson was only able to haul in four passes. He dropped his first target of the game on a short, third down pass that would have given Detroit a first down, and his second target was picked off by S Atari Bigby. Johnson's first grab came with just over 12 minutes left in the second quarter and went for a gain of five yards. His next catch came on a third and six play with the Lions operating from their own ten yard line. On the play, Johnson made a nice leaping catch on an under thrown ball that went for a gain of 32 yards. His only other long catch came in the third quarter and went for a gain of 18 yards on a third and 18 play. The rookie wide out was targeted numerous times in the end zone on deep passes, but all of those throws fell incomplete.
WR Brandon Middleton, Rec: 2 - 26 - 0 (3 targets) - Middleton's first catch of the game came with just over four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and went for a gain of 17. His only other reception came later on in that same quarter and covered nine yards.
TE Sean McHugh, Rec: 2 - 7 - 0 (3 targets) - McHugh averaged 3.5 yards on his two receptions.
TE Casey Fitzsimmons (2 targets) - Fitzimmons' first target went for a ten yard gain, but the play was wiped out do to an offensive holding penalty. His only other target came near the start of the fourth quarter, but the pass fell incomplete.
PK Jason Hanson 2 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points - Hanson's made his first field goal from 35 yards out in the first quarter and connected again on a 38 yarder in the third quarter. He also made good on his only extra point attempt.
DET Rush Defense - The Lions' run defense gave up 218 yards on 37 rushing attempts for an average of 5.9 yards per rush. In addition to Green Bay's gaudy yardage on the ground, Detroit also surrendered a 27 yard touchdown run in the first quarter to RB Ryan Grant.
DET Pass Defense - Quarterbacks Brett Favre and Craig Nall combined to complete 16 of 26 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns. The Lions recorded one sack on the day that was split between Jared Devries and Sean Rodgers. QB Craig Nall, Pass: 7 - 15 - 88 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 5 - 6 - 0 - Nall last threw a pass in a regular season game during the 2004 season, but he was effective in filling in for Brett Favre as he helped lead the offense to 13 second half points. His best drive came on the Packers' third series of the second half as he used both his arm and his legs to move the football. On a third and six play with Green Bay operating from their own 35 yard line, Nall rushed for a gain of eight. Pass completions to Koren Robinson and Brandon Jackson kept the drive going and later on in the series, Nall connected with Ruvell Martin on a fourth and two play that went for a 32 yard touchdown. He did fumble the football in the third quarter on the quarterback, center exchange that gave the Lions the ball on the Green Bay 39 yard line.QB Brett Favre, Pass: 9 - 11 - 99 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 21 - 0 - Favre's day lasted just over a quarter, but he looked sharp in leading the offense to touchdowns on Green Bay's first three drives. He finished the day completing over 81% of his passes (nine for 11) and threw touchdown passes to WR Koren Robinson and TE Bubba Franks. In addition to throwing the ball, Favre also had a 21 yard rush on Green Bay's first offensive drive. (The run was his longest of the year). He gave way to backup quarter back