New York Giants 31, Atlanta Falcons 10
What you need to know
New York Giants - Eli Manning may be the Mr. October of the NFL, as he has now won eight straight starts in the month of October after leading the Giants to a convincing win over the Falcons. He looked very comfortable sitting in the pocket finding the open receivers in the first half. At one point he completed 12 consecutive passes in the first half as they built a solid lead on Atlanta. The offense wasn't as effective in scoring points in the second half as New York only scored ten points. But Atlanta's offense was so ineffective they never really threatened the Giants in the second half and they gave the New York little reason to throw the ball deep. But Manning had a very nice game throwing for 303 yards and two touchdowns, and looked real solid throughout the game despite having two interceptions. He has had at least one pick in every game this season.WR Plaxico Burress caught his eighth touchdown pass of the season giving him a tie for the most in the NFL. He has now caught one touchdown in every game this season. Burress got open deep down the middle of the field and QB Eli Manning hit him on a 43 yard strike in the second quarter. Despite an injured ankle he has been dealing with all season, he was able to use his height and leaping ability to go up and get passes most receivers and defenders could not get too. He was clearly Manning's most reliable target and Manning went to Burress often when he needed a big catch on third down. Burress finished with six receptions for 97 yards and one touchdown.
RB Brandon Jacobs played in his second game since coming back from a knee injury and had a solid game with 86 yards rushing on 13 carries but, did not score a touchdown. Jacobs seemed to injure his shoulder on the first play of the game, and came out for a short time before returning to the game. It was reported as a burner in his shoulder. He was able to break a couple of long runs in the game, but the Giants did not use him in short yardage situations in the first half when the game was still in doubt. Instead, RB Reuben Droughns got all the short yardage carries in the first half, including a one yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Droughns got a lot of carries in the fourth quarter when the game was out of hand and ended up as New York's leading rusher with 90 yards. RB Derrick Ward had the other Giants rushing touchdown on a nine yard carry late in the game.
Atlanta Falcons - The big question mark coming into this game for the Falcons was how their injury-plagued offensive line was going to hold up against the Giants' pass rush that piled up 12 sacks against the Eagles two weeks ago. Atlanta lost their two starting tackles last week to injury, and was forced to start an undrafted rookie at LT and a second year player at RT. Their line already features one rookie starter in Justin Blalock at LG. As expected, Atlanta struggled to protect QB Joey Harrington in passing situations and they gave up four sacks to New York. The Giants harassed and pressured Harrington most of the game and gave him little time in the pocket. Harrington had a terrible game and he had trouble finding receivers as he completed only 18 of 39 passes. He had 209 yards passing but 57 of those yards came with little more then a minute left in the game as the Falcons moved the ball in a meaningless drive.RB Jerious Norwood's night got off to an explosive start as he took his first carry of the game 67 yards for a touchdown. He showed his great speed in taking it through an open lane and outrunning the New York secondary. Unfortunately, Norwood would not get many rushing opportunities in what turned out to be a one sided game. He was the only bright spot of the Falcons' offense as he finished the game with 138 total yards on only ten touches in the game.
WR Roddy White came in as the Falcons' leading receiver and led the team with four catches for 64 yards in the game. The Atlanta receivers didn't do much to help QB Joey Harrington as they dropped several passes in the game.
What you ought to know
QB Eli Manning, Pass: 27 - 39 - 303 - 2 TD / 2 INT - Manning came out strong completing six of eight passes for 52 yards and a five yard touchdown pass on the first drive of the game for Giants. The drive was extended after a roughing the punter penalty gave New York a new set of downs. Manning took advantage of the penalty by leading his team to a 73 yard touchdown drive. On the second drive of the game, he came back and completed three passes for 58 yards and almost had a second touchdown pass when he hooked up with WR Amani Toomer to the one yard line. The Giants punched it in on the next play for their second touchdown of the first half. Manning's excellent first half continued when he hit a wide open WR Plaxico Burress deep down the middle of the field for a 43 yard touchdown. Eight of Manning's 11 touchdowns this season have gone to Burress. He finished with great numbers in the first half by throwing for 208 yards and two touchdowns. His only hiccup was a late second quarter interception. Manning threw his second interception of the game while trying to hit Toomer deep down the right side line, but he under threw him a little. He led the Giants offense deep into the Falcons territory early in the fourth quarter, but had to settle for a field goal. Manning had 95 yards passing in the second half but, he and the passing game weren't asked to do much as Atlanta's offense could do nothing most of the second half.RB Reuben Droughns, Rush: 14 - 90 - 1 - Droughns got his first carry with the ball on the one yard of the Falcons, and cashed in with a touchdown. It was Droughns' third touchdown of the year, all of them have been from one yard out. His next carry came on a third and short play in the second quarter, and he got all the carries in short yardage situations in the first half. He got more carries in the second half as RB Derrick Ward rested his injured ankle most of the second half. Droughns broke off a long 45 yard run late in the game. He had 12 carries in the second half and ended up being the Giants' leading rusher with 90 yards.
RB Brandon Jacobs, Rush: 13 - 86 - 0, Rec: 1 - 2 - 0 (1 targets) - Jacobs had to leave the game after carrying the ball on the first play of the game for the Giants. He came to the sideline holding his shoulder, and it was reported that he suffered a burner in his shoulder. He returned to the game about six plays later. Jacobs broke off a nice 20 yard run down the left side of the sideline on the Giants second drive of the game. In somewhat of surprise, RB Reuben Droughns got the goal line carry from the Falcons' one yard line and the touchdown run on that drive. Droughns had been getting the goal line carries while Jacobs was out with his knee injury until last week. Jacobs is 6' 4", and 260 pounds, and one would expect him to get most of the looks around the goal line. His shoulder injury on the first play of the game may explain why he did not get the short yardage carries in the first half. He had five carries for 36 yards in the first half.
Jacobs had his second big run of the game early in the third quarter when he had a 20 yard run down the right sideline. New York ran the ball more in the second half as they built on their lead and tried to run down the clock. He finished the second half with seven carries for fifty yards, and had some nice runs in the game.RB Derrick Ward, Rush: 8 - 12 - 1, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (4 targets) - Ward is dealing with an ankle injury and was listed as questionable coming into this game, but saw equal playing time with starter RB Brandon Jacobs in the first half. He only had six yards on five carries and two catches for 16 yards in the first half.
Ward missed most of the second half after it was reported he reaggravated his ankle injury. He only had one carry in the second half until coming back into the game with three minutes left and rushing for nine yard touchdown.WR Amani Toomer, Rec: 7 - 89 - 1 (8 targets) - Toomer caught his first pass for ten yards and a first down on the first drive of the game. On the same drive, he caught a five yard touchdown pass over the middle in the end zone. He almost had a second touchdown on the next drive when he took a 17 yard pass to the one yard line. Toomer caught a big 15 yard pass in the second quarter on third down play to extend a drive that would result in a Giants' touchdown on the next play. Toomer had four catches for 47 yards and a touchdown in the first half.
Toomer's first catch of the second half came on a 15 yard completion for first down late in the third quarter. QB Eli Manning tried to hit Toomer on a deep pass down the right side line but, it was intercepted. On his seventh catch of the game, he became the Giants all time leading reception leader breaking former teammate Tiki Barber's record. It was a 16 yard catch for a first down. He finished the second half with three catches for 47 yards.WR Plaxico Burress, Rec: 6 - 97 - 1 (8 targets) - Despite dealing with a sprained ankle, Burress has gotten off to a great start this season having scored in every game. He caught his first pass on a third and long play that netted him 15 yards and a first down on the Giants on their first drive. Burress had an 18 yard pass over the middle of the field on the second drive of the first half. He got wide open deep down the middle of the field in the second quarter and QB Eli Manning hit him for a 43 yard touchdown pass. It was Burress' eighth touchdown this season and it ties him for the most scores in league with New England's WR Randy Moss. He got a first down for the Giants on an eight yard pass late in the second quarter to extend their drive. Burress almost had another big touchdown pass on the next play, but the Falcons defender knocked the ball away. He still finished the first half with great numbers as he caught five passes for 89 yards, including a touchdown. Burress only had one catch for eight yards in the second half as the Giants only tried going deep once in the second half.
WR Sinorice Moss, Rec: 4 - 19 - 0 (4 targets) - Moss had two catches for 14 yards in the first half. He added two more catches for five yards in the second half. Moss was used exclusively on short possession routes.
TE Jeremy Shockey, Rec: 5 - 63 - 0 (5 targets) - Shockey caught all the passes that came his way in the game. His biggest catch in the first half was a 21 yard pass for a first down in the second quarter. He would add two more receptions for 19 yards in the first half. Shockey's fourth catch of the game was 19 yard reception on the left sideline for a first down. He had one more catch for four yards in the second half.
PK Lawrence Tynes 1 - 1 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 7 points - Tynes had a 32 yard field goal in the fourth quarter and added four extra points.
NYG Rush Defense - The Giants gave up a 67 yard touchdown run to RB Jerious Norwood in the first quarter but held the Atlanta running backs to just 36 yards rushing besides that big run. Aside from that big run by Norwood early in the game, Atlanta's running game was a non-factor.
NYG Pass Defense - The Giants did a good job of getting pressure on QB Joey Harrington as the game wore on and recorded four sacks. They got one interception on the last play of the first quarter. QB Joey Harrington, Pass: 18 - 39 - 209 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0 - Harrington and the Falcons passing offense did little in the first half as he completed eight for 14 for 69 yards. Atlanta's offensive line came in to the game depleted as both starting tackles were out with injuries. The Giants started to get a better pass rush as the first half went on, and they sacked Harrington three times, and put pressure on him often. On the last Giants' sack of the first half, Harrington seemed to get his ankle twisted, but he was able to stay in the game. He had an interception to end the first half as he threw up a jump ball with one second left. Things didn't get better for Harrington in the second half as the Falcons struggled moving the ball and sustaining drives. Harrington was very inaccurate only completing 18 of 39 attempts. He was under a lot pressure when he dropped back to pass and his own receivers didn't help him by dropping many balls.RB Jerious Norwood, Rush: 6 - 87 - 1, Rec: 4 - 51 - 0 (4 targets) - Even though Norwood came into this game averaging almost a yard more per carry then teammate RB Warrick Dunn, he has seen less then half the number carries than his backfield mate. He added to that average by taking his first carry to the house on a 67 yard touchdown run on the Falcons' first play of their second drive of the game. Norwood took to the right side and made a great open field move and cut it back to the left side. He showed his excellent speed by outrunning the New York secondary. He also had a nice 16 yard run up the middle of the field late in the second quarter. Norwood had 83 yards at halftime but only had four carries. Norwood would only get four more yard rushing in the second half but did have four catches for 51 yards.
RB Warrick Dunn, Rush: 8 - 15 - 0, Rec: 2 - 13 - 0 (3 targets) - Dunn came into this game only averaging 3.4 yards per carry, and didn't do anything in the first half to improve on that because he only had 11 yards on five carries. He did have one catch for 11 yards in the half. Things didn't get any better for Dunn in the second half as the Falcons played from behind. He had three carries for four yards and one catch for two yards in the second half.
WR Roddy White, Rec: 4 - 64 - 0 (5 targets) - White came into this game as the Falcons' leading receiver and got off to a good start catching passes for nine and ten yards, both for first downs, on the first couple plays of the game. He did drop a ball he should have had on that initial drive as Atlanta neared the red zone. White finished the half as the Falcons leading receiver, catching three balls for 26 yards.
White made a big play early in the second half to jump start a stagnant Falcon's offense momentarily. He ran a crossing route in man to man coverage and broke free for a 38 yard completion. But that would be White's last catch of the game as the Giants did a good job of shutting him down in the second half.WR Joe Horn, Rec: 2 - 25 - 0 (5 targets) - Horn caught a 14 yard pass for a first down on the first drive of the game, but it was his only catch of the first half. He added one pass in the second half for 11 yards.
WR Michael Jenkins, Rec: 2 - 23 - 0 (6 targets) - Jenkins had six targets but only caught two passes for 23 yards in the game.
WR Laurent Robinson, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (7 targets) - The rookie Robinson almost made a very nice catch along the side line for a first down on the first drive, but was unable to get his feet in bounds. The Falcons had to settle for field goal on the drive. He would only catch one pass for eight yards in the game, even though he led the team in targets.
TE Alge Crumpler, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (4 targets) - Crumpler criticized his team after week's game, questioning the play-calling and accusing the new coaching staff of favoring young players over veterans. He only had one catch for nine yards in the first half and had no catches in the second half. He did have a drop on easy catch on a third quarter drive.
PK Morten Andersen 1 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - Anderson just barely hit a 47 yard field goal on the first drive of the game as the kick caught part of the cross bar. Anderson would come up short on a 48 yard attempt later in the half.
ATL Rush Defense - The Falcons were not strong against the run as they gave up 188 yards rushing in the game.
ATL Pass Defense - The Falcons pass rush forced a fumble by QB Eli Manning in the second quarter. They also had an interception late in the first half and another one in the third quarter.Tennessee Titans 10, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13
What you need to know
Tennessee Titans - Vince Young was able to do enough to keep the game within reach for the Titans, but was unable to come up with any big plays the offense desperately needed to get in the end zone against the Buccaneers. Young threw for 120 passing yards and just six rushing yards before leaving the game in the third quarter with a quad injury. Backup QB Kerry Collins entered in relief of Young, and played well, throwing for 125 yards and helping the Titans tie the game up in the fourth quarter.LenDale White got the bulk of the carries for the Tennessee rushing attack, carrying the ball 25 times for 64 yards and the Titans lone touchdown. Chris Brown finished with just 26 yards on five attempts, and had a costly fumble that led to a Tampa Bay field goal.
Justin Gage led the way for the receivers with 82 yards on four receptions and veteran WR Eric Moulds chipped in with six receptions for 49 yards.
Tennessee's defense did a great job shutting down the Tampa Bay running game, holding them to just 30 yards on 15 attempts and keeping them out of the end zone on the ground. Their downfall was giving up a big play in the passing game for a touchdown in the third quarter and failing to keep the Buccaneers out of field goal range after tying the game late in the fourth quarter.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Jeff Garcia had another solid game for Tampa Bay, doing just enough with limited offensive weapons to lead his team to victory. He finished with 274 passing yards that included a big 69 yard touchdown pass to WR Joey Galloway. Garcia showed his poise late in the fourth quarter, in a tie ball game, driving the team down the field with under two minutes left to get in field goal range and give K Matt Bryant a chance to win the game.RB Earnest Graham had a tough one against the Titans, rushing 13 times for just 29 yards and catching six passes for 17 yards in the passing game.
Joey Galloway came up with the big play for the Buccaneers, catching a 69 yard touchdown pass for Tampa Bay's only offensive score of the game. Fellow WR Ike Hilliard had a steady game with 59 yards on four receptions, and had two big catches late in the fourth quarter on the game winning drive.
The Buccaneers knew they had to slow down Tennessee QB Vince Young, and showed up ready to do just that. They continued their improved play from last year, and swarmed to the ball, refusing to give the Tennessee offense any big plays. Tampa Bay forced three turnovers in the game and had a few other turnover opportunities that were overturned after being reviewed.
What you ought to know
QB Kerry Collins, Pass: 10 - 20 - 125 - 0 TD / 0 INT - Collins entered the game after the Young injury and played well. While he didn't throw for any scores, he was able to get the team into scoring range, where RB LenDale White ran one in on the ground, to tie the game in the fourth quarter. Collins finished ten of 20 for 125 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions. He did have an interception that was reviewed and overturned on an attempt in the end zone.QB Vince Young, Pass: 11 - 14 - 120 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 3 - 6 - 0 - Young was steady, throwing 11 of 14 for 120 yards and one interception, and running the ball three times for six yards on the ground, but was unable to make any big plays for the Tennessee offense before leaving the game in the third quarter with a quad injury. On the play, Young was flushed from the pocket and ran towards the sidelines. When he tried to slow down after going out of bounds, he seemed to pull a muscle and ended up falling pretty hard on a concrete surface. He was on the sideline for the remainder of the game, so check his injury status later this week.
RB LenDale White, Rush: 25 - 64 - 1, Rec: 2 - 9 - 0 (6 targets) - White shouldered the load for the Titans on the ground, with 25 rushes for 64 yards and a touchdown run from two yards out that tied the game in the fourth quarter. He seemed to be running hard, but just could not find many holes in the Tampa Bay defense. White also chipped in with two receptions for nine yards on six targets in the passing game.
RB Chris Brown, Rush: 5 - 26 - 0 - Brown ran the ball just five times for 26 yards, and had a costly fumble that led to a Tampa Bay field goal. On the play, it was unclear if QB Vince Young was at fault on the handoff or if Brown wasn't where he was supposed to be, but Brown did not get much work after the turnover.
WR Eric Moulds, Rec: 6 - 49 - 0 (9 targets) - Moulds was the most targeted Titans receiver, catching six passes for 49 yards on nine targets. He was unable to get much going downfield, averaging just over eight yards a reception, but Moulds was never really a burner. Four of his receptions resulted in first downs and he was targeted once in the end zone.
WR Roydell Williams, Rec: 5 - 44 - 0 (8 targets) - Williams finished with five receptions for 44 yards and was targeted eight times in the game.
WR Justin Gage, Rec: 4 - 82 - 0 (5 targets) - Gage led the Titans in receiving yardage, finishing with 82 yards on four receptions. He showed a nice skill set, making a few acrobatic catches. Gage was targeted five times in the game.
TE Bo Scaife, Rec: 3 - 45 - 0 (6 targets) - Scaife was targeted six times, catching three passes for 45 yards. He did fumble the ball on one reception, but the Titans were able to get the ball back after Tampa Bay fumbled the recovery.
PK Rob Bironas 1 - 1 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - Bironas made his only field goal attempt from 48 yards out and made good on one extra point to finish with four points.
TEN Rush Defense - The Titans played well against the run, holding Tampa Bay to 30 yards on 15 attempts and completely shutting down Buccaneer RB Earnest Graham. They held Tampa Bay to just two yards per attempt and gave up just two rushing first downs.
LB David Thornton totaled four solo tackles and two assists to lead the Titans defense.
TEN Pass Defense - Tennessee was able to hold the Tampa Bay passing attack under control for most of the game, but could not sustain that success as the Buccaneers made the biggest play of the game on their 69 yard touchdown pass. The Titans defense also failed to come through late in the game, allowing the Buccaneers to throw the ball downfield late in the fourth quarter to get in field goal range for the win. QB Jeff Garcia, Pass: 20 - 31 - 274 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 1 - 0 - Jeff Garcia had another efficient game for Tampa Bay, completing 20 of 31 passes for 274 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. He made play after play on the move, flushing out of the pocket and connecting with his receivers downfield. The touchdown pass came on a 69 yard connection with WR Joey Galloway and Garcia's play late in the fourth quarter was just as important for the Buccaneers. He orchestrated a seven play, 55 yard drive with less than two minutes to play to get the team into field goal range, where K Matt Bryant made good from 43 yards out for the win.RB Earnest Graham, Rush: 13 - 29 - 0, Rec: 6 - 17 - 0 (11 targets) - Graham ran the ball 13 times for just 29 yards and caught six passes for 17 yards on a team high 11 targets in the passing game. While he got a lot of touches in the ballgame, Graham could not do much with his opportunities with a long of just ten yards.
WR Joey Galloway, Rec: 4 - 97 - 1 (5 targets) - Galloway was targeted five times, catching four passes for 97 yards and a 69 yard touchdown. The play was typical Galloway, splitting coverage and getting behind the defense for a big play.
WR Ike Hilliard, Rec: 4 - 59 - 0 (7 targets) - Hilliard was targeted seven times, catching four passes for 59 yards. Two of his receptions came in crunch time for Tampa Bay; as he totaled 38 yards on the game winning drive that included a big 28 yard reception on third down to keep the drive alive.
WR Michael Clayton, Rec: 2 - 53 - 0 (3 targets) - Clayton was targeted three times in the game, catching two passes for 53 yards. He showed some of the skill that was there during his rookie season, but just doesn't seem to be involved much in the offensive scheme to make a big impact.
TE Alex Smith, Rec: 1 - 15 - 0 (3 targets) - Smith had just one reception for 15 yards on three targets, and was forced to leave the game with an ankle injury in the fourth quarter.
PK Matt Bryant 2 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points - Bryant came through for the Buccaneers, kicking two field goals and adding an extra point to finish with seven points in the game. His first field goal came from 23 yards out and the second from 43 yards out with 11 seconds left to win the game.
TB Rush Defense - Tampa Bay allowed a touchdown on the ground, but did a great job holding down the Tennessee rushing attack for most of the game. They gave up just three rushing first downs and allowed just 2.9 yards per rush. QB Vince Young was not given any daylight on the ground, which was a big difference in the ballgame.
LB Barrett Rudd led the way with seven solo tackles and four assists, and LB Derrick Brooks chipped in with three solo and four assisted tackles and a forced fumble.
TB Pass Defense - The Buccaneers had a bend, but don't break look to their pass defense against the Titans, giving them room underneath their cover two but not allowing any big plays downfield. They challenged the Titans receivers on every pass attempt and totaled three sacks, one interception and two fumbles.DB Philip Buchanon totaled eight solo tackles and an interception and DL Jovan Haye added seven solo tackles, three assists and a sack for the Buccaneers defense. DL's Gaines Adams and Kevin Carter each chipped in a sack for Tampa Bay.
Minnesota Vikings 34, Chicago Bears 31
What you need to know
Minnesota Vikings - In a game marked by big plays, rookie Adrian Peterson made one after another in leading the visiting Vikings over the Bears by a 34-31 margin. Peterson finished with touchdowns from 35, 67 and 73 yards out on a day where he amassed 361 all purpose yards, including a 53 yard kickoff return to set up the game winning field goal in the final two minutes of the game. Peterson split carries with Chester Taylor, but finished with twenty carries for 224 yards. Taylor carried the ball 22 times for 83 yards, but did not find the end zone. Fullback Tony Richardson added one attempt for four yards.While the Vikings had a great deal of success running the ball, they struggled most of the day through the air, with the exception of a sixty yards touchdown pass from Tavaris Jackson to Troy Williamson. Jackson completed nine of 23 passes for 136 yards with just that one touchdown, though was not intercepted by the Bears in his return from injury. Williamson caught one other pass on the afternoon, and ended with two catches for 69 yards. Bobby Wade led the team in targets, but caught just three balls for thirty yards. Robert Ferguson saw action in the spread offense and caught two balls for fifteen yards, while Sidney Rice added thirteen yards on one catch. Running back Adrian Peterson added one reception for nine yards.
Chicago Bears - Brian Griese showed the ability to make smart decisions in completing the pass to the running back out of the backfield as well as the ability to complete the ball downfield, throwing three touchdowns of 33, 39 and 81 yards in length. Overall, Griese compiled 381 yards by completing 26 of 45 yards, though was intercepted twice. The Bears primary target on the afternoon was Bernard Berrian, who caught five balls for 78 yards and one touchdown. Muhsin Muhammed was quiet most of the afternoon, but came up with a big play to put the Bears back in the game late, and ended with two catches for 44 yards and one touchdown. In addition to returning a punt 89 yards for a touchdown, Devin Hester entered the game as a receiver late and burned past the defender to catch a perfectly thrown ball for an 81 yard touchdown on his only reception. Rashied Davis added two catches for 12 yards while Mark Bradley caught one pass for nine yards.Griese made good use of his tight ends and running backs in this game as well. Greg Olsen was targeted often and caught five balls for 63 yards, while Desmond Clark hauled in three passes for 48 yards. Adrian Peterson caught five balls for 28 yards out of the backfield for the Bears, while Cedric Benson pulled in two passes for 18 yards.
While the Bears had good success through the air, they were unable to get things going on the ground, with Cedric Benson carrying the ball eighteen times for 67 yards. Used primarily on third down and passing situations, Adrian Peterson added eleven yards on two carries. On his only rush of the game, Jason McKie fumbled to end the first half following a six yard gain, while Garrett Wolfe entered briefly to add one yard on the ground. Devin Hester was used on one end around and lost three yards. Officially, Brian Griese gained one yard on one attempt, though lost the ball trying to gain the first down.
What you ought to know
QB Tarvaris Jackson, Pass: 9 - 23 - 136 - 1 TD / 0 INT - In his return from injury, Jackson handed off the ball 43 times to passing 23 times. As it turned out, the Vikings averaged 5.9 yards per passing play, while gaining 7.2 yards per rushing play, so this was the right move, especially considering that Jackson completed just 39% of his passes. In leading the Vikings to a division victory on the road, he didn't turn the ball over. If not to include a sixty yard touchdown to Troy Williamson, Jackson averaged less than 3.5 yards per passing play.RB Chester Taylor, Rush: 22 - 83 - 0 - Taylor was not utilized in the passing game as he often found himself staying back to protect their young quarterback. While he did not put up the huge numbers of his teammate, Taylor still averaged 3.8 yards per carry and wore down the Bears defense, though he did lose one fumble.
RB Adrian Peterson, Rush: 20 - 224 - 3, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (2 targets) - Peterson put on a performance rarely seen, showing tremendous ability to make defenders miss, and quickly build to top speed and get past even the Bears quickest defenders. On his 67 and 73 yard touchdowns, he bounced the play back in the opposite direction, and broke through tacklers attempting to take him out low as he was changing direction, finishing the play with breakaway speed that even Charles Tillman could not catch him on either play despite having the angle. On his 35 yard touchdown late in the game, he broke to the outside and seemed to gracefully avoid the Bears defenders and tiptoe down the sideline untouched for his third touchdown. Still, his biggest play may have been his 53 yard kickoff return in the final two minutes to set up Ryan Longwell's 55 yard field goal as time expired.
WR Bobby Wade, Rec: 3 - 30 - 0 (7 targets) - Wade was the most targeted Vikings receiver, though was used primarily on short passes over the middle and along the sideline.
WR Troy Williamson, Rec: 2 - 69 - 1 (5 targets) - Williamson's big play came on a deep pass which he converted for a sixty yard touchdown, though was not used on deep routes after this early touchdown, with teammate Robert Ferguson seeing the majority of such routes as the game went on.
WR Sidney Rice, Rec: 1 - 13 - 0 (3 targets) - Rice tantalized Vikings fans with a tremendous catch, showing very strong hands on a ball most would not have caught, however had just dropped a ball that hit him square in the hands minutes earlier.
TE Visanthe Shiancoe (1 targets) - Shiancoe was utilized primarily in a blocking role in this game against the Bears pass rush and to help set up the running attack.
PK Ryan Longwell 2 - 2 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 10 points - Longwell connected successfully on all four extra points, in addition to field goals of 48 and 55 yards, the latter which won the game as time expired.
MIN Rush Defense - The Vikings held the Bears to just 83 yards on the ground, and caused two fumbles, giving up less than 3.5 yards per carry.
MIN Pass Defense - The secondary came up with two interceptions and helped to force one sack, but gave up 381 yards through the air including three long touchdown passes. QB Brian Griese, Pass: 26 - 45 - 381 - 3 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0 - Griese completed passes to nine different receivers and completed 58% of his passes for an average of 8.5 yards per passing play, but could not overcome the deficit created by the Vikings strong rushing attack. Griese threw a perfect pass to Devin Hester late in the game to tie the score up at 31, and had threaded the ball into Muhsin Muhammed and Bernard Berrian earlier in the game for long touchdown passes.RB Cedric Benson, Rush: 18 - 67 - 0, Rec: 2 - 18 - 0 (4 targets) - Benson was utilized out of the backfield more than in previous weeks, but continued to exit the game in favor of Adrian Peterson on third downs and obvious passing situations. On the ground, Benson was able to break a few tackles and run with power, but averaged just 3.7 yard per carry and was kept out of the end zone.
RB Adrian Peterson, Rush: 2 - 11 - 0, Rec: 5 - 28 - 0 (8 targets) - Peterson saw exclusive action on screen passes out of the backfield, and was a key contributor in the Bears game plan versus the aggressive Vikings defense.
WR Bernard Berrian, Rec: 5 - 78 - 1 (8 targets) - Berrian got behind the defense on a 39 yard touchdown reception in the second quarter, though this amounted for half of his production on the day, as the Vikings tried to keep the ball away from him.
WR Muhsin Muhammad, Rec: 2 - 44 - 1 (7 targets) - Muhammed came across the middle late in the game to catch a well thrown ball and broke away from his defender for a 33 yard touchdown.
WR Devin Hester, Rush: 1 - -3 - 0, Rec: 1 - 81 - 1 (1 targets) - On his only target of the game, Hester ran a deep route down the right sideline, in which the linebacker let him go on Brian Griese's pump fake, and the deep safety had no chance to catch Hester's blazing speed as he ran underneath a perfectly thrown ball to tie the game with under two minutes remaining.
TE Greg Olsen, Rec: 5 - 63 - 0 (7 targets) - Olsen made a number of nice catches, including a basket catch down the left sideline as he slipped behind the linebacker on a well executed timing pattern.
TE Desmond Clark, Rec: 3 - 48 - 0 (5 targets) - Clark and teammate Greg Olson both served effective roles in the Bears game plan against the Vikings. Clark saw more action early in the game and in situations where the Bears were trying to establish the run.
PK Robbie Gould 1 - 1 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 7 points - Gould connected from 32 yards out on his only field goal attempt, while successfully connecting on all four extra point attempts.
CHI Rush Defense - The Bears struggled stopping the run, giving up three long touchdowns and over 300 yards on the ground. Even without including three long touchdown runs by Adrian Peterson, the Bears still gave up 136 yards on forty other attempts, and simply were worn down by an effective Vikings game plan.
CHI Pass Defense - Though the pass defense didn't come up with a turnover, and the rush defense had a very poor day, the Vikings gained only 136 yards through the air and completed just 39% of their passes. Still, the Bears gave up a long touchdown pass of 60 yards at the end of the first quarter, even before Adrian Peterson got going.Carolina Panthers 25, Arizona Cardinals 10
What you need to know
Carolina Panthers - The Carolina Panthers continued their second half dominance over their 2007 opponents by scoring 16 fourth quarter points to break open a tight defensively played game. Carolina had only 180 yards offense and no touchdowns in the first three quarters. But in the fourth, they scored on three of their next five possessions getting big plays from Steve Smith (65 yard touchdown catch) and DeAngelo Williams (75 yard run to the Arizona 14 yard line) in the fourth quarter.Vinny Testaverde got the start for the Panthers and played mistake free football, which was pivotal in this game. After being signed on Tuesday of this week, Testaverde finished 20 of 33 for 206 yards and one touchdown pass to Steve Smith to put the Panthers up 15-10. Despite the touchdown pass, when Testaverde threw downfield, many of his passes were off target or behind the intended receivers.
Steve Smith was definitely the key to the game and showed why he is a fantasy stud. Smith caught ten balls for 136 yards and scored one touchdown, but also returned a punt, ran a reverse and even lined up at quarterback in the first quarter taking snap for an eight yard gain.
DeAngelo Williams was the game's leading rusher with 121 yards on ten carries including a 75 yard run late in the fourth quarter that sealed the game. Two plays later, Williams ran 13 yards to extend the Panthers' lead to 25-10.
Arizona Cardinals - The wind went out of the Cardinals' sails at the 7:31 mark of the first period when after fumbling while being sacked for a 12 yard loss, Kurt Warner tried to recover the ball just as the Panthers' Julius Peppers landed on his left elbow. Arizona was forced to put in Tim Rattay, who they picked up as a free agent on Tuesday of this week. Under Rattay, and the abbreviated playbook, Arizona leaned heavily on running back Edgerrin James and Larry Fitzgerald, but to no avail. With Rattay at the helm, the Cardinals' scored on only two of their 11 possessions. The defense held up for three quarters, but appeared to become tired in the fourth giving up two long plays, a 65 yard touchdown pass and a 75 yard run to allow the Panthers to extend its lead. Adding to the Cardinals' demise were the seven turnovers the team committed.Tim Rattay finished the game 12 for 24 for 159 yards and three interceptions and two fumbles. His unfamiliarity with the playbook was evident, as he wasn't asked to do too much in the offense. Seven of the Cardinals' last 12 possessions ended either three and out or a turnover. Rattay fumbled twice and threw three interceptions.
Edgerrin James ran hard and ended the game with 22 carries for 80 yards for one touchdown. James was asked to carry the bulk of the Cardinals offense, but after Warner was hurt, the Panther's defense started to key on the run not fearing Rattay's passing abilities.
Larry Fitzgerald had six catches for 97 yards, but no touchdowns. Many of his catches were a result of Rattay throwing the ball up and Fitzgerald out leaping the opposing defenders.
What you ought to know
QB Vinny Testaverde, Pass: 20 - 33 - 206 - 1 TD / 0 INT - Despite only having a few days to prepare, Testaverde can credit his 21 NFL years of experience as a major reason why the Panthers won this game. Like a veteran quarterback should play, Testaverde was 20 for 33 for 206 yards and one touchdown. The biggest stat? No turnovers. Many of his throws were short ranged. When he did throw downfield, his rustiness showed as they were overthrown or thrown behind the receiver. He did hook up with Steve Smith for a 65 yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter to put the Panthers ahead for good. He targeted seven players and often did just enough to move the team downfield. He showed surprising velocity on his passes and when he was forced from the pocket, he showed agility. In short, he did not make the mistakes that would have put the Panthers in a hole.QB David Carr - Carr was in pads but did not play due to his lingering back problem.
RB DeShaun Foster, Rush: 17 - 43 - 0, Rec: 2 - 6 - 0 (4 targets) - Foster was the starting running back but found yardage difficult against the Cardinals' front seven. He finished with 17 rushes for 42 yards and no scores. He added two receptions out of the backfield for six more yards.
RB DeAngelo Williams, Rush: 10 - 121 - 1 (1 targets) - Williams was kept in check for most of the game, but did bust a 75 yard run down the left sidelines late in the fourth quarter. Two plays later, Williams went off the left end and scored on a 13 yard run. He ran with good determination and hit the holes with determination. Williams did return one kickoff for 21 yards as well.
RB Alex Haynes, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0 - Haynes carried the ball one time on a third and 14 late in the fourth quarter with Carolina comfortably in the lead.
RB Brad Hoover, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (3 targets) - Hoover was used mainly as a blocking back for both Williams and Foster. He was often kept in the backfield to add protection for Testaverde.
WR Steve Smith, Rush: 2 - 15 - 0, Rec: 10 - 136 - 1 (13 targets) - Smith by far was the biggest offensive star. The Panthers obviously were trying to get Smith the ball often as he lined up at receiver, quarterback and even returned a punt in the game as well. He finished the contest with 136 yards on ten receptions including a beautiful 65 yard touchdown catch when Testaverde hit him in stride down the right side line. Smith ran untouched past the Cardinals secondary to score. He rushed two times for 15 yards (once when he lined up at quarterback in the shot gun.)
WR Keary Colbert, Rec: 3 - 29 - 0 (9 targets) - Colbert finished the game with three receptions for 29 yards, with his longest being 15 yards. He was targeted nine times on the day and would have had more receptions in Testaverde was a little more accurate on his down field throws. He was instrumental in one of the Panthers' touchdown drives, when Testaverde targeted him down the right side line of the field, but he was interfered with by the Cardinals' Adrian Wilson. On the next play, Testaverde hit Smith on a 65 yard touchdown pass.
WR Drew Carter, Rec: 2 - 17 - 0 (3 targets) - Carter caught two of the three passes thrown to him, the longest being 15 yards.
TE Jeff King, Rec: 2 - 12 - 0 (4 targets) - King was thrown to four times and caught two short passes up the middle.
PK John Kasay 4 - 5 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 13 points - Kasay his on four of his five field goal attempts, and added one extra point. He connected on field goals of 33, 43, 24, and 45 yards. He missed a 45 yard field goal wide right.
CAR Rush Defense - The Panthers rush defense held the Cardinals to only 93 yards on 24 rushes. Edgerrin James had the only Cardinals touchdown, a 23 yard run in the second quarter. James finished the game with 80 yards on 23 carries. The front seven proved difficult to run on and forced the Cardinals to pass more than they wanted to in the game. They held the Cardinals offense to only three rushing first downs.
CAR Pass Defense - The Panthers pass defense was a beneficiary of Kurt Warner going out of the game with an injury and newly signed free agent Tim Rattay taking over the offense early in the first quarter. They pressured Rattay often and did not give up a receiving touchdown on the day. The sacked Rattay twice and had three interceptions on the night. QB Tim Rattay, Pass: 12 - 24 - 159 - 0 TD / 3 INT, Rush: 2 - 5 - 0 - Rattay showed his rustiness when he was forced into action after signing with the Cardinals on Tuesday. With a limited playbook Rattay was intercepted three times and fumbled twice. He finished the night with 159 yards on 12 completions, and 24 attempts. He was sacked twice. Rattay targeted eight receivers, but many of his passes were off target. He did managed to lead the Cardinals on one 12 play, 80 yard drive that was capped off with a 23 yard Edgerrin James run. On that drive, Rattay completed four passes for 28 yards.QB Kurt Warner, Pass: 2 - 2 - 21 - 0 TD / 0 INT - Warner left the game at the 7:31 mark of the first period when after fumbling while being sacked for a 12 yard loss, he tried to recover the ball just as the Panthers' Julius Peppers landed on his left elbow. He was 2-2 on the day and had his elbow wrapped in ice on the bench during the game. It was reported that he was doubtful to return.
RB Edgerrin James, Rush: 22 - 80 - 1 (2 targets) - James was the Cardinals' leading rusher with 80 yards on 22 carries and one touchdown, a 23 yard scamper. He was the focus on the Cardinals' offense, since the Panthers defense didn't fear the passing game. Despite facing seven and eight men fronts, James ran with determination. On his touchdown run, he broke two tackles to the end zone. He was targeted twice out of the backfield with passes, but the timing with Rattay was off.
RB Terrelle Smith, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0, Rec: 2 - 9 - 0 (3 targets) - Smith carried one time for three yards and was targeted with short passes three times.
RB J.J. Arrington - Arrington had no rushes on the night, but did return two kickoffs, one for 56 yards. He ended the night with 76 return yards on the night.
WR Larry Fitzgerald, Rec: 6 - 97 - 0 (8 targets) - Fitzgerald had six receptions for 97 yards with a long on 36 yards from Rattay. On the game's second play, Warner hit Fitzgerald for 19 yards up the middle, but the ball cam loose as Fitzgerald was struggling for yardage. The Cardinals' challenged the fumble call, but it was upheld via replay. With Fitzgerald, many of his catches came as Rattay threw the passes high and had the receiver out leap the defenders for the catch. His longest grab was 36 yards.
WR Bryant Johnson, Rec: 4 - 29 - 0 (6 targets) - Johnson caught four balls for 29 yards, but suffered from the inconsistent play of the Cardinals quarterback.
WR Jerheme Urban, Rec: 1 - 42 - 0 (6 targets) - Urban was targeted six times and had his only reception of the night on the game's last play, when Rattay threw a hail Mary pass and Urban caught the pass between defenders.
WR Steve Breaston, Rush: 1 - 10 - 0 (1 targets) - Breaston was only targeted once in the game. He returned punts and kick offs for the Cardinals. His longest kick return was 33 yards.
TE Leonard Pope, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (2 targets) - Pope had once reception for three yards from Rattay.
PK Neil Rackers 1 - 1 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - Rackers converted on his only field goal attempt a 50 yard effort in the third quarter and converted his only extra point attempt.
ARI Rush Defense - Take away the 75 yard run by DeAngelo Williams, and the Arizona rush defense played a respectable game holding Carolina to only 106 yards on 19 rushes. This game was a defensive struggle for both teams with the Cardinals giving up two plays that cost them the victory. In total the Cardinals gave up a total of 181 yards rushing with one score. They kept Foster to only 43 yards on 17 carries.
ARI Pass Defense - Much like the rush defense, take away one play, (the 65 yard touchdown catch to Steve Smith) and the Cardinals would have given up a total of 141 passing yards on the day. Two glaring stats do come forth, though, as the pass defense did not sack the 43 year old Testaverde, nor did they cause a turnover. Smith burned the Cardinals secondary late in the fourth quarter and ran untouched down the right side line for a 65 yard touchdown. Safety Adrian Wilson was flagged for two 15 yard penalties (unnecessary roughness and pass interference) that kept two Carolina scoring drives alive.Miami Dolphins 31, Cleveland Browns 41
What you need to know
Miami Dolphins - The Miami Dolphins, still looking to win their first game of the season, turned to the inexperienced quarterback Cleo Lemon to lead them against the Browns. Lemon's game was a tale of two halves as the first half saw a confused, almost lost quarterback at the helm. By the start of the second half, however, Lemon had settled in and led the Dolphins on two key scoring drives in the third quarter. Lemon would throw for 245 yards, complete 56% of his passes and account for four touchdowns -- two passing and two rushing.Ronnie Brown led the Dolphins rushing attack, carrying the ball 19 times for 101 yards. He also added 69 yards on nine catches in the passing game. Overall the Browns were at a loss for ways to stop Brown. He was able to run up the middle and get open in the passing game. Brown and wide receiver Chris Chambers were the keys the Miami offense. Chambers was targeted 20 times during the game, and was often the primary option in the passing game. While Chambers was targeted a great deal during the game, he only came away with six receptions for 73 yards.
The Miami defense was at a loss to stop the passing attack of the Browns. The Miami defenders struggled to keep up with the Browns receivers, often getting moved off the line of scrimmage or failing to jam the Browns receivers at the line. In the end, the Browns were able to account for 384 total net yards of offense. Finally, the Dolphins, as a team, played a very undisciplined game, being penalized eight times for 90 yards.
Cleveland Browns - The Cleveland Browns won their third game of the season on the strength of a very effective passing game at the hands of quarterback Derek Anderson. Anderson completed 72 percent of his passes for 245 yards but most importantly he accounted for three passing and two rushing touchdowns. Braylon Edwards has quickly become Anderson's go to receiver, and Edwards continued his maturation into a true number one receiver with five catches for 67 yards and three touchdowns. Edwards' route running was crisp and in alignment with the timing of the play all afternoon. While he's never been afraid to go over the middle of a defense, he did most of his work running down the sidelines and working the corners of the field.Kellen Winslow and Jason Wright helped round out the Browns offense. Winslow, quietly, had a big day catching five balls for 90 yards. He menaced the middle of the field and the underneath portions of the Dolphins zone coverage. Jason Wright, filling in for the injured Jamal Lewis, also had a nice day accounting for 59 yards on 20 carries and hauling in three catches for 39 yards. Wright is not the power back that Lewis is, and was used off tackle for most of the game. He has a decent set of hands, but his pass receptions were the result of good coverage, not design.
The only sore spot for the Browns, was a rush defense that struggled to contain Ronnie Brown and a pass defense that truly failed to generate any kind of sustained pass rush. Brown averaged over five yards a carry, and had a lot of success pounding the ball straight up the middle of the Browns defense. Had the Dolphins not been forced into playing from behind, their ability to run on the Browns could have easily tipped the game toward Miami.
What you ought to know
QB Cleo Lemon, Pass: 24 - 43 - 256 - 2 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 4 - 9 - 2 - Lemon looked like two different quarterbacks in the game. During the first half, he was clearly uncomfortable in the offense, forcing throws and missing receivers all over the field. Beginning with a 14 play, seven minute touchdown drive that covered 75 yards to start the third quarter, Lemon had settled in to the offense and began to play like a much more seasoned quarterback. He followed this drive up with another 62 yard, nine play drive to score another touchdown -- one that Lemon ran up the middle and into the endzone himself. While he did seem a little lost at times, Lemon has a very strong arm and was able to move in the pocket to avoid pressure. He seemed to get better at sensing pressure and working his receiver progressions as the game progressed.RB Ronnie Brown, Rush: 19 - 101 - 0, Rec: 9 - 69 - 0 (11 targets) - Brown was one of the centerpieces of the Dolphins offense. He showed his power running the up the middle, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. He was often able to make one cut, make a defender miss, and get to the second level of the defense with ease. While he didn't show much of a speed burst, his strength and usefulness as a flat pass option more than made up for this shortcoming. For pass plays, the Dolphins used Brown out of the flat, as a safety option for quarterback Cleo Lemon. Brown showed good hands and did not drop a pass during the game.
WR Chris Chambers, Rec: 6 - 73 - 0 (20 targets) - Chambers was the focal point of the passing offense for the Dolphins today. Despite being such a focal point for the offense, Chambers' game could almost be described as lethargic. Early in the first half, having beat cornerback Daven Holley on a deep go route, Chambers failed to either dive or hit top speed to come up with a well thrown ball from Cleo Lemon. The pass would have clearly led to a touchdown, but turned into an incompletion. Furthermore, Chambers seemed unwilling or unable to wrestle the ball from defenders or go over the middle to make a catch. Chambers only came up with six catches today, and some of the difference between targets and catches can be attributed to Cleo Lemon, but some of the difference also falls on Chambers and a lack of effort.
WR Marty Booker, Rec: 2 - 34 - 0 (5 targets) - Booker was very quiet for most of the afternoon only catching two passes. He is clearly not part of the Chambers/Brown combination that is the heart of the Dolphins offense.
TE David Martin, Rec: 3 - 18 - 2 (3 targets) - Martin did catch two touchdown passes in the game, but only because he managed to get open while the pass play broke down. He was used as a safety outlet only and the Dolphins did not design much, if any of the passing game around him. His second touchdown catch was a good looking one as he was forced to jump and wrestle the safety for the ball.
PK Jay Feely 1 - 1 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 7 points - Feely had a routine day, kicking four extra points and a 43 yard field goal with no problems.
MIA Rush Defense - The Dolphins allowed the Browns to average four yards per rush and rack up 140 net yards rushing. The Dolphins rush defense was unable to prevent the Browns offensive line from sealing up the outside lanes and allowed multiple runs of four plus yards off the tackle. During the third quarter, the Dolphins were unable to prevent the Browns from running the ball with Jason Wright during a 12 play 66 yard touchdown drive.
MIA Pass Defense - The Dolphins pass defense came under fire early in the game as the Browns opened up the passing attack in the first quarter. Miami's pass defense was unable to keep up with the speed of the Browns wide outs and tight end Kellen Winslow. Furthermore, the Dolphins pass defense was out-wrestled for two touchdown passes by Browns receivers. QB Derek Anderson, Pass: 18 - 25 - 245 - 3 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 5 - 13 - 1 - Anderson looked excellent in the game, throwing for over 200 yards and accounting for four touchdowns -- three through the air and one rushing. He was asked to make multiple timing throws with his receivers, and his passes were on time and on target all afternoon. Furthermore, Anderson stayed composed and in control of the offense throughout the game. Early in the fourth quarter, the Dolphins had narrowed the gap in the score to three points. Anderson led the Browns down the field on a 12 play, six minute drive to score a touchdown. Throughout the drive, Anderson looked calm and composed in the pocket, found the open receivers and delivered on time passes.RB Jason Wright, Rush: 20 - 59 - 1, Rec: 3 - 39 - 0 (3 targets) - Wright was given the start due to the absence of Jamal Lewis in the Browns lineup. He is a speedy, shifty back, one who can not run up the middle with the power of Jamal Lewis. Despite this, Wright had an excellent game, running well to the outside and being a key player in the passing game. While not a first look in the passing game, Wright was often left alone in the flat and used his speed to turn the corner and get up the field. He did lose a fumble late in the fourth quarter trying to run up the middle. Wright failed to cover up the ball with both hands and Miami LB Jason Taylor was able to strip the ball out of his hand.
WR Braylon Edwards, Rec: 5 - 67 - 3 (9 targets) - Edwards showed why he is starting to live up to his third overall draft status. While catching three touchdown passes, Edwards demonstrated both his speed in getting behind defenders and his ability in jumping up over the cornerbacks for two of his three touchdown passes. His touchdown in the fourth quarter truly demonstrated why he is becoming such a key piece of the Browns offense. On this touchdown pass, Edwards ran a nice fade route to the outside corner of the endzone. Seeing an under-thrown pass from Derek Anderson, Edwards cut the route short, jumped over the defender, and came down with the ball and a touchdown. He was clearly Derek Anderson's first look on pass plays all afternoon.
WR Joe Jurevicius, Rec: 3 - 28 - 0 (4 targets) - Jurevicius had a quite game, but was targeted on a 27 yard end zone pass by Derek Anderson. While he didn't come down with the catch, pass interference was called on the Dolphins defender, resulting in a first and goal for the Browns.
TE Kellen Winslow Jr, Rec: 5 - 90 - 0 (5 targets) - Winslow had a very good game being a consistent presence for the Browns offense over the middle of the field. On one play late in the second quarter, Winslow sped up the middle of the field, flew past LB Jason Taylor and caught a 33 yard pass that ultimately led to a Browns field goal. On the play, Winslow demonstrated both great speed and the smarts to realize that he was facing man coverage against a slower opponent in Jason Taylor.
PK Phil Dawson 2 - 2 FG, 5 - 5 XP, 11 points - Dawson had a strong day, going five for five in extra points and making two field goals, the longest of which was a booming 40 yard shot.
CLE Rush Defense - The Browns rush defense struggled to contain Ronnie Brown and the Miami offensive line all afternoon. The Dolphins were very successful in moving the Cleveland defensive line off the line of scrimmage, giving Ronnie Brown all the room he needed to make some big runs. Miami was successful running the ball both up the middle and off tackle against the Browns defense.
CLE Pass Defense - The Browns pass defense struggled to slow down Cleo Lemon and the Miami passing game. Despite Lemon's inexperience at the starting quarterback position, the Browns were unable to generate either a consistent pass rush or a disguised coverage to force interceptions. As a result of this futility, the Dolphins were able to give Lemon time to read through his receiver progressions and execute the offense.Oakland Raiders 14, San Diego Chargers 28
What you need to know
Oakland Raiders - QB Daunte Culpepper had an up and down afternoon. At times, he looked good on the run, made some crisp throws, and generally was in a decent rhythm. But when he was bad, he was very bad and his passes missed their mark by ten feet or more.It was unknown earlier this week whether RB LaMont Jordan would be healthy enough to play. He was, but the smothering San Diego defense barely let him breathe. His long gain of the game went for just six yards, and he averaged just 2.3 yards per carry.
WR Ronald Curry had a solid but unspectacular afternoon. On a day dominated by San Diego on both sides of the ball, Curry finished with a game high six receptions and 73 yards and was the most heavily targeted Raiders receiver.
San Diego Chargers - RB LaDainian Tomlinson rewarded his patient owners with by far his best game of the season. He couldn't be stopped at times and was obviously the key difference in the two teams. It wasn't just that the offensive line was creating holes for him; Tomlinson broke numerous tackles all game long and simply ran the Raiders down.For the second week in a row, San Diego's defense came to play. They allowed just one touchdown to Oakland's offense (the other was an interception return) and they looked a lot like the unit that was so adept at getting to the quarterback and creating turnovers a year ago.
Aside from LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego employed a spread the wealth type of offensive philosophy. No receiver was thrown to more than four times, and none caught more than three passes.
Pro Bowl C Nick Hardwick sprained his foot on a screen pass to FB Lorenzo Neal early in the first quarter and did not return. He is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday, and we'll keep you updated on his condition throughout the next two weeks (the Chargers are on a bye next week).
What you ought to know
QB Daunte Culpepper, Pass: 24 - 37 - 230 - 1 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 2 - 5 - 0 - Culpepper ran very hot and cold all game long. Curiously, the Raiders opted to throw a lot more screens than slants, despite the fact that the quick slant pattern has really been the only thing that has hurt the Chargers in recent weeks. Even so, when Culpepper was on, he looked very good. But when he was off, he was very off. Despite being sacked six times, pass protection really wasn't a major issue. More often than not, he actually had a good amount of time to throw. He was able to step into his throws and move up in the pocket, and even when he wasn't he showed a decent ability to move around and get outside. His passes on the run were good though not great, and he didn't make any boneheaded decisions downfield. That said, he threw a pass intended for Porter early in the first quarter that was picked off by Drayton Florence. Most defensive backs probably wouldn't have been able to hold on, but Florence made a great play on the ball. Aside from the quality of the catch, the important thing for Culpepper owners is that the ball was a good twelve feet away from Porter. On Culpepper's second interception, he again was looking for Porter, this time down the sideline. Instead, he overthrew his man so badly that it appeared that the aforementioned Cromartie was actually running the route. Besides those two costly turnovers, the biggest swing of events took place late in the first half. Culpepper found Ronald Curry for a 30 yard gain down to the one yard line. The reason Curry didn't score is because San Diego CB Quentin Jammer made a terrific touchdown-saving tackle right at the goal line. Two plays later, Culpepper was sacked by Shaun Phillips and fumbled the ball away. Rather than tying the score at 14, the Raiders came away with zero points and never got that close again. It wasn't an entirely lost day for Culpepper, however. Since the team was behind for the entire game, he got to throw the ball 37 times, which resulted in 230 yards. He also found TE Zach Miller on a play action pass late in the fourth quarter for the only offensive touchdown of the day for the Raiders.RB LaMont Jordan, Rush: 18 - 42 - 0, Rec: 6 - 46 - 0 (6 targets) - Jordan returned from his back injury, but perhaps should have waited until he wasn't facing a stifling defense in San Diego. They were relentless around the football and never allowed him to get into a good running rhythm. His long gain of the day went for just six yards, with most of his carries resulting in getting stuffed right at the line of scrimmage. He did have six catches, though four of those came on the last-gasp garbage time drive to end the game. Jordan did have a scoring opportunity in the fourth quarter, but was twice stuffed at the goal line on successive plays prior to the Zach Miller touchdown catch.
RB Justin Fargas, Rush: 2 - 10 - 0, Rec: 1 - 16 - 0 (1 targets) - Fargas was coming off a career performance in his last game, but with the return of a healthy LaMont Jordan, Fargas saw very limited touches in this game. For what it's worth, he actually looked better with the ball by showing a quick burst to the outside on one eight yard run and picking up 16 yards on a screen pass for another.
RB Dominic Rhodes - Rhodes did get in the game but did not have a carry.
WR Ronald Curry, Rec: 6 - 73 - 0 (10 targets) - Curry had a solid game but it could have been far better if he could have gained just one more yard. He hauled in a very nice catch with his fingertips on a deep ball from Daunte Culpepper late in the first half. He took the ball towards the goal line and was seemingly about to score when he was abruptly knocked out of bounds at the one yard line by CB Quentin Jammer. The Raiders failed to get in on either of the next two plays, instead fumbling the ball away (Daunte Culpepper) and costing themselves any chance of scoring.
WR Jerry Porter, Rec: 3 - 28 - 0 (7 targets) - Throwing to Porter was just a bad idea for Daunte Culpepper, at least in this game. Twice he tried getting the football to his wideout, only to see the ball picked off by a San Diego defender. In fairness to Porter, neither of the interceptions were his fault as they were both simply awful passes by Culpepper. Porter never really came close to making any really big plays, either, with his long gain going for 16.
WR Mike Williams, Rec: 3 - 35 - 0 (4 targets) - Contrary to popular belief, Williams actually is still alive. He hauled in three passes, including one grab on the sideline that demonstrated tremendous footwork and awareness. It's obvious that Williams has got some skills, and while he wasn't thrown to a ton, he was certainly a factor in the offense in this game.
TE Zach Miller, Rec: 3 - 17 - 1 (6 targets) - Miller had a fairly quiet game, though he did score his first career NFL touchdown. He made a nice diving catch late in the first half, and was later seen lying down shaken up in the third quarter. He returned soon after to score the touchdown. It came on a play action pass from Daunte Culpepper on fourth down, showing the confidence the team has in the rookie tight end in a big spot.
PK Sebastian Janikowski 0 - 0 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 2 points - Janikowski did not receive a field goal attempt in the game, though he probably should have. With the Raiders trailing 14-7, they got the ball inside the San Diego ten yard line. With less than ten seconds left to play, they opted to try and score the touchdown rather than kick the field goal. However, QB Daunte Culpepper was sacked and fumbled the ball away, costing the Raiders any scoring opportunity.
OAK Rush Defense - A quick peek at the stats will tell you all you need to know about how the Raiders performed in this phase of the game. They allowed San Diego over 200 yards on the ground (206) on just 32 carries, for a 6.4 yards per carry average. That's not to mention the four rushing touchdowns they allowed, each of which seemed to further deflate the Raider comeback attempt. With Oakland trailing by seven points late in the game and needing a crucial third down stop, they instead allowed LaDainian Tomlinson to scamper up the left sideline virtually untouched for a 42 yard touchdown run. Once he was past the first level of defenders, there really was no one in his way. He ran over, around, and through Raiders defenders all game long and very rarely was tackled on first contact.
OAK Pass Defense - It appears that Oakland played very well in this aspect because of only allowing 156 passing yards and zero touchdowns to go along with an interception that was returned for a touchdown. But the reality of the situation is that San Diego didn't really need to throw the football much to win this one. With LaDainian Tomlinson picking up huge chunks of yardage on the ground, there weren't many times they felt they had to take to the air. And even then, when they did need a long conversion they got it more often than not. Even the lone great play by the Oakland defense was more of a gift than anything. QB Philip Rivers tried forcing a pass against his momentum and threw across his body. It was easily picked off by Thomas Howard and taken the other way for the score. Oakland failed to register a sack and never really came all that close. They nearly had a second interception in the end zone, but Fabian Washington dropped a ball intended for Vincent Jackson. It was a deep ball and would have been a nice play, but it was a ball that probably should have been caught. QB Philip Rivers, Pass: 14 - 21 - 156 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - 1 - 0 - Rivers nearly defined the term managing the offense in this game. Aside from one very poor mistake, he pretty much did only what was absolutely necessary and nothing more. That one poor play was extremely bad, because it directly resulted in an Oakland score. Rivers was rolling left and tried to make a nearly impossible pass across his body downfield to Vincent Jackson. Jackson, however, never saw the pass coming and continued downfield. The only player who did see the pass coming was Oakland LB Thomas Howard, who took it 66 yards the other way for the touchdown. There was also a curious play late in the game on which Rivers attempted a short pass to LaDainian Tomlinson out of the backfield, only to see the ball bounce off of Tomlinson before he ever got his head turned around. That play itself isn't noteworthy, but what is noteworthy is that that particular play has happened several times already this season, where Tomlinson goes out on a route and has the ball thrown off his body before he even knows it's coming. That rarely, if ever, happened a year ago. Those two miscues aside, Rivers did what needed to be done. He completed two-thirds of his passes while averaging nearly eight yards per attempt. He was given adequate time in the pocket to find his receivers, and with Tomlinson chewing up chunks of yardage on the ground it was much easier to find open receivers underneath. Rivers threw two balls that nearly resulted in touchdowns. The first was a pass completion down the seam to Craig Davis, but the rookie wideout was tackled down at the five yard line. The second was a fade to the near corner to TE Antonio Gates, but the pass was broken up just at the last second. The only other time Rivers threw a pass into the end zone was on a deep ball to WR Vincent Jackson in the second half, but that ball was nearly intercepted by CB Fabian Washington.RB LaDainian Tomlinson, Rush: 24 - 198 - 4, Rec: 3 - 16 - 0 (4 targets) - In Tomlinson's case the statistics paint an exact portrait of how well Tomlinson did. He tied a career high with four rushing touchdowns, passing John Riggins and tying Jim Brown on the all-time rushing touchdown list. His third carry of the game went for 23 yards, and by then it was already on. He finished with a season high 198 yards on the ground, with separate touchdown runs of 27 and 41 yards. His first score of the game was a leaping maneuver that combined awesome leaping ability with precise balance, as he shot up over the pile and maintained control all the way to the ground. He was untouched on the second score of the game. The third touchdown was a pitch to the left side against the formation on which he dragged a tackler into the end zone with him. And his final score of the game was supposed to be a simple run off of the right tackle to pick up a first down. But no Oakland defenders got anywhere near him, and once he got past the first level of defenders he was gone for the score. He fought off tacklers, made people miss in the open field, and generally looked a lot like the player who set the league's all time touchdown mark a year ago. If you haven't been able to pry Tomlinson away from a panicky owner in your league yet, it appears that that opportunity is all but gone.
RB Michael Turner, Rush: 5 - 8 - 0 - A week after perhaps the best game of his career, Turner came up all but empty. His five carries were sporadic throughout the game, and when the Chargers were busy running out the clock it was LaDainian Tomlinson and not Turner, who got all of the touches. It just goes to show that for all of his upside and big runs, it's awfully tough to rely on him even when the game appears as if it'll be a blowout for the Chargers.
WR Craig Davis, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0, Rec: 2 - 30 - 0 (2 targets) - Davis saw two early looks and took the handoff on a wide receiver reverse. It seemed early on as if the coaches were going to make a concerted effort to get Davis more touches, especially after one of his catches resulted in an 18 yard gain down to the Oakland five yard line. But instead of seeing more action, Davis' looks dried up as he didn't see a single pass his way after halftime.
WR Vincent Jackson, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (4 targets) - Jackson had been getting limited but fairly regular work in recent weeks, but in this game his opportunities were even fewer and further between. San Diego spread the ball around fairly evenly to its receivers, with no player seeing more than four passes in his direction. The bulk of the offensive gameplan was to make sure RB LaDainian Tomlinson got his touches, and in a game like this there just weren't enough scraps to go around for everyone else. Jackson was thrown to just once in the second half, though it was a deep ball in the end zone.
TE Antonio Gates, Rec: 3 - 58 - 0 (4 targets) - For the first time all season, Gates didn't reward his owners with a monster game. But if 58 yards is considered an off game, I'm sure his owners will sign up for that. He was thrown to once in the end zone on a fade pass, but he had a defender all over him that broke up the pass at the last moment. Gates' big play came early in the second half. While being defended by Michael Huff, Gates screened off the defender on a simple out route, spun, and turned it upfield for a big 28 yard gain. While Gates wasn't as heavily involved in the passing game as in recent weeks, that doesn't mean he didn't play a role. On one particular play, he lined up in the backfield as a fullback and sprung a key block that allowed Tomlinson to pick up about five to eight extra yards.
PK Nate Kaeding 0 - 1 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 4 points - Kaeding badly missed his only field goal attempt of the afternoon, a 50 yarder that he hooked well wide to the left.
SD Rush Defense - San Diego's run defense stymied Lamont Jordan and company for the entire game. Jordan was harassed constantly and could never find any room to run. Not only was there no room to run, but he could barely make it back to the line of scrimmage without first encountering a Chargers defender. Much of the San Diego linebacking corps essentially lived in the Oakland backfield for much of the afternoon, which helps explain why Jordan's long gain on the day went for just six yards. And the one time he got goal line scoring chances, the Chargers defensive front really rose up and made sure he wasn't the guy to get in.
SD Pass Defense - It's hard to say the Chargers dominated in this aspect, since they did give up 230 yards and a touchdown through the air. But they made the big plays when they needed to, and they forced Daunte Culpepper into a couple of very costly mistakes. LBs Shaun Phillips and Shawne Merriman teamed up to wreak havoc in the Raider backfield for nearly the entire afternoon, combining for eleven tackles and four and a half sacks. Despite the pressure from those two, Culpepper wasn't really under intense pressure the whole game. There were several plays that resulted in nice gains on which he seemingly had all day to throw, and on a couple of third down and long situations, the Chargers actually called off the pass rushers only to see the Raiders pick up the first down. Fortunately for the Chargers, Culpepper's accuracy was still a major problem as he badly misfired on several passes that should have gone to wide open receivers. The San Diego defensive backs also displayed some nice skills, particularly CB Drayton Florence who made a terrific grab of a diving interception early in the game. CB Antonio Cromartie would later add a second reception on a pass down the sideline that went right to him. But perhaps the biggest defensive plays turned in by San Diego defenders came on the same drive late in the first half. After Culpepper found a wide open Ronald Curry streaking towards the end zone for a 30 yard completion, CB Quentin Jammer stood up Curry at the goal line and prevented him from scoring the game-tying touchdown. Two plays later, Shaun Phillips forced a Culpepper fumble at the San Diego eleven yard line. The ball was recovered by the Chargers, and the Raiders had to settle for a 14-7 halftime deficit rather than a tie game. Late in the fourth quarter, S Eric Weddle appeared to be shaken up, but he remained in the game and seemed fine.New England Patriots 48, Dallas Cowboys 27
What you need to know
New England Patriots - The Patriots came into only the fifth ever NFL match up of teams with 5-0 or better records on quite a roll. They had scored at least 34 points and have won by at least a margin of 17 in all of their games. That trend continued as the Patriots rolled behind a strong performance from quarterback Tom Brady and his stable of receivers. Brady continued to pile up amazing statistics with a 388 yard passing game and career high 5 touchdown passes.Wes Welker led the New England receivers with his first ever 100 yard game. Welker established new career highs with 11 receptions and two touchdowns. Donte' Stallworth added seven grabs for 136 yards, including a 69 yard touchdown catch and run that is New England's longest play so far this season. Randy Moss chipped in six catches for 59 yards, including a six yard catch for the Patriots' first score.
With a heavy lean to the air, the Patriots only had nine handoffs in the first half. Sammy Morris received all nine of those carries, but found the running room hard to come by. Morris netted only 12 yards on those attempts and had a long gain of three yards. He was injured after a two yard gain on his first attempt early in the second half. He did not return. Kevin Faulk took over the bulk of the carries after Morris left and led the Patriots with 50 yards on 13 attempts.
The Patriots defense started strong. New England held the Cowboys without a first down on Dallas' first three possessions. Dallas was not able to get a first down until the penultimate play of the first quarter. However, the Cowboys were able to get on a roll in the second quarter. Including a defensive touchdown, Dallas scored 17 second quarter points. The Cowboys racked up 136 yards in the second stanza to close within four points at the half. Dallas opened the second half with the momentum and scored first. The Patriots found themselves trailing for the first time in the second half all season. However, the defense stiffened and held Dallas to a field goal for the rest of the game as the Patriots outscored the Cowboys 27-3 over the final 20 minutes of the game.
New England won the time of possession battle by 16:30.
Dallas Cowboys - The Cowboys started the game slowly as usual with three three and outs on their first three possessions. Dallas has now scored only once on it's last 22 opening drives (including the postseason). The Cowboys did not get a first down until the second to last play of the opening quarter. However, Dallas had a strong second quarter. With 136 yards in the second quarter, the Cowboys nearly doubled New England's output. Dallas put 17 points on the board in the second quarter and trailed by four at the half.The Cowboys kept the momentum going and drew first blood in the second half on Patrick Crayton's eight yard touchdown reception. After the extra point Dallas had a 24-21 lead and New England faced its first second half deficit of the season. The Cowboys were unable to keep the momentum, however, and ran out of gas. The offense was able to add only a field goal for the remainder of the contest.
Tony Romo entered the game ranked second in passing yardage. He also trailed only Tom Brady in touchdown passes. Romo did his best to match his counterpart, but came up a little short. Romo completed 18 of 29 passes for 199 yards and two touchdown passes. He was intercepted once on a in the fourth quarter. Romo was under heavy pressure on the play and threw the ball behind his receiver and into the arms of Junior Seau instead.
Like New England, Dallas looked to the passing game first. Although the Cowboys averaged 6.5 yards per running play, they handed the ball to their two running backs only 14 times in the game. Julius Jones had six attempts for 51 yards, while Marion Barber gained 47 yards on eight tries.
Terrell Owens and "the other 81" had nearly identical numbers in the game. Each had six receptions and a touchdown. Owens 66 yards bested Moss by seven. After losing the game, however, Owens was probably not in the mood to celebrate with some post game popcorn.
Dallas entered the game having gone nine quarters without giving up a touchdown drive to the opposing offense; the Patriots put that streak to rest on their initial possession.
The Cowboys run defense put in a good effort, but the pass defense struggled to contain Tom Brady and the Patriot receivers. Brady completed 67 percent of his passes for 388 yards and five touchdowns. Dallas struggled to stop the Patriots on third down: New England converted seven of nine third downs in the first half and 11 of 14 for the game. The Cowboys defense eventually tired as the Patriots took control of the game in the second half.
Dallas was guilty of 12 penalties for 98 yards.
What you ought to know
QB Tom Brady, Pass: 31 - 46 - 388 - 5 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - 5 - 0 - Brady is having a phenomenal season. With a career high five touchdown passes, Brady has now thrown for 21 touchdowns in six games. He has thrown for at least three touchdown passes in each of the initial six games of the season and is the only quarterback in NFL history to accomplish that feat. Brady has been deadly accurate as well. He has completed better than 72 percent of his passes and has thrown only two interceptions. Brady had been sacked only three times entering the game, but the Cowboys were able to get to him three times. Greg Ellis' sack forced a Brady fumble that was recovered by Jason Hatcher and returned 29 yards for a touchdown. Brady ran twice for three yards each and converted a first down. He was also credited with a one yard loss, when he kneeled down to close out the first half.RB Kevin Faulk, Rush: 13 - 50 - 0, Rec: 3 - 24 - 0 (4 targets) - Faulk took over to lead the Patriots in rushing after Sammy Morris left the game with an injury. All 13 of his attempts were in the second half. He also hauled in three passes, including an 18 yard catch and run.
RB Sammy Morris, Rush: 10 - 14 - 0 - Morris struggled to find any running room. His long run netted three yards. His best run of the day went for eight yards, but was negated by a holding penalty. Morris' nine first half carries totaled 12 yards. Morris was injured early in the second half and did not return. He left the field gingerly with what was diagnosed as a "chest injury."
RB Kyle Eckel, Rush: 3 - 6 - 1 - Eckel ran three straight times for six yards, including a one yard touchdown run on fourth down with 23 seconds remaining in the game. It was the first touchdown of his career.
WR Wes Welker, Rec: 11 - 124 - 2 (17 targets) - Welker was targeted a game high 17 times and had a breakout game. Welker established new career highs with 11 receptions, 124 yards, and two touchdowns. Welker did fumble twice, but recovered the first one himself. The second one went out of bounds and New England retained possession.
Welker averaged 12 yards on three punt returns including a hard charging 18 yard return where he ran with his pads low to the ground and broke tackles. The return set up the Patriots in Dallas territory and led to a field goal.WR Donte Stallworth, Rec: 7 - 136 - 1 (7 targets) - Stallworth caught all seven of his targets and led New England in receiving yardage. More than half of the yards came his 69 yard touchdown catch and run. Brady hit him in stride on the play. Stallworth then, stiff armed cornerback Jacques Reeves to the ground and was off to the races.
WR Randy Moss, Rec: 6 - 59 - 1 (16 targets) - Moss' six yard touchdown on a third and goal play got New England on the board. It was his only catch of the first half. Moss chipped in five more receptions after halftime. The Patriots tried to find Moss with the deep pass throughout the game, but were unable to connect. Brady overthrew him twice, when he had a step. Moss did a great job to get both feet down, while at full speed on a 43 yard bomb, but the replay official overturned the play by ruling Moss did not have control of the pass. Moss lost another 19 yard touchdown, when officials ruled he pushed the defender to get open. However, Moss also benefited from a questionable pass interference penalty in the end zone that gave the Patriots the ball at the one and set up a Kyle Brady touchdown catch.
Moss leads the NFL with eight touchdown catches on the season. He had his first drop of the season on a pass that was knocked out of his hands by Jacques Reeves.WR Jabar Gaffney, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (3 targets) - Gaffney caught passes of six and ten yards.
TE Kyle Brady, Rec: 1 - 1 - 1 (3 targets) - Brady was open in the back of the end zone after play action for a one yard touchdown. The catch was just his third of the season.
TE Ben Watson, Rec: 1 - 28 - 0 (2 targets) - Watson caught a 28 yard strike deep down the middle of the field. He also had a six yard catch that was negated by a penalty. On the play, Watson injured his ankle and did not return. He was able to walk to the locker room under his own power.
PK Stephen Gostkowski 2 - 2 FG, 6 - 6 XP, 12 points - Gostowski had a perfect day. He converted all six of his extra point tries and hit field goals of 45 and 22 yards. The 45 yard field goal is Gostkowski's longest of the season so far.
NE Rush Defense - The Patriots run defense held Dallas under 100 yards for the game, but did allow 6.5 yards per carry.
NE Pass Defense - The Patriots' defense was up and down in the game. It took Dallas almost an entire quarter to get a first down. However, after that, Tony Romo got into a rhythm and put points on the board on three straight possessions. New England found themselves trailing in the second half for the first time all season. The Patriot defense stiffened, however, and Dallas would add only a field goal for the remainder of the game.Rodney Harrison and Ty Warren contributed sacks. Junior Seau intercepted his third pass in the past two games.
QB Tony Romo, Pass: 18 - 29 - 199 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0 - Romo entered the game second in both passing yardage and touchdowns. He was at his best running a hurry-up offense on Dallas' last drive of the first half. On the drive, Romo kept the New England defense off balance and completed eight of his nine passes for 104 yards (over 100 due to penalties), including a 12 yard touchdown pass to Terrell Owens. His only incompletion on the drive also should have been complete, as Terrell Owens was clearly pushed out before he could get both of his feet down. Romo only completed half of his other 20 passes during the rest of the game, but his eight yard touchdown pass to Patrick Crayton gave the Cowboys the lead in the third quarter. Romo's interception in the fourth quarter sealed the Cowboy's fate. Romo was under heavy pressure on the play and threw behind his receiver right into the hands of Junior Seau. Romo lost one yard on a kneel down play after Dallas had conceded the game.RB Marion Barber III, Rush: 8 - 47 - 0, Rec: 2 - 12 - 0 (2 targets) - Barber rushed eight times for 47 yards. His most exciting play gained only two yards. The play started from the Cowboys' ten yard line. Barber had no room to run and was hit in the backfield. Instead of going down, he kept his legs churning. The problem was that he wound up in his own end zone. However, he was able to outrun the defense around the end and made it all the way back to the 12 yard line before being tackled for a two yard gain. Barber was very close to taking a safety, but he was equally close to taking the run all the way for a touchdown.
Barber's long gain was a 17 yard dash. He added two receptions for 12 yards. Barber fumbled, but was able to recover the ball on a play that was negated by a penalty.RB Julius Jones, Rush: 6 - 51 - 0, Rec: 1 - 2 - 0 (2 targets) - Jones led the Cowboys with 51 yards on six attempts. 43 of them came on consecutive runs early in the second half. One each, play, Jones was able to burst through a big hole and get into the secondary. Jones ran hard and was able to break tackles. He would have benefited from more attempts.
Jones caught a two yard dumpoff from Romo early in the game. He had a 16 yard reception called back by a penalty on his other target.WR Terrell Owens, Rec: 6 - 66 - 1 (10 targets) - Owens was targeted a team high ten times. He caught six of the passes for 66 yards and a touchdown. Owens did a nice job of getting his feet down in bounds on a 13 yard out route in the second quarter. He lost a 23 yard grab to an illegal shift penalty. Owens also lost a nine yard catch just before halftime, when he was pushed out before he could get both feet down. However, he caught his 12 yard touchdown pass on the next play. Owens was guilty of a false start penalty. He also dropped his fifth pass of the season on a slightly underthrown Romo pass.
Owens has 16 touchdown receptions in his last 18 games.WR Patrick Crayton, Rec: 5 - 46 - 1 (9 targets) - Crayton caught five passes for 46 yards, including and eight yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter. Crayton had a dropped pass on a crossing route, when he tried to make a one-handed catch on a pass where it looked like he could have gotten both hands on the football.
WR Sam Hurd (1 targets) - Hurd was targeted once in the end zone on a quick pass, but Romo threw the ball too high for Hurd to reach it.
TE Jason Witten, Rec: 3 - 47 - 0 (6 targets) - Witten had his lowest receiving totals since week two, when he caught two passes for 27 yards. Witten's catches came on three consecutive passes late in the first half during a scoring drive.
TE Anthony Fasano, Rec: 1 - 26 - 0 (1 targets) - Fasano caught his only target for a 26 yard gain down the seam of the Patriots' defense. Fasano was called for offensive pass interference, negating a 16 yard catch by Julius Jones.
PK Nick Folk 2 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 9 points - Folk had a perfect day hitting all three extra point attempts as well as field goals of 38 and 23 yards.
DAL Rush Defense - The Cowboys held the Patriots to 75 yards on the ground. Sammy Morris was unable to gain more than three yards on any of his ten attempts. Kevin Faulk had some success and Kyle Eckel added a late touchdown, but the Dallas defense did a mostly good job when New England tried to run the ball.
DAL Pass Defense - Dallas struggled to stop the New England passing attack throughout the contest. Tom Brady passed for 344 yards and five scores. New England was able to convert 11 of 17 third downs (plus a fourth down conversion) to keep drives moving and put points on the board. The Cowboys were able to sack Tom Brady three times, but did not put enough pressure on him to consistently make him uncomfortable.Terence Newman contributed eight solo tackles, an assist, and a forced fumble. DeMarcus Ware had six solo stops plus four assists and a sack. Nate Jones also had a sack. Greg Ellis' sack forced a Brady fumble that Jason Hatcher returned for a 29 yard touchdown.
Washington Redskins 14, Green Bay Packers 17
What you need to know
Washington Redskins - It was a tale of two halves for QB Jason Campbell. Through the first two quarters, he completed 63% of his passes for 149 yards in leading the Washington offense on two touchdown scoring drives. After scoring his first career rushing touchdown from six yards out in the first quarter, Campbell followed that up in the second quarter by connecting with TE Chris Cooley on a fourteen yard touchdown pass. During the second half, he was only able to complete half of his 18 pass attempts for an anemic 68 yards and was sacked twice by the Packers pass rush.Redskins' rushers struggled to pick up yards on the ground against the Green Bay defense. Washington came into this contest averaging over 130 yards per game running the football, but was only able to churn out 94 yards on 29 attempts. In addition to the paltry numbers on the ground, RB Clinton Portis and WR Santana Moss lost fumbles on second half rushing plays.
Chris Cooley had by far his best game of the year hauling in nine passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. With the Washington wide receivers having trouble getting open and hanging on to the football, QB Jason Campbell looked to him early on in this contest targeting him eight times in the first half alone. This game marked the fourth in a row that Cooley has hooked up with Campbell for a touchdown.
Green Bay Packers - QB Brett Favre came into this contest leading the NFL in passing yards, but he had a tough time making plays against the Redskins' secondary. On a cold and rainy day at Lambeau Field, the Green Bay quarterback completed only 51.4% of his passes for 188 yards and finished with a season low quarterback rating of 43.5. Adding to the passing struggles of Favre was the fact that he threw two interceptions to S Sean Taylor, the first of which gave Favre the record for the most interceptions in a career.Entering the game averaging only 67 yards rushing per game, the Packer rushing attack was only able to grind out 56 yards running the football. Proof that Green Bay is having problems making plays on the ground is the fact that QB Brett Favre tied with RB DeShawn Wynn for the Packers longest rush of the game (seven yards). In spite of the poor rushing numbers, Green Bay did get a touchdown on a Wynn three yard run in the first quarter.
In a game filled with poor play and miscues by both offenses, it was the Green Bay defense that made enough plays to win this game. After surrendering 14 first half points, the Packer defense kept the Redskins off the scoreboard over the final two quarters. Throughout the game, Green Bay forced three turnovers, had three sacks, and allowed Washington to convert first downs on only three of 14 third down plays. The Packer defensive unit made the play of the game when DT Corey Williams forced a Santana Moss fumble that CB Charles Woodson returned 57 yards for the deciding touchdown.
What you ought to know
QB Jason Campbell, Pass: 21 - 37 - 217 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - 6 - 1 - On Washington's first scoring drive of the game, Campbell completed four of five passes for 52 yards and scored a touchdown on a six yard rush. He was just as good on Washington's second scoring drive when he went five for five for 52 yards and hooked up with TE Chris Cooley on a 14 yard touchdown pass. His lone interception came in the first quarter on a high pass to WR Santana Moss that hit Moss in the hands and deflected into the arms of CB Charles Woodson. As effective as Campbell was in the first half, he was just as ineffective in the second half. After halftime, he would go on to complete only nine passes for 68 yards. Despite hooking up with TE Chris Cooley seven times in the first half for 97 yards, Campbell would only connect with the tight end twice in the second half for a total of eight yards. Campbell's numbers in this game could have been better if not for six dropped passes.RB Clinton Portis, Rush: 20 - 64 - 0, Rec: 3 - 25 - 0 (4 targets) - The Redskins made an effort to get Portis involved in the offense, giving the ball to him on 20 running plays. He was able to turn 11 of those running plays in to gains of four yards or more including longer runs of eight, eight, 11, and 13 yards. The remaining nine rushes however went for a total of minus eight yards and included a play in which a Portis fumble was recovered by Green Bay deep in Washington territory. In addition to his rushing duties, he also grabbed three passes including a 21 yard pass reception early in the second quarter.
RB Ladell Betts, Rush: 3 - 10 - 0, Rec: 3 - 21 - 0 (5 targets) - Betts averaged 3.3 yards on three carries, and contributed in the passing game by grabbing three passes for 21 yards.
RB Mike Sellers, Rush: 3 - 14 - 0, Rec: 1 - 1 - 0 (2 targets) - Sellers averaged just over 4.6 yards on three first half rushes and caught his only pass in the second quarter.
WR Keenan McCardell, Rec: 2 - 30 - 0 (2 targets) - McCardell caught his first target of the game with nine and a half minutes left in the fourth quarter. He caught his only other pass of the game two plays later.
WR Antwaan Randle El, Rec: 2 - 30 - 0 (4 targets) - Randle El's status for this game was in question due to a hamstring injury, but he was able to make the start and finished the game with two catches. He had a drop on a third down play in the second quarter that would have picked up a first down. In addition to his receiving duties, Randle El also returned one punt for four yards.
WR Santana Moss, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 (6 targets) - After missing last week's game with a groin injury, Moss did start in this contest but turned in a dreadful performance. In addition to being held without a reception and dropping a couple of balls that hit him in the hands, his third quarter fumble on a reverse was returned 57 yards for a touchdown by CB Charles Woodson. In addition to the turnover in the third quarter, QB Jason Campbell's only interception of the game deflected off the hands of Moss into the arms of Woodson.
WR Brandon Lloyd (3 targets) - Lloyd's first target went for an eight yard gain that was negated due to an illegal formation penalty. He had the opportunity to make a big play in the fourth quarter after he got past the Green Bay secondary, but a Jason Campbell pass fell incomplete just out of the reach of the diving Lloyd.
WR James Thrash (2 targets) - Thrash had a 40 yard reception negated because he was flagged for offensive pass interference. His only other target came with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter and fell incomplete.
TE Chris Cooley, Rec: 9 - 105 - 1 (10 targets) - QB Jason Campbell looked to Cooley often early on in this contest. The tight end hauled in four receptions in the first quarter that went for 55 yards. Cooley followed that up with three more catches in the second quarter that went for 42 yards, including a 14 yard touchdown reception. After being targeted eight times in the first half, Campbell only looked in Cooley's direction twice in the second half. He caught both of those receptions for a total of eight yards. Cooley finished the game with a career high in receiving yards.
TE Todd Yoder, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (2 targets) - Yoder's only catch of the game came in the third quarter.
PK Shaun Suisham 0 - 0 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 2 points - Suisham converted on both of his extra point attempts.
WAS Rush Defense - The Redskins run defense gave up only 56 yards on 20 carriers for an impressive 2.8 yards per rush. Washington did surrender a three yard rushing touchdown to RB DeShawn Wynn for the Packers first score of the game.
WAS Pass Defense - The Washington secondary kept QB Brett Favre in check, allowing him to only compile 188 yards through the air. The one big pass play the Redskins gave up was a 60 yard completion to TE Donald Lee. On the play, CB Carlos Rogers had the opportunity to stop Lee, but the tight end bounced off the attempted tackle and took the ball all the way down to the Washington three yard line. S Sean Taylo