All our week 13 content

New York Giants 37, Arizona Cardinals 29

What you need to know

New York Giants - The Giants won their tenth game of the year utilizing a balanced offensive attack and getting great special teams play by Domenik Hixon, who had two long kickoff returns to set up Giant scores. The Giants were without two of their offensive stars RB Brandon Jacobs, who was inactive and WR Plaxico Burress who aggravated a previous hamstring injury. The team did not have a turnover in this game.

QB Eli Manning threw three touchdown passes on the afternoon and finished the game 26 of 33 for 240 yards. He completed passes to seven different receivers and most importantly didn't turn the ball over. In the second half alone, Manning was 16 for 18 for 156 yards.

RB Derrick Ward substituted for the deactivated Jacobs and had 99 total yards (69 rush, 30 receiving) from scrimmage and one touchdown.

WR Domenik Hixon had 273 all purpose yards from scrimmage and was the recipient of more work due to Burress' injury on the game's first play. Hixon finished the game with six catches for 57 yards, and had 180 yards alone on kick off returns. Hixon showed explosive speed on his routes and had good rhythm with Manning.

Arizona Cardinals - QB Kurt Warner's threw his fifth straight 300 yard game finishing 32 of 52 for 351 yards and one touchdown. He was pressured often and hit many times as he released the ball. He was intercepted once and had two fumbles, losing one.

RB Tim Hightower found the running tough all day long finishing with only 21 yards on 11 carries. He scored two short touchdowns (4, 1) though.

WRs Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald were kept in check all game. Neither reached the century mark, yet Boldin did have a five yard touchdown catch. Boldin finished the game with 11 catches for 87 yards. Fitzgerald had five catches for 71 yards.

What you ought to know

QB Eli Manning, Pass: 26 - 33 - 240 - 3 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - -2 - 0 - Manning had a consistent game finishing 26 for 33 for 240 yards with three touchdowns. He completed passes to seven different receivers and showed good poise when under rush. He did not turn the ball over. He was sacked once and led the Giants on touchdown drives of 62, 80, 32 and 40 yards.

RB Derrick Ward, Rush: 20 - 69 - 1, Rec: 4 - 30 - 0 (4 targets) - Ward had a good game subbing for Jacobs and rushed for 69 yards on 20 attempts. He had a one yard touchdown run in the second quarter to put New York up 7-3. Ward ran hard up the middle, and also utilized his quickness catching passes out of the backfield.

RB Madison Hedgecock, Rec: 2 - 10 - 1 (2 targets) - Hedgecock had his first career NFL touchdown (a two yard catch) on a first and goal in the third quarter to put New York up for good.

WR Domenik Hixon, Rush: 1 - 11 - 0, Rec: 6 - 57 - 0 (8 targets) - Subbing for Burress, Hixon was the game's offensive star with 273 all-purpose yards. Hixon caught six balls for 57 yards, ran a reverse for 11 yards, and had long kick off returns of 83 and 68 yards to set up New York scores.

WR Amani Toomer, Rec: 4 - 30 - 1 (6 targets) - Toomer caught four balls for 30 yards including a 12 yard touchdown.

WR Steve Smith, Rec: 4 - 45 - 0 (5 targets) - Smith had four grabs for 45 yards in the game. Smith was targeted deep twice, with one resulting in a 30 yard catch.

WR Plaxico Burress (2 targets) - Burress started the game but aggravated his hamstring injury on the Giants' first offensive possession. He did not return.

TE Kevin Boss, Rec: 4 - 48 - 1 (6 targets) - Boss had four catches for 48 yards including a ten yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Boss also had a 28 yard catch on that drive.

PK John Carney 3 - 3 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 13 points - Carney connected on field goals of 33, 33, and 27 yards. He was perfect on all four of his extra point attempts.

NYG Rush Defense - The Giants rush defense gave up two short touchdown runs (one and four) yards, but kept the Cardinals to a total of only 23 net yards rushing. The longest rush of the day was only five yards.

NYG Pass Defense - Kept Arizona's big three, Boldin, Fitzgerald and Breaston, in check all day long tackling each quickly after their individual receptions. The pressured Warner often and had one interception and one fumble recovery after a Warner sack. Although the did give up a touchdown to Boldin (5 yards) in the fourth quarter, they did an excellent job of keeping the big play out of the ball game.

QB Kurt Warner, Pass: 32 - 52 - 351 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - Warner had his fifth consecutive 300 yard game, but it did not come without several pressures and hits on the veteran quarterback. Warner completed passes to five receivers and hit Anquan Boldin on a short five yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. Arizona threw on 52 of their 68 total plays. Warner did have two fumbles (losing one) after being sacked.

RB Tim Hightower, Rush: 11 - 21 - 2 (1 targets) - Hightower's game stats were skewed by his two short touchdown runs of one and four yards. He had only 21 yards on 11 carries and was kept in check the entire game. His longest run was five yards. He found few holes in the Giants' defensive front.

RB J.J. Arrington, Rec: 5 - 38 - 0 (7 targets) - Arrington did not record a rush, but did contribute with five catches for 38 yards, all short dump off passes out of the backfield. Arrington had a long kick off return of 55 yards, which led to an Arizona score.

WR Anquan Boldin, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0, Rec: 11 - 87 - 1 (18 targets) - Boldin was busy on this afternoon logging 11 catches for 87 yards and one score, a short 5 yard slant pattern in the red zone. Boldin did line up at quarterback for his only rush that was stuffed at the line. He found the running after the catch tough against the Giants' D, and had a long catch of 17 yards.

WR Steve Breaston, Rush: 1 - 4 - 0, Rec: 6 - 86 - 0 (9 targets) - Breaston caught six balls for 86 yards with a long catch of 32 yards. He caught most of his balls over the middle, but was targeted deep twice. His rush was a direct snap from the center.

WR Larry Fitzgerald, Rec: 5 - 71 - 0 (10 targets) - Like Boldin, Fitzgerald found the running after the catch difficult, but did have five catches for 71 yards. His longest catch was 18 yards. He did cause two pass interference penalties when he was targeted deep against the Giant secondary.

WR Jerheme Urban, Rec: 5 - 69 - 0 (6 targets) - Urban had a productive afternoon with five catches for 69 yards. He was mainly the fourth choice in the pass patterns and was a recipient of the tough coverage played against Boldin and Fitzgerald.

PK Neil Rackers 3 - 4 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 11 points - Rackers connected on three field goals on the day 34, 20 and 44 yards. His lone miss was a 68 yard effort to end the first half in which the Cardinals' opted for a little used free kick to end the half. He was perfect in both extra points. However, the Cardinals did have a muffed extra point attempt in the second quarter.

ARI Rush Defense - The Cardinals rush defense played hard and kept the Giant runners in check giving up only one short touchdown run (one yard) and only 87 net yards rushing to the NFL's #1 rush offense. The longest rush of the day was only 13 yards.

ARI Pass Defense - The Cardinals pass defense gave up three scores on the day, and failed to cause a turnover. They recorded one sack. Eleven of the Giants' 18 first downs came via the pass.

---

San Francisco 49ers 22, Dallas Cowboys 35

What you need to know

San Francisco 49ers - The 49ers were trying to build off of their success in the prior week against the St. Louis Rams in trying to win for the first time on the road against Dallas. Before the game 49ers coach Mike Singletary stated that the goal of the defense was to limit the production of Marion Barber. They started well on offense, getting field goal attempts on their first three drives. But, they could not keep the progress going in the second quarter as they gained a total of eight yards in the quarter. There were some problems on offense, as they were only able to come away with two touchdowns on six total trips inside the Cowboys red zone.

Shaun Hill started at quarterback and played a decent game, considering he was under consistent pressure by the Cowboy front four. His stats were padded by the two garbage time touchdown drives in the fourth quarter.

The 49ers were forced to rely on the passing game due to the ineffectiveness of Frank Gore. The offensive line was not able to provide him with room to run, and he was not involved in the passing game as the 49ers chose to throw the ball deep against the Dallas secondary.

Isaac Bruce had an excellent game, catching most everything thrown in his direction and scoring the first offensive touchdown. Bruce was able to consistently get open deep against a secondary that played in soft coverage.

Dallas Cowboys - Terrell Owens had his best game of the season with over 200 receiving yards. He was able to most of his damage on deep routes during the first half, and was the intended target on some of Romo's best throws. He fought through tackles after the catch and backed up his talk of wanting the ball more.

Coming off of a big win in week 11 against the Washington Redskins, the Cowboys were looking for their third win in a row going into a short week due to the annual Thanksgiving Day game. They planned on jumping out to a comfortable lead and periodically rest their starters before the next game. The plan did work to an extent as they were able to give Marion Barber some rest during the second half, but did not have the luxury of pulling Tony Romo due to the two late touchdowns by the 49ers. The game was close early as Romo had trouble connecting with his receivers, but the momentum shifted after Dallas scored their first touchdown. They pinned San Francisco deep after two consecutive sacks and blocked a punt out of the end zone for a safety and a three point lead that would change the momentum for the rest of the game.

Romo was still feeling the effects of his broken pinkie as he was only able to connect on just over half of his passes. His throwing was erratic during the first half as some throws sailed on him and some were right on target with a little zip on them.

What you ought to know

QB Shaun Hill, Pass: 21 - 33 - 303 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - Shaun Hill had a good game statistically, throwing for over 300 yards, two touchdowns, and only one interception. He generally made good decisions with the ball, as he was facing constant pressure from the Dallas defense. The coverage forced him to roll out or hurry his passes. He was able to take advantage of the soft coverage provided to his outside receivers by either hitting them on open shorter routes or on the occasional deep ball. Hill did show some of his inexperience by failing to lead the receivers on some passes when a perfect throw could have resulted in much more yardage. The inexperience showed on his lone interception where the defensive back played the ball well, but had the pass been thrown to a different area the result would have been a touchdown. His two touchdowns came late in the fourth quarter after the game was mostly in hand and Dallas was playing in a prevent style defense.

RB Frank Gore, Rush: 14 - 26 - 0, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (3 targets) - Frank Gore found it tough going against a strong Cowboys rushing defense. The Cowboys were able to take away the threat of the run by plugging up the rushing lanes, stretching out wide rushing plays to the sidelines, and blitzing their linebackers. Gore was not used much in the second half as the 49ers only attempted two rushing plays in the entire half. He was also not much help in the passing game as he only saw three targets.

RB Michael Robinson, Rec: 3 - 7 - 0 (3 targets) - Used primarily as the fullback in the offense, Robinson did not have a single rushing attempt and only had three targets, all in the first half. His limited use was a direct result of the team falling behind early and having to pass the ball to try and get back in the game.

RB DeShaun Foster, Rec: 1 - 9 - 1 (1 targets) - Foster's only action came late in the fourth quarter when Hill found him open on a short route deep in Dallas territory. Foster converted the reception and made it easily into the end zone for the final score.

WR Isaac Bruce, Rec: 8 - 125 - 1 (10 targets) - Bruce was heavily involved in the offense early, targeted on two of the first four plays from scrimmage. On his second reception, he was hit hard and his helmet was knocked off. He hit the back of his head and had to leave the game to get stitched up. After only missing a few plays he returned a caught a pass along the sideline while being well covered, but wound up just short of the first down. He was able to catch passes even when well covered.

WR Bryant Johnson, Rec: 4 - 56 - 0 (9 targets) - Johnson teamed up with Isaac Bruce to form a good pass catching combo for Shaun Hill. Johnson was targeted five times in the opening period, but was not able to come up with any catches. Most of the passes thrown his direction were slightly off target, enabling the defensive back to recover in time to break up the pass. He was targeted three times in the end zone and almost had a touchdown, but he bobbled the pass and ended up dropping it.

WR Dominique Zeigler, Rec: 2 - 31 - 0 (2 targets) - The rookie Zeigler only saw limited action during the second half. He caught both passes thrown his direction, but did make a rookie mistake as he stopped running his route on a broken play and took away a potential target for his quarterback. Hill ended up throwing the ball away to avoid the sack, but if Zeigler had helped him out the result may have been different.

WR Jason Hill, Rec: 1 - 22 - 0 (2 targets) - Jason Hill was only able to come with one of his two targets, but he made it count as he provided the 49ers with a key first down on their final touchdown drive.

TE Vernon Davis, Rec: 1 - 47 - 0 (2 targets) - Davis started by getting open deep on a beautiful play in the first quarter when Shaun Hill found him in single coverage along the left sideline. Hill rolled out and hit him in stride along the sideline and Davis stepped out of bounds at the four yard line. Unfortunately they were only able to covert the excellent field position into three points.

PK Joe Nedney 3 - 4 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 10 points - Joe Nedney had a productive game, even though he missed his first field goal attempt, from 53 yards on the opening possession. He benefited from the inability of the offense to score touchdowns by kicking three short field goals.

SF Rush Defense - The 49ers made it a primary goal to shut down the Cowboys rushing attack and they were able to accomplish that goal. They limited Dallas backs to a total of 77 yards on the ground and were able to keep Dallas from getting first downs on the ground late in the game to keep the clock moving and the ball away from the offense.

SF Pass Defense - The pass defense had a difficult time in trying to cover the Cowboys receivers due to the lack of pass rush on Romo. Romo had time to find his receivers, and the defensive backs gave the receivers enough cushion to get open. A bad day could have worse had Romo been able to complete more than half of his pass attempts in the first half, but was having a hard time throwing good passes due to the splint on his finger.

QB Tony Romo, Pass: 23 - 39 - 341 - 3 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 4 - -3 - 0 - Tony Romo had a difficult time getting going as he was unable to connect with his receivers in the first quarter. He completed his first two passes, but the second completion was off target and he was helped by an excellent catch by his receiver. Romo then misfired on his next five passes before throwing his best pass of the game, and in process helped turn the game around. He connected with Terrell Owens on a deep bomb that Owens was able to take into the end zone and give the Cowboys their first lead. After that play Romo began to work the defense by mixing in short dump off passes to his backs with deep balls to his wide outs to keep the defense off balance. He still showed that the splint on his pinkie is affecting his throwing by putting up some inaccurate or wobbly passes.

RB Marion Barber, Rush: 19 - 59 - 0, Rec: 7 - 50 - 0 (9 targets) - The 49ers were able to take away the rushing of Marion Barber, limiting him to a meager 59 yards. Dallas was able to compensate by getting him involved in the passing game. He would often go into a pass route as the safety option for Romo, and Romo would take advantage of it by going to him when the receivers were covered.

RB Tashard Choice, Rush: 6 - 18 - 0, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (3 targets) - Choice saw action to give Marion Barber some rest in the second half and to try and keep him fresh for the Thanksgiving Day game. He would have seen more extensive action, but he fumbled a backward lateral directly into the hands of the defender. The fumble did not hurt them as they intercepted the ball on the very next play.

WR Terrell Owens, Rec: 7 - 213 - 1 (13 targets) - Owens was huge in this game. In addition to focusing on taking away the running game, the 49ers tried to take Terrell Owens out of the passing game. They were not successful as Tony Romo was able to connect with Owens deep on multiple plays. The first play was when Owens caught a deep pass while being well covered and broke a tackle and ran into the end zone. They were also able to connect on plays of 45 and 52 yards that gave the Cowboys excellent field position. A great day could have been even better but for two dropped passes. The first one was on a play where Owens was clearly not expecting the ball and was only able to get one hand on it. The second one could have been a catch, but he lost his concentration and ended up bobbling the ball and dropping it a couple of yards later.

WR Roy Williams, Rec: 3 - 36 - 0 (5 targets) - Williams got the start and saw little action until the second quarter when the Cowboy offense began to open up. Williams made some excellent catches off of throws that were slightly off target to help out the offense and keep them on the field. Two of his receptions resulted in first downs and the third one was just a yard short of the first down marker.

WR Patrick Crayton, Rec: 2 - 16 - 1 (3 targets) - Patrick Crayton started as Dallas began the game in a three wide receiver set. He played in the slot, where he is the most comfortable, and made the most of his limited opportunities by scoring a touchdown on one of his receptions. The touchdown pass was on a play in which he split two defenders just short of the end zone and was able to easily score.

TE Jason Witten, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (4 targets) - Jason Witten had a tough game as he was only able to come up with a reception on the first pass thrown to him. He was open, but the pass was thrown slightly off target and limited his yards after the catch. He almost came down with a reception later, but his right heel came down on the sideline on a deep pass, and later in the game he appeared to catch a pass but the ball was knocked loose on a vicious hit by the defender. After that play the Dallas medical staff looked at his jaw, but he was able to return to action.

TE Martellus Bennett, Rec: 1 - 1 - 1 (1 targets) - Bennett made the most of his one target as he scored on a short touchdown reception just before halftime.

TE Tony Curtis (1 targets) - Curtis was the intended target on a ball that was batted back toward Tony Romo in the second quarter.

PK Nick Folk 4 - 4 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 15 points - Nick Folk was busy, going a perfect four for four on his field goal attempts. All of the attempts were from over 40 yards.

DAL Rush Defense - The Cowboys rush defense took away the 49ers running game early and forced them into a one dimensional attack. Even when the niners were able to move the ball in the first half, they had no success in moving it on the ground and were forced into relying on the passing game. In the second half the niners only attempted two running plays as they were playing from more than two scores behind and decided to abandon the running game.

DAL Pass Defense - The Cowboys gave up over 300 yards passing, but 100 of those yards came late in the fourth quarter as the defense was playing soft due to a big lead. The front four was able to get pressure on the quarterback, sacking him four times and forcing him to hurry his passes on numerous other occasions.

---

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 38, Detroit Lions 20

What you need to know

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Tampa Bay fell behind 17-0 quickly after they allowed a first quarter Detroit score that was followed by a fumble return for a touchdown and a Jason Hanson field goal. They answered with five unanswered touchdowns that came in all three phases of the game.

RB Warrick Dunn started the scoring spree with a 13 yard touchdown run and QB Jeff Garcia connected on touchdown passes to WR Ike Hilliard and TE Jerramy Stevens to cap off a 21 point second quarter.

RB Clifton Smith returned a punt for a 70 yard score and DB Ronde Barber added a 65 yard interception return for a touchdown to give Tampa Bay a 35-17 lead. Kickers on both sides each added field goals for a 38-20 final.

Detroit Lions - Detroit played well in the first quarter of the game, but that's about where it ended for the struggling Lions. QB Daunte Culpepper hit WR Calvin Johnson for a 15 yard score for the first points of the game and DB Daniel Bullocks returned a Garcia fumble for a 44 yard score to give the home team the early lead. Jason Hanson added a 38 yard field goal that put the club up 17-0 after the first quarter. After the first quarter, Culpepper struggled and was later replaced by backup Drew Stanton. Stanton left with an injury and Culpepper came back, but finished just eight of 20 for 121 yards for the game.

In the second quarter, the Lions started to fall apart. Their offense struggled to convert third downs and the defense allowed three touchdowns to give the Buccaneers the momentum heading into the break. Unfortunately for the Lions, it didn't stop there. Tampa Bay was sparked by a Clifton Smith punt return for a score on special teams and a defensive touchdown by Ronde Barber that broke the game wide open for the Buccaneers.

What you ought to know

QB Jeff Garcia, Pass: 13 - 18 - 165 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0 - Jeff Garcia brought his team back from a 17-0 deficit with his usual steady play, and he took advantage of poor coverage in the Detroit secondary to finish 13 of 18 for 165 yards that included two second quarter touchdown passes. Garcia connected with Ike Hilliard from 36 yards out for his first score and hit TE Jerramy Stevens on a 24 yard scoring strike on the next possession. On the negative side for Garcia, he lost two fumbles and was sacked five times.

RB Warrick Dunn, Rush: 14 - 90 - 1, Rec: 5 - 37 - 0 (6 targets) - With Earnest Graham out for the season, Dunn started the game and had a productive outing for the Buccaneers. He ran the ball 14 times for 90 yards and flashed moves from earlier on his career on a swift 13 yard touchdown run for Tampa Bay's first score of the game. Dunn also produced in the passing game where he caught five passes for 37 yards on six targets.

RB Cadillac Williams, Rush: 16 - 27 - 0 - Cadillac Williams got his first work of the season after being brought off the PUP list last week and got the majority of his work late in the game. On his first play, however, Williams collided with QB Jeff Garcia on a play action attempt, and caused Garcia to lose a fumble that Detroit returned for a touchdown. He finished the game with 16 rushes for 27 yards, and while the numbers aren't huge, it's nice to see him back on the field following the gruesome injury he suffered to his patellar tendon.

WR Antonio Bryant, Rec: 4 - 48 - 0 (6 targets) - Bryant was targeted six times, twice on third downs, and finished with four receptions for 48 yards.

WR Ike Hilliard, Rec: 2 - 51 - 1 (3 targets) - Hilliard was targeted three times and finished with two receptions for 51 yards that included a 36 yard touchdown reception. One negative for Hilliard for the game was a lost fumble on a punt return.

WR Michael Clayton - Clayton started the game but was not targeted.

WR Joey Galloway - Galloway played in the game but was not targeted.

TE Jerramy Stevens, Rec: 2 - 29 - 1 (3 targets) - Stevens was targeted three times and came down with two receptions for 29 yards, including a 24 yard touchdown reception.

PK Matt Bryant 1 - 1 FG, 5 - 5 XP, 8 points - Bryant made good on a 48 yard field goal and added five extra points to finish with eight points in the game.

TB Rush Defense - The Buccaneers allowed 108 rushes on 22 attempts for a 4.9 ypc average and had just one tackle for loss in the game. It was good for them that they came back quickly in the second quarter and did not allow Detroit to sustain drives and eat up clock with a running game that was eating up nearly five yards a carry.

LB Derrick Brooks led Tampa Bay with five solo tackles and Barrett Ruud added four solo tackles and two assists.

TB Pass Defense - The Buccaneers allowed a first quarter score through the air, but after that, really buckled down and made plays when they had to. They finished with four sacks, two interceptions and one forced fumble that came in the passing game. Tampa Bay also made nice adjustments in coverage on WR Calvin Johnson, who burned them on the scoring drive, as they made sure a safety rolled over to his side in passing situations.

DB Ronde Barber finished with four solo tackles and two interceptions that included a 65 yard INT return for a touchdown. DL Jimmy Wilkerson had two sacks up front for the Buccaneers.

QB Daunte Culpepper, Pass: 8 - 20 - 121 - 1 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 2 - 6 - 0 - Daunte Culpepper started and finished eight of 20 for 121 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. His score came in the first quarter, where he hit WR Calvin Johnson from 15 yards out to cap off a 71 yard drive for the first score of the game. After that, however, the game went south for Culpepper. Detroit finished just four of 14 on third downs, and one Culpepper pick was returned by Tampa Bay DB Ronde Barber for a touchdown. At one point, Culpepper was replaced by youngster Drew Stanton, then had to re-enter the game after Stanton left with a concussion.

QB Drew Stanton, Pass: 2 - 6 - 13 - 0 TD / 0 INT - Stanton entered the game after the Buccaneers jumped out to their big lead and completed two of six attempts for 13 yards before he left the game with an apparent concussion.

RB Kevin Smith, Rush: 16 - 86 - 0 - Smith was off to a nice start with ten rushes for 62 yards in the first half, and looked on his way to a 100 yard game, but was slowed in the second half to finish with 16 attempts for 86 yards. He left the game on a few occasions with injuries, but returned each time. He was not targeted in the passing game.

RB Rudi Johnson, Rush: 4 - 16 - 0 - Johnson was used sparingly, and he finished with four rushes for 16 yards. He was not targeted in the passing game.

WR Calvin Johnson, Rec: 3 - 66 - 1 (7 targets) - Johnson was targeted seven times; five on third downs, and came down with three receptions for 66 yards and a 15 yard touchdown. It's a shame the Lions can't get him more targets, because he looks unstoppable in coverage on balls he has a chance on.

WR Shaun McDonald, Rec: 2 - 21 - 0 (9 targets) - McDonald led the team in targets with nine, but finished with just two receptions for 21 yards. Two passes thrown his way were picked off.

TE John Owens (1 targets) - Owens started at tight end and had just one target, but did not record a reception.

PK Jason Hanson 2 - 2 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 8 points - Jason Hanson connected on field goal attempts from 38 and 40 yards out and added two extra points, finishing with eight points in the game.

DET Rush Defense - The Detroit defense allowed 119 yards on 32 attempts, for a 3.7 ypc average and allowed one rushing score on a play where they missed numerous tackles. They did finish with four tackles for loss, but they're overall numbers were helped by predictable rushing offense by Tampa Bay late in the game.

LB Paris Lennon led the club with five solo tackles and two assists.

DET Pass Defense - The Lions gave up 165 passing yards and two scores to QB Jeff Garcia and looked lost in coverage throughout the game, specifically on the two scoring plays. They held Tampa Bay to five of 13 on third downs, and did register five sacks.

DL Corey Smith led Detroit with two sacks and added four solo tackles.

---

Chicago Bears 27, St. Louis Rams 3

What you need to know

Chicago Bears - Kyle Orton didn't have a great game statistically, but he did look much better than he did last week in Green Bay. Orton threw for 139 yards and a touchdown, with no turnovers. However, it was clear his ankle still was bothering him, as he didn't attempt many deep throws due to not wanting to plant his foot. Most of his throws were short routes, his lone touchdown coming on a throw to FB Jason McKie.

Rookie RB Matt Forte was outstanding in this game, racking up 132 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. Forte showed great power and speed all game, finding holes and bursting through them for long gains. The highlight of his afternoon was a 47 yard touchdown run in the second quarter, as he exploded through a hole, made a couple defenders miss, and easily made it to the end zone. The lone blemish in his numbers came on a fumble he lost in the second quarter.

The Bears' defense rebounded in a big way, racking up five sacks and four interceptions. It was one of their most dominant performances of the year, as they held St. Louis to just three points.

St. Louis Rams - QB Mark Bulger was sacked and injured the Rams' first drive, and he did not return to the game. In his place, Trent Green had an underwhelming performance as he threw four interceptions and couldn't lead the Rams on any touchdown drives. After his fourth interception, he was benched in favor of Brock Berlin.

The Rams running game was non existent without Steven Jackson, as Pittman and Darby combined for just 18 yards on 16 carries. Darby however, was slightly more productive in the receiving game as he had three catches for 29 yards, compared to Pittman's three receptions for 11 yards.

WR Torry Holt showed some signs of life, hauling in four passes for 84 yards. Most of his targets in this game were on deep balls, and his long catch of the game was for 38 yards.

What you ought to know

QB Kyle Orton, Pass: 18 - 29 - 139 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0 - Orton still seemed to be bothered by his ankle, but this week he did a better job of managing the offense and keeping the chains moving. He threw his lone touchdown to FB Jason McKie in the first quarter, a seven yard strike capping off a 63 yard drive. Orton remained turnover free, and didn't really have to make any big plays with Forte running so well.

RB Matt Forte, Rush: 20 - 132 - 2, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (3 targets) - On the Bears' first possession, Forte burst through a hole in the middle, breaking a tackle and falling into the end zone for a 13 yard score. It was a sign of things to come as Forte absolutely dominated the entire game. Early in the second quarter he lost a fumble, but redeemed himself the next drive as he took a handoff up the middle for a 47 yard touchdown. Forte finished the afternoon with 146 total yards and two touchdowns.

RB Adrian Peterson, Rush: 5 - 35 - 0, Rec: 1 - -1 - 0 (1 targets) - Peterson took five carries for 35 yards, with his long carry going for 16 yards. He didn't see much action, but may continue to get the occasional handoff as long as Jones remains out and Forte needs a breather.

RB Jason McKie, Rec: 3 - 16 - 1 (4 targets) - McKie caught a seven yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter on a play where he got wide open slanting towards the outside of the end zone. McKie later lost a fumble in the red zone on a six yard reception in the fourth quarter, not too important since the Bears had the game put away. He finished with three receptions for 16 yards and a touchdown.

WR Devin Hester, Rush: 2 - 32 - 0, Rec: 5 - 57 - 0 (7 targets) - Hester caught a fade late in the first quarter for a 27 yard gain, his best play of the afternoon. He also added four other receptions for 30 yards. In the return game, he continued to look tentative, as he continued to struggle making much happen returning punts.

WR Rashied Davis, Rush: 1 - -2 - 0, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (4 targets) - Davis hauled in one of his four targets, good for a 10 yard gain.

WR Brandon Lloyd, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (2 targets) - Lloyd had only one catch for three yards in this game, he didn't see much action.

TE Desmond Clark, Rec: 5 - 40 - 0 (6 targets) - Clark injured his right knee in the third quarter on a play where Forte ran the ball, he did not return to the game. Prior to the injury, he was one of the Bears' top receivers as he had five catches for 40 yards.

TE Greg Olsen (2 targets) - Olsen was only targeted twice, and was unable to bring either of them in.

PK Robbie Gould 2 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 9 points - There is nothing significant to report in the kicking game, Gould made all of his kicks.

CHI Rush Defense - The Bears' rush defense turned out a dominating performance much like their game against the Titans, limiting the Rams to 19 yards on 19 attempts. The backs simply had nowhere to go, as the Bears' defenders often wrapped them up quickly or hit them in the backfield.

CHI Pass Defense - The Chicago pass defense did a great job all game generating pressure on the Rams' QBs, sacking them five times. The constant pressure also forced them into mistakes, as Trent Green was picked off four times by the Bears. Two of the interceptions came on balls tipped at the line.

QB Trent Green, Pass: 16 - 30 - 219 - 0 TD / 4 INT, Rush: 2 - 1 - 0 - Green had a game he'd probably rather forget, throwing four interceptions. Two of the interceptions came on balls tipped at the line, but one came on an under thrown deep ball and the fourth was on a short pass across the middle where he simply didn't see the defender. Green did not have any scores, but did throw for 219 yards. He was eventually benched for Brock Berlin.

QB Brock Berlin, Pass: 1 - 3 - 6 - 0 TD / 0 INT - Berlin entered the game late in the fourth quarter following Green's fourth interception. He only attempted three passes, completing one for six yards.

QB Marc Bulger, Pass: 2 - 2 - 11 - 0 TD / 0 INT - Bulger was shaken up following a sack to end the Rams' first drive. The injury was described as a blow to the head, and Trent Green came into the game the second drive. Bulger did not return.

RB Antonio Pittman, Rush: 9 - 8 - 0, Rec: 3 - 11 - 0 (4 targets) - Pittman had one nice run for 11 yards, however the rest of his carries went for combined negative yards. He finished with nine carries for eight yards.

RB Ken Darby, Rush: 7 - 10 - 0, Rec: 3 - 29 - 0 (3 targets) - Early in the fourth quarter, Darby caught a short screen pass and turned it into a 15 yard gain for a first down, using some good moves and showing good speed. However, in the running game, Darby was ineffective, running for only ten yards on seven carries.

WR Torry Holt, Rec: 4 - 84 - 0 (7 targets) - Holt was the most targeted Rams' receiver, being thrown to seven times. In the third quarter, Holt caught a pass for a nice 38 yard gain, his longest catch of the game. He finished the day with four receptions for 84 yards.

WR Dane Looker, Rec: 4 - 46 - 0 (6 targets) - Looker caught four of his six targets, picking up 46 yards. His long reception came in the third quarter, good for 22 yards.

WR Donnie Avery, Rush: 1 - -5 - 0, Rec: 1 - 14 - 0 (3 targets) - Avery only had one catch in this game, making a 14 yard gain out of it.

TE Anthony Becht, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (2 targets) - Becht caught one of his two targets for 11 yards.

TE Daniel Fells, Rec: 1 - 26 - 0 (1 targets) - Fells hauled in a 26 yard reception in the second quarter. It was his only catch of the game.

PK Josh Brown 1 - 2 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 3 points - Brown missed a 40 yard field goal attempt wide left, his other kick was good.

STL Rush Defense - St. Louis got run over by Forte, as they frequently missed tackles and struggled to bring him down. They allowed his to run for over six yards a carry against them, and gave up two scores.

STL Pass Defense - The Rams' pass defense did a decent job, allowing only one score and limiting Orton to just 139 passing yards. They also managed to sack Orton once, but couldn't force any interceptions. The Rams did recover two fumbles in this game, recovering both of them.

---

Oakland Raiders 31, Denver Broncos 10

What you need to know

Oakland Raiders - The Raiders broke open a close game in the second half with a combination of strong running and pinpoint passing coupled with stellar defensive play, and a punt return for a touchdown thrown in for good measure. Oakland came into the game with the ignominious distinction of having not scored an offensive touchdown in 12 quarters, and extended that streak of futility into the third quarter, when Darren McFadden scored to give them a 17-10 lead. McFadden and Justin Fargas were ineffective in the first half, but the Raiders remained committed to running the ball, and they rewarded that commitment with tough, productive running in the second half. Between the two running backs they had three runs of four or more yards in the first half, and 13 such runs in the second half. Fargas overcame a tough beginning, gaining just 23 yards in his first ten rushing attempts, to amass 84 yards on his next 14 attempts. He ran with determination and gained several yards after initial contact in the second half. Fargas had three runs of ten or more yards in the second half. McFadden was used in a variety of roles, including being the quarterback in the Raiders' version of the wildcat formation twice, as a wide receiver several times, and as the goal line back. He scored two short-yardage touchdowns, and drew a penalty on a defensive back just outside the end zone while running a deep pass pattern. Oakland's creative usage of their running backs extended to Michael Bush, who completed a halfback option pass on a third down play that resulted in a first down.

Oakland's passing game was very efficient, as JaMarcus Russell completed his first nine passes for 148 yards, and ended the day with just one incompletion. Russell showcased his powerful arm several times, including deep passes to Ashley Lelie and some shorter passes where he zipped the ball quickly to his intended receivers. He targeted Lelie the most, and the two connected on all of their pass plays. Russell looked for Lelie and Zach Miller when he needed to make big plays in the passing game. Miller came close to scoring by taking an intermediate pass and running well after the catch before being stopped three yards from the end zone.

The Raiders ran 16 plays in the red zone on four possessions, and came away with one field goal and three second half touchdowns. They ran the ball 13 times, with Fargas having nine of those carries. While he ran hard in the red zone, he did not gain many yards. McFadden had three carries, and scored twice, showing good speed to the outside on two of those runs and good straight-ahead power on his third run. Russell targeted McFadden once in the red zone, and Lelie twice. Both passes to Lelie were in the end zone, the first one being too high and the second pass a laser that Lelie caught while leaping up above his defenders.

Denver Broncos - The Broncos moved the ball fairly efficiently in the first half, but were undone by miscues such as missed field goals at the end of drives and a lost fumble on another drive inside the Raiders' seven yard line. Denver could not get going offensively in the second half, in some part due to Oakland's defense as well as inconsistent play offensively. Jay Cutler epitomized their play in the second half, as he was more erratic than good. Of his incompletions, he missed his intended receiver nine times, and had six other passes deflected by Oakland defenders. While Cutler had one official interception, he could have been credited with as many as three, with one being overturned due to a penalty on the defender who caught the pass, and another defender dropping a ball that was thrown directly at him. When he needed big plays, he looked for Brandon Marshall and Brandon Stokley. Stokley's first four receptions were all for first downs, and Marshall made some big catches and ran well after catching some of the passes thrown his way. However, of the eight combined targets they had in the second half, five were incompletions.

Peyton Hillis received the bulk of Denver's rushing attempts, and ran hard directly at the defense, and displayed good power. He tended to take on defenders, and managed to gain some yards after absorbing the initial hits from the Raiders' defenders. Hillis had eight runs of four or more yards, including two of more than ten yards, but also had nine carries where he gained three yards or less, including three for losses. He did not show any elusiveness, but when he was able to get a head of steam going forward, usually gained positive yards by using his power. While he scored Denver's only touchdown, Hillis also lost a fumble in the red zone. Tatum Bell had a very limited role in relief of Hillis.

The Broncos ran five plays on two red zone possessions, losing a fumble on one of those possessions and scoring a touchdown on the other. Three of the red zone plays were running plays, with Hillis having two of them, including a touchdown run, and Eddie Royal running a reverse to account for the other. Cutler threw two red zone passes, one to Tony Scheffler that was too high in the end zone, and a short pass to Hillis.

What you ought to know

QB JaMarcus Russell, Pass: 10 - 11 - 152 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - 3 - 0 - Russell was very efficient and accurate, and made excellent decisions when passing. While he only threw 11 passes, half of them were either intermediate or deep. Russell only had one incompletion, and as such did not give the Broncos' fans much opportunity to issue their "INCOMPLETE" chant, as they are wont to do when a quarterback throws an incomplete pass. Russell focused most of his passes to Ashley Lelie and Zach Miller, targeting them seven times combined. He utilized them on a variety of routes, and threw the ball in places where only they could make the catch. Several of his passes were thrown with great velocity but with good timing as well, as his receivers did not have to make many adjustments as the ball arrived, and as a result, were usually able to gain some yards after securing the catch.

RB Justin Fargas, Rush: 24 - 107 - 0, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (1 targets) - Fargas ran hard every time he had the ball. He struggled to gain yards in the first half, but was markedly more effective in the second half, routinely gaining positive yards after getting past the line of scrimmage. Fargas gained a lot of his yards running between the tackles, and although he did not score on any of his nine red zone carries, he contributed greatly to the Raiders' winning in Denver.

RB Darren McFadden, Rush: 10 - 38 - 2, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (4 targets) - McFadden was used more in the second half, and was a significant contributor in a variety of ways. He took direct snaps twice in Oakland's version of the wildcat package, lined up as a receiver on several occasions and ran a variety of routes, and scored two touchdowns. McFadden ran easily and seemed to be recovered from the foot injury that has nagged him most of the season. He showed his speed several times, both as a runner going wide on a short yardage goal line play and as a receiver, and elusiveness and power on some other short-yardage runs.

RB Michael Bush, Pass: 1 - 1 - 8 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 0 - 0 - Bush's biggest impact came on a halfback option play where he threw a pass to Zach Miller that was caught for a first down on a third down play.

WR Ashley Lelie, Rec: 4 - 92 - 1 (4 targets) - Lelie and Russell were in sync throughout the game. Lelie used his speed to get open on intermediate and deep routes. His only short route came on a pass he caught for a touchdown where he had to leap between two defenders while timing the jump to catch a Russell fastball of a pass.

WR Ronald Curry, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0 - Curry was not targeted, and his rushing attempt came when he lined up as the quarterback and ran outside with the option to pass or run.

WR Johnnie Lee Higgins, Rush: 1 - 9 - 0 - Higgins had a significant impact on the game although he was not targeted, returning a punt for a touchdown. He also added a reverse.

TE Zach Miller, Rec: 3 - 41 - 0 (3 targets) - Miller made some very good plays when thrown the ball. He made a great leaping, one handed catch of a pass from Michael Bush for a first down on a third down play, and took an intermediate pass and ran past several defenders for a 30 yard gain before being tackled three yards from the end zone.

TE Tony Stewart, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (2 targets) - Stewart was used mostly for his blocking, and was the intended target on Russell's only incompletion, but was double-covered on the play.

PK Sebastian Janikowski 1 - 1 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 7 points - Janikowski made all four of his point after attempts and his only field goal attempt, which was from 26 yards.

OAK Rush Defense - Oakland's defense performed inconsistently against the Broncos' running game. At times they made excellent plays behind the line of scrimmage, as well as recovering a fumble on a running play. However, Peyton Hillis ran for seven or more yards on 25 percent of his carries and added a rushing touchdown, while averaging 4.35 yards per carry.

OAK Pass Defense - The Raiders did an effective job of applying pressure to Cutler. Although they did not record a sack, they forced him to rush several of his throws. In addition, Oakland's defenders played excellent coverage, deflecting several of Cutler's passes. They recorded one interception, but had another one called back due to a penalty on the player who intercepted the ball, and on another play, the defender dropped the ball. The official interception was timely in that it came in the fourth quarter and led to a touchdown by the offense for the final score.

QB Jay Cutler, Pass: 16 - 37 - 204 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 4 - 24 - 0 - Cutler could not get into a consistent rhythm during the game. At times he played well, showing good mobility to escape the pass rush and make plays on the run, as well as making strong accurate throws from the pocket. However, that was not the norm, and he missed open receivers at times and had several other passes deflected by Oakland's defenders. After Denver fell behind by two touchdowns, they were forced to rely more on the passing game and Cutler was unable to shoulder the offensive load in this game.

RB Peyton Hillis, Rush: 17 - 74 - 1, Rec: 2 - 22 - 0 (3 targets) - Hillis ran with good power and great determination. While he did not show much elusiveness or breakaway speed, he ran hard every time he had the ball and used his power to successfully fight for additional yards after contact. Hillis was used mostly on running plays between the tackles and as an outlet receiver when involved in the passing game.

RB Tatum Bell, Rush: 6 - 14 - 0, Rec: 1 - 0 - 0 (1 targets) - Bell did not contribute much as the backup running back, averaging just over 2.0 yards per rushing attempt.

WR Brandon Stokley, Rec: 5 - 44 - 0 (6 targets) - Stokley caught every pass that was thrown near him, and ran mostly short routes very well, getting open in traffic frequently. His first four catches gave his team a first down.

WR Brandon Marshall, Rec: 4 - 84 - 0 (11 targets) - Marshall mirrored his quarterback in terms of effectiveness. He was overthrown four times after getting open, and on other occasions did not get separation on his defenders, which enabled them to deflect some other passes intended for him. At other times he used his size and running after the catch ability to get open and gain yards after the catch, resulting in a healthy 21 yards per reception average.

WR Eddie Royal, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (8 targets) - Royal ran a variety of routes, but was victimized by being overthrown at times and good play by his defenders at other times. He managed to get open deep on a play where he dropped the ball with no defender in front of him, and a chance for a long touchdown run.

WR Darrell Jackson, Rec: 1 - 28 - 0 (2 targets) - Jackson's lone reception was a big play that at first was ruled a 64 yard play, but after review, it was determined he was down by contact after hauling in a 28 yard pass.

TE Tony Scheffler, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (5 targets) - Scheffler only caught one pass, but was targeted twice in the end zone, with both passes being too high. He was the intended target on Cutler's interception as the ball was underthrown.

TE Daniel Graham (1 targets) - Graham's involvement in the passing game was minimal.

PK Matt Prater 1 - 3 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - Prater made his only point after attempt and made one of three field goal attempts. He made one from 44 yards and missed from 47 and 43 yards, one of them wide right and the other wide left.

DEN Rush Defense - Denver's rush defense was sound in the first half, but could not contain the Raiders in the second half. They were pushed off the line of scrimmage, and their linebackers and secondary had to make tackles after Oakland's running backs had gained significant yards. The Broncos gave up 4.26 yards per carry to Fargas and McFadden and two rushing touchdowns. Even though they knew the Raiders were focusing on the run after their lead grew to two touchdowns, Denver could not stop them and get the ball back for their offense.

DEN Pass Defense - The Broncos' pass defense was not tested often, as Russell only threw 11 passes. However, they gave up ten completions, and were unable to disrupt the timing between Russell and his receivers. Among the ten completions was a touchdown pass where the Oakland receiver out jumped the Broncos' secondary to make the catch.

---

Philadelphia Eagles 7, Baltimore Ravens 36

What you need to know

Philadelphia Eagles - After a second quarter performance that could only be described as abysmal (including two INTs) QB Donovan McNabb was replaced in the second half by second year QB Kevin Kolb under center for the Eagles. Kolb, thrust into a tough situation, showed his inexperience as he performed only marginally better than McNabb had, and matched him with two interceptions of his own.

RB Brian Westbrook was largely ineffective and amassed only 34 total yards due to his being nicked up and facing a tough defense.

While WR Kevin Curtis was targeted often while McNabb was still under center, once Kolb took over, it was WR DeSean Jackson who became the featured receiver.

Baltimore Ravens - While QB Joe Flacco got off to a rough start in the first half, he avoided any big mistakes and finished the day with almost 200 yards and a pair of TD passes, managing his team to the win.

In this game, it was RB LeRon McClain who excelled amongst the Baltimore RBs as Willis McGahee and Ray Rice were unable to get anything going. McClain use his size and toughness to bull his way through the Eagles defense to an impressive 4.9 yards per carry, 88 yards and a TD.

While WR Mark Clayton caught only two passes, he made the most of them, including a 53 yard TD pass that started as a six yard slant route and ended in the end zone.

What you ought to know

QB Kevin Kolb, Pass: 10 - 23 - 73 - 0 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 3 - 12 - 0 - There were whispers all week that Kolb might soon see some time under center for the Eagles. It's doubtful that anyone, including Kolb, thought it would come this soon against a tough Baltimore defense. Nonetheless, come the third quarter of today's game with the score still close (10-7 Baltimore) and the Eagles' season in the balance, Kolb took over as QB for the ineffective Donovan McNabb. Unfortunately, Kolb was only the slightest of improvements over McNabb. While he completed his first pass attempt, a short toss to TE Brent Celek, Kolb's next five fell incomplete (most of them because he was leaving them short). His next pass was even worse as he was intercepted by Baltimore's Samari Rolle. On that interception, Kolb tried to hit WR Kevin Curtis, but Curtis was well-covered and again, the ball was underthrown. Kolb finally seemed to find his rhythm on the Eagles' second possession in the fourth quarter as he went five for six for 53 yards -- almost exclusively to WR DeSean Jackson -- but then, as he tried to force the ball to Jackson in the end zone to complete the drive, he overlooked Baltimore safety Ed Reed, lurking nearby. One interception and 108 yards later, Baltimore had seven more points. Kolb would complete only three of his final ten pass attempts after that second interception. In short, Kolb was presented with a very difficult situation -- taking over the QB job from the face of the Eagles franchise midway through a game against one of the best defenses in the NFL. While Kolb certainly failed to rise to the challenge, should he get the start next week it may be a better indication of what he is truly capable of.

QB Donovan McNabb, Pass: 8 - 18 - 59 - 0 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 1 - 7 - 0 - Despite struggling early on in many of his recent games, McNabb actually got off to a good start against the Ravens as he completed six of his first seven pass attempts. Though they were all on short routes and only went for a total of 43 yards, it appeared that McNabb was shaking free of what had been a very tough week for him in Philadelphia. Then came the second quarter. On the third play of that quarter Baltimore LB Jarret Johnson knocked the ball out of McNabb's hands and caught it before it hit the ground for a fumble forced and recovered. On the next series McNabb's first pass attempt was slightly overthrown and intercepted by Baltimore's Fabian Washington. Over the next two series, McNabb went 0-5 and finished the second series with another interception, this time by Ravens safety Ed Reed. In the end, McNabb completed only two passes in the second quarter, and finished the half (and, as it turned out, his game) a miserable eight of 18 for 59 yards, no TDs and two INTs. McNabb was replaced in the second half by Kevin Kolb, and it was not due to injury.

RB Brian Westbrook, Rush: 14 - 39 - 0, Rec: 2 - -5 - 0 (4 targets) - Despite missing practice time this week with an assortment of injuries and some questions as to whether he would play, Brian Westbrook started at RB for the Eagles and proceeded to pop off a tough six yard run on their first offensive play. The rest of the day would be frustrating for Westbrook, however, as he added only 33 more yards on the ground and actually finished with -5 receiving yards. The combination of his injuries, the Ravens' stifling defense, and the overall ineffectiveness of the entire Eagles offense made it impossible for Westbrook to take on his usual role of playmaker.

WR DeSean Jackson, Rush: 1 - 12 - 0, Rec: 5 - 47 - 0 (10 targets) - Jackson led the Eagles in targets on the day with ten, and most of them (seven) came in the final quarter. By that point the Eagles were in free-fall mode and were looking more and more to the passing game for help. During that quarter, Jackson seemed to establish a bit of a rhythm with new QB Kevin Kolb and was targeted on five out of the six pass plays during the only sustained drive that the Eagles managed in the second half. On that fourth quarter drive, Jackson hauled in all four of the passes thrown his way and amassed 44 yards. Unfortunately, the single pass he didn't catch was an end-zone target that Raven safety Ed Reed intercepted and ran back 108 yards for a score. In the rushing game, Jackson received a single carry when he took a direct snap early in the third quarter and ran to the left for a twelve yard gain. It seems that no matter who is under center for the Eagles, Jackson is a weapon that the coaching staff will continue to try and exploit.

WR Kevin Curtis, Rec: 2 - 12 - 0 (8 targets) - During the first half, while QB Donovan McNabb was still under center, Curtis continued to be the most targeted Eagles receiver, as he has been in recent weeks. Unfortunately, McNabb was so off on his throws that these targets only translated into two receptions. In the second half, once Kevin Kolb took over at QB, Curtis saw very little attention -- including no passes thrown his way in the fourth quarter when the Eagles were airing it out on almost every play.

WR Hank Baskett, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (6 targets) - Despite finishing third on the team with six targets, Baskett only managed to pull down one of them for a paltry eight yards. Certainly not all of the fault for this abysmal showing should fall on Baskett as both QB Donovan McNabb and his replacement QB Kevin Kolb were off target for much of the day, but Baskett didn't do all that much to help himself either, as he also contributed some drops.

TE Brent Celek, Rec: 3 - 26 - 0 (5 targets) - While he received the start, Celek didn't see any of his five targets until the second half when QB Kevin Kolb took over for Donovan McNabb. At that point he seemed to become one of Kolb's two favorite targets, along with WR DeSean Jackson. Celek appeared to be assigned the role of Kolb's security blanket as he ran primarily short to medium routes, so while he finished second on the Eagles with three receptions, he amassed only 26 yards.

TE L.J. Smith, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (1 targets) - Smith did not receive the start in this game and his only target came in the first quarter. While he caught that pass, the reception went for only three yards.

PK David Akers 0 - 0 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 1 points - Due to the nearly complete inability of the Eagle offense to do anything offensively this week, Akers' involvement was limited to kicking a single extra point.

PHI Rush Defense - The success of the Eagles' rush defense seemed to depend on who was carrying the ball for Baltimore. If it was Willis McGahee or Ray Rice, the Philadelphia defense regularly stopped them cold or dropped them for losses. If it was the bruising LeRon McClain, however, then it was a different story. McClain used his power to repeatedly bull through the Eagles defenders and averaged almost five yards per carry on the day en route to 88 yards and a rushing TD.

PHI Pass Defense - The Eagles pass defense was better than their rush defense, and the made life very difficult for Baltimore QB Joe Flacco early on. They regularly joined him in the backfield and ended the day with three sacks. The defensive backfield was not quite as stalwart, however, and gave up some big plays when Flacco was able to get the ball downfield -- the biggest of which was a 53 yard TD strike where Ravens WR Mark Clayton was able to get behind coverage despite running only a six yard slant pattern and turn the reception into a 53 yard score.

QB Joe Flacco, Pass: 12 - 26 - 183 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 5 - 3 - 0 - Rookie QBs will experience inconsistency from game to game in their first NFL seasons. That's a given, and Joe Flacco is no different. In this game, he was inconsistent from half to half. While Flacco was largely ineffective in the first 30 minutes -- completing only five of his first 16 pass attempts for 59 yards -- he went seven for ten in the second half (almost all in the third quarter) for 124 yards. Importantly, however, Flacco was able to avoid any interceptions, though he did come close to an INT late in the second half when he delivered the ball right into the hands of Eagles LB Stewart Bradley who couldn't hang on. Flacco was also able to find the end zone twice. On the first score he hit TE Daniel Wilcox on a one yard toss that gave the Ravens a 10-0 lead late in the second quarter. A lot of credit for this score has to go to Wilcox as the ball was thrown high and the TE had to make a spectacular play to pull it down with one hand. For Flacco's second score he found WR Mark Clayton on a short slant and Clayton used his speed to convert it into a 53 yard TD. While this will not go down as one of Flacco's best games, he did what he needed to do to allow his team (and primarily his defense) to deliver the victory.

RB LeRon McClain, Rush: 18 - 88 - 1 - With fellow RBs Willis McGahee and Ray Rice seeming to alternate taking the lead in the Baltimore ground game over recent weeks, McClain was fast becoming a forgotten fantasy factor. In this game, he made it clear that he's still in the mix. While McGahee and Rice were unable to get anything going against the Eagles' rush defense, McClain had no such problem. After taking over for an ineffective McGahee on the Ravens' second offensive series, McClain's number was called on five straight plays and he gained 31 of his game total 88 yards in his typical powerful and bruising style. This would prove to be a pattern all day -- the Ravens' coaching staff would try and work either McGahee or Rice into the ground attack but then end up going back to McClain to actually gain some yards. McClain wrapped up his day nicely as late in the fourth quarter he combined a powerful 28 yard blast up the middle with a 1 yard burst into the end-zone two plays later.

RB Ray Rice, Rush: 8 - 7 - 0, Rec: 3 - 42 - 0 (6 targets) - While Rice gave way to fellow RB LeRon McClain as the Ravens' primary runner on the day, his owners can take some solace from the fact that he was heavily involved in the Baltimore passing game. He finished second on the team with six targets, and tied for first in receptions with three. While most of these passes were check-downs, Rice was able, on at least one occasion, to display his speed and elusiveness. On that late first half play, Rice scooped a low, two yard pass off of his shoelaces, dodged Eagles CB Asante Samuel and raced up the right sideline for 22 yards.

RB Willis McGahee, Rush: 7 - 8 - 0 - McGahee frustrated his owners again this week as the Baltimore wheel o' running backs came to rest on someone else. While McGahee did officially get the start, he was wholly ineffective against the Eagle defense. Almost half of his carries went for negative yards, and his longest run was for only four. As the game wore on, the lion's share of the carries went to fellow RB LeRon McLain and McGahee saw no carries in the second half. McGahee was not used in the passing game.

WR Derrick Mason, Rec: 3 - 40 - 0 (6 targets) - Though he was tied for second on the team with six targets and tied for first in receptions with three, Mason's day was still rather pedestrian. Some of this was due to the fact that QB Joe Flacco was not at his best, but Mason also suffered from the fact that Baltimore only attempted three passes in the final quarter. In the end Mason only really made one significant play. Early in the third quarter he took a 15 yard pass and then bobbed and weaved his way up the left sideline to add an additional seven yards.

WR Mark Clayton, Rec: 2 - 76 - 1 (7 targets) - Though he caught only two of his team high seven targets, Clayton made sure that he made the most of those receptions. On the first Clayton went a long way toward setting up a Baltimore field goal when he ran a 15 yard comeback route and turned it into a 23 yard gain. He improved on this effort early in the fourth quarter when he blew by the coverage on a short slant, easily captured QB Joe Flacco's six yard pass, and then burned down the field with no defenders near him for a 53 yard TD.

TE Todd Heap, Rec: 2 - 26 - 0 (5 targets) - Though he was targeted five times, Heap was only able to pull down two for receptions. On the first of these Heap accounted for a majority of his yards when he hauled in a short late second quarter pass at the right sideline, ducked a defender, and then stretched it into a 19 yard gain. Heap's incompletions were a result of a drop early on and some poorly thrown passes, particularly on a second quarter toss where Heap was open deep and streaking but QB Joe Flacco threw the ball too high and behind him.

PK Matt Stover 2 - 2 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 10 points - Stover was called upon to attempt two field goals during the game and converted on both -- one from 44 yards and one from 42. It should be noted that, once again, when the Ravens chose to attempt a field goal of over 50 yards (it was 53 this week) it was Baltimore kick off specialist Steve Hauschka who got the call and not Stover. Hauschka missed.

PK Steve Hauschka 0 - 1 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 0 points - As they have in recent weeks, when the Ravens had the opportunity to attempt a field goal of over 50 yards (it was 53 this week) they turned kick off specialist Hauschka. This week he missed his only attempt.

BAL Rush Defense - Faced with a dinged up Brian Westbrook, the strong Baltimore rushing defense did manage to keep the dynamic Eagles RB largely in check, and by the second half, Philadelphia was primarily relying on the passing game to gain yards.

BAL Pass Defense - Though the registered only two sacks, the Ravens pass rush was all over both Eagles QBs all day long. This constant pressure undoubtedly played a role in both QBs being off target on their passes, generally, and tossing four interceptions specifically. LB Jarret Johnson added a fifth turnover when he both caused an early second quarter fumble and recovered it without the ball ever touching the ground.

---

Houston Texans 16, Cleveland Browns 6

What you need to know

Houston Texans - QB Sage Rosenfels played an ok game, but really showed he needs to work on his accuracy to keep a job in the NFL. He was often behind on crossing patterns with no pressure on him. He threw two interceptions largely because of this.

RB Steve Slaton and Ahman Green split time as expected, but Ahman Green did not play the fourth quarter due to his inability to stay healthy, although it was not clear what happened. Slaton clearly looked better at running the ball, but the Texans liked running Green in short yardage situations.

WR Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter caught 17 balls for 209 yards. Walter caught a touchdown pass in the first quarter, and both of them looked amazing running the Cleveland defense all over the field. Owen Daniels had a very quiet game, only receiving four targets.

Cleveland Browns - The Browns turned the ball over five times. QB Brady Quinn threw two interceptions and was pulled for Derek Anderson as he failed to move the offense efficiently. Derek Anderson threw one interception, and failed to impress when he was running the offense. RB Jamal Lewis fumbled the ball twice and both were his fault. Cleveland's lack of ball security really cost them.

WR Braylon Edwards also really cost the Browns, dropping several passes that could have gave the Browns a little momentum. He was targeted 16 times and only caught the ball five times. Kellen Winslow was also unable to get involved in the offense, only catching one ball for 11 yards.

What you ought to know

QB Sage Rosenfels, Pass: 24 - 32 - 275 - 1 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 2 - 0 - 0 - Rosenfels was unimpressive overall, throwing two interceptions. He started off the game hot with a great throw to Kevin Walter but really did not get anything going after that. He was often throwing behind his receivers forcing them to significantly adjust to the pass and allowing the defense to catch up to them.

RB Steve Slaton, Rush: 21 - 73 - 0 - Slaton was splitting time with Ahman Green in the backfield. He had much more success than did Ahman Green, who did not play the fourth quarter. He looked quick and showed great vision in the backfield, allowing holes to develop enough to gain a few extra yards. He was more successful as the game went on, which could have been a result of the Browns turning the ball over so frequently.

RB Ahman Green, Rush: 13 - 39 - 0, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) - Green initially split time with Steve Slaton in the backfield like usual, but had little success. He took a few hard hits and ended up not playing in the fourth quarter -- presumably due to an injury.

RB Vonta Leach, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (1 targets) - Leach was the fullback and saw one target which he caught for nine yards.

WR Andre Johnson, Rec: 10 - 116 - 0 (12 targets) - Johnson was targeted often by Rosenfels, who seemed to trust Johnson. He caught ten of the 12 balls thrown his way and gained 116 yards. He did not find the end zone but proved to be a force regardless.

WR Kevin Walter, Rec: 7 - 93 - 1 (9 targets) - Walter opened up the game hot with a great catch over the defensive back. He secured every catchable ball thrown his way, showing off his hands. Walter was Rosenfels' second favorite target behind Andre Johnson.

WR Andre Davis, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (2 targets) - Davis saw little action on the day, playing behind Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter. He caught one pass for ten yards.

WR David Anderson, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (1 targets) - Anderson was the fourth wide receiver and caught the only ball thrown his way for an 11 yard gain.

TE Owen Daniels, Rec: 3 - 28 - 0 (4 targets) - Daniels had a fairly quiet day, only receiving four targets from Rosenfels. He did not get involved in the game early and it seemed like the Browns always had their eyes on him to try to prevent that.

PK Kris Brown 3 - 5 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 10 points - Brown had a tough day, missing a field goal and having one blocked. He made three field goals though.

HOU Rush Defense - The Houston run defense looked porous at times. They allowed big holes to be made by the Cleveland offensive line and allowed Jamal Lewis to average 5.8 yards per carry.

HOU Pass Defense - The Texans played pretty well against the pass. Mario Williams proved he is a force to be reckoned with, getting by Joe Thomas with ease. The secondary did get three interceptions also, but those were mainly bad reads or throws and not due to exceptional coverage.

QB Brady Quinn, Pass: 8 - 18 - 94 - 0 TD / 2 INT - Quinn had a rough game, and was ultimately benched. He completed only eight of 18 passes but his receivers really did not help him out early in the game, and it seemed to get into his head. He threw two interceptions on back to back passing attempts, but the second really was not his fault as Braylon Edwards did not break well out of his slant route.

QB Derek Anderson, Pass: 5 - 14 - 51 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 - Anderson came in for Brady Quinn at the end of the third quarter due to Quinn failing to lead the offense successfully. Anderson was not much more successful, though, as he only completed five of 14 pass attempts and threw behind Jason Wright on a dump off causing it to get intercepted. Anderson still was in the habit of forcing the ball into good coverage, but he did make a couple of great throws that were not able to be brought in by Braylon Edwards.

RB Jamal Lewis, Rush: 10 - 58 - 0, Rec: 2 - 10 - 0 (2 targets) - Lewis ran the ball well, but uncharacteristically fumbled the ball twice and really cost the Browns. He was cutting well and hitting the hole hard. He also was blocking very well, but he may be losing carries to Jerome Harrison who received seven carries while Lewis only had ten carries.

RB Jerome Harrison, Rush: 7 - 31 - 0, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (1 targets) - Harrison saw more plays on Sunday than he has in the past, cutting into Jamal Lewis' touches. He was fairly successful running the ball but the Browns were in a situation where they needed to pass the ball.

RB Lawrence Vickers, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) - Vickers snuck out of the backfield for one pass and caught it for four yards.

RB Jason Wright (2 targets) - Wright did not see much action and looks to be falling in the depth chart behind Jerome Harrison.

WR Braylon Edwards, Rec: 5 - 85 - 0 (16 targets) - Edwards once again failed to impress, catching only five of the 16 balls thrown his way. He dropped three passes he legitimately should have caught and often gave up on his patterns because he thought he was covered. This cost the Browns once as Edwards did not finish his slant and Quinn threw it to where he was going and the pass was intercepted. Edwards did have a couple of nice plays but all-in-all he really cost the Browns.

WR Josh Cribbs, Rush: 2 - 6 - 0 (1 targets) - Cribbs saw some action at wide receiver and one play as a quarterback in the wildcat formation. It was a designed option with Kellen Winslow running an out pattern, but Cribbs ran it as Winslow was well covered.

WR Donte Stallworth, Rec: 1 - 18 - 0 (4 targets) - Stallworth was the second wide receiver but only caught one ball for 18 yards. He seems to not have developed any chemistry with either quarterback since he has been injured all year.

WR Syndric Steptoe, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) - Steptoe was rarely used on that day and caught a short pass on his only target.

TE Kellen Winslow, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (6 targets) - Winslow had a slow day, dropping one pass and being well covered for the majority of the game. He seemed to be getting angry with the coverage and was called for a pass interference call when he pushed off of the Texans' defender to create space late in the game.

PK Phil Dawson 2 - 3 FG, 0 - 0 XP, 6 points - Dawson shanked a field goal that would have brought the Browns within seven points of the Texans because his foot slipped when he planted to kick the ball.

CLE Rush Defense - The Browns stopped the rushing attack of the Texans for the most part. They only allowed 112 yards on 34 carries and most of that came outside the tackles.

CLE Pass Defense - The Browns made it tough for the Texans through the air also, forcing two interceptions and batting down several balls at the line of scrimmage. They did give up 275 yards to Rosenfels, but they were on the field a lot due to a five to two turnover deficit.

---

New York Jets 34, Tennessee Titans 13

What you need to know

New York Jets - Getting off to a quick start, the Jets controlled both sides of the ball and dominated the time of possession battle, racking up 409 yards of offense and rolling to a 21 point victory. Brett Favre, leading the Jets to their fifth straight victory managed an efficient game as he threw for 224 yard and two scores.

It was the smash mouth rushing attack that proved too much for the Titans, and New York racked up 192 yards on the ground. Led by Thomas Jones, the Jets relied on his hard nosed downhill rushing style to wear down the defense and grind out the clock. He carried 27 times in total, just falling short of the 100 yard mark and was able to use a convoy of blockers when he took an inside screen ten yards for the Jets first touchdown of the game. What Jones started, fellow running back Leon Washington finished as he rushed for two scores, his first being on a 61 yard breakaway play giving the Jets an insurmountable fourth quarter lead.

Defensively the Jets did what they have done all year, stop the run. They limited the Titans offense to less than 50 yards on the ground and were assisted by some Tennessee miscues that stalled drives. This stout defensive unit was on the field for less than 20 minutes as they were able to stay fresh and prevent any big play that could have gotten the Titans and their fans back in the game. It was not until the fourth quarter that New York allowed a touchdown as they limited Tennessee to their lowest point total of the year and handed them their first loss of the 2008 season.

Tennessee Titans - Kerry Collins and company struggled to move the ball, putting up only 13 points in their first loss of the season. The Titans signal caller racked up most of his yardage late in the game and was forced to throw 39 times in total, a number that usually is not part of the Titans smash mouth game plan.

The impressive streak that Tennessee was on this year was due in large part to their success running the football. They were unable to establish any sort of ground attack against the hungry Jets as they gained 45 yards total on eleven carries. Chris Johnson struggled to get anything going consistently as he carried only ten times in total and had a costly fumble early in the second half. Through the air was more of the same as no Titans receiver was able to make an impact or find the end zone. The lone Tennessee touchdown came when the game was out of reach as Collins hit Full Back Ahmard Hall out of the backfield for a six yard score.

Defensively, where Tennessee is so strong, there were struggles as well, as they gave up over 400 yards of total offense and were on the field for 40 minutes of football. They had no answer for New York's offense and could not be it's usual disruptive self, forcing only one punt on the day and allowing Favre and the AFC East leading Jets to move the ball and score at will in a hostile road environment.

What you ought to know

QB Brett Favre, Pass: 25 - 32 - 224 - 2 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0 - Favre did a good job of moving the chains and limiting the high risk throws. He was again a game manager completing all but seven of his passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns. He spread his 25 completions among eight different targets, completing no pass over 25 yards but assuring the Jets offense stayed on the field, successfully grinding out yardage and the clock. His interception came on what will be a highlight reel play as Cortland Finnegan made a spectacular bid for the ball, and coming up with his league leading fifth interception of the season. Both touchdown passes were of the shot variety as Favre connected from two and ten yards out respectively, helping New York pull off the upset.

RB Thomas Jones, Rush: 27 - 96 - 0, Rec: 3 - 21 - 1 (3 targets) - Jones was the workhorse, grinding out yards on all 27 of his carries. He recorded 30 touches, compiling 117 yards in total while adding a receiving touchdown in the effort. Jones was leaned on heavily by Mangini and the Jets and was able to find just enough against the stout defensive front of Tennessee. He clearly benefited from the effectiveness of Leon Washington in the backup role as he ran hard downhill with authority.

RB Leon Washington, Rush: 8 - 82 - 2, Rec: 1 - 2 - 0 (2 targets) - Washington was again used in a reserved role, and again made a huge impact with his limited touches. He turned nine touches into 84 yards and two deadly touchdowns as he provided the big play when the Jets needed it most. It was Washington who took a fourth quarter handoff and rolled 61 yards to the end zone, clinching the victory for New York.

WR Laveranues Coles, Rec: 7 - 88 - 1 (13 targets) - Coles saw a team high 13 targets, turning them into a team high seven receptions for 88 yards and a score. His touchdown came on a two yard pass from Brett Favre in the third quarter and capped off a solid day receiving. He benefited from the extra attention placed on fellow wide out Jerricho Cotchery and often ran free underneath, providing Favre a reliable outlet to keep the chains moving.

WR Jerricho Cotchery, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0, Rec: 6 - 55 - 0 (6 targets) - Cotchery saw double coverage most of the day and had to make the most of his opportunities as he brought in all six of his targets for 55 yards. With Cortland Finnegan blanketing him for most of the day, Cotchery found some troubles in getting open but was able to contribute when called upon, making the tough catch and fighting for the extra yard.

WR Brad Smith, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (1 targets) - Smith saw his only target good for an eight yard gain.

WR Chansi Stuckey, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (1 targets) - Stuckey saw only one look, which he hauled in for an eight yard gain

TE Dustin Keller, Rec: 6 - 42 - 0 (10 targets) - Keller had his third consecutive productive outing as he saw ten targets his way, catching six balls for 42 yards and again being used as a catalyst to move the chains and get first downs. Favre clearly looks his way early and often in his progressions, relying on him heavily when he needs a quick five to ten yards

PK Jay Feely 2 - 2 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 10 points - Feely connected on both of his short field goal attempts while adding four PATs.

NYJ Rush Defense - The Jets rush defense again had another big game as they bottled up the young tandem of Chris Johnson and LenDale White. The speedy rookie out of East Carolina found no room inside and was routinely stuffed when trying to break to the outside with his speed. The New York cornerbacks did a good job of recognizing the run and providing support, limiting the strength of the Tennessee Titans offense and giving up only 45 yards on the ground.

NYJ Pass Defense - The Jets defended the pass much better against Tennessee than they have in previous weeks, keeping wide receivers in front of them and preventing the big play downfield. Kerry Collins was forced to throw for four quarters and was only able to put up 243 yards and a score in the loosing effort. Getting to Collins for only one sack put the pressure squarely on the shoulders of the Jets secondary who delivered allowing no Tennessee receiver to gain more than 43 yards though the air. This was in large part thanks to the Jets ability to play tight coverage, limiting any chances for Titans receivers to run after the catch.

QB Kerry Collins, Pass: 21 - 39 - 243 - 1 TD / 0 INT - Collins was forced to again put the Titans on his shoulders and this time could not deliver. He was unable to move the ball downfield when he needed it most and received no help from his defense as Tennessee was dominated in time of possession. He managed to complete a little more than 50 percent of his passes as his lone touchdown came on a short throw where he was able to find his full back for a six yard score with the game out of reach.

RB Chris Johnson, Rush: 10 - 46 - 0, Rec: 3 - 15 - 0 (7 targets) - Johnson was the most involved Titans running back as he gained 61 total yards on 13 touches in the loss. He had no room to run in space and display the speed that makes him so dangerous, as New York clearly made shutting him down, priority number one. He provided Collins with another option in the passing game as caught three short passes for 15 yards. On Tennessee's first play from scrimmage in the second half Johnson broke off a nice 11 yard run, only to fumble and turn the ball right back over to the Jets, leading to an eight play scoring drive.

RB Quinton Ganther, Rec: 3 - 40 - 0 (3 targets) - Ganther came in on the last drive of the ball game and saw three targets. He made the most of those targets by catching all three for 40 yards. .

RB Ahmard Hall, Rec: 1 - 6 - 1 (1 targets) - Hall, the blocking fullback for Tennessee, saw a short target out of the backfield, which he caught for a six yard touchdown. It was the only touchdown of the game for the Tennessee Titans

RB LenDale White, Rush: 1 - -1 - 0 (1 targets) - LenDale White finished the game with only one rush and a target. Playing from behind for most of the game, Tennessee elected to go with the better threat out of the backfield in Chris Johnson. White finished the day with one rush for one yard and was a non-factor against a tough Jets rush defense.

WR Justin McCareins, Rec: 4 - 43 - 0 (6 targets) - McCareins caught four of his six targets for 43 yards as he led Tennessee in receiving against New York. Most of his damage was done after Tennessee had abandoned the run, recording only one catch in the first half for five yards and bringing in three second half targets for 38 yards.

WR Brandon Jones, Rec: 4 - 40 - 0 (8 targets) - Jones was the most targeted Titan as he saw eight looks come his way and managed to bring in half of them for 40 yards. He seemed to have the most success finding space against a quick Jets secondary and was able to make some nice grabs in what was a dismal performance for the Titans offense as a whole.

WR Justin Gage, Rec: 1 - 37 - 0 (5 targets) - Gage saw five targets come his way and was only able to bring in one ball for a big gain of 37 yards. It was Tennessee's longest gain from scrimmage, as well as Gage's only catch as there were few bright spots in the 19 minutes that the Titans offense had the ball.

TE Bo Scaife, Rec: 3 - 40 - 0 (7 targets) - Scaife saw seven balls come his way and was again a target for Collins, catching three balls for 40 yards. His involvement in the passing game has made Collins comfortable in the pocket as you can clearly see Collins look for Scaife when he needs to make something happen. Early in the second quarter, Scaife had an uncharacteristic drop on what would have been a third down conversion inside Jets territory.

TE Alge Crumpler, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) - Crumpler saw only two targets in limited action and was able to record one catch for eight yards.

PK Rob Bironas 2 - 2 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points - Bironas connected on both of his field goal attempts and converted his only PAT attempt.

TEN Rush Defense - The Titans rush defense had no answer for Thomas Jones or Leon Washington as they wore down this front on 35 carries. They allowed their largest rushing output of the season as they were gouged for just shy of 200 yards and two scores. Whether it was the power running of Jones or the shiftier running style of Washington, Tennessee and its' defense could not get off the field or keep the Jets out of the end zone.

TEN Pass Defense - The Titans pass defense struggled to stall Brett Favre and the New York offense, allowing them to mount long drives and move the ball into Titans territory with ease. Favre only threw seven balls incomplete and had success sustaining drives against the Tennessee cornerbacks as they allowed seven third down conversions. The lone bright spot came as Cortland Finnegan continued his dominant play, stealing a ball away from Laveranues Coles and staying in bounds to record his fifth interception of the season.

---

Green Bay Packers 29, New Orleans Saints 51

What you need to know

Green Bay Packers - The Green Bay Packers played well in the first half of the game, putting up 21 points. Unfortunately, something apparently got into the Saints' secondary at half time and Green Bay only managed one score in the second half and turned the ball over three times.

QB Aaron Rodgers threw three interceptions, including two to CB Jason David, and struggled with his accuracy throughout the game. Rodgers also missed WR Greg Jennings, who was wide open, for a sure touchdown early in the game. The young quarterback's seemed to make good decisions on where to go with the ball but he was just unable to accurately make the passes he needed in this game.

Rodgers relied heavily on WR Greg Jennings, who had an outstanding game receiving. WR Donald Driver was very quiet in the loss and WR Jordy Nelson and TE Donald Lee were also not very productive. WR Ruvell Martin scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion but did not have his number called until the fourth quarter.

The Packers defense was helpless against the Saints high powered offense. The Saints were seemingly able to score at will as they piled on the points. QB Drew Brees tossed four touchdowns and threw for over 300 yards in the win. The only turnover for the Packers' defense was on a ball thrown by Saints' WR Lance Moore. Moore was hit as he threw it and the ball hung up in the air until DB Aaron Rouse grabbed it.

New Orleans Saints - The New Orleans Saints seemed able to score at will against the Green Bay Packers. QB Drew Brees and RB Pierre Thomas led the charge as the Saints were able to end this game early with three unanswered third quarter touchdowns.

QB Drew Brees threw four touchdown passes in the victory including two for 70 yards. The Saints benefited from some good field position thanks to turnovers and solid kick returns and they took full advantage. Brees appeared to injure his leg in the first half and walked around gingerly for a few seconds before getting back into the huddle. He appeared fine for the rest of the game. QB Mark Brunell played the final minutes of this contest as the game was firmly in hand.

RB Pierre Thomas was the lead back for the Saints. RB Deuce McAllister was unable to get anything going but did manage to become the all-time touchdown leader for the Saints' franchise in the third quarter. RB Mike Bell saw action late in the game as the Saints tried to eat up clock and protect their key players from injury. RB Reggie Bush watched from the sidelines in street clothes.

WR Lance Moore scored twice and made a series of nice plays. He flew by the Packers' secondary on his first score and extended his entire body to break the plane with the football for his second score. WR Marques Colston was held without a catch until he hauled-in a 70 yard touchdown catch in the third quarter. Both TE Jeremy Shockey and TE Billy Miller were reliable targets for Brees and Miller scored a touchdown after blowing by LB A.J. Hawk in coverage.

The Saints defense played inspired football in week 12. After the Packers were able to match the Saints score for score in the first half, New Orleans pulled in three interceptions in the second half and appeared to know where QB Aaron Rodgers was going with the ball on every play. CB Jason David and CB Randall Gay played well and DB Roman Harper laid a vicious hit on WR Greg Jennings in the second half that was originally flagged as a dangerous hit but the referees conferred and called back the penalty.

What you ought to know

QB Aaron Rodgers, Pass: 23 - 41 - 248 - 2 TD / 3 INT, Rush: 8 - 36 - 1 - QB Aaron Rodgers managed a strong first half performance but struggled against a suddenly inspired Saints' defense in the second half. Rodgers threw three interceptions in the final two quarters and only put together a single scoring drive as the Saints piled on the points.

At times, Rodgers was quick to leave the pocket and run. He missed a wide-open WR Greg Jennings the first quarter on what would have been an easy score. He was often inaccurate throughout the game but demonstrated a lot of arm strength by putting a lot of zip on the ball.

Rodgers' third pick was late in the game on a desperate fourth down pass after the game was far out of reach for Green Bay.

RB Ryan Grant, Rush: 18 - 67 - 0, Rec: 3 - 19 - 0 (3 targets) - RB Ryan Grant was relatively quiet in the loss. He was the featured back but the team was forced to abandon the run in the second half as the Saints jumped out to a large lead. He looked strong in spots and was clearly the featured back for Green Bay.

RB Brandon Jackson, Rush: 2 - 5 - 0, Rec: 1 - 13 - 0 (1 targets) - RB Brandon Jackson was seldom used by the Packers and did not see the field much.

WR Greg Jennings, Rec: 8 - 101 - 1 (15 targets) - WR Greg Jennings had a strong game in the defeat. He ran his routes well and was targeted by QB Aaron Rodgers frequently. Rodgers missed Jennings for a sure touchdown in the first quarter but repeatedly went back to the dependable young receiver. Jennings took a big hit in the fourth quarter from Saints' DB Roman Harper but miraculously managed to hang onto the football.

Jennings was the target of Rodgers' first interception. He had fallen during the play but it likely did not matter as CB Jason David read the pass well and jumped the route.

WR Donald Driver, Rec: 4 - 43 - 0 (8 targets) - WR Donald Driver was targeted regularly by QB Aaron Rodgers but the tandem was not able to connect with any consistency. Rodgers was a bit inaccurate during the game and had trouble hitting his targets.

WR Jordy Nelson, Rec: 3 - 21 - 0 (6 targets) - WR Jordy Nelson was the target on QB Aaron Rodgers' second interception. Nelson appeared to stop instead of finishing the route.

WR Ruvell Martin, Rec: 2 - 14 - 1 (5 targets) - WR Ruvell Martin was not targeted until the fourth quarter but was involved in the Packer's final score and also caught a two point conversion from QB Aaron Rodgers.

TE Donald Lee, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) - TE Donald Lee only managed one catch in the loss. Even after the team fell behind big, he was not targeted regularly by QB Aaron Rodgers.

PK Mason Crosby 0 - 0 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 3 points - PK Mason Crosby did not attempt field goals and was perfect on extra point attempts in the loss.

GB Rush Defense - The Packers were able to limit the production of RB Deuce McAllister and RB Mike Bell from the Saints but RB Pierre Thomas ran well against them.

GB Pass Defense - The Packers were exploited by QB Drew Brees and the Saints' passing game. They let up two passing touchdowns of 70 yards and were basically unable to stop the Saints offense. DE Aaron Kampman was able to get consistent pressure on Brees and spent a lot of time in the backfield but was unable to get a sack. As a team, the Packers only brought Brees to the ground once. The only turnover was an interception by DB Aaron Rouse on WR Lance Moore's lone pass.

QB Drew Brees, Pass: 20 - 26 - 323 - 4 TD / 0 INT - QB Drew Brees was nearly flawless against the Green Bay Packers. He connected on two passing scores of 70 yards and hit WR Lance Moore for two scores on the way to a resounding victory. Brees and the Saints eased up offensively in the fourth quarter but the damage was already done.

Brees led the team on a series of impressive scoring drives by mixing up long and short passes. He exploited mismatches when possible and seemed to be in control of the game from the start. After falling to the ground in the first half, Brees limped around for a few seconds but stayed on the field and appeared fine for the rest of the game.

RB Pierre Thomas, Rush: 15 - 87 - 2, Rec: 3 - 34 - 0 (5 targets) - RB Pierre Thomas was easily the best running back for the Saints in week 12. He ran well and made the right cuts when necessary. He was hardly touched on his 31 yard scamper into the end zone in the fourth quarter and put in a determined effort to convert the fourth and one situation on the play that helped set up the score.

Thomas was also effective running with the ball after catching it.

RB Deuce McAllister, Rush: 5 - 5 - 1, Rec: 1 - 2 - 0 (1 targets) - RB Deuce McAllister was not effective running the ball for the Saints. He did not appear to have much power or elusiveness. His touchdown score was from three yards out and made him the all-time touchdown leader for the franchise. McAllister failed to convert a two point conversion on the final score of the day.

RB Mike Bell, Rush: 6 - 6 - 0 - RB Mike Bell only saw action late in the fourth quarter when the game was already well out of reach.

WR Lance Moore, Pass: 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rec: 5 - 115 - 2 (8 targets) - WR Lance Moore was the Saints' most reliable and explosive receiver in week 12. Moore made an outstanding effort on both touchdown scores in order to get into the end zone. On the first score, he wheeled around DB Atari Bigby and sprinted toward the end zone after making the catch. On the second touchdown, QB Drew Brees hit him over the middle and Moore extended his body completely to break the plane with the ball as he fell to the ground.

On another play, Moore showed great awareness and realized he had not been touched down by the defender and scampered for a few extra yards.

Moore also threw an interception on an attempted double pass play. He was hit hard as he let the ball go and it floated in the air into the defenders' arms.

WR Devery Henderson, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (2 targets) - WR Devery Henderson was quiet despite the gaudy numbers put up by the Saints as a team. He only reeled in a single catch.

WR Marques Colston, Rec: 1 - 70 - 1 (1 targets) - WR Marques Colston only had one reception in the game but he made it count as it was a 70 yard touchdown late in the third quarter.

TE Jeremy Shockey, Rec: 5 - 57 - 0 (5 targets) - TE Jeremy Shockey provided a big and reliable target over the middle for QB Drew Brees. Shockey did not appear to show any signs of a lingering injury.

TE Billy Miller, Rec: 4 - 36 - 1 (5 targets) - TE Billy Miller ran well with the ball after the catch, fighting for any extra yardage he could get. He was hit by QB Drew Brees in the end zone for a score after he had beat LB A.J. Hawk in coverage over the middle of the field.

PK Garrett Hartley 1 - 1 FG, 6 - 6 XP, 9 points - PK Garrett Hartley did not miss any field goals or extra points. The team elected to go for two points on their final score and failed the attempt.

NO Rush Defense - The Saints' rush defense was only tested in the first half but they held RB Ryan Grant in check. The Packers were forced to abandon the run early in the second half.

NO Pass Defense - The maligned New Orleans Saints' secondary played inspired football in week 12.

In the second half, they picked off QB Aaron Rodgers three times including two by CB Jason David. The defensive backs seemed to know what was coming as they consistently jumped routes and batted balls away from the Packer's receivers. They also managed pretty solid pressure on Rodgers and forced him to scramble on numerous occasions.

---

Buffalo Bills 54, Kansas City Chiefs 31

What you need to know

Buffalo Bills - There was nothing wrong with the Buffalo Bills that a trip to Kansas City couldn't cure. They scored the most points since Jack Kemp played quarterback, while the defense recorded three sacks and five turnovers. The Bills started five scoring drives in Kansas City territory.

While Edwards started out a little shaky it didn't take him long to settle down. He was able to roll out to escape pressure or scramble away from the Kansas City pass rush as he completed 24 of 32 for 273 yards. He threw for two touchdowns and also scrambled six times for 38 yards and two more scores.

Marshawn Lynch averaged four yards a carry and punched in Buffalo's first TD on fourth goal from the one yard line. Fred Jackson averaged over six yards a carry, and on their first touchdown drive, Lynch and Jackson were the only Buffalo players to handle the ball. Lee Evans caught five passes for 110 yards but could not find the end zone. He seemed to benefit from the return of Josh Reed who missed the last three games with an ankle injury. Reed also caught five passes, including a touchdown, while backup TE Derek Schouman caught his first NFL TD. All three tight ends were involved in the passing attack, but Buffalo ran the ball to set up the pass and controlled the clock for over 35 minutes.

Kansas City tested rookie CB Leodis McKelvin but he intercepted two passes. In the second quarter he jumped Mark Bradley's slant route, intercepted the pass, and returned it 63 yards for a TD. It was a good pass, Bradley ran a good route, but McKelvin made a better play.

Kansas City Chiefs - The 54 points that Buffalo scored were the most ever surrendered by a Kansas City team. Their 1-20 record dating back to the middle of last season is the worst 21 game stretch in franchise history. While their offense has recently been able to move the ball and score some points, their defense is just plain bad. Teams that score 31 points should not lose by 23. Their tackling is atrocious and the Chiefs have only registered six sacks all season.

Tyler Thigpen completed 17 of 31 for 240 yards for three touchdowns and scrambled for another 29 yards on three carries. He also lost one fumble on a play where a Buffalo player did not even touch him. Tony Gonzalez was targeted all afternoon and caught 10 passes for 113 yards and one touchdown. He kept getting open and Thigpen was happy to keep throwing him the ball. Dwayne Bowe caught three passes for 58 yards, including a TD late in the fourth quarter, but dropped another and now trails only Braylon Edwards for most drops in the NFL this season.

Larry Johnson gained 81 yards on seven carries, although 63 came on one run early in the game. He was tackled at the three which set up the Gonzalez TD. Another 26 yard run was called back on a holding penalty, but Buffalo clamped down on him after his early success. In the third quarter he lost three yards on third and one forcing KC to punt.

In the five games since Thigpen has taken over as the starter he has thrown 11 touchdowns and averaged more than 240 yards a game.

What you ought to know

QB Trent Edwards, Pass: 24 - 32 - 273 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 6 - 38 - 2 - If you happened to play Edwards you struck fantasy gold. He accounted for four Buffalo touchdowns while posting a QB rating of 121. He also exhibited leadership, which the team seemed to be lacking in their four straight losses leading up to this game. With the Bills out of timeouts at the end of the first half, Edwards was flushed out of the pocket and scrambled toward the end zone. He took on three KC defenders inside the five yard line and dove into the end zone with :04 left. If he had been tackled short the half would have ended. He also ran for a second touchdown from five yards out and threw second half touchdown passes to Josh Reed and TE Derek Schouman.

Edwards was a little shaky at the start of the game. He dumped the ball short when receivers appeared to be open further downfield and overthrew a wide open Robert Royal on their first drive of the game. As the game wore on, however, he began to settle down. After he hit Lee Evans on a deep 51 yard post in the second quarter he seemed to play with more confidence. Maybe it finally dawned on him that he was playing against the Kansas City Chiefs.

QB J.P. Losman, Rush: 3 - -2 - 0 - Losman performed mop up duty late in the game with Bills comfortably ahead.

RB Marshawn Lynch, Rush: 20 - 79 - 1, Rec: 5 - 25 - 0 (5 targets) - Lynch tied the score in the first quarter when he punched in a tough TD on fourth and goal. Four of his targets came in the first half as Edwards initially shied away from throwing downfield in favor dump off passes. Lynch ran hard and was able to break the initial tackle more than once and dragged tacklers down the field all afternoon. He was still in the lineup late in the fourth quarter.

RB Fred Jackson, Rush: 9 - 56 - 0, Rec: 2 - 20 - 0 (2 targets) - Jackson averaged just under six yards per carry and caught two passes for 14 yards. He continues to be a valuable member of this offense. He is the primary ball carrier in about one third of the Bills' running plays and is a solid receiver out of the backfield.

WR Lee Evans, Rec: 5 - 110 - 0 (8 targets) - After catching six passes for 63 yards in his last three games, Evans led the Bill with five receptions for 110 yards. His 51 yard grab in the second quarter seemed to energize the team and Edwards started to look for him again. Having Josh Reed back in the lineup was a plus.

WR Josh Reed, Rec: 5 - 50 - 1 (6 targets) - The Bills were happy to get their sure handed receiver back. Reed drew some attention away from Lee Evans as he caught five passes for 50 yards including an eight yard TD in the third quarter. No other receiver could step in and replace him while he was sidelined.

WR Roscoe Parrish (1 targets) - In the fourth quarter, Parrish had a first down catch knocked out of his hands on a jarring hit. Kansas City special teams schemed to prevent him from being able to return punts for any significant yardage.

TE Robert Royal, Rec: 3 - 29 - 0 (4 targets) - On third and goal from the one yard line on the Bills' first drive, Royal was wide open in the end zone but Edwards badly over threw him. Lynch scored on the next play, and Royal went on to catch three passes for 29 yards. A first down catch in the second quarter was negated by penalty.

TE Derek Schouman, Rec: 3 - 25 - 1 (3 targets) - Part of the Bills' two tight end formation, Schouman has decent hands. He caught a 17 yard TD pass in the fourth quarter to round out their scoring for the afternoon.

TE Derek Fine, Rec: 1 - 14 - 0 (1 targets) - The reserve tight end caught his only target in the third quarter for 14 yards. While primarily a backup to both Royal and Schouman, Fine has played enough to earn a varsity letter.

PK Rian Lindell 4 - 4 FG, 6 - 6 XP, 18 points - Lindell was perfect from 21, 39, 34, and 38 yards and was perfect on all extra points.

BUF Rush Defense - Larry Johnson was held under 100 yards but he only carried seven times. Statistically, KC looked like it ran the ball very well, gaining 159 on 13 carries, but Thigpen gained 29 yards on three tries and Quinn Gray added 27 yards on one scramble at the end of the game as time expired.

BUF Pass Defense - Kansas City tested rookie CB Leodis McKelvin early on but he intercepted two passes, returning one 63 yards for a touchdown. The Bills sacked Thigpen three times, although Kansas City threw for just over 300 yards and four touchdowns. Quinn Gray took over in the fourth quarter and tried to impress his coaches.

QB Tyler Thigpen, Pass: 17 - 31 - 240 - 3 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 3 - 29 - 0 - Thigpen has tremendous mobility which creates many problems for defenses. Not only can he roll away from pressure and throw on the run but he can tuck the ball and become a running back. He gained 29 yards on just three carries, but he also completed 17 of 31 for 240 yards and three touchdowns. Rookie CB Leodis McKelvin picked him off twice and returned one for a TD. Thigpen also fumbled the ball without getting hit which Buffalo recovered. If your league doesn't penalize for turnovers Tyler Thigpen had a very good game. If you count the fumble and the two interceptions, not so much.

Thigpen is making a bid to become the Kansas City starter next year in the new spread offense. With two tight end sets and three receiver formations, the idea is to keep defenses off balance. In his first five games as a starter, he has thrown 11 touchdowns and averaged over 240 passing yards per game.

QB Quinn Gray, Pass: 7 - 8 - 76 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 27 - 0 - Gray got into the game in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach. He played in two series and responded by completing seven of eight for 76 yards and one late touchdown pass to Dwayne Bowe.

RB Larry Johnson, Rush: 7 - 81 - 0, Rec: 2 - 24 - 0 (3 targets) - Johnson found room to run against the Buffalo defense. He just lacked opportunity. He set up the second Kansas City touchdown on a 63 yard run to the Buffalo three yard line. He averaged 11.6 yards on each of his seven carries, and had another 26 yard gain called back on a holding penalty. But as Kansas City fell farther and farther behind the yards were harder to come by.

RB Jamaal Charles, Rush: 2 - 22 - 0, Rec: 3 - 45 - 1 (4 targets) - Jamaal Charles carried twice for 22 yards but lost a fumble in the second quarter at the KC 28 yard line. The turnover led to a Buffalo field goal. He also caught three balls for 45 yards, including the first Kansas City touchdown on a 36 yard pass.

RB Mike Cox, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (2 targets) - Cox managed to catch one pass in the third quarter for five yards.

WR Dwayne Bowe, Rec: 3 - 58 - 1 (6 targets) - The initial KC strategy involved more passes being thrown to whoever rookie DB Leodis McKelvin happened to be covering. Luckily, if you had Bowe in your lineup, garbage points count just as much as the other kind, because his TD catch came with about two minutes left in the game and the Chiefs hopelessly behind.

Bowe now has 128 receptions for 1,719 yards and 11 TDs in the first 28 games of his NFL career. Calvin Johnson, the second player taken in the 2007 draft, is a distant second to that total among receivers in the '07 draft class.

WR Devard Darling, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (2 targets) - After Mark Bradley left the game Darling saw action in the fourth quarter and the journeyman caught both targets for 14 yards.

WR Mark Bradley, Rec: 2 - 52 - 1 (4 targets) - Bradley has been a hot waiver wire acquisition lately, and his 45 yard TD catch in the third quarter showed that he has the ability to become a legitimate number two receiver to Dwayne Bowe.

Bradley had been limited during the week with a calf injury which eventually sidelined in the third quarter. The extent of injury was not immediately known. The Chiefs acquired Bradley on Oct. 1 as a free agent after his release from Chicago.

WR Will Franklin, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (2 targets) - Will Franklin is a promising rookie who has yet to become the No. 3 receiver some people thought he might be coming out of training camp. He caught one pass for five yards but the other target was poorly thrown and intercepted. After Bradley left the game in the third quarter Franklin did not move up the depth chart and was only targeted once more.

TE Tony Gonzalez, Rec: 10 - 113 - 1 (13 targets) - The Bills did a poor job covering one of the best tight ends in NFL history, and he caught three passes on their first touchdown drive of the game. He was usually wide open, too, like on his two yard TD catch in the second quarter. He was the one player Buffalo could not defend, but even when they managed to surround him with three defenders he still caught the ball. Gonzalez' ten receptions moved him pass Keenan McCardell for ninth place on the NFL's career receptions chart.

TE Brad Cottam - While he did not make the stat sheet, rookie Brad Cottam continues to get playing time when Kansas City uses two tight ends with two wide outs. With Gonzalez getting open throughout the game, Cottam never became an option.

PK Connor Barth 1 - 1 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 7 points - Barth was good on a 45 yard field goal and perfect on all four extra points.

KC Rush Defense - Bad tackling. While neither Lynch or Jackson gained more than 100 yards, the Bills managed to rush for 171 yards and a 4.5 yard average. Lynch ran for one TD and Edwards scrambled for two more. They also picked up 13 first downs on the ground and controlled the clock for over 35 minutes.

KC Pass Defense - So far this season, the Chiefs have only managed to register six quarterback sacks. While they were unable to sack Edwards, they did flush him out of the pocket and through the hands of their rush defense.

---

Minnesota Vikings 30, Jacksonville Jaguars 12

What you need to know

Minnesota Vikings - RB Adrian Peterson did not start the game and didn't play the first two series. It was reported that he was suffering from a chest cold, though head coach Brad Childress later revealed to FOX that he was simply trying to mix it up a bit. Later on Sirius radio, the talk was that Peterson had been late to a meeting this week and that's why he didn't start. During the first series, backup Chester Taylor scored a touchdown. Peterson came in on the third series and played as he typically would the rest of the way, capping his afternoon with a late fourth quarter score.

QB Gus Frerotte was carried to a victory by his running game and the Minnesota defense. Frerotte did not play well, missing wide open receivers regularly and failing to make many plays down the field.

The Minnesota defense swamped Jacksonville's offense pretty much the entire game. The Jaguars had just 35 yards on the ground, and they weren't very effective when forced into becoming a one-dimensional passing offense.

Jacksonville Jaguars - David Garrard set career highs with 45 pass attempts and 317 passing yards, but those large numbers still didn't result in a very good fantasy game (through little fault of his own). He found the end zone only once and threw two fourth quarter interceptions. On the bright side, he was given time by his offensive line for much of the afternoon.

RB Maurice Jones-Drew had an excellent game, despite being almost completely shut out on the ground. While had had just four rushing yards on three carries, he picked up 113 through the air on nine receptions.

David Garrard's offensive teammates really let him down. TE Marcedes Lewis dropped a sure touchdown, and WR Mike Walker had a ball go off his hands near the end zone for an interception. There were two other drops in the game, and numerous holding penalties that brought back big gains.

What you ought to know

QB Gus Frerotte, Pass: 12 - 20 - 120 - 0 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 5 - 2 - 0 - Despite a comfortable victory, Frerotte did not play very well. He didn't get a ton of time by his offensive line to look downfield, but even when he did have time his passes lacked crispness and accuracy. He consistently missed wide open receivers, including Adrian Peterson for what could've been a very big gain in the flat. It was difficult to tell who the target was on his interception, since the ball appeared to be nowhere near a Viking receiver.

In the third quarter, Minnesota got near the goal line on first down on one possession in particular, but Frerotte took an awful sack on the very next play that resulted in a ten yard loss. They eventually kicked a field goal on the drive. Even the biggest pass play of the day was almost a disaster. His 40 yard completion downfield to TE Visanthe Shiancoe was tipped about halfway there and nearly intercepted. At one point, Frerotte was shaken up so hard that he had to leave the game. His absence lasted only one play, however, and he returned to action without incident the rest of the way.

QB Tarvaris Jackson - Jackson replaced the injured Gus Frerotte for one play, handing the ball off to WR Bernard Berrian.

RB Adrian Peterson, Rush: 17 - 80 - 1 (1 targets) - Peterson did not start the game, giving way to backup Chester Taylor. It was initially reported that Peterson was suffering from a chest cold. Later, FOX reported that Brad Childress said he simply wanted to mix things up with the starting lineup. Later on Sirius radio, the talk was that Peterson had been late to a meeting this week and that's why he didn't start. Whatever the reason, Peterson did not take part in the first two series of the game. On one of those series, Taylor scored a three yard touchdown -- a situation that Peterson would normally find himself in. Peterson came in for the third series and took his first handoff for a 21 yard gain up the left side. It appeared he was set up for a big afternoon, but that was his longest run of the game. Not only that, it was his last significant gain of any kind for quite awhile. Finally, a fourth quarter handoff resulted in a 16 yard touchdown for him. The fullback and offensive line opened a massive hole for him, and he waltzed into the end zone untouched off the left side. Late in the game when Minnesota was trying to run out the clock, Taylor was the player Minnesota opted to give the carries to.

RB Chester Taylor, Rush: 9 - 25 - 1, Rec: 2 - 12 - 0 (3 targets) - Taylor's statistics look modest enough, but he actually turned in some of the most critical plays of the afternoon. With Adrian Peterson surprisingly on the bench to start the game, Taylor took a handoff in for a three yard touchdown. He made a great spin and cutback to avoid oncoming tacklers, and went in for the score almost untouched. In the fourth quarter, Minnesota faced a third down and fourteen. Taylor took the ensuing handoff right up the middle for a huge 18 yard pickup. Later that same drive, Minnesota was at third and seven when Frerotte found Taylor for a 10 yard pass play. That drive resulted in the Adrian Peterson score to put Minnesota up 30-10. With the Vikings controlling the ball and trying to run out the clock at the end, it was Taylor and not Peterson who was given the carries.

WR Bernard Berrian, Rush: 2 - 22 - 0, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (3 targets) - Berrian was targeted once on a deep ball and once in the end zone, but neither of them resulted in a reception. The only catch he had was a six yard grab in the first half. The team did try to get him involved in other ways, giving him two rushing attempts on reverses. The first reverse resulted in a 14 yard run to the three yard line (Chester Taylor scored on the next play). The second one followed an injury to Gus Frerotte and happened with Tarvaris Jackson under center. That one went for a four yard pickup.

WR Sidney Rice, Rec: 3 - 27 - 0 (5 targets) - Rice turned in a quiet performance, but he did show some very nice hands on a third down sideline reception early in the fourth quarter. He had been wide open on the previous play as well, but the pass from Gus Frerotte was badly underthrown.

TE Visanthe Shiancoe, Rec: 3 - 60 - 0 (3 targets) - Shiancoe didn't see a lot of action, but he made it count. All of his work came in the second half, with his big play also being the game's longest play from scrimmage. Gus Frerotte rolled out off a play-action fake and found Shiancoe down the seam for a 40 yard gain. The ball was actually tipped halfway to Shiancoe, but he maintained concentration and managed to hang on and pick up good yardage after the catch.

PK Ryan Longwell 3 - 3 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 12 points - Longwell ripped a 54 yard field goal, putting him at 4-4 on field goals from fifty yards or more in 2008. He later went on to boot a couple of chip shots from 32 and 22 yards away.

MIN Rush Defense - The Vikings were up 14-0 before two minutes had even run off the clock, so the Jaguars had a tough time establishing a rushing attack early on. And when they tried to pass, they found some success doing it so they never did really get back to the run game. For the afternoon, Jacksonville only picked up 35 yards on the ground on 14 carries.

MIN Pass Defense - The flow of the game absolutely took the Jacksonville rushing offense out of the game, forcing the Jaguars to take to the air very early on. The end result (317 passing yards for David Garrard) looks like a lot, but it wasn't bad considering it took 45 passes to accumulate that much yardage. They did have some trouble applying pressure to David Garrard, something of a surprise considering the state of the Jacksonville offensive line so far this season. But they did make up for it by playing a very opportunistic fourth quarter. Garrard had protected the football very well for three quarters, not even coming close to an interception. But late in the fourth quarter, the Vikings picked him off twice -- the first one coming off a deflection -- that essentially ended any chance of the Jaguars getting back in the game.

Minnesota was handed a gift touchdown on the first play from scrimmage when center Brad Meester fumbled the snap. It was quickly scooped up by LB Napoleon Harris, who took it the rest of the way for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

QB David Garrard, Pass: 27 - 45 - 317 - 1 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 5 - 11 - 0 - Garrard's final stat line is not going to do justice to the way he played in the game. He was the victim of a lot of bad luck, starting with the opening snap of the game. Center Brad Meester thought Garrard was under center (he was in shotgun) and the ball was fumbled, where it was picked up by LB Napoleon Harris for an easy touchdown. On the ensuing kickoff, there was another fumble that gave the ball to the Vikings in prime scoring territory. Before Garrard had even touched the ball, his team trailed 14-0. He did lead his team on a scoring drive at the end of the first quarter, capped by an easy strike to WR Reggie Williams. On Jacksonville's next possession, Garrard appeared to have thrown a second touchdown pass, this time to TE Marcedes Lewis. But Lewis couldn't hang onto the perfectly thrown ball and it fell incomplete.

For most of the game, he was given ample time to throw the football. He had a lot of time in the pocket, and the offensive line was doing a solid job against a tough defensive line. In fact, the second sack of Garrard was a case of him holding the ball too long, not anything the line did wrong. And on the rare occasion that he was flushed from the pocket, he did a nice job of eluding the pass rush. On one such play, he scrambled out to his right and found Lewis downfield for a big gain. It was a terrific individual effort, but unfortunately for Garrard not all of his linemen were playing within the rules. T Tony Pashos was whistled for his fourth holding penalty of the game, negating the big connection.

RB Maurice Jones-Drew, Rush: 3 - 4 - 0, Rec: 9 - 113 - 0 (11 targets) - Despite getting nothing in the run game, Jones-Drew still turned in a very good performance. That's because he caught nine passes out of the backfield for 113 yards. He caught mostly screens and swing passes, though he did go down the field on at least one occasion to haul in a great leaping catch in traffic. Early in the fourth quarter, he was shaken up after being tackled awkwardly. It appeared that his ankle was twisted under him and he was in considerable pain as he limped off the field. But on Jacksonville's next offensive possession, he was back in the backfield, catching three more passes, and looking no worse for wear. We'll keep you updated on his condition throughout the week.

RB Fred Taylor, Rush: 6 - 20 - 0, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (2 targets) - Taylor was very quiet, as the Jaguars got behind early and needed to go to the air to get back into the game. Taylor saw just two passes head in his direction, and he dropped one of them. With Maurice Jones-Drew the far superior receiver out of the backfield, it wasn't a good situation for Taylor to put up big point totals. Jones-Drew briefly left the game with an apparent ankle injury early in the fourth quarter, but returned the following series. He didn't look to be in any pain after returning, but ankle injuries can flare up later in the day or even the day after. We'll keep you updated on how he's feeling this week, which could impact Taylor's workload next week.

WR Matt Jones, Rec: 4 - 37 - 0 (8 targets) - Jones was a regular part of the offense, but wasn't able to get much separation. He caught just a single pass in the second half despite Jacksonville throwing the ball twenty times. And on that play, he fumbled. He did get open over the middle on a slant pattern, but Garrard threw the ball a bit behind him and he was unable to bring the pass in.

WR Dennis Northcutt, Rec: 3 - 33 - 0 (4 targets) - Northcutt caught just three passes, all in the first half. He added a fourth pass later in the half for a gain of four yards, but the play was negated due to a holding penalty.

WR Reggie Williams, Rec: 3 - 44 - 1 (6 targets) - Williams' afternoon greatly resembled his 2007 season. He caught just three balls for 44 yards, but one of them went for a score. The touchdown was a quick slant off the line of scrimmage and went for a relatively simple eight yard score. He also had a drop later in the first half.

WR Jerry Porter, Rec: 1 - 14 - 0 (5 targets) - Porter caught a 14 yard pass on Jacksonville's third possession. It was his last catch of the afternoon. He had a short pass negated by a penalty and was also targeted near the end zone (an uncatchable pass), but was very quiet aside from that. He was thrown to just once in the entire second half.

WR Mike Walker (3 targets) - Walker was thrown to only three times, all of them coming late in the fourth quarter. The first one was a quick slant from the nine yard line and Garrard put the ball right on the money at the three, but Walker let the pass bounce off his hands and into the waiting hands of Bennie Sapp. Walker later caught a 15 yard pass, but it was called back after a holding penalty. His final target was the other interception thrown by Garrard, on a deep ball downfield that was well-covered.

TE Marcedes Lewis, Rec: 4 - 41 - 0 (6 targets) - Lewis missed a golden opportunity for a nice fantasy game when he dropped what would have been a sure three yard touchdown right at the goal line. He also lost an 18 yard reception early in the fourth quarter when the play was negated by a holding penalty. As it stands, he had a solid game but he was inches away from what could have been a big-time performance.

PK Josh Scobee 1 - 3 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - It was not a banner day for the Jacksonville kicker. Scobee, who entered the game with just two missed field goals all season, cost his team dearly with two missed field goals in this game alone. The first one was barely hooked to the left from 46 yards out. The second was inexcusable, as it was hooked even worse from just 38 yards out. He also kicked an onside attempt too softly and booted the ensuing kickoff out of bounds for a penalty.

JAX Rush Defense - For most of the game, Jacksonville did a very effective job containing the duo of Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor. They did allow an early rushing score to Taylor, but that was more the fault of the special teams putting them in bad field position. Through three quarters, the Jaguars had allowed 83 yards and one score on the ground. But during one possession early in the fourth quarter, the run defense really let the team down. Facing a third down and 14, Chester Taylor took a draw up the middle for 18 yards. At that point, the Jaguars were down thirteen points and still had enough time to get back tin the game. But that conversion, followed by a 16 yard touchdown run by Adrian Peterson four plays later, delivered the knockout punches.

LB Brian Iwuh appeared to have jammed his neck in the first quarter while trying to make a tackle on WR Sidney Rice. No update was given on his condition.

JAX Pass Defense - The Jacksonville defense knocked Gus Frerotte around all game long, even knocking him out of the game at one point. He left for just one play, but it was an example of just how hard he was being hit. Frerotte never looked comfortable in the pocket, and never really took many shots down the field. In fact, the biggest play of the game for Minnesota's passing offense didn't even go as planned. The ball was tipped down the field, but still fell into the waiting arms of TE Visanthe Shiancoe. The play resulted in a 41 yard gain. Down the field, the Jaguars defensive backs didn't allow the Vikings receivers to gain separation, evidenced by the fact that the Vikings only attempted one deep pass to a wide receiver all game long (and it was incomplete). They only long pass they did complete down the field was to Jacksonville for an interception.

---

Carolina Panthers 28, Atlanta Falcons 45

What you need to know

Carolina Panthers - The Panthers struggled to get things going early, falling behind 17-0 by the beginning of the second quarter, and never was able to keep up while on the road versus the division foe. DeAngelo Williams finished the day over the century mark with 101 yards and a touchdown on nineteen carries, though only 25 of those yards came in the first half. Fellow back Jonathan Stewart saw only five touches on the ground in this game which they trailed from start to finish, and as result only netted fifteen yards. Jake Delhomme had two official carries for eighteen yards, one which he took for a touchdown from twelve yards out.

Jake Delhomme's numbers were padded by a couple of late drives in which Atlanta had settled into a prevent defense, allowing Delhomme to muster 295 yards and a touchdown on 21 of 35 passing. Steve Smith was the primary beneficiary, hauling in eight passes for 168 yards, though shut out of the end zone on a day which could have been much bigger for him. Muhsin Muhammed added a late touchdown to go with his four catches for 40 yards, but also was headed for a much bigger day if his timing with Delhomme had been better. Delhomme used his tight ends a fair amount in this game, getting Dante Rosario (three catches, 43 yards) and Jeff King (two catches for ten yards) both involved. DeAngelo Williams contributed out of the backfield with two catches for nineteen yards, while Dwayne Jarrett was given his share of opportunities and converted for fifteen yards on two catches.

Atlanta Falcons - The Falcons dominated in every phase of the game in this game played at home, with Michael Turner steamrolling the Panthers defense to a four touchdown performance. In addition to his four touchdowns, Turner added 117 yards on 24 carries. Jerious Norwood had a quiet afternoon, likely still recovering from a rib injury, and had just 11 yards on four carries. The absence of Norwood allowed the Falcons to get Harry Douglas, a rookie third round wide receiver out of Louisville involved as the explosive piece of their offense and special teams against the Panthers. Douglas scored via an end around to the right side on a seven yard scamper, and later scored untouched on a 61 yard punt return. Douglas finished with three yards on two carries.

In addition to his contributions in the Falcons rushing and return game, Harry Douglas also led the team in receiving yards with 92 on four catches, the majority coming on a 69 yard completion with most of those yards coming after the catch following a nice spin move to elude his defender. Roddy White and Michael Jenkins both caught four balls as well, going for 70 and 48 yards respectively. The remainder of the team caught five balls, with those catches being spread around to fullback Justin Snelling (two catches, 31 yards), receiver Brian Finneran (one reception, nine yards), running back Jerious Norwood (one catch, five yards) and receiver Eric Weems (one reception, four yards).

Quarterback Matt Ryan played a solid, though unspectacular game in which the Falcons put up 45 points, as he was kept out of the end zone. Ryan completed 17 of 27 passes for 259 yards, and added two yards on three official carries.

What you ought to know

QB Jake Delhomme, Pass: 21 - 35 - 295 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 18 - 1 - Delhomme struggled to develop a rhythm until late in the game when the Falcons changed their defense. It was only then that his timing seemed to be in sync, as he led fourth quarter touchdown drives from 83 and 67 yards out, capped off by a twelve yard scamper for a touchdown and a sixteen yard connection for a touchdown to Muhsin Muhammed. Delhomme's timing had been off with Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammed all afternoon, seemingly throwing just behind his receivers on most missed passes or failing to put enough on the ball to let his receivers run under the ball. Delhomme complained of elbow soreness in the post game press conference, which should be monitored based upon his return from Tommy John elbow surgery last year.

RB DeAngelo Williams, Rush: 19 - 101 - 1, Rec: 2 - 19 - 0 (4 targets) - While Williams finished with 101 yards and averaged over five yards per carry, it should be noted that just 25 yards of those came in the first quarter, and 24 more came in the final minute after which both teams had conceded the Falcons seventeen point victory. That said, Williams looked very good making tacklers miss as he made his way past would be tacklers on his five yard touchdown run over right tackle as well as his straight forward plunge into the end zone on a later two point conversion. Williams' longest run of the day was for 21 yards midway through the third quarter.

RB Jonathan Stewart, Rush: 5 - 15 - 0 - Stewart never got rolling in this game, and averaged just three yards per touch. The score of the game likely played a bigger factor in this than anything, as Carolina was playing catch up all game long, a scheme better suited for DeAngelo Williams. Stewart was stuffed from a yard out on a 1st and goal in the second quarter in a chance to bring the score to 17-7, a drive on which the Panthers had to settle for a field goal.

WR Steve Smith, Rec: 8 - 168 - 0 (13 targets) - Smith's overall numbers look good as he averaged twenty-one yards per catch on the afternoon, but could have been much bigger. Smith was not targeted until the second quarter of the game, and saw passes underthrown or just out of his reach in and near the end zone on multiple occasions throughout the game. Smith was at his best lining up on the left side and streaking down the sideline or breaking over the middle on a deep route in this game.

WR Muhsin Muhammad, Rec: 4 - 40 - 1 (9 targets) - Muhammed added a late touchdown with three catches on the final Panthers scoring drive, but had struggled all afternoon prior to this drive, with balls just behind him bouncing off his hands, including one on a crossing route into the end zone.

TE Dante Rosario, Rec: 3 - 43 - 0 (3 targets) - Rosario caught all three passes thrown to him, and split time at tight end with starter Jeff King.

PK John Kasay 2 - 2 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 8 points - Kasay added short field goals from 21 and 23 yards, as well as two extra points. The Panthers went for two in the fourth quarter to make it a 24-21 game, but never gave Kasay a chance to tie it up.

CAR Rush Defense - The Panthers rush defense was bludgeoned for five touchdown runs and 133 yards on the ground, despite knowing the Falcons would be running the ball much of the game with a lead.

CAR Pass Defense - The secondary gave up 259 yards, with 69 of them coming on a nice play made by rookie Harry Douglas. The Panthers kept Matt Ryan and the Falcons out of the end zone, but couldn't stop them often enough to keep the chains from moving.

QB Matt Ryan, Pass: 17 - 27 - 259 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - 2 - 0 - Quarterback Matt Ryan played a solid, though unspectacular game in which the Falcons put up 45 points, as he was kept out of the end zone. Ryan completed 17 of 27 passes for 259 yards, and added two yards on three official carries.

RB Michael Turner, Rush: 24 - 117 - 4 - Finding the end zone four times is no small feat, though this was Turner's fourth multi-touchdown game of the season and fifth performance exceeding one hundred yards on the ground. Turner bulldozed his way to two of the touchdowns from a yard out, but showed nifty footwork and a good burst on his four yard touchdown around end to the left side and past would be defenders on his sixteen yard scamper late in the game.

RB Jerious Norwood, Rush: 4 - 11 - 0, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (2 targets) - Norwood saw limited action in this game as he recovered from a rib injury, though he did maintain his role on kick returns. The flow of the game with the Falcons lead allowed the team to pound Michael Turner down the Panthers throats all afternoon long.

WR Harry Douglas, Rush: 2 - 3 - 1, Rec: 4 - 92 - 0 (6 targets) - Douglas was the player of the day, scoring from both the ground and via the punt return, and just missing a touchdown through the air as he was pulled down from behind. Though he went untouched on his 61 yard punt return, perhaps his most impressive play of the day was a sixty-nine yard catch where he caught a fifteen yard pass over the left side, then spun away from the defenders and began sprinting down the sidelines where he was caught inside the ten. The Falcons showed an interest in getting Douglas involved, especially with Jerious Norwood at less than 100%.

WR Michael Jenkins, Rec: 4 - 48 - 0 (6 targets) - Jenkins was a secondary target in this game, but finished with a decent performance, averaging twelve yards per reception. Including this game, Jenkins has compiled fifteen catches for 175 yards over his last three games, though with no touchdowns. Jenkins has touchdowns in just two games this season (one in Week 1 and two in Week 9).

WR Roddy White, Rec: 4 - 70 - 0 (9 targets) - White was involved and active early, with all of his catches coming in the first twenty minutes of this game. White fumbled the ball on his fourth catch, and was never able to make up for it after that, being shutout the remainder of the afternoon. He had a disputed twenty yard catch later in the game, though instant replay ruled the pass incomplete.

TE Ben Hartsock - Hartsock started the game for the Falcons, but did not see any targets in this game as Falcons tight ends acted primarily as blockers in this game, propelling the running game and limiting the Panthers defense to just one sack on the afternoon.

PK Jason Elam 1 - 1 FG, 6 - 6 XP, 9 points - Elam made two field goal attempts, the longest from 23 yards out and was two for two on extra point attempts in this game.

ATL Rush Defense - The Falcons did a decent job of shutting down the combination of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, who combined for 116 yards, though 24 of those came in the final minute of the game in garbage time. The Falcons were not threatened on the ground based upon the game situation, but did a good job of bottling up both running backs early (Williams had 25 first half yards, while they had stuffed Stewart at the goal line in a key second quarter stand).

ATL Pass Defense - Despite giving up 295 yards and a touchdown through the air, the Falcons kept enough pressure on Jake Delhomme all afternoon to throw off his timing with Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammed. Though they didn't have any touchdowns, the Falcons finished with two sacks.

---

Indianapolis Colts 23, San Diego Chargers 20

What you need to know

Indianapolis Colts - Peyton Manning had a good night throwing the football and came up big in the fourth quarter when he led the offense on a 38 yard drive with less than 1:30 remaining as he helped set up the game winning 51 yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri. The Indianapolis field general finished the game 32 of 44 for 255 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Manning's touchdown tosses to Anthony Gonzalez and Dominic Rhodes were his 18th and 19th scoring throws of the year.

Joseph Addai led the Indianapolis rushing attack with 70 yards on 16 carries for an average of 4.4 yards per rush. In addition to his production on the ground, the starting running back also totaled an additional 31 yards in the passing game. Dominic Rhodes amassed 42 total yards and got into the end zone when he hauled in a one yard touchdown pass.

Anthony Gonzalez was targeted nine times in this contest as he hauled in six passes for a team high 95 yards. His second quarter score was his third of the year and tied the game at 10. Marvin Harrison also caught six passes in this game that went for 44 yards, while Reggie Wayne had a quiet game grabbing only two passes.

Jeff Saturday left the game in the first half with what was reported as a calf injury and did not return.

San Diego Chargers - Down two scores in the fourth quarter the Chargers put up ten unanswered points to tie the game in the final period, but they were unable to get the win as the Colts kicked a game winning field goal as time expired. Philip Rivers completed over 77% of his 31 passing attempts for 288 yards and two touchdowns. Despite the impressive numbers through the air, Rivers did have a costly fumble that turned the ball over with San Diego operating from the Indianapolis 14 yard line.

For the ninth time this season, LaDainian Tomlinson failed to go over 100 yards on the ground as the running back finished the game rushing for 84 yards on 21 attempts. Without his two longer runs of 12 and 20 yards, he averaged a paltry 2.3 yards per rush. Tomlinson did contribute in the passing game by hauling in three passes that went for 30 yards.

San Diego wide outs combined to catch ten passes that went for 172 yards and a touchdown. Chris Chambers led the way with six receptions for 61 yards while Vincent Jackson caught two passes for 57 yards. One of Jackson's catches was a 39 yard score that gave the Chargers a 10--3 lead. Tight end Antonio Gates had only 28 receiving yards on three catches.

What you ought to know

QB Peyton Manning, Pass: 32 - 44 - 255 - 2 TD / 1 INT - Manning finished the first two quarters completing 16 passes that went for 133 yards with one touchdown and one interception. On the interception, WR Marvin Harrison was open down the deep middle of the field, but the pass was under thrown and it was picked off by Chargers' CB Quentin Jammer. Prior to that pass, the quarterback had thrown 140 passes without an interception. Manning came back after the turnover and led the Colts on a touchdown scoring drive that ended with a 13 yard scoring toss to WR Anthony Gonzalez. The Indianapolis signal caller led the offense on three scoring drives in the second half, with the only touchdown coming when he hooked up with RB Dominic Rhodes for a one yard touchdown pass. On the drive that set up the game winning field goal, Manning was four of six for 36 yards as he moved the Colts to the Chargers' 33 yard line.

RB Joseph Addai, Rush: 16 - 70 - 0, Rec: 7 - 31 - 0 (10 targets) - Addai's longest gain of the game came in the second quarter when on a third and one play he busted through the line, cut back against the grain, and picked up 23 yards. On the team's first drive of the second half, the running back got five consecutive touches (one rush and four receptions) that he turned into 20 yards. Despite the heavy work load early on in the drive, it was Dominic Rhodes who was in the game later on the series when the Colts moved inside the Chargers' ten yard line.

RB Dominic Rhodes, Rush: 7 - 21 - 0, Rec: 5 - 21 - 1 (6 targets) - Rhodes had little success rushing the football as he averaged only 3.0 yards on seven attempts, but he did contribute in the passing game. On a third and five play with just over two minutes left in the second quarter, the running back caught a pass that went for a gain of 13 yards that helped extend a drive that set up the team's first touchdown. Later on in the game Rhodes got five consecutive touches with the team inside the San Diego ten yard line and finally got into the end zone when he caught a one yard touchdown pass while split out wide.

RB Chad Simpson - Though he got no touches on offense, Simpson averaged 24 yards on four kickoff returns.

WR Marvin Harrison, Rec: 6 - 44 - 0 (8 targets) - Harrison caught his first three targets for a total of 23 yards, but the fourth pass his way was intercepted. His next two grabs went for a total of only seven yards, but he had a big catch on the team's game winning, field goal drive when he hauled in a 14 yard pass on a fourth and one play that took the ball down to the San Diego 34 yard line.

WR Anthony Gonzalez, Rec: 6 - 95 - 1 (9 targets) - In addition to leading the team in receiving yards, Gonzalez also seemed to be QB Peyton Manning's favorite target when a play had to be made. Of his six catches, five of them moved the sticks and the other one went for a 13 yard touchdown reception. Four of Gonzalez's grabs came on third down plays.

WR Reggie Wayne, Rec: 2 - 34 - 0 (4 targets) - Wayne's first target of the game came on a third and one play that went for a 26 yard gain down the middle of field. His only other catch went for eight yards as he took the ball down to the Chargers' five yard line. Though he would not catch another pass, Wayne did draw a 17 yard pass interference penalty that gave the Colts a first down.

TE Dallas Clark, Rec: 6 - 30 - 0 (8 targets) - Clark turned his eight targets into six catches, but he only recorded 30 yards in the receiving game. His long gain of the game came in the third quarter and went for a pickup of eight.

PK Adam Vinatieri 3 - 3 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 11 points - Vinatieri made good on field goal attempts from 23, 38, and 51 yards. His 51 yarder came as time expired and gave the Colts the 23--20 victory. Vinatieri also converted on both of his point after attempts.

IND Rush Defense - The Colts' rush defense allowed the Chargers' running game to gain 120 yards on 25 attempts for an average of 4.8 yards per carry. San Diego RB LaDainian Tomlinson received two rushes with the Chargers operating inside the Indianapolis five yard line, but the defense kept the running back from getting into the end zone.

IND Pass Defense - Indianapolis allowed Philip Rivers to complete 24 passes for 288 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. DE Robert Mathis forced and recovered a fumble of Rivers in the third quarter when he sacked the quarterback with the Chargers operating from the Colts 14 yard line. Mathis and DT Eric Foster combine to record a second sack later on in the third quarter.

QB Philip Rivers, Pass: 24 - 31 - 288 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - 15 - 0 - Rivers gave the Chargers a 10--3 lead in the second quarter when he threw a perfect deep ball to WR Vincent Jackson that went for a 39 yard touchdown pass. Down ten in the fourth quarter, the San Diego quarterback led the offense on a 12 play, 70 yard drive that he capped with a one yard touchdown toss to RB Jacob Hester. On the drive, Rivers was seven for seven for 47 yards and also had a nine yard rush that went for a first down. The San Diego signal caller followed that up with a field goal tying series in when he completed five of seven passes for 63 yards as he moved the offense down to the Indianapolis 29 yard line. Rivers' two scoring throws were his 22nd and 23rd touchdowns of the year.

RB LaDainian Tomlinson, Rush: 21 - 84 - 0, Rec: 3 - 30 - 0 (6 targets) - Though Tomlinson averaged 4.0 yards per rush and had longer runs of 12 and 20 yards, the running back seemed to have a rough time finding daylight to run to. Of his 21 runs, 13 went for three yards or less and he failed to get into the end zone despite getting two rushes inside the Indianapolis five yard line. Tomlinson did average ten yards on the three receptions, but he had a big drop on San Diego's final series as the Chargers drove to try to tie or win the game.

RB Darren Sproles, Rush: 2 - 21 - 0, Rec: 2 - 13 - 0 (2 targets) - Sproles' long gain of the game came when he picked up 20 yards on a third quarter run. In addition to his touches on offense, he averaged 20 yards on five kick returns and returned one punt for four yards.

RB Jacob Hester, Rec: 3 - 16 - 1 (3 targets) - All three of Hester's catches came on the same fourth quarter drive. The one yard touchdown reception was the first of his career.

RB Mike Tolbert (1 targets) - Tolbert's only target fell to the ground incomplete.

WR Chris Chambers, Rec: 6 - 61 - 0 (6 targets) - Chambers led all Chargers' pass catches with six catches for 61 yards as he hauled in all the passes that were thrown his way. Half of his catches came in the first two quarters when he totaled 22 yards in the passing game. The biggest of Chambers' three catches in the second half came on the team's final drive when he caught a pass that went for a pickup of 18 yards.

WR Malcom Floyd, Rec: 2 - 54 - 0 (3 targets) - Floyd was targeted on a deep ball on the team's first series, but the pass was a little overthrown and fell incomplete. His first catch went for a big gain when the wide receiver made a nice leaping catch down the sideline on a third and two play that went for a pickup of 31 yards. Floyd's only other catch went for longer pickup of 23.

WR Vincent Jackson, Rec: 2 - 57 - 1 (2 targets) - Jackson's first catch of the game went for a 39 yard touchdown. On the play, he made a nice leaping catch in the midst of a number of Colts' defenders and was able to get the ball across the goal line for the score. His only other reception came in the fourth quarter and went for a gain of 18 yards.

TE Antonio Gates, Rec: 3 - 28 - 0 (4 targets) - Gates' first catch came near the start of the second quarter and went for a pickup of 13 yards. His second catch didn't come until just over three minutes were remaining in the third quarter and went for a gain of nine. Gates final catch of the game came in the fourth quarter and went for six yards.

TE Brandon Manumaleuna, Rec: 3 - 29 - 0 (3 targets) - Manumaleuna caught all three passes thrown his way for an average of 9.6 yards per reception. His third reception came on San Diego's final drive and set up the game tying field as he took the ball down to the Indianapolis 29 yard line.

PK Nate Kaeding 2 - 2 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 8 points - Kaeding made his first field goal attempt from 35 yards out and then was good from 47 yards when he tied the game at 20 with 1:30 left in the game. He also converted both of his point after attempts.

SD Rush Defense - Indianapolis totaled 91 yards on the ground on 23 rushes for an average of just 4.0 yards per attempt. The rush defense came up with a big stop on a third and one run that got the Chargers the ball back with a little over three minutes left in the game.

SD Pass Defense - Peyton Manning completed 32 passes that went for 255 yards and two touchdowns. The Chargers did record one sack and CB Quentin Jammer intercepted a pass in the second quarter.

---

New England Patriots 48, Miami Dolphins 28

What you need to know

New England Patriots - Matt Cassel had his second straight 400+ yard game, hooked up with Randy Moss for three touchdowns, and ran one in himself for good measure. He wasn't always perfect, but he limited his mistakes and has a pretty firm grasp on how to use the offensive weapons around him.

Moss, Wes Welker, and Jabar Gaffney all had good days against a normally stingy Dolphins defense. Credit Cassel for spreading the ball around and keeping the secondary off balance.

There was not much of a running game to speak of. Sammy Morris was a reliable option when they needed a short gain for the first down; Kevin Faulk worked mainly as a pass catching back, but also ran untouched to the end zone on a 21 yard run up the middle. BenJarvus Green-Ellis played strictly in garbage time and got a TD for his efforts.

Miami Dolphins - Chad Pennington uncharacteristically passed for over 300 yards and three scores, while running one in as well. Despite the big day, he also uncharacteristically threw a costly interception when the Dolphins were only behind by three points that allowed the Patriots to put it out of reach.

Pennington was able to match Cassel step for step most of the way, spreading the ball out equally as well, not only to wide receivers Ted Ginn, Greg Camarillo, and Davone Bess, but also to his tight ends and running backs.

Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams were fairly quiet for most of the game and both finished with unspectacular lines. Williams pulled in a nice catch in the corner of the end zone to pull the Dolphins to within three early in the fourth quarter.

What you ought to know

QB Matt Cassel, Pass: 30 - 43 - 415 - 3 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - 14 - 1 - Cassel had a second straight game with over 400 yards passing. He threw three touchdown strikes to Randy Moss and scrambled for another TD himself. His lone interception was the result of an unlucky bounce, and the key to his success was that he really made very few mistakes. He struggled some with the accuracy of his throws, but whey you can hit Moss three times for the score, that kind of flaw gets overlooked by most.

RB Kevin Faulk, Rush: 8 - 53 - 1, Rec: 6 - 52 - 0 (6 targets) - Faulk ran the ball eight times and was targeted six times as a receiver -- catching all six. His biggest contribution was a surprising (that not a single Dolphin touched him) 21 yard run up the middle for an easy score.

RB Sammy Morris, Rush: 8 - 35 - 0, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (3 targets) - Morris was relied on mainly for short yardage plays, and was for the most part effective. The Patriots relied more on the passing game, however, which limited him to a mere eight carries on the ground.

RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Rush: 7 - 20 - 1 - Green-Ellis came in once the game was out of reach and scored on a short run.

WR Randy Moss, Rec: 8 - 125 - 3 (13 targets) - Moss was worth the price of admission to this game. He made a number of highlight reel worthy catches while scoring three touchdowns and moving to third on the list of all time reception touchdown leaders. The Dolphins chose to try to cover him with single coverage often and Moss made them pay.

WR Wes Welker, Rec: 8 - 120 - 0 (11 targets) - All of Welker's targets were of the short to medium variety. He caught most of them and turned one into an electric 64 yard gain.

WR Jabar Gaffney, Rec: 5 - 88 - 0 (8 targets) - Gaffney had an excellent day, as all five of his catches were of 15 yards or more. He had a big first half and then was only targeted once in the second.

WR Matt Slater (2 targets) - Slater got added to the mix, though he did not record a reception. Cassel looked his way despite blanket coverage.

TE Ben Watson, Rec: 1 - 16 - 0 (1 targets) - Watson caught his lone target for an important first down late in the game.

PK Stephen Gostkowski 2 - 2 FG, 6 - 6 XP, 12 points - Gostkowski was perfect on two short field goals and six for six on PAT attempts.

NE Rush Defense - The Patriots did an excellent job of keeping the running game in check.

NE Pass Defense - The downside of the good rush defense is that the Dolphins had a great game through the air. Brandon Meriweather had a timely fourth quarter interception to shut down any possible comeback.

QB Chad Pennington, Pass: 24 - 41 - 341 - 3 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - 3 - 1 - Pennington was sharp. He hooked up with seven different receivers on the day. What stood out was his willingness to go for the big play a little more often than usual -- and succeeding a good portion of the time. He also had a gutsy seven yard run for a touchdown.

RB Ronnie Brown, Rush: 10 - 37 - 0, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (3 targets) - Brown did not have much of an impact. He carried the ball a few more times than Ricky Williams, but neither had much success on the ground.

RB Ricky Williams, Rush: 6 - 21 - 0, Rec: 2 - 19 - 1 (3 targets) - Williams shared carries with Ronnie Brown, and made a beautiful diving end zone catch late in the game to bring the Dolphins within a field goal.

RB Patrick Cobbs, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0 (1 targets) - Cobbs was a distant third option in a backfield that was not having a great day to begin with.

WR Greg Camarillo, Rec: 6 - 75 - 1 (6 targets) - Camarillo injured his knee in the second half of the game. Prior to the injury, he had scored on a 3 yard TD reception and had been the Dolphins most reliable option. Other than the short touchdown, his other catches all went for first downs.

WR Ted Ginn, Rec: 5 - 88 - 0 (9 targets) - Ginn was quite dependable, moving the chains on 5 of his six catches. He was the Dolphins main deep threat and had a couple of long gains (31, 46) on the day. He also hurt the team by trying to do too much on one of his kick returns. Instead of going down around the 15 yard line, his attempt to make something happen resulted in his being tackled at the two yard line.

WR Davone Bess, Rec: 5 - 87 - 0 (9 targets) - Bess was a pleasant surprise before and after the Camarillo injury. He showed good speed, agility, and catching ability. He was not afraid to go after the ball over the middle, either.

TE David Martin, Rec: 4 - 60 - 0 (5 targets) - Martin had a couple of nice gains (29 and 18 yards) to go with a couple of shorter catches. Pennington looked to him more than the other TE, Anthony Fasano.

TE Anthony Fasano (2 targets) - David Martin was the preferred target between the two tight ends.

PK Dan Carpenter 0 - 0 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 4 points - Carpenter had no field goal attempts and was a perfect four for four on PAT attempts.

MIA Rush Defense - The Dolphins allowed a soft touchdown up the middle to Kevin Faulk, and then in garbage time were unable stop BenJarvus Green-Ellis from reaching the goal line.

MIA Pass Defense - The pass rush was impressive, keeping the pressure on Cassel the whole game. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, it wasn't enough to prevent re-runs of The Randy Moss show.

---

Washington Redskins 20, Seattle Seahawks 17

What you need to know

Washington Redskins - Jason Campbell had a modest stat line again this week. The focus of the offense was Clinton Portis and the run game. The Redskins continue to use short yardage and high percentage passing to keep defenses from just stacking the box. Campbell had a touchdown and continued to use his legs while scrambling for 32 yards rushing.

Clinton Portis was the Washington Redskins offense. He was absolutely determined not to be stopped on his way to his sixth 100 yard game of the season. His ability to pick up positive yards on seemingly every play allowed the Redskins to dominant the time of possession stat. They held an edge of 38 minutes to just 22 minutes by the Seahawks. Portis fought through some obvious discomfort as he appeared to be playing through pain and had to be pulled at various spots in the game.

Ladell Betts was able to find the end zone on a short run in the first half. However, the play many will talk about was a fumble that Betts coughed up with just 88 seconds left in the game with the Redskins nursing a three point lead. The play did not end up costing Washington as Shawn Springs intercepted a pass on the very next play.

Seattle Seahawks - Matt Hasselbeck is still working off some rust. Despite throwing two touchdowns on the game, it was obvious that Hasselbeck has not been sharp. He only totaled 103 yards, frequently over threw receivers and was picked twice during the game.

Maurice Morris had a very nice game and was a bright spot for the Seahawks. On only 14 attempts, Morris was able to run for his first 100 yard game this year, going for 103 yards while catching a touchdown pass to round out a solid fantasy day.

John Carlson continued to be the Seahawks most dangerous receiving option which is not saying much. He had two catches on the game and a ten yard touchdown reception.

What you ought to know

QB Jason Campbell, Pass: 20 - 33 - 206 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 6 - 32 - 0 - Campbell struggled early to get anything going outside the hash marks with his receivers. He had some success with check downs and shorter routes with his running backs and tight ends. The Washington offensive line continued to struggle with speed pass rushers on the edge and this caused Campbell to have to throw primarily on three step drops and roll out to avoid constant pressure. Campbell utilized his play action fakes very effectively in this game as Portis ensured that the Seattle linebackers respected the run threat. His lone touch down pass was caught by Antwaan Randle El, although Mike Sellers dropped what would have been a sure touch down later in the game. Overall, it was a somewhat disappointing stat line from Campbell.

RB Clinton Portis, Rush: 29 - 143 - 0, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (2 targets) - The star running back continues to make a case for league MVP. To put it very simply, he is the Washington offense. Despite being injured, he ran with heart, speed and power. There didn't seem to be a single play that didn't pick up positive yards. He was effective in power run sets where he ran behind Chris Samuels and Mike Sellers. The stretch play both to the left and right sides of the offensive line were working superbly in addition to some well timed draw plays up the middle. The Redskins effectively played keep away from the Seahawks to the tune of over 38 minutes of possession time including a six minute drive late in the fourth quarter to milk most of the remaining clock.

RB Ladell Betts, Rush: 5 - 7 - 1 (2 targets) - Betts was fortunate to score a touch down that came one play after starting running back Clinton Portis was sidelined with a temporary injury. Betts scored on a determined run from short yardage. Late in the game, Betts almost hurt the Redskins playoff hopes with a fumble.

RB Mike Sellers, Rush: 1 - 5 - 0, Rec: 4 - 30 - 0 (5 targets) - Sellers has been an interesting player over the last couple of weeks. His targets have increased and he is consistently getting looks in the red zone. He scored last week and should have scored this week on the very same play, if were not for a dropped pass.

WR Santana Moss, Rec: 4 - 72 - 0 (9 targets) - Moss is showing some signs of frustration with the offense and his contribution. He was flagged for an unnecessary roughness penalty for punching one of the Seahawk defensive backs. Moss was able to generate 74 yards receiving on just four receptions. It appears that he is struggling to get off of the line in press coverage and is seeing more it lately. Also, the lack of time in the pocket for Campbell is hurting the vertical passing game which Moss excels in.

WR Antwaan Randle El, Rec: 2 - 18 - 1 (2 targets) - Randle El was able to haul in a short touch down reception on a crossing route. He showed some nice wiggle after the catch to avoid being tackled short of the goal line. He continues to line up in the slot in three wide sets, but was not used much in the game.

WR Malcolm Kelly, Rec: 2 - 12 - 0 (4 targets) - Kelly's two catches came on quick three step drops from Campbell. Kelly shows very nice hands but his route running was a little sloppy. This could be seen when he was targeted in the red zone on a fade route. The problem was that he didn't space the route effectively and got himself too close to the sidelines and the play was easily covered by the Seahawks defensive back.

WR James Thrash (1 targets) - Was the closest receiver on a hail Mary pass just before the half. Rookie Malcolm Kelly played ahead of Thrash throughout the game.

TE Chris Cooley, Rec: 5 - 54 - 0 (8 targets) - Cooley played well and made the most of his eight targets catching five of them. He was primarily a possession receiver in this game and helped convert some key third down situations for the Redskins. The bread and butter play for Cooley is a play action fake to Portis on the edge and Campbell then rolls out to opposite direction where he proceeds to hit Cooley on the backside of the play.

TE Todd Yoder, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) - Yoder made a short catch, but he is rarely a threat or factor.

PK Shaun Suisham 2 - 3 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 8 points - Suisham was able to score eight points. He was perfect on extra points and hit field goals of 22 and 26 yards. He missed on a 43 yard attempt coming up short again, the ball hit the cross bar. This is the second week in a row he has missed short from the 40-45 yard range. Perhaps wind was a factor.

WAS Rush Defense - Overall the defense is playing well, but during the last two weeks they have given up 100 yard games to the opposing team's running back. In this case they allowed Maurice Morris to hit the century mark.

WAS Pass Defense - They were able to generate some more pressure but it was primarily with the blitz. They sacked Matt Hasselbeck twice as well as swiping two interceptions. Of note, they have given up touchdowns to tight ends in back to back games (Martellus Bennett and John Carlson). The impressive rookie Chris Horton has struggled some in coverage of late.

QB Matt Hasselbeck, Pass: 12 - 24 - 103 - 2 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 2 - 11 - 0 - Despite his two touch downs on the game; it's hard to be complimentary of his play. Hasselbeck appears to still be shaking the rust off after a long absence from injury. He and his receivers lacked timing and rapport throughout this contest. Often Hasselbeck over threw open receivers or threw to spots where there was no receiver. This is an obvious sign of the offense not being in sync at all. The worst miss was with Bobby Engram who had a full step on his man and was open, but was well over thrown. To save a terrible stat line, Hasselbeck had hook ups with Maurice Morris and John Carlson.

RB Maurice Morris, Rush: 14 - 103 - 0, Rec: 3 - 10 - 1 (3 targets) - Morris enjoyed a good fantasy line as he hit the rushing century mark for the first time this year. His first carry went for 44 yards as he pinballed off of Washington defenders for a nice gain. Morris did a nice job of getting his shoulder pads square to help him break past the first tackler on almost every carry. His best runs seemed to come with a lead blocker in the I formation. Matt Hasselbeck was able to hit Morris on a short dump off that he navigated four yards for a touchdown.

RB Leonard Weaver, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (2 targets) - Weaver was able to haul in both of his targets for short gains.

RB Julius Jones, Rush: 2 - 21 - 0 - Jones was used to give the starter Morris a rest on occasion. He had a nice opening run that went for 19 yards down the right sidelines. It was a little surprising that Jones did not receive more carries although Morris was running well for the Seahawks.

RB T.J. Duckett, Rush: 1 - 4 - 0 - Duckett was a non factor in this game and only saw the field on a short yardage situation.

WR Bobby Engram, Rec: 2 - 34 - 0 (4 targets) - He ran good routes from the slot position and was able to catch two balls for 34 yards to lead all receivers.

WR Deion Branch, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (5 targets) - Branch was blanketed throughout the game by corners Shawn Spring and Carlos Rogers. His lone catch was a pretty slant route where he was lead perfectly. The pass was likely Hasselbeck's best throw of the game.

WR Koren Robinson, Rec: 1 - 14 - 0 (5 targets) - Of all of the receivers, it seemed like Robinson and Hasselbeck were not on the same page. Robinson was only able to catch one of his targets. His last target of the day was a key interception by Shawn Springs that effectively ended the game. Matt Hasselbeck was visible upset and made hand gestures that suggested he thought Robinson would have run a different route. Robinson's lone catch was a very nice diving grab over the middle.

WR Courtney Taylor, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (1 targets) - Taylor saw the field in four wide sets and was able to catch his lone target for six yards.

TE John Carlson, Rec: 2 - 14 - 1 (2 targets) - Carlson was able to score on one of his two catches. It was a nicely run corner route that beat defenders Chris Horton and Rocky McIntosh for a fairly easy score.

PK Olindo Mare 1 - 2 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points - Mare scored five points on two successful extra points and a 45 field goal. He did have a miss wide right from 53 yards out.

SEA Rush Defense - The under sized front seven of this group got bullied and pushed around the entire game. Stud running back Clinton Portis and company went for a whopping 187 yards. The Redskins offense dominated the time of possession, keeping the ball over 38 minutes.

SEA Pass Defense - They did a nice job of limiting Santana Moss from big plays and Chris Cooley was also held in check for the most part. They surrendered one touchdown and a total of 206 passing yards.

---

Cincinnati Bengals 10, Pittsburgh Steelers 27

What you need to know

Cincinnati Bengals - QB Ryan Fitzpatrick got off to a good start in the first quarter of this game by leading his team down the field to game's first touchdown but, then proceeded to struggle to move the ball until late in the fourth quarter. Despite only one sack, the Steelers defense got good pressure on Fitzpatrick most of the game and took away his favorite, WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Fitzpatrick missed his receivers at times, and his receivers dropped passes in key situations.

To no one's surprise, RB Cedric Benson and the Bengals' rushing attack was no match for the NFL's number one rushing defense. Benson had only 37 yards on 16 carries and had very little room to run throughout the game.

WR Chad Johnson was deactivated for the game for disciplinary reasons by HC Marvin Lewis. WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh had one of his worse games of the year and had only four catches for 20 yards, this snapped an eight game streak of having at least six catches or more. Houshmandzadeh was covered most of the night and may have been hurt by not having Johnson in the game as the Steelers defense seemed to focus on him.

Pittsburgh Steelers - QB Ben Roethlisberger played a solid game and didn't turn the ball over, going 17 for 20 for 243 yards. He had one passing touchdown that went to TE Heath Miller on a short three pass out in the flat. He also added a touchdown run late in the game when he scrambled up the middle of the field for eight yards. Roethlisberger kind got off to a slow start in this one, but played better as the game went on. The Pittsburgh line gave him good protection all game and he was not sacked once.

RB Willie Parker had a disappointing game and had had only 14 yards on 11 carries in the first half and looked very ineffective. Just when it looked like he was getting into a rhythm in the third quarter, he left the game after tweaking his knee. He left the game after a 15 yard run where he was not hit on the play. RB Mewelde Moore took over the running back duties and looked better then Parker in this game. He led the team in rushing and added four receptions for 41 yards. RB Gary Russell got the Steelers' other rushing touchdown on two yard carry.

WR Santonio Holmes was the game's leading receiver catching five passes for 84 yards and he looked more like the receiver of last year, getting separation from defenders and making plays with his speed. WR Hines Ward had a quiet game only catching one pass, but it was the Steelers' longest play of the game and it went for 37 yards and set up a score. TE Heath Miller caught the Steelers only passing touchdown and looked good coming off an ankle injury.

What you ought to know

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, Pass: 20 - 37 - 168 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - 8 - 0 - Fitzpatrick got off to a good start by completing seven of his eight passes in the first quarter, and hooking up with WR Glenn Holt for a ten yard touchdown. He led the Bengals down the field for 62 yard touchdown drive going three for three on third downs during that drive. Unfortunately for Fitzpatrick, it was all down hill after that first quarter. He went 13 for 29 for 114 yards and one interception after the first quarter. Fitzpatrick was unimpressive in the second half getting passes knocked down and missing receivers consistently. He picked up some garbage yardage late in the game while it was out reach for Cincinnati and he threw an interception deep in Steelers' territory toward the end of the game. He simply did not make very many plays when the opportunity presented itself in the game and, he did not get help from his receivers, who dropped some balls in this game.

RB Cedric Benson, Rush: 16 - 35 - 0, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (2 targets) - Benson had some tough plowing going up against the number one run defense in the NFL. He ran pretty hard despite not having too many holes. He had ten carries for 27 yards in the first half. Things didn't get any better for Benson in the second as the offense came to a grinding halt as he only had seven yards on six carries in the half.

RB Chris Perry, Rush: 2 - 0 - 0, Rec: 2 - 0 - 0 (2 targets) - Perry had four touches in the game for a total of zero yards. That kind of sums up Perry's season who has given way to RB Cedric Benson and only spelled him a few times in the game.

WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Rec: 4 - 20 - 0 (11 targets) - Houshmandzadeh had four catches for 20 yards in the first half and despite getting a lot passes thrown his way he did not have a catch in the second half. He had two defenders on him most of the game and Bengals' dreadful offense was no match for a very good Steelers defense. Houshmandzadeh seems to be a victim of circumstance; a good player, playing on a bad team, with a below average quarterback throwing him the ball. That certainly seemed to be the case in this game as his body language on the field was that of someone sick of losing and not being able to move the football.

WR Andre Caldwell, Rec: 3 - 26 - 0 (7 targets) - The rookie caught three passes for 26 yards as he got more playing time after two bad drops by WR Glenn Holt.

WR Chris Henry, Rec: 2 - 25 - 0 (2 targets) - Henry had two catches for 25 yards in the first half and did not have a catch in the second half. The Steelers did a good job of taking Henry and WR Houshmandzadeh out of the game.

WR Glenn Holt, Rec: 2 - 16 - 1 (4 targets) - Holt got the start for the deactivated WR Chad Johnson in the game, and he caught his first touchdown of the season on a short ten yard post route in the first quarter. He dropped an easy catch when he was wide open on third down play that would have gotten Cincinnati a first down on the next drive. Holt's next pass thrown his way in the third quarter was also dropped pass on another potential first down. Both drops were pretty big plays and he did not get a pass thrown to him after the second drop.

TE Reggie Kelly, Rec: 3 - 41 - 0 (4 targets) - Kelly had Cincinnati's longest pass play in the game with a nice catch in traffic for 31 yards late in the game. He finished as the Bengals leading receiver in the game.

TE Ben Utecht, Rec: 3 - 36 - 0 (3 targets) - Utecht had three catches for 36 yards and all his receptions came late in the game.

PK Shayne Graham 1 - 1 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 4 points - Graham made a 26 yard field goal late in the game.

CIN Rush Defense - The run defense actually played ok in this game, especially in the first half where they completely shut down RB Willie Parker. Most of the yards they gave up came late in the game.

CIN Pass Defense - The Bengals did not get a pass rush on QB Ben Roethlisberger the entire game and did not force a turnover. They really only gave up one big play in the passing game but, they wore down late in the game as the Cincinnati offense could not stay on the field.

QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pass: 17 - 30 - 243 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - 13 - 1 - Roethlisberger played very well in this game and seemed to play better as the game went on. After getting off to a slow start, his biggest play of the game came early in the second quarter when he found WR Hines Ward wide open over the middle for 37 yard gain. He would find TE Heath Miller a few plays later on a short three yard touchdown pass, his only passing score of the game. He finished the first half with nice numbers completing ten of 17 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown. Roethlisberger played even better in the second half and made enough plays in the half to take control of the game. His biggest play of the game came with about two minutes left when he scrambled for an eight yard touchdown run.

RB Mewelde Moore, Rush: 15 - 56 - 0, Rec: 4 - 41 - 0 (4 targets) - Moore didn't get much playing time in the first half but, saw a lot more action in the second half including a big gain of 22 yards on a little screen play in the third quarter. After a 15 yard carry by RB Willie Parker midway through the third quarter, Moore became the primary back the rest of the way and Parker sat on the sideline the rest of the game. Moore finished the game as the Steelers leading rusher and looked like the better back of the two.

RB Willie Parker, Rush: 14 - 37 - 0 - Parker was not that effective in the first half as he had only 14 yards on 11 carries. The Bengals did a pretty good job of shutting down the running lanes and there wasn't much room for Parker to run. The field got a little sloppy in the first half and that probably did not help Parker who relies on his speed and ability to cut up field. He had his biggest run of the game, a 15 yard run down the right side early in the third quarter and did not get come back into the game. It did not appear he got injured and he did not receive any treatment on the sideline. But after the game, HC Mike Tomlin said Parker had tweaked his knee on the run.

RB Gary Russell, Rush: 3 - 5 - 1 - Russell got a two yard touchdown run in the third quarter. The touchdown came after RB Willie Parker left the game.

WR Santonio Holmes, Rec: 5 - 84 - 0 (8 targets) - Holmes had his best half's of football in some time by catching three balls for 59 yards in the first half. QB Ben Roethlisberger targeted Holmes a lot in the first half and he had six targets compared to WR Hines Ward's one in the half. Holmes got hammered on a quick slant route he caught off the right side. He got up right away but looked groggy after the hit. He did not catch a pass after that play but Holmes played well through the game, and looked more like the player of last year in this game.

WR Nate Washington, Rush: 1 - 4 - 0, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (2 targets) - Washington was not a factor in this game and only had one catch for 12 yards in the game. His only other target was a dropped passed on a third down early in the game.

WR Limas Sweed, Rec: 2 - 25 - 0 (2 targets) - Sweed caught two passes for 25 yards in the game.

WR Hines Ward, Rec: 1 - 37 - 0 (4 targets) - Ward's first and only catch came on a big 37 yard play where he got open over the middle and took it deep into the Bengals territory. But Ward did not get anymore balls thrown his way in the first half and only had three targets in the second half.

TE Heath Miller, Rec: 4 - 44 - 1 (4 targets) - Miller caught his second touchdown of the season on short three yard pass out in the flat early in the second quarter. He had three catches for 25 in the first half. Miller caught a 19 yard pass and almost had his second touchdown of the game but was tackled on the two yard line. This was one of Miller's best games of the season and not bad considering he's coming off an ankle injury.

PK Jeff Reed 2 - 2 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 9 points - Reed made a 37 yard field goal in the second quarter and a 38 yard kick in the third quarter.

PIT Rush Defense - The defense line dominated and shut down the run game, only allowing 35 yards to the Bengals' running backs. Not a surprise considering the Steelers defense is ranked number one against the run and the Bengals are one the worse rushing teams in the league.

PIT Pass Defense - The Steelers only got one sack in this game but, did get a lot pressure on the quarterback in this game. They did come up with an interception late in the game.

---